Page 27 of The Throne Seeker

“I do.”

At last, his face softened. “You never cease to amaze me with your generosity,” he said with glowing admiration. “But I’m afraid that I cannot change my sentence. There is an important lesson to be learned. Xavier’s banishment remains. As of today, the succession is reopened.”

Her heart plummeted, but she bowed, accepting his answer this time.

She turned to Xavier, and for the first time since she returned, she recognized him. There was her best friend—the boy she would have once given a left lung for. But before anything else could be done, the two guards pulled him away. She watched him until he was out of sight.

Soft hands gripped her shoulders. “Come on, honey,” her mother said, looking over her shoulder at the vultures circling. “We should go.”

Tristan took her hand in his, forcing her to look at him. “Go back to your room. Don’t do anything until I come for you.”

She nodded numbly, following her mother out in a daze.

Good gods, what had she done?

CHAPTER 12

Later that evening Rose sunk into her vanity chair, still absorbing the news. Her mother had gone downstairs on an errand and hadn’t returned, likely managing damage control. She’d attempted to fill the time by reading one of her favorite novels, but even that had failed to capture her attention today. Thea had kept her company until she was summoned back to her duties. Hours had passed, and she still hadn’t heard anything.

As the sun dipped closer to the horizon, she let out a deep sigh, placing the makeup brush she had been playing with back on the vanity. Rising from her seat, she made her way through the adjacent doors to the balcony, leaning on the railing.

The once-sparse clouds had disappeared as the sun fell, painting the blue sky with gentle strokes of orange, purple, and pink. The soft colors floated on the waves below, flooding the horizon. Sunsets in Cathan were always like this: unmatched to all others.

A sight Xavier would never see again.

She still didn’t understand. Why hadn’t he defended himself? Why did he care so little about his future? Or his family? Did he despise them all so much he’d rather spend the rest of his lifein exile? Countless questions swirled, and she feared she’d never get answers… or maybe she could.

An idea popped into her head. It was a terrible one, and it would probably get her into trouble if she was found out, but she had to try.

She didn’t stew on it long, acting before she could come to her senses.

She reached the southeast wing in record time, the halls oddly barren for this hour. She assumed everyone was gathered in the grand hall, chatting and wagering on the next successor. It wouldn’t surprise her if they were already putting forth nominees. It disgusted her to think of how many had prayed for this opportunity.

And she’d just given it to them on a silver platter.

She navigated the winding staircase and continued down the stone corridor, turning right towards the dungeons.

When she arrived at the iron-gated door, she found two guards stationed at the entrance.

“Open the gate,” she commanded.

The taller one put his hand up in protest. “My lady, I don’t know if?—”

“Please,” she pleaded, her voice strung with desperation. “I’ll only be a moment.”

The guard hesitated, contemplating her request. To her surprise, he agreed. “Stay six feet from the cell door,” he cautioned, letting her through.

“I will, thank you.”

She stepped over the threshold and walked down the dark, wide stone corridor. The air felt different here, like a dampswamp on a hot, humid day. She resisted the urge to cover her nose as she glanced into each dim cell. All empty. It wasn’t until she reached the final cell that she spotted him.

He was sitting on a flimsy straw-stuffed bed, hunched over as he rested his elbows on his knees. His hands were interlocked on the back of his neck, his head hung down, staring at his feet, dark hair concealing his face. The sparse torches left him shadowed as she studied his pitiful frame.

“I thought I told you to stay away from me.” Xavier’s rough voice ground out without moving from his hunched-over position.

She took a few small steps closer to his cell, doing her best to quell her nerves. The longer she stood there, the more she regretted not thinking this through. “I came to ask, why? Why did you do it?”

He ignored her, offering nothing.