Page 66 of Wedlock

“And how was he acquainted with the Countess?”

“I don’t know how they met, but she was the one he wanted to marry before he even went into The Games. When he had to compete a second time she married Spider to gain immortality. She realised she’d made a mistake, though, and came to Falcon while we were in The Games and begged him to take her in. She was pregnant with Spider’s heir then, and black and blue with bruises, but free from hupotasso.”

“So,” the Queen frowns, “Spider and he both wanted the same woman.”

“I guess,” I shrug. “I’m sure Falcon still had feelings for her, otherwise why shelter her from Spider?”

I don’t add that he fucked her and kept her as his mistress while at the same time impregnating me. I’m still too furious to even go there.

“And, ah,” I clear my throat and go on, “he kept her until, from memory, you ordered that she be returned to the Count. Still, he remained involved with her, so I know he’d never kill her.”

I glance down at the baby I’m holding.

‘Involved. Fucking understatement.’

“But you say he planned to killyou? The woman who won him while the world watched,” she smirks. “So obviously you believe him capable of murder.”

“He’s a vampire,” I frown, “you know he’s capable of killing.”

“Don’t play the simpleton,” she shakes her head, “murder of a royal wife is completely different to taking the life of a mere human as sustenance.”

I ignore her jibe and swallow my pride.

“Look, Your Majesty, I was never really fit for the royal life. I’m not suitable. Sophie was everything he looked for in a woman.”

“Of course you aren’t suitable,” she snorts. “My niece and I were appalled when he chose you.”

“Niece?”

“Princess Revna of Denmark, future queen of her realm,” she points a long nail at the woman standing at her shoulder. “Surely you didsomehomework before coming here,LadyDragonspur?”

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t. I’ve been busy raising the future Lord Dragonspur.”

“And running from the current one,” she sniggers. “Yes, don’t look so shocked. I knew you ran from him while his mother was hospitalised and that you had to be returned kicking and screaming.”

“Only because of Spider!” I interject. “He was working with Viper to take Falcon’s title.”

“Hearsay,” she waves her hand, “get to the point of your visit.”

I swallow hard.

‘So, she knew about Spider and Viper. If she didn’t she would have questioned me further. How dirty is this queen? How deep do her fingers go in this muddy pie? Eleanor was right; this was a mistake. Time to pull out my last card.’

“Your majesty, Falcon would never have killed Sophie because she was carrying his baby.”

Her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline.

‘Bingo, bitch.’

“A bastard?” She breathes. “He’d dare to cuckold Spider? Are you suggesting Falcon was inlovewith the Countess?”

“I don’t think vampires can ever truly love humans,” I answer slowly, her niece’s satisfied expression not lost on me as I furiously try to figure out how I’d fucked up, “but he favoured her and, like I said, he wanted to marry her before he was forced onto the show.”

“The sins of the father,” the Queen hisses. “He obviously wanted to kill his enemy’s wife, just as his father had done before him. And just like his father, he did so because he was thwarted in love by the Dartlores.”

‘Love? What the fuck? His father loved Spider’s mother? Oh, my god! What else don’t I know?’

“What? No, it was nothing like that. Falcon’s nothing like his father.”