The Cogsmith's Daughter (Desertera #1)(68)

“Thank you.”

“But if you need anything—”

Aya pecked his lips again. “I know. But I won’t.”

Aya turned and walked away. Other than a quick glance to check for passersby at the end of the corridor, she did not stop. It took every ounce of her self-control not to look back to see if Willem would follow her, but she didn’t. As she had said to him, this was something she had to do for herself. Aya merely hoped his hazel eyes would still gaze down at her warmly after Willem learned the truth about who she was and what she had done.





CHAPTER TWENTY


Even though Willem had agreed not to tell anyone about Aya’s involvement with the king, her heart still pounded unevenly. What if he changed his mind and informed the royal guard? What if Willem told someone in confidence, his uncle perhaps, and that person turned Aya in? What if Willem tried to intervene after all, getting both of them hurt?

With every step Aya took, the beating of her heart grew louder, pulsating in her ears, until she felt out of breath. As she reached the statue of Queen Hildegard, Aya stopped in the fork of the three corridors and placed her hands on her hips. Inhaling deeply, she stared up at the stern, unflinching Queen. In every image Aya had seen of her, Queen Hildegard appeared calm and determined, as if she knew exactly how to handle every challenge with grace and precision. Even now, etched into marble, the queen looked as if she was merely allowing herself to be adored until she was ready to move her stone arms and take back the palace.

“How did you do it? How did you save all of us without even one moment of weakness?”

“The weakness never makes it into the history books. It dampens the story.”

Aya turned around to find Queen Zedara standing behind her. The queen was dressed in an elaborate lavender gown. Undoubtedly, she was on her way to dinner with the royal family.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I did not see you standing there.”

“It’s fine. And you can call me Zedara, please.” Zedara waved her hand. “With any luck, this title is temporary.”

Aya smiled. Running into the queen reminded her that this would all be over soon. She would complete her mission, reclaim her father’s shop, and give Willem the explanation he so desired. If he truly cared about her the way she cared about him, he would find a way to forgive her, and they could take their relationship from there. And if not, she still had her business.

“I think your time as the queen is nearly at an end.”

Zedara beamed and crossed the distance between herself and Aya. Her blond hair glowed golden in the candlelight, and her pale skin had the faintest orange cast. “I don’t have a lot of time—King Archon is expecting me in a few moments—but please, tell me what’s happened.”

“The king and I spent the entire day together. He planned the whole affair around my personal interests and spent an inappropriate amount of time explaining how those of poor birth would actually do wonders for the stale noble bloodlines.”

Zedara scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, what a swine.”

Aya returned the gesture. “Indeed. Anyway, when the evening came to a close, he took me back to the round room outside of his chambers and kissed me.”

Zedara raised an eyebrow.

“A lot. All over.” Aya shivered. “And then he asked me to be his mistress, and I refused.”

“How did he respond to that?”

Aya straightened, a triumphant smile on her lips. “Exactly as we hoped.”

Zedara grabbed both of Aya’s hands in hers. Aya felt as if her bones would snap under Zedara’s joyful squeeze. “He wants to get rid of me?”

“Yes.” Aya tightened her grip on Zedara’s hands. “He asked if I would be with him if he were not married, and I said that I would. He told me to wait a few days while he made arrangements and that he would summon me when it was time.”

Zedara bounced off the floor with excitement. “This is brilliant. Absolutely fantastic!”

Aya gave her arms a jerk, and Zedara stood still. “We have to be careful now. I haven’t told Lord Varick yet, but I will in the morning. Stay away from any attractive men and anything that could kill you. You never know when the king is going to strike.”

Zedara smirked. “Trust me, attractive men are the last thing on my mind. I know the king’s games. I’ll stay alive until the deed is done. And I’ll be extraordinarily unpleasant tonight at dinner so he will want to speed up his arrangements.”

“Wonderful. I will let you know the moment I hear from the king.”

Zedara released Aya’s hands to pat down her ruffled skirt and hair. However, she did not leave. She stood there, watching Aya for a few moments. “If everything went so well with His Majesty, why were you breathing so heavily? You looked like you would faint at Old Hildy’s feet.”

Aya used Zedara’s reference to Queen Hildegard as an excuse to turn away and look back at the statue while she formulated a response. “I suppose I’m just a bit anxious. I mean, I have spent the last ten years grieving my father’s death and fantasizing about avenging him, and now that the moment is only a few days away, all that sadness and all these nerves are bubbling up inside of me.”

Zedara squinted. “If you say so.”

“What?” Aya crossed her arms.