The Cogsmith's Daughter (Desertera #1)(92)

“I know.” Zedara squeezed Aya tighter. “But now that we are both free and safe, he can’t. Not without going down for murder.”

Aya nodded against Zedara’s shoulder. She knew it was inappropriate to hold onto the queen like a frightened child, but she didn’t care. The two of them did not know each other well, but they shared a bond no one else did. They’d survived the wrath of Lord Varick, suffered the physical affections of the person they most despised, and barely avoided their own deaths, all in the name of avenging the ones they loved most.

“The king wasn’t lying about Isadona, was he?” Aya whispered. “You loved her.”

Zedara sighed, her breath hot on Aya’s tear-soaked shoulder. “I did. She was my one. As Lionel is yours.”

Aya did not know how to respond, not after everything that had happened. “How did you know?” Her voice cracked. “About Willem—I mean, Lionel—and me?”

Zedara pulled away and looked around the courtroom. Her guards still stood sentry, but Prince Lionel and most of the other nobles had left. King Archon, no doubt, was on his way to the executioner, if not already there.

“I planned to ask Lionel to come with me to catch you and the king. I knew he despised his father, and regardless, I thought he would be an honest witness when he saw what we wanted witnesses to see. But before I did, he approached me about you. He told me that you were lying about your name, that you were caught up in some mess involving the king, but that you were innocent, and he wanted to help you. So I told him everything and had him go to Lord Varick to play the scorned lover. I knew he could help set you free and Lord Varick couldn’t stop him.”

Aya sighed. “Thank you.”

“Am I right, though?” Zedara tilted her head. “Do you love him?”

Aya looked up to the ceiling, and her fingers found their way to Queen Lisandra’s barrette. “I don’t know. I think that I could have loved Willem, in time.” She bit her lip, holding back the tears that welled in her eyes again. “I don’t know if I can love Prince Lionel.”

Zedara smiled and rose. She reached out her hands and helped Aya out of her chair. Aya glanced around the room. All of the nobles had now left, and she and Zedara were the only ones who remained.

“I know it was deceitful of Lionel not to tell you his identity, and I know that what he did as a boy hurt you.” Zedara squeezed Aya’s hands. “But trust me when I say, the man you care for is who he really is. The prince is just a formality.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


Zedara left Aya alone in the courtroom to ponder her next move. A lump swelled in Aya’s throat as she realized that she had nowhere to go. Lord Varick’s betrayal meant that she could not go back to his estate, nor return to her father’s shop. Aya had said her goodbyes to Madam Huxley and the Rudder. Her only choice was to return to her hovel, indefinitely, and decide how to proceed from there.

A creaking noise startled Aya, and her head snapped toward the sound. The door behind the throne opened, and Prince Lionel entered the room. He walked up to the throne and stopped, as if Aya were a puddle of water he did not want to ripple.

“I’m sorry to intrude.” The prince removed his top hat and set it on the throne. “May I speak with you?”

Aya wiped the salty tear trails from her cheeks. “It’s your palace.”

Prince Lionel glanced down at his hat. “Not for another few hours.”

Aya shrugged, and the prince approached her, his gait cautious. For the first time since she’d learned the truth, Aya allowed herself to really look at Prince Lionel. He carried himself differently today, a bit taller, his shoulders seeming broader, but his lips still twisted into a soft smile, and his hazel eyes still glowed with golden warmth.

“Are you okay?” Lionel asked. “I know today must have been frightening.”

“Yes.” Aya glanced down at her feet. “Are you okay? Your mother…”

“I don’t know. I feel like I should believe my father when he says he loved her.” Lionel frowned. “Regardless, he deserved to be brought to justice for his other crimes. But it’s difficult. I spent the last ten years blaming him for my mother’s death, and now—now everything has changed in one day.”

Aya tilted her head. “I know exactly what that is like.”

Prince Lionel stopped a few steps away from her. “Aya, I’m so sorry.” He sighed. “For lying to you, for accusing you of being after my title, for—for what happened to your father.”

“Will—Lion—Your High—I don’t even know what to call you.” Aya ran both hands through her tangled curls.

“Call me anything you like.” The prince took a step forward. “Just keep talking to me.”

Aya took a deep breath. “You know why I lied about my name. But why did you lie about yours?”

Prince Lionel rubbed his forehead. “I began with bad intentions. You were—are—gorgeous, and I wanted you. I thought that if you knew I was the prince, you would only be interested in me for my title. I wanted to win you with my charm.” He chuckled. “If only I had known revealing myself would have increased the challenge.”

Aya offered a small smile, but she did not laugh.

“Once I realized that you weren’t like the other noble ladies, it was too late.” Lionel shook his head. “I had to keep up the charade. I know it was wrong, and I’m sorry.”