Protect the Prince (Crown of Shards #2)(60)

I stared at Heinrich again, and I finally noticed how pale and strained his face was, despite his stern expression. His blue eyes seemed weak and watery as well, and Dahlia kept sneaking glances at him, a concerned frown on her own face.

In that moment, I made my decision.

“No.”

Everyone stiffened, shocked by my cold, flat refusal, and that tense, heavy silence dropped over the room again.

“No,” I repeated in a louder, stronger voice. “I will not marry Dominic.”

Heinrich blinked a few times, as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard me correctly. But then my words sank in, and an angry flush swept up his neck and flooded his pale cheeks. “Perhaps you should reconsider, Everleigh. After all, you’ve only been queen for a short while. Perhaps you need more time to think things through and truly appreciate my generous offer.”

I let out a small, bitter laugh. “Oh, I’ve been queen long enough to recognize a scheme. Although I will say that yours is one of the most subtle and skillful that I’ve heard in a long, long time. Even the Seven Spire nobles would be impressed by it, and believe me, they are not easily dazzled.”

Heinrich’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I stabbed my finger at him. “You know exactly what I mean. So does anyone with even half a brain. You keep Gemma here to be your queen, while my children inherit the Bellonan throne. But they would also be your grandchildren, wouldn’t they? And if something unfortunate were to happen to me, some tragic accident, well, I’m sure that Grandfather Heinrich would be more than happy to step in and raise my children. That, in essence, would give you not one but two kingdoms.”

“That’s not what I had in mind,” he protested.

“Oh, I think it’s exactly what you had in mind,” I snapped back. “Vasilia killed Frederich, and you want revenge. How could you not? Bellona took your son away from you, and now you want to take Bellona away from the Blairs, away from me. I don’t blame you for your desire for revenge. But it won’t get you what you want, and it certainly won’t help you protect Andvari from the Mortans.”

More anger stained Heinrich’s cheeks an even darker, uglier red. “If you don’t agree to marry Dominic, then there will be no alliance between Andvari and Bellona. Not so much as the smallest trade agreement.”

I shrugged. “Fine. If that’s how you want to play this game.”

Heinrich slammed his hand down onto the table hard enough to make the tea slosh out of his cup. “This is not a fucking game!”

I let out another laugh, this one louder, harsher, and tinged with even more bitterness. “It’s all a fucking game. I’ve known that ever since I was a child. If you don’t realize it, then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”

“And you’re not as clever as you think you are,” Heinrich hissed. “Because this is how deals get done. Perhaps you should ask your advisors for their opinions before you so recklessly throw away my more-than-generous offer.”

More cold rage surged through me, and this time, I didn’t try to hide it. I planted my elbow on the table and leaned forward, staring him down. “I don’t have to consult with my advisors. I am the queen. Face it, Heinrich. You need me far more than I need you, and your proposal reeks of desperation.”

His blue eyes glittered with rage. “I am the king of Andvari, the wealthiest kingdom on this continent. I don’t need help from anyone, especially not some lowly noble with no money and no magic who only sits on the throne because all her other stronger relatives are dead.”

People gasped at his insults, and his words were as sharp as a sword plunging into my heart. Heinrich had just voiced all my doubts and insecurities, and all the things that the nobles, servants, and guards had been whispering behind my back for months now at Seven Spire. That sickening uncertainty filled me again, and I ducked my head, half expecting my crown to fall off and roll away in agreement.

But my crown didn’t fall off—it didn’t move at all. Even more surprising, it didn’t feel nearly as heavy as before. In fact, for the first time since I’d put it on, it felt right.

Everything that Heinrich said was true. I was only queen by chance, by accident, but I was queen. It didn’t matter how I had gotten here, only what I did while the crown was on my head. And that would always be protecting Bellona and her people—and fuck Heinrich and anyone else who was stupid enough to doubt me or tried to keep me from doing my duty as queen.

More of that cold rage filled me, along with strong, hard confidence. I lifted my head and squared my shoulders, sitting up tall. Then I smiled at Heinrich, but there was no warmth in my expression.

“You might have money, thanks to your gold and diamond mines, but your kingdom is small, which means that your population is small, which means that your army is small. And we all know that the Mortan army is not small.”

Heinrich’s lips pressed together, but he couldn’t deny the truth of my words any more than I’d been able to deny his.

“Now, you could use some of your glorious wealth to buy legions of mercenaries to shore up your army, but mercenaries fight only until the money runs out. The Mortan king can throw his army at you for years and slowly chip away at your own ranks, along with any mercenaries, until he finally bankrupts you. Once that happens, the mercenaries will flee, and Andvari will be left utterly defenseless.”