Malice (Malice Duology #1)(94)

“Your Highness.” The first of them, a huge, barrel-chested man with eyebrows that look like caterpillars, bows. He rises, discovers me, and his expression falls.

    The other guard skids to a stop, looking from Aurora to me with unconcealed horror. Aurora wraps her arm tighter around my waist. Stands up straighter, daring them to say a word. And they must be well trained, for they do not. Only divert their eyes to the floor.

“Your presence is requested, Highness. In the throne room.”

“Leave us.” Though a little rough, the words are clear and sure. The voice of a queen.

The guards bow again, stiffly, and retreat.

Aurora turns to me. The amber-kissed dawn catches in her eyes, lighting them up like dragon’s fire. Apprehension simmers behind it, I think. The same kind that’s turned my guts into boiled nettles. But her grip is steady as she takes my hand. Squeezes.

“Are you ready?”

Absolutely not. But I nod, squeezing back, and begin to dress.





CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE


To my surprise, the guards do not lead us through the main halls of the palace. Instead, we keep to the servants’ passages, taking enough twists and turns to leave me utterly disoriented. Aurora refuses to let go of me, even when the maids and footmen freeze in their duties, shock scrawled on their faces. Even when we’re ushered through the discreet back entrance of the throne room and herded in front of the waiting royal couple.

The chamber is nothing like it was during Narcisse’s trial, courtiers and Graces packed limb to limb. Even the servants are sparse, stationed with their backs turned at their posts. The air buzzes with an unnatural quiet.

“Aurora, my darling.” Queen Mariel launches from her throne, her gaze fixed on our joined hands like it’s a festering wound. She sweeps her daughter into a crushing embrace and I’m pushed to the side. Mariel seizes Aurora’s wrist and slides up her sleeve, running her thumb over the spot where the thorn-riddled Briar rose once rested. “It’s truly broken. Oh, what wonderful news. Tell us what happened. We’ve been looking for you all night.”

    “It is wonderful news.” There’s a slight hitch in Aurora’s voice, but she clears it. Steels herself. “And it’s true. I have found my true love.”

“The prince?” The queen claps her hands, beaming. A taste like charred deathknot fills my mouth. “I knew that kiss Elias gave you at the celebration was too chaste. You found each other later. That’s what did it.”

“Obviously she did,” Tarkin scoffs. “Showing up here in last night’s rumpled gown.”

Heat burns down my neck. Do they really not understand we were together? They must not want to believe it. They’re hoping she’ll feed them something—anything—that will contradict what’s before them.

Aurora’s cheeks color. She swallows, but does not look away.

“Don’t be silly.” Mariel’s garnet earrings glitter. “Aurora wouldn’t…”

But she trails off when Aurora finds my hand again, interlocking our fingers. “I did spend the night with Alyce. She broke the curse.”

All air is sucked from the chamber in a single, violent whoosh. Aurora’s pulse, pressed hard against my own, is rabbit-quick. Tarkin’s eyes blaze, cinders in the morning sun. He reddens, his nose the color of a ripe strawberry.

“What are you saying?” Mariel speaks first, her hand falling from her mouth. “You don’t mean…”

“I said exactly what I mean, Mother.” Aurora doesn’t even look at her. She looks at me instead, funneling strength from her bones into mine. “Alyce broke the curse. She is my true love. And we mean to marry as soon as possible.”

    A mixture of horror and happiness twines tight around my soul. I feel the way I do when I stand at the top of the black tower, the sea stretching out before my feet, a strong wind away from falling. Or flying.

“Alyce?” The queen’s shrill voice sends me hurtling back to reality.

“That’s her name.” Aurora bristles. “Though you so conveniently forget it when you’re warning her to stay away from me and disinviting her to parties.”

“You are mistaken, my darling.”

“No, I understand very clearly.” She rounds on them both. “You’ve been dictating my life since the moment I was born. I won’t stand for it any longer. I am the future Briar Queen. You cannot stand in our way.”

“And what about children?” Mariel blurts. “Your duty to Briar is to provide the next heir to rule. You can’t possibly do that with—” She gestures wildly at me. “With that.”

The word strikes me like an arrow in my chest. My shoulders hunch against the wound. But Aurora is stronger. Her arm goes around my waist.

“My duty to Briar is to improve the realm—and there’s much to be done on that account, isn’t there?” Her silent accusation prompts raspberry blotches to erupt on the skin above the queen’s neckline. “We will establish the issue of succession later.”

“This is a new curse.” Mariel’s wrath homes in on me. “You’ve tricked her into believing she loves you. You’re trying to take the throne for yourself. You evil, malicious thing. Just like your ancestors. We should have put you down when we found you. I’ve always known what you are.”