Arranged: An Array Series (Book #1)(71)

I glanced at him. “How many men did you bring with you?”

“A dozen.”

“How many people do we have here?”

“Hmm...I’d say close to forty or fifty.”

Outnumbered. With women and children.

Shit.

I let out a harsh sigh. “Send the message.”

∞∞∞

I hadn’t seen her in five days. Her red hair between my fingers, the remembrance of her kisses, kept me going through the ongoing week. We arrived at the castle with thirty-two people, with no issues. I was surprised.

No. I was floored.

I was half-expecting us to be slaughtered or captured, but there were no enemies in sight the entire way back. It brought more questions than obvious answers to the burning unknown of what we were up against.

My father was ready for us when we showed up. Women and children were brought to rooms that they never knew could be so elegantly decorated. How much money went into this castle was nonsense, with Cecilia’s bottomless spending limit. It irritated me—embarrassed, even—that people would never live equally when it came to a means of living.

Reaching my own room, I craved a hot bath, but was too exhausted to even deal with washing. I just wanted to sleep. As I tore off my tattered, dirty coat and shirt, my door exploded open, hitting the wall behind it.

“How dare you embarrass me by visiting that whore!”

Ah, yes.

The first problem I was having, before I had to deal with the more important one. Sophia’s pride had been pricked for days now; each one that passed probably sending her even more into a fury. Hence, my poor door.

“And hello to you too,” I replied, my tone flat. I turned on my heel to look at her. Sophia was perfectly dressed in a green gown covered in gold flowers. It was hideous on her, the green too light for her skin tone, blending in with her pale complexion.

“Do you think I’m some stupid idiot that is just going to ignore this?!” she bellowed, clenching her fists at her sides.

“Make it quick, woman. I’m sleep-deprived, so my patience is already wearing thin.”

She stepped closer, her brown eyes squinted. “Mark my words, when we are married, she won’t be welcome in the palace again.”

I couldn’t muster an angry thought, I was so exhausted. This was ridiculous, and what good was it for me to scream at her? She didn’t listen anyway. Let her think what she wanted; what she thought was going to happen, never would. John was already putting evidence together about her nightly activities over the last few weeks.

“Do you think I am jesting, my Lord? She will be exiled!”

“Under whose orders?” I taunted. She was becoming more delusional by the day.

“I had it put into our marriage agreement,” she seethed.

“There is no marriage agreement.” I countered, pulling off my boots.

What had this bitch been up to since I’d been gone?

“My father spoke to His Majesty this morning. It is being drawn up. You should be hearing from your father shortly to sign.”

I wouldn’t be signing a thing, and Lord Chitwood was obviously just as delusional if he thought he could make my father, the King, agree to anything. He was probably just entertaining the idea to get him out of the room. I would talk to him about it later; right now, my comfortable bed was beckoning me.

“I’m sure I will.” I yawned, kicking my shoes off and pulling the blankets back. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I looked at her. “Was there anything else?”

“I don’t want you near her again,” Sophia bit out.

I raised an eyebrow and leaned my arms on my knees, challenging her. “And what are you going to do about it?”

“I already told you. She will be banished.”

“I believe only a king can do that,” I advised. “And my father has nothing but love for Lady Barlow, so you need to come back down to reality and realize that you won’t win this.”

Sophia leaned up against my liquor cabinet. “I win everything. That is what you and I both have in common. We are determined, driven; we’d make a good team.”

“I prefer to choose who I ‘work’ with,” I opposed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a rendezvous with my pillow.”

“We aren’t through speaking on this matter.”

“Can’t wait,” I replied sarcastically. She ignored my tone, huffing and muttering, but left the room. I was deep in sleep before I hit the pillow.





Ava





Chapter 27





“Don’t you think having several stone statues made of yourself is a little vain?” Eve asked, as we returned inside the castle from the palace gardens, a week later. “I counted at least four or five.”

During our tour, Eve laughed every time we passed another statue of the queen posed in an innocent stance. She was made to look loving and caring when, in reality, she was the exact opposite of those two words.

“I believe ‘vain’ is putting it nicely,” I replied with a laugh, opening up one of the double glass doors that led us into one of the grand halls.

Eve linked her arm with mine. “This place is massive; they should hand out maps.”

“Or your own personal tour guide.” I stopped to admire a painting of the shoreline.