Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
But he hadn't.
Not a single word had been spoken, not even to politely dissuade the spymaster from pursuing such thoughts. Instead, all the prince had done was speak of something else before taking his leave. Not a single word of censure or reproach. Not one. And that was what Estrella couldn't understand.
Didn't he tell her that he was the one man she shouldn't ever worry about being unfaithful? That having Ammon inside him made all women unimportant? So why hadn't he said a word? Why?
She considered confronting Lysander about it, but the mere thought was enough to make her heart stutter in pain. She had become braver over the years about a lot of things, but not over that. Never ever over losing Lysander. He was the only man she had ever loved, and losing him would always be her greatest fear.
So where did that leave her then? Should she speak to Fina? But with all the lies the spy had spouted, how could she trust Fina to speak the truth?
The twins were her only chance of finding out what exactly was going on between Fina and her husband. She could trust them to tell the truth, but she had to ask them in such a way that it wouldn't make them feel disloyal to their prince.
It would mean practicing deception, something that Lyccans like her naturally abhorred. Her race was the blunt and impatient kind, and they liked to do things in the open, whether it had to do with loving someone...or killing them.
Even before she heard the knocking on her door, the twins' scent alerted Estrella to their presence, and she slowly came to her feet. "Come in."
"Princess." Aluin wore a heavy frown on his face. "The guards informed us of your unnecessary little escapade—-"
"Fina and the prince are hiding something from me," she cut him off in a faint, strained voice, and her heart lurched when she saw Aluin's jaw clamp shut at her words. "You know what it is, don't you?" She saw the twins exchange looks, and her heart died. She had played her cards right, after all, but it was a victory she'd rather have done without.
Alain was mentally cursing the prince to perdition. What the hell had Lysander been thinking? Telling Fina the truth only gave the other woman ammunition to hurt the one person who was innocent in all this.
"I'm sorry, princess," Alain said finally. "I don't believe it's our place to speak—-"
"You owe me this, Alain." Estrella's voice shook. "You know you do...after what happened."
Alain flinched.
"I'm sure you had your reasons for doing what you did," Estrella said unsteadily, "but you could've come to me first. You could've let me know—-"
"If we had told you," Alain said heavily, "you might've been forced to defy the prince—-"
"He already thinks I went behind his back, Alain," she pointed out helplessly. "And I haven't done anything." She swallowed hard. "So tell me. You owe me this." She waited for her friend to speak, but when Alain still refused to divulge anything, she could feel her eyes starting to burn. "Please, Alain." And now, her entire body was shaking, her every effort focused on keeping her tears at bay. "I don't want—-" Her voice caught, and she swallowed back a sob. "I d-don't want to hear the truth from Fina."
Both men stiffened, and their stricken expressions made it obvious that such a thought hadn't occurred to either of them at all.
Aluin was struggling with his guilt. This was their fault, dammit. Not the prince's, not even Fina's, despite being the world's most infuriating bitch. All of this was their fault, and it would only get worse, and the princess more hurt, if Fina was given the chance to crow about her being the prince's first choice.
Aluin inhaled deeply just before he heard himself say, "The letter we gave you that night, princess..."
Alain jerked when he realized what his twin was about to say. "Aluin, goddammit, no—-"
But it was already too late.
Because they saw in the princess' eyes that she already knew.
"It was supposed to be for Fina," Estrella said dully. "Wasn't it?"
The twins couldn't stand the look on the princess' face, and they started speaking. Fast.
We never thought she'd suit the prince as his mate. We believed you were the better choice for him. We were even more convinced when she started making trouble as soon as she came back.
But all the words just made things worse. We, we, we. Didn't they realize they were making it so painfully obvious that she was their choice and not Lysander's?
"The prince was pressed for time." Aluin was doing his best to defend Lysander's decision in the face of the princess' growing pallor. "He was under a lot of pressure to keep the kingdom safe—-" A tiny sob from Estrella cut him off, and he stared in appalled shock when the princess started swaying. "Princess?" Shit. What had he said?