radiant—so pure. She resembled Blada, the Crystalline goddess of…
His brow furrowed. “Why are you packing?”
Leeta darted a wide-eyed look toward him. She froze in terror.
Harsen waited. His sister chewed her bottom lip the way she often did when conjuring a lie.
“Don’t tell a fib. What in blazes are you doing?”
“I’m eloping with cousin Skade!” Tears began to pour down her soft pink cheeks. “Don’t you dare try to stop me. I’ll run away the first chance I get. You’ll have to keep me a prisoner. I swear you will!”
Harsen stood staring as she continued hiccupping with sobs. Iyla turned toward him where she perched on his shoulder.
“What…what brought this on all of a sudden?”
Leeta removed a packet from her travel chest. She held a dozen or so letters tied with red ribbon. “It’s not sudden at all. We’ve been writing since last year.”
“Leeta, dearest,” Iyla said, “if you wed Duke Skade you shall no longer be a princess.”
Harsen put his finger on Iyla’s tiny mouth.
Leeta crossed her arms. “I don’t care. I love him! I love him with all my heart.”
“You were packing to flee to Acquiline?” Harsen said.
Leeta nodded with hesitation.
Harsen turned to go. “Continue packing. I’ll have the stable boy ready Esmerelda.”
“Brother!”
He paused at the door to look back at his beaming sister. Harsen forced a smile. “Con…congratulations.”
“You approve?”
“Most definitely.”
“Then you must come to our wedding!”
He maintained the hollow smile. “You know I can’t escape my duties for that long. But do send Duke Skade my best.”
“I will! Oh, thank you, brother!”
He closed the door to lean against it. For a second time that day he felt too stricken to move.
“Harsen, what in heaven’s name are you planning?”
He drew in a long breath. “Well. That takes care of that, doesn’t it?” He continued down the corridor.
“Skade is a most unworthy husband for—“
“Shut up. Of course I realize that. Last year it was…who? Corinne?”
“She’s quite a fickle girl.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Harsen pursed his lips. “She’ll be gone from here and her hand will be spoken for. She’ll be safe.”
“The Darkhelm royal family will be here in less than a fortnight demanding Leeta wed their prince Romi.”
Harsen went into the chapel. “Didn’t I say shut up?”
“The conquered clan must offer a bride to the conquering clan. It’s in your bible, Harsen, dear. You know that.”
He went behind the altar and retrieved a bottle of communal spirits. His hand shook as he poured a glass.
“Think, my darling. You’ve always placed your faith above all. You even refused the throne to focus on your duties as a Crystalline priest. Your bible tells you to submit to our new rulers. Can you abide forsaking this?” She leaned her small body against his neck. “My sweet Harsen, even if you intend to take your own life, can you end it on this sacrilegious note?”
Harsen clenched his teeth. “I can’t give Leeta to the demons. She’s all I have. She’s the only thing…the only thing I’ve managed to keep pure.” He snuffled. His eyes had welled with tears but the first staunch drink held them back.
“What…what do you intend to do when the demon royals arrive?”
“I’ll die, of course.”
“What of your obligation to provide a royal bride?”
“Bride? Where does it say bride? It says consort as I recall. I’ll offer myself.”
Iyla blinked a few times.
“Why not?” His eyes took on a self-satisfied glimmer. “Didn’t they foist a male bride on us some generations ago?”
“As a
His brow furrowed. “Why are you packing?”
Leeta darted a wide-eyed look toward him. She froze in terror.
Harsen waited. His sister chewed her bottom lip the way she often did when conjuring a lie.
“Don’t tell a fib. What in blazes are you doing?”
“I’m eloping with cousin Skade!” Tears began to pour down her soft pink cheeks. “Don’t you dare try to stop me. I’ll run away the first chance I get. You’ll have to keep me a prisoner. I swear you will!”
Harsen stood staring as she continued hiccupping with sobs. Iyla turned toward him where she perched on his shoulder.
“What…what brought this on all of a sudden?”
Leeta removed a packet from her travel chest. She held a dozen or so letters tied with red ribbon. “It’s not sudden at all. We’ve been writing since last year.”
“Leeta, dearest,” Iyla said, “if you wed Duke Skade you shall no longer be a princess.”
Harsen put his finger on Iyla’s tiny mouth.
Leeta crossed her arms. “I don’t care. I love him! I love him with all my heart.”
“You were packing to flee to Acquiline?” Harsen said.
Leeta nodded with hesitation.
Harsen turned to go. “Continue packing. I’ll have the stable boy ready Esmerelda.”
“Brother!”
He paused at the door to look back at his beaming sister. Harsen forced a smile. “Con…congratulations.”
“You approve?”
“Most definitely.”
“Then you must come to our wedding!”
He maintained the hollow smile. “You know I can’t escape my duties for that long. But do send Duke Skade my best.”
“I will! Oh, thank you, brother!”
He closed the door to lean against it. For a second time that day he felt too stricken to move.
“Harsen, what in heaven’s name are you planning?”
He drew in a long breath. “Well. That takes care of that, doesn’t it?” He continued down the corridor.
“Skade is a most unworthy husband for—“
“Shut up. Of course I realize that. Last year it was…who? Corinne?”
“She’s quite a fickle girl.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Harsen pursed his lips. “She’ll be gone from here and her hand will be spoken for. She’ll be safe.”
“The Darkhelm royal family will be here in less than a fortnight demanding Leeta wed their prince Romi.”
Harsen went into the chapel. “Didn’t I say shut up?”
“The conquered clan must offer a bride to the conquering clan. It’s in your bible, Harsen, dear. You know that.”
He went behind the altar and retrieved a bottle of communal spirits. His hand shook as he poured a glass.
“Think, my darling. You’ve always placed your faith above all. You even refused the throne to focus on your duties as a Crystalline priest. Your bible tells you to submit to our new rulers. Can you abide forsaking this?” She leaned her small body against his neck. “My sweet Harsen, even if you intend to take your own life, can you end it on this sacrilegious note?”
Harsen clenched his teeth. “I can’t give Leeta to the demons. She’s all I have. She’s the only thing…the only thing I’ve managed to keep pure.” He snuffled. His eyes had welled with tears but the first staunch drink held them back.
“What…what do you intend to do when the demon royals arrive?”
“I’ll die, of course.”
“What of your obligation to provide a royal bride?”
“Bride? Where does it say bride? It says consort as I recall. I’ll offer myself.”
Iyla blinked a few times.
“Why not?” His eyes took on a self-satisfied glimmer. “Didn’t they foist a male bride on us some generations ago?”
“As a
Similar Books
