“Kaleah, please don’t,” Cassie whispered, shaking her head ever so slightly.
How could she be so strong? Just sit there while insults were thrown around so carelessly by her own mother? It infuriated me to no end, and the last thing I wanted to do was sit back down and act like everything was fine. . . but Cassie would only suffer worse if I didn’t calm down.
My shoulders slumped, and I leaned over to right my chair, shooing away the servant who stepped forward to help. Slamming back down in my seat, I ignored everyone else, and shoved an unprincess-like amount of food in my mouth, the food like ash against my tongue. I wouldn’t apologize to my mother; not for that.
Eventually the sound of rustling ensued as my mother took her seat. I could almost feel the sigh of relief around the room, and the clinking of cutlery on dishes resumed. A quiet conversation picked up between my mother and Ari, too quiet for me to catch what they were saying.
I chewed faster. The sooner I was finished, the sooner I could leave.
A light touch brushed my arm, and I pulled away so fast my utensil flew out of my hand. Cassie snickered, and I glanced at Ryker. What did he want?
Ryker eyed me, seeming to gauge my reaction before slowly reaching up to slip his hand into the fold of his tunic. I jolted backward, my heart hammering. Sin! Was he going to kill me now?An armored appendage flashed between us, the golem’s hand encircling Ryker’s. The Outlander’s eyes widened, but he removed his hand, holding out. . . a piece of paper?
The golem remained there a moment longer before releasing Ryker, but he didn’t move far, taking up a position directly behind me.
Ryker took a deep breath and, tossing the small folded piece of parchment onto the table, rose from his seat, his plate untouched. Jaw clenched, he stalked out of the room, two golems following him out.
Okay?My heart settling, I glanced back to the paper, and against my better judgment, snatched it up. Unfolding the parchment, I stared at a nearly illegible note. The handwriting was atrocious—messy and uneven—and it took me longer than it should have to decipher the short sentence. When I finally did finish translating it, confusion twisted within me, and my eyes trailed across the note once more.
What is your favorite food?
Why in the seven sins would he want to know that?
“What does it say?”
I jumped when Cassie plopped down beside me in Ryker’s vacant seat, grinning as usual.
“It’s a love note, isn’t it?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “He took one look at you, and is smitten.”
I rolled my eyes and passed the note over, finishing what little food was left on my plate.
Her face scrunched up, and she held the paper out further, twisting it back and forth. “Do Outlanders not know how to write?”
“They do,” Ariadne spoke up from a few seats down.
“I think he just has bad handwriting,” I muttered.
“Guess he can’t be perfect at everything.” Cassie winked.
I scoffed. “Don’t let him fool you; he’s the enemy.” More likely than not, his whole persona was just an act. Was he really even mute?
Cassie pursed her lips, and I jumped yet again when a server appeared on my other side. He removed my plate and utensils, replacing them with a ceramic cup sloshing with a steaming herby liquid. He repeated the process for my sister.
“What’s that?” I asked, my voice nasally as I held my nose against the pungent aroma wafting from the drink and tried not to gag.
“Tea.” The empress sniffed, looking unimpressed by my reaction.
“I don’t drink tea.”
Lilitha's eyes lifted to meet mine. “You do now.”
Um, what?Continuing to mull it over, my stomach dropped, pushing me even closer to the edge of losing what little I’d just eaten. “Wait, this isn’t. . .”
“Yes. It’s Daughter’s Brew,” Lilitha said, still reading from her pile of parchments. “Both you and Cassie will be drinking it every day from now until you conceive a child—”
“What?” Cassie shot up in her seat, giving voice to my shock. “That poison forces our bodies into a state where they can only conceive daughters. I’m not the heir. Why in sin wouldIneed to take it?”
The empress' lip curled, and I tried not to hyperventilate. This was yet another reality check—a slap in the face. A shudder ripped through my body. I already couldn’t stand it the few times Ryker had touched me. How was I supposed to be with him more intimately than that?