The great Hall is cold and imposing. Eleven men sit in a semi-circle, their faces unreadable.
At the center is Lord Edric, the head of the royal council. He watches me with the careful gaze of a man who already knows all the answers but wants to hear me say them anyway.
I step forward, keeping my back straight. "You summoned me?"
Edric's voice is like the scrape of steel against stone. "Where is your husband?"
I don't blink. "I don't know."
A murmur ripples through the chamber.
"Unfortunate," Edric says. "A newly wedded man disappearing without a word. It raises… questions."
I meet his gaze, unflinching. "Then perhaps you should be asking him instead of me."
Edric's lips twitch. "We would, if we knew where he was."
Lord Soren, a younger councilman, leans forward. "His absence is a problem, Princess. The prince has responsibilities. He has a limited time to fulfill them before his coronation."
I arch a brow. "And if he doesn't?"
The air shifts. The answer hangs there, unsaid but I hear it anyway.
They would strip him of the throne.
And if Cassian loses the throne, I lose everything.
Edric tilts his head. "His absence also makes the marriage appear…" He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "...inadequate."
The message is clear.
A man does not abandon his bride unless there is something wrong with the marriage.
Unless there is something wrong with me.
I clench my teeth. "I assume you're not just here to insult me."
Edric smiles. "Not at all. We are here to remind you of your role."
"And what role is that?"
"As his wife," he says smoothly, "it is your duty to find him and bring him back."
A cold laugh escapes me. "Is it? Because I was under the impression that this kingdom had an entire army for that."
A few councilmen shift in their seats.
But Edric only watches me, amused. "Prince Cassian does not answer to soldiers. But a wife…" His gaze sharpens. "A wife has influence."
Influence.
That's what they want. They want me to control him. To fix the mess that their precious prince has made.
I exhale slowly. "Fine."
Edric raises a brow. "Fine?"
"I'll find him."
Another murmur ripples through the council.
Edric leans back, satisfied. "Then we have an agreement."
I say nothing as I turn and walk away, my pulse steady but my mind racing.
I don't know where Cassian is.
But I will find him.
And when I do… he will have no choice but to return.
***
I don't wait.
The moment I leave the council chamber, I head straight to the Queen's private wing. If she thinks she can keep delaying what she owes me, she's about to learn exactly who she married into this royal mess.
The guards hesitate at my approach, but one sharp look sends them stepping aside.
I push the doors open without knocking.
Queen Morgana is at her desk, signing documents with an air of regal indifference. A slight twitch of her lips is the only sign she's surprised to see me.
"I assume you've just returned from the council," she says smoothly, not bothering to look up.
I stride toward her. "Yes. And I know what you're doing."
She finally meets my gaze, her expression calm. "Enlighten me."
"You're using Cassian's disappearance to stall our agreement."
A slow smile spreads across her lips. "I don't know what you're talking about, dear."
I grip the edge of her desk and lean in. "Then let me make it simple." My voice is steady, unwavering. "You keep your bargain. Settle my part of the deal. And then I'll go after your son."
A flicker of amusement crosses her face. "And if I refuse?"
I straighten, tilting my head. "Then I guess the kingdom will just have to do without its prince."
That gets her attention.
Her eyes narrow ever so slightly. "You think you have that kind of power?"
"I know I do," I say without hesitation. "The council is already concerned. If their future king is running from the throne, they'll look for someone to blame. And I have a feeling it won't be me."
She studies me in silence, then chuckles. "You surprise me, Celeste."
I don't smile. "That makes two of us."
She leans back in her chair, tapping a finger against the desk. "You're learning quickly."
"I don't have a choice," I say.
The Queen considers me for a long moment, then sighs. "Fine. I'll honour the deal."
I don't move. "Now."
A pause. Then she smiles again, slow, calculating. She picks up her phone.
I place my hand on the doorknob, ready to leave, when her voice, calm yet laced with something darker, stops me cold.
The Queen's lips curve into a knowing smile, her eyes gleaming with something that sends a shiver down my spine.
"Then tell me, Celeste… are you sure you have kept your own bargain?"
I lift my chin, meeting her gaze head-on. "I have. I'm legally married to your son. We had witnesses. I live in this palace—your palace. I've changed my name to yours. What else do you want?"
She leans back slightly, tilting her head as if amused by my defiance. Then, with a slow, deliberate smile, she delivers her next words like a dagger aimed straight at my heart.
"And yet… the marriage hasn't been consummated, has it? By law, it is not yet a marriage."
I feel the air shift, the weight of her statement settling over me like a cold shadow. My pulse quickens, but I refuse to let her see any flicker of weakness.
"That's not my fault," I say, my voice steady, though my fingers clench at my sides. "I've done my part. Do yours."
The Queen simply smiles again, but this time, it's different. Calculated. Sinister.
"I always do, dear," she murmurs, standing gracefully. "You'll come to see that soon enough."
I glance back just in time to see the glint of amusement fade from her eyes, replaced by something far more dangerous.
And that's when I realize; I may have just made a very, very big mistake.