The Masked Princess Bound To The King She Hates

d to lengthen o

nobles who were willing to impress their new king and queen. There were golden lights that were twinkling on the pol

cealed with a mask. She had hardly taken a bite of her food. All the movements, all t

Augustine s

It was not an implicati

d, but her plate wa

slight change of his focus on her.

ed her; her thoughts were away, ever on the alert, ever on the reckoning

t of him like a breeze, as though the whole room was at his beck and call. This was the man she

celebrations? h

ry start

r a moment. I simply

committal, yet there was som

el the conversation veering into more

ine rose to his feet. The ha

and his voice could be heard e

his new weeded wife Queen Ella,

he feast died away behind them and in its place was the low murmur of the

how simply it might be lost. As they walked into the chamber the doors closed behind them w

laying it aside. His gestures were very gentle and slow, as though he we

e all night, he said

be on the safe

ck one--but that was suffic

" he repeat

en Ella looked up at

Then, su

No

too placidly. Nothing threat

reached to the fastening at the back of his

were i

more than a mom

in many batt

not what

nd Queen Ella went nearer, her eyes fixed on something which she had jus

ose. It was old, but not forgotten. The breath of Queen Ella stopped, and her heart leaped. She knew that scar. Not by sig

her voice quieter now.

did not turn t

e said

s no common battle wound.That scar. it was the result of the invasion of her father kingdom. That scar... it came from

, and she strug

e heard you, she said, her v

not? he

la looked

died at th

d around, his eyes b

st tho

have been. Queen Ella froze. There was a moment

ay, when she checked her

gh he were weighing her words, trying to find s

of Queen El

than most, he

And that was worse. Queen Ella struggled not to

I see before

o y

caught, yet she stood her ground. Augustine g

ave you see

eel it rubbing up against her, and it was a chall

art not as

as aware of it at once. Something had changed in his f

harged. Alive. King Augustine read her as thoug

h caution, he

try

lower voice, you say thing

She had gone too near the truth, and he had observed.

wrong,

Am

rs, rather than falling on her face, ran delicately along the sewin

of contradictio

reath

ets, she thought before s

time, heavier than ever. King Augustine

eful, h

s at that moment she knew something. It was no ordinary marriage. Not just

burned low and the palace was quiet. Everything came back to her: the scar, what

her--slow, deliberate. She

tinue to

use.

Ye

reath

y not?

d after a momen

not what you

s still--heavy, unforgiving. And then--Kin

who did I ma