ita
d night air a welcome shock to my system. My lungs burned. The hem of my w
below. They were looking for me. I knew Martha Harris
, had arranged this marriage for his own benefit. He wouldn't risk offending the
where dragon blood determined everything. Da
ess
s so unshakable, so revered, t
f my mind. Gideon Harrison. The fami
amily, the King's own sword, a man whose death had cast
t other choice did I have? Be dragged back a
my de
heart hammering with a terrifying
here they honored their dead. I tore off the heavy, mud-caked overskirt of my w
orial tablet of Gideon Harrison. His portrait hung above it, the man in the p
rrison, arrived, her attendants trailing behind her. She looked a
said, her voice calm. "
Lady, Damian Harrison has betrayed me, and with me, he has betra
g my lungs. "But I am still willing to dev
for a moment before del
he binding ceremony with your late
gh the room. Eleanor's eyes
. "I will be his widow. I will guard his final honor and, in doing
licker of calculation in Eleanor's eyes. The Harrisons neede
long time. My future
eon's ritual widow, you would be bound to him for life. You cou
ot seek wealth. I seek the honor of being Gi
r face. She gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Very well.
pened
der pricked my finger with a silver pin. I pressed my bleeding fingertip to Gide
etal, I could have sworn I heard a faint, di
he binding complete in
, was now the wife
had changed. Pity was replaced b
ed myself from a cast-off
tracks. They saw me in my black mourning dress, with Lady Eleanor s
rison, I thought, from this day forward, you
ablet flickered wildly, as if stirred by a sudden w
as quickly,
or, bearing Gideon's personal crest, stumbled inside, h
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