The mate he failed to kill

ckfen, Nyxara dreamed

ir chambers. His hands were stretched toward her, and his face held the tende

ck to me

ked tow

w the paper

that?"

her, smiling softly, the way he used to

e executi

ture was

d in her throat and a knife p

she was. Then the damp stone walls came into focus

ckf

had accepted h

expected to prove she

ring the pain in

" she wh

tasted li

way he pulled her into his lap when she stole his reports. The night he held her

safe w

believ

ly that he had condemned her. It was that he ha

e blanket as

caught the wall before she fe

, he would have to live with

rattled

called. "Maevra

ood in the corridor with t

d to the knife

rder someone be

ast is particul

omen behind

did no

al mouth won't p

ur habit of thre

xpression

forward and

acked down t

nt, she was back on the execution platform, surrounded by

y faced V

may make me work until my wounds reopen. You may even decide y

drifted towar

you do if I h

d straight i

er your

idor wen

glance. Veyra's jaw flexed, and for a m

woman who can bare

e nothing to

stared

e turne

ov

a fol

was not foolish enough to waste her st

in the centr

pplies. Some watched Nyxara openly. Others pretended not to

knew wh

's conde

th no crown, no

ate," Mae

slap," Nyxara replie

ed to Veyra, then b

lies, then toward the storehouse. "And the drainage channel behind

stared

me to clea

ou can be useful without

f I re

ate is

omen around them. Not o

eady deciding if she's too go

d she'd do it faster

women

rvants rushed to obey before she finished speaki

here owed h

ked up

is the

ssion changed,

the stor

t is wher

without waiting

, her hands h

d twice she had to stop because the pain blurred her vision. E

it wrong," a

t turn. "Then

d hate to ruin t

rse you

d, and a few w

ept d

ught of

before the executioner. She thought of his warm bed, his soft

e same hands holding the

shovel into

d from behind her. "Yo

oo

ut sharper than

e underneath and heaved. A rotten branch finally tore

ar!" some

ed back, bre

away from th

the channel. She was older,

nd the b

eared

e left it for

ed mud fro

spent tomorrow carrying ruin

died her for

she

e walke

not gra

s not

Blackfen had looked at her without s

bowl of soup and a piece

said. "Maev

nk y

k me. Thank

ate eve

se Draven had decided h

give him tha

t before a full dinner t

on, fresh bread, and the spiced wine he

t said carefully, "you have not

ove

something lighter, if the

ove

r strength, Y

's gaz

ask for

allowed. "No,

take i

r the dishes. Two others rushed in to

d them, Draven stared at th

sed to s

that the royal cooks were determined to make everything t

f my dinner," he

ave pl

not the

and held it out to him with a smile. "You are the king. You can command

her wrist and

er command y

sharply that he pushe

mmanded h

ned the or

changed shifts in the courtyard. Beyond the walls

enter a room where Nyxa

desk and picked up

e listened,"

e ans

g understood that regret could fill a r

t begun to pay fo