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Then I was alone in front of the low fire with only the brandy to keep me company. I stood up to place a fresh log on the dying fire, then poked it into place and watched the flames grow and crackle. Then I took a seat by the fire, this time in the seat he’d vacated. It still smelled like him—like sweat and leather. I leaned heavily against the back of the chair and sighed as his scent comforted my wolf.
24
“So glad to see you feeling a little better this morning,” Amity said as she fastened tied the laces on the back of my gown. “Dinner tonight will be lovely. And I’m sure you’re excited to see your father.”
My stomach turned. “Yes, of course I am.”
The last thing I wanted was to see my father—not with the new knowledge that he had worked with Griffin on this plot to take the throne from Nightfall. But if I acted strangely, he’d know something had happened. I needed him to see me only as his obedient daughter, at least until I had a better idea of what his new plan was. Griffin’s challenged had failed, but surely the duke had a backup plan. I just had to figure out what it was. I certainly couldn’t indicate I knew about Griffin’s scheme, or the prophecy and my role in it.
“And I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see you, as well,” Rue said. “Especially dressed in such fine Daybreak colors.”
I nodded. The gown was beautiful, eggshell white and pale blue with golden stars stitched along the wide neckline. My hair was loose over my shoulders. In the mirror, I looked just the same as the woman who had left Daybreak for this Choice, save for the new determination in my blue eyes.
It was just dinner. Once I knew what the duke had up his sleeve, I’d feel better. At least, I clung to that hope to carry me through this dinner.
Amity and Rue shifted, then escorted me out of the hall and down the stairs to the front room of the manor. There, the king waited for me, flanked by his own guards in their dark wolf forms. He looked so different than when I saw him yesterday evening. He was dressed neatly, in fine, dark clothes, without his cloak and with his thin golden crown gleaming under the dim lights of the front room.
As I approached, the king extended his hand. I took it gracefully as I descended the last few steps. “Lady Reyna,” he murmured. “You look beautiful this evening.”
I smiled delicately but couldn’t find any words to respond. My stomach was twisted into knots at the thought of seeing my father.
If he was really my father at all. He had barely raised me. And now I didn’t even know if we were connected by blood. If my entire life in Daybreak was built on a lie.
At his behest, I placed my hand in the crook of the king’s elbow and we walked side by side toward the ornate doors of the dining room. The guards shifted back into their leather-armored humans, then stepped ahead of us.
“Ladies and gentleman,” one called, “the King and future Queen of Frasia.”
Applause rang politely around the room. The dinner wasn’t immense, not like the balls the king had held earlier in the Choice, but the council and all high-ranking members of the court were in attendance. The court looked relieved that the king had finally chosen a queen, and the council members kept their faces carefully neutral. Did they know that I knew they had chosen Adora over me?
I was just as impassive, smiling demurely around the room. Trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. The guests were scattered about the room, sipping wine and chatting as they waited for the dinner to begin. The table was in the center of the room, wide and set with fine china, and at the head were two ornate seats. And I’d be seated at one of them.
In the corner, my father stood, deep in conversation with the duchess. My heart crawled into my throat. He looked just as regal as usual, a heavier version of his usual linen finery with a navy cloak over his shoulders. He looked the same as he always did. The duke had never been particularly kind to me, but he’d always been fair. Could he really be the one who had led me into this trap? So indifferent to my own desires?
We made our way through the room, greeting the guests before we made our way to the seats at the head of the table. As the king was roped into a boisterous chat with Cyran, my father strode over with his wine glass in hand.
“Reyna,” he said with a warm tone I’d never heard him deploy at home. “It’s so wonderful to see you. What an honor to be the victor of the King’s Choice.” He leaned close to kiss me on the cheek, and then whispered sharply into my ear, “We must speak. Find me after dinner.”
I swallowed and reared back, but none of the guests seemed to notice, busy as they were taking their own places at the table.
The Duke of Daybreak took his place to the right of me, next to the duchess. I didn’t like how close they were seated to each other—it was making my wolf whine with displeasure. As soon as the wine was poured, my father stood up from his seat and raised his glass high.
“To the King and future Queen of Frasia,” he boomed. “I am honored to call you my daughter, Lady Reyna.”
Murmurs of agreement and scattered applause sounded around the table as the members of the court sipped their wine in recognition of the toast.
I smiled weakly as I lifted the glass to my lips but didn’t drink. I felt a sip of wine might turn my stomach and leave me too inhibited to keep my wolf under control. I’d already had her leap forward once around the court members—I didn’t want that to happen in front of my father.
The servants came out with an extravagant feast, just as I would expect with Nightfall hosting guests. Whole pigs, whole ducks, whole pheasants, crisp roasted vegetables and boats of thick gravy. The servants made our plates first, and the guests’, before the court was instructed to delve into the dishes family-style themselves. My stomach was in knots. I ate a few bites of my meal delicately, tuning in and out of the boisterous conversation as the wine kicked in and the guests started laughing louder. It was hard to keep up—and I found I didn’t really want to, either.
Near the end of dinner, the king leaned closer and set his hand on my knee under the table. He squeezed once, a comforting gesture, and my wolf calmed slightly. But only slightly.
“You all right?” he asked.
“Fine,” I murmured. “Just tired.”
That seemed to satisfy the king, and he returned his attention to the guests, leading the conversation back toward the details of moonlight runs and wild hunts. I could see the disdain in my father’s eyes, even as he skillfully engaged.
As the meal came to its end, the servants swept in, taking away dinner china and replacing it with elegant dessert plates. Then, from the side door, the kitchen staff wheeled in an immense cart with a gorgeous, tiered cake on it. If it weren’t for the rich dark frosting, I’d think it was a practice run for a wedding cake.
