Page 141 of Crown of the Courtesan

Valora keeps her voice lowered. “Our spies inform us that no one has seen Princess Klara for an alarming amount of time, but they’re also saying there have been no reports of her death, either. The excuse is that she sickens with pregnancy while the new King Consort, Balor Black, co-rules with General Metalla. To make matters worse, riots are breaking out in the city.”

Every time I picture Klara carrying Balor’s child, I’m sure I’ll become violently ill—or worse, faint. I pick at the seams of my long gloves that are making my hands and inner elbows sweat. I manage to whisper, “If you think I’ve given up on her, then you don’t know me.”

“You’re right. I don’t know you. Not really. Maybe parts of you, but knowing someone completely is an impossibility in this life. So I think you are capable of everything or nothing at all.” Her grasp on my arm tightens, though to anyone else watching, it would look like we are escorting each other through the outer rim of the ballroom, the dance floor still full of twirling, bejeweled nobility. Her voice rises. “Oh, feel that breeze? You must show me the balcony!”

Arched double glass doors, identical to those in my guest chamber, line the walls. There are seven balconies in total, with the center one being the most prominent and the one that we head toward. We join the couples milling between potted palms and blooming flowers.

Through the glass panes of the door, I watch as Rett dances with his mother. The lights shimmer in their burgundy hair, while her gown is a dark blue—the same as her son’s tunic. The crowds watch with rapt attention.

Clinking sounds bring my attention back to Valora, who takes two stemmed glasses of white wine from a passing servant. She shoves one of them at me, and we move to the edge of the balcony.

The wind whips our dresses around our legs as the turquoise waves crash below. Valora turns to face me, her stance a reminder of the trainer who once saw something in me more than just a courtesan. “This is your opportunity,” she says as an ivory ship sails behind her on the black horizon.

“I know it is. If marrying Rett is what needs to be done, then I’ll do it. I’ve done far worse for the sake of duty.”

“Forget duty. If you aren’t careful, you’ll miss your destiny.”

My eyes flutter to the moving ship again. It’s eerily familiar.

“He’s here,” I whisper. “Isn’t he?”

The whispers chant in my mind, melding into the wind, bringing my focus solely to him.

She downs her drink. “You have options.”

“No, I don’t.” My heart plummets. “I’ve already made my choice.”

“You’ll cease to exist in a place like this. They’ll keep you locked in the birthing chambers for years to come. Do you really want to be absorbed into their schemes while they treat you as a broodmare? Your kingdom’s welfare will never come first. They haven’t amassed this much wealth by being generous and kind. I know from first-hand experience.” Her voice cracks.

I turn away, shaking my head, not wanting to listen. “I have no way of helping the people I care about otherwise.”

“There is always a different path, no matter how cornered you feel,” she pleads, grabbing my hand.

This could easily be the Witch-King’s attempt to lure me into his grasp again. Would I give myself so willingly to death?

“I will marry Rett,” I say, lifting my gaze to meet her eyes.

Valora slams the glass down on the balustrade railing, shattering it. “Can you honestly say you love him?”

I refuse to hesitate. “Of course,” I lie. “And even if I didn’t. It wouldn’t matter. Not now.”

We stand in heavy silence.

“The ship leaves at dawn,” she warns.

I inhale involuntarily. “My wedding is at dawn⁠—”

“Then don’t get married.”

Sixty

Leaving Valora behind, I exit the balcony before I make a stupid decision. My mind is so preoccupied that I stumble into something large. Rett practically purrs as his palm rubs the length of my back. “There are some people I want you to meet.”

I tilt my head, pushing a demure smile into place as I soften my eyes at him. The night goes on, and he introduces me to group after group.

Name after name.

Courtier after courtier.