Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Her eyes sharpened, breaking through the fog of sadness. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that we’re still together.”
“I said we’re done—”
“We can’t be done, Ivory. Don’t you understand that’s impossible?”
She set the book aside and straightened. “We can still be married, but that doesn’t mean we need to be together, to be in the same place at the same time—”
“Yes, it does.” My hand moved over my chest. “Because I can feel your pain no matter how far apart we are. You’re the single most important thing in the world to me, and I must protect you always.”
“The single most important thing?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “We both know that’s not true.”
“I told you my actions had nothing to do with you.”
“Clearly,” she said, with an even heavier dose of sarcasm.
“We’re husband and wife. And now we’re king and queen. We’re together. Period.”
“Excuse me?” That fire that I loved under other circumstances came out as an inferno. “No. That’s not how this works—”
“There is no alternative. You will bear my sons. You will bear my daughters.”
“And how are you going to manage that? By forcing me? Your mom will love that…”
“I’ve proven that I’m not that kind of man, so don’t insult me again.”
“But you’re the kind of man to force a woman to be married to him?”
“I didn’t force you. You made those vows of your own volition. I’m just reminding you of the lifetime commitment that you made, a commitment that doesn’t end, not even in death. I know that I hurt you, and I’m sorry for that. You’re entitled to be angry as long as you like, but we still love each other.”
“Do we?” she said, her voice full of venom.
“Look me in the eye and tell me otherwise.” Our trust had been broken. Our relationship had been broken. But there was no doubt in my mind that the love we had for each other could never be broken.
She looked so pissed off, but she didn’t dare say the words. “I doubt you’ll want to be with me if I’m sleeping around.”
Just the suggestion made my blood boil. “Don’t make empty threats.”
“What if they aren’t empty?”
“They are,” I said. “No matter how much you may hate me right now, I’m still the man you want between your legs every night.”
“Wow. Don’t flatter yourself.”
“I can prove it.”
“Yeah?”
“How about I walk into the first pub I see and take a woman home?”
The fangs in her eyes retreated, and her skin turned as pale as snow. Her reaction was involuntary, and she probably had no idea how distraught she looked at the mere suggestion.
I’d taken a gamble I was terrified to lose. Because if that hadn’t been her reaction, I would have been crushed. “That’s what I thought.” I got to my feet. “We sleep together, so grab your things and bring them to my bedchambers.”
“No.”
“Then I’ll come here.”
“And I’ll throw your ass out.”
“If there’s an attack on the castle, I need you close. I need to protect my queen.”
“I can protect myself, asshole.” She looked away, out the window, silently dismissing me.
I stood my ground. “Ivory, this is how it’s going to be.”
“If I have to sleep in the same room as you, I’ll slit your throat in your sleep.”
I stared down at her, not believing her whatsoever. “I thought we were done with empty threats.”
SIX
Ivory
The bedchamber he’d chosen had two bedrooms, the main one for the royal couple, and another for the baby nurse. I occupied the smaller one, bringing my books and essentials to make it mine. The room had a smaller bed than I was used to, and sleeping alone had been an adjustment. I went from having a bear-sized personal heater every night to sleeping on the edge even though I was alone.
The room had its own washroom, so I really didn’t have to interact with him at all.
The door opened behind me, and he stepped into the room.
I could feel his presence, feel his stare in my back, but I ignored him.
“Ivory.”
“Don’t push your luck, Huntley.” He’d dragged me here against my will, and I wasn’t in the mood to grant another request. I turned away from the closet and met his look, my face tight with tension.
“I buried your father. He’s in the cemetery.”
It took me a second to process what he’d said, to accept that my father was truly dead. Sometimes it felt like a bad dream that would fade. But then I remembered him pinned to that chair, his throat stuffed with a sword.
“Thought you’d like to visit.” He left my room and shut the door behind him.
I grabbed the closest book sitting on the dresser and chucked it at the door. “Fuck off.” Tears welled in my eyes again because it was time to say goodbye, to acknowledge that I was truly orphaned.