“Now with Father gone, Norok, when will your coronation take place?”
I knew it would be a hard subject to discuss but I wanted to get everyone’s reactions around the room. I didn’t suspect
Norok of murdering our father but Dorian…I knew in my bones he’d have done something like that. He’d always chased
power. It’s why he came after me and offered himself up as my husband.
I tried not to be sick over that thought.
“It will be once we have won this war, and you are back home,” Dorian replied.
“I’m sorry, Dorian, are you the king? No? So please do not answer for him.” My voice was filled with venomous intent.
He narrowed his eyes at me and huffed a response when I noticed Norok gave him a look. One I’d seen our father wear
when Mother was being ‘too much’.
“Our uncle is right though, once this battle is over and you are safely taken home I will have the coronation arranged,”
Norok replied.
“My home is across that border.” I spoke over the lip of my glass of wine, eyeing them all.
I didn’t belong here anymore. I didn’t feel as if I belonged anywhere in fact. But I wouldn’t dare live in a world where my
uncle could get me whenever I turned a corner. And although Nicholas had hurt me many, many times—I knew I was safe with
him.
“Your home is with us, Ornella.” Talia spoke up in a gentle and low tone.
“Talia, I will always and forever be your sister. I understand it must have been awful to find out I’d gone, but my home is in
the valley. With my husband.”
“ENOUGH!”
Norok slammed his palms against the wooden table in a fit of anger, before settling back down. Talia, appeared shaken by
the sudden outburst, put her knife and fork down, not even wanting to move. None of the other lords, including Nora, seemed at
all bothered.
“Now, now, my king, no need for such outbursts,” Dorian berated him, a cunning smile placed firmly across his lips.
“We won’t have to worry about any of this in a couple of days. The Shadow King will come, as we suspect, to claim back
his so-called wife and we will have him right where we want him.”
I suspected they had no real idea of the power Nicholas possessed. Not even Nora knew the full extent of it. I hoped she
didn’t know and had not already told them everything.
Judging by how close they appeared, there was no doubt in my mind she was the spy within Nicholas's court. Perhaps even
the spy who killed his parents and then blamed it on my family. But what did she have to gain from all of this? Dorian wouldn’t
be able to give her titles or land. She would just become another one of his ladies, who he would tire of eventually, like he’d