done to his previous lovers.
“Your sister has no idea of the hardship your mother has gone through since she took off with her ‘king’, leaving us all to
care for you until you were well again,” Dorian said.
“Took off?” My mouth betrayed me as it spoke before my mind could catch up.
“Why, yes, you did take off the day of our wedding. Did he promise you sweet nothings to save you from me? Or perhaps
you’d already arranged it all, you had of course, already met many times deep within the forest.”
My eyes widened as I realised Dorian knew more than I thought. Heart racing, my ears begun to ring, I felt the
overwhelming urge to run. I wanted to get away and escape at that very moment, but I was frozen.
“Isn’t that why you would always run off during the day? To meet him? To conspire with him? You had someone hurt your
brother, to get him out of the way. And when it was time, you ran off with your ‘king’. So, one day when you wanted to take the
throne for yourself, and from your brother, you’d bring his armies back with you and murder your entire family?”
I was lost for words. Confusion and the look of horror plagued my face. Was this the lie he’d told Norok? Mother? Even
Talia? That I’d planned this entire thing. Nicholas, yes, he’d planned to steal me away, to hurt my family, but the rest, I never
dreamed of returning to take anyone’s throne, let alone my brother’s. And if that was Nicholas’s real plan all along, well I
would have done everything in my power to stop him. No wonder my brother and sister had been so distant, even angry
towards me.
“Oh? No sharp remark or witty reply, niece?”
Dorian laughed again, as did Nora. Looking away from them both, I wondered how much longer I would need to endure
this. Barely touching the food on my plate, I longed to leave. Even if it meant heading back to that awful tent, I would rather be
there than here.
“Dorian, that’s enough,” Norok commanded, “Ornella, tomorrow morning I will require you to go over a few things with
myself and General Lewis.”
I nodded in agreement without argument. My energy was spent. I wished to be lying in bed next to Nicholas once again, just
as I used to long to be with him every day when we grew up. That invisible line that seemed to connect us both was fading.
Appearing to slip away from my grasp and no matter how much I tried to catch it, it inched further away each time.
“Finish your food everyone, we will then retire until morning.” Again, Norok ordered and seemingly everyone obeyed
without objections.
I was glad once the meal was over and Talia, along with my guards, took me back to my tent. Although the walk was silent
as a mist of light rain fell, she hugged me tightly, slipping a small piece of parchment into my hand before leaving.
All that was written on it was,