Chapter five

Edward’s POV

My mother rises from her chair, gathering the documents scattered across the desk as Lord and Lady Amberton prepare to leave. Their expressions are troubled, though Lady Amberton makes another attempt to reassure Amelia that everything will be settled. I watch Amelia nod without appearing to hear her, her fingers twisting nervously together as she glances at me one last time.

I cannot bear the sight of her looking so frightened.

The moment my mother steps into the adjoining corridor, I follow her.

“Mother, we need to speak.”

She turns at the sound of my voice, her brows lifting slightly when she sees the urgency on my face. “Edward, if this is about the Shadow King’s letter, I have already explained the situation.”

“And I am telling you that this cannot happen.” I step in front of her before she can continue down the corridor. “You cannot send Amelia to that kingdom. Have you considered what you are asking of her? No lady in her right mind would willingly marry a man like the Shadow King. We have heard the stories our entire lives. Sending her there is practically a death sentence.”

My mother’s expression changes.

“Is that what you believe I am doing?” she asks quietly.

I pause, taken aback by the hurt in her voice.

“Mother—”

“Are you suggesting that I would knowingly condemn an innocent girl to misery simply because I have some personal grievance against her?” Her voice remains controlled, but the disappointment in her eyes makes me feel as though I have struck her. “Is that what you think of me, Edward? That I would use my position to punish someone who has done nothing to deserve it?”

“That is not what I meant.”

“Then perhaps you should consider your words before accusing your own mother of such a thing.”

She turns to leave, and I reach for her hand, stopping myself just before my fingers close around her wrist.

“Mother, please. I am sorry. I spoke out of fear, not because I believe you would deliberately hurt Amelia. You know how much she means to me. I cannot simply stand by and watch her be sent away to a man whose reputation alone is enough to frighten half the continent.”

My mother looks at me for a long moment before releasing a weary breath. When she speaks again, her voice has softened, though the sadness has not entirely left her face.

“I understand your concern, Edward. Do you think I am pleased with this arrangement? Amelia is young, and the thought of sending her into an unfamiliar kingdom under such circumstances troubles me as well. But this is not a decision I have made out of personal preference.”

She turns back towards her chamber, motioning for me to follow.

“The letter came directly from the Shadow King. He has requested a daughter of House Amberton as his bride, specifically as part of the alliance he is offering our empire. The request is not a general invitation that we may answer with whichever noblewoman we please. The Amberton family has been named, and Lythera has already been chosen as your bride.”

She lifts the letter from the desk and places it in my hands.

“Amelia is the only daughter remaining who can fulfil the request without contradicting the arrangement already announced before the court. That is why the decision was made.”

“Then we must find another solution,” I insist. “There has to be something we can offer him in exchange.”

“If you discover an acceptable alternative, I will consider it.” My mother gently takes the letter from my hands. “But you must understand that the empire cannot afford to treat this alliance carelessly. The Shadow Clan is not a power we can provoke without consequence.”

She moves past me, and this time, I do not stop her.

For several moments, I remain where I am, staring at the empty corridor after she disappears around the corner.

By the time I return to the main hall, the Ambertons are preparing to leave. Amelia stands beside her mother, her face pale and her eyes swollen from crying. When she sees me, she tries to smile, but the effort only makes her look more miserable.

“Will you come and see me tomorrow?” she asks as I approach.

“Of course.”

“And you truly believe you can find a way?”

I take both her hands in mine. “I will do everything in my power to make certain you are not sent away.”

“I am frightened, Edward.”

“I know.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “But you must trust me.”

She nods against my chest before allowing her mother to lead her towards the carriage.

I have promised to save Amelia.

Now I must find a way to keep that promise.

“Your Highness?”

I turn to find my closest friend approaching from the direction of the private sitting room, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He studies me for a moment, then glances towards the carriage disappearing beyond the palace gates.

“You look as though someone has informed you that the empire is about to collapse. Should I be concerned, or are you simply practising your most tragic expression?”

“Not now.”

“Ah. So it is serious.”

He takes a leisurely sip of his whiskey while I turn away and begin pacing across the room. I make it to the window, turn around, and cross back towards the table before he speaks again.

“You are making me dizzy.”

I stop abruptly and glare at him.

“Then stop watching me.”

“Rather difficult when you are marching back and forth as though you intend to wear a hole through the floor.” He sets his glass down and leans back in his chair. “Now, are you going to tell me what has happened, or must I spend the evening guessing? I have several theories, and most of them involve your mother finally losing patience with you.”

I drag a hand through my hair.

“The Queen has done it again.”

“Done what?”

“Changed the course of my entire life with another decree.”

His eyebrows rise. “Again?”

I turn towards him, frustration spilling over before I can contain it.

“First, she announces before the entire court that Lythera Amberton is to be my bride, without even allowing me the courtesy of discussing it with her. And now, when I have barely had time to comprehend that disaster, she has agreed to send Amelia to the Shadow King!”

My friend lifts his glass to his mouth.

Then he stops.

“The Shadow King?”

“Yes, the Shadow King,” I snap. “How many other men do you know who command that particular reputation?”

He takes a hurried sip and promptly begins coughing, nearly choking on the whiskey. I watch him with no sympathy whatsoever as he sets the glass down and reaches for a napkin.

“Are you quite certain?” he demands when he can finally speak. “The Shadow King? The same man whose name is whispered at court as though speaking it too loudly might summon him?”

“The very same.”

For once, my friend has nothing clever to say. He stares at me.

“Gods,” he mutters. “What is the court thinking?”

“That is precisely what I would like to know.”

He rubs his jaw, considering the matter. “And the letter explicitly requires an Amberton daughter?”

“Yes. Lythera has already been promised to me, which leaves Amelia as the only available daughter. My mother insists that refusing the request could jeopardize the alliance.”

He lets out a low whistle and reaches for his glass again.

“Well, that is a rather unpleasant situation.”

“Unpleasant?” I repeat. “Amelia could be sent to a kingdom from which she may never return. Do you understand what that means?”

“I understand that the Shadow King is not a man I would willingly cross. But unless you intend to declare war on his kingdom, I am not certain what you expect to do about it.”

“I will find a way.”

“Splendid. And when you have finished finding this mysterious way, do let me know. I would be fascinated to learn how you intend to persuade a ruler like that to abandon a marriage he has personally requested.”

I glare at him, but he merely raises his glass in a mock salute.

Then, as though the idea occurs to him in the middle of his amusement, he gives a short, careless laugh.

“Unless, of course, you intend to send Lythera in Amelia’s place.”

I stop pacing.

For a moment, I simply stare at him.

“Send Lythera in place of Amelia,” I repeat slowly.

My friend laughs again, apparently pleased with himself. “It was a joke, Edward. I hardly imagined you would take it seriously.”

But I am no longer listening to him.

The words have lodged themselves in my mind, and with every passing second, the possibility becomes clearer. The Shadow King requires an Amberton daughter. Lythera is an Amberton daughter. The only obstacle is the arrangement with the Queen, and even that might be resolved if the court agrees to a substitution.

I turn towards my friend.

“That is brilliant.”

His smile disappears.

“What?”

“Why did I not think of it sooner?” I begin pacing again, but this time my steps are driven by something close to relief. “If Lythera takes Amelia’s place, Amelia will be safe. The alliance will remain intact, and the Shadow King will receive the bride he has requested.”

My friend lowers his glass very slowly.

“Edward.”

“What?”

“You cannot be serious.”

“Why not?”

“Because Lythera has already been announced as your bride before the entire court!” He sits forward, disbelief replacing his earlier amusement. “You cannot simply send her away to marry another man because you have decided you would rather marry her sister.”

“I have not decided anything of the sort.”

“You are standing there discussing how to send your betrothed to the Shadow King, and you expect me to believe you have not decided anything?”

“I will speak to Lythera,” I say. “I will explain the situation and ask her to take Amelia’s place.”

“You intend to ask her?”

“Yes.”

“And you genuinely believe she will agree?”

I hesitate.

The image of Lythera walking past me at the Amberton estate flashes through my mind. She had not even acknowledged my presence. I remember the injury at the ball, the blood on her forehead, and the way she had looked at me before I turned away to comfort Amelia.

For a moment, uncertainty creeps into my thoughts.

Then I remember the years Lythera has spent trying to win my affection.

She has always loved me. Everyone knows it, including Lythera herself. She has endured my coldness, my rejection, and every humiliation that should have been enough to make a sensible woman abandon her feelings. Yet she has never truly given up.

Perhaps she is hurt. Perhaps she is angry with me. But I cannot believe that a few harsh words and an unfortunate incident at the ball have erased years of devotion.

“If I explain what is at stake, she will understand,” I say, more firmly than I feel. “I will make it clear that Amelia’s safety depends on her cooperation.”

My friend gives me a look.

“Her cooperation?” he repeats. “Edward, you are speaking about asking a woman to abandon the life she has been promised and walk straight into the lion’s den so that the woman you actually love can remain safe at home.”

“When you put it that way, it sounds unnecessarily dramatic.”

“Does it?” He laughs without humour. “Then allow me to put it another way. If I were Lythera, I would not be nearly so in love with you as you seem to believe she is.”

My jaw tightens.

“You do not know her as I do.”

“Perhaps not. But I know you, and I know what happened at the ball. I heard you humiliated her in front of the entire court, shoved her into a table, and left her bleeding. Then you visited her home, and she could barely be bothered to acknowledge you. What makes you think she will agree to sacrifice herself for you now?”

I look away.

“She is simply trying to make a point,” I say. “Lythera has always been dramatic when she does not get what she wants. She probably expects me to notice her absence and come running after her.”

“And you believe that sending her to the Shadow King is the best way to persuade her that you have noticed?”

I shoot him a warning look.

He raises both hands, though the amusement in his expression has not entirely disappeared.

“Forgive me. I am merely trying to understand your reasoning.”

“I know what I am doing.”

“Of course you do.”

I turn away from him, refusing to entertain the doubts he has planted in my mind. There must be a way to make Lythera understand.

I could promise to treat her with greater consideration.

I could assure her that I would remember her sacrifice, that I would ensure she received whatever comforts were available to her in the Shadow Kingdom.

The thought makes me uncomfortable, but I push past it.

If a promise of affection is what she needs to agree, then perhaps it is a promise I can keep.

My friend watches me for a moment before shaking his head.

“That is a cruel way to treat a woman who has already been promised to you.”

I turn back towards him. “You have a great deal to say for someone who offered no solution of his own.”

The deadline is approaching. My mother expects an answer, the Ambertons are waiting for the court’s decision, and Amelia is terrified. I cannot afford to waste another day searching for a perfect solution that may not exist.

I will speak to Lythera.

She has loved me for years. Surely that love must mean something.

And if she agrees, I will see that she is provided for. I will ensure she has everything she needs before she leaves, and I will make certain the court remembers her sacrifice. I may not be able to give her the love she wants, but I can give her my gratitude.

That should be enough.

I have to believe it will be enough.