Chapter four

Edward’s POV

The first thing I notice when I enter the main hall is that Lythera is there.

She stands near the staircase, speaking quietly with one of the household servants. Her hair is arranged simply, and she wears a pale blue dress with long sleeves that conceal her wrists. A small basket rests in the crook of her arm, and she appears to be listening intently as the servant explains something to her.

For a moment, I almost fail to recognize her.

Usually, Lythera notices my arrival before anyone else does. She has an uncanny ability to sense when I am nearby, and the moment she spots me, her face brightens. She always finds a reason to approach, even if it means interrupting a conversation or pretending she has something important to ask.

It used to amuse me. Eventually, it became tiresome.

Today, however, she barely glances in my direction.

I straighten, waiting for the familiar smile that does not come. When she finishes speaking to the servant, she adjusts the basket on her arm and starts towards the opposite corridor. She passes within a few steps of me without greeting me, without acknowledging my presence, without even slowing down.

“Lythera—”

She continues walking.

I turn, staring after her as she disappears through the doorway, leaving me standing in the middle of the hall with a gift box in one hand and an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.

What was that?

I have never known Lythera to ignore me. Even when I have spoken harshly to her, she has always found some way to remain near me, as though a cruel word is preferable to receiving no attention at all. Yet she has just walked past me as if I were a stranger she happened to encounter on the street.

Perhaps she is still upset about the ball.

The thought brings a faint, reluctant satisfaction. Maybe she has finally understood that I will not reward her persistence with affection. Still, I cannot deny the strange feeling that accompanies her indifference. I had expected her to be pleased to see me, particularly after the little gift I brought for her.

Instead, she had not spared me a second glance.

“Edward!”

Amelia’s voice draws me from my thoughts. She appears at the top of the staircase, dressed in a soft pink gown, her expression brightening as she hurries down to meet me. When she reaches the final step, however, she presses a hand to her chest and allows a small sigh to escape her lips.

“I am so happy you came. I have hardly been myself since the ball.”

Concern replaces my irritation almost immediately. “Are you still feeling unwell?”

“A little.” She offers me a delicate smile. “I think the evening exhausted me more than I realized.”

“You should have sent word. I would have come sooner.”

“You have your duties at the palace. I didn’t want to trouble you.”

I take her hand and bring it to my lips. “You could never trouble me.”

Her smile widens, and I remember why I came in the first place. I hand her the larger of the two gift boxes, watching as she opens it to discover the pearl necklace I selected for her. She gasps softly, lifting the delicate strand from its velvet lining.

“Edward, it’s beautiful!”

“I thought it would suit you.”

She immediately asks me to fasten it around her neck, turning so I can secure the clasp. The pearls rest against her skin, and she examines her reflection in the polished mirror near the entrance, her cheeks glowing with pleasure.

Only then do I remember the second gift.

I glance towards the doorway through which Lythera disappeared. “I brought something else as well.”

Amelia turns. “For whom?”

“Your sister.”

Something flickers across her face before she smooths it into a smile. “How thoughtful of you.”

I offer no explanation. The smaller box contains a simple silver bookmark, chosen because I remember Lythera once mentioning that she dislikes folding the corners of her books. It is hardly an intimate gift, but it is useful, and I tell myself that is precisely the point.

“Shall we take a walk?” Amelia asks, slipping her arm through mine. “The weather is lovely, and I have so much to tell you.”

I let her lead me towards the garden.

She talks about the new flowers her mother has ordered, the latest gossip circulating among the ladies.I listen, answering whenever she pauses, but my attention keeps drifting towards the far side of the grounds.

Lythera is there.

She has exchanged the basket for a small leather satchel and is speaking with the estate’s steward near the carriage house. After a moment, she gives him a list, checks something inside her purse, and climbs into a waiting carriage. She does not look towards the garden. She does not appear to care that I am here.

“Edward?”

I turn back to Amelia. “What is it?”

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

“I am listening.”

“Then what did I just tell you?”

I cannot answer immediately, and her expression falls.

I exhale, feeling a flicker of annoyance with myself. “Forgive me. I have a great deal on my mind.”

Her fingers tighten around my arm. “Is it Lythera?”

The question catches me off guard.

“Why would it be Lythera?”

Amelia looks away, her lashes lowering. “I only wondered. She has been behaving rather strangely since the ball.”

“Strangely how?”

“Well, she has been telling people that the Queen has practically secured her place beside you. I heard her speaking to one of the maids about her future position at court.” Amelia hesitates, as though she regrets saying anything. “Perhaps I misunderstood, but she seemed rather pleased with herself.”

I frown.

“And she ignored you when you arrived,” Amelia adds softly. “I was surprised. She usually follows you everywhere. Perhaps she wants you to wonder why she isn’t paying attention to you anymore.”

I glance towards the carriage house again, but the carriage is already gone.

A strange, unpleasant sensation rises in me, and I immediately resent it. Why should I care whether Lythera greets me? Why should her silence trouble me when I have spent years wishing she would stop pursuing me?

“She is incapable of changing,” I say at last. “If she believes ignoring me will make me chase after her, she is mistaken.”

Amelia’s shoulders relax, and she rests her head briefly against my arm.

“I only worry that she will make things difficult for you,” she murmurs. “I know how much you value your freedom.”

I place my hand over hers. “No one will force me into a marriage I do not want.”

The words come easily. I have no intention of allowing Lythera’s appointment as the Queen’s chosen bride to dictate the rest of my life, and I certainly will not let her manipulations interfere with the future I have imagined with Amelia.

I glance once more towards the empty path.

For a moment, I had almost felt sorry for Lythera.

What a ridiculous waste of concern.

My mother has requested that I join her at the palace, where she is meeting with Lord and Lady Amberton. Amelia insists on accompanying me, and I agree, pleased by the thought of spending more time with her before returning to my duties.

We arrive at the palace shortly afterwards. As we approach the chamber where the meeting is taking place, I hear my mother’s voice through the partly closed doors.

“The letter is quite clear. The Shadow Clan expects an answer before the end of the month.”

Amelia slows beside me.

I recognize the name immediately. Everyone does.

The Shadow King rules a territory whose borders have remained largely untouched by the ambitions of neighbouring kingdoms. His armies are said to be formidable, his magic unlike anything our healers can explain, and his judgment so merciless that even powerful nobles choose their words carefully when speaking of him. Stories about his cruelty circulate through every court, though few people can claim to have met him and returned with a reliable account.

I have never had reason to concern myself with him.

Until now.

Amelia’s father’s voice follows. “And they specifically request a daughter of House Amberton?”

“They do,” the Queen answers. “The letter proposes a marriage alliance between our kingdoms. In exchange for the Shadow Clan’s continued protection of the eastern border and their support in future negotiations, an Amberton daughter is to become the Shadow King’s bride.”

A heavy silence follows.

Then my mother speaks again. “Lythera has already been chosen for Edward. That leaves Amelia.”

Amelia’s hand slips from my arm.

“No,” she whispers.

Before I can respond, she pushes past me and enters the chamber. I follow, finding my mother seated behind her desk while Lord and Lady Amberton sit opposite her. A sealed letter rests between them, its dark insignia unmistakable.

“What is this?” Amelia demands, her voice trembling. “You cannot send me to the Shadow King!”

Her mother rises at once. “Amelia, darling, please calm down.”

“Calm down?” Tears gather in Amelia’s eyes as she turns towards me. “Edward, they want to send me away to a man everyone fears. They want me to marry the Shadow King!”

I move towards her, stunned by the desperation in her voice. “There must be another arrangement.”

“The letter is a formal request,” my mother explains. “Refusing it could jeopardize the alliance. The Shadow Clan has offered terms that would benefit the empire considerably, and the Amberton family is expected to honour its part of the agreement.”

“Then send someone else!” I snap.

My mother gives me a grave look. “The letter names House Amberton. Lythera is already promised to you, leaving Amelia as the only daughter available for the alliance.”

Amelia lets out a broken sob.

And suddenly, I understand the full weight of what is being asked of us.

Amelia is not built for a life in a kingdom ruled by a man whose name inspires fear across the continent. She is gentle, delicate, and accustomed to the protection of the people who love her. The thought of sending her into the Shadow King’s court, surrounded by unfamiliar customs and dangerous magic, makes my blood run cold.

I have heard enough stories to know that a mistake there might cost her far more than her happiness.

“She cannot go,” I say firmly.

“Edward,” my mother begins, “this is not a decision that can be dismissed simply because you dislike it.”

“I am not dismissing anything. I am telling you that I will not stand by while Amelia is sent into a kingdom that could destroy her.”

Amelia rushes into my arms, burying her face against my chest. I hold her tightly, feeling her tremble as she clutches the front of my coat.

“Please,” she whispers. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to marry him.”

“You won’t,” I tell her, though I have no solution yet. “I promise you, Amelia. I will find another way.”

There must be a way to satisfy the alliance without sacrificing Amelia.

Whatever it takes, I will not allow the woman I love to be handed over to a man feared by every kingdom around us.

Amelia clings to me, and I tighten my arms around her.

I have never been more certain of anything.

I will protect her.

Even if I have to turn the entire court upside down to do it.