MasukKaine’s POVMy mind is racing so fast that I can barely cling to a single thought before ten more shove it out of the way. It’s all too loud, too complicated.What the fuck am I supposed to do?Things have never been good between my stepmother and I, but I never dreamed that it would escalate to thi
The chatter in the room grows as everyone stops addressing the King directly and talks among themselves about the Prince. Now that the evidence has been disproven, everyone feels confident enough to voice their doubts based on what they know about Kaine’s personality.My eyes focus on the Queen who,
“Ember?” the King prompts again.I have no idea why he’s putting so much faith in me. I didn’t expect the other guard’s word to matter that much to him, but he asked me for my opinion before the actual Scribe who was assigned the job.It doesn’t feel like I’m a suspect scrambling for survival anymor
The King stares at us, supposedly trying to make up his mind about if he’ll allow it or not. I refuse to look too eager and solidify my expression into a blank one.Before he can speak, there’s another voice that comes from my side. “I’ll vow for her as well!”“And me!”After about twenty guards voi
Royal law states that all matters like inspection must be done in public. So, even though the Court was technically in recess, no one moved a muscle to take a break. Everyone wants to see how this is going to play out.A show for their consumption.The energy in the room was so heavy that it was nea
“Prince Kaine, you truly had no idea of the suspicions of Laramie Bell before he was arrested?” the King asks, doubt lacing his tone.“Truly, Father, My King, I swear to you that I had no idea that Mr. Bell was even under the Crown’s suspicion.”The King opens his mouth to say more, but the Queen in
I wake before the sun rises, knowing that I need to be ready to face my peers. I have been stripped of my titles and they will wonder why. My promotions put me in the spotlight, sure, but I’m sure that gossip will feel like nothing compared to what it is now that I’ve lost them.I wash and dress qui
It isn’t just about the insult. It also confirms that no matter what I do I’ll never be enough for him, not even as a guard.My nausea returns, in full force. I try to breathe through it, moving to press my back against the cool stone wall. After a minute I shift and allow myself to slowly sink into
I am going to raise the baby. My decision doesn’t come all at once, but slowly over the course of the morning. It starts as a quiet thought, an idea, but every time I look down at my stomach the that thought begins to solidify.I try to be logical, to weigh the consequences the way I would any patro
Robert delivers the sealed envelope in silence, as he always does. He bows as the Queen takes it from his hand, then steps back.She opens it slowly. Her expression is composed, almost bored, but as she reads the final line, her eyes pause, only for a second. She folds the paper and sets it aside.R







