Queen Damascena only threatens me because she thinks I can influence Prince Kevon. She might order her henchmen to beat me up, but she won’t let me die. Not until he has agreed to take a Noble bride.
I kick out at her shin. “Dowager queen,” I rasp. “You’ll go out to pasture with the other cows.”
The queen throws the tablet down on the table and unbuckles her belt. “Lie her flat on the bed.”
As the woman holding me loosens her choke-hold, I sneer, “Why, because you can’t fight me like a woman? You’re nothing without your guards.”
Her second henchwoman, a round-faced woman with a brown ponytail, punches me hard in the gut. She knocks the air out of my lungs, and it gets trapped in my throat. The one holding me retightens her grip until I see stars.
I leap up, hit the second woman in the gut, use our downward momentum to flip her to the side. My former captor hits her head, but her larger body breaks the fall.
As I scramble to my feet, Queen Damascena kicks me in the belly.
I grab her by the calves and pull her off her feet. She falls onto her back with a satisfying shriek. A little voice in the back of my head tells me to stop, to run for help. I’ve done enough. I’ve proven my point, but the fury roaring in my veins urges me to smash my fist in her arrogant little face.
Before I can land a blow, a large hand grabs my hair and pulls me off the queen.
“Filthy mongrel.” Queen Damascena picks up a vase and hurls it at my head.
I twist, letting it smash against the marble floor.
“Stop this at once!” bellows a voice.
Everybody freezes. Heavy, angry footsteps crush the broken glass, and someone slaps the woman’s hand out of my hair. I raise my head and stare into the stricken eyes of Prince Kevon.
“Kevon,” the queen says from between panting breaths. “Your Harvester harlot tried to—”
“Silence,” he roars.
Everyone, including me, flinches.
Prince Kevon helps me to my feet, his gaze flicking down my form. He cups my face and stares into my eyes with an urgency I haven’t seen since our last kiss. “Are you alright?”
Adrenaline courses through my veins, making my limbs tremble. He might not have been so sympathetic if he had caught me pummeling the queen’s face.
“I think so.”
He places a hand under my elbow. “Do you need to see Doctor Palatine?”
“For a pregnancy test?” snaps the queen.
Prince Kevon turns to her, his face a mask of hatred. “I will deal with you after the funeral.”
The queen’s eyes widen, and her face blanches. She steps back and claps a hand over her chest.
He wraps his arm around my waist and guides me out of the room, but I grab his arm. “Please, call off the guards around my father.”
His eyes soften. “Of course. After tonight, you will never fear for the safety of your family.”
I exhale but relief doesn’t come to me immediately. My family won’t be safe any time between now and the time Prince Kevon appoints me as his consort.
“Your Majesty?” asks a tinny voice at the end of the tablet computer.
Prince Kevon walks around the low table and picks up the device. “King Arias has died, and I will soon become his regent.”
“Your Highness,” the male voice says. “I am sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Escort Mr. Calico home to his family and ensure they come to no harm. I have already spoken to Colonel Snath about the protection of this household but I will ensure that anyone who so much as harms that family will face execution.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Kevon,” Queen Damascena rasps.
The prince’s eyes turn cold. “After the funeral, you will retire from the royal court and live out your days with General Provins.”
Her face slackens. “But my father—”
“Made you heartless and unfit to rule,” Prince Kevon snaps. “It is a fitting ending for the woman who caused my father and me so much misery.”
Queen Damascena inclines her head and walks to the door with her shoulders slumped. Her henchwomen drop into low curtseys and follow her out of the room.
As soon as it shuts, the prince pulls me into his chest. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs into my hair. “I should have guessed she would threaten you on the eve that I become the regent.”
I shake my head. “This isn’t your fault. I should have told you earlier.”
He slips his knuckles against the side of my face. “Do you need to see the doctor?”
“No.” I gaze into his glistening eyes.
“I must leave immediately to mobilize people to protect your family.”
My throat dries as the queen’s mocking voice reminds me that she is still the regent and can move against my home faster than Prince Kevon can protect it. “Alright.”
He presses a kiss on my forehead and strides out of the room, leaving me wondering if standing up to Queen Damascena will lead to their salvation or their deaths.
Chapter 18
I drop to my knees on the floor and place my palms on the sun-warmed marble. What on earth just happened? In all my time in Rugosa, I’ve never gotten into a fight, not even those times I shot guards attacking Harvester girls. I’ve been in the Oasis less than three weeks, and I’ve been involved in countless brawls and murder attempts.
The door opens, and my head snaps up. A frantic Georgette scurries inside with a pair of servants. Behind them are two female guards dressed in white armor. She helps me off the floor, murmuring words of comfort, while the servants clear up the broken glass.
Together, we cross the bedroom, then into the walk-in wardrobe. The mirror lights are too bright, the closet doors seem to close in on us, and I feel trapped like a corn snake in a snare.
“Where’s Forelle?” I whisper.
“She stayed overnight with Garrett’s family.” Georgette pulls out a padded seat and guides me
