"Prince Kael!" The captain of the guard, a grizzled man with a scar across his face. "The creatures have been eliminated. The castle is secure."
"How many casualties?"
"Thirteen dead. Two dozen injured." The captain's eyes flicked to me, taking in my disheveled state, the bruises on my throat. "Is the princess harmed?"
"She's alive," Kael said flatly. "Where's my father?"
"In the throne room with your brothers. He wants to see you immediately."
"Of course he does." Kael's voice was bitter. He turned to me. "Can you walk?"
Honestly, I wasn't sure. My legs felt like water. But I nodded anyway. "Yes."
"Then we go together. Again." He kept his arm around me, supporting me. "Whatever happens, whatever he says, we face it together."
"Together," I agreed.
The throne room was chaotic. Servants cleaned up debris and blood. Guards stood at every entrance, weapons drawn. And King Aldric sat on his throne, looking tired and old in a way he hadn't earlier.
Darian and Theron stood on either side of him, as before. But now their clothes were torn, stained with ash. They'd been fighting too.
"Kael." The King's voice was weary. "Princess. Thank the gods you're alive."
"Are we supposed to believe you mean that?" I asked before I could stop myself.
Every head in the room turned to stare at me. Kael's arm tightened around my waist in warning.
King Aldric's expression didn't change. "You think I orchestrated this attack? Sent creatures to murder my own son and his bride?"
"Someone did. Someone who knew exactly when and how to strike. Someone who could breach your wards." I lifted my chin. "Who else has that kind of power in Shadowmere?"
"Dozens of people," Theron said quietly. "The royal mages. The high lords. Anyone with significant magical ability and a grudge against our family."
"Or," Kael added, "someone in this room."
Darian's face went red. "How dare you"
"How dare I what? Suggest that my brothers might want me dead?" Kael's voice was cold. "You've made no secret of hating me. Of wanting me gone. This attack was perfectly timed to isolate me from my wife, to make me vulnerable. Who else knew I'd been summoned away from our chambers?"
"We all knew," King Aldric said. "I knew. Your brothers knew. Half the court knew, because you stormed through the halls looking for Morgana like a madman." He stood, descending from the throne. "Yes, someone orchestrated this attack. Yes, it was perfectly timed. But jumping to conclusions about who"
"Is exactly what we should be doing!" I interrupted. "Your Majesty, with respect, your son was almost killed tonight. I was almost killed. Thirteen people are dead. This wasn't a random attack. This was deliberate, coordinated, and incredibly dangerous. Someone in this castle wants us dead, and we need to find out who before they try again."
Silence. The King studied me with those cold, black eyes.
"You're right," he said finally. "Someone in this castle is a traitor. And I will find them." He looked at Kael. "Until then, you and your wife will remain in the royal wing, under constant guard. No one enters or leaves without my permission."
"So we're prisoners," Kael said flatly.
"You're protected. There's a difference."
"Not from where I'm standing."
"Then perhaps you should adjust your perspective, my son." The King's voice hardened.
"You're alive because your curse makes you nearly impossible to kill. Your wife is alive through sheer luck and your intervention. Next time, you might not be so fortunate."
He gestured to the guards. "Escort them back to their chambers. New chambers, the ones closer to my own. And post a double guard. No one gets in or out."
"Father"
"This is not a discussion, Kael. You will obey, or I will have you confined to the dungeons for your own protection. Choose."
Kael's jaw clenched. I could feel the rage radiating off him, I could see his shade starting to manifest around the edges of his body, a dark shimmer in the air.
"Kael," I said softly, putting my hand on his arm. "It's all right. Let's just go."
"Listen to your wife," the King said. "She's wiser than you."
That was the wrong thing to say. Kael's shade fully manifested, just for a second, just enough to make the temperature in the room drop and the candles flicker. A reminder of what he could do. What he could become.
"Touch her," Kael said quietly, "threaten her, use her against me in any way, and I will burn this castle to the ground with everyone in it. Do you understand me, Father?"
The King didn't flinch. "Perfectly. Now get out of my sight before I forget you're my son and have you executed for threatening your king."
We left. What choice did we have?
The new chambers were indeed closer to the King's rooms, just down the hall, in fact. They were larger than our previous ones, more luxurious, but they felt like a cage. Guards stood at the door. More guards patrolled the hallway. Windows that could be barred from the outside.
We were being protected. And imprisoned.
"I'm sorry," Kael said as soon as we were alone. "This is my fault. If I'd been stronger, smarter, if I'd anticipated"
"Stop." I turned to face him. "This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault. You didn't ask to be cursed. You didn't ask for a father who fears you or brothers who hate you or creatures to attack in the night."
"But you're caught in the middle of it. You, who did nothing except have the misfortune to marry me."
"I'm not caught in the middle. I'm choosing to be here. With you." I took his hands in mine. "Kael, listen to me. I could have accepted your father's protection. Could have let him separate us, put me somewhere 'safe,' away from you and your curse. I didn't. Because this, us, together, partners, this is what I choose."
"Why?" His voice was raw. "Why would you choose this? Choose me?"
"Because..." I struggled to find the words. "Because in one day, you've treated me like I matter. Like my thoughts and feelings and choices are important. You've trained me, trusted me, protected me.
You've been honest about the dangers and given me the tools to face them."