Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

K orth walked me to my rooms. Along our way back, Tess had been scolded for missing a lesson by one of her tutors and was pulled back to her studies the moment she set foot within the castle walls. “Thank you for helping me,” I told Korth when we arrived at the door to my suite. I fiddled with the handle but didn’t open it, hoping he would take advantage of our rare moment of solitude.

“I’ll always be there to help you,” Korth answered, keeping an infuriatingly appropriate distance between us.

“Godfrey would be aghast if he found us alone again.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you kissed me again.”

Korth’s dimple became visible as the corners of his mouth turned upward. “I wouldn’t mind that either, but we aren’t supposed to.”

I teased the strings that hung down from Korth’s laced-up tunic. “I can think of a lot of things we aren’t supposed to do that would still be enjoyable. Isn’t that part of what makes it so enticing?”

“Rest assured that you are plenty enticing by yourself.”

I gave a mock gasp. “Prince Korth, are you flirting with me?”

“I think I am.”

My gaze dropped down to study his mouth. “I like it.”

I tried to coax him closer by pulling gently on his hands, but Korth resisted. “Anyone could walk around that corner and see us when we’re out in the open like this.”

“Oh, are you trying to ask me to invite you into my rooms?”

Korth’s ears lit up again. “No. I would never.”

“Too bad.”

He shook his head. “You’re determined to tempt me, aren’t you?”

“I wasn’t aware that there was any limit to your ability to resist temptation.”

He chuckled softly. “Each day, I seem to discover anew just how difficult it is to maintain such endurance around you, particularly without a chaperone present.”

A voice interrupted our conversation, calling from down the hall. “Your Highness! Another missive just arrived from Ebora.”

Korth shot me an “ I told you so” look and whispered, “My endurance lasts another day.”

The pageboy bowed and offered a sealed envelope to me. I took it with a word of thanks, slit the wax seal, and scanned the page, holding it so Korth could read as well.

My Dearest Odette,

As I pen these words, my heart aches with both pride and sorrow. Pride for the strong woman you have become, and sorrow for the circumstances that prevent me from witnessing the union that awaits you. Know that my absence weighs heavily upon me, and it is not by choice that I remain distant on this momentous occasion.

It pains me deeply to think of the celebration I will miss, the laughter and vows I will not hear, and the tears of joy I will not wipe from your cheek. I can only hope that Prince Korth will love and care for you as much as I loved and cared for your mother.

If it were not for the threats on my life, I would have spared no expense to see your wedding, but as this civil uprising continues, I am forced to remain in hiding. I have a band of loyal followers who are prepared to make a stand, but I fear that without any reinforcements, any attempt to retake the castle would be a lost cause.

My dear daughter, as you embark on this new chapter in your life, my wish is that you will find love, happiness, and fulfillment in abundance. May the bond you share with your husband be strong and enduring, and may your union bring prosperity and peace to Haven Harbor. Though I wish you had been married here, I know that your voyage likely saved your life, and for that I will always be glad.

As I write these words, I am reminded of the fragility of human life, and I cannot help but feel a pang of regret that I may not live to see the joys and triumphs that lie ahead of you. Do not mourn for me, dearest Odette, for in you, I still live on. Though I may not be by your side in body, my love for you knows no bounds.

Stay safe and remember that I will always love you,

Papa

Korth finished reading slightly before I did, and he clapped his hand to his forehead. “I forgot to tell you; the meeting I had before I ran out was to finalize the funding approval to send two regiments. They leave tomorrow. We will send our fastest ships, and…and…Odette?”

My lip quivered. This time, the tears filling my eyes weren’t false as the agony of true guilt and remorse consumed me to where I couldn’t form words. As I stared at the forged letter in my hand, I had no room to admire the seemingly heartfelt words that had been so well-crafted and would tug on anyone’s heartstrings. Though the handwriting mimicked the king’s almost perfectly, I saw the way the P in Papa curled. My real father had penned this letter. I ran my thumb over the closing.

Korth peered into my eyes, a look of immense concern on his features. “I’m so sorry, Odette. I know this is devastating to read. But don’t worry. We’re going to help your father retake his kingdom. We’re in this together.” He took my hands.

I deserved to be imprisoned and executed. I was a fraud who had been lying her entire life. My shoulders shook and the words on the page swam in my vision. Korth wrapped me in his arms and I began crying softly against his chest. If only there were a way to be honest and still save my people.

There was still time. I could tell Korth that it had all been a lie. I could tell him not to send the troops. If it was just for me, I would have. But…

Faces of those I’d seen over the years surfaced in my mind. Starving children, widows, too many people to count forced into servitude and begging for the necessities of life. I could help them by sending the troops. Once the reinforcements came, the rebellion would rise up, take the castle, and instate a new monarch. It would all be over soon, if only I could maintain my cover for a few more days.

Korth rubbed my back and I sank against him, hating myself for how I was drawing comfort from the man I was actively exploiting.

“Don’t cry,” Korth whispered. “We can fix it.”

I clutched at the sides of his shirt, trying valiantly to master myself. Should I be honest to the man I loved or remain loyal to the people who were counting on me? Honesty on my part would condemn them and the generations that followed to lifetimes of misery.

Curdy’s words came back to haunt me . He would hate you if he knew the truth about you, and you know it.

My heart sank. As much as I detested it, living a lie was the only way to gift the possibility of a brighter future to others who couldn’t fend for themselves.

“Thank you for sending the troops,” I choked out. “That means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

“I would do anything for you,” Korth said sincerely, stroking my hair and resting his chin on the top of my head. “Anything.”

If only that were true.

“Your Majesty!” Godfrey, who had just turned the corner, looked appalled when he discovered Korth and I alone together in the hall, me still clinging to Korth. “What happened?”

“She received an upsetting letter from her father,” Korth began to explain, but his manservant flapped his head from side to side so forcefully his jowls jiggled.

“No, you’re alone together! Have you no sense of propriety? You still have two days until your wedding.”

“I’ll let you go,” I told him, peeling myself away and unable to look him in the eye. “Thank you for…everything you did today.”

Godfrey’s eyes widened as he stared at Korth. “What did you do?”

Korth looked just as irritated with his servant as I was when Korth refused to even bend the rules a little, but instead of amusement, I felt only shame. “Calm down, nothing scandalous. We do have morals, you know.”

The gnawing pit in my stomach opened to reveal an endless, dark abyss that threatened to swallow me whole. Perhaps Korth had morals, but I couldn’t claim the same.