A cold shiver ran through her. She instinctively looked toward the garden exit, but it was too far for their conversation to be heard by the guards, and because they were standing under the trees, they were invisible to those standing on the walls. If she didn’t start screaming, no one would come to her rescue.
“A moment ago, you were ready to make a promise of fidelity,” Nihhal said. “And now you are thinking about how to get rid of me. A quick change for someone who requires steadiness from her partner.”
Lannahi forced herself to meet his eyes. “Why did you do that? What do you want from me?”
Nihhal arched his eyebrow. The warm glow of adoration in his gaze was replaced by the cold, calculating expression of an arrogant fae. “I thought it was obvious. I want to fuck you.”
Lannahi couldn’t believe her ears. She recalled with bitterness the conclusion she’d reached four years ago. She was right. She shouldn’t consort with powerful fae. Too many of them believed they could take anything they liked.
“I don’t think we would be suitable partners for each other,” she said, hiding her fear behind the wall of diplomacy just like her mother had taught her.
There was a chance that someone would enter the garden. She just had to remain calm.
Nihhal smiled, amused. “I disagree. You want commitment, don’t you? I will be committed to you, I assure you. I’ve planned our future together a long time ago.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, her throat dry.
The man sighed and raked his fingers through his dark golden hair. “This isn’t something I wanted to tell you yet, but so be it. You will have something to look forward to.” He regarded her figure approvingly. “You will be my Royal Consort. You will look beautiful in a diadem… and a leash.”
Her eyes widened.
“Did I manage to attract your interest?” Nihhal teased. “The diadem of a princess and the leash of a slave. Your father will like it, don’t you think?”
Slowly, a gruesome understanding came to Lannahi.
“You want to take revenge for your father’s enslavement,” she whispered, numb with terror.
“Smart girl,” Nihhal commented.
When he took a step toward her, Lannahi backed away, but all he had to do was utter the word “Stop,” and she did. She opened her mouth to scream, but he lunged toward her, gripping her by the nape and slapping a palm over her mouth. She lowered her gaze, but he ordered her to look into his eyes.
“You must not talk about what you learned from me today, nor about what happened between us,” he said, and Lannahi couldn’t believe that she hadn’t heard the Charm in his voice earlier. The air surrounding them was vibrating with magic. “If you try to even make a suggestion or send a note, you will die.”
He watched her in silence for a while, observing as understanding mingled with fear in her eyes. “You must not act to my detriment,” he added more gently.
When he took his hand off her mouth and placed it on her shoulder, Lannahi tried to scream, but no sound came out of her throat.
Nihhal smiled with satisfaction, then embraced her and began stroking her hair. She wanted to push him away but could only stand still.
“This evening could have ended differently, Lannahi,” he said in a normal voice. “Try to be less selfish in the future and don’t try to force promises on me. You don’t have to worry about other women. You will always be special to me. No one can replace you.”
He leaned back to look her in the face. “You have to admit, I’ve been patient with you. I could have had you right away, but I haven’t touched you for four years. I deserve a reward, don’t you think?”
Lannahi answered with a cold look. All that was left was her pride.
Nihhal chuckled softly. “I hoped for a more enthusiastic reaction, but it’s all right. Next time, I will give you a better incentive. You will suck my cock as if the life of your mother depended on it.”
Lannahi felt sick. She suddenly understood why wars usually ended in the annihilation of entire families. Even a child not yet born could become a mortal enemy.
“Take vengeance so that your enemy won’t be able to” was practical advice.
Lannahi never suspected herself of cruelty, but at that moment she knew that if Nihhal hurt her, she would pay him back tenfold. She didn’t know how or when, but she knew she would try, and her hand wouldn’t even tremble.
Nihhal leaned in and kissed her temple. “Go back to the palace, Lannahi. I will be gone for a long time, but don’t be sad. We have decades ahead of us.”
Upon returning to her chamber, Lannahi heaved up the contents of her stomach and locked herself in her room for the next three days. The first hours when memories mixed with the visions of what might have happened were the worst. The thought that Nihhal was somewhere in the palace paralyzed her ability to act. Even though the night was warm, her body shook uncontrollably. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest locked in a cage of fear, disbelief, and betrayal. Her face was wet with tears of helplessness. She didn’t fall asleep until the morning when a servant who brought her herbs for her upset stomach informed her that Nihhal had left the city. Although her body succumbed to fatigue, her mind ran in circles, painting a vivid picture of her naked, with a heavy diadem on her head and a tight collar around her neck, kneeling before Nihhal who stood among the corpses of her family members. She woke up covered in sweat and spent the next few hours staring at the ceiling, numb.
Beneath the iceberg of terror, however, was a flame. At first, it was small and seemed pointless, but it slowly grew, melting the ice layer by layer, until it was so large that its heat effaced the poignant chill.
