Page 99 of Fake Fae-Ancée
It slid off my skin without resistance.
I stared at it, blinking. What the hell... no idea why that thing chose now of all times to let go of me. Possibly I had just realized something.
That the time of letting things go had now come.
Possibly that had killed Yli-Pekkala's magic, breaking her spell. But honestly, I was at a point where I had no fucks left.
At least I would get my powers back, soon.
I grabbed the pen and wrote down my name.
* * *
Bates was waitingfor me outside. I wasn't even surprised that it was him who showed up to collect the papers. He had probably been in on it, had arranged the whole thing so as not to make a scene. The old family butler looked at me with a soft, almost pitying expression as I approached him and handed him the signed divorce papers.
"milady," he said with a gentle bow.
"I suppose we’re done here," I said with a rough voice.
"It’s all going according to plan, milady." Bates slid the papers into the black briefcase he was holding and snapped the golden latches shut.
Yeah, just according to plan, I thought with a bitter twinge. Just like we’d agreed. I rolled the ring between my fingers, it’s magic no longer holding me down.
My strength had not returned yet. I probably couldn’t lift a bottle of champagne, let alone a sword.
A little ways away, in the banquet hall, I saw Yuri standing tall in his shiny uniform, all glorious and handsome as fuck, as one nobleman after the other came up to him, bowing and obviously swearing allegiance to him. He looked happy. Radiant.
Like a damn king.
Anastasia would be a great queen for him, later, when the dust had settled and I would be far, far away.
"Don’t be sad, milady," Bates said lowly next to me.
"I’m not." I even managed to sound cheerful. "Would it be very suspicious if I just disappeared?"
"No, I don’t think it would." Bates didn’t blink an eye. "This is going to get ugly soon enough, milady. King Yegor will be furious. He will have to accept Prince Yuri’s challenge now. I would advise you to step back and return to the safe house, for the time being."
"You’re probably right." I swallowed and held out the ring to him. "Would you be so kind and make sure he gets this?"
There was no way I would give this back to Yuri myself.
Bates flashed me a dark gaze.
"Of course, milady." He took the ring out of my hands. "Let me call the limosine."
* * *
I was waitingin the lobby for the car to get me, when, of course, Yuri rushed down the vast stairs. Obviously, getting allegiance sworn to him wasn’t just as important as letting me leave with a clean conscience.
"Kai! What the fuck?" He took the stairs in long strides, and before I knew it he was towering in front of me, holding out his hand. In his palm, the ring was glistening back at me.
"It just came off, you know," I uttered. My throat was tight and everything inside me was just screaming to get away from him. There was only a voice where my anger for him used to dwell. Nothing of it was left. I only felt burned out and so very stupid.
"Bates told me you’d be leaving for my mother’s house," he said.
I nodded, pressing my lips into a line, focusing on not crying.
"Is everything alright?" he asked. "You look upset?"
