The prince considered my words for a moment before gesturing to the other man. "This here is Captain Leon of Besmium. We will return the king. Just... collect your men and be on your way."
The prospect of presenting the king to the Queen of Besmium and fulfilling our deal was slipping through my fingers at an alarming rate. Everything I'd built in the last few weeks was on the verge of being destroyed by this man with an arrow. If I was a few feet closer, I could destroy him with one swipe of my sword, but perhaps this situation called for a more diplomatic approach. I chose my words carefully. "How about a trade. The king for your brother."
His face paled.
Leon scoffed. "We'd never consider such a deal." But it was clear from the prince's expression that he did not fully agree.
I had them. "I am Prince Emmett of Algony. I've been summoned by the queen herself to retrieve her husband the king." I focused my attention on the prince. "Prince Young of Vires has been found guilty of treason and is to be put to death tomorrow. What I am proposing is most beneficial to everyone here. You release the king to my care. Me, my injured men, and both of you will all accompany the king back to safety at the castle. When we arrive, I will personally see to it that your brother is released, and you and your brother can return to Vires unharmed."
The prince turned to Captain Leon. Each moment of silence drudged on, tempting me to just draw my sword and end it. Finally, the soldier nodded. I exhaled my anxiety. The plan was back on.
"Wonderful," I said. "Now show me to the king."
Chapter 25
Prince Young
STILL ALIVE, THEN.
At least I thought I was. It was hard to tell with the days dragging on as they were. Why hadn’t they come for me? After my sentencing, the other prisoners were afraid to talk to me, like my looming death was a contagion. From the moment I found out I was going to die, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about Vires—its mountainous landscape, it's spring cherry blossom trees. I'd made the decision months ago that I would move to Besmium, take the crown, and likely never return, but now it was certain. I'd never see my kingdom again, nor my brothers, nor my father.
Maybe my ambition was to blame. If I'd been content as the third prince of Vires, if I'd never wanted to be king, I would still be in Vires and Minseo would be alive. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the cold dungeon wall. What would Minseo say?
Don't give up, Young, I imagined. It's not your fault.
"Brother, wake up!"
An eager voice woke me, to find Emmett standing beside Minseo outside my cell. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, but in a few short seconds, I realized my brother was actually there. My heart slammed into my ribcage. Minseo. Dazed, I leaped to my feet and pulled my brother into my arms, three iron bars between us. I choked back tears as I struggled through the bars, to clutch him tighter. I put my forehead to his and felt the splash of his tear on my cheek, turning me into a blubbering mess.
Emmett cleared his throat.
Minseo and I jumped back, wiping our faces. Emmett stepped between us and unlocked the cell. Minseo's shoulders relaxed. He turned to Emmett. "Just like that?"
Emmett grinned widely but his gritted teeth made me believe witnessing our reunion made him uncomfortable. When the gate opened, Minseo rushed in and hugged me again, then looked me over, like a mother after her child comes home for the day. Relief surged through me. I tried to choke back another wave of tears, but it was no use, my brother was alive. He wasn’t just alive, he was here—saving my life.
"I must ask a favor," Emmett said.
Minseo turned back to Emmett. It was hard to see in the darkness of the dungeon, but I thought I saw traces of tears still on Minseo's rigid cheeks.
Emmett continued. "You may collect your things and rest in Besmium until tomorrow, but I must ask you to not attend the event this evening."
"Event?" Minseo asked.
"My wedding to Princess Charlotte," Emmett said. Minseo’s gaze darted between Emmett and me before it finally came to rest on me. Sadness spread across his face. His lips tensed, his eyebrows slightly raised. His sympathy was unsettling. He searched my face for my reaction—but this was old news to me.
I smiled, placing a reassuring hand on Minseo's shoulder. "Let's go home," I said. Minseo hesitated for a moment, like he wanted to say more but didn't. Instead, he pulled me out of the dungeon cell, notably keeping his body between Emmett's and mine.
We were given our own quarters and allowed to bathe. Minseo told me the story of how he'd nearly been forced to chop off his own hand, and I filled him in about Emmett and our time in the forest. By comparison, my last few weeks seemed uneventful though the exhaustion and hunger I felt said otherwise. I was happy to learn that Leon had assisted Minseo in his escape and I was eager to find him and thank him.
"Actually," Minseo said, "Leon refuses to leave the king's side."
"The king's alive?" I choked, reaching out for a chair to plop into.
Minseo tilted his head to the side as if I'd missed a crucial part of his story. "Yes, Leon and I traded the king to get you out of jail."
Excitement overflowed from within me. "Charlotte’s going to be so happy." I turned to find my brother looking somber. He nodded, but I could tell that once again he was swallowing his words. "It's okay, Minseo. I'm alive. We can go home to Vires. You did that."
He feigned a smile, given away by the pity beaming at me through his sorrowful gaze.
"Let's get some food and find Leon. That way we can leave for Vires nice and early tomorrow." I peeked my head out the door to try and find someone to bring us lunch, but the hallways were empty.
I called over my shoulder to Minseo, "They must all be preparing for the ceremony. Hold on." I hurried into the hall and toward the servant's quarters.
"Hello?" I called, but there was no reply. I headed toward the grand hall, making sure to take the side corridor to avoid being seen by anyone going to the event.
I froze. Standing right there, on the other side of the corridor, was Charlotte. My hands began to sweat and my legs grew heavier with each endless second. I couldn't breathe. She wore a white flowing dress that cinched in her waist. Her brown skin was luminescent, her curls pinned out of her face. Suddenly, as if she felt my gaze brush her shoulder, she turned to me.
I tried to bite back the audible gasp that slipped out and quell the electricity that tore each cell of my body apart with every step closer she took. She smiled so brightly that I almost felt myself smile back. Forgetting herself, she threw her arms around me and buried her face in my neck. My body went rigid. Instinctually, I took her by the waist and eased her away from me. Her face glittered and I wondered if she had been crying. She wiped her eyes.
"I thought you were going to be executed," she said, her white ball gown swaying with each tiny movement of her body.
"Me too," I said, my gaze traveling around the angelic princess. "Minseo saved me."
She covered her mouth with her hands. "He's alive! That's great. My father is here in the castle. He's hurt, but he's alive."
I nodded. My gaze lifted from her waist to her chest, up to her collarbone, her neck, and finally met her eyes. The sudden dread of silence sunk in. "You make a beautiful bride." My eyes widened.
She smiled softly, and all at once I could see the same sorrowful gaze that Minseo had given me. "Thank you," she said.
I prepared myself to tear my gaze away from her, trying to drink in every detail of her and capture the memory before I left, but she reached out and touched my wrist, sending sparks radiating up my arm.
"I-I..." she stammered. A faint pink blush wisped over her cheeks. She continued. "I guess I won't be needing this."
She reached under the outermost layer of her dress, digging underneath for something. She seemed to be struggling, but I wasn't sure how to help her or what she was doing. I mean, it wasn’t like I could reach in there and assist her. Finally, something unhooked from her waist and from under a fold of
white fabric she pulled out an ornately-decorated sheathed broadsword.
The handle of the sword was a dragon covered in red rubies. It was much too large and heavy to be concealed in a dress, or so I thought.
"I guess I don't need this anymore," she said, handing me the sword. I eyed her dress, wondering what other mysterious objects were hidden in there.
"Why do you have a sword in your dress?" I asked, unable to fight a smile from stinging my cheeks.
She laughed. "I was going to save you."
"Were you going to stab him at the altar?”
She bit her bottom lip, biting back a smile.
I gaped. “That was your plan?" I whispered, checking the empty hallway for listeners.
She pushed my shoulder. “It wasn't Plan A.”
My smile dimmed. "What were you going to do about his army after you killed him?"
"I hadn't gotten that far," she said, putting her hands on her hips.
I nodded, attaching the sword to my belt. "Well, thank you, Charlotte, for the sword and your reason for having it."
I turned to leave, glancing back one more time. "Got anything else hidden under there?" I asked.
"Matching dagger," she said with a sly smile. With each step away, my breathing became more labored. I shook inside. How could it be unbearable to be near her and worse to walk away? It was hard to believe that this was goodbye, that after everything I had to just go on living my life in Vires as if nothing happened. As if my entire world hadn’t been changed forever.
I left the corridor, heading straight back to my chamber. I wasn't hungry anymore—in fact, I felt sick. I hoped Minseo would know what to do or what to say to make my chest stop aching.
Chapter 26
Princess Charlotte
THE MOMENT PRINCE YOUNG turned away from me, I felt a swirl of emotions I wasn't expecting. How could I feel this sad when everything had worked out perfectly? Young was safe, my father was home, and when I said "I do" in a few hours, Algony’s army would clear out Drethen. My kingdom and everyone I loved would be out of danger. I never wanted to be a wife, certainly not Emmett’s wife, but it wasn’t worth losing anyone else. Besides, Emmett had given me such a beautiful proposal and that kiss... I wondered what it would have been like to kiss Young. I shook the thought from my head. I was so childish. Everything was fine. So, why did I feel like crying?
I decided I'd given my father enough time to rest and headed to his chamber. As I approached the double doors, I noticed the guards had their ears against the door.
"What's going on?" I asked. The guards jumped back into a straightened position. "Leon!" I said rushing over. "You're alive."
He bowed and pushed a brown strand of hair out of his eyes. "I'm happy you also arrived safely."
The other guard looked like he was asleep on his feet. "That's McCaffrey of Algony," Leon said. McCaffrey slouched against the door.
I considered asking what was wrong with him, but I didn't care enough. "What's going on with my parents?" I asked.
He smirked. "Want to take a listen?"
I gasped in excitement. "Can I?" I rushed to the door and put my ear to the crack. I could barely make out the words.
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" my mother cried.
"Honor the agreement," my father said weakly.
"If I had, you'd be dead."
"I was also rescued by a prince of Vires. What kind of king backs out of an arrangement this important? Furthermore, Emmett of Algony is the worst kind of man. Are you really willing to vouch for him?" Even in anger, my father sounded much weaker than normal.
My mother's voice cracked. "I'd stake my life on it."
I pushed myself away from the door. I wished I didn’t hear that. My corset dug into my sides. Emmett was the worst and Young didn’t deserve how this turned out. I knew all this already but hearing it from my father made it seem worse. I gasped for air. There was no way I was going to last in this dress until the ceremony. There were several more hours until it started. My parents had some business to work out, business that I didn't want to be a part of. I’d buy myself some time to plan and marry who I had to marry. For now, I just wanted to be out of this dress. I hurried to my chambers, half expecting to see Milly there, but the room was empty. I swallowed my disappointment. All the servants must’ve been busy making the feast or setting up the grand hall. I was sure Milly was with Sasha trying to prepare enough food for the council and nobility that would be in attendance.
I reached around my back to try and unlace my corset myself. Not even close. There was no way I was getting it off. I tried reaching one more time, but this time I wound up making myself light-headed and out of breath. A thud sounded on my door. My shoulders tensed. I hoped it was one of my maids—I needed to get out of this thing. I hurried to the door and pushed it open. Prince Young stood in my doorway.
"Charlotte," he said. I looked into the hall behind him to see if someone else was passing, anyone who could help me—but it was only him.
"Please pardon me for coming to your chamber. I wondered if I might be able to have a word with you before the—"
Grabbing him by the shirt, I pulled him into my chamber. "Get in here," I said, shutting the door behind him. I took two steps toward the center of my room and said, "Quick, untie it. Help me take this off."
"Well... this is going better than expected," he said, half under his breath.
"Hurry, I can't breathe," I shouted.
Young's hands moved clumsily over the ribbons. "Sorry, I've never done this before," he said, "Uh-uhm. I mean—"
"That's okay. Neither have I," I said without thinking. What did I even mean by that?
"How do I do this?" he whispered.
I said, "Just try to loosen it. I just need a deep breath."
He pulled at the ribbons and I felt a slight release around my waist. I exhaled. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" I asked as he continued pulling aimlessly at strings behind me. He let my question hang there. I wasn't sure if he would answer.
"I wanted to know if you're happy with Emmett."
I opened my mouth to answer. "A-"
"No, that's not what I wanted to say. I guess what I mean is, do you still want to marry me? No, I guess you never really did want to. What I'm trying to say is, I miss Vires."
My heart thudded and I felt my corset tighten.
He continued. "Now that I'm free, I can return there, but for some reason I can't—and I think that reason is that I want to marry you. Still."
My heart slammed into my ribcage. Was this a proposal? I turned to face him, holding the front of my dress up with my arm. It made no sense. "Why? There's barely a kingdom left. You know what Emmett will do if I don't go through with this."
"I don't care." He stepped closer. My eyes disobeyed me and my gaze slipped to his lips for a fraction of a second. His eyebrow raised slightly. He'd noticed. As if he was reading my curiosity, he leaned in.
The door swung open, "Brother! Emmett is headed this— Oh," Minseo said, eyeing my half-untied dress. I sprang back from Young in a panic. Minseo grinned. "Wow, that really went better than I expected." My face exploded with heat.
"Minseo, she can't breathe. How do I untie this?" Young said, gesturing to my back. With three quick fluid motions, Minseo untied my entire corset. One thing was clear: Minseo had done this before.
Minseo turned to Young, "Emmett is coming. Hide." The Viran princes dove behind a lounge chair on the far end of my chamber, just as a knock once again sounded on my door.
"Getting ready," I called. Emmett peaked into the room. He grinned widely at my unlaced corset. “Is this a preview of tonight? Don't worry about the audience, Princess, I'll handle everything." I'd almost forgotten about the consummation ceremony until he mentioned it. Ugh. Dread pulsed through me. He stepped up behind me and tightened my corset as quickly as Minseo had loosened it. Ah. Not his first time either.
"You look stunning," he said, heading for the door. I felt
a rush of relief because he hadn't spotted the princes. A chill went down my spine as my mind contemplated what might’ve happened if he'd discovered them alone in my chamber, especially since I was half-naked when he arrived.
"Oh, Princess,” Emmett said, turning back to me. My stomach dropped. He continued, "I've been thinking about that kiss." He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm excited for tonight," he said, and with that he left my chamber, closing the door behind him.
Afraid to move, I concentrated on my, once again, restricted breathing.
"You kissed that guy?” Young asked, stepping out from behind the velvety lounge chair.
"Yes," I said flatly. I had no explanation. “I-I.” My cheeks burned hot with guilt.
Minseo put his hand on Young's head. "It's not a big deal."
Young headed for the door. "I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time," he said, his gaze glued to the floor. The door closed behind him.
What was happening? How had I lost this much control of my life? Once the parade of princes left my chamber,
I slumped into my bed and cried. I wasn't sure what I was crying for anymore. I sobbed into my pillow until, somehow amidst the chaos, I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 27
Prince Young
"YOUNG!" MINSEO CALLED. I kept walking straight into my chamber. "Young!" he said, grabbing me by the shoulder. "You're not seriously mad about the princess kissing Emmett, right?"
I scoffed. "Of course not."
"Good, because not twenty minutes ago, you told me she was going to kill that guy to save you. Remember that?"
I put my hands in my pockets. "I don't know."
"You don't know what? Why’re you so angry, brother? You'll soon feel better once we get to Vires. Soon enough you'll turn nineteen, and after you've been with a few women, you'll forget all about the princess."
I turned away from Minseo. "I'm just not—ready. I can't just go back."
Kingdom Cold Page 10
