“Why?” I ask again, this time louder.
When he doesn’t answer, I scream like a wild animal. “Answer me!” I shriek. Hot tears snake down my cheek.
Instead of doing just that, the king’s attention returns to the general. “Do we have an agreement?”
I follow the king’s gaze to the general. “An agreement?” I ask. How could the WUN and the king agree to anything at a time like this?
I glance at Will. Only now do I notice that his eyes are red rimmed. My gaze darts back to the general, who’s rubbing his eyes. He drops his hand and looks at me for a moment before returning his attention to the screen.
“We do.”
My heart patters away in my chest.
The king’s eyes find mine, and he stares at me for several seconds before moving his gaze over the room. “Congratulations ladies and gentlemen. The war is officially over.”
My mouth is gaping long after the king’s image disappears. The room’s quiet, abnormally so.
I’m the first to speak. “What just happened?”
My eyes land first on Will, who looks like he’s only barely holding it together. Then they move over each of the representatives. None of them will meet my gaze.
My breathing speeds up, and at the back of my mind I worry that I might pass out from anxiety. I’m weak enough that it’s a distinct possibility.
“Why won’t any of you look me in the eye?” My voice rises.
No one responds.
“What. Just. Happened?” My voice cracks.
Still no response. I put a hand to my head; I’m feeling faint.
“Sit down, Serenity.”
“No,” I snap. “Not until someone tells me what’s going on.”
A muscle in the general’s jaw twitches. “The king approached us with a peace agreement.”
“And you accepted it. In the wake of what happened, you still accepted it.” I am a hair’s breadth away from losing it.
“The king gave us everything we wanted and then some,” he says.
“Uh huh.” I can feel more hot tears cascading down my face. People are shifting nervously in their seats. The last time they saw me, I was covered in blood. I’m a wolf amongst a flock of sheep.
“Serenity,” the general says, “this peace agreement will save the lives of millions. It’s better than anything your father saw up until the day of his death.”
I let out a strangled cry at the mention of my father. “Why didn’t you include me in the decision making?”
“You weren’t in a sound state of mind.”
I nod, because he’s right. I choke down my pride and vindictiveness. The representatives did what they had to do to ensure the well being of the western hemisphere.
“Tell her,” Will says.
I look away from the general to his son. Will’s hands are balled into fists, and he’s crying as well. Only now do I realize that there might be a reason Will hasn’t tried to comfort me like he would’ve a day ago. There might be a reason why the representatives can’t look me in the eye and why there’s an agreement at all in light of recent events.
“What is it?” I ask, returning my gaze to the general. Dread coils at the pit of my stomach.
The muscle in General Kline’s cheek jumps again. “The king had one condition in the agreement.”
“No,” I whisper. The king wouldn’t—the representatives wouldn’t. There must be one decent person amongst the remaining leaders of the world.
The general’s face is grim. “In return for peace, we’re to deliver you to the king.”
Chapter 12
Serenity
I stare at the general for a moment, not allowing myself to comprehend his words. And then they sink in. Bile rises up my throat, and I barely have time to grab a nearby trashcan before I retch.
Someone places a hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and straighten.
The general’s still speaking, but I’m no longer listening. I feel my legs buckle, and then Will is there, scooping me up and carrying me back to my room.
My entire body shakes.
I can’t go back.
“Serenity, he’s not going to kill you,” Will says as he lays me on my bed. He crouches next to it so that we’re at eye level. His gaze moves to my lips; he looks pained. “The king’s not going to kill you—or imprison you.” He takes a deep breath. “They’ve been talking about the possibility of a wedding.”
I go still. “A wedding?”
Will nods, and I can see his throat work. He closes his eyes and I see his body shudder.
“I have to marry the king?”
Will opens his eyes. “That’s what it sounds like.”
“I have to marry my father’s killer?”
His face crumbles and he looks away. “It’s better than death or imprisonment,” he says, his voice rough.
“Get out.”
“What?”
“Get out!” I scream.
Slowly Will gets up and backs away from me. “I’ll make this right, Serenity. I swear it.”
I pretend I don’t hear his words. I’m tired of promises. Of vendettas. Of posturing. Of politics and death.
Once he leaves the room, I curl into a ball and pretend nothing exists at all.
I stay in bed for another two days, shaking, sometimes rocking myself. Eventually I eat the food that someone’s left for me, one small bite at a time. My stomach contracts painfully as each piece of food enters, and I have to fight off my rising sickness. I drink some water, if only to get rid of my splitting headache.
By the end of two days, the most painful emotions have dissolved away. I still feel like one giant, open wound, but I can think through it. I can be rational. Somewhat.
So I get up, wash myself, get dressed, and head to the conference room. Not surprisingly, when I get there, the representatives are in session. I’ve rarely seen them outside this room.