“I am glad to see you could finally join us.” Cathal’s voice, both his words and the vehemence in which he said them, grabbed my attention.
“Do forgive me, my lord,” Allete said sweetly. “I did not sleep well last night, which caused me some lethargy this morn.”
When Allete reached the chair where she was to sit, Cathal did not stand to help her with the chair. Allete simply stood there, smiling at everyone.
Cheeky female, I thought.
I stepped forward and pulled the chair back so she could step around it and then pushed it forward as she sat down. She glanced back at me, surprise filling her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said.
I bowed. “My lady.”
The next words out of Cathal’s mouth made it perfectly clear that I was going to have to remind myself all day long of all the reasons I could not kill the King of Tara.
The king leaned over to Allete in the pretense of whispering, but speaking in a normal voice. “I thought I instructed you to wear the dresses I brought you. I prefer to be able to enjoy the sight of the body that will soon belong to me.”
She looked up into his eyes and blinked innocently. “This is one of the dresses you brought me. But it is still hard to let go of my things, so I had it altered a bit.”
It was then I noticed the dress was the same one she had been wearing when I had been in her room. She had simply added some fabric to the top of it. I chuckled and shook my head slightly. Yes, she was perfect for Clan Hakon. She was perfect for me.
“I have never been both so utterly frustrated by a human being, yet so attracted to him at the same time. After spending only half an hour with Torben, my new mysterious guard, already he is all I can think about. Well, I will have to nip that in the bud quickly. Even if it were possible to be with someone of his station, which it is not, he would drive me to jump off a cliff within hours of beginning our courtship.”
* * *
~Diary of Princess Allete Auvray
While staring out at the bright flowers and rich foliage, I contemplated all the ways I could kill myself in the garden as I stood next to Cathal. This place had always been a sight that inspired joy and happiness, but all I could think about was whether we had any plants containing deadly thorns. That was something I needed to speak to the gardener about. Surely, having a supply of deadly plants on hand would be quite useful. Not only for the poisoning of a high-ranking dignitary, but, perhaps more importantly, for use by forlorn princesses who need to put themselves out of their misery.
“What sorts of plants do you have in your gardens?” I found myself asking the king.
Cathal looked down at me as if I were a child who had just asked an ignorant question. But he answered nonetheless. “I prefer exotic, unusual plants.”
My brow rose. “Really?” I turned my body slightly so I was facing him. “What kind, exactly?”
“Flowers from all over the world. Vines the size of a man’s leg, flowers as bright as the sun, and a few deadly bushes, of course.”
“Deadly?”
He chuckled, and it was not a happy sound. It sent chills down my back.
“As I said, I like unusual plants.”
“Are those the plants you used to kill your previous wives?” Dayna’s voice carried from several feet away.
My jaw clenched as I turned toward my sister. I was too afraid to look at Cathal’s reaction. I shot daggers at Torben and Brant, as if it was their fault that Dayna could not keep her mouth closed at the proper times.
“You are one of Allete’s sisters?” Cathal asked casually.
“I am. We have actually already met.”
“Well, I am sure you understand why I would have forgotten you. Standing next to your stunning sister would cause anyone to become insignificant.”
My head whipped around so fast that I nearly lost my balance. A warm hand caught my elbow helping me right myself, and I knew it was Torben. He did not move back again but lingered only a few feet from me.
“I do not like you saying such things to my sister, my lord,” I said as respectfully as I could at that moment.
“Then your sister should learn her place and keep her mouth shut.” The cold, calculating look in his eyes caused me to take a step back.
“I think it is time for lunch,” I said, choosing to ignore his harsh comment. I turned to go but was stopped by Cathal’s rough hand on my arm as he jerked me back to stand beside him.
“You are my betrothed; you will walk with me. Your pet guard dog can give us some space.”
My body was stiff as a rod as I walked beside him. His hand remained on my arm, and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to jerk it from him. I did not want him touching me. I did not even want to breathe the same air as the vile man beside me. I was beginning to believe that perhaps he had not killed his wives after all. Maybe they had taken their own lives.
A week had passed since my first full day spent with Cathal, and each day he had grown more and more aggressive. There had been several times during this week that I noticed Brant holding Torben back when Cathal had grabbed me roughly or snapped at me. The way Torben watched me, the way his barely contained anger stayed just on the surface, was peculiar. He was not like any guard I had ever had. Sure, they had protected me, but none of them looked at me the way Torben did. He watched me as if my life was the only thing that mattered to him. I had to continually remind myself that I could not be with him. Even if I were not already betrothed to Cathal, my father would never allow me to marry a guard.
By the eighth night of the courtship, I felt I could bear Cathal no longer. My body was shaking with rage by the time he left me at my chambers after the evening meal. Surprisingly, he had behaved himself at dinner, no doubt putting on an act for my parents. But as soon as we were out of their presence, the demon was back.
His words echoed in my mind as I closed the door.
“Until I break you, and I will break you, I will have to settle for enjoying your beauty and form. If you are not willing to respond to my words, then you will respond to my touch.”
He grabbed my arms, and when Torben and Brant went to intercept him, two of Cathal’s own men stepped from the shadows, cutting them off. His hold was tight, no doubt leaving bruises on my arms.
“All day I have asked you to do things, and you have repeatedly ignored me. Every time you disobey me, there will be consequences.”
I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead he darted forward and bit me hard on my shoulder. I gasped and tried to step away, but his grasp was as strong as iron bindings. I could hear Torben behind me attempting to get to me, snarling and cursing at the guards who would not move. Cathal’s teeth sank in deeper until I felt the trickle of blood down my arm. When he finally pulled away, his eyes were gleaming with madness.