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over everyone’s face.
    “ Was he lost in battle?” Sarene asked. “Lord Graeme was a
fierce warrior. It would take more than a skilled fighter to take
him down.”
    I didn’t
have the heart to say Graeme had turned into an alcoholic while we
were on the run, which ultimately had claimed his life. “He had
fallen ill and died,” I lied to preserve his honor and
memory.
    Dreaded
murmurs filled my room.
    “ What has happened since I was gone?” I inquired.
    Sarene
regarded me with a pained look. She told me everything in a low
voice.
    After
Graeme had spirited me into the human realm, Valerian and his army
besieged our territory until the Regent of Five surrendered.
Valerian accused them of cheating. Unfortunately, the dukes and
duchesses sitting on the Regent of Five were nothing but a bunch of
wimps.
    They had
never expected me to bail out on my wedding day. The plot was
hatched by Graeme and a few elders who held loyalty to my father. I
didn’t want to marry Valerian, so I went along when Graeme whisked
me away.
    I was
told many of my father’s loyalists were unhappy with the Regent of
Five’s decisions. Especially when they were used as puppets by
Valerian. He knew about the resistance, hence he forced the
marriage. If he wedded and sired the only heir of the Court of
Midnight, Valerian’s rule over us would be unchallenged.
    “ Your Highness,” one of my knights, Bres Silverlane, spoke up.
“If you are opposed to this atrocity, say the word and we will
fight to protect your wishes.”
    That was
the problem. Our kingdom had been divided since my father’s death.
Dukes against dukes. Duchesses having catfights. Everyone wanted to
kill everyone. It should have been me who united them all, but I
was nothing but a spoiled girl. I didn’t want to see my people
suffer from the war.
    I didn’t
want their blood on my hands.
    My throat
was dry when I forced my next words. “Am I still your
liege?”
    Everyone
answered in unison. “Of course, Your Highness.”
    “ Is my wish your command?”
    Bres
kneeled. “Your Highness, our loyalty is something you should have
no doubt of.”
    I drew a
deep breath. “Then you will do this without question.”
    Sarene
and Bres looked petrified when I told them my plan.
    * *
*
    Faery
weddings have always been extravagant. Even in lower caste, the
bride’s parents would have saved their gold from the day their
daughter was born, so their child could have a proper wedding.
Naturally, royal weddings were bound to be beyond lavish. Valerian
spared no expense on this one. I don’t know how he did it, but
overnight Midnight Palace had been transformed into a wedding
paradise that even the most finicky bridezilla would have nothing
to bitch about. White lilies and roses graced every available
surface. All the staff, including the guards, was swathed in
white-cream with striped gold livery. Finest confections and
delicacies were served in pristine gold-rimmed china. Rare vintage
wine was abundant and dispensed liberally. The guests looked happy,
chatty. The staff of Midnight Palace was quiet,
sorrowful.
    I stood
in front of the mirror, scowling at my own reflection. I wore the
same wedding dress that had been made for me when I was sixteen.
Sarene had altered it to accommodate my growth over the years. I
now had fuller breasts and hips, and was slightly
taller.
    My hair
was arranged artfully on top of my head. Heavy makeup was applied
on my face. I looked beautiful. Too bad I wasn’t marrying
Jaime.
    My mood
darkened when Prince Valerian popped into my room uninvited. He
took one critical look at me and pointed out the fact that I wasn’t
being pleasant or joyous.
    “ We aren’t in public,” I argued.
    “ A deal is a deal. Do you not wish to honor me? Think about
that filthy human lover of yours rotting in a cell.”
    I drew a
deep breath and forced out the most fake smile I’d managed in my
life. I must have looked like a corpse grinning from its coffin.
But Valerian seemed