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for a series of upcoming events celebrating his coronation. However, he has ordered me to bring you back to the Opal Palace.”
    “But Stefan told me Andrei had left my fate in his hands?”
    “Yes, that is what I told Stefan. Now I’m telling you that Andrei has absolutely no intention of leaving you with the Strassburgs. You shall be returning to Allegria with me.”
    “And how do you propose to do that? Do you think Stefan will just allow you to take me back?”
    “I will not be asking the crown prince or King Ezebo for permission, as I am sure it is just a matter of time before they see the folly of allowing you to return to Galandria.” He shifts in his seat. “Your absence from public life will inevitably be noticed. The official word the Strassburgs will circulate is that you have fallen ill and are being kept in quarantine to avoid spreading contamination. But privately, you should know that the dowager queen is calling for your immediate execution. She is not a big fan of yours, is she?”
    A loud rap sounds at the door. “Five minutes!”
    “How do you expect to get me out of here?” I say, flicking my gaze from the door and back to Lord Royce.
    “I have many friends in Kyrenica. It takes less money than you might imagine bribing a guard to leave a door unlocked in the middle of the night. I will be leaving Korynth tomorrow—or so the Strassburgs will think. The day after that, one of my men will come for you. And it is here that I can offer you a deal, as I assume you will not want to face your brother.”
    “A deal?” I laugh mirthlessly. “Every time the palace has offered me a deal, it’s always been for their own good—unless you’re planning to just let me walk away, never to be found again?”
    “Of course not. You will accompany me back to Allegria, but I will see that you do not reach the Opal Palace. Instead, I will provide you with lodgings in the city.”
    “Why? What do you need me for?” I search his face for clues, but as always, Lord Royce’s blue eyes are impassive.
    “There’s something I want to discuss with you. Something I will not speak of in Kyrenica.”
    “And what if I prefer to take my chances with Andrei?”
    “Would you? Andrei believes you may be a threat to the crown. To his crown. Lord Quinlan told him all about Lord Finley’s plan to put you on the throne last year. Think carefully, Elara. Do you really want to be handed over to a brother who believes you may want to overthrow him?”
    I look away from his gaze and imagine myself stuffing away the disappointment lodging in my chest. I suppose I had held out a line of hope, however thin, that Andrei may be curious about me—may actually want to know me. But it seems he’s just like his dead father: he’s decided I’m a threat before he’s even spoken a word to me.
    “If I agree to this, what do you want in return?”
    Another rap on the door. “One minute!”
    “In exchange, you will willingly accompany me back to Galandria. You will agree to have a discussion with me about a matter close to my heart . . . and you will give me Wilhamina’s location. Andrei wants her returned to the Opal Palace, and I intend to make good on my king’s wishes.”
    “I have no idea where Wilha is,” I say, careful to keep my face blank. “She fled the castle—for all I know she’s dead. And I told you once before that—”
    He holds up a hand. “Please save your protestations for someone ignorant enough to entertain them. I have made you an offer. You can either accept it or reject it.” He stands. “I’ll give you a day to think it over. But one way or another, one of you is going back to the Opal Palace. So it’s up to you to decide, will it be you, or will it be Wilhamina?”
    8
    T hat night, as I shiver on my cot, I ask myself why I didn’t immediately tell Lord Royce where Wilha is hiding. While I rot in a cell—not for the first time—Wilha is provided for.
    Anger pierces my insides. King Fennrick