Captive and Crowned by Elizabeth Newsom

Author:Elizabeth Newsom [Newsom, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-17T05:00:00+00:00

She perched on the edge of Alaric’s bed, dressed in her nightgown. At first, she’d tried the door to her room, but it’d been locked. Then she’d wandered into the King’s room and found a nightgown laid out for her. Someone had set a basin of water, a rag, and a tray of food on his desk.

She’d made good use of the rag and basin, turning its waters dark with ink and dirt and returning her hair to its false red color, but her stomach twisted at the thought of food. She wanted to find out what had happened, how she’d been caught, but there was no one to answer her questions. All the doors connecting Alaric’s room to hers or to the hallway had been locked.

She slid off the bed and began pacing. When the King returned, what should she do? Play dumb? Try to play off the escape as something else? Tell the truth? Would she be interrogated? Tortured?

She stopped and surveyed the King’s lavish room. Surely if she were to be tortured, he would have placed her in the dungeons. Or maybe he planned to torture her privately himself.

She hugged herself, suppressing a shiver. Though the King was icy at times, surely he wasn’t capable of such brutality. But then again, he’d had no qualms about torturing mere smugglers. Why would he have mercy on her? She’d just committed treason.

She swallowed tightly. If only she still had her phone and some earbuds with her. Music always helped her think.

The balcony door swung open, and Alaric strode in.

She pressed a hand to her chest to stifle the thick thudding of her heart. Should she run? Hide? Explain? Lie?

He paused at the sight of her and glanced out the darkened window. “It’s late.”

Tension stretched the silence taut until she cleared her throat. “And?”

“Why aren’t you abed?” His jaw muscles tightened. “After today’s escapade, I thought you would have been tired.”

She forced a shrug. “I can’t sleep.”

They both stood there, waiting for the other to move first. Everything had been so clear before the escape, but now she had no idea where she stood with him. What would he do with her?

She finally shifted her gaze away from his. “Am I your queen or your prisoner?”

“Both.”

Unease knotted in her stomach. “What does that mean?”

“You will be queen, because you will serve my purposes and those of the kingdom. You will be a prisoner, because you no longer have any say in the matter.”

She tightened her arms around her waist. “Did I ever?”

“Though it was limited, you had freedom. You were given roam of the palace and allowed to interact with nobles. Now, your roaming will be confined to this room, and your interactions will be limited to me.” A beat of silence between them, and then he added, “You will be given no other opportunities to escape.”

A chill trickled down her chest. She would spend the rest of her days wilting away in this room, giving the King all the children and power he could desire.

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