Heart of the Enemy by Tilly Hart

Author:Tilly Hart [Hart, Tilly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

The king paced forward and back along the old rug. I must admit, for a dungeon it was the height of luxury. There were thick rugs lining the stone floor, and heavy curtains to keep the wind out, a good stock of candles, writing parchment and ink, a washing ewer and even some books. My position as heir to the Moriel throne had landed me in the tower rather than the main dungeons, a place suitable for royalty who erred on the wrong side of the law.

As far as I was aware, I hadn’t exactly broken the law, hence the king’s conundrum. Yes, I was an enemy, by name and birth, but I had done nothing illegal. Kissing Alessandra wasn’t a crime, and he didn’t know about my venture to her chambers, but the law didn’t specify our actions there as a crime either. The king had taken three days to ruminate on my crime, my punishment, his first test as king. What he had in store, I could not say.

But the tense cut of his shoulders, and the angry line of his jaw and the hand clenched upon the hilt of his sword didn’t speak for an easy pardon and his sister’s hand in marriage.

‘You played me as a fool in front of my court.’

‘I’m sorry your Highness, it was in good faith.’

‘Why didn’t you come to me? Why the lies?’

‘If I had presented myself at court, would you have granted me an audience? Or had me thrown in here?’

He grunted and continued his pacing, the four guards at the near wall shifting nervously. They’d seen his father in action, and from reports, he would no sooner have had me in here than torn in and cut me in two. Did the son inherit his father’s blood lust? I shivered and sincerely hoped not.

‘It doesn’t matter what I would have done. You came to me with dishonesty and distrust. And you made my sister a traitor.’

I rubbed my face and sighed, the shackles that clanked together gave me access to most of the room, but they were heavy upon my wrists. ‘I didn’t know who she was, when we met. I fell for her before I knew she was your sister. If I had known, I wouldn’t have dared pursue her.’

‘She cannot marry you. You are a traitor, held for treason.’

‘What have I done that warrants the accusation? I have done no harm to you or your court. I came seeking peace between our nations, to save the lives of countless people on both sides of this ill-begotten war. My father never dared come in person, for your father would have killed him on the spot.’

Dante bristled at the allegation, but didn’t move to deny it.

‘He killed four of our emissaries. Sent their heads back to their wives and children. A decade between each attempt to reason with him. We thought time might bring a king ready for talk instead of use weapons against us, but we were wrong.

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