Either way, my head spun with the truth of his words, a truth that I had known all along. I was to do exactly as the queen wished, or she would make me beg for a life I dreaded.
“Are you all ready to go?” Evren stood next to Jorah, and I blinked up at him as panic hit me. Here I was dancing in a tavern and dreaming about this man who I couldn’t have when I should have been back at the palace figuring out my next move.
I was a fool.
“I need to return to the palace.”
“Okay.” Evren laughed, but I was already turning on my heel and running for the door.
My shoulder knocked into someone else’s, and I tried to apologize as my cape was stepped on and pulled from around my shoulders. A few gasps filled the space around me, but I didn’t stick around to listen. I sprinted for the door and out onto the cobblestone street as I gasped for breath.
The alcohol coursed through me as I spun in place and searched for the direction at which we came. The palace. I spotted the towering building ahead and took off in that direction before any of my escorts could catch up to me.
The sun was setting behind the palace, the gleam of its rays reflecting off the dark surface, and I raced in its direction.
“Adara!” I heard Evren shout from behind me, but I didn’t stop. Fear coursed through me at how foolish I had been.
I tripped on the long skirt of my dress, almost falling forward, but I caught myself against the old brick of someone’s home. I could feel people watching me, but it didn’t matter. Jorah said the queen was watching me, the queen that I feared above all others, and I knew that she was the one who held the power to make my life everything I had ever feared.
She wanted her son to grow powerful at my expense, and she would do whatever it took to assure that happened. Even if that meant locking me away. Away from Evren, away from everyone.
“Adara, wait!” Evren grasped my forearm in his hand and stopped me from pushing forward. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I need to get back to the palace.” I tried to pull away from him, but he stopped me with his firm grip.
“What happened? Did someone say something?”
“The queen is probably watching us,” I whispered my fear, and I watched as his face morphed into anger.
“Jorah warned you of the queen.” He said it so simply, as if it was something everyone had been thinking but no one thought to share with me. “Adara.” He shook his head before pushing forward, my arm still in his hand, as he made his way to the castle.
“Please don’t call me that.”
“Your name?” He laughed as if I was joking.“What would you prefer I call you if I can’t call you by your given name or princess?”
“Starblessed,” I answered him quickly just as we arrived at the gate.
His jaw clenched and his hand hardened against my arm. He didn’t stop as the gate opened. He simply pulled me through and marched forward up the steps of the palace. I saw no one as we entered the palace and Evren pulled me toward my room.
We made it to my door quickly, and he jerked the door open before pushing me inside and following behind me.
“You can’t be in here.” I pulled away from his touch and put as much space between he and I as possible.
“I am a prince of Citlali, Starblessed.” He spat my name. “I will do as I please.”
I wrapped my arms around my chest and looked to the window. The setting sun was leaving room for nothing but darkness, and it was falling over the sky like a curse.
“Please leave.”
“I am not leaving you alone while you are panicking over whatever Jorah said to you. He is my best friend in this world, but he’s also an idiot. He scared you when he shouldn’t have.”
“No.” I shook my head. “He was right. I have spent my entire life preparing for my betrothal to the crowned prince, and I am a fool to allow the queen to think I am loyal to anything but that.”
A dark smile graced his lips as he shook his head. “You are loyal to my brother?”
“I am.” I lifted my trembling chin as I answered him.
“He is what you want?”He moved closer to me as his dark eyes pierced through me.