in him. Three Misdev guards fell before him, and Garrett’s brow furrowed.
“Father!” I shouted as a soldier he thought downed ran my father through from the back.
My father faltered. Horrified, I watched the second remaining soldier swing his sword in a smooth arc to land like an ax upon my father’s neck. His breath escaping in a pained sound, my father reached upward. Blood flowed past his fingers. Face confused, he slumped from the table to the floor. His outstretched hand touched my mother, and he went still.
“No!” Garrett shouted, his beautiful face ugly with frustration. “You killed him! I needed him alive!”
“He attacked me, Prince Garrett,” the man whined. “He killed Terrace.”
“You bloody fool!” Garrett shouted, cuffing him with enough strength to send the man staggering. “He had to verify the true princess’s birth!”
The man scrabbled backward, standing white-faced and shaking. The guard holding me tightened his grip. Heart pounding, I heard the distant sound of the door opening and feet on the path. Garrett scowled. Pulling me away from the guard holding me, he said, “Kill him.”
The man who had murdered my father froze. His mouth opened and shut.
“Sorry, Kent,” the soldier said, pulling his blade. “Better you than me.”
Kent didn’t even try to run. Falling to his knees, he whispered a prayer, his eyes fluttering closed, unable to watch.
I turned away, finding my head resting against Garrett’s chest. I tried to shove him away, but he pulled me close. His breath caught as the sound of a sword meeting bone thunked through me. My eyes closed, and I thought I was going to vomit.
“His death is your fault,” Garrett whispered, his breath moving my hair. “The last one there? He’s dead, too. I can’t use the real princess now. Who would believe me? Everyone who knows who you are is going to die. Congratulations. You’re royalty again.”
Horrified, I tried to break free. He held me tight, his strength far beyond mine. Sobbing, I stomped on his foot, and when his hand got too close, I bit it.
“Slattern!” Garrett exclaimed, shoving me at the remaining sentry.
I landed hard, crying out as the man brutally squeezed my arms. “Damn you, Garrett,” I spat.
Garrett’s face showed a dark anger as he inspected his palm. It was his sword hand, and I had drawn blood. “I’ll see more of your blood before I’m dead. I promise you !” The words raged from me, hot in vehemence. I couldn’t look at my parents; I would collapse from the truth.
Garrett stepped close. Green eyes placid, he drew his arm back and swung the flat of his hand at me.
His palm met my cheek with an explosion of hurt so unexpected I almost didn’t recognize it as pain. I reeled and would have fallen had the last guard not been holding me.
“Keep her quiet,” Garrett muttered as two guards came around the corner. Cheek burning, I gazed numbly at them, trying to make sense of it all. I couldn’t.
The oldest paused as he took in the carnage, going ashen behind his salt-and-pepper beard. The other gave it only a brief glance. He was the only Misdev guard I’d seen who looked the part, being neither too old nor too young.
Taking off his overdone hat with long drooping black feathers, he stood beside the prince with a comfortable ease. He wore a black sash about his narrow waist that the other guards lacked, and I guessed he was the captain of Garrett’s guards. He stood a good head taller than the prince, strong and broad of shoulders, in the prime of life.
“You said you weren’t going to kill them,” the captain said. His eyes lingered on me. I alone was unhurt in the room, the blood on my nightdress and hands clearly not mine. My eyes widened at the man’s audacity.
“It was your men who did it,” Garrett said tightly. “And I don’t need a king or queen, only a marriage.
We have the outer garrisons. In sixteen days, the rest of my men will be here, and we will have the
“Father!” I shouted as a soldier he thought downed ran my father through from the back.
My father faltered. Horrified, I watched the second remaining soldier swing his sword in a smooth arc to land like an ax upon my father’s neck. His breath escaping in a pained sound, my father reached upward. Blood flowed past his fingers. Face confused, he slumped from the table to the floor. His outstretched hand touched my mother, and he went still.
“No!” Garrett shouted, his beautiful face ugly with frustration. “You killed him! I needed him alive!”
“He attacked me, Prince Garrett,” the man whined. “He killed Terrace.”
“You bloody fool!” Garrett shouted, cuffing him with enough strength to send the man staggering. “He had to verify the true princess’s birth!”
The man scrabbled backward, standing white-faced and shaking. The guard holding me tightened his grip. Heart pounding, I heard the distant sound of the door opening and feet on the path. Garrett scowled. Pulling me away from the guard holding me, he said, “Kill him.”
The man who had murdered my father froze. His mouth opened and shut.
“Sorry, Kent,” the soldier said, pulling his blade. “Better you than me.”
Kent didn’t even try to run. Falling to his knees, he whispered a prayer, his eyes fluttering closed, unable to watch.
I turned away, finding my head resting against Garrett’s chest. I tried to shove him away, but he pulled me close. His breath caught as the sound of a sword meeting bone thunked through me. My eyes closed, and I thought I was going to vomit.
“His death is your fault,” Garrett whispered, his breath moving my hair. “The last one there? He’s dead, too. I can’t use the real princess now. Who would believe me? Everyone who knows who you are is going to die. Congratulations. You’re royalty again.”
Horrified, I tried to break free. He held me tight, his strength far beyond mine. Sobbing, I stomped on his foot, and when his hand got too close, I bit it.
“Slattern!” Garrett exclaimed, shoving me at the remaining sentry.
I landed hard, crying out as the man brutally squeezed my arms. “Damn you, Garrett,” I spat.
Garrett’s face showed a dark anger as he inspected his palm. It was his sword hand, and I had drawn blood. “I’ll see more of your blood before I’m dead. I promise you !” The words raged from me, hot in vehemence. I couldn’t look at my parents; I would collapse from the truth.
Garrett stepped close. Green eyes placid, he drew his arm back and swung the flat of his hand at me.
His palm met my cheek with an explosion of hurt so unexpected I almost didn’t recognize it as pain. I reeled and would have fallen had the last guard not been holding me.
“Keep her quiet,” Garrett muttered as two guards came around the corner. Cheek burning, I gazed numbly at them, trying to make sense of it all. I couldn’t.
The oldest paused as he took in the carnage, going ashen behind his salt-and-pepper beard. The other gave it only a brief glance. He was the only Misdev guard I’d seen who looked the part, being neither too old nor too young.
Taking off his overdone hat with long drooping black feathers, he stood beside the prince with a comfortable ease. He wore a black sash about his narrow waist that the other guards lacked, and I guessed he was the captain of Garrett’s guards. He stood a good head taller than the prince, strong and broad of shoulders, in the prime of life.
“You said you weren’t going to kill them,” the captain said. His eyes lingered on me. I alone was unhurt in the room, the blood on my nightdress and hands clearly not mine. My eyes widened at the man’s audacity.
“It was your men who did it,” Garrett said tightly. “And I don’t need a king or queen, only a marriage.
We have the outer garrisons. In sixteen days, the rest of my men will be here, and we will have the