Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
I looked up to Wilhelm. “What happened?”
“What do you mean?” Wilhelm asked dubiously.
My eyes narrowed. “I am not sure what I mean, but I feel as though something happened. Do you know what I mean?”
“Do not stress your mind by thinking on it.” He looked down at me. “And do not stress me by so comfortably calling another man by their given name.”
That was it. “You dislike me calling him Henry.”
“And there you are, doing it again. Will you ever listen to me?”
“Are you jealous?”
“Do not be ridiculous. I merely remember proper manners, something you told me you were keen on following. Except with him, apparently.”
A leisurely smile spread across my lips. “You are jealous.”
“I am not.”
“You are too.”
“I simply…” He tried to think. “I simply am worried for your reputation.”
I snorted so hard I held my hand to my nose. “Far too late for that, do you not think?”
“Believe whatever you like.” He rolled his eyes and tried to walk away from me, but I grabbed his arm, linking it with mine.
“Henry—” He gave me a glare. “Mr. Parwens and I met a few years ago. His parents desperately wished to see us married. He is friends with Sir Darrington, so naturally we all spent time with one another. However, he made very clear to me that he was deeply in love with some mystery lady. He truly is like a brother, and due to his friendly nature, I did not think twice before using his given name. But if it bothers you so much, I shall be accommodating.”
“Are you not benevolent?” His words dripped with sarcasm.
“I do not make a scene about all the ladies who hover around you at the palace, do I? And I know a lot about Lady Gallagher.”
His whole face and demeanor changed. He looked ready to quickly explain, when all of a sudden something drew his attention behind me. When I turned to see what it was, all I felt was his hand on me, pulling me harshly, and all I heard was someone scream.
“Down with the house of Mürttewberg!”
Bang!
24
Wilhelm
I never expected to die at twenty-four.
I did not think I’d live to a very old age, but I had been sure I would be older than this.
That, in and of itself, was a sign of my own hubris. How could I have been sure? How could anyone be sure which day would be their last? All we could do was make sure we did not have regrets. Had you asked me a year ago, a month ago, I would have told you I had none. Even if I had died young, at least I had lived as I desired in the end. A year ago, a month ago, I would not have had regrets.
Today, I did.
I had one regret, and it was her.
I regretted putting her in this danger.
And making her suffer this pain.
The look on her face above me was so tortured that I regretted ever coming into her life, making her feel this way.
“Wilhelm!” She screamed so loudly and sobbed hysterically, holding on to my face, while I was so worried about the blood on hers. I hoped she wasn’t injured and ignoring her pain to focus on me. “Help him! Help him now!”
My love, do not strain your throat so, I wished to say to her.
There was too much commotion, too many people around us, and she was yelling at all of them, not looking at me any longer.
“H…a…thor.” She could not hear me, so I mustered as much strength as I could. “Ha…thor!”
When she looked to me, her eyes wide and full of tears, I smiled.
“I…love…you.”
25
Hathor
I was covered in blood.
His blood.
I’d never seen so much blood before.
That was not good. Blood was not meant to be seen. It was to be covered by skin, and skin was covered by clothes. Blood was never supposed to be upon our clothes, and yet it was upon mine. How? Why? I did not understand. Everything was fine. The day was splendid. We were teasing each other in the park…then blood.
It didn’t make sense.
“Hathor! Sweetheart!” My head rose, and there was my mother, holding on to my face, tears and panic in her eyes. She knelt before me. “Sweetheart, are you injured? Are you all right?”
How was my mother here?
Where was I?
I glanced around and realized I was at the palace. I did not remember coming here.
“Hathor, sweetheart, talk to me.” She brushed my curls from my face gently.
“Godmother, she’s in shock,” Verity said beside me. Had she always been there?
“What happened? Was she hurt? No one is telling me. All I know is that there was a gun.”
“Some madman fired toward Prince Wilhelm. He threw himself on top of her and was hit, Godmother. Theodore and the other doctors are in with him now. Theodore told us to go home, but she refused and came with him. Then she just sank to the floor here when they would not let her in.”