Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“I have to force you to grieve your brother!”
“No! I grieve him on my own! In my own ways! At my own times! I do not need to wear black every day. I do not have to give up smiling or all sense of joy to grieve my brother. It does not mean that I did not love him. My living does not mean I did not love him!”
“You get to live! How lucky for you!”
“Yes! How lucky for me!” I hollered back. “It is by God’s grace that I wake up every day to this life. And I do not know how much of it I have, which is why I am trying so hard to live, to enjoy it. Thankful I have the person I want to spend the rest of my life with me. I do not understand the depths of your pain. But that is not a reason to destroy her or me. We cannot stop living because you are heartbroken. And your heartbreak is not an excuse for betrayal! Not to me, not this family, not this monarchy. My brother’s widow or not, I will not forgive betrayal. Ever.”
“Get out! You miserable excuse of a man! Get out!”
“With pleasure. It reeks of death in here anyway,” I snapped before exiting, slamming the door behind me.
There Iskandar was still waiting.
Brother, forgive me.
“Go through all of her correspondence and have her watched from now on.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter 25
Silence.
Everyone was at breakfast, but no one spoke.
The air was tense, so I just nibbled on a piece of toast and kept my head down. I could feel Gale’s glances on me, but I tried to ignore him. I couldn’t talk to him, not when so much was going through my head right now.
I couldn’t be pregnant.
Sure, I’d missed one period, but that isn’t out of the ordinary for me, especially when I am stressed. Besides, what are the odds that just that one time—well, it was twice, but still? I mean, it happens, but...But I am on birth control.
It was just stress.
I sat up straighter. I was confident in my answer, but when I went to grab my glass of juice, one of the butlers moved to clear the table, and it was like I was smacked across the face with a bag of rotten eggs.
“Uhh.” I cringed and pulled away from him, closing my eyes in hopes the smell would run away.
“Odette?”
Blinking, I opened my eyes to see everyone else looking at me.
“Is something the matter?” the queen asked, eyebrow raised.
I shook my head. “No, just a slight headache.”
Eliza frowned, leaning in. “You slept all day yesterday. Maybe we should call the doctor—”
“No!” I said very quickly. Too quickly. I laughed awkwardly. “I’m a bit scared of doctors. Never mind. I will take some aspirin after eating.”
“Parsworth, have aspirin brought,” the queen ordered the head butler, who bowed to her and moved to go.
“It’s all right, Your Grace, I can get it—”
“We wasted much of our time yesterday. There is still a lot for you to do before tonight,” the queen replied sternly, her softer tone from yesterday gone.
“Right,” I whispered, drinking my juice slowly. I didn’t mean to, but I finally met Gale’s eyes.
He offered a slight, tight smile to which I returned.
“Your aspirin, miss,” Parsworth said, bringing it out on a small tray.
I stared at them for a second before slowly taking it. Could you take aspirin when you were pregnant? I’m not pregnant, just stressed!
“Thank you,” I said to him, moving to take my glass of orange juice. However, as I thought about taking it, I started getting nervous. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to draw any more attention to myself than I already had, so I did what I did when my mother used to give me vitamins I didn’t like to take as a child. I tossed them back into my mouth, and lifting the juice, slipped the drugs back into the cup, not finishing it. Setting down the cup, I kept eating as if nothing had happened.
I just needed a free moment. Gelula would be back with a test. I’d take it, settle this once for all, and then get back to whatever I was supposed to be doing.
“Your Grace, may I be excused?” Sophia asked.
“Of course, yes, dear.”
Sophia curtsied before exiting, giving no one else a single glance.
“Odette, we should go as well,” the queen replied, rising.
“Go?” I questioned rising, as well.
“You shall see. Come,” she ordered.
With no other choice, I put down my napkin and walked out of the room with her. Gelula was already outside waiting. She gave me a look, and I knew she had been able to get a test, thank God. Now I just needed a moment to escape.
“Your Grace—”
“Do you wish for me to speak out here in public?” she questioned, the look in her eyes sharp.