Chapter 21
"Remind me," I said, stepping closer and pressing the wine into his hand.
The glass shimmered with a faint golden hue—truth wine. No spells, no enchantments, just bitter herbs and fermented deceit, designed to loosen tongues and unravel secrets. A petty trick, but effective. I flashed a smile, snapping my fingers for Arl to bring refreshments.
Arl knew nothing of this arrangement, and I… well, I wasn't the real Aurora. Just an imposter trying to stitch together a life I hadn't lived.
He took the wine, his fingers brushing mine—deliberately, I thought. His lips curved, but his eyes stayed cold.
"Remind me why we're here," I repeated, softer this time.
"Before the war," he said, swirling the wine, "you confessed."
"You'll have to be more specific. My memory's full of holes these days."
A slow smirk. The star tattoo on his neck caught the candlelight—a jagged thing, like a wound. All his people bore them. A ward, they claimed, against the magic that bled through their world. The Phoenix had warned me about their charms. Most are lies, she'd said, but some are forged in black flame—the same poison the Shadows wield.
"You said you wanted us to be more than this." His voice was rough, as if the words scraped his throat. "But you loved your games too much. This time, though… you swore you meant it. You planned the wedding yourself. And now?" A bitter laugh. "Now you don't even know me."
"It's not like that." I gripped the edge of the table. "I swear, I can't remember."
"Funny. The Aurora I knew wouldn't have begged for forever if she didn't mean it." He leaned in. "Yet here we are."
"But?"
"But we shouldn't marry." His gaze flicked to the door. "Take my sister instead. She returns soon."
"The one who slit your throat during the Siege of Veyr?" My laugh was sharp. "Why would I bind myself to her instead of you?"
"Because I don't remember you." His jaw tightened. "But I made a vow to your father."
"And the vow?"
"If I recalled it," he said softly, "we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Silence. Then—
"If you push me into her arms, I'll burn your kingdom to the ground."
I stood, the chair screeching against stone. "And you think that will change my mind? Maybe destiny's doing you a favor. Maybe I'm meant to die young—lose my crown, my power, everything—before the vows are even spoken."
He went utterly still.
I came from a future where Aurora had wed a man—some faceless lord, his name whispered only in shame. His armies hadn't saved us. His bloodline hadn't mattered. To survive what was coming, I needed a different alliance. A true one.
"I loved you," he said, the words raw. "For decades. I fought beside you. I carried you out of battlefields when you couldn't stand. You promised me that after the last war, I'd wake up with you in my arms. That you'd finally be mine." A muscle feathered in his temple. "And now you hand me to another?"
"It's the only way." I moved past him, my skirts whispering against his boots. "I'll inform your father of our decision."
For the first time, his mask slipped. I didn't look back—but I heard the crack of his knees hitting the floor as I walked away.
I'd just made an enemy. And worse… I wasn't sure I regretted it.