Of Blood and Roses

Chapter 30

Silence boomed through the hall following his words. Pierre turned slowly, meeting the eyes of those around us. I remained where I was, observing him. You would think he was a master musician, conducting a symphony to go along with this great farce of a play.

This was all just a show to him.

A moment later whispers burst across the room. Fans rose to cover mouths as they spoke and eyes darted from me to Pierre to Jourdon. The scandal. The brashness. What would my mother think of me now?

I didn't know. I wasn't sure I was going to find out, either.

I tried to right myself but one of the black-masked men moved forward, pushing me back down. I put my hands out to keep my head from smacking the floor. Pain shot through my arms. My hair loosened from its pins, falling in red ringlets around my face.

Pierre paused to look at us, a smirk flitting across his lips before his grave expression returned.

King Gilroy had been silent up til then, watching me and his two sons. A slow smile rose to his lips, delight catching in his eyes. "Oh? Please do tell us more. I'm curious about what the little princess has been up to."

The king's gaze caught Pierre's, something passing between them. I glanced at the king's side, but the Marquise was, for once, nowhere to be found.

Pierre took another step pacing between me and the courtiers. The man behind me lingered, an unspoken warning to not make another move.

"I know this is improper, but you all must know the truth. I'm afraid I'm not completely innocent myself. She tried to seduce me—came to my chambers almost every evening. She tried to kiss me, but I was careful to deny all her advances. Even if I was tempted by her beauty,  she belonged to my dear brother." Pierre paused to throw a guilty look towards Jourdon like he actually felt remorse for all he did.

"Liar," I spat, glaring up at him. Pierre ignored me, continuing to address the crowd.

"But it was not until our dear late queen's passing—may she rest well and peaceful—that things changed. In my grief, I could no longer deny her advances. We started an affair that night, one that I have come to regret very much." Pierre pressed a hand to his chest, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

Nausea gathered in my stomach. The crowd had gone silent, the courtiers all watching Pierre with a mixture of shock and pity.

It was all just one big horrendous lie. Couldn't they see how Pierre was acting? He hadn't shed one tear over Queen Caressa's passing. He hadn't resisted me, but I had resisted him.

He had seduced me.

I closed my eyes, unable to watch, unable to say what I wanted to, to scream about how he lied. How had I believed him? It had all been lies, his touch, his words...that look in his eyes. The one that had filled me with lightness and air. The one that had made me forget. The look that said he wanted me, saw me, needed me.

That was the worse lie of all.

I sucked in a slow breath and opened my eyes to look at Jourdon. The guardsman still held him, but no longer had a knife to his throat. His jaw was set, his usually expressive eyes unreadable. There was no way to know if he believed Pierre or not.

"Please, Jourdon," I urged. "That's not what really happened."

Jourdon didn't look at me, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

My heart sank.

I looked around for Darren, but he was nowhere in sight. Where was Sabine? Could they even save me now?