I was almost silent during the evening meal, turning Cole’s words over and over in my head and trying to glean his true purpose from them. He had answered all of my questions openly, but somehow had provided no real answers. He didn’t know how he had made it through the wilderness. He had heard wolves in the distance, but he had carried firewood with him and lit a fire each night which he believed had kept them away.

His horse had managed to escape its ties on his final night, however, and had fled. He had expressed remorse and sorrow that looked genuine, fearing that the animal must have since fallen afoul of one of the wolf packs or of a bear.

You cannot believe such a ludicrous tale! Dominic at least seemed to share none of my feelings of confusion.

I shrugged. “We can no more prove it to be false than he can prove it to be true. It is not entirely implausible. And he seems genuinely repentant, as much as such a thing can be judged from protestations alone.”

I don’t trust him.

I sighed. “No, neither do I. I wish I could talk to Lily.”

It isn’t safe, Dominic was quick to squash the suggestion I hadn’t made. Whatever he has claimed, you cannot risk leaving the castle grounds.

I chewed on a ringlet, afraid he was right. After what had happened last time, it was too risky. Especially when Lily was unlikely to have any more insight than we did.

I glanced up at Dominic. “He claims to regret allowing himself to be carried along by his father’s evil schemes.” My voice dropped to a whisper, amazed at my own boldness. “Do you have no sympathy for such a situation?”

Dominic froze, such a stricken look on his face that I instantly regretted my words. Memories of his father could cause him nothing but pain, and he had shown he didn’t deserve to be compared to Cole. I held my breath, hoping he might finally tell me something of his curse, but he remained silent. In fact, neither of us spoke for the rest of the meal.

When he asked me at the door if I would marry him in the morning, his voice seemed to hold a greater urgency than ever before. I refused him with a heavy heart. Cole might well be hiding the truth from me—but, if he was, he wasn’t the only one in the castle doing so.

I spoke to Cole again the next day and the next, always with Dominic lurking just outside in the corridor. His story did not change, and he remained surprisingly accepting of his imprisonment in the dungeon cell, his manner humble and open.

On the third night after his arrival, I tossed and turned in my bed, too perturbed by the unanswerable dilemma to sleep. Finally, I threw off the covers and got up, wrapping my thickest robe around me.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Cole was hiding something from me. But each time I had visited, his uncomfortable glances in Dominic’s direction had increased. I would never convince Dominic to let me see Cole alone, but I might never get the truth from him with the prince looming nearby glaring murder.

I crept from my chambers, listening intently for any sound of voices. Hopefully it was late enough that all the servants were in bed. As I passed by the entryway, a small sound caught my ears, and I stopped to peer carefully inside.

Dominic paced back and forth in the large space, a fire burning low in the fireplace despite the warmer turn in the weather. So, I wasn’t the only one unable to sleep then. I watched him for a minute, captured by the strength in his long stride and the concern etched across his face. I knew he was motivated only by consideration for my safety, and I hated going behind his back in such a way. But our situation could not continue as it had.

When I arrived in the dungeon, a confused sounding guard hailed me, but I put on my most royal face and ordered him to take me to the prisoner. When he hesitated, I raised a single eyebrow, and he stammered an apology and bid me continue on. Calling after me, he ordered one of the other men to open the cell door for me.

When I stepped inside, Cole climbed slowly to his feet from a small nest of straw. I flushed at the poor conditions, although he had never complained. If he had come to rescue me, this was a sorry way to treat him.

He had clearly just awoken and looked confused, glancing behind me. “Princess Sophie! This is unexpected. You are alone?”

I ignored him, ordering the guard to close the door. I didn’t think Cole would tell me the truth if he thought a guard might overhear us. When the man hesitated, I snapped, “Now!” He complied, the door swinging slowly closed, a mute protest against my order. I knew there was some risk, but I didn’t think Cole was likely to harm me, even if he was lying. Not locked in a cell with guards outside.

“I wanted to speak with you alone. I think there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Cole shook his head. “You’re very perceptive, Princess. You’re right, I didn’t tell you the truth before.”

I stepped back hurriedly, and he amended his words. “I didn’t tell you the whole truth, that is. I couldn’t, with the…prince standing there.” He had noticed my reaction to his previous references to Dominic as the Beast, then.

“Well he is not here now. I will have the truth, if you please.”

He sighed and rubbed his face. “It’s hard to know where to begin. I escaped the prison in Marin with the help of some true friends, who did not wish to see me imprisoned. But I knew that I couldn’t simply walk free. As I told you, I needed to atone for my past conduct.”

He paused and glanced at me, ruefully. “I will admit that rescuing you did not immediately occur to me. However, a party of guards sent from Marin caught up with me, somewhere inside Talinos. Prince Jonathan and Princess Lily were with them.”

I gasped at the mention of my sister. It did sound like her, though, to go chasing off after the escapee herself. Especially when she had been forced to sit idle in Marin while I came here. Although she hadn’t mentioned it to me when we had spoken in the forest. But that had been many weeks ago. Perhaps my clue from the mirror had directed their search.

“I had as little luck convincing them of my change of heart as I have had with you. But it quickly became apparent to me that they were far more concerned about the darkness in Palinar than they were about me. They seemed to think I was spreading the curse around the kingdoms or something.”

He shrugged as if confused by such a concept, and I narrowed my eyes in thought. Once again that sounded like something Lily and Jon would have said. It was, in fact, exactly what we had feared. But I knew more now than I had known previously. The curse on Palinar, if it could even be called that, was far more complex than we had assumed. It wasn’t the whole of the kingdom that had been cursed, only the royal family, and then Dominic separately—possibly, that part was still conjecture.

Jon’s godmother had been clear that the darkness twisting Dominic had found its way through him into the Tourney, and that the Tourney must therefore be destroyed. But we had merely assumed that the same darkness infected Cole and his family. Perhaps it had been pure greed that motivated them after all?

Cole had paused, as if aware I was considering his words, but when I said nothing, he continued. “I could also see how concerned Princess Lily was about you. So, I offered to prove the truth of my words by rescuing you. And all of Palinar, if I could manage it. They didn’t like the idea, of course, but I was their only option. And I suppose they considered anything better than you remaining betrothed to a cursed monster who would keep you prisoner here.”

I opened my mouth to tell him that I wasn’t a prisoner, but closed it without speaking. In every way that mattered, I was one. And I could no more deny that Dominic was cursed than that I was trapped here. I didn’t need Cole to tell me how much Lily hated the situation.

“The question is whether you know about Palinar’s succession laws.” Cole’s abrupt change of topic caught me by surprise.

“Succession? No, I don’t think it’s ever come up.” Uneasily I wondered why it had not. I knew the king was dead—why had I never asked why Dominic remained a prince? I suppose I had just assumed that everything was frozen while the curse remained.

“I’m not surprised.” Cole’s voice sounded dark, his eyes expressing anger and disgust that I somehow knew wasn’t directed at me. “I’m sure he has done everything he can to conceal the truth from you.”

I wished I could deny it, but it was exactly what Dominic had done, even ordering the servants to silence.

“Palinar has rather unusual succession laws. The heir doesn’t automatically inherit on the death of the previous monarch. Instead, the throne is considered vacant and the heir a regent, until such time as he—or she—speaks the binding words of the coronation in the great throne room in the palace of the capital.”

I frowned at him. Why would Dominic not have been crowned?

Sudden realization broke through. While the curse continued, he could not speak. There was no way for him to speak the coronation oath. So, I had been right that the whole kingdom was trapped in place until the curse was lifted.

“But,” said Cole, immediately dispelling my wrong impression. “There is a limit. The heir must speak the oath within three years, three months, three weeks and three days of the death or abdication of the previous monarch.”

I stared at him, my eyes widening. When exactly had King Nicolas died? Time is running out, the servants had said.

“But…what happens if the heir does not do so?”

Cole took a deep breath. “Then the heir forfeits his position, and the crown goes to whichever Palinaran royal is the first to make the oath. Of course, usually that would be whichever royal had the most support from the nobles, people, and guards. Especially the guards. I believe it has only ever happened once before, and they barred the entrance to the throne room to all except their preferred royal.”

My mind raced. “But what if there are no royals?” None who could speak the oath, anyway. The entire kingdom was as incapacitated as Dominic.

“What, indeed. We fear it means the whole kingdom will remain forever cursed.”

I leaned back against the stone wall, clutching my robe around me. “But what can we do?”

Cole leaned forward. “It’s clear you have some sort of softness for the prince, you even seem able to understand his growls, somehow.” He paused as if hoping I would explain, but I remained silent. “But it is equally clear that he cannot—or will not—fulfill the coronation requirements. The allocated time must be getting close. Do you know the date King Nicolas died?”

I shook my head, and he looked disappointed. “Well, we will need to find out, somehow or other.” He took a deep breath. “Because it’s up to you—to us—to save Palinar.”

I had come to this castle with exactly that aim, but I still wasn’t sure how I could do so, or what role Cole thought he would play. “What do you mean?”

“We must marry.”

I jerked backwards and bumped my head against the stone wall behind me. Rubbing the spot with one hand, I glared at him. “You must be mad. Even if I had any desire to do so, I am already betrothed. I will not break my engagement and risk destruction on my own kingdom.” Was I never to cease receiving strange proposals?

Cole looked apologetic. “I know it’s not what you would have hoped for. But we cannot see any other way. Your engagement is not with Dominic, exactly. It is with the heir of Palinar. And when those three years, three months, three weeks, and three days pass, he will no longer be the heir. And there will be no Palinaran of royal blood to take his place. But if, as soon as that moment has passed, we are married, then our marriage will make you Palinaran. You can then claim the throne. And you will have indeed married the future king of Palinar. We believe it will be enough to satisfy the ancient laws.”

“We?”

“Prince Jonathan, Princess Lily and me.”

I was still almost too shocked to process his words. “You’re trying to tell me that Lily wants me to marry you?”

Cole chuckled darkly. “Oh no. She hates the idea. But they had no other Palinaran to hand. Certainly, no other who was willing to brave the dangers and attempt to reach you. And the only thing she hates worse than the idea of you marrying me, is the idea of you being trapped here forever by the curse with only the Beast for company.”

I frowned. As incomprehensible as it seemed, his words made sense. If we broke the curse, at least Lily and I would be reunited, however distasteful my husband.

But I could not accept such a thing. I was already betrothed. I stared across at him.

He sighed. “Am I really such a terrible prospect? I know I’ve made mistakes in the past, but I honestly want to make restitution for them.”

I tried to look at him through objective eyes. His manner did seem to have changed since I had last seen him in Marin. He wasn’t much older than me and, physically, he was attractive. Perhaps I might even grow to love him. My mind recoiled from the thought. But I couldn’t reject his words out of hand, not if it truly was the only way to save Palinar.

While I stared at him, the door crashed open, and we both flinched violently. The Beast’s roar exploded in the confined space as he burst into the cell. Cole leaped toward me and, for a moment, my confused mind wondered if he meant to protect or attack me.

He had barely brushed against me, however, before Dominic leaped forward and thrust him away. He flew through the air and smashed against the far wall. Sliding to the ground before slowly pushing himself back up, he faced the growling Dominic with surprising bravery.

I looked between the two of them as my mind registered what my hand was telling me. Cole had thrust a piece of parchment into my fingers, unseen by Dominic.

What were you thinking? yelled Dominic, his eyes still on Cole, but his words clearly directed at me.

“I needed to speak to him,” I said, wishing my voice weren’t so shaky after the many unexpected turns of the night.

It isn’t safe!

“I’m fine, aren’t I?” I pushed away from the wall and slipped from the room. When the prince didn’t follow me, I called his name sharply.

He backed out of the room, his eyes not leaving Cole until the door swung shut, pushed by one of the guards. Then he turned and grabbed my arm. I let him tow me out of the dungeon and away from the listening guards. But as soon as we were out into the main part of the castle, I dug my heels in, pulling him to a halt.

He turned to me and the angry words dropped from my lips. I had never seen him look so desperate or so frantic. Promise me you won’t try that again.

“I cannot promise you such a thing. And you should not ask it of me. I am not your servant or even your subject. And I will never get Cole to talk if you are always there glowering at him.”

He talked then, did he? Dominic sounded disparaging, and I bristled.

“He would have, if you hadn’t burst in so abruptly and interrupted us.” The lie tasted like ashes in my mouth, bitter and all too light. It had been far too easy to say. But I could hardly tell Dominic the truth of what Cole had said, he would rip him limb from limb. And I was desperate to get away from him so I could read the parchment. I needed time alone to think.

Dominic pulled me closer. Please, Sophie, he whispered, his desperate eyes holding mine. Please. I only want to protect you. Don’t you see the way he looks at you? He shivered and his voice went hard. I will not let him touch you again.

When I said nothing, refusing to give him the reassurance he wanted, he abruptly dropped his hand and stepped back from me, his face becoming angry and hard. You may not be my subject, but this is still my castle. I will order the guards to deny you entry should you try such a thing again. You can save yourself trouble, and them embarrassment, by not making the attempt.

I sucked in an angry breath and glared at him. “I have never forgotten that this is your castle, or that I do not belong here. Believe me, I am always searching for a way to leave.”

He jerked back as if I had struck him, hurt flashing across his face almost too fast to see. I immediately regretted my hotheaded words. I had lashed out in my anger and spoken more harshly than I had intended.

I turned and ran toward my room.

I made it inside before I thought to look down at the parchment still clutched in my hand. I could see my name written across the outside in an all-too-familiar handwriting. I swayed, almost collapsing. A letter for me. From Lily.