A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series Book 2)

Sorra’s blood stains the panels of my robes. I have nothing else to wear, and I refuse to ask anything of the horrible man who’s taken me prisoner, so I bear it.

The streaks and splashes have dried to an ugly brown against the cream fabric. My own tears stain the neckline. Both are a fitting reminder of what I’ve lost.

What Parrish has lost.

He spared that girl in the forest, and in return, I led his love to her death.

Perhaps I’ve been wrong about all of it. Surely Mother and Nolla Verin are correct in their ruthless view of the world. Maybe my wish for peace between our countries is the true weakness. Maybe my wish to be heir was. We should have launched an assault on Emberfall—indeed, Mother’s adviser Clanna Sun was in favor of doing just that—and none of this would have happened.

Many more would have died.

The thought is unwelcome, and I shove it away.

The prince’s soldiers have confined me to a lavish room that looks out on the castle courtyard. Sleep will likely never find me again, so I spend the night staring down at the cobblestones below. When dawn breaks, the sunlight touches my tears and dries my cheeks.

I watch the horizon, waiting to see any sign of my people coming to rescue me. Surely Mother will not believe my letter after the prince was so defiant to her and my sister. Surely my sister will demand that I be allowed to return home, or to negotiate at my side.

Surely.

I watch for hours, until the sun is fully in the sky. A lone rider appears at the edge of the woods, galloping at a steady pace. For the first time all night, hope blooms in my heart.

But then I see the gold and red of Emberfall’s colors.

I sink back to the cool marble floor.

I am such a fool. I cannot believe I trusted him.

I believe you trust your mother. Unfortunately, I do not.

Rage burns through the sorrow in my chest. He’s right: I do trust my mother. I trust that she will burn this castle to the ground when she comes to rescue me. I trust that she will ensure Rhen never sits on a throne. I trust that she will break every bone in his body and rip every hair from his head and burn every fiber of his—

The door to my room opens, and I choke on my fury.

Prince Rhen stands there, outfitted in rich leather with gold stitching, looking regal and perfect and cold.

I’m on the floor in dirty robes, nearly vibrating with heat and rage. I want to launch myself at him.

Instead, I stand, adopting an air as regal as his. “You will regret the actions you have taken. My mother will double the forces she was already planning to send into your cursed country.”

“The forces she likely cannot afford?”

I set my jaw.

“I understand your fury,” he says.

“You understand nothing.”

“I understand a great deal.” His eyes narrow. “I understand that you came here in the middle of the night with questionable motives. I understand your mother blackmailed my father for years, and she tried to do the same to me. I understand that your mother and sister care nothing for my people and only care for the waterways that will allow a new way to barter for coins.” He takes a step closer to me, his eyes dark with his own fury. “I understand that thousands of my people have already been slaughtered because of it. That is what I understand.”

“I know many things as well.” My eyes hold his. “I know you have lied to your people.”

“I have not.”

“You lie.” I spit the words at him. “I know you seek this heir because you fear his magic. I know you have imprisoned me because you fear my mother. Your actions reveal your weakness, Prince Rhen.”

“On the contrary. My actions reveal my strength.”

“Killing innocent people should never be seen as a strength.”

His eyebrows go up. “Is that not what your people do?”

“You killed my guard, after I approached you to discuss a means to peace.”

“My guards drew no weapon until yours did,” he says. “I said you would be unharmed, as you see. She would have been as well.”

“You deal in lies with your people, Prince Rhen.” My voice almost breaks, and I heave a breath to steady it. “I will believe nothing you say.”

He pulls a folded piece of parchment from his belt. “Would you believe your mother’s hand?”

My breath catches. The rider returned with Mother’s answer.

I rush forward and snatch it from his hand, half expecting him to hold fast, but he doesn’t. Guards hover behind him in the doorway, but I’ve already seen what they did to Sorra, and I am not stupid, despite my actions over the last day. I step back and hastily unfold the letter.

There are Mother’s words, and I’m so shocked to see them that it takes me a full moment to read at all.

In the common tongue of Emberfall, she has written:

I accept my daughter’s proposal. I will grant one month for negotiations.

Below that, in Syssalah, she adds:

Do not disappoint me, Lia Mara.

My eyes hold those words far longer than it takes me to read them.

Do not disappoint me.

I did that the instant I rode away from camp with Sorra and Parrish. There is no alliance to forge. I am his prisoner. Nothing more.

I look back at Prince Rhen.

“Your mother believed your letter,” he says.

“I wrote it in truth,” I hiss at him.

“I will have some clothing brought. Alert your guards if you have any needs.”

He pulls the door closed, then locks me inside.