Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 32: Chapter 32
You are reading Princess Of The Skulls, Chapter 32: Chapter 32. Read more chapters of Princess Of The Skulls.
Dawn brought no clarity, only the relentless march toward a wedding that would either save or damn us all. I'd returned to my chambers before the servants began their morning rounds, but sleep had proved impossible. Instead, I'd spent the hours before sunrise practicing with my daggers, letting the familiar rhythm of blade work calm my racing thoughts.
The knock on my door came precisely at sunrise—too early for servants, too formal for family. "Enter," I called, sheathing my weapons and reaching for a silk robe to cover my practice clothes.
Prince Aldric Thornfield stepped into my private chambers uninvited, and I got my first clear look at the man I was supposed to marry in twelve hours. The servants hadn't lied about his appearance—tall and broad-shouldered, with golden hair and eyes the color of autumn leaves. Handsome enough to make hearts flutter at court gatherings.
But it was the intelligence in those eyes that made me reassess everything I thought I knew about this arrangement.
"Your Highness," he said with a bow that managed to be both respectful and subtly mocking. "I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, but I thought we should speak privately before the ceremony."
"Most grooms don't visit their brides' chambers alone," I observed, not moving from my position by the weapons rack. "Some might consider it improper."
"Nothing about this marriage is proper." He moved further into the room, his gaze taking in the scattered daggers, the practice dummy scarred by countless blade strikes, and the skull relics arranged on their altar in the corner. "I assume you know why I'm here."
"Enlighten me."
"To discuss the terms of our survival." He settled into a chair without invitation, the casual gesture somehow more threatening than if he'd drawn steel. "You see, Princess, I know about the letters. All of them."
My blood stilled. "Letters?"
"The ones my father wrote about your mother's murder. The ones your father wrote about are today's binding ritual. The ones the assassin showed you last night in the east tower." His smile was sharp as winter frost. "Did you think nobody was watching?"
So much for secret meetings. I forced myself to remain calm, even as my mind raced through possibilities.
How much did he know? How much was the bluff? "If you know so much, why are you here instead of preparing for my execution?"
"Because, my dear bride-to-be, I have no intention of letting either of our fathers get what they want today." He leaned forward, and I saw something unexpected in his expression—genuine concern mixed with cold calculation. "They're planning to kill us both, you know. You during the ritual, me afterward to prevent any inconvenient questions about my wife's sudden death."
The revelation hit like a physical blow. Of course. Lord Cassius couldn't risk his son developing loyalties that might interfere with his plans. Better to eliminate all potential complications at once.
"What do you propose?" I asked carefully.
"An alliance. Real one, not the political fiction our fathers have constructed." He stood, moving closer with the fluid grace of a trained warrior. Another surprise—I'd expected a soft courtier, not someone who moved like a predator. "We go through with the ceremony, but on our terms. When they spring their trap, we spring ours."
"And afterward? Assuming we survive whatever you're planning?"
"Afterward, we rule. Together, if you're amenable. Separately, if you prefer. But we rule as ourselves, not as puppets dancing to dead men's strings."
The audacity of it took my breath away. Not just survival, but victory. Not just escape, but conquest.
"You're assuming I trust you enough to risk everything on your word."
"I'm assuming you're smart enough to recognize when someone offers you exactly what you want most."
His eyes met mine steadily. "Power, Princess. Real power, not the illusion your father's been feeding you.
The chance to be queen in truth, not just title."
He was right, damn him. Everything I'd ever wanted, ever trained for, ever killed for—it was all within reach if I was brave enough to seize it.
"What about the assassin?" I asked, testing his knowledge. "Kael won't simply disappear because we've made new plans."
"Kael Shadowbane is my half-brother," Aldric said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.
"Bastard son of my father's first affair, raised in shadow but never acknowledged. Did you think his knowledge of Thornfield secrets was mere coincidence?"
Another revelation that reordered everything I thought I understood. Kael, my would-be killer turned reluctant ally, was brother to my intended husband. The web of lies and blood connections grew more tangled by the moment.
"He's been reporting to you this entire time."
"Only recently. When he realized what our fathers were truly planning, he came to me with an alternative proposal." Aldric's smile turned genuinely warm for the first time. "Kael has many skills, but subterfuge was never his strongest suit. His feelings for you are quite genuine, I assure you."
Heat rose in my cheeks at the implication. "His feelings are irrelevant."
"Are they? Because the plan I have in mind requires someone with access to the castle's hidden passages, someone my father trusts to complete his assassination contract, and someone with strong motivation to keep you alive." He paused. "Kael fits all three criteria perfectly."
Despite myself, I was intrigued. "What exactly are you proposing?"
"A wedding that becomes a funeral," he said simply. "But not ours."
As he outlined his plan—audacious, dangerous, and utterly ruthless—I felt something I hadn't experienced in years. Hope. Not the desperate kind that clings to impossible dreams, but the cold, sharp hope of a blade finding its target.
By the time he finished speaking, I was smiling.
"Very well, Prince Aldric," I said, extending my hand. "You have yourself an ally."
His grip was firm, calloused from sword work, and stained with what looked suspiciously like blood.
"Partners, then. In marriage and murder both."
"The very best kind of partnership," I agreed.
Outside, the bells began to toll, calling the kingdom to witness a wedding that would indeed change everything.
Just not in the way anyone expected.
The knock on my door came precisely at sunrise—too early for servants, too formal for family. "Enter," I called, sheathing my weapons and reaching for a silk robe to cover my practice clothes.
Prince Aldric Thornfield stepped into my private chambers uninvited, and I got my first clear look at the man I was supposed to marry in twelve hours. The servants hadn't lied about his appearance—tall and broad-shouldered, with golden hair and eyes the color of autumn leaves. Handsome enough to make hearts flutter at court gatherings.
But it was the intelligence in those eyes that made me reassess everything I thought I knew about this arrangement.
"Your Highness," he said with a bow that managed to be both respectful and subtly mocking. "I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, but I thought we should speak privately before the ceremony."
"Most grooms don't visit their brides' chambers alone," I observed, not moving from my position by the weapons rack. "Some might consider it improper."
"Nothing about this marriage is proper." He moved further into the room, his gaze taking in the scattered daggers, the practice dummy scarred by countless blade strikes, and the skull relics arranged on their altar in the corner. "I assume you know why I'm here."
"Enlighten me."
"To discuss the terms of our survival." He settled into a chair without invitation, the casual gesture somehow more threatening than if he'd drawn steel. "You see, Princess, I know about the letters. All of them."
My blood stilled. "Letters?"
"The ones my father wrote about your mother's murder. The ones your father wrote about are today's binding ritual. The ones the assassin showed you last night in the east tower." His smile was sharp as winter frost. "Did you think nobody was watching?"
So much for secret meetings. I forced myself to remain calm, even as my mind raced through possibilities.
How much did he know? How much was the bluff? "If you know so much, why are you here instead of preparing for my execution?"
"Because, my dear bride-to-be, I have no intention of letting either of our fathers get what they want today." He leaned forward, and I saw something unexpected in his expression—genuine concern mixed with cold calculation. "They're planning to kill us both, you know. You during the ritual, me afterward to prevent any inconvenient questions about my wife's sudden death."
The revelation hit like a physical blow. Of course. Lord Cassius couldn't risk his son developing loyalties that might interfere with his plans. Better to eliminate all potential complications at once.
"What do you propose?" I asked carefully.
"An alliance. Real one, not the political fiction our fathers have constructed." He stood, moving closer with the fluid grace of a trained warrior. Another surprise—I'd expected a soft courtier, not someone who moved like a predator. "We go through with the ceremony, but on our terms. When they spring their trap, we spring ours."
"And afterward? Assuming we survive whatever you're planning?"
"Afterward, we rule. Together, if you're amenable. Separately, if you prefer. But we rule as ourselves, not as puppets dancing to dead men's strings."
The audacity of it took my breath away. Not just survival, but victory. Not just escape, but conquest.
"You're assuming I trust you enough to risk everything on your word."
"I'm assuming you're smart enough to recognize when someone offers you exactly what you want most."
His eyes met mine steadily. "Power, Princess. Real power, not the illusion your father's been feeding you.
The chance to be queen in truth, not just title."
He was right, damn him. Everything I'd ever wanted, ever trained for, ever killed for—it was all within reach if I was brave enough to seize it.
"What about the assassin?" I asked, testing his knowledge. "Kael won't simply disappear because we've made new plans."
"Kael Shadowbane is my half-brother," Aldric said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.
"Bastard son of my father's first affair, raised in shadow but never acknowledged. Did you think his knowledge of Thornfield secrets was mere coincidence?"
Another revelation that reordered everything I thought I understood. Kael, my would-be killer turned reluctant ally, was brother to my intended husband. The web of lies and blood connections grew more tangled by the moment.
"He's been reporting to you this entire time."
"Only recently. When he realized what our fathers were truly planning, he came to me with an alternative proposal." Aldric's smile turned genuinely warm for the first time. "Kael has many skills, but subterfuge was never his strongest suit. His feelings for you are quite genuine, I assure you."
Heat rose in my cheeks at the implication. "His feelings are irrelevant."
"Are they? Because the plan I have in mind requires someone with access to the castle's hidden passages, someone my father trusts to complete his assassination contract, and someone with strong motivation to keep you alive." He paused. "Kael fits all three criteria perfectly."
Despite myself, I was intrigued. "What exactly are you proposing?"
"A wedding that becomes a funeral," he said simply. "But not ours."
As he outlined his plan—audacious, dangerous, and utterly ruthless—I felt something I hadn't experienced in years. Hope. Not the desperate kind that clings to impossible dreams, but the cold, sharp hope of a blade finding its target.
By the time he finished speaking, I was smiling.
"Very well, Prince Aldric," I said, extending my hand. "You have yourself an ally."
His grip was firm, calloused from sword work, and stained with what looked suspiciously like blood.
"Partners, then. In marriage and murder both."
"The very best kind of partnership," I agreed.
Outside, the bells began to toll, calling the kingdom to witness a wedding that would indeed change everything.
Just not in the way anyone expected.
End of Princess Of The Skulls Chapter 32. Continue reading Chapter 33 or return to Princess Of The Skulls book page.