Renna pretended her mother was referring to Wellenbreck.
“I’ll be fine. Mangum will be with me. He’ll keep me out of trouble. Won’t you, Mangum?”
Mangum stood outside the doors to the great hall. “Certainly, my lady.”
King Bryant took Renna by both hands. “Please know that you’re always welcome at the Government Center if you ever want to come back.”
“I know,” she said, not believing that she would ever want that.
“And if there is anything you need, anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I won’t,” Renna said, wondering if her mother had told Bryant about her and Trev. If Bryant knew, would he still want his daughter to marry the prince? Or would he want Trev to marry her instead? She shook her head. None of that mattered because Renna knew her mother and knew that she would never tell Bryant about what had happened.
King Bryant stepped aside, so Renna’s mother had room to say goodbye. “I don’t think I’m strong enough for this. My nerves can’t handle it.” Her mother wrung her hands together.
“Your nerves will probably do better when I’m gone,” Renna teased.
Mariele pulled her into a hug, her heavy breathing rising and falling against Renna as she held her.
“I’m so sorry, Renna,” her mother whispered into her ear. “This is exactly like the day King Dayton sent me away to Wellenbreck Farm. I wish there was something I could do. I wish you could be with Ezra.”
Renna tightened her grip around her mother, refusing to let her see how much leaving this place, leaving Trev, was crushing her. “Nobody is sending me away. I’m choosing to go.”
Mariele took a deep breath and pulled away. “You’re right, and you’ll be better for it.”
They gave each other one last squeeze, and then Renna followed Mangum out to the waiting transporter.
“Are you ready, Miss Renna?” Mangum said, holding the door open for her.
She hesitated for just a moment, turning back for one last look. Her eyes swept over the grand palace, and the balcony she knew belonged to Trev.
There was no one there.
She took a deep breath, got inside the transporter, and didn’t look back again.
48
Joniss
Joniss watched his father put the finishing touches on to his formal wear. His father stepped in front of him, ready to go down to the waiting transporter. “This is a big day for us.”
“Very big, indeed.” Joniss felt giddy. The first part of his perfect plan had already been set in motion the day Adler had arrived. The man deserved an award for his acting skills. He almost had Joniss convinced about the assassination attempt.
Joniss gave a crooked smile as he thought out loud. “Carver and Ezra are still trying to figure out who attempted to kill King Adler.”
“I’m sure they’ll blame Commander Pryer for it.” Maxwell snickered. “He’ll be hanged for something that never even happened.”
Joniss looked at himself in the mirror one last time. “Yes, I suppose he will.” Satisfied with his appearance, they followed each other out the door.
Joniss whistled as he walked into the great hall with his father.
His eyes scanned the lavish decorations. “They sure went all out on this wedding. Didn’t they?”
“What a waste of money,” Maxwell said bitterly.
“I don’t know about that. I think the decorations will add to the drama today.”
“True. It should be rather entertaining.”
“By next week, this kingdom will look to you for their future.” His father’s voice was smug. “And in a few months, you’ll be the one sitting at that dais.”
He felt a tinge of excitement. He had been feeling that way all morning, like a kid who had been anxiously waiting for his birthday present. It was a big day. The day that would secure his future.
“I better go make the rounds,” his father said, leaving him all alone.
Across the room, Adler caught his eye. Both men nodded in silent, subtle acknowledgment of their secret plan.
49
Trev
“It’ll be over soon,” Drake said as he shifted in his chair, crossing his leg over his knee. “Then you can go back to how things were before.”
Trev sat quietly, unmoving.
A hard knock at the door shattered the silence.
Drake stood to answer it. “It must be time to go down.”
Crosby rushed into the room. “Your Highness, Commander Pryer is back. He just arrived in the training hall.”
Trev jumped to his feet, anxious for answers about Adler. “We need to interrogate him.”
Drake stopped him before he could leave the room. “You can’t go now. The ceremony is starting any minute.”
Drake was right, but still, Trev felt desperate. “I need to question him and the other men from the hotel. It can’t wait!”
“I’m afraid there aren’t any men from the hotel with him,” Crosby said. “All the other men that were involved are dead.”
Trev and Drake exchanged looks. “That’s convenient. So there’s nobody left to rat him out for his betrayal.” Trev’s words were laced with anger.
“We don’t know that,” Drake said, trying to calm him down. “Adler’s men could have killed them all.”
“Oh, come on! Pryer is behind all of this with Adler. This is just further proof of his guilt. I just don’t know what part my father played in it as well.” He shook his head in frustration.
“Your Highness? It’s time.” Gaines waited by the door, expectantly.
Drake placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll deal with Fenton Pryer after the ceremony. Let’s get through the next hour, and then we can make a plan.”
Trev nodded. Everything was converging all at once. He smoothed his black tie and tugged on the jacket of his black, fitted suit. Drake handed him his gold crown. The last time he wore it, he’d held Renna in his arms. Trev swallowed, trying not to think about her and that night. There was nothing he could do but follow Gaines out of the room.
From his place on the dais, Trev could see everyone seated in the aisles, all of them counting on him. Everyone but Renna, he noticed. He scanned the faces for hers but came up with nothing.
King Carver stood next to Trev in the middle. As the ruling king, he would be the one performing the marriage ceremony.
“Did you hear Pryer was back?” his father leaned over and whispered while they waited.
“Alone. Everyone that could testify of Pryer’s guilt is dead.”
“Oh, get over it!” His father’s voice was hushed but stern. “So what if Pryer did this? I wanted him to do it. If you hadn’t intervened, Adler would probably be dead now, and we wouldn’t have to worry. You’ve ruined everything. This is your fault.”
No matter what Trev did, nothing was good enough for his father. Even now, he stood ready to marry the woman his father had chosen, to shackle his life to unhappiness, and his father still found a way to be disappointed in him.