Page 64 of Hollow Court
Was it my uncle trying to get me back? Or Alexei?
It was a small relief, at least, that Rowan appeared to be in our corner, if only for Davin’s sake, though I did feel a small stab of guilt at the subterfuge I had unwittingly forced on him.
After scanning the contents a third time, I handed the letter back with fingers that were surprisingly steady. The flickering light from the wall sconces caught on my bracelet, glinting off the fangs of my least favorite charm.
The wolf’s head seemed to be taunting me, and I all but flung my hands back to my lap.
“Well, we can’t say we didn’t see that coming,” I said more calmly than I felt.
It was, technically speaking, true.
But I had hoped, with some unreasonable part of myself, that it might go differently. That Alexei would let this go. That my uncle would find a way to smooth things over.
Something.
Davin pocketed the letter, examining me too closely for my liking.
Prince Oliver cleared his throat. “On that note, I think it would be prudent for me to reach out to Sir Mikhail. As I understand it, marriages in Socair are typically arranged by the patriarch, so we thought he may be more amenable to hearing from me. I would offer to go through Logan, but…”
Jocelyn let out a light laugh before she covered it with her hand.
“My uncle doesn’t do subtlety,” Davin explained.
Having met Rowan, that was not hard to believe.
“No,” Jocelyn confirmed. “But we thought Oli might have some luck. I know you left under…somewhat questionable circumstances. But given the advantages of a marriage to Davin, we wondered if we could perhaps persuade your uncle, delicately, to see reason.”
Davin snorted at the unlikelihood of my uncle letting this stand. I said nothing, because I privately agreed with Davin’s assessment but still couldn't bring myself to outwardly criticize my duke.
“Though I appreciate your efforts, it wouldn’t make a difference,” I began. “Regardless of his personal feelings, my uncle can’t be seen supporting my decision. My betrothal was to seal an alliance during the war, one which ultimately cost Wolf countless lives.”
A familiar wave of shame heated my cheeks. My clan had made an agreement, and I had singlehandedly broken it. Even if I had tried to keep everyone else out of it, the safest course would have been for me to stay.
And still, I had left.
I stamped those feelings down. There was no sense in dwelling on choices I couldn’t unmake.
“If it’s only me,” I went on, “acting out, against his wishes, then the clan can’t be held responsible because my uncle—the only one who signed the agreement—won’t have gone back on his word.”
Jocelyn raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps they’ll learn a valuable lesson about excluding women from contracts regarding their own lives. I know Lochlann did.”
Oliver looked thoughtful. “So, your plan was to take the consequences entirely on yourself?”
I nodded with all the serenity I didn’t feel. “In theory, there won’t be any consequences to bear, so long as everything goes according to plan.”
“Except the trifling matter of you never being able to return home,” Davin added, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“We already knew that,” I reminded him. “It was a calculated decision.”
It was the most difficult choice of my life.
He shook his head but didn’t respond. I couldn’t tell if he was judging me for leaving my family behind when he had almost been forced to live without his, or upset on my behalf.
I wasn’t sure what to make of either.
“What if we offered recompense to Wolf?” he suggested a moment later, an indecipherable expression churning in his ocean eyes.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” I was torn between hardly daring to hope and despising the idea of the scales tipping toward me being inhisdebt.