My smile fades. “Sulk? The people I protect betrayed me and tortured my fated mate. They then proceeded to hold the safety of the common people as hostage to prevent me from punishing the aggressors. I think ‘sulk’ isn’t the right word, Bella.”
She turns pale and looks away.
“You were not betrayed, Your Majesty,” her father says sharply. “We were looking out for you. You fight on the border, and most of the time, you do not seem to understand the integrity of the royal bloodline—”
I slam my hand down on the table, causing a silence to fall across the room. “Do not tell me about the integrity of the bloodline. Right now, it is your own bloodlines you should be worrying about. I will send a list to each family by the end of the day. The individuals named therein will be sent to the border
