CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
The room is quiet. Too quiet. My heart is racing, my clothes are torn, and the king is still standing in front of me like he owns the air I’m breathing.
Something inside me snaps.
Before I can stop myself…
I slap him.
The sound cuts through the room. His head jerks to the side. My hand stings. I cannot believe I just hit the king. The king. The man everyone fears. The man who thinks he can treat me however he likes.
I turn away before I can see his face. My shredded dress is hanging open, and shame burns through me.
I drag the duvet off my bed and wrap it tightly around myself. The soft fabric covers me, restoring a tiny fraction of the dignity he nearly tore away.
Slowly, cautiously, I turn back.
His face is empty. No anger, no surprise. Just cold.
I speak be
