TWENTY-SIX
FAUSTIA
Two moon cycles had passed before the palace's physician visited Violet. She had sat through the physician's tests with the smug conviction that they would be negative. She couldn't be pregnant.
Leila had tried to prepare her, but there had been spots of blood on her garments, her sheets, on two occasions. And that had been all the proof Violet had needed.
As the physician poked and prodded at her, Violet's thoughts confoundingly turned to Garret. Filled equally with longing and disgust. He had broken the trust between them, and she had to concede her husband would never be a safe-haven. But she loved him still.
The blame she laid at his feet did not stem from the events of her wedding night. But from his utter failure to prepare her. In his failing, he'd robbed her
