“It can’t be,” she starts babbling again, nearly incoherent. “Yuri, you don’t understand. If my father finds out, he’ll kill us. He’ll kill both of us.”
“He wouldn’t.” Yuri shakes his head. “You’re his daughter. You’re—”
“I’m nothing!” Petra spits. “I’m not his heir. I’m a prize mare to auction off to the highest bidder. I’m supposed to get him an heir!” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Instead, I’ve dishonored him and the family. There’s only one fate for people who do that.”
“Then I’ll marry you,” Yuri says immediately. “We’ll tell him together. We’ll explain—”
“Explain what?!” she shrieks. “It’s Matvey he wants, Yura! He wants the power of the pakhan! And he knows you’ll never turn on him to take it!”
For a split second, I wonder if that’s still true. All this time, Yuri’s been dec
