Silence fell on the room as the gravity of my confession settled. The pirate, Mr. Morland, looked like he was going to be sick, and Leander stood frozen in shock.

“I see.” The general stood up straight, proving himself to be over a head taller than me. “If that is the case, then I believe our conversation will continue best if everyone else were to leave. Everyone out.” He ordered, prompting the door to swing open.

As if they’d been waiting for this moment, three soldiers I didn’t recognize entered. They immediately went to Leander and the pirate, ignoring me all together.

“I have every right to remain and hear your intentions!” Leander fought against the soldiers who grabbed him by the arms to restrain him. “She is my charge!”

“For now.” The general said dismissively, waiting for the men to be taken away. Waiting until only I remained.

For Now. My heart hammered in my chest at the promise.

I could feel the blood rushing in my ears and it was doing nothing to help me. If I could center myself, I might be able to reorganize my thoughts. The man before me was a First General. Only one person could hold the title at a time, and all of the military fell under their leadership. I tried not to tremble as I was reminded that the man before me was one of the most dangerous men in the entire empire. Second only to the emperor himself in terms of power.

And now I was alone with him.

Antagonizing him earlier had been stupid.

He crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. “Quite a mess you left behind. Hard to believe that a woman would be capable of such gore.”

“It’s amazing what one might accomplish when faced with their own mortality, regardless of their sex.” I bit back. Again he compared me to others, and again I loathed his assumptions.

The general stepped around the table, approaching me until we were nearly chest to chest. I stiffened as his hand tilted my chin up and forced me to look at his face. There was nowhere to hide from his penetrating gaze, and I was too afraid to look away.

For a soldier, his features were surprisingly elegant. Paired with the muscles of his build, the combination made him look as beautiful as a blade was sharp. Altogether too lethal. His mouth tilted up in a smirk as another hand came up to brush a stray hair behind my ear.

”I wasn’t aware that Jasper sired any children, but you do have the LeMont eyes.” The general commented, tilting my face to the left and right. “It’s a blessing that you look nothing like your father. Your mother must have been lovely.”

The comment made my skin crawl, and I finally tore my gaze away to instead focus on the corners of the room. We were too close, and his touch did nothing to ease my anxieties.

I struggled to keep my voice even. “I’m not surprised that word of my existence never reached Etheroz. The duke holds no affection for me.”

His gaze drifted down as I spoke, and I struggled to remain still.

“A true shame that you were kept secluded in Astalia. A beauty such as yours should have graced the court long ago.”

I knew I looked less like a noblewoman and more like a peasant in my filthy blouse and torn trousers. There were splatters of dirt, sweat, and blood that stained both my clothing and my skin, and I was sure my unwashed stench wasn’t much better. Whatever beauty he claimed to see was buried under layers of grime.

Suddenly, the general let go and stepped back to his desk. He picked up a small dagger and in one quick motion, the ropes were cut away.

“Perhaps we should start over so that I might raise myself out of the low tier you’ve placed me in. Will you allow me the opportunity to redeem myself?”

I rubbed at the chafed skin of my wrists. “You’ll find that flattery will not win me over as easily as with your other noble ladies, though you certainly don’t need my permission to try.” He could certainly waste his time if he wanted to.

The general set the knife down against the table before gently taking my right hand, mindful of the chaff marks. “Lady Daelyn, wasn’t it?” He placed a warm kiss on the back of my palm. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, even if it is under less than desirable circumstances.”

My cheeks warmed against my wishes at the touch of his lips.

“Yes, I’d say my arrest is certainly less than desirable.” He let go, and I couldn’t help but stare at my hand in shock a moment longer before lifting back up to the soldier before me. I fought the urge to rub the area clean. “If your aim is to redeem yourself, then I think it only fair that you share your name, given that you already know mine.”

“All in due time.” The general smiled a secretive sort of smile that was just a little too sharp to put me at complete ease. “For now, you can call me Soren.” He stepped back to sit on the edge of the table, and motioned to the nearby empty chair.

I took the seat warily. I’d hoped that the name would help release some of the tension, that I’d be able to identify what noble house he might belong to. Unfortunately, while the name sounded painfully familiar, I couldn’t place it. If I’d only been allowed to rest, I would feel as if my thoughts weren’t obscured by a fog.

Despite everything, I felt myself relax as I sat across from Soren.

His demeanor softened. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue asking you questions.” He said gently. “Earlier I sensed that you were bordering the edges of distress, and assumed that you might be more willing to answer them in private. Lord Leander did not appear pleased at your confession.”

“Yes well, I suppose we both would have appreciated the opportunity to rest before being interrogated.” I kept the bite in my tone, finding it a little more difficult to hold onto my irritation in the face of the calmness settling over me.

If Soren noticed my tone, he said nothing. “I’m intrigued by the circumstances of your arrival in Etheroz.” He said, rifling through the papers on top of the table. “I wonder about your relationship with Lord Leander. Is he your acting guardian?”

Jailer felt like a more accurate term for what Leander’s role had been this last month, but given what I knew now... “My father arranged for me to wed Count Lovick somewhat suddenly, and due to the timing, he could not accompany me himself. Leander has been my chaperone in his place.”

“You say his name with such familiarity. Am I correct in assuming that the two of you are… lovers?” A tick at his throat and sneer of the lip told me all I needed to know about his opinion on the idea.

I blanched. “No, absolutely not!” We were hardly friends, if ‘friend’ was even the right term.

Soren raised a hand. “Forgive my boldness, but that is why I asked what your relationship to Lord Leander is. I only worry that your virtue has been compromised, and he’s taken advantage of his position as your chaperone to do so.”

I suppressed an eye roll. If he truly was relieved for my sake, then he wouldn’t have looked so pleased.

He continued, “Count Lovick’s estate lies to the south, and when you were found, it was in the opposite direction of your groom. Intentionally opposite.”

“If that was the case, then I welcome the news.” My heart flipped in my chest. “I have no desire to meet the count, let alone wed him. Leander could lead me into the wilds and I’m sure I’d find the isolation preferable to the count’s temperament alone.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

His brow raised. “Regardless, you cannot argue that the circumstances appear less than…favorable to your position. It’s not proper to travel alone with another man.”

With another man. The distinction was grating. Men only had one reason to care about the company a woman kept, and I’d seen his initial expression. It was not one made out of concern.

“I may not know Leander well, but the events at sea nearly killed me. Whatever direction he chose to take us in was with my best interest at heart, not that we have become lovers during the journey!” I paused to collect myself. If I’d freed Caspian, then I’d freed Leander as well. There was a chance that he hadn’t been bringing me to the count at all! The thought of escape no longer seemed out of reach. The possibility that he’d been leading me away from my fate instead of to it nearly made me smile.

His eyes flashed darkly. ”So you have no wish to meet the count?”

”I would much rather become his widow than his wife.”

It was an answer enough to satisfy Soren’s curiosity as he changed topics. “I’ll admit that I know very little of your family’s Magebinding. If what you say is true, then the duke must be proud to know that you’ve formed a powerful mutation.”

I couldn’t help but gnaw on the inside of my cheek while I contemplated how best to answer. “In most respects, my betrothal is a form of punishment for my believed ineptitude. The duke remains unaware of my magic, and so was Lord Leander until this morning.”

Soren rested his chin in his hand, incredulous. “Surely you’re joking. You commanded an army of beasts, and you’re telling me that you did that all untrained?”

“Hence why I almost died.” I said, tasting the metallic tang of blood as I successfully chewed through the thin lining of my cheek. “I was unaware of the risks.”

“Fascinating. An army of beasts at your beck and call...” His excitement turned into a frown. “So then, why did you run?”

Leander’s warning in the woods echoed in my mind and I cringed.

“I am my father’s bargaining piece. He sold me off to a man known for his cruelty when I was worth nothing. How then would he react if he learned of my talent?” I shook my head. “I remained unwed for twenty-two years. Until he found a use for me. I shudder to think what he would do if he were aware of my new... potential. To the rest of the world, the LeMont heir possesses no binding.”

“And you wish to keep it that way?” He questioned.

“Yes.” I met Soren’s eyes, not wanting to elaborate on all the additional reasons Leander had for me to keep it that way. “I have told you everything there is to know. You have your answers. There was no witch aboard the Caerus, and it is not a crime to defend oneself with magic or otherwise. Do you agree to release us?”

Silence stretched out between us as my question hung in the air, and the ounce of hope I’d been holding onto began to slip away.

Soren rose from his table ledge and strode to the window, parting the dingy curtains to show the rays of early morning light. He placed his hands stiffly behind his back as he stared out at the landscape.

“While I wish that I could, I fear that it is not in the empire’s best interest to release you.”

My fingernails dug into the armrests, gouging the wood. “I have no intention of using the Bloodbinding for malicious intent.” Unless the count forced my hand. But he didn’t need to know that. “Therefore, the empire has no reason to keep me.” The warning pounded repeatedly in my head. “If anything, I’m a victim of a brutal attack.”

He didn’t react to my argument, keeping his eyes focused outside and his voice disinterested. “In three days' time, I am meant to wed Lord Dalton’s daughter. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of the Daltons. Very few nobles are aware of the Bronze Isle courts.”

I frowned in confusion at the sudden shift in topic.

With a stiff turn, Soren appraised me from the window. “Mine too was arranged by my father, against my wishes. I am sympathetic to your plight.” With a sigh, he strode back to the table and picked up one of the documents, turning it to face me. “Even if I were to release you, you have nowhere to go except to the count. Your father’s already signed his half of the marriage contract, and it looks like he went the extra length of attuning it to you.”

“And in the event that you contemplate running away again...” My father’s parting words seemed like they belonged to another life. “...Imagine all of the things that I’ll have you do to yourself if you defy me again.”

“Then I’ll burn it.” I reached for the lantern.

He held up a hand to stop me. “This is but one copy of a charmed contract. Your father likely has the original document in hand, and is waiting for the second signature to manifest as proof of its completion. Burning the contract will not destroy his copy.”

And because it’s attuned, it can be used to find me up until a second signature seals my fate.

I stared at the piece of paper with renewed hatred. It was charmed, just like those used for the brides—for Alexia. We really were destined to fail at every obstacle, weren’t we?

“Then I’ll go to the count, as prearranged.” I ground out, unable to hide the murderous intent behind my voice. “Surely he’s old enough that I will be free of him soon enough.”

Soren set the contract down with a chuckle. “I can’t let you go to the count in good faith knowing that you may send him to an early grave. Wishing to be a widow more than a wife is very telling, and I’m not naive enough to think that part of why you’re keeping your newfound magic to yourself might be so that you can dispose of him later. What kind of man would I be if I allowed you to kill members of my court?”

I narrowed my eyes at the general, despising how well he’d assessed me. “So then what do you want from me? Are you so willing to let me become a weapon to the empire?”

Soren shook his head as he knelt in front of me. “I have no desire to see you used by the emperor either.” He picked up my hand and gently splayed my fingers open, tracing a finger along the lines of my palm. “Daelyn…You are untrained, and that makes you a danger to yourself. I could teach you, and help you learn how to use your Magebinding. I could keep you safe. Keep your magic hidden from the rest of the empire and those who would have you use your magic against your will.”

A shiver of apprehension ran up my spine as I tried to tug my hand free, but Soren held it firmly. “So then I would be your prisoner until I’m safe enough to be released? I fail to see the difference.”

“No, not as my prisoner. As my wife.”

I almost laughed, except that his face was devoid of any humor.

He was serious.

My mouth dropped open in shock, struggling to comprehend his proposal. “Sir, you are already engaged to be wed—”

“Yes, I am.” Soren interrupted, his harshness from earlier returning as I tensed. “And as I already told you, it was not my decision.” His tone softened, and I felt myself relax again. “Your father has already signed over your rights, the only difference is who is assuming them. The count’s name is nowhere on the marriage contract itself. It would be an easy thing for anyone to sign in his place.”

My head spun. How was this the logical solution to anything? “And if I were to refuse?”

Soren’s eyes narrowed as he stood, letting go of my hand as if it burned him. “Then I would be forced to bring you to the emperor, and he would decide how best to use your gifts.”

I clenched my teeth together. “It hardly seems like a choice at all.”

He shrugged his shoulders, hands once again grasped behind his back. “Believe what you want, but I cannot let you roam free across the countryside, and you shouldn’t desire to either. A woman of your quality deserves her place at court, and unlike the emperor, I can see your value beyond that of a weapon. If you would allow me to, I would keep your secret and help you master your potential.” He paused. “As my wife, I would make sure that you were provided for in ways that other men cannot.”

The picture he painted was everything I could ever have hoped for, and yet... his eyes were not those of a lovestruck man, but a strategist. There was more to this suggestion, more than he was willing to share.

I could hardly hide my incredulity. “You have known me for mere hours, and you act as if it were a proposition that I’d be silly to question? Half of our meeting I have antagonized you, and somehow you have found it endearing enough to intervene on my behalf with this proposal?” I shook my head. “I find your intentions impossible to understand.”

“Impressions are made in minutes, and I already understand you to be a woman who dares to design her own fate.” Soren smiled arrogantly at his own observations. “No one has ever spoken to me as you have, and I believe that you would dare to share your mind without worrying about courtly images. It is no easy task to be married to a soldier.” His mouth scowled, as if he thought of his current bride. “I need a wife who can help carry the burden of death, not a simpering girl who desires a title. Who else would suit me better than someone who has also dealt in death?”

I stood, ready to defend myself. “You make me out to be a murderer, but I did not intend to kill—”

“You controlled the rats. Their blood is on your hands. Whether you meant to or not, you are a murderer, Daelyn. But I don’t shy away from it, or fear you for it.” Soren’s hand unexpectedly brushed a strand of hair back behind my ear as he stepped closer. “I will give you until noon. Then you must decide how you shall follow me into the capital.”

As a wife, or as a hostage.

“And how do I know that you can give any of the protections that you claim? You are nothing more than an officer, and I am the daughter of a duke.” My eyes shifted the contract strewn out on the table. My father’s penmanship mocked me. “As soon as your signature appears in place of the count’s name, my father will seek an immediate annulment. And then what? Would you share the truth of my capabilities to the emperor to thwart my father?” I brushed his hand aside and stepped out of reach. “Your plan is brittle to its very foundation.”

“Perhaps it is brittle.” Soren agreed, stepping closer. “But you needn’t fear me revealing the truth to stop the duke, because Jasper LeMont will not be able to annul our union.”

I retreated until I felt the table’s edge at my back, until there was nowhere else to go. He placed a hand on either side of me, to trap me against the surface. Ignoring my helplessness was a feat in itself while my mind screamed to push him away. Soren was a predator, and I was trapped in his claws.

“And how is that?” My voice came out hoarse with trepidation. There were so few people who could claim such a thing— my eyes widened. I finally placed the name.

Soren Cassemir.

The second son of Emperor Andreas.