A Princess Torn (Alys Book #2)

Chapter 34

"We need to talk about next steps."

The graveness edging Dastrehan's voice made Endolynn's stomach clench with a slight fear.

It was hours after the evening meal, and the sun was already setting. They were in his sitting room, just the two of them. Endolynn was reading the latest report from the Tarkam-Balearian border for the third time, just to keep her mind occupied. Dastrehan sat on the sofa across from the one she sat on, working through scrolls and papers while he consulted a map.

Though she wished she did not have to, she looked up from the report in her hands to meet his gaze so he would know he had her attention.

It did not matter; he was not looking at her anyway. He still had his eyes on the papers he was working with.
"Next steps for what? Balear?" she prodded.

"No, not really," he still did not look up. He seemed to be focused on the papers in front of him, but Endolynn could not help but wonder if he was simply trying to distract himself from looking at her. That thought made her even more concerned. Clearly, whatever was coming was not something good.
He did not elaborate, and Endolynn waited for a few moments before turning back to her report. If he was not ready to talk, she was not going to make him.

She was halfway through the report when his words interrupted her again.
"I have to figure out an heir."

This time, she kept her eyes on the report in her hands. Though his words felt like a dagger in her heart, she had been expecting them. In fact, she had been surprised that he had waited this long to bring the issue up. Even though he had said he did not care about the issue when he had convinced her to come back to Tarkam palace with him from Brexley, she had known it would not stay that way. A king cannot live forever without an heir.

When she did not reply after several minutes of silence, Dastrehan finally turned his attention from his papers and looked her way.
"Alys."

She lowered the report and met his eyes, "I am not sure what you expect me to say."

He sighed and brought his hands up to rub his face, indicating his mood; upset and edgy.
"I need advice. Ideas. I cannot keep making excuses to my advisers and ignoring the... problem."

Endolynn took a deep, slow breath in an attempt to steady the emotions already threatening to blow at the mere mention of the topic at hand. She found a loose thread in the grapefruit-pink fabric of her dress and picked at it to distract herself.
"I have nothing to offer. You know better than anyone else that Ayleth was the only heir I could give you-"
"Do not-" he quickly stopped himself before continuing, taking a few steadying breaths and running a hand through his dark brown hair, "I cannot go there. That is one of the reasons I have been avoiding the topic for so long."

She had not been expecting him to respond so loudly; he had practically yelled when he cut her off. His response had startled her, but she knew he was fair in his feelings. This topic was no less hard for him than it was for her.

"So," she replied carefully, glancing up at him quickly, "What options have your advisers given you?"

Dastrehan stood and started to pace the room as he often did when he was agitated or needed to think.
"They want me to find someone else to have an heir with, or..." he stopped in front of the window, his hands clasped together behind his back.

Even though she had known what was coming, and had suspected that the advisers had been telling him this for a long time, his words still felt like a gut punch.
She was thankful that she was already sitting. If she had been standing, she likely would not have been able to stay as she was and fake composure.
"Or?" she forced out, trying to steady her voice. She knew she had not been effective; her entire body had already started to tremble.
"Or, nothing."
Endolynn coughed, mainly to help get rid of the lump in her throat and partially to cover the small intake of breath that had unexpectedly come up in response to his words.
"I asked about finding a young child in an orphanage, but they would not even hear of it."