One True Queen (School for Good and Evil Book 2)

Chapter 35

I stood at the window of the throne room, a crown nestled in my hair. Sunlight bathed my face in gold as two seamstresses poked and prodded at the wedding dress I was in.

Rafal was in front of me, eyes locked on the dress before they slid up to meet my own.

"You look beautiful, my love," he said. His smile turned sad. "I wish I could be the one this dress is for."

"You will be," I breathed. "When I bring you back. I promise."

Rafal stepped closer, towering over me. He brought his hand up as if to caress my cheek, but I felt nothing.

"You make a radiant bride."

A tear slid down my cheek.

Then the throne room doors opened.

I swiveled to see Rhian striding through the doorway, clad in a high-collared white fur cape. He had a belt of gilded Lion heads cinched to him, a mirror image of the embroidery along the edges of my dress' bodice.

I stepped away from the seamstresses, causing them to protest, but I silenced them with a look.

"You look awful," I said, crossing to Rhian. His face was battered and bruised.

He ignored me, eyes darting to my bodice and then to his belt. "Aw, we match. That's cute."

I raised an eyebrow. "Has Kei come back with Sophie yet?"

"They should be here any minute." He squinted at my face. "Have you been crying?"

I grinned too widely. "Just so happy it's almost my wedding day," I said sarcastically, still smiling.

Rhian sighed. "You know that this is temporary. You'll have him back soon enough."

The bitterness leached out of me.

"I know," I said, looking down. "It's just—you—we—" I exhaled. "It's just hard."

"Hey." Rhian tilted my chin up. "I'm your friend, yeah? And while Rafal isn't here, I'm going to take care of you for him until we can bring you two back together."

More tears pooled at the corners of my lashes, guilt gnawing at my insides.

I didn't deserve Rhian's friendship.

Especially when I was planning to kill him and his brother.

I pulled him into an embrace. "Thank you," I whispered into his neck.

Over his shoulder, Rafal grinned.

"Your Majesty!"

We turned to the doorway of the throne room, where a guard was standing.

"Kei's back. And he has Sophie."

***

I was the princess of Camelot.

Soon to be queen.

And queens did not hide in bushes.

But this one was.

When Sophie had come back to the castle with Kei, Rhian insisted on taking a stroll with her in the gardens. Alone.

As if.

From my hiding place, I used a mirrorspell to see what exactly they were discussing.

"So your mother is inside the dress?" Sophie asked, morning dew dripping off a rosebush onto the white lace of her frock.

"A piece of her, perhaps," said Rhian, walking with her through the royal gardens. Clad in his blue-and-gold suit, he limped gingerly, Excalibur on his belt. In the sunlight, I could see the mess of welts on his tan face and neck, still healing. As he bent to inspect a tulip, I glimpsed a scar at the top of his skull, jagged and faded. A scar from long ago.