Corrupt

Chapter 16

We sit, later that day, in the hall. Through the windows, I focus on the fading light, wondering vaguely what Daeva's doing. Could they be watching the same sun?

"Are you going to have anything?" Drea asks me, worry in her voice.

"I can't," I reply simply. It's true. I can't bring myself to eat, not while the hall is so unnaturally empty. Everyone seems to have lost someone - or some piece of themselves - in the fight.

It's horrible.

Even worse, as I stare at the piles of food in front of me I can only see the starving rebels, the meagre rations of stale bread and ancient vegetables they scrape together to feed themselves. How cruel of us to be sat here refusing plates upon plates of perfectly fresh salads, meats, pastries.

And yet, I can't eat.

Drea links her warm hand with mine under the table.

"Lynny, please eat something. You need to get your strength back." My heart aches a little more with every one of her comforts. Could she stay this way, seeing what I've seen, knowing what I know?

"Okay," I mumble a response, taking a small bite of biscuit.

In my peripheral vision, the King steps up to his podium. I feel the whole room stiffen as we collectively remember this moment from... Before.

"Good evening, Carcaseau," he says, voice strong and reassuring.

There are a few dips of heads. One of the younger maids is ushered out of the room, crying.

"I apologise for interrupting your meal, however I thought it best to inform you of the most recent events happening inside the castle. To begin with, I am overjoyed to announce the return of Lynette Answatch to the castle."

A million heads turn in my direction, like prying owls. Andrea squeezes my hand under the table.

"I have met with Lynette today to discuss her story. She was captured and tied up by groups of rebel gangs who stole her from the castle, and attempted to use her in order to blackmail our society. Lynette, however, has now returned safely after days of searching. She is incredibly brave, and I thank her for informing me of what she could."

The hall breaks into applause. I hate the power he has over this crowd, the way even I find myself smiling gently as I watch him. As he speaks, I tune out from the words to look around me at the plethora of brainwashed faces. It is as if I'm frozen in time: none of them so much as glance at me as I stare into each pair of glazed eyes. I'm struck with the urge to shout out, to tell everyone my real story, but instead I turn back to the podium and merge back into the crowd.

"We must not let these people strike again. From now on, I will be setting my squads onto locating this group, wherever they may be, and once we find them, we will do to them what they have done to us. We will not let our deaths be forgotten - not by us, not by them. We will make them remember."

Cheers. Applause. I'm sick to my stomach, a knot twisting deep inside me. I know where they are.

He can't know.

I need to tell Daeva.

How does he do this? The people watch him with such admiration, such trust. Could I even get through to them? If I told them the truth, would they dare to listen?

"Thank you for your attention. Enjoy your meal." His eyes flick to mine for a minute before he steps back onto the ground.

"I'm so glad we have him," Drea murmurs next to me. I imagine everyone but me is thinking the same. "The rebels are terrifying, but at least he knows what to do."

"Yeah," I force myself to reply.

"He still hasn't chosen a wife," she sighs dreamily. Her besotted smile seems almost hyperbolic. I need to keep her away from him.

Would she ever understand me?

I have to try. She needs to know.

"Drea, are you finished eating?" I say sharply, taking her by surprise.

"Um..." She quickly swallows down another piece of carrot. "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Are you alright?" Eloise whispers from down the table. I nod, though it's far from the truth.

"Can we go back to our room? Please?"

"Yeah, of course." She stands from her bench and holds my arm, noticing its slight shake. "Lynny, what-"

"I'll tell you in a minute."

As I lead her back down towards the door, I feel a prickling on the back of my neck, and know, without even having to check, that he's watching. He sees everything.

But he can't stop me.

I shut the door behind us as we reenter our darkening room. Andrea guides me to sit down next to her, forces me to take a few steady breaths.

"Okay, Lynny. You need to tell me whatever's on your mind right now. Something's wrong. I need to hear everything." Her gaze softens. "Is it about Hetty and Katie? I miss them too."

"No, it's... Well, yes. But... There's more."

"What's wrong?" she asks gently.

"What Nikolas said... It's a lie."

"What do you mean?" She frowns. I hate what I'm about to do. I don't want to hurt her - she's so in love with this man, so fixated on everything he does. Just like I was.

I realise suddenly that I'm about to change - maybe destroy - everything she knows.

But she needs to know.

"That's what I told him. But the truth... The truth is not what you've been taught, Drea."

Her eyes flicker with confusion and fear, darting away from mine. I wait a moment for her to process my words. And then she turns back to me, putting her hands on mine.

"Then tell me the truth, Lynny."