Page 231 of Between Two Kings

Tem realized suddenly how it would look to Leo—her showing up to the castle without her husband. “Yes,” she said quickly. “He did.”

Leo nodded. “Good.”

Was it? Tem didn’t know anymore. It was better than the alternative. But at this point, that didn’t mean it was good.

“There is another matter we must discuss,” Leo said.

“Which is?”

He paused, and Tem’s heart pounded in her chest. “Will you attend the wedding?”

Tem hadn’t expected him to ask that, and she certainly didn’t have an answer. With everything going so terribly, she’d forgotten that Mother’s Night was just days from now.

“I didn’t realize I was invited.”

“Of course you’re invited. Basilisk royalty is always there.”

Basilisk royalty. She’d been human royalty just weeks ago. “Well then, I guess…yes. If we have to.”

“You don’t seem sure.”

“That’s because I’m not.”

“Why not?”

Tem sighed. Leo was impossible tonight—asking too many questions, demanding too much of her. “I don’t know, Leo. It doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Nothing about it was a good idea. And certainly not if she was expected to attend with Caspen.

“I want you there,” he whispered.

Tem knew he wanted her there. But why? Because he wanted her to see his union to Evelyn? That seemed cruel—far too cruel for Leo. Perhaps it was because he sought her tacit permission to marry Evelyn, although surely, he knew he already had it. She was the one who had told him to leave, after all. Nothing had changed. Or perhaps he just needed her there. As a friend. It didn’t matter. Leo needed her, and she needed him.

“Then I’ll be there,” she whispered back. It was that simple. She would do anything for Leo. Even attend his wedding to someone else.

“There is one more thing,” he said slowly. He sighed. “Evelyn has requested that you and Caspen stay here at the castle the night before.”

“What? Why would she want that?”

Leo pursed his lips. “She did not give me a reason.”

Tem’s mouth fell open. She could think of a number of reasons, and they were all terrible. Perhaps Evelyn wanted to punish Tem and, in turn, punish Leo. By bringing her here to the castle, she was rubbing their wedding in Tem’s face. There would be no place to hide, no way to avoid what was right in front of her. It would be a special form of torture, crafted specifically for Tem.

“That’s an awful idea,” Tem said bluntly. “And if she wants us there so badly, she should ask us herself.”

“She is not in the mood for dinner tonight.”

“I thought she was ill.”

Leo didn’t reply.

The cracks that had begun to show last week were splitting now. All was not well in the royal household.

The rest of the dinner passed in silence. Tem spent the time picking at her food and staring at Leo, who had long since abandoned his plate and turned to his whiskey. When it finally became unbearable to sit there any longer, Tem stood.

“Well. Good night.”

“Wait.” Leo stood too. “Stay.”

Tem blinked. “Why?”