Chapter 167 - Loyal To The Bone

AYLETH

Apparently Falek had been staring at the floor, because his head came up when she turned and gasped, his eyes locked on hers, tight with pain—and with fierce determination. 

"No, Ayleth. Do not humble yourself for him."

They stared at each other for a long moment and the threat of Ayleth's tears returned, fueled by frustration and a harrowing sense of something unjust in all of this. Etan ran free to simply betray her and make decisions and… and do whatever he wished. While she was protected and coddled and caged—unable even to confront her husband when he appeared unfaithful!

"I'm going to confront him," she whispered. "And you can't stop me."

Falek raised a brow. "I can. And I will. You will not give him the satisfaction of—"

"He loves me!" she hissed, stalking across the hallway to put a finger to Falek's chest. "If he's doing this, there's a reason. And I am going to demand that he tell me what it is!"

"His reasons do not matter. He has betrayed your heart and your kingdom, Ayleth. I will not see you crawl back to that bastard after he used you then discarded—!"

The crack echoed down the hall. 

Ayleth's palm stung, and Falek's cheek bloomed red. He'd stopped speaking the moment she struck him, but his expression didn't change. He didn't even blink. Ayleth forced herself to hold his eyes and not flex her stinging hand. 

"You will not refer to my husband—your future King—in that way ever again in my presence," she snarled. "I have not been… used." 

Falek's eyes flared but his jaw remained clenched. "As you say, Princess," he seethed through his teeth. "I am, of course, your servant."

She snorted, and a tiny flash of humor passed over his stony face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come and they were left staring at each other. 

Ayleth couldn't smile even if she'd tried. His words had opened a sick pit in her stomach again. "The Summitrans leave to return to their Kingdom on the morrow. Unless I speak with him tonight, the chance will be gone." Falek opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head and plowed on. "No, Falek.  You have not been in this place, this is not a battle you have navigated. He is my husband. He loves me—I am certain of it! For him to do this… there is a reason. But only he knows it. And so I must go—I will call down the guard on you, if that's what it takes. But I am going to his chambers—where I have every right to be—and I will make him answer for this… this deception. I will ask my questions, and I will measure his answer. I will not simply swallow muck to soothe my feelings. But I have to know what he would say. I would rather die than live with this question unanswered."

"There are fates worse than physical death, Ayleth. Know that, if you insist on this path. Some things… sometimes the truth is harder to swallow than ignorance."

Ayleth sighed, still swallowing tears. "I don't care. I have to do this, Falek. I can't let him just leave without explaining himself. And if there is something afoot. I need to know. Whether it provides the answers I want to hear, or not. I have to know."

Falek leaned right in so their noses almost touched. "Ayleth, you are the heir to the most powerful nation on the Continent. You are a beautiful and accomplished woman. And you are his wife!" he hissed. "I don't care what he learned, what plot he uncovered, or what noble plan he believes he pursues—I will not let that pompous ass—" Ayleth's gaze sharpened and he cut himself off, his lips pressing thin. "I will not let that man humiliate you and debase your worth."

"Then help me," she shot back. "Get me through the castle safely. Give me the chance to find my answers. Stand at my back when I confront him. You may protect me, but you leave him to me. Whatever is needed to address him and his answer… I will do it." She lifted her chin, staring down her nose at him even though he was taller.

Falek looked at her warily. "He is a formidable warrior, Ayleth. Far stronger than any of the other heirs—hell, stronger than most of our Knights. He has never used his full strength against you, Ayleth. Even when you trained, even in the arena—out of protection for you, he has never completely unleashed his power or skill when you are his opponent."

Ayleth let herself smile in a way that she knew was reminiscent of her mother. "Neither have I," she said. "And if I fail, well… that's why you'll be there."

She'd never before seen Falek look quite so happy at the idea of violence.

They smiled at each other for a long moment, then he straightened to tower over her, one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other raised to his chest. "I am your servant, Ayleth" he said quietly. "Where you point, I go."

Ayleth snorted again even as she nodded her acceptance of his fealty. They both knew that in the right circumstances that statement was only so much bullshit. But for now… for now it served both of their purposes to pretend it was true. Which was when she realized, this was going to happen. They were going to go find Etan together, and she was going to ask him what had happened. Why he'd publicly chosen another woman—even allied with her parents.

For a split second she lost her nerve. She turned to walk down the hall to cover her sudden fragility, Falek swooping in to stalk at her shoulder, his eyes scanning the corridor ahead and behind. 

Was it this simple? Would they simply walk through the castle to Etan's chambers, knock on his door and… and pray they hadn't disturbed anything… untoward?

A thick, warm hand landed at the small of her back. "Do not let him see you question yourself. You have done nothing wrong," Falek murmured, quieter than their footsteps that rang in the empty corridor. "And at any point, you need only say the word and I will kill him."

Ayleth nodded as if that were a good thing, but inside she quavered.

Was it better to keep her husband? Or her pride?

She didn't know.. But she suspected she was about to find out.