180 Not My Kingdom

ETAN

"But I still cannot trust you."

Etan's jaw dropped. "You can't—what? Ayleth, you said you believed me. I was doing all of this to keep you safe!"

"I understand that. And I am relieved to hear it. Trust me, it is far better than if you had had your head turned by Sarya, or fled in fear. But… Etan, you didn't speak to me. You didn't even ask me. I could have told you that my mother would never end my life that way. That she would use that kind of pressure on you to manipulate you, rather than to harm me."

Etan shook his head. "I adore your love for your parents, and your defense of your family, Ayleth. But you didn't see her face. She hates me. She doesn't only wish to see my Kingdom defeated—she would have killed me herself if she thought she could get away with it. And the idea of you aligned with my family, strengthening my Kingdom… it sickened her."