Chapter 3

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

"What... what do you mean?" My voice came out as a broken rasp.

Edric pressed his lips into a tight line. A flicker of pity crossed his eyes. "Meredith and I took our vows before the Goddess on the tenth of last month. Every lord of consequence in the archipelago was there. We’ve already sworn the oaths, Leonora."

The tenth of last month.

My mind raced. "But that was the day of our third engagement ceremony," I whispered, the realization crashing over me. "I stood on the docks for six hours in the pouring rain waiting for your ship. I stayed there because I thought you were in danger." 

"And you were at the wedding ceremony. With her."

"Yes." Edric stood tall, as if he had done absolutely nothing wrong. "I didn't miss it because of a pirate raid like I told you. I was marrying Meredith."

I slowly turned my head to look at my mother.

She didn't look shocked. In fact, she took a half-step sideways, positioning her body to shield Meredith completely.

"You knew," I choked out, the betrayal burning my throat. "You knew the whole time?"

My mother looked away, staring hard at the parlor wall.

"Sister, please don't blame Mom," Meredith whimpered. "She was just worried about me! You know my birth mother died early. I’ve always been so jealous of how Mom planned your future."

"I’m just the illegitimate daughter of a lowly sewing maid. I don't have your noble blood or your titles. If I didn't secure a good match, my life would be miserable."

A bitter laugh ripped out of me. "Planned my future? Are you kidding me?" I glared at my mother. "She’s spent her entire life planning yours. When did she ever give a damn about me?"

My mother lunged forward.

Smack.

Another sharp slap landed flush on my right cheek. Now both sides of my face burned like fire.

"Watch your tone!" my mother hissed, her eyes blazing with warning. "Don't you dare speak to us like that!"

Edric quickly stepped between us, playing the peacemaker. His tone softened. "Leonora, listen to me. I know this feels a bit unfair. But Meredith is illegitimate. She has absolutely nothing in this world except me. You’re different. You’re the legitimate daughter of the Haven Duke. You have everything. Even with a minor bump in your marriage plans, your life will still be perfectly fine."

"A minor bump?" I stared at him, my voice dropping to a terrifying calm. "You stripped me of my dignity. You made me a laughingstock. And you call that a minor bump? So you married my sister on my engagement day?"

Edric frowned, running a hand through his blonde hair. A flash of irritation crossed his face. "I didn't want to keep it from you. But you’re so hot-tempered. If I told you beforehand, you would have thrown a massive fit and ruined the whole ceremony. Meredith is timid. She can't handle that kind of stress or public embarrassment. I had to—"

"You had to treat me like a complete idiot," I finished for him, my nails digging hard into my palms.

He stared at me for a long moment. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. "Leonora, you have to understand me."

Understand him. 

For the next days, the phrase echoed in my head constantly, ringing in my ears the second I stepped into the bustling port market.

I quickly learned exactly what his version of "understanding" meant.

The whispers hit me immediately.

"That's her. The jealous one."

"I heard she can't even tolerate her own sick sister."

"Total psycho. I heard she even beat the poor girl."

"Can you blame the Prince for choosing the sweeter sister?"

Merchants who used to greet me warmly now rolled their eyes when I approached their stalls. Dockworkers sneered and spit on the cobblestones as I passed. I had become the vicious villain of the Emerald Isles.

These rumors didn't just appear out of thin air. They came from Edric.

He cornered me in the estate’s garden later that afternoon. He actually had the nerve to look guilty.

"Leonora, you have to understand," he started, using that exact same infuriating phrase. "Meredith’s life is hard enough. If people think she stole her sister's fiancé, they'll tear her apart. The nobility will never accept her. How is she supposed to survive high society with a reputation like that?"

"So I take the fall?" I asked, my voice hollow. "I become the vicious, jealous bitch so she can play the innocent victim?"

Edric just looked down at his boots. "It’s better this way, Leonora. You have the status and the strong personality to weather a scandal. She doesn't."

"Besides," Edric continued, looking back up with a sudden, misplaced burst of confidence. "It doesn't actually change our future together. Meredith only has me. When you marry into the royal family, Meredith will be the official Matron. You’ll be a Consort Companion."

The garden went dead silent.

I stared at him, entirely sure the wind had messed with my hearing. "What did you just say? Me? A Consort?"

A Consort. The title was a complete joke for someone of my standing. It meant no formal wedding at the high altar. No inheritance rights. No voice in the fleet. My future children would be branded as bastards.

"It's just a title, Leonora," Edric said quickly, taking an eager step toward me. "In my heart, you two are completely equal. I swear to the Goddess I will treat you exactly the same. You’ll have all the respect you deserve behind closed doors."

"Look, Meredith is highly sensitive. Her health is terrible. She can’t possibly handle the exhausting duties of a Matron—entertaining the fleet captains, managing the royal accounts, dealing with the trade alliances. You’re good at that stuff. "

He smiled, actually smiled, as if he had just solved a minor dispute. "You can handle all the palace and fleet business for her. It’s a perfect arrangement. We can all be together, just like we planned." 

"Edric," I cut him off.

He stopped mid-sentence, looking at me expectantly. He reached out, trying to grab my hand.

I slapped his hand away.

I looked at his face. The face of the hero who had once saved me from the freezing depths. Now, my stomach churned with pure disgust.

"Edric. You make me sick."