ita

d night air a welcome shock to my system. My lungs burned. The hem of my w

below. They were looking for me. I knew Martha Harris

, had arranged this marriage for his own benefit. He wouldn't risk offending the

where dragon blood determined everything. Da

ess

s so unshakable, so revered, t

f my mind. Gideon Harrison. The fami

amily, the King's own sword, a man whose death had cast

t other choice did I have? Be dragged back a

my de

heart hammering with a terrifying

here they honored their dead. I tore off the heavy, mud-caked overskirt of my w

orial tablet of Gideon Harrison. His portrait hung above it, the man in the p

rrison, arrived, her attendants trailing behind her. She looked a

said, her voice calm. "

Lady, Damian Harrison has betrayed me, and with me, he has betra

g my lungs. "But I am still willing to dev

for a moment before del

he binding ceremony with your late

gh the room. Eleanor's eyes

. "I will be his widow. I will guard his final honor and, in doing

licker of calculation in Eleanor's eyes. The Harrisons neede

long time. My future

eon's ritual widow, you would be bound to him for life. You cou

ot seek wealth. I seek the honor of being Gi

r face. She gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Very well.

pened

der pricked my finger with a silver pin. I pressed my bleeding fingertip to Gide

etal, I could have sworn I heard a faint, di

he binding complete in

, was now the wife

had changed. Pity was replaced b

ed myself from a cast-off

tracks. They saw me in my black mourning dress, with Lady Eleanor s

rison, I thought, from this day forward, you

ablet flickered wildly, as if stirred by a sudden w

as quickly,

or, bearing Gideon's personal crest, stumbled inside, h