The Alpha King's Bride novel · Chapter 9 of 24
Chapter 9: Judith's Ledger
"Leave me alone," I told him.
He stood in my doorway, and he did not argue.
"I'll be outside," he said.
"Outside the building."
"Outside your door."
He went out, and I locked it, and I did not sleep.
At midnight there was a knock, and it was a guard I did not know.
"Your Majesty, forgive me. There is a man at the east gate asking for you by name. He says he is your brother."
I was already pulling on my shoes.
"Does the King know?"
"The King said you were to decide."
Something in my chest unclenched, only a little.
I went down alone.
The east gate was a narrow iron door in the garden wall, with a lantern beside it.
Perrin stood on the other side of the bars, without his guard jacket, in the plain shirt he used to wear at the cottage.
His face was raw.
"Open it," I told the guard, and the guard opened it.
My brother came in and stopped two steps away from me.
"Finola."
"You looked at the floor," I said.
"I know."
"I said your name in front of the whole realm."
"I know."
"You are my brother."
"I know, Finola."
I hit him.
It was an open hand, and it cracked across his cheek in the dark garden, and he did not lift his arm.
My hand stung.
He just stood there with the red mark rising.
"Again, if you like," he said.
"I don't want to hit you. I want you to tell me why."
He let out a long, shaking breath.
"The cottage," he said. "Mama and Papa's cottage. Judith holds the deed. She took it the winter they died, when I was eleven, and she told me if I ever gave her cause, she would sell it and we would be on the road."
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