Chained to old wounds

CH42

Morgan

She sputtered and drew back. “You—”

“Unless I am wrong and you simply came for a snack.”

“I came because these wretches aren’t doing what needs to be done. Tsuneo’s awakening deserves-

“I’ll be the judge of that.” I turned to the rest of the staff. As I said before, whatever was on the menu is perfectly fine. My husband is not a difficult man. Serve with good intentions and on time. That is more than enough.”

I looked back at her

tedly. “And what’s your excuse for your dress? It’s not exactly your color.”

She sneered. “What would you know about it? It was a gift from my Tsuneo. It belonged to my mother–in–law.”

“Are you intimating that you are married to my husband?” I asked. “You do realize that as a concubine. Your authority would not exceed mine. Nor would it give you the right to wear my colors.”

“They’re my colors,” Ari said, her chin jutting out defiantly. “You’re really a stand–in for now.”

The air crackled with tension. My hand instinctively went to the hilt of my sword, but this wasn’t the time for a brawl. Ari’s lie

was flimsy at best, and I intended to unravel it in front of these very witnesses. I just had to let her dig herself deeper and deeper into the hole. Even like her only burned when they hit absolute rock bottom.

“Yours?” I repeated, my voice laced with skepticism. “How very… interesting. To my understanding, you failed the Trial.”

She flinched. “And when exactly did my husband bestow this… precious gift upon you? Surely, it wouldn’t have been after he fell into a coma as he woke up to save me from another would–be usurper.

The color drained from Ari’s face, her bravado crumbling. A collective gasp echoed through the room as the weight of my words sunk in.

“What- what do you mean?” Ari stammered, her voice a mere squeak.

CH42

“Don’t play coy, Ari,” I pressed, enjoying the shift in power dynamics. “We all know the Queen’s chambers haven’t been opened since her demise. And my husband has been unconscious just as long.”

Ari’s eyes darted around the room, searching for escape, for an ally in the sea of disapproving faces. But there was none. The staff all went back to whatever their tasks were, occasionally glancing over with a curious look. The tides of gossip would be changing quite soon. By dinnertime, everyone would know that Ari was a thief.

“That’s a lie!” she finally spat, her voice laced with desperation. “A… misunderstanding. Don’t pretend like you know anything.”

“I know enough to know that you’re lying. And enough to know that I have every right and reason to punish you for it.”

I glared at her. “Consider this warning and an offer of lemon disease. Take it off, and see to it that anything else that’s walked out of my late mother–in–law’s room is returned before dinner.”

“Or there will be consequences. That I don’t think you can afford.”

A flicker of something dangerous, a spark of rage, ignited in Ari’s eyes. She straightened her posture, the defiance returning. Good. It would be boring if she gave up so easily.

“No,” she hissed, her voice low and threatening. It’s mine. A gift from Tsuneo and his mother, and I won’t be bullied by you.”

The air crackled with barely contained tension. The servants huddled together, wide–eyed witnesses to the unfolding confrontation. I heard others coming in and recognized them from the dinner. They were some of the king’s concubines. Good. Let them see that I wasn’t just going to take this bullshit lying down.

With a sigh of exasperation, I unsheathed my sword, the polished metal gleaming in the afternoon light. “Very well, I said, my voice cold. “If you won’t relinquish it willingly, I’ll have to take it by force.”

A gasp escaped the gathered women as I took a menacing step forward. Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps shattered the tense silence. The heavy oak doors groaned open, revealing a bewildered Tsuneo standing on the threshold.

His gaze fell on me, then on Ari, and before his gaze dragged over Ari in the rove. His brow furrowed in confusion.

Morgan? What’s going on here?” Tsuneo demanded, his voice sharp with concern. “Why is Ari…”

CH42

His voice trailed off as he took in the full picture.

Ari’s reaction was swift and theatrical. With a shriek, she flung her arms wide, stumbled back at step, and collapsed to the ground in a heap of shimmering fabric. Her eyes, red–rimmed and brimming with manufactured tears, locked on Tsuneo. She pointed at me.

“Tsuneo!” she wailed, her voice thick with feigned hurt. “She attacked me! That wretched human drew her sword and threatened me!”

The display was so melodramatic it almost bordered on comical. Still, a flicker of concern crossed Tsuneo’s face. He glanced at me, his gaze searching, his expression unreadable. Did he believe her? Was the trust, the connection we’d begun to build, just a figment of my imagination?

My irritation flared, but I quelled it with a deep breath. Lowering my sword, I met Tsuneo’s gaze. head–on.

“As no one else seemed to want to discipline her and the clearly lax security of the palace, I thought it was my duty considering our positions and the nature of the item that is in danger.”

His eyes flared with heat. His lips twitched. “Is that so?”

My heart started to race. I didn’t know what to make of that expression. I aimed the end of my sword at her.

“Dirt can be gotten out of fabric fairly easily. But not blood.”

“See, she’s–

“You recognize this robe, don’t you?” I set my jaw. I didn’t think you or Dad would appreciate it being used as part of a spectacle. I promise I wasn’t going to cut her.”

The look on his face almost seemed like he wouldn’t care if I did.

“Tsuneo, what are—”

“No, Tsuneo said, his voice low, a dangerous edge creeping in. He shifted his gaze back to Ari, who continued to sniffle dramatically.

“Explain yourself,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. “Ari.”

Ari burst into tears. “It was a gift, and she’s just a jealous little human. She has no understanding of what anything means. He came in here and started—”

“Ari. His voice was sharp and low.

CH42

She shut her mouth with a click. His dark opal eyes were filled with fire. However, his expression remained unreadable, a mask of controlled anger. His jaw was clenched tight.

A heavy silence descended upon the room. All eyes were on Tsuneo, waiting for him to speak. My heart pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribs. This wasn’t just about a stolen robe anymore; it was about my standing in the palace, about the trust between me and the man I was falling for. And right now, that trust felt precariously balanced on a knife’s edge.

Just seeing the pitiful look on her face made every fiber of my being want to scream, but I held my tongue. It was Tsuneo’s reaction that truly mattered.

A tense moment stretched into an eternity before Tsuneo finally spoke. His voice, when it came, was laced with a steely edge that sent shivers down my spine.

“Get up,” he commanded, the word sharp and final. “Stop acting like a child.”