"Alaric, he was only protecting himself. If you and I were to have a child someday, where would that leave him and his family? Where would that leave the child? It's only human nature."

I laughed, hollow and sharp. Human nature. What a convenient excuse.

Lola set down the bowl and spoke again. "Milton's been doubled over with stomach pains ever since he got home. It's possible some dark energy from you affected him..."

She trailed off, watching me, choosing her next words carefully.

"There's a venerable monk at Everhold Abbey. I need you to go to him, have him perform a cleansing rite for you, and then climb every one of the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps of the Celestial Stairway on your hands and knees to obtain a blessing charm for Milton. Do that, and we can put this whole matter behind us. All right?"

I stared at her, my eyes burning red.

"Lola Black, you and I are finished. If you want a blessing charm, go get it yourself."

I forced my battered body off the bed, trying to leave this wretched place.

But Lola blocked my path.

She ordered her servants to drag me away. They ignored my struggling, threw me onto a horse, and rode hard to the foot of Everhold Abbey.

"Take him up the mountain."

Two guards seized me, one on each side. I hauled my broken body forward, one step, one bow, one step, one bow.

Two days without food or water, freshly poisoned and wounded. I passed out and came to and passed out again along the way.

I have no memory of how I obtained the blessing charm. All I know is that the moment I saw Lola waiting at the bottom, my legs gave out and I collapsed.

She caught me and gathered me into her arms.

"Alaric, you've suffered so much. I promise, even after I marry Milton, you'll be the only one in my heart."

I closed my eyes slowly. Three days ago, I might have believed those words. Now they made my stomach turn.

"You have your blessing charm. Let me go."

But she ignored my plea and had me carried back to the cottage.

"Alaric, don't be stubborn. Tomorrow is my wedding. Milton has agreed to let you keep living in the cottage afterward. You'll stay out of each other's way. All right?"

Before she left, she added one last instruction: "The Crown Prince may attend the ceremony tomorrow. Stay in the cottage and don't cause trouble."

Shortly after she was gone, my father's covert agents found me.