Betrothed Read Online Free

kissed Seri on the cheek, his large hand clasping her shoulder. “Ah, my lovely Seri. Did you make your money?”
    A wry smile tugged at the corners of Seri’s mouth at his flirty manner. “Enough to buy a few things to keep us fed for a couple of days,” she said. “These Athonites seem to like Josdi’s needlework, and that gave us enough for a good deal of flour and a bit of butter.”
    Jovis snorted and shook his head, biting into a newly bought apple that made her mouth water. “Athonites are a wasteful bunch, are they not?”
    Rilen touched her cheek in a possessive gesture, then looked back at Maester Grimald’s booth. He moved closer to her, his eyes on one of the guards that strolled nearby. “Do you have anything for me?”
    So it was true, then. Fear clenched through her. If Rilen was messing with the rebels, he’d be in danger, and so would she, by association. “Rilen, I don’t want you fooling with those people. It’s dangerous.”
    “You’d rather live as a slave for the rest of your days, then?” His mouth twisted and he gave her an impatient look. “We do this for all our people, Seri. Not just you or me or Jovis.”
    She sighed. It was futile to argue with him. “Tomorrow. Noon.”
    Rilen’s eyes gleamed. “Good girl. So did you buy yourself something pretty for our handfast? It’s only a few weeks away.”
    “It’s hard to buy material for a new dress when your stomach rumbles, silly man.” She took the sting out of her words with a teasing smile. “I spent my coins on supplies instead.”
    “I know you work too hard.” He took her hand in his own and turned it over, displaying the calluses like a shameful badge before pressing a kiss onto her palm. “When you become my wife, that will change.”
    “Does your family not eat?” She smiled and snatched her hand away for the second time that day. “Why is it everyone is fascinated with the state of my hands?”
    A possessive look swept over Rilen’s normally laughing features and he took a step closer to Seri, his eyes searching her face. “Who else has been touching you?”
    Uneasy, Seri moved to the far side of her mule, trailing a hand along Bialla’s rump as she did so. “No one important. A lady from the castle made me a proposition, that’s all.” She laughed to make the words light.
    He wouldn’t let it go. “What sort of proposition?”
    She made a show of tightening the worn straps on Bialla’s harness. “Nothing much. She wants to show off at some ceremony they’re having a few days from now and wanted a little Vidari lapdog at her side to draw attention to herself.” Seri was unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. “Offered me three dru for the sevenday, too.”
    “A sevenday?” Rilen glanced over at Jovis, who took another bite of his juicy apple. “And you’d live in the castle?”
    “I believe so.” Seri eyed him with unease. The Rilen she knew would have pitched a fit at the thought of her debasing herself for a few Athoni coins. Instead, he stroked his chin, regarding her much in the same speculative fashion that Lady Mila had.
    Seri grew uncomfortable at his gaze. “What are your thoughts?”
    “Think, Seri,” he began, following her around the mule and taking her hands off the harness to squeeze them. “If you’re inside the inner walls of the palace, you’ll have access to everything that goes on inside. Everything that we can only wonder about.” His voice grew excited.
    Oh no. Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t understand, Rilen. I would be a plaything for one of their spoiled ladies. A mockery of our people dressed up for their enjoyment.”
    “Let them laugh! You can find out what the big celebration is for and what the prince intends. We can use this knowledge for the rebellion!” Excitement danced in his eyes and he wrapped her in his arms. “Say you’ll do it, Seri! Think of the things we could learn! You’ll be responsible for helping to free our people from the yoke of