The Mad Princess and the Dying Prince novel Chapter 19

The king narrowed his eyes, studying Seraphina.

For years, he had made a habit of thwarting Jareth at every turn. Whatever Jareth desired, the king denied; whatever he loathed, the king forced upon him. But seeing Lord Marquis's daughter so desperate to marry Jareth sparked a flicker of suspicion.

Lord Marquis had always been unswervingly loyal to the throne.

Logically, Seraphina should have been promised to the crown prince or another of the king's sons to bind their families closer together.

Yet Lord Marquis tacitly approved of his daughter begging for Jareth's hand? What did the Prime Minister stand to gain?

Was it possible that playing the benevolent older brother for so many years had actually convinced Lord Marquis that he and Jareth shared a deep familial bond?

Seraphina was, after all, renowned as a brilliant scholar throughout the Royal Capital.

"If you are too ashamed to show your face, you may lock yourself in your house forever," Jareth stated, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

Gasps filled the room.

It was a brutally callous response.

Seraphina was so stunned she forgot to weep.

"Your Highness?"

The queen mother could not hold her tongue. "Which lady do you intend to marry, Jareth? Is it some tavern wench or passing acquaintance you met on your travels?"

With a single sentence, she attempted to brand his chosen bride as a woman of loose morals.

What proper noblewoman would be traveling the countryside as a man's companion?

"Your Majesty, the old king is coughing up blood!"

A frantic shout echoed from the corridor, draining the color from everyone's faces.

Simultaneously, thick, bruised clouds rolled across the sky, plunging the world into a sudden, oppressive gloom. The air grew heavy with the promise of a violent storm.

The sudden shift in the weather sent a shiver of dread through the king.

Jareth was already sprinting out the door.

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