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She glanced at her fu sister

"Tell you what isn’t true?"

"You idiot Did you marry him?"

"Yes As I told you I would"

Channary made a furious noise in the back of her throat "Then you will have it annulled, and quickly, before the whole city finds out"

"I will not"

"Then I will have him executed"

Levana snarled "No, you won’t Why do you even care? I love him I chose him It’s done"

"So love hiuards" Channary gestured toward the wall--beyond it, the white city of Artemisia "Do you kno many of the families I have proies in place We need their support We want them to feel invested in us as rulers, and for that we need to make alliances That’s hoorks, Levana That is your only role as a part of this fa it"

"It’s too late I won’t change it, and even if you did kill him, I would never marry to please you I would rather die"

"That, too, can be arranged, baby sister"

The sea by Levana’s ankles The woman wisely kept her eyes diverted and pretended not to be listening

"Then you would have nothing to bargain with, so why bother?" Lifting her head, Levana forced a sht you a replacement princess to be wed off to whoever it pleases you You’ll just have to wait another sixteen years"

"Another princess?" Channary guffawed "You uard and a seamstress? You think any one of the families ant her?"

"Of course She is ave birth to her h, no one will even remember she had another mother, or that Evret had another wife"

"I suppose that’s been your ingenious plan all along"

Staring at the wall, Levana said nothing

"Have you even thought what you’re going to do with the little brat?"

"What do youto do with her?"

"You don’t actually intend to … raise her, I hope"