Ashley

I swallowed hard, my heart suddenly beating faster. I didn’t know what answer to give him without exposing myself. My mind raced with different thoughts and possibilities. Should I just tell him the truth?

But what if he became angry? What if instead of banishing me like I feared, he decided to hang me for lying to the king? The thought alone made my stomach tighten.

“I noticed the way Waneeka was speaking to you earlier,” he said calmly as his fingers continued massaging my feet. “It seemed like the two of you were well acquainted.”

I stayed quiet. “And Gerald…” his voice darkened slightly. “The way he was...