Nnenna had overheard part of the fight from the hall, heart clenched.
She knew Abuchi wasn't going to back down.
He couldn't. Not while Ruth and her family were suffering. Not while he sat safe behind palace walls.
He was already plotting alternatives, she could see it in the way he paced, eyes dark and heavy with thought.
He was probably thinking about getting a marriage certificate.
A way to make their marriage official without fanfare, without ceremony.
Just to meet the conditions.
But how would he pull that off?
Ruth couldn't leave Purlit, not now. She was likely trapped or under surveillance. And even if she escaped, she wouldn't be able to reach this kingdom undetected.
Nnenna chewed her bottom lip, fingers pausing over her notebook.
She didn't know what Abuchi would do.
But she knew this, desperate people make unpredictable choices.
In the blink of an eye, before Abuchi could find another way, the kingdom of Purlit was completely lost to the king's younger brother.
