You and Cardan are left alone for a moment. With everything going on, there was a lot on both of your plates. You were still adjusting to becoming High Queen of Elfhame and his wife. You decided to spark conversation.

"Madoc says you will duel for love," you say.

"Whose?" he asks, frowning.

There is no banquet too abundant for a starving man.

You shake your head.

"It's you I love," he says. "I spent much of my life guarding my heart. I guarded it so well that I could behave as though I didn't have one at all. Even now, it is a shabby, worm-eaten, and scabrous thing. But it is yours." He walks to the door to the royal chambers, as though to end the conversation. "You probably guessed as much," he says. "But just in case you didn't."

He opens the door to prevent you from responding. Abruptly, you are no longer alone. Fand and the rest of our guard stand ready in the hall, with the Living Council waiting impatiently beside them.

You can't believe he said that and then just walked out, leaving you reeling.

You were going to strangle him.