Instead she felt only despair. But she was not so petty that she would parade her feelings for all to observe—rather, she kept them locked away. Her husband was gone again. Every day he had somewhere to go, and always with Altor and Jane. This time he had been gone for nights, and even though she knew he was doing good for the country, she was growing weary of the pitying glances. Where is your husband this time? Why doesn’t he attend these meetings or functions with you? Why, Athena, do you do everything alone? She was sure her husband was in love with someone else. She felt it in her breast—a sad longing for something that was not hers and never would be. It was becoming clearer who that other person might be. It stunned Athena to realise how obvious it was, how oblivious she had been to the truth. And it made her realise how impossible it was going to be for her to have him. It didn’t matter anymore that she was his wife. The binding meant nothing if it was not made in love.So in the morning she dressed and went down to the stables to saddle her horse.
