How To Train Your Witchy Self

(10) Doubts, Betrayal And Melted Ice Cream

Raees had been in a number of difficult situations, but this was a quite a unique one indeed.

Never, in the centuries he had spent in this world, had he ever eavesdropped on someone. Not that he hadn't spied on his wife before, he had. But that had been for her protection, or out of the sort of curiosity one had no control over. But this? Out of mistrust and suspicious? Never.

He stood outside her door, invisible. He couldn't let the guards know what he was doing. If they thought, even for a second, that he didn't trust the Princess, they would never accept her as their ruler. And he couldn't risk that.

He also couldn't let the Princess keep the secrets she was keeping, especially something that could not only endanger her, but also the rest of the kingdom.

So he was left to do something so embarrassing, so demeaning, that he couldn't help but feel a strong pang of self-loathing.

The walls of the room had been sealed to prevent any sort of spying, and the spells were strong enough to do so.

The casters just never factored in his strengths, or the bond he shared with his wife.

In their defense, who could have foreseen this?

"Just don't do it, OK? Just don't." He suddenly heard her say.

What was she trying to stop? Was she in danger? Should he just go in?

He didn't hear the other voice, he didn't think he would. But it wasn't long before the Princess went on one of her rants.

"Does the Sun rising make me happy? Does the Earth spinning on its axis make me happy? No. Because I EXPECT these things to happen-" She was cut off. "Sure!"

She sounded... happy. She was happy. Excited. Whatever she was involved in, she wasn't being forced, nor was she suspicious of her new ally, or even accusing, as she had been when she'd first come back to Antaria.

Who was she with?

It was a while before he heard her again. "Possible. But they wouldn't leave something like that lying around for us to find."

To find. She was helping someone find something in Draconovia. Something she believed (or was convinced) she couldn't simply ask for.

For the thousandth time, he wished he could just talk to her directly. If this had been just a game to him, he would have. But it was a path too dangerous to take. If word got out that he did anything that could sway the trial in the direction of her favour, he would be considered biased by the council.

And that would make saving the brat from her own stupidity very difficult indeed.

"The spymaster." He heard her ask, "What's a spymaster?"

Spymaster? They were looking for the spymaster? Raees nearly grinned. Not too difficult after all. Until his uncle got his own trial and his fate was decided, all paths to the spymaster would lead to him.

Things could very well work out naturally. And then-

"And if it wasn't? If Nex is wrong?"

And in that moment, all the hope he didn't even know he was harbouring shattered.

Nex. The King of Denvia.

The enemy.

Despite not having any proof, Raees had strongly believed that it was Zelaina who had helped the Princess. By retaking her body, she had given up her power to be invisible to all who did not have the Minervan blood, but what did he know of Minervan secrets?