The Queen's Guard

Chapter 18

           

She was standing by a window, and when he stopped, shell shocked, she turned to face him, a sly smile curving over her lips.

     "Ryder," She whispered. 

     He crossed the room in three steps to stand in front of her. She tilted her head up—she was almost a foot shorter than him—and clasped his hand. He could feel the cold metal of her wedding ring, and it helped bring him back to the present.

     "Lucinda," He said, unable to help the smile that came to his face. She was just as radiant as he remembered—her yellow hair was pinned up to her head, her brown eyes lined subtly in black. Her dress looked expensive—but then, she'd always had costly tastes. "What brings you to the palace?"

     She drew back from his grip and sighed. "Oh, I was passing through Amidia and decided to stop by and visit you. Can we go out to the city? It looked so delightful when I arrived—or are you needed here?"

     He hesitated, glancing out the window and then back at Lucinda. "I can spare a few hours," He replied cautiously, reminding himself that Juliet would be all right—she'd stay in the library, and nothing was going to happen to her there.

     "Wonderful." Lucinda smiled, and he followed her out the door. He still hadn't completely realized that she was there—Lucinda was in Amidia, come to visit him.

     Neither of them said too much as they left the palace and walked to a small restaurant several blocks from the castle gates. Lucinda ordered a sandwich, but Ryder didn't ask for anything. 

     "It's been a while," Lucinda said after they'd sat in silence, staring at each other. "How have you been?"

     Ryder shrugged. "Well enough, I suppose. I've only been in Amidia for just over two months."

     "I heard you're guarding the queen." Lucinda's eyes twinkled. "I'm proud of you, Ryder."

     A small headache was forming behind his eyes—the initial shock and excitement from hearing she was arriving was wearing off, replaced by the hurt he'd carried with him for years. 

     "How's Noelle?" He asked, naming Lucinda's husband. She blinked, as if he'd surprised her, and sat back slightly.

     "He's fine," She replied. "But, Ryder..." She sighed and didn't continue.

     "What is it?"

     She looked up at him, her long lashes fluttering. "I didn't come to talk about Noelle."

     He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Suddenly it felt like the day she left him was yesterday—he didn't want to sit in this restaurant and make small talk with her. Not when she'd caused him so much hurt. "What did you come to talk about, then?"

     Looking hurt, she started playing with the napkin on the table. "We used to be friends, Ryder. I've missed you—I just wanted to catch up."

     He reeled in his temper with a sigh. "I know, Lucinda, I just can't—"

     "You used to call me Luce," She said with a sad smile. "Gods, how things have changed."

     He didn't have as good of a hold on his temper as he'd thought. "Things changed when you told me you wanted to learn to love Noelle and left me behind."

     She recoiled slightly. "Ryder, I didn't want to disappoint my parents."

     "That's what you said then, too." He took a deep breath. He wasn't as hurt as he had been, he realized—now he was mostly angry at her with playing with his emotions like this. Angry at her for coming to Amidia and disrupting him and Juliet—he hadn't thought about Lucinda in months, and as soon as she arrived, he got all flustered? He didn't like it. 

     "I'm sorry I hurt you," Lucinda said quietly. "It hurt me, too."

     "I know it did." Ryder traced the pattern of the table with one finger. "It just feels like it didn't, and for years I've just...hated you for that."

     She reached out, like she was going to put her hand on his, but he pulled back and shook his head. 

     "We've both moved on," He told her. "We were friends, once, but that all changed when we fell in love, and now I don't think we can be friends again with all that behind us."

     She nodded, looking thoughtful. "I...I agree." She blushed slightly and looked out the window. "I think I was just hoping...I don't know what I was thinking." Suddenly she frowned, and her attention followed her gaze out the window. "Something's going on."

     Ryder turned to follow where she was looking. People had started hurrying through the streets, nervously shouting to each other and keeping their heads down. He got to his feet, aware of Lucinda following him out of the restaurant. Almost instinctively, he turned towards the palace. It looked the same as it always did, but something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.

     Someone dressed in the royal colors hurried by, their head down. Ryder grabbed the woman's arm when he realized it was a servant. "What's going on?" He asked roughly.

     Her face was white as she glanced over his shoulder at the glass castle. "Rebels broke into the palace," She whispered. "They've—they took some of the royal court as hostages."

     "What happened to the queen?" Ryder demanded, trying not to squeeze the woman's arm.

     Her lips were trembling as she whispered, "No one has seen Queen Juliet since the attack."