A Stain on the Royal Tapestry

Chapter 15: A Plan Put Into Action

"Serephina..." Kaden cautiously opened the door not knowing how Serephina was going to react to him. He found Serephina sleeping curled up on the bed. She looked so peaceful, so content. Kaden frowned at his fleeting thought that Serephina had no idea the pain she was about to experience. "Serephina, wake up." Kaden shook her gently.

"Varick?" Serephina opened her eyes only to jump in surprise at Kaden's presence.

"Kaden, why...why are you here? Is Varick alright?" She stuttered out, covering herself with a blanket, face flushing

"He is fine, a bit angry but fine. I need you to get dressed and come with me right away. Varick's orders." Kaden lied. Under the belief that she would soon see Varick Serephina put on the dress that Leah had laid out for her the day before quickly as Kaden looked away. Once she was dressed she followed closely behind Kaden. Kaden lead her out the front door of the house and carefully shut the door behind them.

"What is this? Where is Varick? Are we running again?" Serephina questioned, fearfully looking up at Kaden whose blue eyes were just as icy as the day she first met him.

"I lied about Varick wanting to see you. Serephina something troubling has been told to me and I need you to know about it." Kaden did his best attempt to sound sincere, but he knew it came off more like he was spreading gossip.

"Is Varick sick? Is it Leah ..." Serephina was about to say Amber but Kaden cut her off. He did not need the spies hearing that he had a newborn daughter waiting inside. Kaden took her hands in his as though he was about to console her about something.

"No...Varick confessed something to us last night and he swore us to secrecy but I cannot go on keeping it from you because I know my wife would hate me if she knew I kept it to myself. Serephina, I am so sorry but Varick does not love you. He thought he did, he truly did but he does not care for you as he thought. He has been wrestling with it, trying to convince himself that he loves you, but he does not." Kaden shook his head sorrowfully.

"You are lying, I do not know if this is a cruel prank or not but you are lying." Serephina tore her hands away from Kaden, and went to open the front door. Kaden put his hand on the door to hold it shut.

"No, I swear on my whole family's lives I am telling the truth to you Serephina. Look at me, look into my eyes. You are just hurting him, he feels so guilty that he does not love you..." Kaden pressed on, desperate for the plan to work.

"You expect me to believe that he woke all of you up in the dead of the night to tell you that he does not love me? I do not believe you." Serephina shook her head in astonishment. It was unfathomable that Varick would confess himself to her then in only a few hours time take it all back. He was a little strange last night, but she knew that when he was on edge he would become somewhat snippy. He was terrible at emotions, but that did not mean that he did not love her.

"Serephina," Kaden sternly spoke as though reprimanding a child, "I know you see the pain in his eyes every time he looks at you. I know you have tried to convince yourself that it is his fear of love that causes him such turmoil, but it is not fear of love it is guilt. His nightmare that he could not tell you about? He told Leah,"

"She told me that it was about him losing me." Serephina bitterly interrupted. Though her voice was bitter it was also less confident than the tone she started with which assured Kaden he was getting through to her. The fact that he had known about the nightmare threw her off.

"She lied, she confessed to me that it was not about losing you, rather it was about getting rid of you. He dreamt that he never met you, and he was happy until he woke up to see you looking at him with your puppy dog eyes. It is very hard for him to hate someone who is so caring and good. He feels like he owes you for taking care of us, and for almost getting you killed. That is why he is with you."