Catheline's POV:
A week had passed by. This morning, I had to bid farewell to my brother and Lady Michelle. As soon as the carriage left the gates of the castle, my mind returned to the last week's incidents.
My brother gifted me a box that contained all the tools for carving wood. He even brought a small horse I made in the past and flaunted it in front of Xander. My husband wanted it too and they almost fought for it. He only stopped when I promised him that I would make another for him.
And about Xander...
My face began warming already at the thought of him. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not forget that night. Not that I wanted to. Buy every time I see him, my head floats to the clouds. I waited and waited for him to open up. And at last, I finally managed to do it. We were now closer than ever because we had a bond stronger than anything. Love.
A knock on my study door made me turn around from the view of the window. "Enter,"
Soon, I faced Karra and Sir Vincent in the chambers. Karra as always looked jubilant. Though she was quite scared of the old knight, she got used to him. Everyone got used to him by now, especially Nathaniel. I was slightly surprised when I saw that both of them laughing over some jest.
"Your brother will be back here again, Your Grace," Vincent spoke, with a concerned look.
He understood that I felt upset but I responded with a dismissive smile. "I will be fine. We have more pressing matters to attend to,"
Both of them looked at each other before glancing at me again. I sighed and walked toward the table, where my parakeets's cage was kept. I chose to let them stay here. And of Ferus, I decided to train him as a messenger bird. Karra talked to the man who was responsible for this duty. He agreed and promised that he would take extra care of my hawk.
"As you know, my husband gave me a certain power," I reminded them once more, as I kept my fingers on the metal frame.
"What do you plan to do, Your Grace?"
I turned around after a quick consideration and looked at both of them. This thought had been in my head ever since that night. "I will use this power to protect this kingdom, of course,"
Karra tilted her head while the old man gave me a familiar look. I looked down, understanding what I was doing. But I was not going to take any risks.
"I may not be able to go to the battlefield and kill that scum myself..." I told them, my voice barely a whisper. "But my husband will. And I will make sure that he will live to reach that day,"
Karra looked frightened at my words and to be truthful, I was a bit intimidating. Because even Vincent showed signs of worry.
"I need to form a secret unit,"
Both of them were momentarily stunned but Vincent was quick to recover.
"You wish to establish your spy network, Your Grace?"
"Something like that," I nodded. "These people would not be just spies, but also men who can put up a good fight,"
I knew I had to have my people tell me about the situations in the kingdom. In this way, I could learn about suspicious activities and end them logically. Just like the Queen on a chessboard, I had to move in all directions and see all possibilities.
"These men will be under disguise all the time," I crossed my arms and began pacing around the room. "They will expose all the malicious ones and defend the innocents in secret,"
"We seem to have that sorted out, Your Grace," I heard Vincent say. "The King already ensures that,"
"So will I," I retorted. "I need men to follow Xander and protect him in secret whenever he leaves the castle,"
At this, the man looked stunned but recovered quickly. It was easy for him. He was not the one who witnessed my husband almost assassinated. Not once, but twice. I may be paranoid but I had to be. I had no choice. I just could not afford to lose the one in my heart, not after he revealed his feelings.
These past few days became so precious that I realized that I had to protect him at no cost.
"I have seen your husband fight, Your Grace," I heard the calm voice of the man. "He is more than competent to fight for himself. Besides, he will be with his guards at all times. No one could hurt him,"
Before I could speak, Karra piped up and looked at him. "You have no clue what the Queen had been though, Good Sir,"
Her strained voice made me stop too and I was forced to relive the months that tormented me. Even the knight seems to be at a loss for words. He surely heard of what happened in this castle.
"Her worries are natural," Karra continued sadly. "Who would want to lose a loved one? She loves the King so much that she would fight and kill for him. We have to be cautious,"
At those words, the man seemed convinced. He let out a deep sigh before looking up.
"What can I do for you, Your Grace?" he finally asked me. "I will do everything I can to remove your fears,"
That was what I wanted. I shuffled my hands to my side and walked toward him. My head was held high as I looked into his eyes.
"Gather all the loyal men you know,"
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Xander's POV:
"So...we have a problem?"
For days I awaited the news I wanted. And now that it finally arrived in Nathaniel's hands, I did not know what to say of it.
Two weeks ago, I was informed of three men who were recommended by my former agent and mentor.
Desmond Blackford.
Aaron Cressel.
Gerald Lynner.
"It is so shocking for me, Your Majesty," Nathaniel sighed, glancing at the letters in my hands.
These were the words sent by the men I was tasked with to watch over those three men and their families. It surely felt dishonorable to do such a thing but I was left with no choice. It turned out to be a good idea.
Desmond was a trainer who has already joined the royal army the moment he heard the declaration of war. He had no wife or children, but an aging mother. According to reports, he was quiet and adored his mother. The villagers had informed the spies that the man was quite agreeable and never picked up fights.
Aaron was a burly man with quite the skills of a sword. He used to be a freelance fighter before he was officially knighted by Hilan Corrington. He has no living family and is said to be loud and terrifying to look at. But a few months ago, everything changed when he saved a woman from her abusive husband. He seemed to be a good man with an intimidating aura and a sense of justice.
Both of these men had no troubles in their lives, but the same cannot be said about the third one.
"Gerald Lynner..." I said the name out loud. "Have you ever met him before?"
He shook his head. "We may not know him but he is in danger,"
Gerald resided near the Esther family's territory. He has a wife and they have a daughter together, around the age of two. He also had his mother, who lives with them. The Lynner family was a branch of noble knights and Gerald himself was a talented fighter.
But in the past few months, he had been facing some issues regarding the lands his family had owned. They were taken by a merchant and by the words of my men, they were taken by force. Not much was written here except for the fact that it was Gerald's mother who sold them. According to the villagers, he had been keeping it a secret. Or else I would have heard a report of a man who took others' properties by force.
"Send letters to the ones watching Blackford and Cressel," I looked at Nathaniel sternly. "I would like to meet these two men,"
He nodded but he began frowning. "And...what of Lynner?"
I exhaled quietly before placing a hand on my desk and giving it a thought. Having a wife and a child was something a man cannot afford to lose. That possibly could have made Gerald vulnerable to all threats. I had no intention to let him suffer.
"We need to send an entourage to the village he lives," I concluded. "We fix his problems and make sure his family is protected,"
Nathaniel seemed to like that idea. "I shall begin the preparations. But...who shall lead the team?"
I thought of it for some time. And soon, the answer arrived in my head. I smiled as I looked at his clueless face.
"I know just the one for this mission," I told him. "He is dying to prove himself ever since he entered this castle. I am sure he will be competent enough for this task,"
"But...who is that---"
Before he could finish, a loud knock on the door interrupted us. It seemed urgent and I wondered if it was bad news.
"Enter!"
The door opened, revealing a guard who held a strained look on his face. I was recognized as the one who was stationed at the gates.
"Speak, Luis,"
"Your Majesty..." the man bowed before looking up. "We have a situation,"
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The sight I saw shook me to the core. The room was noisy and filled with the cries of a woman that was mixed with that of a child.
"Summon the physician. Be quick," I told Nathaniel, who nodded and left the room as fast as he could.
It was an infirmary we were standing in. Several guards were also present, just in case a threat occurs. But I saw no threat in front of me.
"Explain," I asked, as one of the guards approached me.
"The woman was holding that man, begging for help, Your Majesty," he quickly responded. "She said that they wanted to see you and needed your protection,"
I glanced at the woman again, who held a small bundle in her arms while holding the hand of the man.
"All of you, leave,"
The guards left the chambers, which allowed the woman to feel more comfortable. She turned to look at me and when she noticed who I was, she quickly stood up and bowed.
"Your Majesty..."
"Sit," I told her, and glanced at the man on the bed. "What is he to you?"
"H-He is my husband..." she responded weakly. But she did sit at the edge of the mattress.
"How did he get into this state?"
The woman did not respond. My mind was blank and out of ideas. From what I could interpret...they were attacked. But what could the reason be? I moved closer to the bed and noticed a visible scar on the man's forehead. He must have been seriously injured before. And there was a blood stain on his shirt, possibly from a stab wound.
"Please make him live..." the woman muttered. "He is the only one I have..."
"Have no fear," I told her reassuringly. Because that was all I could do at that time. "He will live,"
She glanced at me calmly before nodding. But what I saw made me disturbed. Her eyes were blank and dead as if she had no life in her. Her blonde curls were unkempt and she kept on rocking herself, which brought my attention back to the bundle in her arms.
"Is that a child?..."
She looked up before nodding quietly. She carefully unveiled the cloth and I could see a small face of an infant, with wide open eyes. They were in the shade of the sky.
Before I could respond, the door opened, and in came, the royal physician. He bowed to me before his eyes fell on the unconscious man.
"Do whatever you must, but save him," I ordered and he hobbled toward the bed.
"I shall do my best, Your Majesty,"
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Hours had passed by. I asked the wife to stay calm and make sure to take care of her child. Whenever I saw the child...I felt something strange. A small twinge of pain in my heart.
"Make sure Catheline does not know of this," I whispered to Nathaniel seriously, as we waited outside the door.
"Understood,"
We fell quiet again and I returned to my thoughts. It was late into the evening and I worried for my wife. I did send someone to tell her that I had some important work to do and might return late.
I placed a hand on the wall, trying to calm down as I looked through the window. It was already evening and the sky began to darken. Just then, I heard the sound of the door opening.
I turned around to see the doctor approaching me. "Your Majesty,"
"Eddard," I uttered. "How is he?"
"The wound was serious but he would live," he told us calmly. "The woman and the child are fine as well,"
I felt unexplainable relief when I heard that. "Nathaniel, make sure that this family stays here and all their needs are to be attended to. Until the man wakes up, they shall stay here,"
Nathaniel nodded and after dismissing the doctor, we walked into the room. I saw that the man was patched up with linen and his wife was nearby. But she laid her child near her husband.
"Boy?"
She shuddered as she did not notice me before. She quickly stood up and nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty,"
"What is he named?"
"Lynard..."
"Fascinating," I acknowledged, just as I spotted a nearby chair.
I walked toward it and slowly dragged it toward the bed. I placed it near the edge and got to see the small infant watching me from the other side.
From what I could see, the couple were young. The child seemed to be less than a year. Seeing the little boy erupted an unknown sensation in my heart. He was a small...
I sat on the chair and motioned for the woman to sit too. Just like before, she hesitated before sitting at the edge.
"You can be assured that no harm shall fall upon you again," I told her. "You came here for protection, you shall get it. But...may I know what happened?"
The woman looked at me before sighing and looking at her husband. Surely, there was a big reason for this state of his. And to seek help from me...
As their King, I had to defend them.
"We are a quiet family, Your Majesty..." the woman began to speak. "My husband, Eustice, he is part of the royal army...We just got married last year and never made trouble for others. He was a kind man, who just wanted to serve his kingdom..."
She continued no further as she let out a sob. Whatever she said sounded like the truth. I could simply investigate her husband but wanted to hear it from her.
"Two months ago...A man knocked on our door. I was alone at home with my child b-but had to open the door. When I did, I saw some unknown man asking for...my husband..."
She stopped speaking for a few moments. I shifted my posture and leaned forward. "Go on,"
"I had no idea who he was," she managed to mumble. "He said that he was a friend of Eustice and t-that was the reason why I let him in. But the moment my husband came back, this...this man..."
At this point, she was even more hesitant to say anything. I decided to wait for her to calm down. She looked at her child before speaking.
"H-He put a knife to my little boy's throat..."
Silence fell over the room like a carpet. The only thing that could be heard was the woman's sobs. I leaned back, feeling that all of this was eerily familiar.
"The man demanded Eustice to work for them instead..." she added. "He threatened him with both mine and my child's life. My...My husband had no choice, please forgive him..."
"What did he do?" I asked, looking at her. "What did that man ask him to do?"
"I...I have no idea..." the woman admitted. "My husband kept it from me. We lived in fear every day and night. There was no one we could turn to because t-they took our child hostage. I thought I rather die than let him suffer,"
I clenched my fists, letting the thoughts of anger run through me like a river. There was only one man I could think of. There was only one man who would do this. Separating and destroying families... threatening innocent women and children...only one came to my mind.
I turned to look at the man before me. Judging by his injuries, he must have fought for his life.
"How did you escape?..."
The woman hesitated once again but did not leave me without an answer.
"We barely were able to escape..." she sighed. "A few nights ago, my husband returned...injured but with Lynard. He kept on saying that he should tell something to you, Your Majesty,"
And I could do was wait for the man to wake up.
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Author's note:
What is this new conspiracy? 🤔
I hope you liked this chapter. Please comment your thoughts, fellows! I would read them :)