Xander's POV:
She was never going to forgive me. But I truly wanted to surprise her with an early visit. And hence, I hadn't informed her of my return. I was desperate to see my wife, wanting to talk about the accomplishments she had achieved.
The twins had returned to their domain, which they did inform me of. I took a liking to them as each gave no reason to dislike them. Skilled in combat and had easygoing minds.
But I wasn't expecting to see Karra near the entrance as if she had been waiting for me and the others to arrive. Her face was pale as she bowed, looking like she had seen the dead rise.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, all tired from the journey. And then, I looked at Leon. "Did you tell her about our coming?"
Leon shook his head firmly. "I wouldn't dare."
Well, that was true. But there had to be some sort of explanation. And that was when Karra burst into an explanation.
"The Queen wanted something and hence I sent someone out, Your Majesty," she said, her voice trembling.
I decided that it was reasonable. As it was proved, Catheline had way more work than I assumed. It was important for me to talk with her about it.
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Something was wrong.
It had been an hour since I had freshened up and read the letters on my desk. I was told that my wife had been taking a bath. She never told me that she enjoyed taking long baths. Even if that was the case, what if she had been angry at me and decided to ignore me?
First, she would give me a long lecture and then slam the door at me. When she hadn't popped into my study, that was when I realized something felt strange.
Hence I decided to wait for her in our room, with as much patience as I could. Near the nightstand, I rested the two wooden figurines she had gifted me. Often, I took glances at the door, hoping that Catheline would walk in.
She didn't.
At last, I concluded that she might have been angry with me. It wasn't my intention to irritate her at all. I made myself towards her study and noticed the silent chill surrounding the halls. When I reached the door, I knocked on it calmly. Usually, Lucy or Sir Vincent would be there. But there was no one.
The eerie feeling wouldn't abandon me, even if I dismissed it. After taking a deep breath, I decided to open the door and was met with darkness. The room was empty, except for the birds Catheline loved which made noises when he approached them.
No.
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"She's nowhere to be found!" I shouted at Nathaniel.
The gardens, the summer house, and her old rooms: all the places that she could have been at were being searched. Yet there was no trace of her.
"Sir Vincent had arrived at the gates late at night with someone. But by the afternoon, he and that stranger had returned." The guard at the gate reported as he looked at the ground. "Since they held a letter sealed by the Queen, we didn't dare question them, Your Majesty."
I was losing my mind. All that was important was Catheline. Where was she?
"Get out and keep your eyes on alert," I dismissed the guard. After the man left, Nathaniel took a step forward and came up with a suggestion.
"We have to interrogate the Queen's maids, Your Majesty,"
I paused. I didn't dare to harm Catheline's companions. But I was left with no choices. "All the guards should search every inch of this castle until they find my wife. Bring Karra here,"
After a few moments, Nathaniel returned with the pale-faced girl, who simply slumped onto the floor.
"I won't ask you twice, Karra. Where is my wife?" I kept a hand on my forehead, trying to keep fear at bay.
Karra didn't speak a word. She looked up with one scared look and I got the hint. I looked at Nathaniel and gestured for him to leave us alone.
As soon as he was out of sight, I stood up. "She isn't in the castle, is she?"
The girl looked close to tears but dared to speak. "I c-can't tell you anything that would make me betray the Queen, Your Majesty."
"I know about Carlos and Zane," I revealed. "I know about everything she had done for me until now,"
Her eyes shimmered in the light, shock evident in her eyes. "Everything?..."
I looked at her calmly. "So there's more to her secrets?"
Her sight fell back onto the ground before she began sobbing. I didn't want to coerce her into answering me. It didn't seem right. But if Catheline wasn't in my arms at the very next moment---
"She has done a lot for you and this Kingdom that I can't reveal," Karra choked, shifting in her place. "All I can reveal to reassure you is that the Queen is with Sir Vincent so please don't be overwhelmed-"
"How can I calm down?" I almost shouted. I wanted to throw something at the wall. And almost did when I noticed my hands were trembling.
"Is she safe?..."
Karra's cry began louder and that was all I needed to figure out an answer. Storming out of my study, I walked outside the hallway, almost bumping into Leon and an entourage of guards.
"We found her in one of the rooms," He reported, pushing Lucy forward but slowly. The girl had to take one look at me before going into turmoil. "She was with another woman. Nathaniel is currently talking to her,"
"Where is she?"
Lucy trembled before answering. "I can't tell you that, Your Majesty. Please don't make me betray her Grace's trust..."
I was losing all the patience I had. With frustration, I ran my hands through my hair and looked at the girl once more.
"If she dies out there, you'll be one of the people I would blame," I warned her. "Don't play with me, Lucy. Tell me where my wife went!"
The maid whimpered before looking up, defiantly. "She had helped me when I contemplated killing myself. I-I can't betray her trust..." she began to cry. "But...But she- the Queen-"
Before she could say something, Nathaniel came sprinting towards us, his face in a panic.
"I had interrogated the woman, Your Majesty..." he huffed, clutching his chest. "Her Grace...she could be in danger!"
The words echoed loudly in my ears, triggering whatever memories I tried to hold back. Sick images began forming in my mind before I let every emotion run wild.
"Alert the soldiers," I ordered, clenching my fists. "We will find her and bring her back safely. Even if you have to scour the entirety of Anthreal!"
Catheline.
I couldn't lose her too.
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Catheline's POV:
We were locked in a fierce dance of swords as death hovered above us. I managed to inflict damage on him just as I received a few cuts in return.
He was efficient and quick, throwing attacks wherever he could. My left arm was bleeding lightly, but I didn't give up.
"I won't leave until I kill you!" I ran after him, as he leaped onto the bags.
"Be my guest, Lady Cassandra!" he shouted, raising his arms. I followed him and threw a slash which he deflected with ease.
Any form of reasoning disappeared from my mind. Only one word kept on chanting like a spell: kill, kill, kill. I had to. For all the sleepless nights and the nightmares, I had to vent it out. I wasn't able to think of any other thoughts than that.
"No hard feeling, Your Grace but your strikes are less severe than I anticipated," he shouted, blocking my sword on his armband with a clang.
All I saw was red. My hair was possibly in a wild tangle but I didn't care. The man jumped off the bag and slashed at my leg, but I didn't shout. Instead, I jumped onto him and kicked him back, pinning him onto the tower of jute bags. My sword was at his throat, while he held back with one of his dirks.
He was enjoying himself. The bastard.
"Such feistiness, such beauty," he shook his head slowly. "No one would expect your beautiful face to have so much anger behind it,"
In my rage, I was distracted enough to not notice his second dagger lurching at me. I had to pull away but he pulled me forward, pinning me onto the wall of sacks instead.
"The King doesn't know, does he?" he whispered. His dagger went up her mask before ripping it up, allowing the shreds to fall down her face. "His wife can fight. And can put up a good one,"
I kicked him on the knee and he backed away, clutching it with a curse escaping his mouth. Holding my sword with a firmer grip, I moved forward. Instead of fighting, he made a run for it.
We had reached the doors and he didn't stop, leaving me no choice but to chase him out of the barn. There was no one around and my thoughts were limited, only wanted to destroy the bastard running in front of me.
"Fight, you coward!" I shouted, trying to speed up. That was when I realized that the wounds I received were deep. I could already feel my left sleeve getting moist due to the cut but I had to ignore it.
We crossed the mansion and ran across a body. To my relief, it was one of the men who had arrived with the opponents. I guessed that the boy was taken somewhere safe.
"Some brave people don't fight, Lady Cassandra!" he shouted, as we reached the roads that led to the vicinity where people lived. "Some, like me, run!"
He laughed like a maniac, causing me to run even faster. This time, she was able to catch up to him and penetrate his skin with a deep slash of her sword.
They stopped running, ten feet away from each other, out of breath and bleeding. My sword was covered in blood and a few drops fell on the ground, dripping from my sleeve.
"It's over," I shouted, gasping for air but prepared to make the final move. "The soldiers are coming. They will take you and your little squad is done for,"
The man raised an eyebrow before smirking. He shook his blades, throwing away drops of dark liquid ever before sliding them back into their sheaths at his belt.
"Tonight, no one has died, no one has lost and no one won," he said, tilting his head. "We will meet again, Queen Catheline!"
I raised my head to anticipate the arrival of the guards. No one reached them. Not even Vincent. So I had to take care of this fool myself. When I took a step forward, my head started to hurt. I had to shove my sword into the ground for support. I looked at my hands and saw another small wound, seeping blood.
"Also, the guards aren't here coming for me." the man shouted one last time before fleeing. "They're here for you,"
I gave up and tumbled on my knees, trying to stay awake. Alive. But I was drowning in my sea of memories and nightmares. The sound of footsteps put me on alert. My head turned back slowly, as I heard the sound of someone approaching. The voice I heard was of someone I loved. So sweet. It made me want to stay awake.
"Catheline!"
And then, all I saw was a dark curtain.
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It was a sweet dream.
I was sitting in the gardens, imagining a time when the troubles of war were over. Each of us had been happier. A world of peace. And then, a sudden wave of violence and hatred washed them over, destroying everything.
"How is she!?"
"The Queen has lost a lot of blood, Your Majesty!"
"If she doesn't survive, don't think that all of you will walk alive!"
"Someone, please calm down the King!"
It's all your fault.
When I regained consciousness, I thought that I had been dreaming. The room was dim and for a moment, I couldn't see anything. My whole body ached, but the pain felt familiar. But when I heard voices again, I was certain that I wasn't dreaming.
I was alive.
"Never in a millennia did I imagine this, Your Majesty..." someone said. "But all the pieces fit. She always arrived whenever a problem had occurred in the past. She was here first because she had been here all along,"
A pause occurred. And then, the same voice added something else. "The news had spread like fire. We can't contain it anymore-"
"Leave," Another voice echoed. I slowly turned my neck towards the side to see the translucent curtains fluttering softly. "I want to be left alone."
I heard the other person leave, softly closing the door. My head was swirling but soon, all the events flowed into my head. The barn. The boy. The fight. The chase. Xander.
I looked at the back that faced me. He was so tense that I could see right through it. And it was all my fault. I attempted to get up but my arm stung, causing me to hiss. The sounds had alarmed Xander, as he looked back.
We stared at each other for a few moments, before he crawled closed and held my shoulders cautiously. I held onto his arm as he helped me sit. But when it was done, neither of us were willing to speak. But someone had to.
"The boy..." I whispered. "Lady Audrey-"
"Can you please not utter a word that concerns someone else?" he questioned, a little too loud for my ears.
I restrained myself before sighing. "I never meant..." No, I better change my words. But I had none. I had no words to defend myself.
As the silence grew louder, I felt Xander moving closer and felt his hand cup my cheek. It almost drove me to the verge of tears.
"Until last night...I thought I didn't have much to be afraid of," he said. "You've shown me what fear truly is, Catheline."
I didn't dare to look at him. "I didn't mean for you to find it out that way..."
"I admire your wit and bravery." he laughed lightly, not allowing me to speak. "You were never the one to be intimidated. Never be afraid to use your voice or power to do good. But you were also sensitive. If someone hurt you, you remember it for a long time."
He paused before finally looking at me. He was beyond exhausted. He looked suffocated. I was at a loss for words.
"I was told that you had done a lot for me. And it was true. You changed me to become a better person. I was stubborn as a mule but you had your way to convince me otherwise. I love you, more than I love myself."
"Xander..." I mumbled, trying to reach out his arm but he held it back.
"It was you. A year ago when a masked woman appeared in the city, it was you. When I was almost assassinated, it was you. When the castle was under attack, it was you. You were the one who broke the news of my uncle, it was all you! Tell me, am I wrong?" he questioned, his eyes wide.
My head began trembling before I nodded properly. "Yes."
"Was it you who killed William Sunter?"
"Yes," I admitted, tears rolling down my cheeks. "It was me,"
He laughed, a bitter one. "I should have known. At that time, no one bore a greater grudge at the man than you did."
He closed his eyes before letting his arms drop. "Karra once told me that you would do anything to protect me. I never imagined that you would as far as to fight for me. To die for me..."
Silence prevailed over us like fog. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see his expressions or read them.
"You almost died, do you know that!?" he suddenly yelled, causing me to flinch. "What did you expect me to do? How am I supposed to live without you, Catheline!? How am I supposed to even live as a normal being if that happened?"
"Just hear me out!" I shouted, moving my knees too quickly, causing me to wince. "I'm sorry that I have scared you-"
"You didn't just scare me," he interjected. "Without you, I almost would've been destroyed! First my parents, and then Daraa-" he paused as if he had an epiphany.
We caught each other's gaze for a long time before he inched closer. "She knew."
I looked away, knowing that I didn't have to lie anymore. He clutched his forehead, trying to grasp it all in.
"Xander, please listen to me," I held his arm. "I have nothing to say for my defense. I'm fine now, you don't have to worry for me,"
"From now on, I probably should worry even more," he lifted his head. "You promised me on the day of Daraa's funeral. That you wouldn't leave me too."
He held onto my hands like he had done many times before. But this time, they felt different. They were shaking.
"Look at what you've done..." he said, hammering guilt into me further. "I'll never forget it. I can never forget the time you almost bled to death in my arms. That I almost lost you. That I wasn't able to protect you."
My tears dripped down my face like a river of guilt. I had been so overconfident about my victories that I hadn't considered a defeat.
No one had died. No one had lost. No one had won.
"The boy is reunited with his mother," Xander spoke, letting go of my hands gently. "I've sent them back safely. Vincent had killed the men responsible for the abduction,"
Not all of them.
"We will meet again, Queen Catheline!"
"I need to go," Xander said abruptly, moving away from me. "Your other identity has been exposed. I have to convene the council for discussion and assure them that everything is alright,"
So this had been their plan all along. To reveal to the world who I was. To create chaos in the kingdom once more. To scar Xander once more.
I scrunched the duvets, closing my eyes shut and trying not to weep. I lost this time. I messed up. I almost broke Xander's trust in me.
At least, we had no more secrets from each other.
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Author's note:
Happy 100 chapters- oh wait, this isn't the time to celebrate 😢