Free Web NovelChapter 174: Chapter 174
After the used plates were cleared from the table after dinner, Circe took a stroll out for no other reason than to clear her head.
Suspecting the queen and Prince Hairan might want to hurt her was one thing. She had always lived with the knowledge that Lamora could never truly be safe for her, no matter how fiercely Ragnar tried to shield her. But hearing that suspicion confirmed aloud was another matter entirely. It was worse, and it frightened her.
But she feared for Rowen’s safety more than she did for hers. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
The moon hung full and round above her, its pale glow softening the edges of the world. Stars shimmered like scattered diamonds across the deep indigo sky, each one winking in and out of sight as she moved.
Lantern light pooled softly along her path, guiding her steps. For a while, the only companions to her footsteps were the chirping of crickets and the constant, soothing rush of water spilling from the nearby fountain.
She passed a few patrolling guards on her stroll, each pausing to bow in greeting before moving along. Normally, there weren’t this many roaming the grounds, but since the fae wine incident, Ragnar had deliberately tightened security around the estate, particularly after dark.
Even though she frequently called him overbearing, she knew she couldn’t truly fault him for it.
Circe was certain that she would have reacted the same way or even worse had she been in his shoes and someone tried to hurt Rowen.
There were no lengths she wouldn’t go to protect her brother, even if it had meant marrying the prince that caused her to lose everything.
Although it had long stopped feeling like a punishment. Each moment they spent together, he somehow wheedled deeper through her defenses, ripping it to shreds.
Whatever was left of it now hung together by a prayer and the countless excuses she told herself daily about why she couldn’t let herself get distracted by his molten eyes and gentle demeanor. Or the way his voice, low and gruff, made her chest flutter and left her frazzled, scrambling to regain her composure whenever he intentionally stepped a bit too close.
She wasn’t sure when it started, nor did she know how to deal with it. Her attraction to him had snuck up on her like a thief in the night, and it led to her mind being filled with thoughts of him when she ought to be plotting how she would flee Lamora before she once more incurred the wrath of Hairan and the queen.
So far, she had only gotten the courage to admit it to herself alone, afraid that telling anyone else would make her feelings more real. Not even Nieah was aware, although Circe was sure that the woman had already figured it out on her own.
Circe tried not to wander too far, lest an exasperated-looking Ragnar come out to find her and take her back inside.
Sudden movement ahead proved that she wasn’t as alone as she thought. Even with the light from the lanterns, darkness still pressed in from the corners. She could easily tell it was a man, but that was the extent of what she could see of him with the distance separating them.
He began heading straight towards her the moment he noticed her.
She came to a stop when she realized he wasn’t dressed like a guard.
An irrational fear overtook her in an instant, and she had no doubt that it was the result of Ragnar’s paranoia slowly rubbing off on her. She didn’t even wait to get a proper look at him before she spun around quickly to head back inside, or at least to the closest guard she could find.
It could still be nothing, and she was just overreacting. But after being attacked three times within the span of months, she didn’t want to test her luck, not now when she didn’t have anything on her person that she could use as a weapon if she had to defend herself. Another assassin could have slipped into the estate, and she had no way to fight back.
The dagger that Lady Taryn gave her was currently buried in her chest of clothes for safekeeping.
She could use her hairpin if she was desperate enough, but it would be useless against an attacker with a knife.
But before she could make it far, he called out to her.
"Circe Valdris."
The sound of her name made her freeze in place. When she glanced behind her, she saw that he was closer now and his features were more visible.
She could now make out his pale blonde hair, similar to that of the queen’s, and the familiar lines of his face, along with the resemblance all the princes seemed to share.
Didn’t Ragnar tell her that his brother would be staying the night?
She wasn’t embarrassed about misreading the situation. Whenever she felt scared, her first instinct would always be to get to safety before anything else. freёweɓnovel.com
"It’s a pleasure to meet you again," he said, voice as smooth as silk. When he walked, he did so with all the confidence in the world.
"Likewise," she said, not because she truly meant it but because it was the only response she had to give.
He raked his gaze up her body, but the action felt more assessing than lecherous.
"It’s good to see you looking more well-adjusted," Jayran said.
"As opposed to the frightened woman you met at the wedding," Circe responded, like she hadn’t behaved like that same frightened woman only moments ago.
Jayran nodded, and it was then she noticed the small smile on his face.
"Yes, it was also a huge relief that you survived past that night. It would have been a shame to lose another sister-in-law so soon."
Dread pooled in her gut, but before she could dwell any longer on his words, she recalled something else that Ragnar said to her earlier while they were having dinner. About the queen, Hairan, and the king’s advisor having a reason to want to attack her.
She hadn’t questioned him on what he meant earlier, but now she wished she had. At least then she would understand what she would be up against. She didn’t fear the threat of dying as much as she feared leaving Rowen alone in Lamora with no one to care for him.
"Is there a reason you are wandering around the estate at night?" Circe asked.
Jayran’s smile only grew. "The same reason I assume you were. I was on my way back to the manor when I spotted you and thought I would say hello first."
"If so, then I truly appreciate the consideration." Other than being her husband’s brother, she had no other connections to him. She also had no reason to be polite to him, not after what his family did to hers. And yet... "Can I ask you something?"
He tilted his head slightly to the side, still appraising her. "I don’t see why not. And please, feel free to call me by my name."
Circe drew in a quiet breath and held it in her chest before releasing it. She could never have imagined herself going through with what she was about to do, but she had also been struggling with this and couldn’t bear the thought of passing up the opportunity of getting answers.
"Do you know why the people wanted me dead, your brother especially? Our conversation that night was interrupted, and I didn’t get to ask."
As soon as the question left her lips, Jayran’s smile faltered, and he stared at her with a strange look, like he was trying to piece together an invisible puzzle.
"Did you not know that she was his betrothed?" Jayran asked, causing a crease to form between Circe’s brows.
Instead of answers, his question only added to her confusion.
"Who are you referring to?" she asked, her confusion seeping into her words.
"The Lamorian woman who was murdered by your kingdom’s soldiers." Then something must have dawned on him a second later because the strange look in his eyes turned to surprise. "You didn’t know, did you? How is it possible that you weren’t made aware?"
Circe stayed quiet. She didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t understand a lick of what he was talking about, and it was as though he had switched to speaking another language mid-discussion.
She blinked at him, hoping he would explain or at least answer the original question she asked, even though she wasn’t sure if she would be able to fully trust his words.
He looked away from her, gazing into the distance, and a brief moment passed without another word from him. "I feel almost sorry for you. Being dragged into a war that you didn’t even understand."
He met her gaze once more. "You should speak to Ragnar about this. He will tell you far more than I ever can."
