Free Web NovelChapter 449: Chapter 449
The palace gates had long since disappeared behind him, swallowed by distance and the slow rise of the outer roads, but Ragnar did not slow his pace. His horse cut steadily through the winding path that led away from the heart of the capital. The further he rode, the more his interaction with the queen played in his mind.
The tension he had left behind within those walls did not fade with distance. It lingered, following him even now.
He should not have come. Whatever he had hoped to gain on his visit had been denied to him before he could even set foot inside the king’s chambers. And yet, something about the encounter sat wrong with him.
Nheera felt nothing but contempt for him and she was never shied away from showing him how much she despised his existence but earlier she had shown a level of rage he wasn’t used to seeing from her. He wondered what could have provoked such an intense reaction from her.
His grip on the reins tightened slightly.
Behind him, faint at first, then growing clearer with each passing moment, came the sound of another horse.
Ragnar turned just enough in the saddle to glance over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as the familiar figure emerged along the same path, riding fast to catch up with him. The distance between them closed quickly.
Ragnar brought his horse to a stop as he waited for his younger brother who was currently riding towards him.
Jayran wasted no time. He swung down from the saddle the moment he was close enough.
"I need a moment," he said, his voice edged with urgency.
Ragnar studied him for only a second before he nodded. Without argument, he dismounted as well.
"What is it?"
Jayran took a step closer. His expression was tight. His usual cavalier and easygoing attitude was nowhere to be found.
"You came to see father," Jayran said. It was not a question.
Ragnar’s gaze sharpened slightly. "I did."
A brief pause followed. Then Jayran breathed a sigh.
"You didn’t know when you came, did you?" he asked. It all made sense now.
Ragnar’s posture shifted, the faintest hint of confusion creeping into his face. "Know what?"
Jayran held his gaze as he answered. "Our father collapsed."
The words sat heavily between them.
Ragnar had gone perfectly still, like a marble statue.
"He was dining with us and some nobles when it happened," Jayran continued. "One moment he was speaking, the next, he had fallen to the floor. Everyone who was there was warned before they left the palace. Threatened into silence." Jayran’s jaw tightened slightly. "The royal physician was called. He examined father and confirmed that he had been poisoned."
The wind moved faintly through the trees lining the road, but neither of them paid it any mind.
"How is he doing now?" Ragnar’s expression did not shift, but something in his eyes hardened.
Jayran watched him for a moment before continuing.
"He hasn’t woken properly since," he said. "There has been no improvement in his health. We are already preparing for the worst."
"And the queen?" Ragnar asked at last.
Jayran let out a quiet breath.
"She has taken control of everything," he said. "The palace. The court. Every decision passes through her now. As if she’s been waiting for this."
Ragnar looked away for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the distant road ahead, though it was clear he wasn’t truly looking at anything in front of him. He was still trying to process every word that Jayran said.
"And you think she had a hand in it." Ragnar probed.
Jayran did not hesitate.
"I think it would be foolish to believe otherwise."
Jayran stepped even closer, worry flashing in his eyes.
"You need to be careful," he said. "If she did this... if she is willing to go that far..." He held Ragnar’s gaze, firm and unyielding. "She won’t stop there. You are an obstacle to her. Whether you like it or not. And if she intends for Hairan to take the throne..." He let the thought finish itself, though his meaning was clear.
He glanced back the way he had come, as though measuring the time he had already spent here.
"I can’t stay," he said. "If I’m gone too long, she’ll start asking questions." frёewebηovel.cѳm
Ragnar gave a slight nod.
Jayran hesitated for the briefest moment, then added, "You deserved to know. Bastard or not, you are our father’s son." freewebnoveℓ.com
Then he turned, stepping back toward his horse. In one fluid motion, he pulled himself back into the saddle, gathering the reins.
"Safe journey back to Amris," he said.
Ragnar inclined his head once. "Thank you."
Jayran did not linger after that. He turned his horse and rode back the way he had come, the sound of hooves fading quickly into the distance until it was swallowed entirely by the quiet.
Ragnar remained where he was.
The road ahead had not changed. The world around him remained as it was. And yet, everything had shifted. After a moment, he reached for the reins and pulled himself back into the saddle.
Then, without another word, he rode on.
***
Circe lay beneath the familiar weight of her covers, staring as the flickering candlelight cast shadows along the ceiling. Her body was tired but her mind was still very alert, lingering stubbornly on thoughts that kept her awake well into the night.
Eventually, her eyes fell shut and the world slipped away but when she opened her eyes again, it wasn’t the sight of her chambers that greeted her.
The room around her was unfamiliar at first. Circe’s gaze moved slowly across the space, taking in each detail with growing unease.
Then recognition settled in almost immediately as she recognized it as one of the rooms in the cottage. The one she and Ragnar had stayed in weeks ago.
But something was wrong.
The room was mostly the same, but some of the details were different. A chair sat near the window and a small wooden table was pushed too far to the left. Even the woven rug beneath her feet bore a different pattern than the one she remembered, along with so many other differences.
Circe did not move from where she stood, tucked into the corner of the room. Her presence there felt untethered, like she did not belong in the moment unfolding before her.
