Free Web NovelChapter 49: Chapter 49
It didn’t take long for Circe to find Rowen.
She had barely turned the corner at the end of the hall when she caught sight of him sitting alone on the marble steps of the grand staircase, his small figure hunched slightly forward, elbows resting on his knees. The moment he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, he turned around, eyes lighting up as soon as he saw her. A wide, relieved grin broke across his face.
He stood and rushed to meet her, running straight into her open arms.
" You took so long. I was worried." He said, still wrapped tightly in her embrace.
Circe wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "I know, I’m sorry," she said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. "You know I would have come back sooner if I could."
Rowen nodded.
Circe crouched down slowly so they were face to face, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes. She wanted to look him in the eye, and wanted him to know he had her full attention. "But I promise," she said firmly, "the next time I have to leave for that long, I’ll let you know ahead of time. I’ll make sure you’re not left wondering. Is that okay?"
Rowen gave a small nod, his expression thoughtful but relieved.
She was beginning to straighten back up when he suddenly grabbed her arm to halt her from doing so. Her brows drew together in concern.
He leaned in closer, voice dropping to a whisper.
" There is someone in the forest." He said.
Circe furrowed her brows. " What are you talking about? And why were you out in the forest to begin with?"
" I missed you and I wanted to go after you. I wasn’t thinking." Rowen said, sounding sheepish. " But I’m telling the truth. There was someone else in the forest with me that night. A woman. I heard her voice with my own ears."
Circe’s frown deepened with every word out of Rowen’s mouth. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him, she couldn’t detect any lies from him so she knew he was telling the truth. It was the fact that he had snuck out of the manor and went undetected even by Kostia. Something bad could have happened, he could have gotten lost or been attacked by a wild animal and no one would have known. fгeewebnovёl.com
She tried to keep her emotions from showing on her face. Rowen was perceptive, too perceptive. One slip up from her and he would immediately know where her mind had wandered off to. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
" It could have been one of the maids or even Nieah out there that night." Circe said, trying to rationalize the entire situation.
" It wasn’t them." Rowen said adamantly. " It was dark and there was a strange fog that night but I know what I heard."
Circe’s blood turned to ice. She recalled the conversation Ragnar had with Casilo and Gonan. They mentioned a fog. A fog that had been snatching people off the streets of Kezer.
She grabbed Rowen’s shoulders, her grip a little bit too forceful. She made him look into her eyes. Her voice, when it came, was low and strained.
"Rowen, listen to me," she said, eyes locked onto his. "Don’t you ever do that again. Do you hear me? Don’t go into the forest. Not alone, not at night. Not ever." Circe warned. Her tone left no room for argument. Her hands trembled slightly, and her gaze was intense, not with anger, but with fear. There was too much she didn’t understand about what was happening lately, too many variables slipping out of her control. And the thought of Rowen wandering alone into something unknown, something possibly dangerous...
She didn’t let herself finish the thought.
Rowen nodded, eyes wide. "Okay, I won’t. I promise."
She exhaled. Her fingers relaxed and she ruffled his hair in an attempt to soften the moment, to hide the sheer panic that still curled tight in her chest.
****
Nheera sat regally upon a plush high backed chair in her atrium, surrounded by her ladies in waiting. The chair resembled a throne with its intricate carvings and the way it was adorned with delicate gold filigree.
She swirled the wine in her goblet, watching the crimson liquid catch the light before raising it to her lips for a slow sip.
Her sharp gaze drifted across the room and landed on Irah, who was seated alone at the far edge of the chamber. The distance between them was no accident. As her chief lady in waiting, Irah’s place was traditionally at the queen’s side. Everyone in the room knew this. They also knew that to be pushed away from that place of honor was the clearest sign that one had fallen from grace.
Some of the women chose to ignore Irah altogether, pretending she was no more than a piece of furniture. Others cast her the occasional pitying glance, careful not to let the queen catch them doing so. They understood the unspoken rule of court life: losing the queen’s favor was the worst thing that can happen to any high ranking official. To be cast aside so unceremoniously was a wound few ever recovered from.
A sharp, urgent knock sounded against the double doors at the far end of the room. One of the ladies-in-waiting stood without needing instruction and glided over to open them. When she returned, she was followed by a man dressed in the livery of the palace messengers. He halted a few paces from the queen and bowed low, his posture stiff with unease.
" Your majesty, Prince Ragnar and Casilo have left the palace. They took their horses and the Westerian princess along with them." The man said and Nheera’s goblet stopped halfway to her mouth
" What did you say?" The question alone made the man take a few steps backwards. It carried the weight of command, slicing through the room like a blade.
The intensity of Nheera’s gaze was like ice shards digging into his flesh.
The man’s voice trembled. His head was still bowed low, too afraid to meet the queen’s gaze. " The prince and his wife are no longer in the palace, your majesty. They rode out together earlier this morning."
Before Nheera could speak again, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed into the chamber, heavy and unhurried.
" Now why on earth are you scaring the poor man when all he did was deliver a message."
Nheera looked up and saw Laheir ambling towards her, an air of indifference clinging to him like a cloak. He didn’t knock before entering or even waited to be ushered inside, he just stepped in like he owned the place.
An involuntary scowl darkened Nheera’s face as he drew closer. She knew him too well, had known him far too long to be deceived by the mask of indifference he wore so easily. Beneath it, she could see the glint of amusement and something far colder.
" You knew about this." She said, the accusation clear in her tone.
When Laheir came to a stop in front of her, he did not bow before her nor did he offer any words of greeting.
" You may go now." Laheir said to the man who was still bowing, watching him hurry out the door with a grateful nod of thanks before returning his attention to the queen. " Yes, I did. I was there when Ragnar sought the king’s permission to leave."
You knew," Nheera repeated, rising from her chair, the sheer force of her displeasure making the ladies around her stiffen. "You knew, and you chose not to tell me."
" I don’t answer to you, Nheera Osbourne," Laheir said evenly. He made sure to hold her gaze as the words left his lips. "I answer only to the king."
A dangerous spark lit up her pale eyes. She placed her goblet down on the marble table with an audible clink. Her rage was palpable. It was in her hardened gaze, the stubborn set of her jaw, and the stiffness of her posture.
"I am the queen," she hissed. "And you will show me the respect I am owed."
Laheir’s tone remained maddeningly calm as he spoke. "You are the king’s wife, yes. A distinction that, as we both know, is not permanent. Tell me, Nheera, how long do you think it would take the king to replace you if given the chance? How quickly do you imagine he would jump at the opportunity?"
" Are you threatening me?" Nheera asked, her voice tight with outrage. Her expression darkened, fury coiling around her words.
" No," He said, " that would be beneath me. I am simply reminding you of your place. You are not as untouchable as you pretend to be and at the end of the day, we can’t change what we truly are. And you, my dear Nheera, will always be the daughter of a lower ranking lord who lied, killed, and schemed her way to the throne."
