The King's Mistress

Chapter 136: Unexpected Guest

Ida knew that she probably shouldn’t but she could not stop herself from doing so. The last time she saw Sierra, she was in bad shape. Though she did her best to close up her wound, there was no telling how it would heal.

"I’m so happy to see you, princess. You have no idea how worried I was," Ida said as her voice cracked up a little.

Sierra knew she was trying to hold back her tears as best as she could. Hearing the crack in Ida’s voice also caused emotions to well up in her.

"I’m so happy to see you too, Ida. Don’t worry, I had help." She said as they exchanged looks and Sierra gave her a wink.

Ida looked down at the spot where the wound would have been, quickly noticing that fresh bandages were wrapped around her abdomen.

"Is it healing well?" Her voice was still filled with concern.

"Yes, a lot better now."

"Good, good," Ida replied. frёewebnoѵēl.com

As soon as word got to her that Sierra had turned herself in, Ida dropped everything to come and see her. Most of the servants, maids, and soldiers in Vargos Castle knew who Sierra was.

She was a hot topic of gossip amongst them for various reasons. Her kindness towards those around her earned her a lot of respect.

"How’s Myra and Taita? Are they well?" Sierra asked, hoping a change of topic would take their minds off the present situation for a while.

"Both princesses are doing well. Although..." Ida was a little hesitant, but Sierra insisted on knowing.

Sierra’s disappearance from the ball, coupled with the accusations made by the assassins that were heard by multiple witnesses have led the court and some princesses to believe that she planned the assassination.

Sierra slumped against the wall behind her. She could feel the sharp edges of the rock wall pressing against her neck, causing her to shift in her seat. She knew this was bound to happen.

Escaping from the ballroom might have been one of the first mistakes she’d made since the incident.

"If I stayed and allowed them to arrest me then, perhaps things would have turned out for the better," Sierra sighed.

But she couldn’t. At that moment, there were too many things to consider. Not only so, but she would also be underprepared for what came next. The injury she suffered would also likely go untreated.

Sierra shuddered as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She did not dare think about what could happen if she did not get the medical attention she needed when she did. This made her even more grateful for Vyrena’s help.

Before their conversation could continue, one of the soldiers outside the cell hit the bars, alerting them. He signaled over to Ida, informing her it was time for her to go. If she stayed any longer, she could get in trouble.

Ida pursed her lips, she wanted to remain with Sierra, but Sierra refused to let her do so.

"Don’t worry about me, Ida. You’ve already done more for me than I could ever ask for. As for what happens beyond this point... I’ll figure it out," Sierra reassured her with a smile.

"All the best, princess. We’ll be rooting for you," Ida replied.

Shortly after Ida left some of the ministers, escorted by soldiers, came into the dungeon to see Sierra. They were initially stunned to hear that she had turned herself in.

"You did the right thing, princess, turning yourself in," one of the ministers said with a smirk.

"I didn’t do anything wrong," Sierra said defiantly, "I came to clear my name."

The ministers turned to each other, surprised by her declaration. Some tried to rile her up, hoping she would ’confess’ to her crimes while others came to gloat at her demise.

"We’ve already sent word to Cair to inform them about what has happened, they should send someone-"

"Save your breath," Sierra cut the minister’s words, "They won’t be sending anyone..."

She could tell her reply was a little suspicious, she quickly followed it up with a convincing explanation.

"Because there’s no need for that. I am innocent and I can prove it. I’ve clearly been framed."

After the ministers left, Sierra finally had a bit of peace and quiet to herself. The dungeon cell was nowhere near as comfortable as the bed in Alistair’s room, or even the one she had in her room in the Celestial Lodge.

But at the very least, it wasn’t the worst place she’s ever had to sleep in. Sierra got up to her feet carefully. Her lower back was sore from having sat on the uneven stone ground.

She lowered herself onto the wooden plank that was to serve as her bed for the night.

"Not the worst," she muttered to herself, followed by a soft chuckle as she tried to make herself as comfortable as she could.

Sierra recalled the early years of her childhood. She often slept on the cold cave floors of the forest she lived in, or up in the trees. She could never get more than a few hours of sleep each time.

"Those were the days," she mused as she replayed those memories in her mind.

She never knew how she survived those years, but she was glad she did. After she was adopted by General Leon, her life changed. She found people who loved and cared for her.

But now, she was waiting to stand trial for a crime she did not commit.

All she could say was that the world worked in mysterious ways. Sierra held out her hand. She looked at the shape of her hand under the warm light of the torch that shone into her cell.

Whatever happened next, she was grateful for everything she had so far.

"I will survive this."

The next day, Sierra was informed that her trial would take place the following day at noon. She was also served her first meal of the day. It was a bowl of gruel and a stale piece of bread.

Though her stomach growled, Sierra refused to eat it. If the trial was to happen the next day, she was certain she could survive till after. She was confident that she would be walking away from a free woman.

After all, she was innocent.

The day went by painfully slow, but by nighttime, things got a little interesting. Sierra was attempting to get some sleep when a commotion from outside the cell caught her attention.

As she sat up in her seat, she noticed shadows dancing across the wall. Someone was coming to see her. She wondered who it might be for a few seconds, hoping it would be Alistair.

But Sierra knew it could not be him, especially when she heard a feminine voice. When the woman arrived before her cell entrance with three armed guards, she still could not make out who it was.

The woman had worn a hood over her face to cover her facial features. She only took off the hood after entering the cell.

Sierra was taken aback, surprised to see who it was.

"Princess Cassandra, I hope you’ve been well." Sierra mused.