The King's Mistress

Chapter 186: Listen Close

The plans were a long time coming. She had been waiting for the right moment, and now seemed like the time to do so. It was a ruse. The fainting spell was all part of the plan. It was time for her to make her grand exit, and lead the life she had been yearning for with Diane.

The look on Alistair’s face said it all.

"Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell any of us?" He whispered in a low voice.

Roxine smiled weakly, the pill she had taken was taking its full effect on her body.

"It was for all of our safety. There are too many listening ears in the castle," She held onto his hand.

"I don’t know when’s the next time we’ll meet, but promise me one thing, Alistair," she said in almost a whisper.

"Anything, Roxine, anything."

She smiled at him as she asked him to lean in closer.

"Make Sierra queen."

With that, Roxine closed her eyes and fell into a deep eternal-like slumber. Miss Marionne, who stood by the side, came forward to tap Alistair on the shoulder. She handed him a letter, written by Roxine for him.

"Her Highness had left with me all necessary instructions from this moment forth. With your blessing, Your Majesty, I will see to it that everything is done. After which, I will ask for your permission to end my service in Vargos Castle."

Alistair read the letter in haste. In it, everything that was to happen was listed down in great detail. She truly had everything planned out accordingly. In the distance, Alistair could hear the hurried footsteps of the healers who were only just arriving.

Their entry was purposefully delayed. It was all part of the grand plan.

"You have my blessing and my permission, Miss Marionne. I hope that you will serve her well," Alistair replied to Marionne as she got back up on her feet.

"As for me...," he sighed as he walked over towards the door, "It’s time for me to play my part."

He lit the letter alight on the nearby candlestick, watching the papers turn into ash. With the first knock on the door, the first words of the healers who’ve arrived, Alistair opened the door.

With a heavy heart and a grim look on his face, he announced, "There’s no need for your services any further. Queen Roxine has passed on."

~

Sierra and Ida were on the road, just two days away from Cair when they heard of the news. The knightess and her maid exchanged glances in shock as they got up from their seats in the tavern and got back on the road.

"Could that just be a rumor?" Ida whispered to Sierra as they saddled Macadamia and Midnight.

Sierra shook her head, "It sounds legitimate."

According to the news, Queen Roxine had been suffering from an illness for some time. She succumbed to its complications, dying peacefully in Alistair’s arms. It was unlike any of the plans Sierra had discussed with her.

She wondered if perhaps something had gone wrong. Sierra pursed her lips as she tightened her hold on the reins. She felt guilty. If she was there with Roxine, perhaps things would have been able to go according to plan.

She remembered all of their previous encounters with vivid clarity, up till their very last conversation. Perhaps she had simply missed all the signs.

"Let’s go," Sierra said in a soft whisper as she put up her hood. freewёbnoνel.com

They took to the road once more, but this time it was a little more somber.

Distracted by her own thoughts, Sierra failed to notice they had been followed. By the time she sensed that something was amiss, it was too late. She had fallen into a trap.

’We’ve been surrounded,’ Opal hissed, her voice echoing nervously in Sierra’s mind.

The knightess cursed beneath her breath. Sierra and Ida did not have an advantage in numbers. But that didn’t stop Sierra from facing them head-on either. She removed her hood, while Ida kept her head low.

"Is there something I can help all of you with?" There was not a hint of fear in her voice, it was cold and monotonous.

She got a good look at all of them. They were all on horseback, wearing leather armor that was ill-fitted. The weapons they carried weren’t of great quality either. They weren’t soldiers or mercenaries. A band of thugs who thought the two young women were easy picks.

"If you don’t want to get hurt..." the ringleader of the bunch spoke while pointing his sword at Sierra, "I suggest you come quietly with us, little lady."

Sierra smirked as she glared at him dead in the eye as she taunted him, "What do you plan to do?"

All of the men drew their weapons, pointing them at Sierra and Ida on horseback. Ida yelped, her heart was pounding in her chest. Though she wished to protect Sierra, she knew for certain she was no match for this number of opponents.

Opal hissed angrily at the men, making curses of her own about them. Sierra could feel that agitation from Macadamia too. But before she could decide what her next move would be, one of the horses came up a little too close to Macadamia.

Feeling the rising anger of her stallion, Sierra tightened the grip on her reins as Macadamia kicked back at the horse behind him. Startled, the horse lifted its front hooves off the ground, sending its rider falling to the ground.

This caused the rest of the horses to be spooked too, throwing the thugs off their game. Taking advantage of the distraction, Sierra launched her own attack. She drew her swords and got up on Macadamia’s back. She leaped forward.

"Ida, close your eyes," she instructed before raining down upon her first victim.

Ida did as she asked immediately. All the maid could hear were the blood curdling cries of their enemies, followed by heavy thuds. Her curiosity got the better of her, so she peeked through her fingers.

Sierra swooped down on the thugs without mercy. Each of them came at her haphazardly, none of them could match her.

Just then, Ida felt someone or something grab her leg. She yelped and kicked her leg back. She hit something hard, but did not dare see what it was.

"Ida!" Sierra yelled as she came to her maid’s aid at once.

In her fright, Ida had kicked the thug unconscious, but there was another who attempted to drag her off Midnight.

"Don’t you even think about it!" Sierra yelled as she grabbed the man by the back of his collar, spinning him around to face her instead.

Eventually, she subdued them all, no one was left alive. Sierra was panting, gasping for air. Her skills were not what they used to be. Being in Drakin without proper regular training had made her sluggish.