Darius was led to the throne room by a guard, and while he was dressed in borrowed clothing, she did notice it was not the usual Braykith Blacks that covered him. Yet no red was permitted to comfort him either. Darius stood in a simple blue outfit, the cut immaculate and well pressed even though it could not have been made just for him. Someone had washed his hair and carefully dried it, so his natural curls were allowed to sit in elegant coils rather than the mess Darius usually endured for himself. Evangeline smiled, remembering how her mother would sit and restructure the curls one by one when they were children, and never complaining when he returned to her at the end of the day without a single coil in place.
He appeared more like her kid brother than ever before. They shared a look now, lost in their own thoughts and unable to speak even a greeting because Quintus had finally come to the throne room. Glais came in silently behind his father. Dressed so similar, he appeared more like a shadow than as his own man. Evangeline watched as Glais paused at his father’s side before finally taking his place beside her. Glais had no words of greeting, or even a false comfort to give her hope. Instead, he took her hand and waited.
Quintus sat on the throne, Kyleigh at his side, and together they mirrored how Glais and Evangeline stood before them, side by side. Evangeline felt the need to speak in the silence, feeling a weight on her shoulders as if every person here was waiting for her to say something. However, it seemed improper, and when Quintus finally stood she was glad that she had kept her silence.
“We have gathered for two reasons today. The first should be quick. Lady Evangeline, what is your decision?” Quintus asked.
“That my brother will stay here as Glais’ squire.” Evangeline felt the mutterings around her rise but she said nothing, and soon it quickly came to a close when Quintus did not argue against her.
“Glais, are you still willing to take the responsibility of Darius as your squire?” Quintus had to ask a final time in the hopes of somehow getting what he wanted, but he knew his son better than people suspected. Glais would stay by his word.
“I do Father. I have every reason to believe he will be an asset to this Kingdom.” Glais had reminded his father that once there had been a tentative agreement to marry his sister off to Darius. Quintus had countered that the deal was never struck, but it had been considered. That reminder was silently sitting there between them creating a ripple of tension that could not be broken. As a leader, it was important that Quintus would have to obey his own laws in all matters. If Crimah was an asset good enough for marriage, then he needed to see those opportunities still.
Quintus nodded. “As you wish. Now on to further complications, I must announce that we are planning a strike against Crimah Manor.”
Evangeline gasped, but covered her own mouth to keep from speaking her objection further. Darius seemed unmoved by the announcement. Glais reminded silent and stoic at her side. Evangeline looked up at him and knew this was not news to him. Glais had been aware of this, and he had not shared it with her. For how long he had known she could only guess.
“My spies have returned to me with a full report of Crimah and its current conditions. It appears the rebels have made the manor their temporary home. They have kept all livestock, including our own horses, and seem to believe that no one will come to complain.” Quintus smirked, and one or two of the men appeared to chuckle at the notion. Evangeline stayed silent. “My goals are simple. There are no longer any citizens of Crimah remaining in the province proper.”
“What of the priest?” Darius interrupted, getting hard stares back in response from almost all eyes in the room. “I do not want anything bad to happen to our Priest.” He added quietly, seeming to shrink right before Evangeline’s eyes.
“The leader of the rebellion has done away with him already. I am sorry.” Quintus did not seem sorry, and he rushed to continue with his plan. “It is time we send a real message to these rebels. For far too long, this rebellion has taken our land’s heart, and it is imperative that we stop this momentum before it becomes out of control.” He hushed his men as several protests came up at once.
“We will ride to Crimah,” Quintus proclaimed loudly over the murmurs and brought all noise to silence. “And we destroy all who live there and anything that remains standing. We will take our horses and lay to rest the men and women we have already lost to this plague.” Evangeline watched as the men around her started to rally with the promise of brutality in their near future. She shivered at the obvious blood lust and wondered if the Braykith curse affected more than the king and his son.
She had never witnessed so many men throw their support for vengeance behind a single cause, and it chilled her as Quintus encouraged it further. “They have taken our peace, and our men. They have threatened our crops and lay waste to the livestock. No more, and no longer, will we only bear witness. They stole my son from me, and for these reasons they will be met with our fury.”
***
Evangeline paced the sitting rooms of her chamber as Glais watched her. She had come back here as quickly as she was able and Glais had been forced to follow in her wake. She seemed unable to find words at first but once she started ranting she did not stop. “He means to destroy Crimah.” She said again, but Glais could only offer the same advice.
“He cannot appear weak. The rebels are not our only problems.” Glais reminded her, but it seemed that his answers did nothing to her mood unless he agreed with her.
“He will take all my childhood memories and kill them. He will break the house of worship, and the manor which has stood for generations. Your father means to destroy all that remains of what I once was.” She cried, and Glais went to her, carefully judging before he tried to embrace her.
“You said your farewells to Crimah a long time ago.” He said, and Evangeline nodded. “I know you never imagined it would be quite this absolute, but there is nothing to be done. We must pick the battles we face as best we can. Your brother lives safely in the castle, and you are alive and well.”
“At what cost?” Evangeline demanded, but there was no answer to be given. “Darius will still die, and your father would have succeeded in doing the things my father accused him of.”
Glais frowned. “Darius will do fine.”
“He has never seen a real battle. We are at a supposed time of peace. All Darius knows is the understanding of conflicts, not how to survive them.” Evangeline felt a justified panic rise.
“I will not be going to battle with Father.” He said, and Evangeline looked up at him suddenly. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and managed not to be mad that her concern lied entirely on her brother’s fate and not his own.
“I thought…” she trailed off in mid thought.
“With Baxter gone, it is too dangerous for Father to lose his heir. I will remain here and take care of Braykith in his absence. Should the rebels see me present and out in the open, I will become a target. They have shown already that there is no mercy for the blood of the King.” Glais released Evangeline, and she sat heavily in the seat nearby. “I am sorry to disappoint you.”
Evangeline looked up suddenly, realising her mistake too late. “I am sorry Glais, I…” There was no excuse that she could make that would sound genuine, and so she fell into silence under his gaze.
“It is fine. You haven’t made much of a point of hiding your disappointment in me before now. It would be foolish of me to think there is but a chance of you doing it now.” Glais collected his coat and went to the door.
“Glais, wait.” Evangeline stood, but the door slammed in response. She sighed and wrapped her coat tighter around herself although she felt no chill. She turned suddenly to the feeling of being watched.
Sable cringed in the corner from being seen. “I am sorry Eva for scaring you, and witnessing your fight.”
“You will come to witness many fights.” She sighed and tried to pull herself back together now she was aware that Sable was in the room. She tried to think if s
he had said anything about the curse but she was sure that her rants were restricted to only the impending war. “The real thing you must never do is share those details with others.” Evangeline tried to remain calm, but very quickly she replayed the argument in her mind but could not think of much that could allude to the real terror of Braykith. Evangeline must take more care in how she handled herself around Sable.
“I never would,” Sable promised. “Can I get you some tea, or maybe just some water?”
Evangeline shook her head. “No. No, I am fine.” She uncrossed her arms and looked back to the door. “Glais had reasons for being mad at me this time. I never once feared him leaving Braykith for war.”
“Why would you?” Sable said, cautious because she was uncertain about her role here as Evangeline’s friend but wanting to collect all the information she could in the hope of warning Christof. “He is a strong looking man. I am sure he knows how to use that sword he carries.”
Evangeline felt herself nodding, but it wasn’t the truth. “I never fear Glais dying because I am close to certain that it will never come to pass. Before we were wed, I prayed to Xado and begged him for a release from this promise. And that promise was never delivered. If Xado did not see fit to leave me without a husband then, I can not see the God’s finding an excuse for it now.”
Sable was in shock at the admission, unable to proceed but it did not matter because Evangeline sighed and went on. “I am sure all wives believe their husband will never die at war. And while most of them are wrong, I have a greater feeling that I am right. The torment of this arrangement will continue until the last of my days. It is not pretty Sable.” Evangeline said, seeing the look of surprise on her face. A small smile teased her lips, but Evangeline faltered to maintain it. “But it is true.”
“If it was such a terrible thing, why didn’t you leave?” Sable asked.
Evangeline shook her head at the question. “It was never that simple. I could never just leave. Like my brother now, I had nowhere to go. My father had given me to his friend as a show of companionship and continued joined forces. I was in no position to change that. So many of us children are pawns to our parent’s desires, and we do with that as best we can.”
Evangeline rose, and Sable remained where she was as Evangeline retired to her bed chambers alone. Sable waited a few minutes before finally daring to leave. Evangeline may feel like a pawn, but Sable could not agree. She was no pawn to Christof’s plan.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Christof emerged from the trees only after watching Sable for a time. He needed to ensure that she had not been followed. Even now he could not be certain, but there was a great distance between them, and he needed to trust her strategies. There was no time to waste, and Christof felt an urgency to expand on his newfound momentum.
“Sable. Sorry for the delay.” Christof showed her the notes that she had sent, and he had kept. “Are you really close to Evangeline?” He asked. When she had first written to him, Christof could hardly believe it, and when the information continued to flow, he had no choice but to see her in person to ensure she was not trying to trick him. Seeing her now, Christof believed every word to be true. Her hair seemed more golden than before, but it was the dress that labelled her as belonging to the crown. Christof hoped her heart still belonged to the cause.
“Closer than we even imagined being possible.” Sable smiled, proud of her work and glad to see that she still had Christof’s trust. Sable was not entirely confident that Christof would risk himself at their get together. It would have been safer if he sent a messenger and Sable would not have argued on the precautions. Having him stand before her meant there was more trust than Sable had guessed at. “Quintus is planning to come to Crimah with a large force in about fourteen days.” She sobered instantly as she relayed the news.
“How many men?” Christof questioned her.
“Not his entire army.” Sable did not have exact numbers since her information was relayed gossip, but she trusted enough repeated news to make accurate predictions for Christof. His army would be to slow, but it is more than sufficient to overwhelm our numbers.” Sable bit her bottom lip, wishing she could offer more information. “Quintus is leading the charge.” Christof rose an eyebrow. “He said something about it being a show of the Braykith power over the rebellion.”
“Oh, is it now?” Christof said with a chuckle. “That is interesting. Are they taking the traditional route?”
Sable shrugged and instantly hated that she could not give him that information. “I can only guess that he will. Eva isn’t as close to the planning as I thought she might be. Most of what I am hearing is gossip from the soldiers as they prepare.”
Christof nodded. “I wouldn’t suspect that Evangeline would be. Kyleigh may have a better idea of what is going on. Entice her into some conversation if you can.”
Sable nodded. “Of course.” She paused, stopping Christof just before he turned to leave. “Evangeline’s other helper is growing suspicious of me.”
Christof frowned. “It is too soon for such suspicions.” Scratching his beard, he seemed to be thinking before finally reaching into his pocket and handed her a small vial. “This is the same poison we used on Thea. Get rid of that girl before she ruins our plans.” Sable took it without hesitation. “We were slow with Thea. This girl needs to be destroyed quickly. A few drops will be more than enough.”
“I hope to report with more news soon Sir.” She bowed to him, and Christof took his leave, leaving Sable to marvel at the slick liquid inside the vial. It appeared clear at first glance, but with a swirl of colour that only showed up when held under the sun just so. Turning the small bottle first one way and another, Sable watched as the liquid ran slightly thicker than water would.
Smiling to herself, Sable put the vial deep in her pockets and returned to her horse. While she did not want Wick to die, she could not allow her to interfere either.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Glais sat at the same table he had sat at many times before, and yet it felt wrong. The seat that was usually Baxter’s was empty. Glais stared at the chair as if it had somehow personally offended him, and the intensity of that betrayal was yet to sway. Glais doubted there would ever be a time where he would be fine with looking at the once familiar spot at the table.
The royal family ate in silence. A strain was over them all, and Glais did not know how to break it, or if he could even bring himself to want it broken. Each person was locked in their own thoughts with such disdain on their faces, he feared to know what they were thinking. All that interrupted their morning meal was the sound of chewing and the drinking of wine to wash it all down.
Looking from his own plate to Evangeline’s, he guessed they had stayed almost long enough when the door suddenly swung open. Sable stood in the frame, frantic as she searched the room. “My lady I am so sorry.” She interrupted them, Glais and his father already standing while the women looked at her in shock.
“Well spit it out.” His father shouted, and Glais felt sorry for the poor girl who seemed to shrink just a little now that it appeared that the adrenaline was washing over her.
“It is Wick.” She said suddenly, Evangeline now standing. “I don’t know what happened. We were sitting for the morning meal and suddenly…” Sable was at a loss for words and Evangeline was already moving towards her.
“Where is she?” Evangeline asked.
“In her room. I didn’t know where to take her.” The tears sprung from Sable’s eyes, but Evangeline was already past her with Glais following close behind. He heard Sable following, but he did not care. Wick was his friend, and he always imagined her there. For her to suddenly fall ill seemed like a continued run of bad luck which had claimed so much of the castle already.
Evangeline let herself in and found Wick on the floor, obviously collapsed from her chair and too weak to move herself from where she had fallen. “Eva, allow me,” Glais said, gently shooing her away after she attempted to
move Wick and failed. Collecting Wick up in his arms he gently put her on her bed, Evangeline making quick work on the uniform to relax the ties around her midsection in an attempt to make her more comfortable.
“Wick?” Evangeline spoke her name gently, pushing her hair back from her face and trying to get her attention. Wick’s face remained motionless, much like it did during most of the times that Evangeline had spoken with her. After a moment of studying her, Evangeline could see that under the closed lids her eyes were flickering, fighting against the wave of nausea that rocked her body from time to time. “This is poison,” Evangeline whispered, looking up at Glais.
Glais frowned. “Are you sure?” he asked.
Evangeline shook her head. “I can’t be sure, but she is acting like my mother did.” Evangeline turned back to the table to see Sable standing uncertainly in the doorway. “Who brought this food here?”
“I did,” Sable answered.
“Wick always got her own food,” Evangeline said, frowning at the sudden change of routine.
“Usually she does but she was busy working on your skirts, and I was hungry, so I told her I would fetch us both breakfast from the kitchens.” Sable wiped at her eyes, cleaning the moisture onto her skirts. “This is all my fault.” She cried, but Evangeline rushed to her side, hugging Sable close and shaking her head. Sable cried harder, and Glais turned to what remained of the meal.
There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. Two bowls of porridge sat opposite each other on the small table. One was close to half eaten. However, the other seemed barely touched. Tea was set and judging by the rings in the cups, Glais would guess the women had drunk more of the tea than they had eaten. He looked over to Sable and tried to judge if her emotional outburst was genuine or rehearsed.
Delusions of Loyalty (The Braykith Series Book 2) Page 29