Chapter Eighteen
It had taken a week, but Alastair was certain that they had gotten every secret door in the castle, his certainty reassuring Scarlett of their safety. They had combed through every room and sealed every secret door they’d found. Although, there seemed to be less than he’d originally thought.
For that, he was quite thankful. The lack of doors meant that Rhys only had a few options of getting back into the castle. None of them would be particularly easy.
He let out a chuckle, turning serious again as his thoughts went to their still missing queen.
Alastair had heard rumors over the last few days that Prince Owyn Breams of Malachite Expanse, had been receiving letters of some kind. Owyn had done his best to keep word from getting out, but that had been impossible, as it was the first news they’d had of the queen since she disappeared.
A few days ago, Alastair had received a message from Owyn, asking to come to Elfyre Hollow because they had information that just might help them find the queen. He had no doubt that the information was connected to the rumors going around.
He had sent him a message encouraging Owyn to come as soon as he was able. Alastair only hoped he would come soon.
Alastair sighed softly.
He’d sent a messenger to Cobalt Lagoon with half of the last bottle of antidote; Brigid was having too many issues creating the antidote properly. With the antidote in her possession, her scientists should be able to create more. He also had sent word to the hospital to check if there was any antidote on the island. So far, they had not had any luck, and that made Alastair worry greatly. He wasn’t sure how long they could hold off with what they had. They might be able to keep her alive for a couple of weeks at best, if given the same doses that they estimated she’d been getting.
Anything other than that and she’d only last a few days.
Frustration rose up, choking him. He coughed and leaned against the wall, confusion filling his heart.
He had never cared so much about a person before, with the exception of his parents, and it scared him.
But the thought of losing her to this poison made him physically ill, as if he would lose his stomach over it. With a start, he realized what had happened—he’d gone and fallen in love.
He was so shocked that he leaned back against the wall.
Now he knew. How to tell her? He wanted it to be special, and something she remembered. His proposal was lackluster, but to tell her he loved her, that was going to be made special.
A few hours later, Alastair sat in his study when a knock came at the door.
“Come in!” he called, looking up from his work to see who it was. When he saw Scarlett standing in the doorway, he stood quickly, coming around his desk to meet her.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, leaning against the desk as she made her way into the room.
She shook her head and held out her hand to him. In it was a note, addressed to Alastair.
“Bard came and gave this to me and asked me to bring it to you. I am not sure why though.”
With a shrug, he took the note, opening it and reading the contents. When that was complete, he looked up at her, hope in her eyes.
“It is from Owyn. He writes to let us know that he is on his way here to us. He also says that he is bringing Princess Elsa Dormhnall of Dewberdeen. I didn’t know King Ethan had a daughter, only a son.”
“For her safety, they probably didn’t reveal her existence.” Scarlett looked away, then back at him. “I do know quite a few Dormhnall relatives and they all spoke of Everett only. How lonely she must have been growing up.”
Alastair smiled at her remark, always thinking about others. Of course, that was just one thing he loved about her. One of many.
“There must have been other children on the isle for her to play with,” he stated, “There was also her brother.”
Scarlett nodded her head in agreement.
“That is very true,” she murmured, going to sit down. He followed suit and sat down, folding the note back up and placing it in his pocket.
He looked at her and felt desire light inside him, making him shift uncomfortably. Turning to face her, her asked, “Are you nervous for them to visit?”
She thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “I think that I am definitely worried about what information they will bring with them. It could mean that I am the true queen or that Catriona is alive and needs to be rescued.”
She looked at him directly in the eye. “My preference is that she is alive and healthy. Setting up a rescue is not a feat that is something we can’t accomplish.”
Alastair nodded in agreement. “We just need to find out where she is and if she is alive or not.”
Scarlett expected to feel her heart drop, but when it did not, she was surprised. Maybe it had been so long and they had spoken about Catriona possibly being dead that she seemed to have become desensitized to it.
“Just have to keep the faith,” he said, resting his hand on hers. “We will make it right.”
“I hope you are right,” she murmured, “I truly do; for all our sakes.”
A knock announced the arrival of someone at the door, and they both looked over.
“Come in!” Alastair called, the door opening and Bard poking his head in.
“My Lord, I received a letter for you,” he said, walking over to them and handing the note to him. “It looks like it came from Everett. It was hand delivered by a man that Ronald knows. I was told it contained important information about the queen.”
Alastair opened it quickly and read it, looking up at Scarlett in shock.
“She is alive. Everett said she is being held captive on Obsidian Ridge. However, she is being guarded by a former Knight of the White. She is safe in his care, and he has no doubt that he has already come up with a plan to get her out of there.”
He continued reading while Scarlett waited with bated breath.
“Everett was not able to get out alone; there were too many guards. He is certain, however, that the man inside is someone we can trust.”
Alastair looked up at her and couldn’t help but smile. “She’s alive.”
Scarlett nodded and started to sob, throwing her arms around Alastair as she did. With a chuckle, he held her tightly as she cried, her tears of joy and relief matching the relief he felt deep in his heart as well.
Scarlett paced nervously, her heart pounding as they waited for Elsa and Owyn to arrive. She kept looking at the study door, waiting for Bard to come in and announce that they’d arrived.
“Scarlett, would you please come sit down?” Alastair asked, concerned that if she didn’t sit, her panic would escalate and she would pass out on the floor.
“I don’t know if I could sit still for more than a moment,” she whispered, coming to sit down in one of Alastair’s office chairs.
He smiled. “Remember, Catriona is alive. Anything they have will only be helpful.”
“You are right,” she whispered again, making his smile brighter.
He looked back down at the papers on his desk and went back to work.
A few minutes later, a knock came on the door, Scarlett’s head snapping around. Alastair raised his hand to stop her from getting up.
“Come in!” he called. The door opened and Bard entered the room, leaving the door open.
“My Lord,” he said, “They have arrived. I escorted them to the parlor where they are waiting now for you.”
Alastair looked at Scarlett, her eyes filled with anxiety. “I will be there shortly.”
Bard nodded and left the room, leaving them alone again, tension in the air.
“Are you ready?” he asked, standing up and heading over to her chair. He reached out and took her hands in his, clasping them tightly.
“I’m ready. Let’s go,” she said, squeezing his hands tightly and standing up. “Just give me a few moments and go ahead.”
They both walked out of the study, Alastair still holding her hand. He let it go a moment later and smiled, heading to the parlor. Scarlett stood there for a few seconds, waiting to go into the parlor, calming her nerves.
Alastair walked into the parlor and held out his hand, Owyn walking over and shaking his hand when he said, “Prince Owyn, it is nice to see you again.”
Owyn smiled and turned to his guest.
“Prince Alastair, this is Princess Elsa Dormhnall of Dewberdeen. She is sister to Everett Dormhnall.”
Alastair watched as Elsa stood and curtsied. He was struck by how lovely she was; her hair blonde as the wheat that grew on Obsidian Ridge and her eyes the loveliest lavender color.
His perusal of her was broken when she said, “It’s nice to meet you, Prince Alastair. I have heard many good things about you. Where is Queen Scarlett?”
He smiled and replied, “She will be here in just a moment. She wanted to make sure she was presentable for our guests.”
He knew it was a lie, but he didn’t know what else to say.
Owyn and Elsa both chuckled.
“I feel the same, as I am the one who usually greets anyone when they arrive at Braewood Keep,” Elsa said, sitting back down on the couch.
It was Alastair’s turn to chuckle. “Well, I hope she gets here quickly. We have much to discuss,” he said, reminding them all of why they were there.
When he saw her coming towards the parlor, he stepped away from the door. He didn’t sit down yet, and Owyn and Elsa both stood as Scarlett came through the door. Alastair shared a reassuring glance with her as she came in, shutting the door behind her. Elsa and Owyn both bowed and she waved them off with a smile.
“I am not your queen,” she said, chuckling. “I’m really not even the interim ruler of the kingdom right now. The real queen is Catriona, not me. So please don’t treat me as such. I keep telling everyone that, but no one seems to understand.”
“They only call you that because right now, it is true. If we find your cousin and it changes, then they will call you otherwise,” Alastair said.
Scarlett rolled her eyes as she sat down on one of the couches opposite from Elsa.
“So, Owyn, tell me what you have discovered.”
Scarlett sighed, emotionally drained.
She watched in silence as Owyn and Elsa excused themselves from the parlor, their talk having gone over an hour long.
Owyn had informed them of everything they knew, including information about her uncle and his knowledge of the kidnapping. He had only done it to save himself, and that was what made her the most upset.
Alastair and Scarlett had also informed Owyn and Elsa that Everett had sent them the letter containing the information about Catriona.
Scarlett had been surprised to hear that Owyn had Elsa help him for the majority of the time, examining and breaking the riddles codes to give the true location of the queen.
When Owyn had described the meeting with Angus McBride, even she had been anxious.
All the evidence pointed to Cyrus, but they knew they would need more than a riddle from Angus, and even though Everett had seen her with his own eyes, it would be his word against Cyrus’. And from what Everett had heard, he didn’t want to let them examine the castle, potentially finding the queen there and proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Cyrus had indeed kidnapped her.
The knowledge that there was a friend on the island taking care of Catriona reassured everyone.
They would need to find out what Brigid knew, if she knew anything, before they would trust her. Which was completely understandable, given the circumstances in which the situation came about.
Who knew if Cyrus was working alone or not?
Scarlett had trouble thinking that he did this himself; it would take a lot of planning, and she didn’t think that Cyrus had the patience.
According to Alastair and Owyn though, in their dealings with him, he could be a very patient man. He just wanted more power.
Alastair moved in the room and Scarlett snapped to attention, drawn from her thoughts.
“I’m glad they came,” she said, happiness filling her heart with the knowledge that confirmed that Catriona was alive on Obsidian Ridge.
“I am as well. I find it interesting though, that Angus McBride chose Owyn to send the letters to. Why not here to us?” Alastair concurred, moving from the arm of the couch to sit next to her.
Instinctively, she leaned into him, his arm going around her and hugging her tightly to him.
“I have no idea. Maybe he felt he could only trust Owyn? Maybe to protect me? To keep me from knowing for now so that I wouldn’t get involved?”
He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “You are already involved. As the acting queen, you are the next target. Art cannot remove it just by saying he is ruling the kingdom now. Everyone knows that unless the law is passed, he will not be king. You will be queen, especially if the Counsel of Electors refuses to let there be an election.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “Can they do that? Keep an election from happening?”
He nodded. “They would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are not fit to rule though.”
He thought about it and considered it for a moment.
“If we had not already cleared him of involvement, you would think your uncle was behind all this. Just to become king again.”
He shook his head in disgust.
“Don’t worry, I will not let him be king again. If we are not able to get Catriona back alive, I will take over and rule the kingdom as queen. I refuse to be bullied out of the throne. Even if I didn’t want to be there in the first place.”
She smiled up at him and asked, “Will you be my prince consort?”
He chuckled and leaned down and kissed her lips. “I will.”
She made a disgruntled sound when he moved to get up. “You need to go upstairs and get some rest, my dear.”
When she yawned, he laughed, making her frown.
“That was just a coincidence,” she said as she stood. “I was only yawning because you said the word rest.”
“I believe you,” he said, but the glint in his eye told her he was lying.
“I will come up and check on you later, all right?” he asked.
She nodded and went to leave the room, halting before she got to the door.
She rushed back to him and kissed him once more, breaking the kiss and walking quickly from the room.
Alastair stood there for a moment as she left, shocked a little bit by her boldness.
It was nice though.
He laughed and headed to his study, knowing there was some work waiting for him there.
Hours later, Scarlett lay in her bed, her mind replaying their conversation over and over. She was almost overwhelmed by the knowledge that her cousin was alive. She knew that they would be willing to put together a search party or a small army to get her back. Scarlett could only hope that they were right about Brigid, and that she was on their side.
Scarlett sighed and rolled onto her side, staring at the wall. In frustration, she punched her pillow, unable to actually understand why she was so frustrated. She sat up and then stood, heading to the window to look out at the moon and stars. They were so beautiful, and she was sure now that Catriona could see the same sky.
“Good night, Catriona,” she whispered, walking back to bed and laying down. With one last sigh, she pulled the covers up to her chin and drifted off to sleep.
A few moments later, a dark figure slipped into her room, the clear vial he held in his hands glinting in the moonlight from the open curtains.
He walked slowly over in the darkness of the room and noticed a glass of water sitting on the nightstand next to her. He opened the bottle and was about to pour the liquid in when he heard a sigh come from the bed. He halted where he was and waited for the room to quiet once again.
He tiptoed towards her glass and reaching out, he poured a small amount of liquid inside the water glass, picking up the water and swishing it around a little bit to mix it together. The liquid had no taste or color, so it was undetectable.
That’s what made it so easy.
Just like getting in the castle had been. All he had to do was dress up like a guard and he had been able to sneak in. He had had to rely on other methods since they had sealed all the secret doors.
Putting the glass down, he went to leave the room when he heard the door knob turn. Panicking, he hid behind the closed curtains of another window, leaving a small gap opened so he could see.
The door opened and Prince Alastair walked in, holding a candle in his hand. He walked over to the queen and put his hand to her forehead, a look of relief coming over his face.
Rhys had to hold in his laughter as Alastair made the queen sit up and drink some of the water from the same glass he had poured the liquid into.
It was working perfectly.
Now all he had to do was give her a big enough dosage and the man in black would be king. It was just a matter of time. And he was a very patient man. He was nervous, however, that he would be found out. So even though he had patience, his time might be running out.
He decided then to give her the large dose, large enough to finally be rid of her.
His attention was drawn back to the other people in the room when someone moved. Alastair stood and headed out of the bedroom door, shutting it behind him. Rhys crept out from the curtain and walked over to the cup, opening the vial and pouring the entire contents of it inside the glass.
He kneeled down at the edge of the bed and grabbed the cup, pressing it to Scarlett’s lips. Scarlett, still mostly asleep, opened her mouth and drank the liquid, emptying the cup. Rhys’ feeling of victory was short-lived as Alastair came back into the room, surprising him.
“You!” Alastair shouted, making Rhys drop the cup. The glass shattered when he dropped it on the floor and stood slowly, stepping away from the bed and the now awakened lady inside it.
“Alastair…” she whispered, sleep and fear in her voice.
“Don’t worry, My Lady, you will not have to fear for your life much longer,” Rhys said, the words sending a chill down both Scarlett and Alastair’s spines.
“What did you do?” Alastair snarled, staring at the man through the dim light in the room. He was able to almost see him due to the candle he left in Scarlett’s room.
“I did what I was told,” Rhys growled, then rushed into the sitting room and out of the bedroom, leaving Alastair and Scarlett alone.
With one last look at Scarlett, Alastair gave chase, rushing out the door he had just come in and down the hallway. He called out to Ronald when he saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs, letting him know that Rhys was in the castle.
Ronald shouted that he had seen him and that he was going after him now, and that Ragan had already headed out after him. Alastair rushed down the stairs and out the door, following Ronald as he trailed Ragan and Rhys. Rhys reached the halfway point on the bridge, halting for a moment, then taking off when he saw that they had given chase. He took off again as Ragan gained on him.
He reached the market before Ragan and then he disappeared into the darkness. Ragan, Ronald, and Alastair halted at the edge of the marketplace and Alastair said, “Let him go. This way at least we know that he is not in the castle anymore. We need to get back to Scarlett. When we get back, make sure to close the gates.”
Ragan gasped out between taking deep breaths, “Yes, sir. Just take care of Scarlett.”
Alastair clapped the heaving man on the back and sprinted back to the castle, running as fast as he could to get back to Scarlett. When he finally arrived, both of their mothers were in Scarlett’s room, fawning over her to ensure that she was all right. He was relieved when she looked fine.
However, he did not want to take any chances so he called for Bard to bring the antidote. Bard brought it quickly and Alastair gave some to Scarlett, the lady in question taking the medicine in haste.
“Everyone go back to sleep,” Alastair said, reassuring Babette that if there was any change, she would be the first person to be told. Reluctantly she left, heading to tell Graham what happened.
Antoinette kissed Alastair on the head before heading out of the bedroom as well.
Alastair sat in the chair next to her bed and reached out to take her hand, squeezing it tightly in his. He could see her clearly now with all the candles that had been lit in her room.
“You will be all right,” he whispered, more for his benefit than hers. Scarlett squeezed his hand in return.
“I know I will. I have you to take care of me.”
He smiled as brightly as he could and leaned over, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he tucked her back in bed.
“I’ll be right here,” he whispered. She whispered something unintelligible and fell back asleep, surprising Alastair. Usually after something scary like that, she would not be able to sleep.
He was suddenly very worried.
An hour later, his worst fears were confirmed when Scarlett became violently ill, her face pale and drawn. She threw up for almost a whole minute. Alastair was unable to do anything but hold her hair back as she retched.
He called for Bard to come and when the old man arrived, he asked him to ask Owyn to come here so he could speak with him. The old man nodded and headed to get the prince, running as fast as he could without looking like he was running. Alastair couldn’t help but chuckle, even if it was inappropriate. The old man was nothing if not dignified in everything he did.
A few short moments later, Owyn, Bard, and Elsa appeared in the doorway. He was going to ask why Elsa was there, but the look on Owyn’s face told him not to ask.
He looked at Scarlett, doubled over in pain, and asked, “We need to go to Malachite Expanse. There is a mineral there that is the main ingredient in this antidote. Would you want to accompany us home or stay here?”
Owyn looked at Elsa, and then back at Alastair. “We will accompany you. I have my boat, The Comte, already docked. We could be ready to leave by tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Alastair said, helping Scarlett back to lay down.
“Will she make the three-day journey?” Owyn asked, not reassured by her pale face.
“I will,” Scarlett croaked out, making Alastair smile. “This Rhys and the man in black will not get rid of me that easily.”
“Shh… Rest. You will not be if you don’t have the strength to fight it,” Alastair murmured.
Owyn chuckled. “We will see you all in the morning.”
Elsa and Owyn left the room, Elsa remarking as she did, “My life has become much more exciting since you came along.”
Both Owyn and Alastair laughed, Owyn’s laughter fading as Bard left, shutting the door behind him.
Alastair looked down at Scarlett when she grabbed his hand. “You give me strength,” she whispered.
He kissed the hand he held and sighed, praying for her health, and selfishly for himself. He could not lose her now; not after all that they’ve been through. He refused to let her go without a fight.