Chapter Two
Scarlett stood in the middle of the small outdoor courtyard and kicked the dirt, muttering to herself about everything. It had been a week and Scarlett became impatient and irritated with their lack of progress. Alastair had warned her that it would take time but Scarlett was sure they would had heard something by now.
There was nothing for them to go on. No ransom note had arrived at Ciomodors Garden asking for a large amount of Royal Litas. No one had claimed responsibility for the disappearance.
Alastair had told her that the chief guard Bradford had told him he felt personally responsible for the loss of the queen, but Alastair had assured him that the queen had acted for her kingdom, not for herself.
Scarlett was sure that was no comfort to him. It would not have been for her either.
She kicked the ground once again and threw her hands up in the air. Scarlett had implored her uncle to let her search all the castles, but he had told her not to, as he didn’t want to offend anyone.
Alastair had offered to let her search his castle to make her feel better and she had done so.
It hadn’t been much of a search but he had opened every door and had made sure to not hide anything from her so she would know she was safe.
Feeling another wave of frustration coming on, she stopped moving and closed her eyes, feeling the morning sun bathe her in warmth. She focused on the positive things in her life and breathed deeply, feeling the frustration drain away and her body relax.
Opening her eyes, she looked right at Alastair as he walked into the courtyard, a smile on his face.
“Are you all right, My Lady?” he asked.
She nodded and said, “I am. I still have worries about what is going to happen. I am frustrated though by not having any information. Did anything come this morning?”
He shook his head. “There were no messages about the abduction. I received a message from your uncle asking me if we had any information about the abduction.”
She looked at him, curious. “Did you send anything back to him?” she asked.
“I did not. I was going to talk to you first,” he replied.
A bright smile came across her face and he felt like the sun shined brighter than before.
“I think that we should send him a brief message letting him know that we are still working on it,” she said, walking over to a small bush and leaning down to smell a small white bloom.
“I can have one drawn up for you to look at. I want to make sure that you see everything so nothing can make it out without your approval.”
Scarlett laughed. “Thank you. I appreciate it,” she said, handing a bloom to him.
Alastair chuckled and sniffed the small bloom.
“With this situation you must take any and all precautions; no one has come forward and said it was them. Right now, we don’t know who we can trust.”
Scarlett had to agree.
“I don’t know who to trust right now apart from yourself, My Lord. If the kidnapper is one of the island leaders, who do you think it might be? I have heard only good things about you, Brigid, and Owyn, but not so much about Cyrus Gray. What is your opinion of him?”
Alastair looked her directly in the eye and said, “I think that there has been a great wrong done to him and his family, making them bitter. I know that when Cyrus was born, his mother’s husband had already been dead several years and his mother ruled Obsidian Ridge. No one has any idea who the father of the prince is, and the princess wouldn’t give his name. Even when the Counsel threatened to dethrone her for her brother, she still did not waver. I admire her for that; it is rumored that had she told, the entire kingdom would have collapsed into chaos.”
Scarlett listened to the story, her heart going out to the young woman who ended up a widowed mother to a fatherless baby. It was no wonder that the boy was bitter.
“Finally, the Counsel gave up their search and left her alone, but not before the nasty whispers began. Even though she was a widow, she was still ridiculed harshly by many people. The princess had married her husband when they were both young so they thought they would live a long happy life but he got sick and died. My mother told me she was a beautiful woman. I am not surprised that a man would find a way to charm his way into her bed. We men are fickle that way.”
Scarlett smiled and nodded. “Take heed, however; that woman can be just as fickle as man,” she said, the look on his face making her laugh.
“Women are fickle? Imagine that to be true. I have heard much on the fickleness of women but never believed it until now,” he said, walking the opposite direction around the courtyard.
Now it was Scarlett’s turn to look astounded by his statement.
“So, My Lord, you mean to tell me that you never believed women could be as fickle as men until right now when I said it to be so?”
They reached the double doors leading back inside the castle at the same time, the nearness of him unnerving her.
Her heart started racing as he stepped close and whispered, “I am. Although I am still wondering if it is true.”
Scarlett felt shivers running up and down her spine and spreading through her whole body.
Alastair pulled away from her ear but his face was still close to hers, a heat in his green eyes she had never seen before.
Scarlett let out a small sigh as Alastair leaned down and sealed her lips with his, putting his hands at her waist and stepping closer to her. Scarlett’s heart stopped as his lips melded and played with hers, the tender play heating her blood to boiling. Her amber eyes drifted shut and she rested her hands on his forearms, not pulling or pushing.
Alastair groaned as his mind screamed at him to let go and walk away.
His body wasn’t listening to his heart and instead, stepped closer to her, bringing them in full contact with one another, his arousal pressed against her thigh.
The faint sound of the door handle being opened penetrated Alastair’s lustful fog surrounding his brain. With a curse he let go, breaking the kiss as he stepped away.
The doors opened and Bard stood there, a look of surprise on his face when he found them both standing in front of the door.
“I’m sorry, My Lord; did I interrupt you?” he asked.
Scarlett blushed and looked away, her lips as red as her cheeks.
“Just a debate on the fickleness of women, Bard,” he said, looking around at nothing.
“Yes, sir. I do apologize but there is an urgent matter at Elfyre Hospital that needs to be attended to,” he said, stepping back out of the way.
Alastair nodded. “Yes, well, that means I need to be going.” He looked at Scarlett and smiled. “I enjoyed our debate. We must do it again. My Lady, please excuse me.”
With that, he bowed quickly and took off, Bard following a short distance behind him and leaving Scarlett all alone in the courtyard.
Scarlett stood standing in the doorway after Bard and Alastair left, wondering what had just happened. She looked at the door and then around at the castle surrounding her and sighed.
Scarlett jumped when a maid opened the door in front of her. She blushed and ducked her head down and rushed inside and up to her room. She slammed the door behind her and leaned against the door, her heart racing from her exertions.
Leaning her head back against the door, she sighed, then looked up when someone cleared her throat. She looked up at the voice and saw Melody standing next to the armoire with a handful of ribbons.
“Your Grace, are you all right?” she asked, setting the ribbons down and walking over to her. She rested her hands-on Scarlett’s shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes.
Next to Catriona, Melody was the only other person she could tell everything to.
Scarlett took a deep breath and said, “Lord Alastair… he kissed me.”
Melody’s jaw dropped open and Scarlett smiled.
“He kissed you? What was it like?” she asked, grabbing her hand and dragging her over to the bed and plopping them down on it.
She had such an excited look on her face that Scarlett almost didn’t tell her, just to make her more impatient.
“It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I got warm and my legs went weak. I don’t know what would have happened had we not been interrupted.”
Scarlett looked down at her hands and Melody put hers over Scarlett’s.
“It’s a good thing that someone did interrupt you. You don’t know what could have happened. He is a prince and you are acting queen.”
Scarlett looked up at Melody and she smiled. “I may be acting queen, but I am still a woman,” she said, making Melody laugh.
“That is true, but right now is not the time to be one. Now is the time to be queen.”
Scarlett stood up and started to pace, her frustration overflowing.
“This is so frustrating to me! Why haven’t we found her yet? My uncle has been sending messages every day wanting to know if we have any information. Am I wrong to think that Uncle was not involved in this? The Counsel said he was able to be king again if there was an election.”
Melody smiled at Scarlett.
“You know your uncle was not involved. He might be badgering you for information because he wants to take care of the kingdom. Right now, the kingdom is in chaos and he just wants it put to rights.”
Scarlett sighed, knowing that Melody was right about her uncle.
Tears filled her eyes when she said, “I miss her. It has only been a week but I miss her desperately.”
Melody stood and walked over to Scarlett, putting her arms around her and hugging her.
“It will be all right. Prince Alastair will find out where she is and return her to her throne where she belongs.”
Scarlett hugged her friend tightly and took as much comfort from her hug as she could. Melody pulled away when a knock came at the door and she went to attend to it.
Scarlett sat down at the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror as Melody spoke to the guest outside her door. A moment later, Melody thanked the person she was speaking to and shut the door. Scarlett watched her from the mirror as she walked over to Scarlett and set down a folded piece of paper in front of her.
“This just came for you, My Lady. It was delivered in a locked box with a key and unlocked by Prince Alastair himself and walked up to us by Bard. I was told to let you know so that you knew it was secure.”
Scarlett picked up the letter and looked at her name written on the paper. It was written in handwriting she’d never seen before.
“Were you told who commissioned this letter for me?” she asked.
Melody shook her head.
“No, My Lady. I believe Bard said a small card was sent with it, but Prince Alastair did not share what was on it with Bard.”
Scarlett nodded.
She pulled the note open by breaking the wax seal, and started to read.