Chapter 10
"My King," Lady Lancaster said and bowed elaborately. Next to her, her daughter mimicked the gesture perfectly and Alyx fought a scream back.
They were in the great hall and for the first time in months, Alyx was attending court. It was the only activity that Lissandra approved of, due to his health. She limited his guests and his meetings and though Lord Ethan silently glared at her when she did so, it provided a great relief to Alyx and she made sure he always made the most important ones.
Alyx nodded and Lady Lancaster and her daughter shared a look and Alyx sighed, his irritation clearly showing through.
Beside him, on an elaborate chair that was set slightly below him on the dais, Avelina squeezed his arm. It was an awkward movement and one that did not go unnoticed as the Lancaster women shared a glance.
"Is there something that you would like to discuss with His Majesty?" Avelina prompted.
Alyx was eternally grateful. In their time here, he had seen each of the royal family lose their temper, with the only exception being Princess Avelina. She was the definition of grace under pressure.
"We only wish to know, there are rumors, I'm sure you've heard," the younger Lancaster whispered in a loud voice and leaned closer to Avelina.
Avelina smiled and cocked her head but did not confirm the rumors that she herself had started.
"About His Majesty seeking a new companion, possibly a new husband?" The younger Lancaster prompted.
Avelina exchanged a look with Auelina who sat on Alyx's other side.
"I'm sure we don't know what you are talking about," Auelina said smoothly.
"The rumors go so far as to say that His Majesty has even selected his new companion. We only ask so that we might approach the tailor for proper dresses to be made," Lady Lancaster said.
Avelina glanced over at Auelina and smoothly got to her feet. She took both the Lancaster women by the arm and led them away, speaking in a low tone as though they were all the best of friends.
Just then, Eamon and Edmond entered the great hall, followed by their men. Cade led them all and headed straight for Alyx's throne. This was the first time Alyx had seen him since his latest trip, three days gone.
Alyx stood and hugged him. Around them, the court cheered at their prince's return. Cade nodded wearily at the people of the court but he looked so much older. Alyx could only imagine what his time out along the borders was doing to him. He could only imagine the anguish he was going through, looking for his brother for months now and finding nothing.
Alyx pulled away and held him at arm's length. He looked exhausted but he was clean, probably stopped to bathe before joining them.
Cade shook his head and looked down.
"I know," Alyx said and cupped his cheek. "I trust that you will find him, Cade. I do. But you must also rest or I will be forced to send Lissandra your way."
Cade gave him a weak smile and Alyx gestured for a line of servants to put the platters of food down on the long table, where Cade and Gael had seats reserved. Alyx preferred to eat with just the royal family and often did, much earlier in the morning. Being in court exhausted him and he needed the energy before his day officially began. Cade sat and the others followed suit. Alyx looked around for Eamon and found him near the back of the hall with Aldous and Lord Ethan crowded very closely to him.
"If that isn't the most unusual gathering of people I have ever seen..." Gael said from Alyx's side.
Valentine joined them and the four of them crowded even closer together.
"It got more unusual," Alyx said and raised an eyebrow.
Auelina joined the group and Gael and Alyx only exchanged a look. The four men were listening to her talk quite intently and Eamon grasped her hand and kissed her knuckles. She smiled at him and left the group and the great hall altogether, Aldous at her side. Eamon caught Edmond's eye and tilted his head to the door and Edmond left Cade's side to meet his brother at the door.
There, Eamon caught Alyx's eye and gave him a brilliant smile, one that the entire court saw, but was reserved just for Alyx, and the two brothers left.
"Well if they didn't think you were sleeping with the Crown Prince before, they do now," Gael muttered.
∞∞∞
Paige had never felt so small in her life. The odds had never been so stacked against her. She irrationally wished for Eamon and his huge presence, for Evander and his humor, for anyone to save her.
So she burst into sobs and brought her hands to her face.
"Alik, for the love of the gods, is that how you speak to children?" Margrave hissed and pulled Alik back.
Paige raised her hands to her face and felt soft arms encircle her.
"Do you know who this is?" Emelina hissed.
"No, Lady Sexton, please educate me," Alik said from the other side of the room. He sounded bitter and angry.
"This is the child that broke King Evander's men out and with the help of the barbarians rescued the two kings. And that was supposed to be her happy ending. Have some compassion, for this one child, for once in your life," Emelina snapped. She tightened her arms around Paige and that's when she heard the door open.
Paige looked up to see Josette, pale, weak, but awake and more importantly, alive, with Lady Issat's arm around her waist.
"Paige, enough," Josette said.
Paige stopped crying and wiped her face before lowering her hands to the blankets atop her legs. Emelina pulled back to inspect Paige, now that she had turned her tears off like a candle being snuffed out.
The others in the room turned to her and while there were a few looks of betrayal on their faces, Emelina's face only showed respect.
Issat led Josette over to a chair by Alik and gently helped her sit. Sweat dotted her face and she looked like she might be sick at any moment.
"What is this?" Alik asked Issat.
"She insisted. She threatened to leave and find Paige herself and then you. Really, it was for your own safety. Can we get some food in here?" Issat asked the room as a whole.
"You are fired. Margrave, arrange for a cell," Alik ordered.
"Gladly," Margrave said though he made no move towards the door. Instead he studied Paige, renewed interest in his eyes.
"Bring some food with you as well," Issat said.
"Who are you?" Josette asked Milet, her eyes narrowed. His purple cloak had not escaped her eyes.
"Who are you?" Milet countered.
The room fell quiet.
"I will fetch us food," Emelina said and stood.
"See that you return quickly," Alik snapped.
"I have to see to Lambin," Emelina protested.
"Bring him."
Emelina glared at Alik and turned on her heel.
"Milet, you can return to your post. See that only Emelina is allowed in," Alik ordered.
Milet bowed and left.
"Can we please get some answers now?" Issat asked. Paige could only imagine the questions she had peppered Josette with.
"I came to question your Prince," Josette said and winced as she tried to find a more comfortable position in the hard chair.
"For what?" Margrave asked.
"King Evander's kidnapping," Josette said.
The silence in the room was ringing. Alik stared at Josette and then to Issat and over to Margrave before he turned to Paige and then back to Josette.
Then, with a strength and speed that startled everyone in the room, Alik crossed the room and grabbed Margrave's tunic and cloak and threw him against a wall by the bed that Paige was in. She tossed her blankets off and scrambled over to Josette. The room spun a bit but she felt safer behind Josette and Issat.
The anger of men was unpredictable.
"If you did this, I swear on my brother's soul-"
The door opened and Emelina walked in with a child at her side who was clutching a book and Milet looking in. Milet looked to Issat but she shook her head and he closed the door.
"For once, cousin, I am clueless," Margrave gasped.
"Do you swear it?" Alik demanded and shook him.
"I swear it. I do not know what the spy is talking about," Margrave said.
Alik let him go and Margrave straightened his clothes with a glare at his cousin.
"Speak plainly, spy, and do it quickly. Your secrets wear on me," Alik said.
"Paige and I have been looking for Evander. There has been no sign of a body and any mention of a captive keeps pushing us further and further north. The last village we were in is on the border of your lands and the Cerith kingdom. Still, we were pointed north," Josette said.
"So you assumed that I had ordered the kidnapping of a fellow royal for what purpose?" Alik asked. He didn't sound angry; in fact he sounded more bewildered than anything.
"What else do people in power want more of? Land, people, food, currency. If you took Evander's kingdom, you could have it all," Josette said.
"If I truly wanted his kingdom, I would seduce him or his husband first," Alik scoffed yet utterly confident.
Margrave and Issat nodded, as though this discussion had already happened.
"Alik's ways are more of the dirty, underhanded, cunning type. If he were truly after the Cerith kingdom, he would have slept his way into the royal family," Emelina said.
"Excuse me," a small voice whispered at Paige's side. She jumped, not aware of the small child that entered with Emelina was now at her side. Paige looked down and was confronted with a miniature of Emelina; the red hair, the captivating green eyes, and smooth skin. The little boy held his book up and Paige felt a flush on her cheeks.
"I don't read," she whispered back.
The little boy smiled. "That's okay. Everyone always reads to me. I can read to you."
Josette glanced over her shoulder and when Paige looked up at her, she only shrugged. "We will be here for awhile."
"Come," the little boy said and led Paige back to the bed where Margrave helped them both into the monstrosity while servants filed in with food. Emelina prepared them a plate to share and the little boy was almost lost in the stack of pillows that Alik arranged for him.
"What is your name?" Paige asked.
"I am Lambin, Lady Sexton's brother. Who are you?" He asked.
"Paige. I am King Alyx's ward."
Lambin nodded and opened the book in his lap. In the background, Alik pulled up a chair by Josette.
"I can promise you that I have nothing to do with Evander's disappearance. And if I find that any of my family did, they will meet a hasty end," Alik looked over at Margrave who returned the look with a withering one of his own, "I only have the greatest affection for that lovely family. I know that I only have my words but I truly mean it."
Josette still did not look like she believed him but she nodded anyway.
"Is there anything I can do to help you find him?" Alik asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know where to begin, myself," Josette muttered.
"First, you eat. Get better. Then we will figure something out," Emelina said.
∞∞∞
"What was that all about?" Alyx asked, later on that day, when he entered Eamon's quarters. All the siblings were present and Lord Ethan was trailing Alyx as always.
"Valentine has someone valuable in his possession, someone that could give us important information," Eamon said. He looked troubled.
"Is there a problem?" Alyx asked.
"There is," Eamon said.
"What is it?"
Eamon paced. Edmond watched his older brother. Lissandra pressed her lips together.
"He wishes to speak to you," Avelina said.
"He will speak to no one else," Lissandra added.
Eamon paced still.
"Why do you not want me to speak to him?" Alyx asked.
"I think he seeks to cause you and your family pain. Valentine believes that we might send for the northern Prince's cousin. He might be able to get the truth out of him, but it's not a certain thing," Eamon said.
"Sending for Lord Margrave would take time. Time that Evander does not have. I will speak with him," Alyx said.
"Alyx-" Lissandra said.
He shook his head. "I know what the court thinks of me, what you think of me. In many aspects you are correct. But I would ask that you believe me when I say, if my stepmother prepared me for anything, it is this."
Eamon studied Alyx and he felt like an insect under a magnifying glass. He wanted to squirm but held Eamon's gaze.
"Valentine assured me that he can get the truth from this man, in time."
"Evander doesn't have time, if he lives at all," Alyx said and wanted to take his words back. Up to this point he had never admitted out loud that Evander might actually be gone. It crowded all other thoughts out of his mind at night but he refused to acknowledge it until right now. He didn't want to think that after all they had been through that Evander could actually be gone.
The silence in the room told him that his words did not go unnoticed.
Alyx nodded, more to himself than anyone present with him. "I will see this man. Have Valentine present. I would wish, with all of my heart, that none of the rest of the royal family is there."
"Is that an order, Your Highness?" Edmond asked.
Alyx closed his eyes, knew that they would feel nothing but the sting of betrayal but nodded. "It is."
They would have to understand.