72. Seventy-Two - The Queen’s Messenger
Seventy-Two - The Queen’s Messenger
Ana
Viggo keeps muttering things about his sister as he and Penny help put me back together.
Viggo had dragged me into bed the moment Penny had left.
He had soothed me to sleep and I have not woken up completely yet.
“Who is Kaelen?” They had shared a look when Penny said the name.
“She is one of the Queen’s guards.”
“Why is she here?”
“Aside from wanting to talk to you, she hasn’t said.”
They share another glance and I don’t like it, but I am dressed.
We need to go.
Blicks meets us at the bottom of the stairs. “She is demanding to see the mistress on her own.”
I see Viggo tense, but before he can object, I press my hand to his chest. “It’s fine. If I need you, I’ll call for you.”
I step inside and Blicks closes the door behind me.
The elf waiting for me is stunningly beautiful, but she watches me like I’m prey she doesn’t want to startle.
“Hello, Ana.”
“Hello, Kaelen.” She laughs, but I only know it because the chains on her uniform sway with the movement of her chest.
“What is it that requires my immediate, undivided, and private attention?”
“I just wanted to see what kind of human you were.” She holds up an envelope. “I could have handed this off to Blicks without stepping through your irritable dryad.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
She smiles. “Kirra was right about you.”
“In which way?”
“There’s something strange about you.”
“Something? Neither of you can decide what?”
Her lips part and for a moment I think she’s going to tell me, but she doesn’t. She hands me the letter—it’s stamped with a golden seal—and leaves without another word.
At least, without another word to me. There is a commotion in the hall, but I don’t go watch or listen. I snap open the letter as the conversation devolves to bickering.
It is a summons.
Kirra did what she told Viggo she would.
I read the request over twice. It’s a quick set of lines. Details without emotion.
I hand it to Penny as they rejoin me—Kaelen ostensibly gone—and sit on the sofa she had just occupied.
“We’ll go to Kirra’s through Dorrian.” I look up at them. “She should be expecting us.”
Viggo has read the summons as well.
He looks sick. “How could she?”
I don’t know.
“Loric?” Penny says, reading the letter for a third time.
He steps out from behind the door and waits.
“Please find us something fit to wear for the Queen?”
Loric nods and then glances at me with a hint of panic in his eyes.
“My story dress will be fine,” I tell him. It is still here. There was no point in taking it back to my mother’s home.
He doesn’t look at the two of them, but he does ask, “Are you certain?”
“Yes. I am not going to try to pretend to be someone I’m not for her. I can’t.” So she will receive me in my finest gown... even if that finest gown is years out of style.
“What’s going on?” Mina asks, peeing in from the doorway.
I hold out my hand to her and she comes to sit next to me. “We have to take a quick trip to the city.”
“But you hate the city.”
“I don’t have a choice this time.” I squeeze her hand. “I don’t know how long it will take, but you can stay here. Yenna and Deanna will be here. You can all teach Murdoch how to play Tap and Shove.”
“Okay.” She doesn’t look happy, but she agrees and I watch Deanna lead her to the hidden hallway.
“We’ll change and then go straight to the palace. Kirra may or may not be expecting us, but I would rather avoid her until I know what, exactly, she’s done.”
Penny grips the back of Viggo’s neck.
I know he would never hurt his sister, her furniture however... he looks so mad.
Going to them, I take both of their hands. “Whatever this is, we will see it through.”