The Burning Witch 3: A Humorous Romantic Fantasy

CHAPTER 33 THE DESCENT OF THE DUCHESS

Kat paced the castle entrance hall while wringing her hands.

She sincerely hoped her da would make it to the castle before her mother as he would hopefully be able to help stave off any immediate murder attempts …

“Kat!”

The redhead turned hopefully, but instead of her father was greeted with the sight of Alina and Eric speedily making their way over to her as servants bustled around in preparation for Duchess Annika Ashowan. Unlike Fin’s arrival, they at least had a chance to get themselves organized before she crossed the threshold.

“Eric, did you and Mr. Kraft find out anything in Vessa?” Kat implored while seizing her husband’s arm.

The prince shook his head. “I’m sorry, Kat, it really is like he vanished into thin air. Mr. Kraft tried to talk to the pixies that he saw, but none of them were very helpful.”

Kat let out an agitated huff, her anxiety only increasing.

“Hopefully, your mother can find out something from her own contacts here in Troivack.” Alina reached out and grasped Kat’s free hand.

“Ideally … though it might be after she kills me,” Kat lamented, her gaze turning back toward the enormous front doors.

A steward rushed up to the trio. “Pardon me, Your Majesty, Your Highness, Lady Katarina,” he uttered hastily before righting himself. “His Grace Lord Finlay Ashowan has just arrived at the knight’s courtyard.”

“Oh, thank the Gods.” Kat wasted no time in sprinting down the nearest corridor.

The brother and sister shared a worried look.

“Eric … Do you have any idea how terrifying Lady Annika can be?” the queen murmured.

The prince raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”

“I’ve discovered quite a bit since I’ve been crowned …”

“Is that why you insisted on bringing Rebecca Devark back?” Eric asked lightly.

Alina’s eyes went wide. “How did you find out?”

Eric tilted his head. “I was guessing, but it turns out I’m right. Alina, you know it could be Rebecca Devark who is behind everything going on. Why did you bring her here?”

Alina looked away, frustrated with herself for revealing her secret so thoughtlessly.

“It’s easier to keep an eye on her here, and who better to observe her than Lady Annika? We both know that, while a little bit of a wild card, the duchess is going to protect Kat, and she will do everything in her power to figure out who is trying to get Katarina out of the way.”

“That might be true, but it also gives Rebecca the chance to find out what we’ve learned. You could’ve kept her in an estate off the castle grounds.”

Alina opened her mouth to argue that it wasn’t her brother’s call to make, when a knight interrupted them for a second time.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, Your Highness. Her Grace Lady Annika Ashowan has arrived.”

“Where is His Majesty?” Alina questioned the knight, who stood at attention sharply.

The man was saved having to answer.

“My queen,” Brendan’s booming voice called out from the stairway.

Alina propelled herself away from her brother and waited for her husband, who rushed down the stairs while handing the notes he was holding to Mr. Levin.

“Has the duke returned?” Brendan asked his wife the moment he touched down on the main floor.

“Kat just ran off to get him. If they hurry, they might make it back to—”

“We’re here!” Kat gasped as she and her father skidded to a halt before the king and then issued sloppy bows.

The timeliness of Kat’s return meant her father had already been bolting to the front doors when she’d found him and poor Kraken was only just catching up to them.

“Wonderful. Duke Ashowan, would you like to be the one to receive your wife?” The Troivackian king took Alina’s hand and rested it on his forearm as the group started to make their way to the doors.

“Of course,” Fin panted, still catching his breath. But when he looked at Kat again, he registered her appearance as she held her husband’s hand.

“Kat, you’re wearing your uniform. Get changed into a dress and meet us in the solar. Your mother will follow protocol anyway; it’ll buy us a bit of time to not make a scene,” Fin planned out while eyeing the prince and his daughter.

Eric and Kat shared a look, and both nodded before the redhead took off up the stairs.

“I don’t think we were this panicked when King Norman Reyes or the Zinferan emperor visited us in the past …” Brendan rumbled to his wife.

Alina didn’t bother commenting as they strode toward the doors. They both knew why the situation they were presently in was entirely different.

Eric fell into step behind his sister, Fin at his side until they reached the front doors that were then opened.

The house witch proceeded to make his way around the king and queen and down the first two steps as tradition dictated.

Amazingly, all evidence of the earlier gruesome brutality toward Duke Icarus had been washed away from the stones in front of the castle. Instead, in the center of the courtyard at the end of the aisle of servants sat an inconspicuous black carriage.

The footman that stood by at the end of the aisle waited until Brendan gave his nod of assent.

The man then stepped forward in the quiet and opened the door.

The first to step out was Clara, Annika’s most senior handmaiden and closest friend.

Clara was renowned for always looking the same no matter the situation with her tight, white-blond bun and flawless, conservative black dresses. Some people thought of her as a frosty woman as a result, but she had never seemed to care.

Clara finished exiting the carriage while giving a nod of polite thanks to the footman, then moved aside and curtsied before the carriage door, her hands clasped against her skirts as the duchess appeared next.

Annika Ashowan wore a striking white dress with silver trim that matched the velvet cloak around her shoulders. Her white and black streaked hair was piled on top of her head with shaped tendrils floating around her face.

With the bearing of a queen, she regarded the courtyard scene before her regally and without an ounce of emotion.

As Annika walked toward the castle, the servants proceeded to bow and curtsy, while Fin, unable to fight off a half smile, descended the rest of the front stairs until he could meet his wife at the bottom.

Taking Annika’s hands in his own, Fin leaned forward and brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured warmly.

The duke leaned back, and while Annika’s gaze was firm, he could see that she was just as relieved to see him.

“I’ve been hearing some interesting things on my journey here,” she informed Fin with a deceptively calm tone.

“Things have been managed to a point, but you’ll hear the details soon enough. Shall we go greet the king and queen?”

Annika lowered her chin gracefully, and so without further ado, the couple began to ascend the stairs to the Troivackian monarchs.

Upon reaching the top, Fin and Annika issued proper curtsies and bows, which Alina and Brendan acknowledged with arches of their necks.

“Duchess Ashowan, thank you for making the journey to Vessa,” Brendan greeted.

“It is a pleasure to return to my homeland, Your Majesties,” Annika responded demurely, her eyes cast down.

“Lady Jenoure, a bath has been prepared for you in your quarters. Afterward, would you do me the honor of sharing a meal in the solar?” Alina spoke next.

“The honor is entirely mine.”

Alina looked to Fin, who gave her a quick, appreciative smile.

Eric then approached from the sidelines and bowed. “Duchess Ashowan, I have not had the chance to congratulate you on your new title.”

The way Annika’s gaze lingered on the prince told Fin that his wife had most definitely heard some of the rumors pertaining to Eric and their daughter …

He fought against the urge to nervously rub the back of his neck.

“Thank you, Your Highness. It is good to see you in fine health.”

An appropriate, practiced, and docile response.

Eric did his best to smile politely before he returned to his spot near the wall.

Brendan and Alina didn’t waste any more time making their way back into the castle, their demeanor confident and at ease, but their insides were storms of uncertainty.

However, a direct attack was rarely Annika Ashowan’s method. So she played the part of the dutiful guest without a word, even though there were more than one or two servants who broke out into whispers as she passed by them on her journey to her and her husband’s chamber.

Brendan parted from the group, excusing himself to return to work.

Upon reaching the duke and duchess’s room, Alina stopped and turned to address Annika.

“I will part with you here, Lady Ashowan. I look forward to us sharing a meal together again and getting the chance to catch up with each other.”

Annika smiled, then tilted her head. “Of course, Your Majesty. Congratulations on your coronation, and I hear you are expecting the future heir to the Troivackian throne as well. Your father will be thrilled to learn of this.”

“Thank you for saying so. I look forward to writing to tell him the news. Unfortunately, things have been too busy around the castle since my coronation.”

“Of course. I hope my daughter has been of help to you during this time of transition.”

Alina’s face turned to stone for a breath as she faltered for a response. “Of course, Your Grace.”

“Where is my daughter presently, Your Majesty?”

Having overcome the initial question, Alina was better prepared for the next one. “Lady Katarina is in her chamber and should be joining you shortly. If you will excuse me, Your Grace, I must see to our meal.”

Alina lowered her eyes briefly, and after waiting for Annika and Fin to curtsy and bow respectively, took her departure with her own two maids following behind.

Annika looked over her shoulder to where Clara had dutifully stopped behind her mistress and gave a small gesture with her chin before looking at her husband, who proceeded to open the door for her.

The pair crossed into their chamber, Kraken stealthily slipping in before the door closed behind them.

Once in their room, where there was indeed a bath drawn and fortunately no maids ordered to attend the duchess, Annika faced Fin, showing her true thoughts in her face.

“Just what the hell has our daughter gotten herself into this time?”

Fin grimaced. “Quite a bit.”

Annika closed her eyes, rubbing circles at her temples. “There is a scandal of sorts with her and the prince? And she was arrested?”

The last bit of gossip threw Fin entirely off course, making him open his mouth and hesitate before responding until he realized where the confusion lay.

“Ah, no. She wasn’t arrested.”

Annika sighed with relief, her hands falling away and her weariness revealing itself. “Thank the Gods. I wasn’t sure what madness she had—”

“It was her familiar who was arrested, not Kat.”

It was Annika’s turn to find herself at a loss for words.

“Though speaking of familiars, I met a raccoon familiar today, and I have to admit … that beast … has to have magic. It easily weighs the same of a medium-sized dog, and I have no idea how it can move!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m serious! I was trying to be nice about it in front of Lady Elena, but I won’t lie, I am almost certain I’m going to be losing sleep over trying to wrap my head around how that thing got so fat. Lady Elena insists she has tried everything to make it lose weight but claims he remains the same no matter what. I don’t even know how long raccoons normally live, but—”

“Fin, I’m still stuck on the matter of a cat getting arrested?”

“Ah … right. Don’t worry. That was cleared up relatively quickly, though there is still a pretty heated debate carrying on amongst the knights about whether Pina is Daxarian or Troivackian. I’d avoid that topic if I were you.”

Annika held up her hand to stop her husband’s rambling. “How much sleep have you gotten?”

Fin tried to remember the last time he slept, but the answer eluded him. “Not much. Listen, I know we had to limit communication as much as possible while we traveled, but I’ve been busy trying to find Likon and—”

“It hasn’t escaped my notice that you’ve avoided the matter of whether or not there was a scandal between His Highness and Kat?”

At this, Fin held his breath and pulled his hands to his hips as he avoided his wife’s gaze.

“Things are … more or less sorted out … but I think that’s something that might best be heard from Kat.”

Annika’s eyes narrowed. “What in the world did she do? Was the devil not the only piece of shocking news? If it were anyone other than Kat, I’d doubt anything else could be more alarming.”

Letting out a long, drawn out breath, Fin raised his hands and gently pressed his wife back toward the bath.

“Bathe. Then we’ll go eat, and you’ll hear everything. You look like you’ve lost weight since traveling. I’ll go to the kitchen and make sure you get something delicious.”

The duchess did not look to be in a patient mood, but her husband was darting over to the door before she could do much else.

“Fin?” she called out one final time, pulling her husband’s attention back to her. “I’ll leave tonight to see what I can find about Likon … assuming I don’t have to save our daughter from anything horrific.”

It was after receiving this last bit of news that Fin finally could see the well-guarded motherly worry in Annika’s eyes, and so he made his way back to his beloved and pulled her into an embrace.

“Everything with Kat will be alright, and we’re going to find Likon one way or another … I just also happen to think … that maybe having an extra bottle of moonshine on hand during our dinner isn’t a terrible idea.”

Annika grumbled into Fin’s chest. “Very well. Though I swear, if I find out she punched another noblewoman, I’ll have to think of a whole new class of punishments for her when we get home.”

Fin was grateful that he was still holding Annika and therefore she couldn’t see his face, as he winced and didn’t bother to reply to his wife.

Sorry, love. I don’t think you’ll be able to punish Kat quite so easily anymore …