Chapter 21
Elara
Tucked into the warmth of my winter cloak once more, I rode back to the palace. The only thing I could think about was a warm bath with a fire in my room, along with a dinner. I would have given anything for some warm stew, maybe a few slices of buttered bread and a steaming cup of tea.
Nightfall was around the corner, so I pushed the horse a little faster. There was rain in the air. I could practically smell it. The last thing I wanted to do was get stuck in a rainstorm at night while in the Evernean Forest.
With a gloved hand, I took hold of the key around my neck.
“You’d better have been worth all that trouble,” I said, relieved that I had managed not only to find the key, but also to make it safely out of the mist. That diary held something important. I could feel it in my gut.
As the clouds continued to grey, I urged my horse on, galloping over the forest roads. We were near the outskirts of the woods when I noticed a group of soldiers on horseback in the distance. They all wore the Evernean uniform of the royal guards.
Of course they’d sent men looking for me. I could not have reasonably expected otherwise.
I squinted to try to spot Rhen, who was no doubt leading the party. When I saw him, I decided to call out. My voice immediately drew their attention, and I slowed my horse as Rhen came riding towards me.
“Your Majesty.” His eyes were tired, telling of a lack of sleep, and I couldn’t tell whether he was relieved or horrified.
“You’re alive,” he finally said, as if he was unable to say anything else.
“You have so little faith,” I replied, trying to keep my tone cheery while knowing that I had no intention of going through everything I’d experienced over the past few days again.
Another horse came trotting over behind Rhen. It didn’t take much to know that Cai was clearly displeased, though I could see some relief on his face. He didn’t say anything but merely looked at me as if I’d betrayed him.
“We should get back to the palace.” I gestured with my head towards the sky. “The rain is coming. And I’m freezing.”
Cai and Rhen rode alongside me, the rest of the guards falling in behind us.
“I told you not to send anyone looking for me. I grew up in this forest, in case you forgot. I know my way around.” No way I was telling them that I’d almost got lost.
“With all due respect, you’re a fool if you believe that all of us would’ve just let you go,” Rhen replied.
“I was fine, Rhen,” I assured him. “I had the forest to look after me.”
He frowned but didn’t ask any further questions.
Cai kept a straight face, looking ahead.
Light rain began to fall as we made our way back through the palace gates.
I handed my horse over to one of the nearby servants after dismounting.
The key still hung heavy around my neck.
The raindrops seemed to turn heavier until they were pelting down with every step I took towards the doors.
By the time I entered the palace, my clothes were soaked.
“Do we know where Her Majesty’s guests are?” Rhen asked one of the servants by the door as he tried to stomp the mud off his boots.
“I believe they’ve taken an evening drink in the library,” she responded.
I removed my gloves, and the servant girl stepped towards me.
“Can I take this for you, Your Majesty?” she asked, gesturing to my cloak.
I thanked her as she helped me remove it.
It was a relief to get the heavy, wet piece of material off my back.
Taking the key from around my neck, I clutched it tightly in my hand while making my way to the library, Rhen and Cai following close behind.
“Would you like me to announce you?” Rhen asked.
“No, thank you, Rhen.” Some part of me was eager to see their faces when I held up the key. Was it truly terrible of me to want to feel like their queen and saviour?
Light from the library crept into the hallway from under the doors. I was so anxious to see everyone that I’d quickly forgotten about the bath and warm meal. They could wait.
With the rainwater still glistening on my clothes, I opened the library doors.
Many pairs of eyes looked up as I entered.
I let out a breath, only then realising how much I’d missed their familiar faces in the short time I’d been gone. How attached I’d become to all of them. Anesta was the first to jump up, her embroidery falling from her lap to the floor.
“Your Majesty!” she cried out. “You’re back. You’re safe.” Ignoring all protocol, she ran over and gave me one of the tightest hugs I’d ever experienced. I didn’t mind it at all. There was a part of me that relished the knowledge that I was wanted and missed.
“It’s so nice and warm in here.”
Gwen, unable to get up quickly, gave a little wave from the chair she was occupying.
Alastor gave a slight bow from where he stood at the hearth.
“Did you find it, Your Majesty?” Anesta asked in a hopeful tone.
I showed her the key in the palm of my hand. “If this doesn’t open that damned box then I don’t think anything will.”
She took in my muddied boots and dirty riding clothes. “Shall I have the servants draw a bath for you, Your Majesty?”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
She gave a quick curtsy and hurried out of the room.
“So, we’ve got the diary and a means to open it. Now we just have to hope there’s some valuable information inside,” Gwen said.
“If it should take this much effort to gain access to that diary, then there has to be something inside that King Evrin didn’t want anyone to know.” I had to believe that this would lead us somewhere and that it wasn’t another dead end.
“We were quite worried about you, Your Majesty.” Alastor spoke up before clearing his throat. “I’m glad to see you have returned safely.”
“Yes, it was quite a journey,” I admitted with a heavy breath. “But I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
At this, Cai mumbled an “excuse me” and walked out of the library.
“What’s his problem?” Gwen frowned at the door.
“He’s upset because he didn’t want me to go and find the key and I went anyway.”
“But we needed the key. As you said, it wouldn’t take this much to unlock the diary if it wasn’t valuable.”
“Try convincing him of that.” I didn’t like it when Cai and I were fighting, especially because we’d just got to a place where we were on good terms with each other.
Gwen flipped through the pages of the book she’d been reading. “I’m sure he’ll come round, Your Majesty. He’ll have to. Especially when we find out what’s hiding in that diary.”
“I hope so.” I gave her half a smile before turning to Rhen.
“I have some things to take care of over the next few days, so I’m going to require your assistance with the diary.”
As much as I wanted to scan every page of that old book, walking through the woods alone for so many hours had got me thinking about all the ways I still needed to protect Everness.
While I trusted the diary would bring us certain answers, we needed men on the field to fight for us, or at the very least defend us.
We had more soldiers stationed at the border and the kingdom was slowly preparing itself in the event of an attack.
Buildings were being fortified, weapons made and food stored.
But I kept on worrying that it would not be enough. What if Aries still managed to break through our defences? I needed to invite the council members back to court so that we could have another council meeting.
Rhen looked a little surprised as he took the key from me. “Of course, Your Majesty.” I knew I could trust him with this duty. That Rhen would not give up until he found what we were looking for.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” With the adrenaline fading, tiredness began to set in. I would ask for dinner to be brought up to my rooms. The first order of business would be taking a long, hot bath. I contemplated going to Cai’s rooms as I made my way up the stairs but then thought better of it.
It had been a long day and I was severely sleep-deprived.
I knew both of us well enough to know the conversation would not be productive and only lead to us being more upset with each other.
I hadn’t meant to go behind Cai’s back by leaving but I had to do what I believed was right, what I believed would help our kingdoms.
My rooms were lit with a few candles and the bathing chamber was filled with steam. Though Anesta was nowhere to be seen, there was a tray of food on one of the small tables in my room.
She probably knew I wanted some peace and privacy.
I took a bite from one of the bread rolls and began to undress, leaving my dirty clothes draped over a chair.
The warm water from the bath soothed my aching muscles. I lay back, slowly starting to relax as I snacked from my plate. I probably didn’t look very ladylike as I devoured the juicy pieces of chicken, but I was too hungry to care.
When the water began to grow cold, I emerged from the bath, pulling on a white linen robe.
My feet left wet prints on the floor, trailing from the bathing chambers to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.
I finished my dinner while my mind ran rampant with plans and ideas.
Even though the key was a partial success, Aries had one of the biggest armies on the continent and he was already in Norrandale.
We needed to find a way to fight back or soon there would be nothing left to fight for.
My train of thought was interrupted by a light knock on the door. Anesta must have come to check on me before going to bed.
“Come in.”
The door creaked open and I looked over my shoulder, only to find Cai standing in my room.
I stood too, slightly surprised by his presence.
“Cai.” No words came to mind. I would not apologise, so I hoped that was not the reason for his visit. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.” His words brought me some relief. While his face bore no semblance of joy, at least he wasn’t avoiding me.