Chapter 35
Elara
“I don’t know what to do.”
I paced up and down my rooms, rubbing my hands together to keep my fingers from freezing.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?” Anesta was sitting in a chair close to the fire.
I’d invited her to join me for dinner, hoping that her company would bring me ease.
I had picked at my plate for a few minutes while Anesta ate but grew too sick to my stomach to finish the meal.
Not after everything that had happened today.
“I’m talking about Cai and how he is being completely irrational and paranoid.”
Each footstep sounded loudly on the hardwood floors, and I realised I had yet to change out of my dirtied clothes and boots.
I was deep in thought when I returned to my rooms, mentally going over my conversation with Cai.
Wondering how everything between us had gone so wrong so quickly.
He’d wanted me to give back the Myrgonite dagger, not trusting me to keep it safe.
The woollen vest was no longer doing enough to keep me warm despite the fire, and my muddy boots were leaving traces of dirt everywhere.
“I see, Your Majesty,” Anesta said diplomatically.
I kicked off my boots and started looking through my trunk of clothes for something clean to wear. Our trunks had arrived a few hours ago, the palace quickly settling back into its previous state. With the exception of all the court members being replaced by soldiers, of course.
“I have been Queen of Everness longer than he has been King of Norrandale, if you want to be technical about it, and he still treats me like I’m an infant who knows nothing and is likely to cause our doom because of it.”
As I said the words out loud, I realised what was behind my frustration.
After everything we’d been through, it felt as though Cai had no faith in me.
Not as a ruler and not even as a betrothed.
I wanted to understand his reasoning, to see his perspective, but I could not comprehend this irrational behaviour of his.
I scrubbed at my face and neck, removing any trace of dirt or blood, as if I could wash away the day’s events along with it.
“Maybe His Majesty is only having a bad reaction after everything that has happened today. It might have brought back a lot of bad memories for him.”
“That doesn’t excuse his behaviour.” I wished I could tell her about the dagger and how Cai had insisted I give it back to him.
But it was better to keep Anesta out of it as much as possible.
If Cai was right about one thing, it was that the more people knew about the Myrgonite objects, the more dangerous it was for all of us.
“Then again, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to unsee it. To forget what he did to Thatcher.” I dropped onto the bed, my body aching all over. I desperately needed a good night’s rest.
“I heard it was pretty bad.”
“Thatcher deserved it. I know he did.” I reconsidered Anesta’s words and my conversation with Cai. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe we both were. And even if I was a little upset with him, I still worried about him.
“I’m quite relieved that I don’t have to be part of the fighting,” Anesta admitted. “Though as the queen of Everness and future queen of Norrandale, you ought to be careful as well, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t you get started on me too, Anesta.”
Her mouth curved into a slight smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “Maybe His Majesty isn’t being entirely paranoid. If you get killed, who is going to rule Everness? The kingdom cannot afford to lose you.”
“Nobody is going to lose me,” I assured her, “I’m tougher than I look.”
Anesta took a seat on the bed next to me. “You’re the toughest person I know, that’s for sure.”
I gave her a hug from the side. “Thanks for believing in me. And for everything you do all the time. I know I don’t thank you enough.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. You have given me one of the highest positions at court. I could never repay you for that.”
“I don’t expect you to repay me at all. Having you as my friend is more than enough.”
There was a knock at the door and Anesta quickly jumped up from the bed to answer.
I heard her speak to one of the servants for a moment before she turned around with a piece of paper in her hands.
“A letter for you, Your Majesty. It’s from Everness.”
I shot up from the bed, grabbing the envelope.
“It’s definitely Lance’s handwriting.” I could easily recognise it by now, and it was accompanied by the royal seal. I ripped open the paper and began to scan through his words.
“What’s the matter, Your Majesty?” Anesta asked, reading my expression. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s the princess.” I swallowed hard. “She’s dead.”