Chapter 9 One Too Many
Chapter Nine
One Too Many
Ellis
Ellis stared at McConnell in disbelief. Alex would murder them both, it was certain. McConnell hadn’t even tried to look guilty for losing his queen…again.
“I want you to check every nook and cranny of this ballroom. I will go and search the washroom and our private chambers.” Ellis ordered, glaring at McConnell. “We must find her quickly before Alex returns. She will never let us live through this.”
“Ye-Yes Your Majesty”, McConnell stammered. Ellis knew that this could very well cost McConnell his title, if not his throat. Alex had warned him many times over, but Rivka had always defended him, taking the brunt of her anger.
Ellis watched as McConnell scurried away. Good, he should be afraid!
Ellis strode into the corridor leading to the washrooms. Rivka had said she would be a minute, but it had been at least half an hour now. He stopped outside of the washroom door, knocking softly at first.
“My Queen, are you in there? Are you unwell?” He called through the door.
Silence reverberated back at him. Pushing the door open, he slipped inside, quickly noting that the room was in fact empty.
Shit. Where WAS she?! Tapping his fingers against his thigh, he started to pace, trying to figure out the puzzle that was his queen.
This had been her game since they were kids.
Always ducking out of functions and hiding away somewhere.
A thought came to him, what if Alex had come back early and the two had snuck back to the room together?
That had happened many times before as well. They were insatiable.
Rolling his eyes and grinning, he pushed back out into the corridor, positive that he would find them together.
Sliding his hands into his pocket, he started humming the tune that he always sang to announce to them he was there; their own private code, as he leisurely strolled towards their bedchambers.
A door slammed open ahead, just as he heard his queen giggling. She stumbled into the hallway, swaying like a drunkard. Raising her head she saw him, her bleary eyes meeting his.
“El! Where ya been?!” She hiccuped loudly.
Ellis could only stare. Had she been drinking?
He hadn’t seen her take even one sip! Obviously she had though; she was a mess.
Her hair was disheveled, dress undone. Rushing forward, he tugged at the top of her dress, covering her exposed breasts, wrapping his arms around her, keeping her from sagging to the floor.
He would have to get her to bed. There was no way that Alex had anything to do with this, and Rivka, this was not like her.
“Gods, Riv, have you been drinking? You’re a complete and utter mess!”
She mumbled something into his chest, but he couldn’t make it out.
“Let’s get you to bed my Queen, we will sort this in the morning, while you nurse that monster hangover that you will most definitely have.
”, Ellis said, shaking his head in dismay.
The room behind Rivka had been empty, but…
he let his thoughts trail off. He needed to get her to their room first, and without notice.
They made it back to their room, with only a few stumbles and one full out fall, Riv tripping and catching him off guard.
Ellis tried to help Rivka change into her nightdress but it was a complete fiasco, as she just kept trying to crawl under the blankets naked.
He finally gave up and just helped her to bed, pulling the covers tight around her.
She would wake to quite a surprise in the morning.
Turning and surveying the room, he remembered that he would need to let McConnell know that he had found their queen.
He checked on Rivka once more before quietly leaving, closing the door tight behind him.
He didn’t like leaving her unattended, as this evening proved, it wasn’t safe for her, but he had to go and retrieve her guard to stand watch.
He looked left and right, seeing no one in the passage, he quickly jogged back to the ballroom.
Ellis scanned the room for any sign of McConnell.
As he was scanning, he saw Alex, stalking through the dancers, headed away from him.
Lifting his gaze, he realized that she had found McConnell, and from her stomping, he assumed she also realized that he had lost his queen.
Defeated, Ellis started in that direction.
This was going to be anything but pleasant.
He could hear Alex berating McConnell before he was even six feet away.
She was seething. He knew she took her job seriously and that her love for Rivka also fed that fire, when she was unnecessarily put into danger, but this was something more.
She was vibrating from her anger. He had never seen her so worked up before.
“Alex, what’s going on?”, Ellis asked, his voice hushed, his hand placed on her shoulder. The last thing they needed was a scene and for everyone around them to know they couldn’t protect their queen.
She jerked away from him, spinning to pin him with a glare. He instinctively took a half step back. “Hey, Alex, it’s ok, Riv’s sleeping it off in our room. She had a bit too much to drink is all. I just came to-”
“Came to what, Ellis?” She snarled at him. “Came to get Colin so he could finally do his job? To save him as usual?”
Ellis stared at her. This wasn’t normal. She never spoke to him with such contempt or so informally in public. Her eyes looked wild, like a trapped animal in pain. “This is not the place for this conversation.”
The pain in Alex’s eyes shot to his heart. Something was eating away at her. She never let her emotions affect the safety of her queen.
“Are you alright Alex? Did something happen at the briefing?” He kept his voice soothing. He needed to calm her down. His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him, “Oh no, Lieutenant Vorn didn’t pass did she?”
An unreadable expression flitted across Alex’s face, but a little anger seemed to drain from her.
“No, she is fine. I have some things that I need to take care of. I will have Captain Wright come to stand guard tonight. McConnell, you are suspended until I can figure out what to do with you. Tonight was the last straw. I trusted you to take care of her and now-now she’s. ..” her voice cracked.
Surprised, Ellis brushed her shoulder. “She’s fine Alex. She’s just drunk and sleeping it off. No need to be so upset. I am going to head back to the room myself. McConnell really meant no harm. You know how Riv can be when she wants to escape.”
“Escape?”, Alex chuckled darkly, “sure that’s what it was.” With that she turned and walked away without a backwards glance.
Ellis looked at McConnell and patted his shoulder. “At least she didn't kill you on the spot. Now you can rest easy tonight knowing that it won’t be your last.”
McConnell looked a little green. “Thanks…I think.” He said, disappearing after Alex.
Well, that was interesting and overly dramatic.
Although that expression… I thought I saw something akin to devastation?
But why? Maybe I need a drink. Ellis sighed, making his way back to their bedchambers where their new guard, Captain Andrew Wright, already stood watch.
It never failed to amaze him how fast Alex could get things done.