32. Chapter Thirty Two Lennox
Chapter Thirty Two: Lennox
“Is that so?” my mother questioned Rhowyn in front of everyone.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Rhowyn said calmly, with absolutely no idea what was coming her way. My body tensed with dread as she continued, obviously trying to reason with someone who was often unreasonable. “Somehow, I must have lost my footing and stumbled into her, knocking the tray from her. There was no way she could have possibly avoided me.”
With a patient look on her face, Mother turned to the servant. “Is this true? Were you pushed?”
Still not daring to raise her head, the human girl replied, “Y...yes, Y....Y...Your Majesty.”
“I see,” she replied, and I could envision the wheels turning as she determined what to do next. I knew the moment she made a decision, as she turned to face Rhowyn again, a look of excitement in her eyes, even though her face remained passive and benevolent .
“It seems I was just a little too hasty in trying to dole out punishment. I thank you, Rhowyn, for clearing this up. It indeed takes quite a bit of bravery to speak up like you did.”
Rhowyn sighed in relief, her shoulders lowering slightly as Mother turned to the servant. “You may go, child, and count your blessings. But let this be a warning to those who can't respect the belongings of others.”
The servant rose unsteadily, her body still shaking. “T... Thank you, Your Majesty,” she sputtered, keeping her head down as she scampered from the room, not giving the Queen a chance to change her mind.
Nobody dared to move, knowing the threat hadn't passed. Everyone, that was, except Rhowyn, who turned her back to the Queen to face us, her intention to return to us clear. Before she could take a step, the Queen shrieked, her anger slipping from the carefully controlled facade. “I have not dismissed you, Rhowyn. You dare turn your back on your Queen? Despite what you may think, I am still your Queen until after the trials.” It hadn’t been her fault, but Rhowyn had just hit on a sore topic of Mother’s, which was the fear of losing her power and grip on the Court. With the trials looming and the hope of a new queen, people would take advantage of any weakness Mother showed. Rhowyn was a threat to that right now for so many reasons.
Rhowyn tensed and slowly turned to face the danger she could no doubt feel. “I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I meant no disrespect.” Unlike the servant, Rhowyn kept her chin up, meeting the Queen's eyes. “I'm still learning all the ins and outs of the Court. This is all so new to me.”
“And yet you have the audacity to think you have a right to compete in the trials, to become the next queen. You, who has no clue as to what that means. Let's hope that you aren't the one selected, otherwise we're all doomed,” my mother hissed, her words cutting to the bone just as she intended. She was goading Rhowyn for some reason, setting her up, and Rhowyn had no clue. She was most likely trying to undo any favor Rhowyn had garnered after standing up for the servant, but at this point, it could be for any number of things.
I saw the anger flash in Rhowyn's eyes, but she remained calm in the face of my mother's wrath. “It's not like I had any choice in the matter. I was selected, ripped from my home, and dragged here against my will. Apparently, I can't leave until the trials are completed.”
Not once did Rhowyn raise her voice, but the tension in the room caused everyone to take a step back, hoping they were not caught in the crossfire. I dared a step closer to Rhowyn and my mother. “Rhowyn!” I hissed warningly. She ignored me, keeping her gaze on my mother. If I intervened too much now, it would only make matters worse.
“So, you have no intention of trying to win the trials?” my mother questioned, her eyes calculating again.
“No, Your Majesty. I just want to go back home,” Rhowyn responded.
Mother stepped closer, smiling benevolently like she’d caught a mouse in her trap. “In that case, I will no longer feel guilty for issuing the punishment you are due.”
“Punishment?” Rhowyn questioned, her face wrinkling in confusion. “For what? A simple accident?”
“Was it an accident? Or did you get too drunk on my wine, your human body unable to tolerate it, and decide to garner attention to yourself at the expense of my hospitality?”
“No!” Rhowyn exclaimed in shock at that thought.
“If that were all, I could find some benevolence to forgive you for your atrocious human manners. However, your insubordination, sharp tongue, and utter refusal to show me the respect I am due leave me no choice but to punish you. Otherwise, I invite chaos and tyranny into my Court, which is something I will never allow.”
Before Rhowyn could speak again, I took one step closer. “Mother, please,” I whispered entreatingly. “She doesn't know.”
“That's no excuse, Lennox. You're lucky I don't punish you and your other Consorts since it was your duty to ensure she could navigate the Courts, as any fitting queen should be able to do.”
I held my tongue, knowing from experience that if I pushed any harder, things would only be worse for Rhowyn. Especially, if Mother knew I cared. I had already let my concern slip, but hopefully she blamed that on me simply trying to do my duty as a Consort and not that I had feelings for her.
It took everything I had to keep my face neutral and to step back. I couldn't stop this. No one could. If they tried, they would only end up being punished alongside her. Then, we’d be weakened heading into the trials at a time when we needed to be at our best. This was setting us all up for failure one way or another, and at this moment, I loathed my mother. She knew exactly what she was doing, and even suspected that the trials would begin tomorrow, which was why she’d held the ball tonight. My only hope now was that I didn't make things worse for Rhowyn in the future.
Self-loathing crept in, knowing that this was who I came from, this heartless creature. What made it worse was my ability to lock all these emotions away and remain placid as Mother nodded to a couple of guards who stepped forward. Each one grabbed an arm on each side of Rhowyn, who immediately started to try to pull away from them.
“Stop fighting, or this will be much worse for you. And if any of your Consorts try to intervene, they'll get double,” Mother warned as she uncoiled the whip .
Rhowyn stopped struggling, and the fear on her face made me sick. A jostling behind me drew my attention, and I turned to see Callum and Arryn holding Baer back. Callum met my eyes, both our gazes cold and locked down. His expression was almost scary, completely devoid of any emotion. I could imagine that my own face mirrored his in this moment.
As I turned back to witness this atrocity, a burning anger took hold in my gut. A cold ember that I slowly fed. I would kill my mother for this one day.
Not today. I didn't have the power to do so today, but I would start garnering it so I could finally rid the universe of this stain on our people's history and lives. We all deserved better, and I vowed to myself that I would deliver better to my people.
But for now, I would bear witness to this violation against Rhowyn, who was innocent. It was the least I could do for her without making the situation worse.
“For your disobedience and insubordination, you will receive fifteen lashes. If you fight it, then I will add more. Is this understood?”
The anger on Rhowyn's face as she resigned herself to this fate was unmistakable, but her words remained unchallenging. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Let's begin.” Mother nodded and the guards turned Rhowyn so her back was facing the Queen. Silence echoed as everyone held their breath in both fear and anticipation.
Mother raised her arm, drawing out the anticipation, knowing that the fear of what was to come was almost as powerful as the pain itself. Finally, she dropped her hand, flicking her wrist in perfect form as the whip struck Rhowyn's back.
Rhowyn gasped in shock and tensed at the pain before relaxing just slightly. I moved slowly and quietly through the crowd, knowing Mother's full focus was now on her favorite form of entertainment, until I was standing in front of Rhowyn.
By this time, three more lashes had fallen, and her gown was gaping in the front, having been split in the back and no longer protecting her against the lash.
The fifth strike met her skin fully, and she inhaled again, her eyes watering as she gritted her teeth. I could see her resolve not to cry out, refusing to give my mother the satisfaction.
Her gaze finally met mine, and I didn't dare look away. With each strike, she squeezed her eyes shut, tears and snot now streaming down her face. Other than small gasps, she remained silent. As did everyone else. Everyone was too focused on the spectacle.
By the twelfth strike, I could see her strength start to give, her weight now mainly being supported by the guards who still held both arms.
Her knees buckled on the thirteenth strike, and yet, somehow, she found her feet again. Her inner strength touched me in a way I had never felt before, and the defiance still written clearly on her face was heady given the situation.
The Queen might have broken her body, but her spirit was made of sterner stuff. Even in human form, everyone was seeing that inner strength now. Some people might see it as stubbornness, and in a way it was. But even that stubbornness must have come from somewhere, and that was her own inner strength of spirit and utter determination.
The fourteenth strike had Rhowyn's eyes fluttering, on the verge of passing out. I had seen the signs too many times to count. It was a wonder she hadn't already. Most others would have already succumbed to this many lashes.
Still, she remained silent and met my gaze again just as the final strike landed. She buckled again and, as her eyes briefly met mine, I nodded at her, trying to let her know it was over. That it was okay to let go now. That I had her from here .
As if reading my thoughts, her eyes rolled back in her head. The guards went to drop her, having completed their task. I rushed in to catch her before her head hit the tile, barely getting there in time. I sank to the floor with her, just holding her for now.
Mother's shoes entered my peripheral vision as I was smoothing Rhowyn's hair from her face. I glanced up at her, almost flinching at the anger on her face, the cold rage that could only come after being threatened. She clearly saw Rhowyn as more of a threat now instead of a nuisance, not happy that she hadn't accomplished what she’d set out to do, which was to undermine Rhowyn.
“You will not heal her, and you will not allow anyone else to heal her on threat of punishment,” she hissed, loud enough for the still silent room to hear.
I bowed my head in acknowledgment of the order. Appeased for the moment, she spun on her heel and left the party.
As soon as she was gone, the whole room exhaled in relief. Murmurs rose slowly as the people whispered about what had just happened. While I was looking Rhowyn over, I was jostled, and I glanced over to see Baer sliding in next to me.
“She's so strong. She'll be okay. She sure did show the...” He cut off as I smacked him.
“Not here you idiot,” I growled at him in warning. “We're still very much on display. Do not make things worse for her.”
“Of course. Sorry. I wasn't thinking,” he rushed out.
“How should we move her? Or should we wait until she wakes?” Arryn asked us.
“Wait,” Callum growled.
“Why?” Baer asked. “Shouldn't we get her back to our rooms as quickly as we can?”
“No,” Callum snapped at him. “She'll want to walk out of here on her own two feet,” he said simply, knowing our girl wouldn’t want to be seen as weak. Our girl was prideful. After that display of strength, she wouldn't want us to ruin it by carrying her out of here.
We didn't have to wait long though, a groan escaping her lips as she slowly stirred. She went to move, startled to find us all hovering over her.
“Shh...” I told her. “You passed out. We didn't want to carry you, thinking you'd prefer to walk out of here. Can you handle that?”
She looked at each of us as she considered my question. “Yes,” she whimpered softly.
“Okay. Arryn and Baer will each take an arm and help you stand,” I told her as they moved into position. Callum didn't move from his post in front of us, keeping the curious onlookers away. Their gossiping and murmurs littered the air around us, but we all ignored them, too focused on our task.
Baer and Arryn lifted at the same time, and she gasped in pain. “Don't stop,” she told them as they hesitated, not wanting to hurt her.
She finally got to her feet, her hands shakily moving the hair from her face, stopping before they made it as she grimaced. The movement clearly aggravated her split skin.
I stood and pushed her hair behind her ears for her. She held my gaze. “Thank you,” she whispered. Her words were meant to convey her appreciation for more than that simple action.
That sentiment ripped through me as I whispered back, my voice cracking slightly, “I didn't do anything.” The guilt at my inaction threatened to drown me.
“There's nothing you could have done, except what you did. You stayed with me the whole time. It's more than anyone else has done for me,” she confided, in me, of all people.
Grief welled up at the thought that this wasn't her first time going through something like this. I didn't let it show, though. She wouldn't appreciate my pity. Baer's was written all over his face. Thankfully, she couldn't see it.
“Okay,” she said, straightening. “I'm ready. Just don't let go.”
“Never,” Baer replied.
“We've got you,” Arryn told her.
Callum glanced back at us. I nodded, and he started to clear a path for Rhowyn. Slowly, we made our way past all the guests who stared at our pathetic procession. The whispers followed in our wake as they all got a glimpse of her shredded back.
I squeezed my eyes shut at the memory, gritting my teeth and holding back my anger. A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and squeezed almost painfully. My eyes flashed open to see that Callum was now in the doorway, letting us pass. He would probably protect our escape now, keeping the overly curious away with his sheer size alone. The glower on his face dared anyone to get too close, but none of them did.
“Maybe you should go get Master Jude,” he murmured as I passed him.
“Why?” I retorted. “You heard what she said. We can't heal her. Neither can Master Jude.”
He barely held back the eye roll at my response, sighing as he said, “Yes, but he can complete the bond, possibly removing her glamor. Which will let her fae healing kick in.”
Now, I felt like an idiot. “Of course. I'll go get him now.”
He glanced at Baer, Arryn, and Rhowyn briefly before looking back to me. “Hurry.”
I nodded and took off down the halls. The big oaf cared for her, too. That look said it all. Why wouldn't he admit it? I wondered as I picked up speed, blocking out all other thoughts as I carried out my mission.