Page 67 of The Time Of Queens

“It was found in an alleyway next to the inn, and in the very place that the young girl from the barn found your cloak,” Lucius told me, making me shake my head in disbelief.

“But that would mean…” I let that sentence trail off, as if too afraid it might not be true if I spoke it aloud. However, Vincent had no such fear, for he stepped up to me, placed a hand at my shoulder, and told me,

“That you have already fallen in love with your Chosen One… yes, brother, for your mystery woman and the lady’s maid…”

“Are one and the very same.”

25

WHERE THE FUTURE LIES

“I… I…” I couldn’t speak.

I couldn’t find the words for fear I would wake from this dream my brother had plunged me into. Could it really be possible? Could it be true? I found myself staggering to a chair, needing to sit down. As if the world around me had started to spin uncontrollably.

“But how… how is this possible? For I would know… I would have felt it, surely,” I protested after long minutes of trying to process all I had been told. Because as much as I wanted it to be true, I felt foolish to hope for such, for fear of disappointment.

Regardless, I had fallen in love with the girl, so it was of little consequence in what it meant for our future together. However, it would certainly make life easier as it meant that I would not be committing a crime that I myself had set. For unless it was ordained by the Fates, then it was forbidden to claim a mortal.

“I believe I am able to answer that question, my Lord.” A new voice spoke up after silently entering the room. I looked up to find Adam now standing there, his expression unreadable. I then looked to Vincent and Lucius, and neither looked surprised.Which meant they had discovered much more than they had yet to tell me.

“Explain,”I gritted out, getting back to my feet and facing the truth head on.

“I intend to, but first I want your assurance that no matter what I tell you, that it will in no way get back to my wife, nor will she be in any way reprimanded for the part she played in the ruse.”

I recoiled, surprised to hear that they both had played some part in this.

“I am not sure why I am wasting my time in telling you this, but we both know that even if I wanted to cast punishment, I could not, for your wife is forbidden from incurring judgement. For we both know it would negate the very reasons I was put on this Earth to protect it from its greatest threats… and that, my friend, includes you, for your wrath is certainly no exception,” I told him, knowing what would likely happen should someone upset his wife.

He nodded, as he may have known this, but his arrogance was not so that he would verbalise what we all knew to be true. For what he was capable of unleashing unto the world was immeasurable, and not something I could ever risk.

“That may be so, but I want not even a bad word spoken about her, for I believe her intentions were admirable and without malice,” he added, giving me cause to snap,

“And your intentions, what of those?”

“Why to keep my wife happy, of course, for you all know this is my main priority in life, and my serving any King comes secondary to that,” he replied, making me grit my teeth in response to this reminder.

“And I would be a fool to argue against it,” I forced myself to say, for there weren’t many I would allow to get away with confessing such. But like I said, Adam was different, and withPip being the only one capable of taming his beast, then there was little point arguing the matter of his loyalty to a King. Not when that loyalty to his wife kept us all alive.

He bowed his head before telling me what I was already coming to suspect.

“My Winnie had a dream of the girl, knew where she would be hiding and that she would need our aid. We took her to Hundred House inn, got her warm and fed and listened to how she came to being here. After which, we agreed to help her,” he told me, and one look to Lucius and my brother told me that they had already discovered as much.

“And I assume you did more than just offering her employment as your wife’s lady’s maid,” I surmised in a dry tone.

“Yes, for this part was a ruse so as we could get her into your home unnoticed.” I scoffed at that.

“Then I would say you failed in that part,” I commented wryly.

“Yes, and as I believed we would, for my wife is powerful, it is true, but I doubt there is a force out there that can fight Fate,” he replied, making me frown before asking,

“What did she do, Adam?”

He released a sigh before admitting what I already suspected.

“She has been masking Keira’s true identity from you so that you wouldn’t recognise her as being your Chosen One.”

I once more gritted my teeth, and couldn’t help lashing out in my anger, punching a fist into the panelled wall, splitting the wood.

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