Page 124 of The Promised Prince
Trev relaxed in Drake’s arms. Everyone around them had gone silent, still watching the drama in front of them.
Trev couldn’t do this anymore. He turned and left the viewing without another word.
54
Renna
Renna bent over a row of cucumbers, knife in hand. She examined each vine, cutting the large vegetables at the stem and throwing them into a nearby basket. She had been at Wellenbreck almost a week and was starting to settle into a nice routine—waking early in the morning to feed the animals with Preetis, working hard in the fields all day, and laughing with Mangum, Nellie, and Preetis at night until she was too tired to even think.
Each day she spent time at her father’s grave. She had forgiven both her parents for the past. She didn’t blame them for the choices they had made. She understood now more than ever the difficulties they had faced and why they had done what they did. Forgiveness—especially when it came to her mother—brought a new sense of peace into her heart, and Renna liked the way it felt. She hoped someday she could feel that kind of peace about Trev.
A sleek, black PT zoomed toward the front of the house, pulling her from her work. She struggled to her feet, wiping her hands on her pants. By the time she came around the corner, a guard was off the machine and walking toward the door.
He stopped when he saw her. “Miss Renna, this is for you.” He held out a letter.
She recognized the man from King Bryant’s royal guard. She took the letter, and the soldier turned to go. “Won’t you come in for a drink or a bite to eat?”
“No, M’lady,” he said, swinging his leg over his PT. “That’s very kind of you, but I’m headed to New Hope with an urgent message.”
Before she could say anything else, he turned his machine on and sped away.
“What was that about?” Mangum asked. He had a horse by its reins and was leading it out to the field.
Renna held up the paper as he passed by. “I got a letter.” She quickly added, “I’m sure it’s from my mother.” She didn’t want Mangum thinking she still held out hope for Trev. She tore through the paper and began reading to herself.
Renna,
I don’t know where to even begin. Our hearts are broken. Seran is dead. There was a shooting at the wedding. Ezra tried to save her. He jumped in front of her, but the bullet scraped the side of his arm and hit Seran in the chest. Officer Vestry was able to take down the shooter before anyone else was hurt. Seran was rushed to surgery, but they couldn’t save her. We are utterly devastated.Bryant believes the shooting is somehow tied to Tolsten and King Adler. I don’t know what will happen with that. We are leaving Albion tomorrow with Seran’s body and will stop at Wellenbreck Farm on our way. I’m assuming you’d like to be there for Seran’s funeral and burial. I’d like you there. With the election coming up and everything going on right now, we all thought it best that Ezra stay in Albion and not travel the long distance to Seran’s funeral. As you can probably guess, I’m having a very difficult time dealing with all of this. I’m trying to be strong for Bryant, but I am afraid my nerves are not cooperating. Cypress is taking good care of me and assures me that once I return to New Hope, I will be able to function much better. I hope she’s right.I’m sure you have a lot more questions. We all do. We’ll get through this terrible time together.
Your loving mother,
Queen Mariele
Renna didn’t know when she had put her hand to her mouth, but it was there. She reread parts of the letter to be sure she’d understood it correctly.
Mangum returned from taking the horse to the field. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“Seran’s dead,” Renna whispered, handing him the letter.
“What?” Mangum scanned the paper. “This is crazy,” he muttered under his breath as he continued to read.
“I’m going for a walk.” Renna headed for the hill behind the house.
“Do you want me to come with you? Maybe you shouldn’t be alone right now,” Mangum said, his concern apparent.
She shook her head furiously and kept walking—practically running—until she collapsed at her father’s grave. The tears had already been falling, soaking her neck and chest as they fell.
Seran was dead.
It didn’t seem real.
Renna could remember the first time they met when she and her mother had arrived at the New Hope Government Center. Seran stood there as her father explained that he was going to marry Mariele. She didn’t cry or protest. She took the news with grace, hugging Renna and her mother, welcoming them to New Hope—to theirfamily.
Then there was the time Seran had taught Renna how to do one of the latest dances. There were plenty of people at the Government Center that could have taught her, but Seran had taken the time to do it personally. At the next ball, Seran had made sure to dance next to Renna so that she could follow her lead if she forgot any of the steps.
The beautiful woman Renna had envied the last four years was gone, even after Trev had jumped in front of a bullet to save her. He’d almost diedfor her. A new wave of tears spilled down Renna’s face. She thought of King Bryant losing his only child and cried some more. She thought of her own father’s death and a fresh sting of loss stabbed at her. Then a very human part of her thought of Trev—now available. She hated herself for thinking that. How unfeeling could she be? The tears kept coming until night was upon her, and she needed to go back to the house.
Tomorrow she would pack for Seran’s funeral.
