AYLETH

Ayleth sat at the mirror in her chambers and stared at her own, white face. She'd pulled her hair back severely into a simple bun and had bathed. Now she sat, and she stared. And Falek stood guard in her suite, both of them shaken and uncertain what to do next.

For over an hour they'd looked for Etan and Borsche—and her mother—over an hour. The castle was large, but it was no mystery to Falek—or Ayleth herself. And yet, it was as if all three of them had fallen from the face of the earth. Ayleth had wanted to attend the library as planned, despite not being able to bring her mother, but Falek insisted it would only create risk if Etan and Borsche had experienced similar issues and were there, and they were seen meeting without their parents—or worse, with only one mother.

Ayleth had argued, but Falek would not be moved. He would use his eyes and ears within the castle to find information before they took any further steps.

So, much to Ayleth's frustration, now they awaited word from a trusted servant..

Unable to check the Summitran chambers themselves without raising suspicion or interest from any of the other Kingdoms, when they'd been unable to find the others, Falek had sent a servant to enquire after the Summitran heir and his reported return to the castle, with a whisper and a wink to gather any gossip along the way. The servant was happy to comply. Ayleth prayed they returned with word, but somehow.. some how she didn't believe it.

She reached for a pot of lanolin on the dresser in front of her, but ended up only holding it in her lap and listening to herself breathe.

Where was her husband? And his man?

Where was her mother?

What the hell was happening?

Ayleth sucked in a breath and shook her head against the pinch of tears. Visions of her mother—enraged and calling for Etan's head—kept dancing across her mind's eye. And yet.. no one knew anything. There had been no word of Royal decree. No call for the guards—Falek would have been informed the moment he spoke with his Knights. No tension or veiled anger in her father.. nothing.

Ayleth's only hope was that they were simply delayed finding his mother, as she had been finding hers. Failing that.. if her mother had indeed learned of their relationship and trapped Etan.. while her mother might have accosted Etan when he arrived, Ayleth prayed that she did so with the intention to speak and negotiate. That the reason they hadn't heard from anyone—not even Borsche—was because her mother had forced them into discussions and Etan had been forced to think on his feet and was now in the middle of convincing her mother that this alliance was beneficial to the Kingdom.

Please, Goddess, might that be it.

Please, don't let any harm have come to him.. or her mother, she added hastily to herself.

She let her eyes lift to Falek's reflection in the mirror and her stomach twisted.

Her Knight Defender stood next to the closed door into the hallway, his square jaw tight and hard, his eyes cold. She hadn't seen him so tense since the days immediately following her abduction.

"I still think we should go to the library," she said finally, reigniting the stubborn set of Falek's jaw. "Just in case."

"If they are there and we come without your mother, we risk the very thing this plan attempted to avoid."

"But if they're there waiting for me—"

"If your mother has heard, but knows only rumors, if she is applying pressure and Etan is resisting, our appearance will only strengthen her case. No, Ayleth, we will wait until we have word of their whereabouts, until we know for certain that it was your mother who knew and called for Etan's return. We must walk with caution. If there has been no drama—if her absence right now is only a coincidence, we will only worsen the issue by making hasty decisions."

Ayleth felt as if a fire flared to life in her chest, she whirled around on the seat. "Coincidence? You don't believe in coincidences! She must have found him when he arrived! What other explanation could there be? What if she is—"

A soft knock on the door snapped her jaw closed faster than midden flies in August. Barely breathing, she stared at Falek, who nodded once, then turned and cracked the door—opening it wider when he saw who was on the other side.

The servant. A young woman, barely out of short skirts, who ran messages and emptied chamber pots.

Falek checked outside in the corridor, then closed the door behind her. "What did you find?" he asked her as soon as she was done curtseying to Ayleth.

"I haven't found the others, but young Chip was overheard crowing about a coin he got from the Summitran Heir for showing him to the library to meet the Queen. He was summonsed. But no one has seen either of them since, and Gerty said was on to clean the library just two hours ago and she said they weren't there—"

Ayleth's shoulders slumped and she turned towards the window to hide her pained expression from the servant.

"—but I think she's lying. She's been making eyes with coal boy for weeks and he's finally taken notice of her. I think she's shirked her duties to kiss him in the—"

Ayleth whirled and looked at Falek.

"Thank you, Maud, you have been a great help," he said, with a wink at the young woman who blushed. Ayleth blinked. This servant found Falek attractive? But there was no time for those distractions. She waited, almost bouncing on her toes while Falek ushered the servant out and sent her on her with way, bidding her to return if she heard anything more.

When he finally turned from closing the door and looked at her, she tried very hard not to say "I told you so."historical

"Shall we, then?" Falek said dryly.

"Oh, we definitely shall," she ground out, storming past him for the door. And to her husband's side.