Hunted Queen

Chapter Fifty Seven • One's Child, One's Heir

-Jade- 

Elizabeth crashed into her the second they were within reach of each other in the great hall. No words had been waster upon seeing the other. Only a long embrace. Their reunion was warm and desperate at the same time. Jade clung to her closest friend within the castle walls as if she would disappear into thin air if she let her grip loosen even a little. 

Inhaling deeply, she savored the smell of time being spent in the kitchen that hung in the old woman's hair, skin and clothes. It overwhelmed Jade completely, bringing her right back to the moments she had walked in on Elizabeth baking bread or preparing dinner. How her governess beamed with joy at the sight of her while her hands were busy at work. Kneading dough, preparing meat or chopping vegetables... her hands always knew exactly what to do and barely needed her eyes in the process. The very same hands were now holding Jade close to her. 

Standing there, wrapped in Elizabeth's motherly embrace, Jade realized that she was in fact home. She was finally truly safe. "I am sorry, Liz." She whispered against her governess' neck. Jade shut her eyes hard, holding back tears as she hugged the woman in her arms back even tighter. 

"What for?" 

"For leaving." The words came out as a sniffle. "We should never have left." 

When they slowly released each other from their Jade was no longer able to keep her tears at bay. They swelled over, just like her unruly emotions caused a storm inside of her. Elizabeth grabbed her cheeks in a sturdy loving grip, staring into her teary eyes for long seconds before speaking. 

"You are back now." Elizabeth sighed. "Thankfully, alive at that, and despite looking so awfully gaudy, you seem healthy." She added and then eyed the bump between them. "And someone else is still with us." 

Jade nodded and caressed her belly gently with one hand. "Yes. How, I do not know..." 

"Whoever it is, they have their father's stubbornness. That might be one reason." Elizabeth said, her finger waving in the air between them. "Oh, he was such a headstrong child." They both laughed quietly at that. 

"Where is Loren?" She suddenly asked, as naturally as if she had been taking a deep breath. As if his return was a given now that Jade was back. Fear arose in Jade, watching Elizabeth turn to look for her own child. Quickly returning her gaze to Jade whenever he did not appear. 

Jade's heart plummeted along with her stomach. A violent ache rising within her chest as she realized that her poor governess had no clue of what had happened to her son. Her only son. And now she had to tell her that he had not returned with her. 

A ragged breath was Jade's initial response to the question. She barely dared to look her guard's mother in the eyes while preparing for some of the hardest things she would ever have to utter.  She hesitantly grabbed Elizabeth 's hands in hers, but then squeezing them tightly and locking eyes with her as seconds passed. Knowing that only she could give her these horrible news. 

Before speaking she exhaled, lips quivering. "I... I do not know where he is." She whispered, lips trembling and new tears falling down her cheeks. "He saved me from..." A hard swallow that hurt her thickening throat so badly, new tears escaped her eyes. "They caught up with us and he... sacrificed himself so that I could escape." 

Shock mixed with confusion flew over the governess' face. "Is he...?" 

Jade pressed her lips together, closed her eyes to repel the memory of Loren being beaten down in the middle of the road. 

"I am not sure... cannot know for sure." She whispered sadly. "I did not see him... pass... neither did I see him escape. I have proof of neither." She gasped, holding back a sob the best she could. "The last time I saw him... they were beating him." The horrid memory overpowered her and let the images roam her mind. Everything played out in front of her mind's eye, despite her efforts to push it away. She could hear the punches hitting his body and how parts of her him crunched at the impact. Her own screams echoed in her mind in the back ground. How she had howled out for him and cried at the sight.