To Love, Once Again

Chapter 67

At the entrance of the Throne Room, Sera stood holding her leather bag. She'd been planning on heading out until someone had called her from behind.

"My Queen."

Icaros kneels before Sera on both knees, head bowed in deep regret.

"I apologize for the hurt caused by the false marriage plan I created. It was supposed to be a cleaner alternative, gathering the chaff in one fell swoop. The marriage was supposed to be a happy surprise. I didn't realize to what extent it would cause misunderstandings between the two of you."

Sera sighed, rolling her eyes at his statement. This was the problem when a man tried to make plans for a woman. Good at seeing the big picture, but missing the smaller, important details entirely.

"In my defense, I urged His Majesty to be more open in his feelings with you..." Icaros trails off as Sera watches him speak, arms crossed over her chest.

Sera doesn't say a word. She lets the long, awkward pause unsettle Icaros, keeping him in his uncomfortable bowed position as a small payback. Finally after what feels like Icaros an eternity, she opens her mouth.

"......I forgive you. But prepare yourself for some payback. Your plan put a wall between Lucien and I." Sera finally responds, allowing Icaros to get up.

Icaros nods with all seriousness. He didn't know what Sera's payback entailed, but he knew it would be painful. This woman that his master loved and thought was a goddess was also a part-time evil genius.

Icaros' heart beats a little faster, nervously thinking of what she would do to him. During the Great War, he'd loved teasing the laundry women a little too much as a pastime. Sera had been the one who would orchestrate small paybacks that packed a big punch. The last time he'd pulled a prank that'd gone too far, Sera had the laundry women wash his clothes in pepper water, making training that day an extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing affair. The payback before that came as a result of his flirtatious character. Two laundry women had found out that he was messing around with them both.

Sera was the one who'd come up with the genius idea of filling his straw mattress with stones and sewing it back up. After many nights spent bemoaning the soreness of his back  and body, they'd finally taken pity on him and removed it.

"Thank you, My Queen."

He salutes her and stands up, gesturing with his arm that he would guide her out of the Throne Room. The small squadron of men in Icaros' detail fall in behind them, headed out to the stables to saddle up and be on their way.

"M'lady! Wait for me!"

"Bea!" Sera recognizes that voice and responds in surprise.

Bea scurries into the room, light footsteps echoing down the hallway as Sera prepared to follow that last squadron of knights to their destination. Icaros though Captain of the King's Guard, had remained to lead the group, removing his red cloak to be more inconspicuous.

It was a small punishment from Lucien, to be unable to join the action. Icaros didn't mind, when this was nothing compared to the hurt he'd caused between his master and his lady.

He'd just given Miss Sera a briefing on how the plan would work. There was a list of all the traitors. Icaros had divided them up and assigned knights to arrest each one. As long as Lucien's side had the element of surprise, things should go well. The nobles would be taken to the dungeons for separate questioning, and then tried for their crimes.

They would be setting up a small headquarters in the town square. A few covered wagons in a protective formation, good for mobility and to transport the prisoners to the dungeons to await their trial.