Chapter Twenty Nine
Celina didn’t know what to think, her brother was not hurt thankfully. Yet there was something off about her brother. William and Samson were both concerned about the King’s body and any possible injury from being struck by the arrow that had pierced his armor. But there were no signs that the poison had actually marred his flesh, in fact he looked downright happy about all of this which was very out of character.
“Brother why in the world are you smiling? You were just shot with an arrow but you act as if what happened was nothing at all.”
He stopped, turning he placed both of his hands on her thin shoulders. “Celina, I do not mean to act so pleased with this. Whoever hit me was probably aiming for you and not me; it’s something I would never take lightly.”
She frowned. “I don’t know why then.”
His smile seemed to soften. “It’s alright if you don’t, for now let us just deal with issue at hand. The one who caused this will be dealt with properly.”
“Do you intend to kill this person?” she asked with a wary tone, over the years many people would be put to death for attempting to kill someone of royal blood no matter what the reason may have been. She understood the reason to an extent but part of her just did not agree with it. Violence only sparked more violence.
Xavier let out a sigh as they kept walking not elaborating anything to his sister, which only seemed to increase her worry.
Once they returned to where the other nobles were, Celina heard an increase of whispers, wondering what in the world happened, some with genuine concern, while others mocked. It was very common place, even when harm was afflicted.
“Princess Celina, are you alright?” Radu asked with worried concern. “Your dress, what happened?”
Celina went to speak only Eleanor cut in before she could say anything at all.
“It looks to me as if she could not stay on that horse after all.” She mocked with a smirk on her face. “Perhaps she should learn from scratch.”
“She would not have fallen, My Lady, if someone was not trying to take away her life.”
All the mockery and whispers quickly died to silence once hearing Xavier’s tone, he looked at the Princess with a look of hatred.
Her smirk vanished, the look of fear etched into her features. “Per-perhaps it was just some careless hunter; it’s been known to happen before.”
“Yes,” he stated coolly. “That may be true, however this careless hunter, missed her and hit me instead.” He pulled the cloak back and revealed the hole in his armor to them, many gasped in horror and whispered amongst them once more. “This hunter you speak of Eleanor was no mere hunter, a hunter would not aim at a child, or her brother the King. In fact I know what kind of man this was.”
Kayle frowned. “What do you speak of my Lord?”
Xavier glanced to William before responding to Kayle. “I was given word of what might transpire, I spoke of this to my knights they wanted I to act, however considering who had done this, who ordered the hit I needed proof. And it looks as if my source was right.”
“And who was this source of information?” Eleanor demanded. “Some beggars child?”
Xavier smiled at the woman. “A woman you know well my Lady, she told me what had been planned and what was intended.”
Kayle gave the King a worried look, but did not speak openly. Could he have known about what he wanted done to Xavier? Kayle had heard that the King was aware of someone being displeased about how he would act as King and yet he did nothing, what in the world was he waiting for? But Kayle knew that Xavier was waiting for the right time, the right place, with many eyes watching them all so that person could not escape.
For the first time in his years he truly felt scared, scared of the young man who stood before him as King, blue eyes of ice and just as cold as he looked on to those he ruled over. This was no whelp wet behind the ears. This was a man who knew exactly what he was doing, when, where and how, behind the youth held the mind of a warrior, and a fearsome man. Xavier could kill them all without even so much as batting an eye, yet he held off and waited, like a wolf stalking its pray.
A cold chill ran down Kayle’s spine as he watched the young King, the man would be the greatest foe if anyone ever dared to cross him.
“So who is this person?” Eleanor demanded.
Xavier merely smiled at her. “I’ll tell you, and the one who did it as well.”
It was late into the night, the wind howling lowly within a cloudy sky, the wind blowing the clouds over the moon of the light, shrouding the silver light into darkness then back to the cold night more. Xavier stood near the garden, his hair not bound by his blue string ribbon, flowing almost in a haunting way like a ghost. He had been called here a note tucked underneath his door late in the evening when all but a few had gone to bed.
A number of knights made their evening rounds the light of a few fires burned brightly with an orange red glow inside the castle and along its tall walls in the distance.
He turned when he heard the woman arrive; he frowned at her, draped in a cloak so her face could not be seen as she attentively walked towards him.
“You took your time; I had begun to wonder if you ever intended to appear before me. So, what is it that you wished to speak to me with such urgency in an ungodly time?”
The woman was viably shaken but took another step forwards as if silently asking for courage before speaking to the King. “At noon on the day of the Fall Hunt a stray arrow will be fired at the Princess, you and your men must make sure she is never alone.”
Xavier frowned at the cloaked woman. “Who are you? And how do you know something like this will happen.”
“I know because during my grief I played my hand at this and now have no means of backing out. But I at least thought that even though I may commit high treason I should try to warn you of this plot.”
“You still have not told me who you are.”
“You know who I am.” Pulling back the hood of the cloak Lily stared at Xavier. “I know you despise me for what I had done during the coronation ceremony. And now I have come to regret those words.”
He glared at her with malice. “Do you expect me to take that as an apology; do you want me to return your families status? Is that it?”
She shook her head. “I no longer care about that, money and power, will drive anyone mad. And for a time it did that to me, but I was also dealing with the loss and grief over the death of my sister Rosa. She wasn’t smart and always said stupid things but she was still my sister.” she looked at him head on, even though he looked as if he wanted to strangle the life out of her she couldn’t back away not from this. “Please listen to what I have to say, I do not care if you believe me or not I merely want to stop you from losing your sister.”
Xavier was silent for a moment as if contemplating what she had said. “Before that, I want to know who is behind this, who made you agree in killing my sister?”
“The person is…”
“Princess Eleanor Claudia Lapina Boscone from the lands of Labadier,” Xavier proclaimed while staring at the woman who caused this. “You Princess, tried to have my sister killed, all so you could fulfill your greed.”
Radu looked at his own sister in horror. “Sister you didn’t!”
Eleanor laughed. “You actually believe that peasant?! That little bitch would say anything just to make herself look good!”
“I think you mean to make yourself look good.” Xavier stated. “You used a woman in a fragile state of mind to get what you wanted and then put the whole blame on her and her family. Do you really think I am that naïve Eleanor?”
“Do you have proof?” she scoffed. “I am to be your future wife, your queen and you suspect me in trying to kill your sister? What folly.”
“What folly indeed, when it was my breast the arrow struck. In fact we still have that arrow, and the poison, in which I have no doubt, is highly expensive and hard to come by. And can only be procured by someone who has a vast amount of wealth. If I were to ask any of your men or handmaidens where they have been these past several days what do you think they will say to me?”
“I do not know,” she said. “You cannot expect me to keep an eye on everyone who is with me now do you? It is impossible.”
He laughed. “Impossible? I do not think so, if you wish to be queen you must watch all, everyone you meet, and always keep one eye and ear open to those around you for you might never know who is friend, or who is foe. In fact seeing as how you are almost rather inept in keeping track of your own people I took liberty in seeing to the comings and goings of those whom you have brought.”
“You’ve done what?” she screeched. “How dare you spy on me, you’ve had no right!”
“And how dare you try to have my sister killed!” he barked in seething rage. “My men have given me great details in what your servants have been doing while you pretend to care about my and my sister’s wellbeing when all you want is my throne.”
“And how do you know they were my servants King Xavier? They could have very well been my brother’s did you not think of that?”
Radu looked on to his sister with the most horror, he never thought that such words could leave his sister’s lips, even Celina looked at her in aghast. Radu turned his head away in disgust from her smirking face then promptly moved away from his sister to stand in front of Xavier and bend the knee. “Your Majesty I swear to you I would never do such I thing. I see both you and your sister the Princess, as comrades and friends. I would never do such a thing.”
“And how do I know that you are not lying?” Xavier asked.
Radu raised his head and looked at the King with determination. “For if I did I would tell you, that you are my enemy and I would not back down in the battlefield if we were to ever truly face one another. However, I am not doing that now, and I did it would not be here. Though I am young, I will do all in my power to prove to you, that I do not see you as such. You are King of Valdoria, and someone whom I aspire to be when I am grown. If you do not take these words to heart then you had better kill me now.”
Xavier watched the Prince, the murmurs of voices growing louder with each passing moment. “Rise Price Radu, I know you are not the one whom has conspired to kill me or my sister, I have seen how you have spoken to Celina and others around you. You are honest, and speak truth with your words, though you may not like to fight, I have been witnessed to your bravery.” As the Prince stood he added. “And you have also given me this.” He held up the pin that was holding his cloak. “A man such as you would not offer such gifts to people that he wishes dead.”
Radu bowed his head to him. “Thank you, King Xavier.”
Xavier inclined his head in respect to the Prince, before turning a cold gaze to the Princess. “I have heard talk of how you hate my sister, just because she is there and takes all of my attention. Have you not heard of what happened to my parents? The former King and Queen, and how my step-mother and subsequent uncle were butchered like wild animals? Celina is all I have left in this world, I hold her above everyone else including myself. You cannot hold a candle to her in this life or the next.”
Eleanor went to speak but Ares came bounding up the hill on horseback. “Your Majesty! We have found the one that we are looking for!”
“Excellent! Where is the fool now?”
“I will show you,” he then looked to Eleanor, his deep brown eyes seething with anger that the redheaded man kept contained. “We should do this in private I think, it’d be for the best of us. do you agree your Highness?”
“I do indeed.” He turned to the nobles and proclaimed. “I think after all of what has just happened we should call it a day. a good hunt to you all, I hope to hear what beasts you’ve caught later on.”
There were calls and shouts of those demanding to know what was going on, only with a booming bark from Ares sent them all packing for home. Celina held her brother’s hand tightly as Samson and William had the royals of Labadeir towards the castle, where they would continue in private.
However it was something that Celina was not privy to attend, her brother said that after what had happened it would be far too much for her to handle. Radu was also asked to wait for word of what was going to happen next. Though they both knew another reason that was not spoken, though Xavier meant what he said, others saw Celina and Radu as mere children; even if they were they knew childhood would not last, not in this world.
It was something that anyone from a noble house or not was used too, though it could be understood to a point. But that wouldn’t stop Ann and Maria from nearly tearing into the knights who were supposed to protect Celina from harm, it took Celina’s pleading to get the two girls to finally calm down, but that also meant that the two had no intention of leaving the Princess alone, at least not while the threat was still there.
When she changed and headed to the main hall she found Radu waiting, leaning against a pillar while staring at the large double doors where Xavier, his ministers, knights and Eleanor in private. The look of worry etched on his face, he looked more like a fretting adult rather than a child in that very moment.
“Any word?”
Radu shook his head slowly as his gaze turned to Celina. “I haven’t been told of anything; it’s just been a mix of shouting of my sister and muffled talking of your brother.” He expelled a breath as he looked back to the door. “This cannot end well…”
“Radu you were not the cause, you shouldn’t feel as if you are to blame.”
“But I do!” he snapped which surprised Celina, with him being here for so long he never seemed like the kind of person who would snap so easily. “Eleanor is my sister my blood! And she devised such a scheme for you to lose your life. How can I not feel at fault?”
“He does have a point my Lady,” Maria added softly, before Ann stepped on her foot to make her quite.
After giving the woman a sideways glance Ann spoke up. “In the worst case scenario, she may be executed.”
Radu paled.
“However,” she continued. “With her status she’s most likely be banished from these lands and will never be allowed to return, no matter what her father may say.”
He’d probably blame me for it. Radu thought as his gaze went back to the door. “I just don’t want her to die, for something that seems so… trivial. Even though I know it’s not, in the long run it can be looked in such a way. Why can’t we all get along with one another? Why do we have to always watch our back in case someone we know decides to try and kill us?”
“That’s a question that may never be answered.” Celina said in a soft voice. “I know your sister did not like me, but I should feel surprised that she had done this. But considering this has happened much to me, it just washes over me like cold water to the point I feel numb.”
When Radu looked at her once more he saw that she had meant every word, they were close in age, but they had similarities that almost seemed uncanny he couldn’t deny that. “I wish things were different…”
“They might be if you become King.” Celina said with a slight smile. “When you proclaimed your loyalty to my Brother you looked like that of a man willing to charge into battle, I know that our countries has its differences but you are a good person at heart.”
“We still barley know one another.” He stated.
Celina gave a modest shrug. “That may be true, but even still I see you as a friend, and I hope we can continue that down the line. Even if my Brother and your Father do not agree.”
Radu opened his mouth to speak, only to stop when the doors opened, and William stepped out to look at the two. “Princess, Prince, the King wishes to speak to you in private. The decision’s been made, and he wishes to hear your thoughts on the matter.”
Radu looked uneasy but nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
Celina hung back to speak to Ann and Maria. “Ann, Maria, I want you both to promise me, that no matter what happens, you won’t judge me for this outcome.”
“It’s her own damn fault for shooting you.” Maria muttered.
Ann gripped her hand. “We’ll stand by your side for as long as you need us.”
With a wary smile Celina turned and walked into the room where her Brother and others waited, she didn’t know what would become of Eleanor, but she couldn’t help but feel as if something about all of this would go terribly wrong.