Page 59 of Caroline the Cruel
Hollis’s upper lips curled at the action exposing the top row of his teeth.
Jaden shot his father a murderous look, which pleased Caroline, then huffed. “My mother has taken Princess Cecily and fled. She was seen leaving the castle in traveling cloaks in one of the fastest carriages less than an hour ago.”
“Shit,” Breicher said. “She must have been planning to get her away before the wedding.” An expression dripping with condemnation was exchanged between the two men. “Youobviously weren’t in the loop.”
Hollis puffed out his chest, chuffing. “I’m surrounded by traitors.”
“You’re a sorry loser,” Caroline said. “Either say something productive or don’t speak.” She tapped her nails on the table. “How far could they have gotten?”
“In an hour?” Breicher answered. “Depending on how congested the streets are, and which route they’re taking, possibly to the edge of the city.”
The captain of the Veetula royal guard, a man named Victor Carl, walked into the room along with three other top tier captains.
“Princess Agnes and Princess Cecily are missing,” Breicher explained. “The official story is they’ve been abducted, but we fear they’ve fled for fear of the repercussions from the recent raids. It’s an unfortunate judgment on Agnes’s part because the queen’s intention is to be a merciful ruler.”
Caroline bristled beside him, but he reached a hand over and threaded it through hers. Her rising tension subsided. Merciful wasn’t the exact word she would use, but she supposed it was close enough. Word would spread of how she’d expeditiously handled the men who were all but martyrs today. Her only regret was how close it had come with her commander’s life.
“Send out your fastest riders and canvas the area. I want them brought in, unharmed before lunchtime tomorrow. Your discretion is appreciated,” Breicher said, voice deep and commanding.
Captain Carl bowed to the man who would be her king in a matter of days. “It will be done.”
“Victor,” Caroline said, halting him using his given name. Personal requests always went better when she employed a bit of familiarity. “Cecily’s a child. Should you or your team find her first, I expect you and your men to shield her from any unpleasantness. She should not have to suffer for Agnes’s lack of wisdom. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the men recited in unison, lowering their heads. Breicher didn’t fail to notice the subtle softening in their eyes before they charged from the room, released on their mission.
Caroline and Breicher exchanged a look, then rose from their seats.
“Where are you two going?” Hollis hissed.
“We’re going to find my niece,” Caroline said without hesitation.
Breicher held the door open for his queen, placing a hand on her shoulder as they passed into the hallway. His heart twisted when she’d saidniece, placing the girl under her protection without flinching. That she’d thought it was more important to find the girl than to see to her own abandoned needs.
But he should have known that about her. Angus hadn’t scoffed when Caroline had said it, knowing she’d expect him to stay and manage reports from Kierengaard. But he’d seen how protective she was when it came to those who couldn’t fend for themselves and how she took a direct approach to everything she did.
Maybe his plight could be good. Wonderful even. It enthralled him, the determination of the woman beside him. A little ember of pride swelled in his chest as they mounted their horses and raced off into the night.
Caroline and her soon-to-be husband searched all night and found nothing. Not a trace of the midnight carriage and the riders inside.
“I didn’t expect this was how I’d be spending the days before my wedding,” Breicher said.
Caroline chuckled. “What did you expect?” Her eyes were as heavy as his, and she was holding back a yawn.
“Well, before Hollis got married, I arranged for all our cousins and a bunch of paid girls to meet at a cabin to the west of here our family owns. We spent two days in debauchery. Hollis was so hungover the night of his wedding, he had to lean against the pulpit in the royal chapel. Agnes kept glaring at him and me, but I could only laugh. At least she knew what she was getting herself into with my brother and the notorious Ivansloheappetite.” Breicher shook his head like he was reliving the memory.
Her lips pressed into a frown, and she nudged her horse forward again. “I guess it’s good that Agnes has provided us this little distraction, then. And no need to worry. I can keep up with yourappetite.” She shot him a wink.
Breicher’s sharp jaw clenched and the way his eyes slid to her under that strong brow suggested he’d be ready for her on a moment’s notice despite their exhaustion. “There’s no sign of them,” he said, breezing past her comment. “Should you zip back to Kierengaard and see if any of the others have found them? Or we could stop somewhere to get a few hours ofsleep?”
They’d made it to the first, and largest village, past the perimeter of the city surrounding the castle. They’d peaked in every stable for that elusive carriage. They weren’t here.
“I’ll go,” she said, dismounting and handing him the reins. In a flash, she was gone and standing in the war room. Her commander’s head limp on the parchment map spread across the table in front of him. He snored lightly and jerked as she approached, but fell back into the peaceful rhythm of sleep. The map of the northern territory had an intricate pattern of lines drawn across it, including the path she and Breicher had taken. A smudged circle, about the size of a silver coin, was drawn around an inn at the edge of the city to the east, right next to a small puddle of drool still dripping from Angus’s cracked mouth.
Sensing a presence, she turned to find Jaden, who casually leaned against the door frame. He waved her out into the hallway. “Carl found them a few hours ago. They’re due back to the castle at noon.” Caroline wrinkled her brow, but Jaden shook his head. “I advised him to not appear hurried for Cecily’s sake, at your request,” he said, inclining his head, a self-assured grin playing at the edges of his lips.
Were all Ivanslohe men so overconfident?
“Good.” Caroline trailed her eyes up and down his lean form. Not a hair was out of place and his attire looked as pressed as if he’d just put it on. Even the sapphire in his eyes had an unwearied glimmer in the firelight bouncing through the hallway from the several nearby sconces. He was definitely up to something.
