Page 81 of Caroline the Cruel
“She told him what?” Breicher released an exasperated sigh.
“Something that’s got him combing the castle grounds for rosenwood leaves. He’s determined to use them to make a poison, because she said the Gods told her it would kill her.”
“And he believed her?”
“Apparently, she sold it quite well. They consumed a full liter of winter’s sin between them, and father said she was an equal participant,” Jaden said as he rode beside his uncle. They were off to Avondale. It had taken a full month to convince Breicher, who had been too busy wallowing in his misery to leave his room in the little inn where he was staying. Of which Jaden was footing the bill now that his uncle had no claims to anything, really, of his own.
“Oh Caroline, what are you up to?” Breicher called to the clear blue sky. “If he gets himself killed, it’s his own fault. There must be a reason she’s keeping him alive. As far as we’re concerned, it’s best we stay out of it.”
When they arrived at the town square, Breicher rose from his saddle, but settled as Jaden passed through the center and kept going. Nudging his horse, he caught up, grumbling. “I told you we’re not disturbing the gravesites, Jaden.”
Jaden shot him a scowl. “Why is it I’m the only one in this family who will do what needs to be done?”
“I’ll go, but I’m not taking part in the desecration you intend.”
As they rounded the corner, the cemetery came into view and the thirty fresh graves scattered across the frozen ground like open gashes gave his conflicted thoughts about his wife’s new life. No vegetation yet covered the rich brown soil. Winter lasted longer here than in Everstal, and the mounds of dirt looked fresh as the day those who had died were buried.
Jaden galloped ahead. “Looks like your lucky day, uncle.”
Breicher rode up to the edge of the surrounding stone wall, quickly dismounting and lashing his reins to a post. They let themselves inside the gate and made their way up the rows. Darkness flooded his vision as his world tilted. A strong hand wrapped around his shoulder for support, but he still stumbled, crashing to his knees like he had the morning Hollis had brought him here.
He couldn’t believe it. Jaden wasn’t going to have to dig up any bodies to confirm his suspicion. Someone had already done the work for him. A sinking feeling rooted in his gut and instinct told him who it had been.
Long moments passed and Jaden let him sit there, running his hand over the dead grass left where the piles of dirt had been cleared away. Processing what lengths his brother had gone to in order to keep him and Caroline apart was almost too much. His voice caught as he said, “How many are there? The false ones?”
Jaden had finished walking the rows, making his own assessment. “It appears all of the ones on this side are just piles of dirt made to look like fresh graves.” Jaden slid his sword into the nearest pile of earth, hitting the hard, undisturbed ground beneath about a foot down. “That leaves seven total on the other side. Someone must have died from their injuries after she fled. Or other causes unrelated to the ambush.”
Bile gurgled in his stomach as saliva flooded his mouth from the surge of nausea washing over him. Breicher was going to be sick. Jaden came to kneel beside him, placing a hand on his back as the tears fell. “She knew, but she didn’t tell me. Her and Angus must have figured it out. I don’t understand.”
Jaden grimaced. “Well, you know our queen. She had her reasons, I’m certain.” After a while, Jaden stood, reaching a hand down to him. “Come on, let’s get back to the city before nightfall.”
In the time he’d been sent away, he’d been trying to reason out how he might excuse his actions. He’d almost convinced himself that what he’d done didn’t count because he’d been forced to wed her under one of her punishments. But that was a lie… he’d felt what transpired between them on their wedding day and he’d been ready to be with her of his own volition and any excuse he might come up with didn’t taste right to him. The simple truth was, he’d been wrong. He’d hurt her, and she was the one still standing again like she always was and would be.
What did he have to do to get her back? This new revelation swirled around in his head as he and Jaden rode in silence back to Kierengaard.
If Caroline knew Breicher stood before her, watching from the shadows on a lower level of the towering white castle like he did so many nights, she didn’t let on. It was risky, that she might kill him like she’d threatened if she caught sight of him, but he had to see her. His wife stood on a snow dusted balcony in a loose sky colored gown, staring toward her southern kingdom.
She’d been spending more time in Roskide, now that the petitions were a few months underway, and she’d established a rhythm. The subjects in the surrounding city had even come to appreciate having a weekly audience with their sovereign if the rumors were to be believed. She was still feared, resented, but despite everything things were changing. Caroline was uniting the kingdoms.
And she was doing it all without him. Guilt and sorrow mixed in his mind as she raised a glass of wine to her lips, taking a sip. She set it on the ledge, then gripped the stones, closing her eyes. She took a deep inhale, then exhaled the breath slowly before opening her eyes again. Breicher hated that he wasn’t there with her. That he wasn’t the one she was leaning on, the one easing her burden.
Instead, he’d become her burden.
No more. In the last month when he’d been licking his wounds, Jaden had suggested he find a way to help her from afar. He’d dismissed the idea, but now he reconsidered. She may not want to see him, or acknowledge he was still bound to her, but he could act as her king by action. Maybe, after her rage had softened, and she saw his efforts to prove himself, she’d welcome him home.
As if sensing his thoughts, Caroline picked up her glass, and turned to go back inside, taking his heart with her.
Chapter 18
Itdidn’ttakebuta week before Hollis was knocking at the door to her suite with two bottles of wine. One was red, presumably for her and poisoned, and the white for him. “Your Majesty, may I come in?”
He wasn’t calling her by her given name, which meant it was definitelypoisoned. She better put on quite the show then. But she should enjoy a full glass or two before the crushed leaves should be taking effect. This was going to be the first bit of fun since… no, she wouldn’t go there. Just enjoy this, she told herself. “Hollis,” she called. “Come in.”
Gesturing to the bottles, she said, “What a pleasant surprise!”
“I figured we should celebrate our new friendship. It’s been an entire week since you’ve threatened to kill me, so I felt we were making progress. May I?” he asked, holding out the red for her inspection.
Caroline made a show of looking over the label. “If you please.”
