“Do you know where she is now?” He asked.
Wick looked at him, saying nothing and moving away from the door. Clearly, she was done with her direct involvement. Thomas saw her stop by the front door leading into their shared living space, and he wondered if she only stopped there or was she acting as lookout. Thomas did not ask her and instead put his attention back on the room before him.
It was entirely possible that Sable had destroyed all evidence. He thought that was far more likely than for him to find anything incriminating if she was involved in the poisoning. However, he was inspired by Wick’s confession that she was writing letters to someone. Perhaps she kept them or had one sitting here waiting for the moment to send it. Thomas was optimistic, but as he went through the first prominent places and found nothing of even a little interest, he was losing that initial drive.
Sighing, Thomas resisted pulling clothes out of the draws and throwing them around the room. Instead, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves and one by one Thomas pulled items out of draws, unfolding and shaking garments before folding and replacing them as best as he could.
Time seemed to move faster than usual, and although he had searched the room, he felt like he had not examined it well enough. With no evidence to report back to Glais Thomas groaned, running his hands over his face and tried to think as a young woman would. Thomas paused, looking at the room and waited for something to jump out at him but there was no apparent mismatched detail.
Admitting defeat and sure that nothing was obviously out of place Thomas already felt that he was had overstayed his welcome in this task. Closing the bedroom door again behind him, Thomas thanked Wick. She said nothing, and he did not expect her to as he left the room to report his findings.
***
Glais looked at the jug and the liquid that sat in the bottom. There was not much remaining. The mixture, whatever it had been that Gretchen had created for Thomas and Evangeline, had been enough to administer to the fallen troops with only a cup full or so remaining. Some of the remaining elixirs had been given to his own medical crew, the ones gifted with healing insight and essential knowledge on how the human body worked. He did not know what they wanted with it, but there was no harm to be had in handing it over. If they could duplicate the effects, it would be handy to have should the poison return.
That had given him just over a glass to look at himself. While it had not meant anything to him then, Evangeline’s words haunted him now. They had both been afraid to think about what kind of impurities could be found in Wick’s body that might be worthier of destruction than the poison she had ingested. Looking at the liquid, Glais wondered what contaminants it would see in his own system that might be judged worthy.
He had told no one he had this, or what it could mean. The jug had been left abandoned by Thomas on the field once all doses had been handed out. A servant had discovered it during the cleaning process, and Glais had been lucky to be nearby when the discovery was made. He took the jug and so it had been waiting every day for him since the incident had come to pass. Every day he would visit it, stare at the contents and wonder if it may be the cure, before finally putting it away until he had leisure on his side.
He wanted to try it. He had not been told that someone had tried this potion before, although the historical evidence was mostly lost and only the attempts of his ancestors that were interesting were only ever passed on orally through stories. He knew there were attempts to keep the curse bound by other oaths, and the time his forefather had the insight to perhaps lighten the load by sharing the curse with others rather than all secured within a single body but that had been another fruitless adventure. He looked at the potion again and tried to think of anything like it happening to his bloodline before. He remained hopeful.
Glais was also sure that the side effects would not be welcomed, should it work. He had seen the damages himself as innocent people were possessed by the cure and forced into action by the screaming and beating of fists into the hard-packed soil. When this potion found something that it wanted to eject from the person, it would not be a kind thing to witness. Glais never thought there would be a simple way out of the curse, that the shared nature of it could mean the removal of the curse might result in his death. He had considered that, but in the same breath decided it would be a worthy way to die. A king’s life is one of sacrifice for his people, and Glais could think of no greater sacrifice that he could make then to die while the curse was destroyed along with him.
He returned the jug to the hiding place in the library. At the back of the room, lost behind the cobwebs and dust of forgotten children’s books, he had hidden the elixir. No one would be reading the tales of good over evil when evil lived upon the Braykith throne. There was no whimsy to be found when the stories seemed to be a portrayal of everyday life. His dark mood only soured further as Glais knew he could not attempt the potion until after his father’s death, but before Evangeline’s pregnancy.
A small grey area of perfect timing would decide his fate. Glais hated it, and yet he welcomed the Gods to make it so. If he were the only being alive with the tainted blood, then the curse would have nowhere to run after his demise. It would be trapped and exiled, and it was that thought which stayed with Glais as he went about his duties.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
H e knew his duty was to Glais. Thomas still remained loyal to the crown, regardless of how people assumed otherwise. His love for Evangeline was a constant battle with no clear victor in sight. However, that love had brought Thomas in search of Evangeline in this time. Regardless of how he felt about the woman, Sable was her friend, and Thomas knew how rare friendship happened for Evangeline.
Thomas knocked gently on Evangeline’s door, and receiving no response. He investigated the room further. Seeing it deserted he knew there was only one place he could find her. Walking around the outside of the castle, he smiled to see her standing within the trees that stood by her bedroom window. “You are quite easy to find.” He teased her, and Evangeline looked up when Thomas spoke.
“Only by those who know me.” She assured him, adjusting her dress and feeling self-conscious of being in this secret place with Thomas considering the acts she performed each evening with the person she had been forced to marry. She knew there were no signs on her of what she had been doing with Glais, nothing Thomas would be able to notice. Still, Evangeline felt like Thomas could tell, in the same way, that Glais could tell when she had been intimate with Thomas.
“I finished searching Sable’s room,” he announced.
Evangeline nodded. “So, that was today?” she sighed gently, not truly understanding why she could not be trusted with the knowledge but knowing it was not worth the fight. “What was discovered?” she asked, half afraid of his answer.
“There was nothing worth noting. I was sure to check it thoroughly.” He knew it was a sensitive issue and wanted Evangeline to know that he had taken it quite seriously. Secretly, he had been hoping to locate something which was incriminating only so they could put a stop to the dangers that lurked within the castle. There might not be proof that she helped poison many of Braykith’s best soldiers, but Sable was still highly suspicious. The coincidences were simply too great to ignore. The paranoia was growing stronger every day. “It would appear that Sable seemed to be exactly who she claims to be.”
Evangeline nodded but was surprised when she did not feel relief. Now sure how she felt about the update she moved onto the issue worth discussing with Thomas. She motioned him closer and he, of course, obeyed. He enjoyed any opportunity to be close to her and if he was feeling romantic, it was almost like the leaves and wind of the trees were pushing the pair together rather than apart.
“Quintus leaves soon,” Evangeline said carefully, and Thomas nodded. “And I know that initially, you were not leaving with him.” She took his hand in her own and played with his fingers, marvelling the feel of them and remembering how they felt against her skin. It had only been t
he one time but the night had been etched into her core and would never be forgotten. Their eyes met, and she knew he was thinking the same thoughts.
“Eva, please…” his voice trailed off, but he did not take his hand back.
“Are you being called to duty?” she asked.
Thomas shook his head. “No. I have not been called. My duty is to you and Glais. That is where my future leads. I am being groomed to be part of the King’s royal guard. I will be where he is.” He sighed, easily gripping her fingers and stopping Evangeline from playing with his hands anymore. “You need to end this torment.” He murmured.
“If I have to suffer, then you shall suffer with me.” Evangeline smiled briefly before letting her hand drop his. “I did not want you to leave.”
“But you do not like that I will stay.” Thomas countered.
“I cannot answer that.” Evangeline shielded her face from him and hated to hear him sigh. She struggled with finding the right words for this moment. “I just needed to know from you, Thomas.”
“Know what?” His voice had come out firmer then he intended, the tightness in his chest restricting his breath and kept Thomas from relaxing. He was aware that what was coming, but he had no comfort for her. “You had told me not to expect more than a single moment of your affections, and I know that I agreed to this,” He hurried to finish when she opened her mouth to object, but Evangeline did not interrupt Thomas. “And now Evangeline you treat me as if we have the chance to be more than that single arrangement. Loving you comes with more grief than I imagined life could give me.”
“I just needed to know what to expect. In the future,” Evangeline fumbled over her words to ensure that Thomas understood her message. “I do not want to find you gone some morning with no news on if you will ever return.”
Thomas sighed. “These are the words you should be saying to Glais, fearing of him being called to duty and perhaps never returning from the battlefront.” Thomas was amazed that she reserved those feelings for him and yet feared what would come of him should others discover the depth of their friendship. “Should I be called to service I will be sure to inform you personally.”
Evangeline could not tell if he was mocking her not, and so she did not answer him.
“I love you, Evangeline. If I ever thought that it was possible, neither of us will be here. I cannot explain it, but I love you more now than before, and I feel more at war with myself then when we first met.” He paused, not sure where this sudden explosion of truth-telling was coming from, but he could not help it. “I go to sleep with thoughts of you and dream of a life where it is possible. You are free to love and be loved, and always it is with me. Impossible, I know, but these are the thoughts that keep me awake and unsatisfied with a God’s choice that you should never be mine.”
Evangeline kissed him on a sudden impulsive need, and there was no pretending with him. She took his hands and placed them on her hips, as she pressed her body to his. The gasping sound that escaped her mouth was genuine, and she wanted him to know how he made her feel. Thomas cut the kiss short, but Evangeline was still left breathless as he looked down at her stunned at her actions. “I’m not sorry.” She said, her hands still gripping the front of his uniform.
“I know.” Thomas couldn’t smile at Evangeline though. It hurt too much. “We need to control your impulses better.” He tried to tease her, mocking her slightly by using the faults Quintus found and delivering them as flattery, but his mind was reeling with what had just happened.
Evangeline laughed and shook her head. “Any who believe I have no control over my impulses are yet to be left alone with you.” She countered good-naturedly, staying pressed tight against him and simply enjoying the closeness. Here in the trees, Evangeline could almost believe they were entirely secluded from the rest of the world. She put her head on his shoulder, breathing in the scene of him where the collar of his uniform met his body. Closing her eyes, she knew he was not in the same place as her emotionally.
Pulling back., Evangeline looked up at him with expectations. “Thomas?”
“Those impulsive actions brought us together.” He said softly, and when Evangeline continued to look up at him, he finally met her eyes directly. His resolve softened at the expression on her face. This situation was not easy for her either, and Thomas acknowledged it. The romantic fool that lived inside him was convincing Thomas that this arrangement between himself and Evangeline work out somehow. “Surely they cannot be all that bad.”
Evangeline sighed and rested once more upon his shoulder. “It has only been a few days, but I believe I have found a balance between duty and love.” She confessed.
Thomas did not want to have this discussion. He never enjoyed it when they did speak of her marriage, and yet it seemed to come up naturally far more often than Thomas could believe. “That cannot be true.” He said, closing his eyes.
Evangeline frowned. “How so?” She wanted to defend herself and point out all the ways she can be a good wife while keeping Thomas satisfied.
“Because you still ignore me.” Thomas ran his hand down her back, stopping on the small of her back. His fingers splayed out to cover as much as he was able as he held her. “You still manage to avoid me. You still pretend that I do not exist, except in the times you make yourself available. It is a rejection that cuts deeper than any blade when I realise that I am not the first thought you have, which is not fair. I know.”
Evangeline paused, considering their situation and how he must feel. “I know it is selfish for me to drag you into this situation and encourage your enthusiasm when it suits me. I know this is not ideal and I can only imagine how hard I make it when I keep changing the rules. Yet, trust me when I say that I cannot imagine a life without you in it.” Evangeline wondered if Thomas realised how much he meant to her. “I asked you once for a particular favour Thomas, and you granted it to me with no hesitation.” She pulled back enough to look up at him. “I have a new favour to ask.”
Thomas did not falter. “If it is in my power, then it is yours.”
“Forgive me?” she asked.
Thomas frowned. “For what?” He was cautious to encourage her to speak further. He was lucky to have even a small part of Evangeline in his life, and yet he would never be satisfied with that. To take it away seemed like a cruel punishment.
Evangeline smiled, reaching up to cup his chin with her hand. She did not like the look in his eyes, and she hated being responsible for it. “For never stopping to think you deserve better. Forgive me for being selfish and never giving you the proper role that you deserve at my side.”
Thomas was surprised by the ghost of a smile that glazed his lips before he kissed her thumb quickly. “I know our love must be secret.”
“It is more than that.” Evangeline looked around them, but this grove was well hidden. The people of Braykith had been without nature for so long they did not understand the luxury of it now. No one would appreciate the trees as she did. There was a feeling of peace and freedom here that Evangeline could not explain. “I need you to know Thomas that every public affection I show Glais has your signature on it.” She kissed him before he could respond, pulling Thomas in close and allowed his body to replace the stain of Glais’ imprint.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
E vangeline was too young to remember the war. Like it had been pointed out to her so many times recently, she had been a sheltered child. All she knew were the stories and songs that were still spoken now about Barret’s tremendous feats against a poisonous army. Even so, Evangeline knew that it had been an operation of stealth and security. Everyone was sworn to secrecy, and death would greet those who went against it. There was no grand fare when Barret left the manor if he left it all.
She looked at Glais from the corner of her eye, noticing the way he was dressed. She could not be sure if it was the trick of the light or is it could be the truth that somehow the fabric of his clothes was darker than usual. Everything had been pressed and of co
urse looked like perfection on his frame. Usually, Glais would throw his hair into a ponytail at the base of his head with his own hands. Today, Wick stood behind him and pulling the brush back through his long hair, ensured that each strand was in its correct place before she secured it with a strap of leather. Separating the strands into three different groups, Wick worked silently on the braid that would come to hit his mid back.
Evangeline went back to studying her hands before Glais could meet her eye. Sable worked on securing the tiara to her head. Her hair left loose around her shoulders as was the custom in Braykith. Small sections were being pulled back to give the jewels the nest they needed to stay in place, but it was minimal and secretive, so the tiara seemed secured as if by will alone.
Her dress was the same darkest black of Glais’ coat and pants. Evangeline held strong suspicions that their clothing had been tailored from the same cloth and made by the same seamstress. She had never worn anything quite like this dress before, and she prayed she would never need to again. There was an elegant battle feel to the way the dress was structured. A beautiful tapestry that mimicked the pieces of armour should a woman ever be forced to wear it.
Besides the imitation of a breastplate, the dress was lacking the usual details she had grown accustomed to since Wick had become in charge of her clothes and style. Small black buttons travelled up her sternum and to her neck where a diamond was hanging around her throat. To her surprise, the cut was not rounded or precise, and Wick would not respond when Evangeline had asked about its origin. The jewel looked dangerous and delicate all at the same time, like broken glass. Evangeline had never seen anything like it.
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