“Yes, Glais?” Quintus asked his son. He was growing more and more concerned about how Glais was changing while under the influence of Evangeline. Quintus had expected some change. Obviously, every man is ultimately swayed by their wife to make subtle changes to better compliment her own oddities, but this man who stood before him was not the same one he had been witnessing for his lifetime. He no longer held a firm back or a grim face, and while Quintus knew these might be seen as good things by others, he was aware that Evangeline was creating weaknesses that would eventually be exploited by their enemies.
“Actually Father, I was looking for Mother,” Glais said and smiled when his mother instantly looked up from her sewing. He hated to see that look on her face, surprised that her grown son would still need her.
Quintus gestured to her. “Should I evacuate the room as well?” he asked, with only a taste of teasing on the edge of his words. He stood and when Kyleigh tried to protest he bent to kiss her forehead. “Worry not. I take no offence.” He promised her and made a hasty exit before Kyleigh to claim otherwise.
Glais shut the door after his father, more to preserve the room and the mysterious air it seemed to have. While Glais had been in the room several times in his life, there was something mysterious in the way the place was spoken about. He knew there was no truth in it, but he wanted to keep the servants guessing about the artefacts that adorned the walls.
“Were you really looking for me?” Kyleigh asked, and Glais nodded. “I will say I am surprised.”
“And I am sorry that it is so surprising.” Glais took the seat by his mother, never daring to take his father’s place. It seemed rude to do so, and Glais felt like a child pretending to be someone he wasn’t whenever he was tempted to try the chairs for comfort. “I have questions about Evangeline, and I already fear to bring it to Father's attention.”
“Why do you call her that?” Kyleigh asked.
“Evangeline?” Glais was surprised by the question.
“Yes.” Kyleigh set her work aside. “You know she prefers the name Eva.”
Glais blinked, surprised with the passion this simple exchange was bringing out of his mother. “I love her full name. I find it elegant and exceptional.”
Kyleigh sat in her chair for a moment while she gathered her thoughts and finally had to accept how her son felt. “I am quite afraid Glais that I do not have any advice on how best to negotiate Eva with your father. She has become such a sore spot for us. As of late just mentioning her name is enough to cause an argument.”
Glais nodded. “And I am so sorry for that. I know I should be better at being a husband, but it seems to be a skill that I am quite horrible at actually.” Kyleigh chuckled, and Glais found himself laughing along with her.
“Oh Son, there is no hard and fast rule you could hope to learn.” Kyleigh promised. “but please, for the sake of my own sanity do not allow her to collect any more ladies of her own.”
Glais shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I told you, mother, Sable was my idea. She is just a sweet local girl who seemed to have bonded with Evangeline and needed the court protection. Bringing her here as Evangeline’s lady in waiting was a blessing to all our lives.” He had created the lie spontaneously when he had first been questioned about Sable’s immediate appointment within the castle. He repeated it now, almost word for word and with the same inflexions as the first time.
Kyleigh nodded. “Yes, and your father would want to believe that but Glais I know your wife, and she would never accept anything that was your idea.” Kyleigh sighed and settled back in her seat, looking at the dead fireplace, a casual hand draped over her stomach as she relaxed. Glais had to admit that she was right about Evangeline, although he didn’t like to acknowledge it. “Sable was not your idea, and I do not need servant whispers to confirm it for me.”
Glais nodded. “I apologise in attempting to deceive you.”
Kyleigh looked at her son and shook her head. “I understand why you did it, and I hold no ill-will against you for it. Your father is intense and has already threatened her livelihood once. You are fighting in the best ways you know how to keep her safe. I am tempted to say that you are doing your husbandly duties well enough.”
Glais turned away from her suddenly to hide the blush that heated his typically chilled skin. “Those are the things I wished to speak of.” He said, clearing his throat, sitting straighter and attempting to cover up any action that could be seen as improper. “Evangeline and I are yet to be intimate.” He could not look at his mother while he spoke. He was uncertain what details he might spot in her face.
Kyleigh was surprised, opened her mouth to speak but decided to reconsider her words. She tended to speak too freely about some things, and her mind reeled at the very idea that Glais would ever bring this up to her in the first place. “Is it a problem with you?” she asked as gently as possible.
“No.” Glais was quick to answer, squinting as he tried to remind himself why he thought this was a good idea in the first place. “We only just started sharing a bed within the past week or so. Since our visit to Crimah actually.”
“Evangeline fears you?” Kyleigh asked, and the relief in her voice made them both laugh. “Oh Glais, it is quite something for any person to adjust to.” She felt for her son, but she also understood better than most how Evangeline was feeling. “The circumstances surrounding how she was exposed to your habits are sure to haunt her still.”
Glais nodded. “I am afraid it will tarnish any relationship we may have had forever.” Glais cleared his throat into his hand before he leant forward in his chair. This was still an uncomfortable conversation for him to have with his mother, but there were so few options available to him. “She tells me there will never be love between us. That she will tolerate me as best as she can and keep up the appearance of a blessed life, but it will all be false.”
“Oh, Glais.” Kyleigh rose from her chair and knelt before him. Raising his head softly with a gentle touch she looked at him. “She does not mean such things.” She assured her son.
“That is simply not true. I believe that Evangeline does mean it. She is resigned to it.” Glais pulled his chin out of his mother hands and pulled her off the ground, standing with her. The castle was cold, and his mother was getting older. She did her best to hide her age, but Glais knew the truth. It would not do anyone any good should the Queen become ill. “Any amorous move towards her feels deceptive to me now.” He confessed.
Kyleigh nodded. “I believe that.” Kyleigh patted her son's hand. “How do you feel for her?” Kyleigh asked.
“I think we could find love if given the right timing to seek it out.” Glais would be the first to admit that his life was not very romantic. He knew that part of being King, and living with the curse, meant that often he would be called away from Evangeline and could not include her in all aspects of his life. “There was a moment, at Crimah, when I thought we both believed that,” Glais was speaking mostly to himself and only when his mother sighed did he realise he had spoken his intimate thoughts out loud for her to judge.
“Did you feel it before then?” Kyleigh asked.
Glais nodded. “Yes, but the moments are fleeting, casual and easy to dismiss as wishful rather than a fact.” He shrugged, unsure of anything he had ever imagined coming from Evangeline had been true. “I am at a loss, and I have no one I can speak to on such matters.”
“You cannot force her mind if she is not open to it. To think you can manipulate her is foolish Glais, but you are not a monster. You have grown so much and better understand your own condition than even you realise.” Kyleigh wished Glais could see himself in the ways she saw him.
Glais shivered. “I am not as strong as you think I am.” He confessed in a hurried whisper, although he did not elaborate further. No one knew of his weakness in the woods, or how Evangeline volunteered to be his victim only to be saved by Thomas. He shook his head at his memory of it, wishing he could forget it himself. But there wer
e times when he would lay awake at night and watch Evangeline sleep, that he would remember the exact moment with stomach churning clarity. “Evangeline will never accept me.” He told his mother, and hated to see the emotion reflected out of her eyes.
“These moments might be fleeting, but they are moments that are genuine Glais. You need to insert yourself in her life. Do you know how your father won me over?” she asked.
Glais shrugged. “Showed you the jewel room?” he joked.
“He made time for me, at times when it suited me. All these other women he uses, I know people do not understand it, but those women work on his time. I work on my time. And your father works around that.” She supposed there was some difference in that she enjoyed her time with Quintus and found the curse of Braykith to be intriguing and not repulsive, but it was the only advice she could think to offer her son. “Do not rush it Glais. It will happen on its own.”
Glais nodded. “But will it happen before Father find a replacement?” Kyleigh and Glais both fell into sombre silence, neither certain they could give an answer to that question.
“If Evangeline is willing to make the sacrifices…” She lifted her hand and silenced her sons’ objection to her word choice. She was speaking as Evangeline would see the situation and not on her own feelings regarding it. “If Evangeline has finally opened up her bed to you Glais then you must be willing to perform and do your duties as future king. In whatever manner that works best for you. After all, that is precisely what we are asking Evangeline to do.”
Glais did not like the wording or the feeling that he was being told off by his mother for not ignoring his own emotions on the matter, but he did forgive her. It was a complicated problem, and he knew that Kyleigh would only offer the basics in counsel. Her friendly ear was all he could hope for, and he could not wish ill on his own mother for not having a cure.
“I want Braykith to inherit a united King and Queen when the time comes,” Glais said his words stiff as he spoke.
“I know you do Glais, and it might mean making sacrifices you never deemed necessary until this moment.” Kyleigh squeezed her son’s hands. “There is so much you will both learn from each other.” She promised. “Now, take me to kitchens. I need cake, and tea before your father returns to bore me with more talk.” She laughed, and Glais forced himself to echo her even though his heart was not in it.
He had never actually considered the rumours of his mother’s mind. He had always thought she was just a little dull, and his father had benefitted from that. During talks like this Glais began to wonder if the continued donations she offered Quintus had indeed had an impact that no one suspected.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Kyleigh had been looking for Evangeline for some time. Being confined to the castle did not bother the Queen so much since she often enjoyed staying within its protective walls, but she knew that Evangeline did not share her ideals. Instead, Evangeline seemed to be doing her best to distance herself from the usual way the Royals interacted with their citizens.
It was an unspoken law that the royal family should remain distant from others. With so many secrets to guard, it only made sense to keep the social circles tight and only with people they could trust. To make it worse, it seemed that Adeline was inspired by Evangeline’s princess of the people routine and was toying with the idea of taking her walks out into the people instead of around the grounds. Kyleigh could not allow that. Who could say what kind of impression Adeline might find, or what unsavoury people might find the young and impressionable princess. Kyleigh shuddered to think.
For a castle that she spent a lot of time in, Kyleigh felt turned around and lost now. It seemed that she had checked everywhere for her daughter in law, and yet Kyleigh was dumbfounded by the fact that she had indeed not found even a ghost of her. Kyleigh decided to start from the bottom up, checking every room she passed. Surely, Evangeline would not be so hard to find if Kyleigh was so meticulous.
Kyleigh had reached the library and finding it still empty from her first trip here, she was about to give up when she realised that Evangeline might be out on the grounds. It was not lost to the Queen that Evangeline did enjoy nature, and was known to spend hours just standing out in the sun or at the foot of trees. Gathering her skirts, the tired Queen left the main doors and started east. She would walk the full circuit around the castle's foundations if she needed to.
Lucky for the ageing Queen, she did not need to look that far before she spotted Evangeline. And she was not alone. Stopping dead in her tracks she saw Evangeline standing too close to young Thomas. Kyleigh closed her eyes in soft disappointment at what she was witnessing. The soldier had such potential and yet here was proof that his care for the crown was nothing when facing the temptations of a beautiful young woman.
Evangeline was laughing at whatever Thomas had said, and Kyleigh watched as Thomas turned her hand over and kissed her palm intimately. Evangeline was doing nothing to stop him and instead, Kyleigh was shocked to see that Evangeline cupped his face with a tender touch in return.
“Eva,” Kyleigh called, making her presence known to them both. Instantly Thomas stepped away from Evangeline, bowing to his Queen as Evangeline swallowed hard and wondered just how much had Kyleigh seen. Kyleigh smiled, but it was not the smile that Evangeline was accustomed to witnessing. It was strained, and forced, only the edges of her mouth rising and Evangeline was not fooled for a moment. It was a small gesture at recognising Thomas and his efforts to remain proper even if he had been so forgetful only a short while ago. “I have been looking all over for you.” The Queen sighed, sounding breathless.
Evangeline forced her own smile to her lips. There was no point denying what Kyleigh would have seen. Not the most intimate of poses, but a man kissing her hands in the shade of the newly freed trees was not going to be explained easily. Evangeline did the only thing she could think of. She did not mention it all and would force Kyleigh to make the space more awkward. “I’m sorry. Were we supposed to see each other today?” Evangeline asked.
“No, I was just coming to check that you were alright with the new restrictions.” Kyleigh eyed Thomas from head to foot and back again. “I see you have not forgotten to venture far from the castle without an escort.”
Thomas and Evangeline shared an embarrassed look. Never had someone caught them, and Thomas had thought the trees would have protected them from spying eyes. Here was proof that he had put far too much faith in the Gods to keep his secret. It was a small miracle that it was Kyleigh and not anyone else.
“The threat is serious. I understand that.” Evangeline said, clearing her throat. “I trust Quintus to handle it in a prompt manner and bring justice to those families that have been hurt.”
Kyleigh nodded. “Yes, he will. Thomas, may I have a private moment with Evangeline?”
Thomas bowed and walked away, stopping just far enough to keep the story of protection active, but he could not overhear the conversation. He felt confident that these trees would be safe for the women. The people of Braykith were so accustomed to their landscape that the changes were exciting to some, but to most, they were scared of what it meant. These trees, in particular, continued to grow better than most due to their proximity to Evangeline, and for this alone Thomas felt the area was safer than perhaps anywhere else.
Evangeline wiped her hands on her skirts, nervous about why Kyleigh would want a private audience. Still, Evangeline would not be the one to speak of what Kyleigh saw. She would play dumb for as long as she was able, which she suspected would not be very long at all.
“Eva, you are lucky that it was me and not Quintus who saw this,” Kyleigh spoke low as if she was afraid of being overheard.
Evangeline knew that not too many people came to stand under the shade of the trees, especially the small grove that grew by her bedroom windows but she still looked around to confirm there were no eavesdroppers. “It isn’t what you think.”
“Really?” Kyleigh asked, looking to where
Thomas stood. His hands were placed gently behind his back and clasping each other. He stood straight and tall, the years of training forcing him into the position of relaxed alertness, and yet Kyleigh knew that Evangeline would see something different when she looked at him. Kyleigh was admiring the Braykith traditions and training. Evangeline wondered what lay under the finely pressed uniform if she didn’t know already. Kyleigh shook her head and tried to remain composed.
“You can not do this,” Kyleigh said simply as if those words would be enough to make Evangeline stop. She did not expect her to put up much resistance to what was merely the truth.
Evangeline would not be so easily moved. “I will be careful with being more discreet Kyleigh, and I am truly sorry that you needed to witness us, but I love him.”
“You can love him all you want, but that is all.” Kyleigh took Evangeline’s hands in her own. “For the good of the crown, you must never act upon those desires.”
Evangeline yanked her hands free from Kyleigh, refusing to be pulled into her simplified views. “I should remain faithful to my husband while he beds every woman in the castle?” she asked.
Kyleigh nodded. “It is the way it must be.”
“Why?” Evangeline demanded. “Why must it be that way?”
Kyleigh sighed. “Do you honestly care for my son so little?”
“Yes,” Evangeline answered without thinking and instantly regretted it. Kyleigh looked like she had been slapped, and Evangeline was sorry that it sounded so cruel. “I can not go on pretending just for the crown.” She apologised.
“That is not your decision to make.” Kyleigh slowly reformed her mask, but the hurt of Evangeline’s admission still stung. Kyleigh had thought Glais was being dramatic with his confessions earlier. Hearing it come from Evangeline only made her heart hurt. “We have no choice in our fates, just like the men we are tied to.”
Delusions of Loyalty (The Braykith Series Book 2) Page 23
