“And Darius will be confined to the dungeons during this time?” She asked, knowing she was pushing her luck already, but Evangeline could not change entirely overnight.
“He has been shown to suitable living quarters however he will not be free to roam the castle as you do without an armed escort,” Quintus told her.
Evangeline frowned. “Is there something about Darius you cannot trust?”
Quintus shrugged. “When you live for this long, and you get to see all kinds of people come in and out of your Kingdom, you soon realise even the man with the best of intentions can become an enemy. Baxter killed your father Eva, and Darius will not forget that. Regardless of what was becoming of him, Barret was a good man to Darius. I cannot trust that deep-seated hate to be unguarded.” Quintus met her eyes with an intensity she did not usually witness. “You understand that Evangeline?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes, and I apologise for questioning you, I just did not understand the need.” She attempted to explain herself, and when Glais did not give her any help, she could only assume that she was handling herself well enough without his usual guidance.
“Of course.” Quintus stepped towards her, and Glais took a small step away to give them a moment to speak privately. “I am trusting you with my life, Eva. Not only mine but the livelihood of all of Braykith. Should your brother stay, I will have to assume any fears I have of him are non-existent and that he is safe.”
Evangeline nodded. Quintus looked down on her until it was a struggle for Evangeline to maintain eye contact. “I trust him.” She said, and Quintus seemed to accept that and move on, leaving Evangeline standing alone and Glais carefully watching on.
Hearing the solid closing of the door behind him, Evangeline felt free to hug herself tight around her middle section. “I do not like this Glais.” She mumbled, afraid to speak louder than a whisper because there was always the chance of spies waiting to catch them in an act worth reporting about.
“My father will trust your judgement. Only you know what Darius will do.” Glais tried to comfort her, and yet he struggled with that because physical closeness was just as likely to send her running rather than anything else. “What are your first thoughts?”
Evangeline looked around the room and saw no one of concern to her. She sighed. Evangeline could not speak freely, and the tension in her back seemed to entrap her as Evangeline felt that she was still being watched. “I want to very much make the decision that will make Darius happy.”
“And which is that?”
“I cannot be certain,” Evangeline confessed, squeezing herself tighter. “I cannot imagine him being pleased with either outcome. To serve under you might feel demoralising after the future he had been promised as Earl of Crimah.” Evangeline pushed a hand through her hair, but the tension would not be so easily shifted. “Is there still a Crimah for him to return to?” She wondered.
Glais had no answer for that. “It is assumed that the manor is under rebellion control if it is still standing at all.” He softly broke the news to her, but she only nodded. Evangeline thought as much already.
“And so land for his own is the best he can hope for, but he will not know how to make the best of it. A squire, well, he is a little old for the position.” She confessed.
“It was a desperate suggestion,” Glais admitted. “When I suggest he stay here as our guest, my father demanded to know what role he could be given. Squire was the first to come to mind, and I am sorry it is the only suggestion my father took seriously.”
Evangeline shook her head. “No, it would have been the only one that he was sure Darius would turn down. Your father does not want him here.” That was evident, but saying it made Evangeline wonder how safe Darius would be if he stayed. “Can your father be trusted to keep his word?”
Glais nodded. “Yes. Even if he does not like it, he will follow through with this. He cannot be seen to give you reasons to abandon this marriage.”
She thought it was useless to mention that she was aware that Quintus had made threats against her life once he felt a little pressured. If he could consider ruining a marriage, a sacred act protected by Xado, what would stop him from ruining a deal for her brother’s life? “I need to be alone to think on this.” She turned to leave but stopped when Glais gently caught her elbow.
They looked at each other, not a word spoken until finally, he released her. Whatever he had intended to say would not be heard, and Evangeline was glad for it because she doubted she could have said the same thing in return.
CHAPTER FORTY
The trees had not changed since the last time she had looked upon them, but Evangeline felt that she had lost all control and seeing them through the window of her bedroom put her at ease. They soothed her and simply looking upon their natural state relaxed her mind even if she did not leave physical change in them. Evangeline closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then released it slowly as to better ground herself. Two days had come and gone, and Evangeline still struggled with the problem Quintus had given her. Darius had been no help at all. Upon visiting him, all he had to say was that he trusted her.
The greater question was simple. Did Evangeline trust him in return? Darius did not seem motivated by vengeance and yet she had never considered it as a possibility until Quintus had mentioned it. Could she be trusted to make such a judgement of character when she could not understand the signs that made it possible in the first place? Would Quintus use the vengeance in her brother as an excuse to kill her with politics at his side? Evangeline felt the tension mount within her again and so she took another deep and slow breath, but each time she followed this exercise it grew less effective.
Beyond the dilemma with Darius and the implications it would have within the royal court, Evangeline continued to struggle with Glais and their relationship. More than once Evangeline had wondered if he did understand her, more than she ever gave Glais credit for. No longer did they fight, and Glais did not make demands of her that she could not keep. He slept in their shared bed, and she assumed he took his meals privately elsewhere, but that strain that seemed so consistent before had begun to dissolve between them recently. Was she tired of fighting? Or were her feelings for Glais changing? Evangeline was not sure. She was never sure.
The longer she was here in Braykith, the more it seemed that what she knew to be true turned out to be false. Evangeline could never return to the naïve child she once was, but she wished that she could speak to her past self and let her know that soon nothing that seemed important to her would be, and every day would feel like Evangeline was fighting both sides of a losing war. Barret’s ultimate betrayal, and Quintus’ welcoming statements and attitudes were just the beginning. Evangeline doubted it would ever come to an end.
She looked up suddenly as the door opened, embarrassed to be found with such hurtful thoughts on her mind.
“I’m sorry,” Glais said, leaving the door open since it seemed to put her at rest when he did that. “I didn’t realise you were in here.” Evangeline nodded and went back to looking out the window. Glais watched her before moving towards the fire to warm his hands. “You look like one of us.”
“Is that bad?” Evangeline asked, her back to him still.
“No. I mean, gazing out the window at the trees. After your arrival, it seemed every window was suddenly occupied because of the changes in the trees. Many of our subjects thank Xado every day still and believe this was a sign of him personally blessing our marriage.” Glais shrugged. “Or so I heard the staff say.”
She turned from the window. “And what did you think of it?” she asked.
Glais looked down at his hands and as the silence stretched Evangeline finally went back to looking out the window. “I thought it was hope.” He said, laughing at himself as Evangeline slowly turned to see him again. “I figured it was a sign that perhaps we would be matched in a way I never could understand.”
“You don’t think so now?” Evangeline asked.
&nb
sp; “No.” He shook his head. “No, I no longer believe that.”
“Why?”
“Because the one time we were free with each other, your magic rebelled against it.” He did not mention the curse by name. Although the death that usually followed did not happen to those who suffered the curse, avoiding it was something he had grown up with. Those childhood lessons continued to stay with him.
Evangeline never did often think of that time. Subconsciously it ruled all she did, but usually, it was a black hole that she dared never peek at. Being forced to acknowledge it now, Evangeline admitted that she did not enjoy the memory any more than when it was fresh. “And now it is proof that we are destined to be opposing forces?” she asked gently.
Glais paused. “I suppose.” They had been working so well together recently, and yet Glais was always sure the next thing he said would be the statement that hurt her beyond help. The tone of her voice did not make him confident that this would not become a fight. “But I hope it manifests differently in any children we have.” Glais sighed, heading towards the closet. He pulled out a shirt, and without pause or apology, he removed the jacket and shirt he had been wearing.
Evangeline only just noticed the front fabrics were soiled, but she paid him no mind until she noticed the bruises on his wrists. She rushed to him and grabbed his hands so she could see the marks better. Glais’ lips in a firm line he pulled his hands free from her grasp. “What happened?” she demanded.
“It was a warning from Father.” He answered quickly but knew she would demand to know more.
“Regarding what?”
He might have laughed at his correct prediction had the situation not been so sombre. Glais pulled his shirt over his head, securing the tails into his pants and made sure that Evangeline could not inspect the injuries closer. “I publicly challenged Father,” Darius said but when Evangeline continued to look up at him for information he sighed and continued. “I spoke against his decision regarding Darius and he needed to ensure I realised what I was doing.”
“Darius?” she asked, reaching for his wrists once more but Glais easily kept out of her grasp. “This is from two days ago?”
It unnerved Glais that it had taken Evangeline so long to see the signs left behind by his father, but he pushed those feelings down. “It is fine. I will heal slowly, but in time it will not even leave a scar.” Glais assured her. “My father is a brute, but he is a good King. I had known the consequences before I spoke out.”
“And you did it anyway.” Evangeline sighed, putting her hands behind her back so Glais would stop watching her so closely.
“You think Quintus as a terrible and controlling man, but you do not understand the life that he had as a child. We are all built upon the foundations set before us and unfortunately for my Father, his father was not a kind or cautious man. His father would make the torture from Barret appear as child’s play.” Glais set about retying the laces to secure his pants at his hips and prepared to put on his coat.
“I do not understand,” Evangeline said, hating to admit it but curious as to what this all meant.
Glais had said too much, and there was no way to leave this conversation and remain on good terms with Evangeline if he did not explain himself now. “My grandfather lived for close to two hundred years before my father was born. He had a succession of wives, none which took on the family burden.” He used words that Evangeline would use herself. It was his way of trying to have her sympathise with the story instead of reminding her how much she hated Glais. “Without an heir, he could not die.” Glais sat on the edge of the bed while Evangeline continued to stand. “I have told you before Evangeline that even we are not meant to live forever, and as time passes, the impulses of what we are continues to grow until we are nothing more than slaves to those desires.”
Evangeline looked down at the floor, ashamed to admit she thought Glais was still a monster now, and that shame echoed in Glais since he understood that this was how she looked at him. He looked down at the floor before he could continue. “My grandfather came to care less about hiding what he was. He took whoever he wanted and performed acts that were too horrible to become legend. The people of Braykith would rather forget them than allow my grandfather’s legacy be joined with the rumours that keep us all safe.”
“The stories of your grandfather never became the works of fable because no one could dare imagine such a dangerous man having existed.” Evangeline filled in her own reasoning and Glais nodded.
“By the time my father was of age and showing symptoms, there was no one to truly teach him how to best control it. He learnt only because to do it wrong meant beatings, or lashings, or abandoned in the dungeons for days on end with no sustenance.” Glais paused, still struggling with understanding how his Father could have survived those times at all.
“What became of Quintus’ mother?” Evangeline asked gently.
“My grandmother died when she came between my father and grandfather during an argument.” Glais was stubborn on those details and not matter how Evangeline stared at him, he would not say more about her. Her memory was stolen from the records because of the man her husband was. She had deserved better, and sadly she had no choice in her spouse. Much like Evangeline herself, she was a treaty agreement between allied forces.
“Glais?” Evangeline asked his name, and he grunted softly in response. “How old is your father?” She asked.
Glais’ eyes darted away from hers. “He draws closer to a hundred and twenty.” He admitted.
Evangeline’s mouth opened on its own accord, and she had to make it a conscious decision to close it again before she could find the words to speak. “Kyleigh is not his first wife?”
Glais shook his head. “We are not his only children.” He confessed.
“But you are his first son?” Evangeline came to sit beside him. Glais nodded. “And this is the reason for his urgency?”
Glais sighed. “Father fears that perhaps there has been a change in the inner workings of what we are. That perhaps it is growing harder to conceive and have those children survive.” Glais had looked at her before he recalled the reasoning for this story. “This is not about me. This is about Quintus. He was raised harshly, and it was luck that Kyleigh was able to bear him heirs before it got worse, but his time as the only living heir of Braykith ensured that he learnt one good trick.”
“And what is that?” Evangeline whispered.
“That you can live through more than you imagined. My grandfather would never allow my father to die. He needed him to give him the ultimate freedom he deserved from this realm. But before that could come to pass, I needed to be born and survive to an age where it was evident the bloodline would continue.” Glais shifted uncomfortably, keeping his sleeves over the tired wounds around his wrists. “When I say it is nothing Evangeline, believe me when I say it is. Because it could be much much worse.”
Evangeline nodded. “I’m sorry.” She rose from her seat and returned to the window.
Glais allowed a comfortable silence to settle between them before he brought up a new topic. The story he had told was sure to play on Evangeline’s mind considerably, and she would look at it from angles he had never imagined or thought possible. Evangeline was starting to overthink every reaction lately, and Glais grew worried with her imaginative thinking and what it could make of stories such as the one he had just told.
“Have you reached a decision concerning your brother?” Glais asked. It seemed to be the only safe topic they had, although there was very little to say about it. Evangeline knew the only two acceptable outcomes for her to choose between. Glais could offer her no further information then what she already knew.
“When he first came to Braykith, I swore to keep him safe. I never could swear to keep him happy.” That had never once entered her mind now, and it seemed impossible for Evangeline and her brother to find peace. The best she could do would be to offer Darius a solution that would allow him to live. “His own
land will ultimately bring about his downfall. He has been instructed on how to rule by Barret.”
“That should have taught him some life skills,” Glais offered.
Evangeline shook her head. “No. Barret never gave Darius the skills to make his own decisions. Barret would never have believed his son was capable of such things. He had worked hard for the lands we had, and the growing reputation after the war. Barret would not want that lost. Darius was groomed to rely on the wiser words of others to keep Crimah safe. Now there is no Crimah, and he cannot be a master on his own.” Evangeline shook her head, strengthening her resolve. “I will answer to the second choice.”
Glais nodded. “Will he be good at it?” he asked, and the hopeful tilt of his voice made Evangeline laugh.
“He knows how to fight if that is your concern.” Evangeline smiled. “But it is the only option where I am certain he will be fed and clothed. Darius will find his own way of agreeing with this, and hopefully, it will not come to scold me in the future.”
“I will treat him well,” Glais promised and all Evangeline could do was nod.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Evangeline had believed when the time came for her to speak with Quintus regarding her brother’s future, it would be a private affair. Instead, Quintus called a royal attendance at the throne room. Evangeline was formally asked to come, and of course, her brother was present, but she had never imagined seeing so many of the Kingdom’s generals in a single meeting before. The last time she had seen these faces together was her wedding, and she barely understood their reference then. For the simple exchange of her brother’s current conditions to those Evangeline had chosen, it seemed quite preposterous.
She said nothing about her feelings, quickly remembering her role with this many men in the room. Braykith had no time for women, and especially those who acted irrationally or improper. Looking around the chamber, it was not hard to see that simply being here appeared to upset them, and their confusion only added to her own doubts to the whole affair. Glais had seemed convinced his father would hold up any bargain she decided to commit to. She had trusted his convictions on Quintus’ character, but now Evangeline was less sure of his intentions. It seemed more likely that he would pronounce beheading for Darius and be done with it.
Delusions of Loyalty (The Braykith Series Book 2) Page 28
