Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Feeling my eyes burn, I turned around and used my body to block the window, but it didn’t help. I could hear his cries, and so, the tears came down anyway. Normally, I hated how easily I came to tears, but when I saw Thelma—the bear, the female warrior of warriors—standing across from me and towering over me, with eyes glazed over as well, it made it easier for me to let the tears fall.
How did this happen?
How did everything go so wrong?
Why her?
Why?
Hearing the doors open to my left, I cleaned my eyes and stood straighter as Iskandar came inside. He said something to Thelma, who only nodded before coming to me. Well, not to me, to the door.
“I need to speak with him,” he said softly.
“Does this look like a good time?” I snapped.
He shook his head. “But when will be a good time?”
I didn’t know. But I still didn’t want to step aside.
“You did well by being there,” he added. “You saved her life. Like a true guard.”
Any other day I would have smiled. “Thank God I stayed in the adjacent hall to watch instead of taking my day off. Being a nosy worrywart paid off for once.”
“Yes, it did. Just not now as I do need to speak to him, Wolfgang.”
“They should at least have more time together—” The door behind me opened, cutting me off and forcing me to step out of the way. When I looked at him, I couldn’t read his face. It was void of everything—even anger.
“What happened?” Gale demanded.
“One hundred percent pure peanut abstract was added to her soup—only hers.”
I inhaled and clenched my fists. I didn’t want to believe it. It was absurd for me to think it was any more than an accident. But she— she was—
“Someone poisoned her,” Gale stated instead.
“I believe so, sir.”
“So, we are back to poisoning royals?” he muttered to Iskandar, slowly putting his arms behind his back. “Bring the car. I’m going back to the palace.”
“Yes, sir.” Iskandar was already getting his phone out.
Confused, I stepped forward. “You’re leaving, sir?”
He turned to me and nodded once more. “You saved her life, Wolfgang. Thank you.”
“I did what anyone would have done had they known—”
“Apparently, not,” he interrupted and looked over at Thelma, who stepped forward. “No one but her doctors, our family, and Wolfgang may enter her room. No. One.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The car is waiting at the private entrance, sir,” Iskandar stated.
“Keep watching over her, Wolfgang.” It was the last thing he said before leaving. And I was a little baffled he’d waited for so long only to leave so quickly.
“He’s going to kill them,” Thelma spoke up.
I looked at her. “What?”
“He’s leaving because he can’t do anything for her here,” she explained. “He’s going back. He’s calm because he’s on a mission to find and kill them for this.”
I hoped she meant “kill” as a figure of speech.
But then again, I sort of didn’t.
The shift in him was clear.
When we arrived back at the palace, he didn’t speak to the guests, who were still held in the great dining hall. He did not go to his study or chambers. He entered the Chamber of Kings, where all their portraits hung going back over three hundred years. Yet he did not look at them but out the window at the palace gates.
“Gale!”
I bowed to the queen as she ran inside with Princess Eliza running in behind her.
“I was just informed of Odette. Thank God—”
“Thank Wolfgang,” he said, not bothering to look at her. “Did you know she was pregnant, Mother?”
“I didn’t. I questioned Gelula, and she said they suspected this morning, but Odette took a test late this afternoon, and it was negative.”
I did my best not to listen, moving to exit.
“I did not dismiss you, Iskandar.” His voice was so sharp it reminded me of Prince Arthur, so I returned to where I was standing.
“Gale, we will figure out what happened, but we need to open the palace for the guests to leave. Gossip is spreading by the minute—”
“No one is leaving, Mother,” he declared, looking at her. “Not until the police and Iskandar get a full account from each of them.”
“Gale, that will take hours. It is better—”
“I am not asking for your permission,” he replied coldly.
Queen Elspeth only stared at him, eyes wide.
“In the event of an emergency, the palace locks down, and the king’s supreme authority determines the course of action. If the king is not present, the Adelaar has that authority. If the Adelaar is not yet of age, there shall be regent. I am of age, so I shall do as I see fit. And I see fit that everyone is questioned—even you. Yes, I know it is not you, but even you will be questioned because I declare everyone will be. After that, then they may leave. They came to the palace to see the monarchy. Now, they shall see one. You and Eliza will stay together—do not eat anything or talk to anyone else until I give the word.”