Chapter 65 The Messenger
Amarien's POV
Catherine gave a brief chuckle after Daevir said those words that shattered my heart.
"But I never want to see her again." The words echo back to me, right in the darkness where I hid.
I suddenly felt dizzy and leaned on the bar that partioned I and Daevir. I had sneaked out of my quarters in the middle of the night to seek Daevir. The pain of his leaving me to the guillotine wasn't as severe as my desperation to prove myself to him.
I was desperate. I was cold. My fate in the palace depended on him. The fate of this child depends on him.
He needed to know that I had his child. There's no way he'll make this child suffer for my sins.
I had risked it all, crawling through guards stationed at every inch of my door, racing so no one recognised me, as Malrick had done well to stop the announcement of my presence in the palace.
"No one must know you're back here." He had said. "It's bad enough that they know the Emperor took his life to save yours. Once they set their eyes on you. I won't be able to protect you."
Malrick's words echo in my ears as I race through the darkness alone, looking for Daevir. I won't fight to defend myself over the lies Catherine has told him about the bracelet. All he needs to know is that he has a child. It will even be a harsher punishment to be back in the palace and hide such a secret from him.
So I fought through the darkness, winding my way into this tower where tradition claims the prince must be locked up with his dead father to hear the words of the afterlife.
Daevir will be there, in his white mourning tunic, locked up, without food or water, fasting day and night to hear the words from the gods.
I couldn't wait for a week of that to be over. I needed to find him. But what I saw shook me up. I felt I could collapse on my face and die.
When I raced up to the darkness of this tower seeking Daevir, I was met by no one but Catherine, right there in the room with him, their bodies locked in an embrace.
My mouth turned dry. Yet, I made up all sorts of excuses in my head for what was going on. Excuses I had made for Daevir for years now to protect myself from the truth.
She was just comforting him, I thought. Daevir must certainly be in pain right now. I wished I were the one there to comfort him myself.
But then the words came rolling out of his mouth.
I Never Want to See Amarien Again.
Tears rolled down my face as I saw Catherine smile at these words.
"You should know for sure that I will be the best Queen the Empire has to offer," Catherine spoke loud enough so I could hear her.
Queen, that should be me! Daevir promised to make me Queen. He swore on it!
"I will be your good wife and keep your secrets," I saw the way Daevir's eyes rested on her. Just the way he did on me the day before I was apprehended. A look of pride and ownership. I would have shut my eyes to it and cried, but something propelled me to keep watching.
Catherine held his chin so his gaze was fixed steadfastly on her. "We will win this war together. I promise you, Daevir."
"How could I when I'm nothing but part of the enemy's ploy?"
"You speak of your curse, your highness."
I gasped. She dared call his werewolf abilities a curse? Curse you, Catherine. Tears rolled down my face. Daevir is the saviour of all creatures in this realm; he needs that 'curse' more than he will ever need you.
My finger whitened on the railings. I had held it so tight and long that it might as well crumble in my hand.
"Look, your highness," Catherine continued. "I have made a portion that could conceal your secrets." She brought out a little bottle portion that glowed ominously in the dark.
"With this, be assured that you will be kept as human as possible."
No Daevir! Don't listen to her! She lies. Don't!
Daevir raised his hands and took the bottle in his strong fingers.
"A drop on the skin, every day will do," Catherine said with the sly venom of a snake.
"No one will know your secret but me." She said, leaning in to kiss Daevir on the lips.
I stood there, in the darkness, the worse fate approaching, and no soul to save me but my lover, who had filled me with promises. I stood there watching them kiss, passion staring up between them both.
My hands fell to my side, and I stood there frozen. Tears rolled down, and suddenly, I had lost the will and the ability to scream for Daevir.
Not the man who carresses my enemy in his arms. Not the man who left me to die. Not the man who swore never to see me again.
It all felt too much to bear. I should have died in the guillotine.
Curse Malrick for saving my life!
I curled my hands over my face and wept.
"I warned you, but you won't listen."
The sound of the voice and sudden presence at my side shook me up. My eyes darted to my side, and I saw Zephyr standing right beside me, looking at the scene that had brought me so much sorrow.
Zephyr.
How long has he been standing there?
Would he report me to the palace guard for trespassing and have me punished right in front of everyone, to their satisfaction?
"You need to worry about all those thoughts, Amarien." He said like he had read my mind. "I'm only here as a messenger."