Chapter 166 Castle walls

Chapter 166 Castle walls
The Library

After hearing what the servant had told him about the Queen visiting Kael and how he had suddenly been healed, Henry could not get the thought out of his mind. He had heard of something like this in the past, but he needed to be certain. Without wasting another moment, he immediately made his way to the library.

The castle's library was ancient, containing countless books that most people had long forgotten about. Some of the books were so old that they threatened to fall apart the moment they were touched. Dust covered nearly every shelf and the scent of aged parchment lingered in the air. Still, Henry knew he had to get to the bottom of what had happened.

For over an hour, Henry had been sitting at one of the large wooden tables, reading through multiple books about healers, wondering whether such a thing was truly possible. He had once heard stories about healers from the old Kingdom of Cilium. There had also been rumors that Freya's mother had not only been human but had come from a family of gifted healers. Now Henry found himself wondering whether Freya had inherited those same abilities.

The doors to the library suddenly swung open, startling Henry. His eyes immediately locked with those of Lord Preston, who calmly walked toward him before stopping directly in front of the table where Henry was seated.

At that very moment, Henry knew Lord Preston would ask questions... questions he needed to answer carefully. Otherwise, the old man would become suspicious once again. Having someone like Lord Preston suspect you was never a good thing because it meant you would constantly remain under his watchful eye.

Lord Preston's eyes scanned the table, taking in the numerous books scattered before Henry. Some lay open, others remained closed, while a few had loose pages slipping from their worn bindings. After studying the collection, he slowly shifted his attention back to Henry.

"This is quite an interesting selection of books you have here," Lord Preston said. "I wonder why you've been reading them." Henry rose from his chair, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile. He needed to tell the truth... or at least part of it.

"It's nothing major," Henry replied. "I simply thought I should do some research on the strange things that have been happening in this castle."
Lord Preston raised a questioning eyebrow. "What strange things?" the old man asked.

"Come on, Lord Preston... you're a wise man. I saw your son when he was brought into the castle hospital. He wasn't only bruised... he was unconscious. His face was barely recognizable. Then, only a few hours later, there wasn't a single bruise left. There were no signs of broken bones, and his face looked as though he hadn't been trampled by a horse earlier that day. I find that very strange."

Henry watched the old man's expression carefully. Looking at Lord Preston, it seemed as though he, too, was confused by what had happened to his son.

"So... what do you think happened?" Lord Preston finally asked.

"I think there's a healer in this castle... someone with extraordinary healing abilities," Henry answered. "These books all say that healers possess the ability to heal people almost immediately by absorbing their pain and injuries. That's exactly what I believe happened here."

Henry had revealed just enough information to keep the old man from becoming too suspicious.

"And who do you think this healer is?" Lord Preston asked. That was something Henry had no intention of revealing.

He knew he needed to keep the secret to himself until he had proof that what the servant had told him was true. Even if he eventually confirmed it, he intended to keep that knowledge to himself for as long as possible. Information like that could become valuable... especially if it gave him something to hold over Freya. There was no chance he would hand such an advantage over to someone like Lord Preston so freely.

Henry lowered his gaze before answering. "Unfortunately, Lord Preston, I do not know who that person is. But whoever they are holds an enormous amount of power... and such power can be dangerous when left unchecked."

"Do you think the healer is one of the servants?" Lord Preston asked. "It could be. If it is, we have to get hold of that person soon. Think of all the things I could do with someone like that."

Hearing those words, Henry felt a cold chill run down his spine. Without having much information, Lord Preston was already thinking of how he could use the healer's power to his own advantage.

"I don't know who the healer is," Henry admitted, "but I believe they are close... perhaps somewhere within the castle."

"Well, I suggest you find out who this healer is because I do not want him or her falling into the wrong hands. I want to harness that energy for myself. Do you understand?" Lord Preston's tone was much firmer this time. He turned on his heel and began walking toward the library door. Just as he reached it, he stopped, paused for a moment, then slowly turned back to face Henry.

"I have realized that I've been a little too lenient on you." Henry frowned in confusion, unsure of what the old man meant.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It has been several days and you still haven't retrieved the gold coins that were stolen when you were ambushed. I am beginning to grow tired of waiting. Unless you want me to send my own men to find the fools who had the audacity to steal what belongs to me?"

"Lord Preston, I assure you my men are working on it. They'll recover your gold and the rest of your possessions as soon as possible," Henry replied confidently.
Deep down, however, he knew the old man would most likely never see those stolen gold coins again. Henry intended to make sure Lord Preston never got his hands on them.

"Well then, I suggest you start moving because I will no longer wait for you to recover my gold." With that, Lord Preston walked out of the library, leaving Henry to release a long breath of relief.

Elsewhere...

Alaric and Freya's Chambers

Freya listened quietly as her husband explained what had happened after he walked into Kael's hospital room, only to discover that the young man had been completely healed.

Throughout his explanation, Freya remained silent, too frightened to say a word. She knew exactly what had happened... she had healed Kael and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to discover the truth.

Alaric finally turned toward his wife. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her hands folded neatly in her lap, staring blankly at the wall. The worry on her face was impossible to miss.

"My love," Alaric called gently.

Freya quickly snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Yes, my love," she replied sweetly.

Alaric studied her for a moment.

"You seem worried... Is something the matter?" Freya swallowed the lump in her throat.