Chapter 41

I glared at Carlton and Davina angrily as I helped Hollie to her feet. Brooke, who now had been untied by Kieran ran towards me and threw her arms around my neck thankfully while sobbing loudly. Without even looking at Kieran, I took my friend’s hands and led them off the stage and back towards the safety of the Palace and away from prying eyes.

“Where are you going, Elena?” Kieran called out desperately, worry evident in his voice.

“Far away from you!” I snapped angrily, feeling myself tearing up. “You stay away from us. You’ve done enough damage!”

“Elena, I’m sorry!” Kieran protested, walking towards me. “I fucked up! I made a mistake. I know that now. Please, we can get through this!”

“NO!” I ordered loudly, holding up my hand. “You stay back! I need space from you. I need time to think, Kieran. What you’ve done is disgusting! How could you?!”

“Elena, I’m sorry,” Kieran protested, looking visibly shocked. “You have to understand. I panicked! I thought you were dead!”

“Stay away from us,” I growled chillingly before glancing across at an amused Carlton and even smugger Davina. “Looks like you’ve got better things to be worrying about anyway. I need to think about how we are to move on from this!”

Without saying another word, I grabbed Brooke and Hollie’s hand and gently pulled them towards the castle and into privacy. It was going to take a while before I could even think about forgiving Kieran for this. He had stepped too far! I would have understood if it were Carlton that I was dating, but Kieran? This wasn’t Kieran? Was the pressure of marriage and producing an heir becoming too much for him? Was he becoming unhinged like his deranged brother and late father? Or was he just simply becoming too devoted to me that it was clouding his sense of judgment? I didn’t really know what it was, but I knew that it was leaving an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Pushing the door open to the apartment that I shared with Kieran, I beckoned Hollie and Brooke to follow me, as I led them towards the bathroom.

“Let’s get you two cleaned up,” I smiled reassuringly as I fiddled with the gold taps, sending a plume of hot steam into the air as the hot water cascaded out of the tap. “Then I will find a nice dress of mine that you can borrow and get you all dressed back up and looking lovely again.”

“Why are you doing this?” Brooke asked nervously, bowing her head in embarrassment. “You should have stayed with Kieran. We could have sorted ourselves out.”

“Why am I doing this?” I asked incredulously. “Because I am your friend. How Kieran has treated you is disgusting. Yes, you may have only spent a day down in the cells, but he was out of order. Keiran needs to learn that he has fucked up!”

“He did it because he loved you,” Hollie whispered softly. “We will be okay. You don’t need to worry about us. You should be with Kieran.”

“No, I would rather be with my two best friends right now. My head is all over the place right now and I don’t think I can talk to Kieran about it,” I argued shaking my head slowly, pointing to the bath quickly, before down on the doorway step. “The bath is ready to get in and clean your selves up. I’ll sit here while you sort yourselves out.”

I watched as Hollie and Brooke, both turned around and began stripping their bodies of the dirty, cotton rags that were covering them. They had only been in the cells a day but their skin was tinged with dirt and grime and bruises that were beginning to fade from the rough handling of the guards. Sinking into the hot water, with satisfied grins on their faces, both Brooke and Hollie turned to face me, while resting their heads and arms on the edge of the bath.

“So what’s up?” Hollie asked inquisitively. “What can’t you talk to Kieran about?”

“Do you ever get that feeling like life just isn’t as simple as you thought it to be?” I sighed slowly. “There’s a lot of stuff that has gone on since I was kidnapped. I’ve found things out that I really didn’t want to know and now, even I question my safety here.”

“Why? What’s been said?” Brooke murmured thoughtfully. “And who kidnapped you and where did you go?”

“I was taken to a lovely little castle right on the beach. It’s called the Palace of Pearl,” I explained gently. “it really is the most beautiful place ever. I thought this Palace was beautiful but the Palace of Pearl tops it.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it,” nodded Brooke in confusion. “But it’s been empty for years. It belonged to the old Queen Nerissa, but she is long dead. Her staff go and regularly clean and maintain it but no one lives there.”

“You’re wrong. I’ve been in there,” I chuckled sadly. “Queen Nerissa isn’t dead. She was the one who kidnapped me. Well, her soldiers did anyway, but on her orders. This is what I mean! Life isn’t the same anymore. A woman that was supposed to be dead for over twelve years has just suddenly showed up and bought some shocking revelations with her!”

“No fucking way!” gasped Brooke and Hollie in unison. “Wow, that’s deep! Do you think that this is going to top Kieran over the edge! Back from the dead? That’s mental? Where has she been all these years?”

“Hiding out in the Palace of Pearl apparently,” I explained thoughtfully while still trying to process all I knew. “She couldn’t handle her husband’s corruption so she faked her death. She knew her sons would be in good hands but she couldn’t handle everyone gossiping about her and her husband’s marriage behind her back.”

“So she took the easy way out and faked her death?” Hollie whispered in shock. “Wow, that’s deep. So what is the reason for her return?”

“Since she has been gone, she has been teaching herself potion making and reading crystal balls,” I mocked loudly. “No, but she says she can see things. She knew about the baby and it being Kieran’s. She had me kidnapped for my own safety apparently. There is a plot against me.”

“A plot? Who wants to plot against you?” Brooke asked suspiciously. “What’s going on El?”

“We were being followed when we went to Hattie’s,” I explained. “There are people out there who are extremely jealous of me and Kieran and they want me dead. My nan’s death was no accident as we know and I think I know who killed her, but if I’m not careful, I will be next. I need to stay alive to birth my child safely.”

“Wow, Elena,” Brooke gasped looking at me worriedly. “And you aren’t even married to the Prince yet. He best get that ring on your finger. Once it’s on there, there’s nothing that anyone can do!”

“That’s not really important right now,” Hollie butted in logically. “Who wants you dead and who do you think killed your grandmother, El?”

“I need proof but I’ve got a funny feeling that the ones who killed my grandmother are the ones who wants me dead,” I explained. “Think about it. My grandmother gets killed, and a note is left behind saying that I’d be next. I go out of my way to track down my grandmother’s killers down in the city but unknowingly, we are followed. I then get kidnapped by my once dead, but now alive, mother-in-law-to-be, who can see into the future and informs me that there is a plot to kill me. It’s obvious. The ones who killed my grandmother are the ones who also want me dead!”

“Yes, but who are they!?” exclaimed Brooke and Hollie exasperatedly. “Give us a name, goddammit!”

I looked up and glanced at Brooke and Hollie’s concerned faces who were both scrutinizing me. Sighing, I looked at them blankly and let three simple words tumble out over my mouth, only to be met with a deadly silence of shock and anger.

“Davina and Carlton!”