Chapter 169 A white lie

Chapter 169 A white lie
Freya stopped, looking into Kael's eyes. She could no longer deny the truth because, unlike everyone else, Kael already knew her secret.

"Yes... he caught me healing a few doves that were scattered all over the castle corridor," she responded in a low voice. Kael stood in silence for a few moments, as though he was carefully piecing everything together.

"I can bet all my gold coins that he set this up just to catch you," Kael finally said.

At that moment, Freya looked up as realization flashed across her face. It was simply too much of a coincidence for dozens of white doves to be lying dead across one of the castle corridors.

"Now that I think about it... it makes sense. He probably planned this entire thing just to expose me," Freya said, panic beginning to settle in. It seemed Henry had accomplished exactly what he wanted... proving that she was a healer.

"Yes... you need to be very careful about who and what you heal. We do not know Henry's true motives and I do not trust him at all. He seems very dodgy," Kael said.
Only then did Freya feel a small sense of relief. It was clear that someone else could see Henry for the greedy and dangerous man that he truly was.

"Yes... I will have to be very careful with how I conduct myself. I fear that he might try to use my powers and harness them for evil," Freya replied quietly.

"My Queen... I think you should leave now and get some rest. You have healed quite enough people today and you will need time to regain your strength," Kael advised.

Freya simply nodded her head and said nothing more before walking away.
A small part of her found it difficult to believe that someone who had captured her on the battlefield and openly despised her had unexpectedly become an ally... someone she felt she could trust. She smiled to herself as she walked toward her chambers, never imagining that she and Kael would eventually become something close to friends during her time as queen.

Henry's Chambers

Henry sat at his table, carefully bandaging his injured hand. The pain had become almost unbearable and his hand was badly swollen. Every slight movement made him wince as though every bone inside it had been shattered. Each fresh wave of pain only caused him to curse Freya under his breath.

Once he had finished wrapping the bandages around his hand, he stared at it in disbelief. He could hardly believe that someone as small as Freya possessed enough strength to fracture his hand before he had the chance to defend himself.

Before he could think any further, the door to his chambers flew open. Lord Preston walked inside before shutting the door firmly behind him. The very first thing that caught his attention was the condition of Henry's bandaged hand.

"What happened to your hand?" the older man asked calmly, although there was clear suspicion in his eyes as he studied the injury.

At that moment, Henry knew he could not tell Lord Preston the truth. If he admitted that Freya had caused the injury, he would also have to reveal that she was a healer... something he was not yet prepared to expose.

"It's nothing major, Lord Preston. I simply went out riding today, I fell off my horse and landed on my hand. There's no need to worry. I've already bandaged it and it should heal with time," Henry replied, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Well, that's good to hear because your hand looks quite bad, I must say," Lord Preston commented as he continued examining the swollen hand. Henry simply waved the concern away.

"Well... it's a good thing you're taking care of that. I only came to remind you that the clock is ticking and I am still waiting for my gold coins. All I have been getting from you are excuses. So... when can I expect my payment?" Lord Preston asked, his voice calm, though the impatience was unmistakable.

"You will get your gold coins as soon as possible. My men are still working on it," Henry responded confidently. Lord Preston rolled his eyes, clearly sick and tired of hearing excuses.

"If you say so... but I'm getting tired of waiting for you. If you cannot recover my gold coins soon, then I will have no choice but to hire my own men to do the job. And you know they will find those gold coins much faster than you."

"We will not disappoint you," Henry replied.

"Good. Now I have to leave, as I have better things to do," Lord Preston said. He turned on his heel and was about to exit Henry's chambers when he suddenly paused.

"Is there anything the matter?" Henry asked.

"It's funny that you should say you fell off a horse today," Lord Preston commented.

"Yes, Lord Preston. I told you I fell off a horse and that is what caused my injuries," Henry responded calmly. Not only had he convinced Lord Preston of the lie, but he had also convinced himself that he had indeed fallen from a horse.

"Like I said... I find it funny that you claimed you fell off a horse, especially after my son's incident. The King gave strict instructions that no one was to take any horses out of the stables. Yet somehow, you managed to fall off one. Henry... I'm no idiot. Remember that."

Without another word, Lord Preston exited Henry's chambers.

Henry sank into his chair, feeling foolish for being caught in a lie. He, too, remembered how Alaric had ordered that none of the horses in the royal stables were to be taken out until the investigation had been concluded. Now Henry knew that the old man no longer trusted him and he needed to do everything possible to get back into Lord Preston's good books before it was too late.

Henry slowly rose from his chair and walked over to a nearby window. As he looked out over the kingdom, he began questioning the very reason he had come there in the first place. Lord Preston was relentlessly pressuring him about the stolen gold coins, while Freya remained an even greater mystery. Her abilities were unlike anything Henry had ever encountered, and the more he thought about them, the more determined he became to uncover the truth.

"Freya... I don't know what it is you're hiding, but I promise you that I will get to the bottom of it," Henry muttered under his breath. "I will harness your power and use it for my own benefit. Not even your husband... my friend... will stop me from claiming your abilities for myself."

He walked over to the cabinet where he kept his liquor, poured himself a full cup and drank it in one long gulp. As the liquor burned its way down his throat, the familiar sensation brought him a brief moment of relief.