Chapter 89: A Summon
Arianna had just arrived at the marketplace when a royal guard approached her with an urgent summons from the King. She glanced toward Astrid. They had barely set foot inside her shop and hadn’t even begun the search.
"The King has summoned you, Your Highness, so it must be important," Astrid urged gently. "I can conduct the search here on my own. If I uncover anything, I will bring it straight to you at once, Queen Arianna."
"I hate to leave you at a time like this, but I have little choice," Arianna replied, a clear look of reluctance on her face. "My guards will stay behind to assist you with the search while I return with Eira."
"That is really not necessary, Your Highness," Astrid protested, eyeing the two formidable guards standing by her shop. "You require their protection far more than I do."
"Do not worry for me. The royal pavilion is only a two-minute walk from here," Arianna insisted softly. "Believe me, Astrid, you will need their presence the moment that necklace is found or Aunt Freya will pin it on you." She turned to Eira. "Shall we?"
"Right away, My Lady," the girl answered quickly, stepping forward to lead the way.
As they walked, Arianna couldn’t stop her mind from racing over why Kane had called for her so abruptly. She had left his side barely an hour ago.
Was he stepping in to interrupt her investigation? Or perhaps it was nothing grave at all. Maybe he simply desired her company before beginning his duties for the day.
However, as they drew close to the central pavilion, Arianna spotted both the King and Ragnar standing together. Her heart skipped a frantic beat, and a sudden, icy shiver ran down her spine.
Seeing those two men together at this hour portended trouble. A swift glance at their stony expressions confirmed her fears...the air between them was thick with suffocating tension.
A wave of dread washed over Arianna. Had her doom arrived far sooner than she anticipated?
Had Kane somehow uncovered the truth about her lie regarding Ethan, confronting Ragnar until he confessed everything?
Arianna’s vision blurred as weakness flooded her limbs. Her entire body trembled, each step forward requiring a monumental effort of will.
"My Lady, do you need my support?" Eira asked, panic lacing her voice as she noticed her mistress swaying.
"No, I am fine," Arianna managed to squeeze out, forcing down the lump rising in her throat. She concentrated on planting one foot in front of the other, striving to maintain her balance.
She kept her eyes glued to the earth, convinced that her doom had finally been sealed.
When she finally gathered the courage to look up, her gaze collided with Cassius. A sharp, violent thump hammered against her ribs as she stared at him in utter shock.
What on earth was he doing standing right in front of her?
"You do not look well, Queen Arianna," Cassius offered, stepping into her path with an outstretched arm. "Allow me to help—"
"Do not dare lay a finger on me," she cut him off coldly, stepping past him without a second glance and entering the tent.
Kane immediately snapped to his feet the moment he spotted her walking in looking as though she had just seen a ghost. "You look terribly pale. Should I send for the medicine woman?"
"No... I am fine," Arianna choked out, lowering her eyes. She braced herself, waiting for the heavy accusations, the shouting, and the inevitable insults but the storm never broke.
"Sit beside me," Kane murmured gently, patting the velvet throne next to his own.
Arianna froze in complete bewilderment. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She risked a quick glance toward Ragnar, whose tense drawn posture made it clear that something catastrophic had transpired.
Yet Kane was treating her with absolute tenderness which meant this terrifying summons had nothing to do with her secret after all.
"Are you sure?" Arianna asked, searching her husband’s face for any sign of trap or deception.
"I said sit," Kane repeated firmly, his gaze lingering on her for just a second.
Arianna crossed the pavilion and took her seat beside him. A quick side-glance made her heart leap into her throat. Kane’s dark eyes bore an tempestuous glare. He was utterly furious, exercising every ounce of his dangerous self-control to keep from exploding.
Whatever had enraged him clearly had nothing to do with her. Yet, her curiosity piqued. What could have driven him to such fury? Was it Cassius? Had Kane finally uncovered what he had done?
Her eyes flicked to Cassius, a instant wave of revulsion washing over her.
"Your Highness," Cassius greeted, bowing deeply as he stepped into the tent. He took his place directly beside Ragnar. "You sent for me?"
"Have you identified who attacked Alara?" Kane demanded, his brow furrowed into a tight, severe crease.
"No, Your Highness. I..." Cassius trailed off, but the King cut him off without a shred of patience.
"I give you until dawn," Kane warned, his tone cold enough to freeze bone. "Bring me the culprit responsible, or you will rot in the dungeon in their place."
Cassius froze, stunned by the ultimatum, but he knew better than to dare argue with the King when he was in such a mood. He swallowed hard and bowed his head.
"Continue, Ragnar," Kane commanded, turning his intense focus back to the young man. "You were saying?"
"Your Highness, I beg you to believe me," Ragnar said, his eyes filled with desperate sincerity. "I did not come to you immediately because I needed to be absolute in my certainty." He paused, searching Kane’s unreadable expression, hoping for a sign of trust that never came.
"What is happening, Your Highness?" Arianna interjected softly, unable to endure the suffocating silence any longer. The men around her might be capable of enduring the heavy tension, but she could not.
Kane turned to her, his harsh expression softening just a fraction as he held her gaze. "You will find out soon enough, my love. Very soon."
Just then, Aunt Freya walked into the pavilion wearing an expression Arianna had never seen on her face before.
Arianna stared in disbelief—the usually proud woman looked entirely subdued and pale. What on earth could have happened? Had terrible news broken?
Samantha slunk in right behind her mother, tears streaming down her blotchy cheeks. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, looking as though she had been weeping hysterically all through the night.
Arianna exhaled a quiet sigh as she watched the pair. What melodramatic performance were this mother and daughter attempting to stage now?
"Greetings, Your Highness," Aunt Freya murmured, bowing low. Her eyes remained locked on the King the entire time, but Kane didn’t even bother looking in her direction.
"You seem to have forgotten to greet my wife... your Queen," Kane cut in suddenly, sending a shockwave of silence through the tent.
Aunt Freya, who had never once been forced to bow her head or show proper deference to Arianna, froze in utter disbelief that such a command was coming directly from him.
"I... I did not mean—" she stammered, but Kane cut her off instantly, glaring at her with the fierce, lethal heat of a man on the absolute precipice of an execution.
"I am already exercising every ounce of my restraint to keep my fury in check," he warned, his voice a low, terrifying rumble. "Do not push me to lose it so soon, Freya... or you will regret it for whatever brief moment of life you have left."
Freya? Not Aunt Freya...Arianna adjusted in her seat. The day was going to be the longest.
"Forgive me, Your Highness. I was simply disoriented," Aunt Freya murmured. She turned toward Arianna, her face a mask of bitter cold, and offered a stiff bow. "Greetings, Queen Luna."
Arianna watched the display in utter bewilderment, completely unable to decipher the sudden shift within the royal household.
Just yesterday, Aunt Freya had felt comfortable addressing her with condescension in Kane’s presence, yet today he was forcing her to bow like a common subject.
******
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