The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 46

'You really thought I wouldn't notice?' Matthew seethed at her.

Ines blinked at him. His face was so close to hers she couldn't think straight enough to process what had happened. She could see every perfect detail of his features and the way his eyes were burning, wether with anger, or something deeper, she wasn't sure.

Her body was dangerously heating up, wakening the urge to reach out and touch him, although she resisted the impulse and kept her her hands to her sides. Her attraction to that man was pooling in her belly, but the events of that day had caused her unease and shame. She needed some space.

'What if you were in danger, and I wasn't there to protect you?' his voice had taken a rough edge as he spoke. 'Do you had any idea what it's like for me to see you walk away and not know if you're coming back?'

'I thought I had made myself clear,' Ines pushed him away.

'And I told you not to make any decisions for me.'

'You know what? I don't have time for this. If you want to get killed, then go ahead, but don't say I didn't warn you afterwards.'

'Don't worry, I won't blame you, if that's what you only care about.'

Ines groaned in frustration. She couldn't believe she was in love with that obnoxious, annoying, overbearing man. She wanted to strangle him so bad, as the tension between them was thickening with every passing second.

'You shouldn't have followed me,' she said, her mouth set in painful resignation.

'Peter...' Matthew moved towards her with a guilty expression.

'Why is it so hard for you to stay away?'

His eyes shot up to hers, filled with an unreadable emotion that left her breathless. His gaze paralysed her and made emotions she wished she could bury resurface. 'You know why,' his husky voice was like a melody to her ears.

'No, I don't,' she frowned.

Matthew opened his mouth to speak, but the bell tower of the church inside the castle's grounds chimed from the distance. Its familiar sound reminded Ines that they had only a few hours to find the connection between the weapons and the palace.

Without a second thought she secretly descended the stairs that led down the inner part of the wall at the back of the castle. She was aware that Matthew was closely behind her, but she ignored him. Many times, she would pause and look around for any danger.

Having trained at the army and patrolled that area for years, she knew all the blind spots that would provide her a safe passage to the castle's warehouse. That was where she assumed the weapons might be kept. She crossed the gardens around the magnificent structure, using the trees as a cover, and eventually reached the big wooden doors of the storerooms.

A cobbled street had been constructed decades earlier, so that the transporting of the goods would be easier for the merchants. Only a few people knew, though, mostly the soldiers who had overtaken the defense of the city, that there was another way inside the storehouse, a quieter one.

Ines made sure the street was empty and the guards weren't looking at her direction and immediately ran for the back door. Within seconds she was inside the vast interior of the storerooms. The walls were covered with shelves up to the ceiling and big chandeliers were illuminating the corridors.

The place was empty since the people who were responsible for such procedures must have deemed that day unsuitable. The weather was not convenient for the transfers of the goods that could be spoiled by the rain and the cold. At least that was a recompense for her frozen feet.

'I will check these,' Matthew stated. 'You take the other side.'

'Okay.'

Ines walked around the rooms, carefully scanning the shelves with her eyes. There were all different kinds of stored goods, from grains to wood and metal, so it took her a while to find what they were searching for.

In a secluded part of the storerooms there were chests lined next to the wall, one after the other. Ines had a hunch that she had seen such trunks before, and she went to open them to check their contents. She opened the lid of the nearest chest and looked inside. There were the weapons they were trying so hard to destroy.

'They are right here,' she announced to Matthew when he appeared from behind the shelves.

'Then we are at the right place.'

They began looking around, seeking some kind of clue for defining the identity of the person who was behind this. They moved quietly, but efficiently, and soon enough they discovered a well-hidden room with a small desk in the centre. On it was a burning candle that casted long shadows on the walls, an ink pot and a stack of letters.

'Someone was here,' Matthew murmured. 'The candle is still lit.'

Ines took the letters in her hands and started reading them out loud.'We confirmed the information you gave us. We expect you to keep your side of our bargain. If you let us down, we will know.' 'No casualties. Only a small girl who saw us. We took care of it. The package is safe.'

'Quite a regular correspondence we have here,' Matthew observed.

'We need the name of the recipient, but the letters have no name.'

Matthew opened the desk's drawer and took out a letter that was smaller than the rest.

'Look here,' he pointed to the ripped piece of paper. 'It is an unfinished one.'

'Urgent meeting after the king's council. I will be wait...'

'When was this written?' Ines wondered.

'The ink hasn't dried yet, so my guess is a few minutes ago.'

'Then, whoever is with the king now is the one we are searching for. We'd better hurry!' she said and ran for the exit.

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A/N:  Thank you for reading! Now quick! Give a star to help them run faster!

Phrase of chapter:  semper in absentes felicior aestus amantes / absence makes the heart grow fonder  - Sextus Propertius