The Kingdom of Belmar

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Cole." We had continued to ride through daybreak, but the prince didn't speak once to me, no doubt lost in his own thoughts. We didn't stop for food, we didn't stop for water, we kept the pace until it was time for me to change my bandages and reapply my ointment – though at that point, we had already reached the Ewell estate.

"Cole, speak to me."

"There's nothing to speak of, I'm fine." Pushing past footmen and servants, Cole asks a maid to fetch the rest of our vigilante party, as well as requests the company of my parents.

"There is something to speak of; you just learned that your mother was murdered."

"By the same woman who plans to murder me, and that is something I cannot allow." He huffs out a shaky breath, sliding a hand down his face. "Please, Amy just...just forget it for now. We have a information to relay and a revolution to devise. I–" a pause, "I don't need anymore distractions."

Standing on my toes, I press a kiss to his cheek and he offers me a tender smile, but deep down I know it's not enough. Deep down I know nothing will be enough until Rista's out of power.

"You're back!" Grace charges towards us, picking me up and spinning within her embrace as though I were miraculously healed. Followed closely behind was Percival and Philip, the latter sulking a bit now that his other half, Geoffrey, has taken up residence as a spy in Lambhurst.

"Grace, please," Percival rolls his eyes, prying her off of me. "She just returned from the apothecary, allow her some time to heal before you break her."

"You're only bitter, Percy, that you don't have anyone to embrace you like Amy does."

"You act as though you're betrothed yourself."

"You act as though you've had more contact with a lady than the back of her hand across your face."

Cole, annoyed beyond annoyance steps between them. "Enough! The both of you. There's much too much to discuss, and your childish bickering isn't helping our situation."

The room falls silent, Philip standing at command as though orders were being barked at him. Cole doesn't raise his voice like this, not unless he's speaking to an army of soldiers. The seriousness of the situation sets in, and it's clear that's just what Cole sees the lot of us at the moment. Soldiers.

Thompson entering the foyer with the Duchess also possesses a sternness I'm not used to witnessing. I'm almost surprised to see Thompson; he followed Margarite everywhere she went in the original story and obeyed her every order, but I had to remind myself that the Margarite now isn't the one he falls in love with. The story now isn't the same one in the novel. "Your Highness what do you have to tell us?"

"Amalie how are you feeling?" the Duchess grabs my hands, face puffy, clear that she had been crying. "How is your leg? Will it heal?"

"I'll be fine mother, a simple salve applied twice a day and I'll be restored to my former glory."

"Oh daughter, you are glorious even with one functioning leg." The duchess sniffles as her arms wrap around my neck, and I notice Cole stiffen beside me. After finding out what really happened with his mother, I can only imagine what he must be thinking seeing me with mine.

"Thank you, your highness," she smiles at him, and he softens a bit at her motherly tone.

She's the duchess that the Duke chose above all else, it would be difficult not to melt at her kindness. "No thanks necessary. I wouldn't be standing here if it were not for Amy. Not to mention you were so generous as to bestow refuge to our ailing regiment despite no adequate reason."