Anybody But You

64

Chapter Sixty-Four

Vibe: The Wolves by JJ and The Pillars

Alice swore loudly, her mouth opened like a fish as she gaped.

How was she so shortsighted in thinking the king didn't have a real reason for choosing Lucy? As she stared at Narcisse in absolute bafflement, she felt more amazed at her idiocy than shame.

Narcisse bent forward towards her face so abruptly that her mouth snapped shut. "There's more." He hummed in a low voice, his breath tickling the skin on her face.

Scrunching her nose up from the sensation, she used her hand to lightly push him back, "I'm still in the middle of processing, prince."

Absentmindedly grabbing her fingers that were pressed against his chest, he ignored her with a glowing smirk on his face, "The Baldwin's have no clue that we know—so, while they are distracted by getting a foot into what they think is our front door, we're going around and unlocking Lucien's now unguarded back door."

Alice was almost too distracted by his fingers subconsciously playing with hers to hear his words. Shaking her head clear as his laugh dazzled her for a moment, she blinked, "Wait—backup and full stop. Does this mean Lucien is planning to force an alliance on Audovera by using Lucy's marriage to you? Isn't that... presumptuous in thinking that Audovera would honour a forced alliance?" She shook her head, it not adding up, "I'm not normally confused... but I'm confused."

Shaking his head, Narcisse spoke, "You're on the right track, but think about why we don't allow insiders in."

"We don't want anyone else to have access to our kingdom's power." She frowned, still not connecting the dots. "Again, wouldn't Audovera have to agree to the alliance to share or give up power like that? What would Lucien have on us to make us agree to such horrible conditions?"

It didn't make sense. The only way to acquire the power was either by Audovera giving it to Lucien by choice, or taking it by force. By choice—or more likely coercion—it would mean Lucien trapped Audovera into an alliance that Audovera had no choice but to agree to... which made no sense because Audovera had no weaknesses for enemies to use on them. If it was by force, however, that would mean war on Audovera (a dumb choice that would lead to eventual failure and an unnecessary death toll on both sides) or covert missions that involved secretly getting someone into a position that could ruin them from the inside—

Alice's eyes widened with outrage, "Are you saying Lucy is a spy?!" She whisper-spat the blasphemous words, tipping forward in the chair towards Narcisse. "You guys are betting on the assumption that Lucy is an active agent of the Lucien Kingdom?" She laughed incredulously—maybe she shouldn't be ashamed for not thinking up such an illogical calculation formula.

Narcisse looked at her, taking in her amazed expression before shrugging, "Why couldn't she be?"

Alice laughed again, thinking of her redheaded friend who had shown her nothing but loyalty. "Because it's Lucy." She stressed her name again, as if that was end all to the argument. "She would throw the crown at me if it was that easy." Shaking her head she rubbed her forehead; growing angry at the idea that someone thought such terrible things about her beloved friend.

"Would she..?" Narcisse's low, condescending voice broke through her annoyed thoughts.

It was like he began tiptoeing around her. The entertainment he had been feeling from the ridiculous situation, seemingly dimmed as he watched her carefully.

He spoke again in the same kind of voice—like she would break if he spoke the words too loud. "What has Lucy actually done to help you get the crown?"

Alice shook her head, denying his accusations, "She's done everything I've told her to do—without question."

Narcisse pressed his lips together, "You mean... by inviting Luciens to tea at the palace where all of Audovera's intel is?"

Alice scowled at him, "Because I told her to."

Exhaling, Narcisse reached over and placed his hands over her shoulders, "Just... pretend, at least, for a moment that Lucy isn't who she says she is." He asked her, his eyes begging her to trust him.

Grinding her teeth, Alice shook her head and looked down. She wouldn't do that to Lucy—not after everything she had helped her through. It didn't make sense for her to be a spy.

Narcisse stitched his brows together, frustration glimmering in his dark eyes as he stared at her stubborn blonde head, "Can I tell you why I think she's lying to us and working for Lucien, Alice?"

His voice was quiet, the seriousness in the tone making her feel a twang of worry in her chest. She didn't move or even dare to breathe as her hands clenched at her sides, not wanting to hear what he had to say, yet anxiously on the edge of her seat in wait.

"It's like you said—the magic that had poisoned Lucy had left the same signature as the one in you." He began, making her look back up, taken-back by the topic. "You assumed it was a warning to you—her being poisoned." Looking carefully into her confused eyes, he continued, "You were so scared that you reacted without thinking about something, Alice..." grabbing her hands, he smoothed them out and held them—keeping her from digging into her skin further. "Would Lucy really have perished if you hadn't have stepped in?"

Alice felt her blood grow cold as she continued to listen, fighting the strong temptation to cover her ears and sing as he spoke.

Grabbing the sides of her face, Narcisse rolled his bottom lip into his mouth, "the biggest threat to Lucy's crown has always been you, Alice—and everyone, include the Baldwin family, knows it..." without elaborating, he continued as a dizzy-spell slowly came over Alice—her breath stuck in her throat for too long, "What if Lucy was only poisoned to get you out of the way? If you hadn't have risked your life to save her, it would have all led back to you—and if it ended with the royal court, you would have been under threat of execution for harming the future princess."

"...And when that didn't work... they found a way to poison you directly."

~*~*~

A.N.

Oh no... did you see that coming? Do think Lucy is a spy??

Thank you for reading!