Queen of Rosewood Forest (On Hold)

Chapter 40

We sit there for a while, bathed in firelight and silence. It's a completely foreign experience for me, and yet somehow I feel completely at ease. It's as if something clicked into place and released the tension in my body. I must have fallen asleep at some point because eventually I wake up to sunlight seeping through the windows. I turn my head and realize that I had been laying with my head on his chest. LIfting it slightly, I see Aaden is fast asleep. I nudge him slightly and he stirs before releasing the protective hold he has on my back and falls back asleep. I decide that it's best to let him rest. Getting up carefully, I head to the kitchen to make some eggs for breakfast. There's still a fire going in the oven so I use it to make some omelets for us.

When I'm nearly done I hear a knock on the door and rush to check who it is before they have a chance to wake Aaden. I open the door to find a woman in a cream colored dress standing on the porch. "Hello. Who are you?" I ask curiously.

"Mrs. Bohannon sent me. She gave me this note for Aaden." She hands me a small piece of paper. "She also wanted me to add that Neven is off on a patrol today so he will not be at the estate."

"Thank you. I'll make sure he gets it."

"Who was that?" a thick sleep filled voice asks from the living room as I shut the door.

"A woman brought you a note from Mrs. Bohannon," I explain as he walks over to me, running his fingers down his face before pushing some locks out of the way of his vision. My breath catches slightly as I take in his bare chest. His left arm (the one that held me so protectively) is completely covered in tattoos and I briefly wonder if he will let me run my fingers over them. Whoa, where did that come from? I hold out the note and he takes it from me while following me into the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready," I tell him while I make his plate. "Oh she also wanted me to tell you that Neven is on patrol today so he won't be at the estate."

"Okay," he yawns as he takes the plate from me. "Thank you, it smells wonderful." He grabs my plate out of my hand and heads back to the living room.

"You are welcome," I say as I follow him. We sit down side by side on the couch and I notice once again that there is a comfortable silence between us. "Do you think I can work on my magick some more today?" I ask curiously. "I want to get better at it if I can."

"Not today," he shakes his head. "After breakfast we are going to Mrs. Bohannon's. She is letting you look at her books."

"Really?" I ask in disbelief.

He nods, "Yes, that's what the note was about." He takes a drink then puts his glass back on the table. "She doesn't know what is going on between you and Neven, she thinks it still has to do with Ally. I didn't think it needed to be corrected at this moment."

I smile at him gratefully, "thank you."

He just briefly nodded, "It will be addressed at a later time though."

"Okay." A thought crosses my mind, "Are you going to work today?"

He shakes his head, "Alun is covering for me so you do not have to go alone. Now finish eating."

A brief smirk crosses my lips at his bossiness, while it is demanding there is a caring tone to it. It doesn't cause a shiver to go down my spine like when my ex would speak to me. I can get used to it, I think as I finish eating. Once we are dressed and the kitchen is clean we start walking to Neven's place. I have to admit my nerves are starting to get the best of me. Aaden briefly squeezes my hand before releasing it and comfort replaces the nerves. I can do this.

When we arrive Mrs. Bohannon leads me to Neven's father's study. In the daylight the shelves seem to have a faint shimmer to them and upon closer inspection I notice small flecks of silver. When I was here before the room was dark and shadowy, but now it feels cozy.

"I'm looking for some history on the ruling monarchs before the council took control of the village," I say hoping she can point me in the right direction.

"Whatever does someone like you need that for?"

I panic slightly. "I want to know what drove my ancestors away from the village and it seems like a good place to start. I think whoever in my family lived here worked in a castle so it may give me some clues as to who they were."

"Well I don't have much, but I do have a few accounts from some of our allies about the rumors from the years before the king's death." She hands me a few books and flips through them to find what I'm looking for.

"Thank you Mrs. Bohannon." She walks away leaving me alone in the study. I feel a slight uneasiness being back here. The last time I was in this house I could barely move. It's not easy to come back after everything, but it's not as hard as I thought it would be either.

The first passage that I read tells of a family of low ranking courtiers who fled the castle not long before the king's death. They sought refuge on a far off island from what they described as an impending war. What's strange is that they knew the king was going to die before the illness took the rest of the royal family. They told the people of the island that the king's death was imminent and that there was no chance of his heir taking the throne. How would low ranking courtiers know all of this, and how would they know to expect chaos after the king's death?

The next passage I read is a personal account of a traveling diplomat from a neighboring kingdom requesting safe passage home. The diplomat visited the castle a few months before the king got sick and during his stay documented many rumors and conversations he overheard. The letter describes many petty arguments between courtiers, but one stands out to me. In the letter he describes a woman with pitch black hair in a green and gold dress who has a very heated discussion with one of the Queen's handmaidens. The handmaiden was told to deliver a message to the woman and when the woman realized it wasn't good news she threatened the handmaiden's life. Later in the day the woman was questioned about the incident by another courtier and she made a comment about how she wouldn't have to answer to the queen for much longer. Even the diplomat raises concerns about what the comment could mean and what to come for the kingdom. At the end of the letter when explaining why he wishes to return home he even goes as far as to bring up the possibility that there may be an attempt on the queen's life.

Before I can start reading the next passage a knock on the door shocks me out of my research. The maid from earlier comes in and sets down a tray before placing a cup of tea on the desk. "Oh, thank you." I say, trying to be polite.

She looks away to avoid eye contact and says, "Neven is home and wishes to speak with you."