A/N: I'm putting a note in at the beginning here to warn y'all, this chapter is a little graphic - it contains scenes of sexual nature though is not explicit! I promise.
Paddoc felt incredibly guilty for abandoning her friend during the dinner, but she knew that it was the only chance she'd get in which everyone was occupied. She had already attempted to gain access to Lord Darle's chambers, but to her surprise he had decided not to attend the dinner and so she was left to make an awful excuse as to why she had come to visit and fled as quickly as possible. She now prayed for better luck as she eased the Bishops door open and slipped inside.
On a normal night there would be guards at every door, but tonight they were needed elsewhere as commoners filled the royal banquet hall, crowd control was necessary. Paddoc thanked the gods for this as she checked behind her to ensure no one had seen her, before carefully pushing the door shut. As the latch clicked loudly she froze, mistaking the sound as one from within the room. When all remained silent, she allowed herself to move once more, easing cautiously further into the room.
After her run in with Lord Darle, she was aware that the Bishop could arrive at any moment, and so made out the best hiding places in the tidy room; first, under the bed, and obvious choice as the bedding feel to cover the space beneath, second, the wardrobe, a great hiding spot, though should one wish to change clothes, the hider would be found with ease, next, the curtains, as much like the royal chambers, the Bishops room was fitted with thick, luscious red curtains that would easily conceal a body. Lastly, one could slip behind the changing screen, though the screen was thin and should any light hit the screen, the shadow of any body behind it would be clearly silhouetted.
Paddoc smiled, at peace now that she had located a series of places safe enough to conceal her should she get caught, and commenced the job she had come to this forbidden room to complete. She was in search of proof, for she had never trusted the Bishop and knew well the Queen hadn't either. Something about his actions in the Council meeting the pervious day had stirred worry in the young handmaiden, and though she did not want to suspect that a man of the gods had been involved in the assassination of her Queen, she had to rule him out.
The Bishop kept his belongings in order, his bookshelves arranged alphabetically by author, his papers stacked in drawers and cabinets and organised by dates. Everything was ordered meticulously, which Paddoc would usually find promising when in search of something, but in this room she did not know where to start.
Upon much consideration, she decided to simply leaf through the documents in the cupboards and drawers until something caught her eye, although after an hour of searching all she had managed to do was give herself a few paper cuts and make something of a mess of the precise stacks of papers.
She sighed, and was about to give up when a paper lying on the desk caught her eye. having assumed that the Bishop would have sorted anything important and put it away, Paddoc had not bothered to read over the pages that lay on his desk, although she saw them now, and from the page in front of her shone her friend's name in red ink.
In regards to Princess Vivienne Lamina
The folded paper read, and so Paddoc scooped it up and began to read, letting herself fall back into the Bishop's chair.
The paper was filled with political talk, clearly a letter from Lord Darle. His words spoke of an agreement and referenced a marriage to Vivienne, though it seemed clear that the Lord was not enthused by the idea and that it was not yet agreed. Something about the tone of the letter made Paddoc uncomfortable, although she had no time to dwell on it as she had no sooner read Henry Darle's signature at the bottom of the page before voices could be heard outside the chamber door and the old man's sickening laughter filled the room through the slow opening door.
YOU ARE READING
The Chronicles of the Runaway Queen: Escape to Danger
Fantasy*This version of this book has been abandoned in favor of a re-write - currently in progress*
