Loyalty Or Honour (Book 3)

Chapter Forty One

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The next morning Lady Arisxandre waits in the Crown Prince's private visiting room. She pours herself a drink and takes a seat. 

The guards outside share a look; both wonder why a young lady such as herself is up so early and expecting to see the prince. Surely he will not be seen for hours. It is his first night with his wife. A man clearing his throat makes them both jump to attention. Theodore raises an eyebrow and smiles with amusement. They bow their heads in respect as he passes them. Ari rises to her feet and perfectly curtseys.

"I received your message. You wrote that it was urgent that we spoke." Theodore softly says as he shuts the doors behind him and takes a seat opposite her. "Are you in trouble?"

"Perhaps I am, but not in any way that you could assist me with." Ari answers honestly, knowing her heart is in a perilous situation since she heard of Hunter's death. It has made her grow stronger and weaker at the same time. "I wish to speak about the ambush." Her eyes focus intently on his, the brown depths firm and unyielding.

"The ambush?" Theodore replies carefully. "Which one would you be referring to, Lady Arisxandre?"

"Which would you like to speak about first? I know the first one left you with fewer men and with an injury yourself. I also know you were outnumbered and if they wanted to kill you, they would have. You escaped through their good grace. It was a warning, or perhaps even an incentive. I see it sped up your engagement to Lady Arabella. This is all speculation though, your highness, I mean nothing by it." Ari easily speaks of all of this as if discussing the weather. Theodore leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers. "The first was horrible and not your fault in the slightest."

Theodore darkly chuckles, "You imply that the second was?"

"Is that what you got from that? To me, that speaks of a guilty conscience." Ari bravely states. Theodore's eyes narrow on her. She simply sits up taller, chin raised in stubbornness. "You sent out a group of men, incredibly well trained, to the same location as your ambush. That is what they all say and that is what you told Orion. However I went there days after it happened. There was no blood. There was no flesh, no bodies, and no remnants of any bloody altercation. Before you say anything, there was no rain, nothing that could have washed away that amount of blood."

"You must have gotten the wrong location." Theodore casually accuses. 

Ari shakes her head. "No, one of your original men, from the first ambush, escorted me there. I do not think he would forget its location in a hurry. Your men died elsewhere." Ari continues.

"Why are you bothering yourself with these unimportant details, my Lady? How does any of this concern you? The facts remain the same, regardless of the location. My men went out on my orders and they were ambushed. I have lost a great many men and I do not appreciate you acting as if their deaths are on my hands." Theodore clearly and calmly states. He stands up and heads for the door.

"Hunter North." She says softly. 

He halts and turns to look at her. Her eyes have followed him and he sees anger in the set of her lips pressed firmly together. 

"You sent your men out but I want to know what the purpose was. I do not believe that you sent them out to gather information. You have other task forces for that. Hunter North was a good man."

"A good man?" Theodore repeats incredulously. "You think he was a good man. I do not think that your mother would appreciate you being familiar with a commoner."

"Your highness," she speaks through gritted teeth, "should know that I choose my friends regardless of their status. You were my friend despite your father's actions. Do not try to frighten me."