Crossed Hearts | h.s

Thirty Seven

Guards dressed in suits of silver chainmail and armed with swords at their waists lined the outskirts of Velora, prepared to stop any intruders from Audrix. A page accompanied each group of men, ready and waiting to hop on his horse and swiftly ride into the heart of the kingdom to inform the queen of an attack. Villagers were confused by the sudden arrival of armed guards patrolling their home towns and rumors were spreading like wildfire as to the reasoning behind it. Geneva, however, refused to officially declare war; she would wait for Zabrina to make the first move.

"Harry's family will be moving into the palace immediately," Geneva said to her mother and sister from behind her desk in the study. Her security had been tripled and the study was the room with the least access, having no entrances through servant passageways and only one door, which was guarded at all times. She had been spending most of her time there during the day. "My decision is final, so there is no point in arguing."

"Villagers," Caris began, her nose scrunched up with disgust at the mere thought. "Lowborn villagers, who aren't servants, living in the palace? At least tell me they'll be bound to the servants' wing."

Geneva had to bite down on her lower lip to keep herself from spewing hateful words at her sister. "No, Caris, they will not. They will receive the best accommodations that we can provide, as they are to soon be my family, just as Harry will soon be a part of yours."

Caris scoffed. "Yet, he still resides in the servants' wing. Does that not eat at your conscience?"

"He does not require new quarters until we are wed, we have discussed it already. Now, will you please stay out of my private affairs?"

"As long as you stay out of mine."

Geneva inhaled slowly as her cheeks burned with anger and humiliation. "Leave," she said in a low voice. "Before you say something that you regret."

Caris dipped into a curtsy, her eyes never once leaving Geneva's in an attempt to mock her. "As you wish, your majesty," she said with contempt, then spinning on her heel to stalk out of the room.

Anna was left standing in front of Geneva, studying her daughter's tired eyes. "You're driving her away."

"I'm not driving her away, we were never close," Geneva said sharply. "Don't you dare try to pin this on me. This family has always been a mess of lies and false love. The only thing holding it together was Father and now he is dead!" She slammed her palm against the surface of the table, ignoring the stinging sensation that spread across it, and buried her face in her hands.

Anna felt a pang of guilt, knowing that the hatred in her family was partially caused by herself, and stepped forward. She reached out her hand to caress Geneva's head, but the teary-eyed queen jolted to the side, missing her mother's hand. Anna was hurt, but retracted her hand and pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Shall I fetch Emilia for you? Or Sir Harry?" she asked softly.

Geneva wiped away the tears that had trailed onto her pink cheeks and straightened her posture. "No, thank you, I wish to be alone." Although she had cleared the salty droplets from her cheeks, her vision was still blurred as she watched her mother walk towards the door, glance over her shoulder to look at her with sad eyes, and then disappear.

Once she was alone, Geneva allowed her shoulders to slump and the tears to fall in a constant stream. She sunk her teeth into her lower lip to keep herself from sobbing and alarming the guards outside. All she wanted was peace in her kingdom and her family, but she knew one of those would never come to fruition.

❁ ❁ ❁

Just an hour before the gong rang for dinner, Ivey arrived at the palace with her belongings in tow, along with her mother and her soon-to-be husband, Kai.