To Love, Once Again

Chapter 45

Sera heads back through the castle halls, off to pick up a tea tray for Lucien.

After saying her goodbyes with Lois, it was back to business as usual, attending to her duties as King's Maid. The dress she wore now was much simpler than the elegant azure dress she'd worn to meet the Azai, the tribal nomads of Azark. 

When out and about in the castle, Sera found it easier to blend in, to not be noticed, when wearing simple white apron frocks with detailed flowers embroidered on the hems compared to the fashionable constructed dresses Lucien preferred she wore.

It was better that Sera blended in. With the new nobles who populated the halls, out socializing with tea parties, hunts, and horse riding, she wanted to avoid as much public scrutiny as possible. Though it was difficult, when everyone knew she was Lucien's mistress.

With a simpler outfit, she could pass herself off as a off-duty servant. No nobles cared to look too closely at what a servant was doing. Although the servants knew who she was no matter what she wore.

When she passes through an open hallway, the Queen's Royal Gardens leading off to one side, she hears a child crying, making her pause. Why would a child be crying in the Royal Gardens?

The sounds emanated from the Rose Maze. 

"Maaamaaaaaaa!" the high-pitched voice cried out.

That sounded like Leo!

There wasn't enough time to go through and try to solve the maze. Sera circles around to the back of the maze, where she knew the goal would be, from the view of her room in the castle. Now there was the tall rose bushes trimmed to form one wall of green separating them.

What she was about to do, the gardeners would not like. Not at all.

Taking a deep breath, Sera lifts her arms to cover her face, and plunges into the bushes. Surrounded by the heavy scent of roses, thorns scratch at her clothes and mark her arms with thin lines that cut into her skin.

Leo!

"Baby?"

She calls out.
Another wail.

Cold ice runs through her veins.

Nothing could stop her from getting to her child, especially if he was hurting.

She focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, breaking through the entwined branches, and finally, with loud cracks and pure white and pink roses tumbling to the ground, stumbles out on the other side. 

There's a Sera-sized hole from where she'd come out.

Dorne was sitting next to her son. He smiles and stands up, dusting off his legs, while leaning on a crutch someone had fashioned for him.

He's a professional at changing his emotions at the drop of a hat. With a worried expression, he leans down to pat Leo's small head hunched over in sadness. 

Sera was in shock that Dorne was still alive, and with energy enough to do something like this. If he hurt her son.. Taming the roiling storm of malevolent anger and fear within her, Sera quickly looks her son up and down for any injuries.

There's almost a hint of humanity that can be felt from the way Dorne acts, his face still swollen and discolored from the beating Lucien had given him during the challenge. One of his legs were healed quicker than the other, but it was obvious from the way both were twisted and faced out at a strange angle that he was in pain with every step he took.

Lucien had been merciless in his judgement upon Dorne. He had to be, as King of Thornmere. A challenge was a sacred ceremony that only the best of the best, or those who had a claim to the throne, could do.