Daughter of the Nibrue House

chapter 19:expoSed.

Naomi never told Trad and Victoria about the knife. Part of her refused to believe that two people could be so cruel as to want to kill their own niece. She held on to the little ray of hope that the intruder had just left through their apartment.

Naomi sat on a bench in the garden as the last of the snow melted away. She had kept the knife a secret for weeks, but she wasn't going to any more. The dagger was hidden in her sleeve, waiting for the right moment to come out. Lady Charrlota had asked everyone to meet here. It was the right time.

Footsteps came from behind her. Naomi turned around. It was Victoria and her expanding tummy. "What are you looking at? I'm pregnant." Victoria had grown to like telling people she's pregnant. Naomi suspected because she never thought she could get pregnant.

Behind Victoria, Lady Charrlota came with a scroll in her hand and a worried look on her face. "Grandmother," Naomi said concerned. "What's wrong?"

Lady Charrlota looked right at her. "Where's Trad?" she asked. "He has to hear this most of all." That made Naomi worry.

Thankfully, Trad came out shortly after. "Trad!" Lady Charrlota shouted. "It happened! A group of rebels started an uprising in the Arial lands!"

"What?" Naomi asked. Thoughts raced through her head. "Why are they rebelling? What did the Arial family do?"

"No one knows." Lady Charrlota told her. "But they have broken into the Arial palace and killed three of the guards."

Victoria stood up. "Those fiends!" she shouted. "Trad, you should go right over there and give them a reason to go home."

"No!" Naomi interrupted. "What if they have a reason to rebel? Then you would give others in our lands reason to rebel against us. Could you do that to your child?"

Trad glared at her. "And what do you suggest we do?" he snarled. Naomi saw the glint in his eyes that told her without words that he didn't want her there.

Naomi crossed her arms. "Try talking to them," she said, actually serous about this. "Maybe we can work out a solution."

Lady Charrlota put her arms around her. "If you can do that, you can save our kingdom from civil war. I'll write to Lord Arial and tell him to stop any magical warfare until you get there." She turned around to send off a letter.

Naomi found herself surrounded by her aunt and uncle. "Why did you do that?" he growled. "The rebels need to be put in their place, not given a chance to negotiate."

"You're making a horrible world for my baby." Victoria said. 

Naomi saw the chance to show what she knew and pulled out the dagger. Trad and Victoria's faces went white. "That's right," Naomi said. "I found this the night someone tried to kill me. I never thought you would stoop so low as to kill your own niece." She eyed Victoria's expanding tummy. "It's only because of my cousin that I'm keeping this a secret. Back me up when I'm facing the rebels and never try to kill me again and I'll get rid of this. Deal?" Trad and Victoria seemed hesitant. "Grandmother!" Naomi called.

"Fine!" Trad shouted. "Deal. But get rid of the knife now!" 

Naomi handed it to him. "But it's not the only proof I have," Naomi lied. "I'm on to you both."

"You know about the De..." Victoria was cut off by Trad slapping a hand over her mouth. They walked quickly out of the garden, Trad's hand still over Victoria's mouth. Naomi was suspicious. 

Simba came into the garden with Abir behind him. "Lady Naomi!" Abir shouted. "I was cleaning up after your aunt's morning sickness and found this." He handed her a slip of paper with the same handwriting as the note and the scribble in the notebook. 

Summon Destroyer Storm, finish spell on father, become the Lord Nibrue. 

Naomi felt herself fall and the world went black around her.

Naomi woke up in her bedroom. Abir and Lady Charrlota were standing over her. "Naomi, my little lion. Abir told me everything. Trad and Victoria are packing their bags right now. I'm so sorry for not figuring it out sooner." Lady Charrlota threw her arms around her. "My son and your father, killed by his brother. How I wish I knew before it happened."

Naomi sat up in bed. "I've been tracking clues since I got back, they all point to Trad and Victoria." She said what she had been thinking for weeks. "But I couldn't do anything without hurting their unborn baby."

Lady Charrlota cupped her face in her hands. "My little lion. The baby will come here to live with us if any thing happens to Trad and Victoria or if they prove to be bad parents." 

Abir reached down and picked up Simba. Simba ran up to her and snuggled on her lap. "All is well, Lady Naomi. They will leave and never come back." 

Naomi petted Simba's head. He purred, making Naomi believe all really was well.