Chapter 74


    RYKER’S PO.V


    To say that Cami hated being locked in was an understatement but I couldn’t bring myself to regret


    the decision. If it were a choice between her happiness and safety, I was going to choose her safety


    each time without hesitation. As long ast she was safe, I could focus on the most important thing which


    was finding Frederick who seemed to have disappeared into thin air.


    Thankfully, the doctors and physicians were able toe up with a cure and there was only one


    casualty but it was enough to inspire fear in the hearts of the people. There was unrest and unease and


    I couldn’t say that I med them. Most people still didn’t know exactly what was happening but I knew


    it was only a matter of time before the news spread so my main focus was quelching it before it


    became a threat and that meant finding out who was helping Frederick.


    It would have been easier if his mother were alive or if she had any family but no one seemed to


    remember her much because she kept to herself. I managed to find the address of the woman in


    charge of the maids while Eva was in the pce and I went with Cami to see her. She lived in a


    small cottage a distance away from the pce and when we arrived, she was out in her garden picking


    herbs. The file said that she was around eighty by now but she was still nimble for her age


    When she sighted us, she bowed. “Your majesties, I was not expecting a visit. How can I help you?”


    “We need some information on the maid, Eva,” Cami said and I saw her feign ignorance as she tried


    to wrack her brain.


    “There were so many people by the name of Eva while I worked at the pce. It would be impossible


    for me to remember each one. I am sure the pce has records of everyone. You might find what you


    are looking for there.” “There was only one Eva who did not have ast name and only one who was


    having an affair with the king,” Cami cut by


    . Don’t waste our time and – pretending not to know. Believe me when I say that I do not want to have


    this. conversation as much as you.


    The old woman hesitated before finally clearing her throat. “Please,e in.” Despite the fact that she


    was old and harmless, we still went in with our guards. There was no guarantee that she didn’t have


    people inside or that she wasn’t helping Frederick. She led us into her house which had a soft feeling to


    it. There were potted nts lining all the windowsills and fresh flowers on every table. It was clear that


    she took great care of the space.


    She sat on one of the chairs. “I might not be of as much help as you think, your majesties. Eva never


    spoke to anyone and even if she wanted to- no one would speak to her. It was a well–known secret that


    she was having an affair with the king and a few despised her for it but that was not why she was a


    loner, she was a loner


    because of how horrible she was.”


    That managed to catch my attention and I sat up straighter. “I’m not quite following.”


    “Eva was under the delusion that the king was in love with her and was going to make her Queen. He


    may have told her that himself but the king,” she nced at Cami as if she were unsure of whether


    she should speak or not.


    “It’s alright,” Cami assured her. “The dead cannot be hurt by our words.” “The king was like that. He


    got bored of women quickly and while he may have. loved her at some point, he definitely got bored


    later. She didn’t want to believe that and it got worse after she became your mother’s maid, she was so


    proud of herself for being able to deceive the Queen but the Queen knew, she just wanted to keep her


    close. What she didn’t expect was for Eva to stop taking her tonic because she wanted her child to be


    heir. She hoped that by having a child before the Queen then she would be recognized.”


    “She was not,” I finished and she nodded.


    “It still didn’t break her faith in the king but it made her bitter and resentful. When she came back after a


    year she was not the same. It was worse when the Queen got pregnant and it was announced that her


    child would be the heir. I personally overheard an argument between her and the king where he told


    her that it was all a mistake. She was never herself after that. Everything settled down. and she was


    nning to leave the pce then you went missing and she disappeared shortly after. People believed


    she was the one who took you but there was never any evidence.”


    “To me her, they would have needed to provide a motive and that meant. exposing the fact that the


    king had another child,” Cami’s voice was soft and the old woman nodded.


    “I know you came here for information on her son but unfortunately, that is something I do not have. I


    have never met the boy and I don’t know what he looks like. I don’t even know where she raised him.


    Like I said earlier, she was very secretive. She kept her cards very close to her chest.”


    “How did you know this was about her son?” I asked and the corner of her lips. pulled up slightly.


    “I was in charge of the maids in the pce for thirty years. I know more than half of the people in there.


    News like this never stays hidden for long especially with that recent attack on the stream. He has his


    mother’s ruthlessness, that is for sure.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “She had never mentioned


    anything about Eva being ruthless before.”


    She hesitated and dropped her voice into a whisper. “There is a girl, her name was Gabby but she will


    not be on your lists. She worked in the pce for two days Gabby was beautiful with blond hair and


    innocent eyes. Everyone wanted her, even the king. Eva was furious that Gabby had the king’s


    attention and she made


    sure to voice it out. One night, Gabby told a friend about how the king had called. her beautiful and


    asked to see her‘


    I had a feeling I knew where the story was going but I found myself inclining my ear to listen.


    “The next morning, Gabby was found tied to her bed with a horrible haircut and she was blind.


    Someone had gone into her room at night and poured washing fluid into her eyes. She would not say


    who it was but Gabby was never heard of again,” the old woman sat up straighter. “If that boy was


    raised by Eva alone then goddess help you all.”


    We left her house shortly after that but her words didn’t leave me. Even Cami seemed to be


    pondering over her words and I hoped it was enough to change her mind on Frederick. If anything that


    woman said was true then Frederick was not the innocent and redeemable child that she thought he


    was. I wanted to talk to her and find out where her head was at but as soon as we got into the pce,


    we were ushered into the council room where the elders were waiting.


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    “Is there a reason for thisst–minute meeting?” Cami asked sounding as annoyed as I felt. “I


    thought you were supposed to be helping with the damage. control from the stream incident.”


    “We were doing that, but we are afraid that it is more than that,” one of them spoke. “The people know


    about Frederick.”


    “What do you mean by that?” the words left me before I could stop them.


    “They know that he is the son of the king and the people are torn on it. He has a lot of supporters


    among the people and even those who do not support him fear that you cannot defeat him. The


    kingdom is divided and torn by fear. It does not make it any better that you have not been seen leaving


    the pce since that incident.”


    “Whose fault is it that I have not left the pce?” Cami quipped and the elders fell silent. “It was your


    idea to keep me locked in. Do not make it seem like I did it out of cowardice.” There was annoyance in


    her tone and when she realized, she exhaled deeply to calm herself down. “What do you propose that


    we do?”


    “If you could hold an emergency meeting in one of the squares. The people wille and they can


    hear you publicly discredit Frederick and his ims.”


    “His ims are true.”


    “No one knows that. The only people who do are dead. Anything he says will be seen as a lie and a


    desperate attempt to steal the throne.”


    It was at that moment that I realized just how brilliant the elders really were. If only they could put aside


    their pride and animosity once in a while then they would be a formidable asset to the kingdom.


    “That is going to hurt him,” Cami looked unsure.


    I always knew her kind heart would be a stumbling block on the road to being a great Queen and while


    I didn’t want her to lose it, I wanted he to be able to identify times where kindness was not the right


    course of action.


    “You know it is the only way,” I mind linked her. “You are Queen now and it isn’t just about you or him.


    There are thousands of people looking up to you. Think about your kingdom, Cami. Do what is best


    for them.”


    I broke the mind link but she still said nothing.


    “You are in a war, your majesty,” I could hear an undercurrent of frustration in the elder’s voice. “This is


    a kill or be killed situation. You can either discredit him or watch him take your throne from under your


    fingertips. It is your choice.”