Throne of Hearts (girlxgirl)

Chapter 13

1 Month Later

Castle Halls. Silva, Ahigarth

Rose

"Your Majesty!"

I looked up from my work at the sound of someone loudly calling for me. My personal messenger, Ricardo, rushed into my solar. He stumbled to a stop in front of my desk, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to catch his breath. 

"Apologies, my lady," the messenger said between sucking in air. 

"What's so urgent?"

Ricardo quickly pulled a letter from his coat pocket and thrust it toward me. One look at its black wax seal told me everything I needed to know. It was another letter from Lord Lucian. 

I pointed to the corner of the desk. "Set the letter down and tell me about how you got this letter. I want to know everything about who gave it to you."

Ricardo did as told and took three steps back, hands clasped behind him. He is a fantastic messenger but he's a nervous man, always jittery with nerves or unease. "A man stopped me on my way to the docks. I could only see his clothing. Black everything down to his cloak, my lady. He didn't speak or look at me when he gave me the letter. He had a dagger in the other so I didn't ask questions and took the letter from him."

"How did you know it was urgent?" I asked. 

"The seal. Ryder showed me the first seal. He made me memorize it." He pointed to the seal. "As soon as I saw the seal, I knew who it was from. I brought it here right away, my lady."

"I see," I hummed. "Thank you, Ricardo. I appreciate your haste. That's all I need from you for now. Don't leave the castle just yet. Ryder will want to talk to you later. The kitchens should still be having lunch. Head down and grab yourself a bite."

Ricardo bowed deeply, showing me his gratitude with respect. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He gave me a tight smile and quickly left the room. 

I turned my attention to the letter on my desk. It's been four weeks since we replied to the first letter. I was starting to wonder if the first letter had been nothing but empty words. Even without reading its contents, I knew this was a bad omen for the future. It doesn't matter if Lord Lucian wrote something political or spewed hate; this letter is terrible for Silva. 

I must find Ryder and pull Rhys from this morning's training session. They were essential to have by my side before I could open that letter. I scooped up the plain white envelope and tucked it into a lockable drawer, slipping the key into a hidden pocket in my dress. 

I decided to seek out the Dame first. She would be the easiest to locate first. 

Except I got lucky, finding Ryder first. He was just about to enter the building when I stepped outside. He instantly came to my side and inclined his head in greeting. "Hello, Your Majesty."

I skipped the greeting and immediately told him the news. "A messenger just delivered a letter from Lord Lucian. Come with me to pull Rhys from training," I said. 

His gentle smile faltered, and he nodded quickly. "Lead the way, my lady." We walked side by side for a minute before Ryder asked, "Shouldn't we gather the council as soon as possible? I could send for Rhys while everyone assembles?"

"No," I replied instantly, without thinking, "I want to see her." There was a moment of silence between us. I glanced at my Hand and watched the man visibly try to smother a smile. "Stop that. It is not like that, Hand," I disagreed with a grumble.