Sanity

20. Something Old, Something New

The day had come. Jaelyn was not in a good state, but she was doing much better than that first day she awoke, and Maeve had been tending to her wounds like a true doctor. She was as good as she was going to be; they couldn't have done anything else to help her.

She had dressed down, trying to appear inconspicuous with a loose white shirt and dark brown pants tucked into a comfortable pair of tan boots Maeve had stolen for her. She finished the look with a long black cloak draped over her shoulders and her dark wavy hair tied up and tucked under the hood. If she was recognised by anyone, the whole thing would be ruined.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Maeve asked as they stood in the doorway, hoods up and weapons tucked away. Jaelyn nodded in response, taking that first step over the threshold.

"Ready as ever," she grunted, still feeling a slight limp to her movements. She ignored it, pretending she didn't notice as she walked with Maeve in silence to the palace. It was obvious there was an event happening; the streets were almost dead. There were no guards in sight, and there wouldn't be until they reached the palace. That was where they'd need to be careful. All the guards would be keeping an eye on anyone suspicious that could be coming to aid Korey in an ambush, so the easy part wouldn't come until they were on the other side of that palace wall.

"Follow me," Maeve murmured quietly as they were approaching. They peeled off to the right, leaving the main stone road and following the palace wall until they reached a banner. Maeve looked around carefully before she pulled it to the side and pushed in one of the protruding stones. Jaelyn watched in amazement as something clicked and a small section of the wall pushed inward, forming a doorway. She didn't ask questions, however, as she darted quickly in after Maeve and moved to shove it closed behind her.

"I'm not sure I want to know how you discovered all these hidden tunnels," she muttered when they were in the darkness alone, and received a chuckle in response.

"No, I'm not sure you do," was her answer.

They kept walking until they apparently came to another doorway that Maeve opened with ease. This one emerged into one of the palace's hallways, where not a single soul was in sight. They stepped out and hurried down the left of the hall before they were found out, Jaelyn slowly recognising where they were. From here, it was easy enough to find their way to the courtyard, where they could already hear the buzzing crowd awaiting the wedding. It made Jaelyn's heart sink, the same feeling she could only assume William had felt when she was marrying his brother.

They wound their way around all the main entrances and exits until they were finally in the crowd of people all standing before the same space Jaelyn had been not too long ago, everything beginning to settle down as the ceremony began. Good. They weren't too late.

"I can't see Noah," Jaelyn murmured, craning her neck over the crowds of people to see the altar. Her friend was nowhere to be found; she could only see William and a girl in a beautiful white dress she could only assume was Kamryn Matzen, with a priest and both sets of royal parents standing off to the side watching.

"I'll go find him," Maeve volunteered quietly, her hand suddenly on Jaelyn's shoulder. "Don't do anything until Korey makes his move. Let's get this bastard, okay? But try not to die."

Jaelyn shot her a wry grin. "I'll do my best," she responded, and then Maeve was gone, disappearing into the flood of people. Jaelyn took a deep breath, made sure her hood was secure, and gently pushed her way through the city's people to get closer to the scene.

As she approached, she could make out William a lot better, and the girl he was about to marry. Her features were soft, like she hadn't worked a day in her life, but had an innocent look about them that told Jaelyn she had no idea what her father was really like. She was a pawn in all of this, too innocent. She was beautiful, though. Beneath the white of her veil, Jaelyn could make out soft chestnut-coloured locks, and a pair of hazel eyes. She must've gotten her looks from her mother.

"Not any further," a gruff voice muttered from her left, and Jaelyn's blood ran cold. She felt the sharp point of a dagger in the lower left of her back, and didn't need to turn her head to match that voice to a face.

"I'd hoped you were dead," she growled in response, dropping her head slightly to avoid anyone recognising her too soon.

"You can't get rid of me that easy," Tank replied quietly, the dagger he held pointing into her slightly as he spoke. "Same goes with you, apparently. Thought I'd killed you. This was a nice surprise. But we had to be sure this would go smoothly, and so here I am. Lucky you."

"Yeah, lucky me," Jaelyn muttered. "Why didn't you just kill me when you had the chance?"

"Because I kinda hoped you'd come back," Tank replied, and his words made Jaelyn's eyes widen slightly. "I know, it ain't like me to get emotional. But if I killed you, you never woulda learned the truth."

Dread filled her bones. "What are you talking about?" she demanded quietly.

"I know your daddy wanted to be the one to tell you, but this is too sweet for me to pass up," Tank continued, his smile widening as Jaelyn went white as a sheet.

"My parents are dead," she deadpanned, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"Your mum is, sure," Tank corrected her, then jerked his head up to the altar as a way of pointing. "But that's your dad right up there. Alive and well."

Jaelyn followed his gesture with her dark eyes, feeling a wave of anger and fury wash over her as they connected with Korey Matzen's. And it was almost as if he knew what she had just been told, because as soon as their eyes locked, an evil smile was staring right back at her. And she knew exactly what this meant.

Somehow, Korey Matzen was her father.