The Lonely Warrior Queen

{Chapter 7}

Catheline's POV:

The next morning, I opened my eyes and was dazed for a few moments. When I returned to my chambers last night, I realized that I had very few hours to rest.

Slowly, I lifted my head to look around and found my little bird asleep on the edge of the mattress. I sighed before letting my head rest back on the pillow. Soon, the events of last night began appearing in my head.

A small smile formed on my lips as I swayed my hands as if I held my sword again. Last night had been very interesting but equally frightening too.

I managed to defeat a grown man in actual combat. I only practiced with other people before and never even once fought a true battle before. All the years of training were worth it, but I had to practice more.

I heard a soft knock on the door and looked up. It was too early for Karra to come by. I managed to climb off my bed without disturbing my bird. When I reached the door, I pressed my curls to look the most presentable I could be before opening it.

To my surprise, it was Lady Daraa. She gave me a calm look before bowing politely.

"Good morning, Your Grace," she said, after observing my state. "Forgive me but you, seem to be quite...tired."

I blinked a couple of times before smiling sheepishly. "An interesting book kept me busy all night."

I could hardly tell her the truth, can I? Lady Daraa paused her actions before nodding. She seemed to have bought that story.

"I understand. But you have to retire at night early, Your Grace," She told me. "Otherwise, your precious health could be affected."

Precious health. I smiled widely before nodding. Perhaps I had done it too vigorously because she kept on staring at me. I should stop acting so suspicious.

"Have you woken me up just to wish me a good morning?"

She wrung her hands and walked a step forward. "I have heard that last night...an event has occurred in the castle."

I gulped when I heard her tone. For a moment, I worried that she might have figured out the truth. But I still managed to keep a curious and worried face.

"What happened?" I asked, my eyebrows strained. "Is the King alright?"

"He is well, Your Grace," she assured me. I sighed in relief and looked at the ground. Maybe she didn't discover my identity. "Where is he now? I must meet him."

"I am afraid that you can't do that, Your Grace," Daraa told me calmly. "The King is tired after interrogating the criminals."

I nodded slowly, letting the information fill my head. Lady Daraa quickly bowed and left after an exchange of a few more words. When she was out of sight, I shut the door and rested my back on it.

It seemed to me that my husband had worked the rest of the night, trying to extract some information from the assassins. Perhaps a confirmation of what I had written to him, masked as the mystery warrior.

I glanced at the secret compartment where I had hidden my sword and attire. After I returned, I neatly tucked them there before collapsing on the bed. A warm and soft mattress was more than a welcoming sight.

A small chirping sound indicated that my bird was awake. I quickly glanced at the edge of the mattress before smiling. Mimy was hopping around as if to perform a quick exercise. She needed to stretch her wings because I wished to send a letter to my father.

"Sweetling, you have to go home today," I said as I walked toward the bed and patted the bird with my fingers.

After that, I slowly made my arrangements to write a letter. Since my canary was a small creature, I could only write small letters. My father usually sends large birds so that he could write bigger letters for me.