A Queen Conflicted (Alys Book #3)

Chapter 37

It took a few moments for Dastrehan to remember how to breathe.
Leoford, Maajida's voice echoed in his head. His own brother.

It was as if time had slowed down for a few moments. Then, sped up.
People were moving around him. Zaiden was calling out orders.
Dastrehan was still frozen, staring at Maajida. The Joreshian princess held his eyes, calm and composed, but the terror of what she had been through was obvious.
"Get my horse ready," Dastrehan heard himself order as he attempted to regain control of himself.
He must not have said it loud enough, must have whispered, because no one seemed to have heard him. As he pulled his eyes from Maajida's and looked around, he saw that Ezan was speaking with Zaiden as the men who had escorted Maajida handed their horses off to servants and wandered towards the various entrances of the keep.

"I need a horse!" Dastrehan called louder, and a servant nearby looked towards him.
"Dastrehan," Zaiden said calmly as he took a step towards the king, "I know you want to move right away, but we need to plan. We need to get as much information from Maajida as we can before we move. And she needs time to recover. For her injuries to be seen to."
Dastrehan felt every fiber of his being protest to Zaiden's calm words, but another look at Maajida told the king that the prince was right.

The princess was in rough shape; paler than he would have thought possible, held up by a grim-faced Warrick. Dastrehan knew her situation was dire.
But so was his wife's. Every one of the women that Leoford had was in danger. And every second Dastrehan did not act put them at more risk.
When Dastrehan did not disagree but also did not make any effort to move, Zaiden turned to Maajida and held out his arm to gesture for her to follow him.
"Let us get you settled," Zaiden said kindly, "Your journey must have been horrible."

Maajida said nothing as she allowed Warrick and Zaiden to lead her into the keep.
Dastrehan watched them go, awed and frustrated that Zaiden was so calm. How could he be so composed when his sister was being held captive?

Ezan stood to the king's right, fidgeting and antsy. At least someone else was itching to act.
But as Dastrehan forced himself to follow the others into the keep, it was easy to note that Zaiden was not quite so calm as he was putting on.
His fists were clenching on and off, his jaw was tight, his whole posture was tense. He was forcing himself to appear calm to keep everyone from moving too fast and without the proper information. He was keeping everyone together.
As they moved through the halls, Dastrehan felt shame come to him in an entirely different way that it had ben coming to him before. Before, he had felt shame that he had not protected his queen. Now, he felt shame that in his own kingdom, a foreign prince was the one holding things together. Keeping him from doing anything rash.

How had Dastrehan let himself become so undone and impulsive? Surely, it was the uncertainty and heartache that was to blame, but as a king he needed to be better than that.

It left him vulnerable and foolish.
As he watched Zaiden stop in front of the infirmary and wish Maajida her best with a promise not to harass her for information before she was ready, Dastrehan felt a new appreciation for his brother and friend. The young prince who had left his own kingdom to help pick up Dastrehan's shattered pieces.

As Zaiden's gaze met with Dastrehan's, the king gave a small nod and forced a tight smile, which the prince returned.

They were both in agony, that much was clear.

***

The hours that passed while everyone waited for Maajida to be ready to be seen were some of the worst hours Dastrehan had lived. In the dining room that had long before become the strategy room for Dastrehan and Zaiden, many waited in anxious anticipation.
Dastrehan, unable to sit still even long enough to eat, stood over a map sprawled out on the table, scanning the area of Catesh drawn and painted on the parchment.