The Inner Circle | A Midnight Quartet

Chapter 7 | Miles Perry

Darcy lets Aspen go check on the Queen and Miles grabs her offered hand, knowing that they should stick together to be safe. A soft smile appears on Aspen's face when she peeks over her shoulder at Carmen and Darcy. Miles squeezes her fingers as they rush through the castle hallways, the soft padding of her brown flats opposing the hard footfalls of his dress shoes. They arrive at the Queen's rooms for probably the twentieth time today before Miles slows the two of them down, barely out of sight of the guards.

"I'll stay out here and if I start to hear her lashing out at you I will come in to help. Please be safe," He kisses the top of her forehead before stepping back and staring into her beautiful eyes.

"Thank you," She dazedly smiles at him and he can tell how hard she is trying to fight off sleep. "I already know there will be tons of yelling, so please don't come in unless it really starts to get bad." She lets her hand fall out of his before she turns around and walks the last few steps to the door, the guards opening it up for her.

He waits until she is in the room before he stalks up to the door as well, staring down both guards. "Hello there. I am the valet to His Highness, Prince Alastair. He has requested that I listen in to as many accounts of the princess's death as I can before reporting what I know to him."

The one on the left talks first. "Then why isn't he here with you?"

"He is grieving the loss of his sister. Would you not be locked in your room if your sibling died suddenly?"

They both look skeptical of the lie Miles is spinning for them on the spot, but they both pale and Miles smiles on the inside as he hits a sore topic for both of them. The one on the right clears his throat before grumbling, "I still don't trust you, but I know you are who you say you are. Her Majesty the Queen has only requested that girl to be in there at this moment, but we'll allow you to listen through the door." Miles stiffens defensively that no one uses Aspen's real name but mumbles his gratitude to the guards as he presses his ear against the door.

"Tell me what you know!" The conversation starts with Odessa shouting, typical of the Queen. Miles can picture the scene in his head: Aspen meekly bowing as Odessa glares at her, blaming her for things that were not under Aspen's control.

"I don't know as much as you think I know, my Queen."

"Well, tell me what you do know before I grow impatient and do something you will not enjoy one bit." Yes, because this is definitely the Queen being patient. Miles thinks.

Aspen's answer is muffled through the door, but from the bits and pieces that he hears, Miles can tell that she is just relaying the vague amount of information that Darcy offered to their group while in the library.

Odessa's answers are always loud enough for him to hear, as they are typically shouted. "Why are you the one telling me this if you weren't even there to witness everything happen first-hand?! Where is the useless lady-in-waiting to my daughter, wasn't she the one to discover her?"

Aspen raises her voice just enough for Miles to pick up what she says. "For your information, she fainted after finding the Princess's body. Do you really want to drag her up here so she can relive the traumatic experience all over again?"

If the Queen shows any sympathy towards Darcy and her situation, Miles can't tell. "I expect you to give me all the most recent information you gain--as soon as you get it--concerning my daughter's death. If you dilly dally, I will find out and you will be punished."

Aspen responds to that but the words are muffled because of the door. The Queen's next words are hushed as well, but when Aspen comes storming out and slams the door behind her, Miles can tell that whatever the closing remarks of their conversation were was not pleasant. He catches her in his arms as she begins to stomp away, forming a protective barrier around her as they move away from the guards.