The Heir of Red and White

Chapter Twenty-Five: Aiyanna

     It was late afternoon when I finally managed to escape from Duchess Chartreuse's elaborate schedule. She had decided to take a short trip back to the Chartreuse Principality, and while I thought that meant I would get a break from her tireless demands, I had been wrong. An assistant of hers had taken over in her stead, and I had spent most of the day being reprimanded and lectured about the battles and wars won under my family's reign. It had cost me much of the day, and while I desperately wished to visit Cienna, I knew I had other, more pressing matters that needed my attention.

     Duchess Azure was known for her ruthlessness and ambition, and while many could recount a moment where she had been particularly cruel, few would believe she had conspired to assassinate another noble. I had no proof that Duchess Azure was involved in the murders aside from my gut feeling, probable motive, and a few suspicious encounters. I needed to find more evidence, so instead of enjoying the brief reprieve I was afforded in Duchess Chartreuse's absence, I headed toward the library. Aside from my growing fondness for the head librarian, the books, and the quiet, it was also the place I was most likely to find Cameron. And although I wished to convey my gratitude for what he had done for Cienna, I also wasn't ashamed to admit I missed him. Besides, if anyone could tell me something useful about his mother, it was him.

     I had just reached the southern wing of the manor when the faint sound of laughter filtered through the hall. It was loud and hearty, and I immediately recognized it as Arielle's. A calmer, more tamed chuckle followed behind it and when I peeked my head into an adjacent study, I spotted my sisters together, seated at a long table covered with scrolls and books. They both wore suits like mine, drenched in the colors of the Azure Principality, but unlike me, smile lines brightened the planes of their face.

     "Ana! Great timing! Come in, I was just talking to Arielle about that time you and she tore up all the cushions in the throne room," Nia shook her head and grinned, "you were both such troublemakers back then."

  I hadn't expected to be seen so quickly, but after a moment of considering the consequences of telling Nia no, I smiled sheepishly and walked into the study. Memories of the time before my mother had passed were often blurred together and not quite accurate. I knew Arielle and I had been close, just as close as Nia and I were, but that time had long been overshadowed by the obligations of the crown. Even now, Arielle's smile sobered as I approached, and my shoulders straightened unconsciously.

     "I'm not sure I remember that. Perhaps you've confused me with someone else." I teased. Nia hated to be told she was wrong even more than she hated being told no.

     She snorted. "Are you calling me a liar?"

     I shrugged noncommittally and Arielle laughed. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at her outburst, especially since it was in response to something I said, but she didn't seem to care. She did the exact opposite of what I would expect and gestured toward the seat beside her.

     "Want to sit with us?" she asked

     I tried to mask the shock on my face, but despite the immense training I've had in court etiquette and concealing my emotions, I couldn't seem to pull it off. Reluctantly, I sat beside her, my stomach woven into knots.

     Nia watched from the sidelines with amusement alight in her eyes, her brow quirked in a way that proved she also had no idea what Arielle was thinking.

     "Uhhh..." Arielle said, before clearing her throat, "How have you both been fairing with the competition?"

     A suspicious part of me wondered if her sudden acknowledgment was a ruse to learn more about my performance in the competition, but Arielle could've asked our grandmother for information if she wanted to. And I was the one with ulterior motives. After all, I had agreed to enter partially because I knew Nia was being mentored by Duchess Azure, and if I couldn't find Cameron, Nia would be the next likely person to know more about her involvement in the murders or even just a good time for me to snoop around her quarters.