Whispers Of Desires: A Sense Of Truth {Book 2}

꧁༺ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓛: 𝓐 𝓜𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮 ༻꧂

Kazi's footsteps echoed softly down the empty corridor. Almost two weeks of enforced rest had left her more restless than ever. The physician had finally given her permission for short walks, and now she found herself exploring every corner of the palace, searching for any hint of the mysterious message's meaning.

As she rounded a corner, a sliver of light caught her eye, from a slightly opened door. Curiosity piqued, Kazi crept closer, peeking inside. The sounds she heard were in sharp contrast to the palace's typical quiet murmurs.

An angry voice, loaded with hatred, cut through the air. Kazi's breath caught in her throat. It was Queen Evangeline.

"...second prince, and you will learn your place!" the Queen spat, her voice trembling with rage. "Do not forget yourself, Azrael!"

Kazi's heart pounded against her ribcage. She had never heard the Queen talk in such a tone, her voice dripping with cruelty she did not realise existed.

Azrael did not answer, so the queen struck him across the face, her ring cutting his cheek open. He stood still, not flinching or reacting, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"No, Mother, please..."

Kazi peered through a crack in the doorway, her eyes wide with surprise. The scene before her destroyed the illusion of a peaceful royal household. Queen Evangeline stood still, her normally calm face twisted into a mask of anger.

Across from them, Crown Prince Aradiel sat slumped in a chair, his face etched with distress. Lady Layil, his pregnant wife, cried softly beside him, her tears painting a wet path down her cheeks. The air was thick with tension, as if a storm was brewing on the horizon.

"The baby is dead," Queen Evangeline declared, her voice echoing in the tense silence. "What now, Aradiel? Do you understand the consequences of your carelessness?"

Lady Layil's sobs intensified, and Aradiel shot a furious glance at his mother. "Enough, Mother!" he shouted.

The Queen's eyes narrowed. "Enough? You dare speak to me like that? Do you want this...this..." she gestured towards Azrael, "bastard son of a concubine, to take your place?"

Kazi's breath caught in her throat. A wave of disgust rushed over her as the Queen's poisonous words hung in the air. So much for the Queen's supposed kindness towards Concubine Coriel and her children. It was all a facade, a mask of deception designed to hide the truth.

Queen Evangeline returned her gaze to Azrael, her voice full of disdain. "Just because I tolerated your useless, pitiful mother as a concubine for my husband does not give you any right to remain here. Know your place, boy."

Azrael's expression was unreadable, and his voice remained calm. "I—"

The door creaked open, interrupting Azrael's reply. All eyes flew to the source of the noise. Kazi froze, her heart thumping frantically against her ribcage. She had been caught.

But the coast was clear. The hall was empty. Queen Evangeline surveyed the room with a scowl on her face. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she slammed the door shut, leaving the astonished occupants in uncomfortable silence.

Kazi waited a few nervous seconds before gently emerging from her hiding location behind a tall statue. Her thoughts reeled from the startling discovery she had just witnessed.

The Queen, the allegedly kindly matriarch, was actually a viper in disguise. And Lady Layil.

Kazi rejected the Crown Princess as a possible suspect, a pawn in a bigger game.

But now, a seed of doubt had been sown. Could Lady Layil, grieving the loss of her child, go to such lengths?

And then there was Azrael. The Queen's evident disrespect for him, as well as her willingness to dismiss him, suggested a difficult familial dynamic.

Could Azrael, who harbours anger for his brother and the Queen, be the mastermind behind the attacks?

The pieces of the puzzle seemed to be shifting, the clear lines were becoming blurry. One thing was certain: Kazi's mission had just become infinitely more complex.

The royal family of Althea was a nest of vipers, each member with their own secrets, their own motives. And Kazi, caught in the middle, was in a terrible situation.