The King's Bride

This Is It

They arrive to the Castle a couple of hours later, leaving the horses in a darken part of the stables so no one sees them. Josh heads for a side entrance into the Castle, Everleigh following him closely, the hood of her cloak secure over her head and covering most of her face, just in case they run into someone.

Josh leads her through the maze that is the servants' corridors, Everleigh praying that everyone is either sleeping or busy in other parts of the Castle. She hears voices up ahead at the same time Josh signals her to stop, her heart thundering in her chest, but the voices fade away before their owners reach them, making Everleigh let out a sigh of relief, seeing Josh's frame visibly relax as well.

They climb for a few more minutes, before Josh stops in front of a door and tells her to keep her head low, Everleigh nodding and pulling the hood forward a little bit more over her face. Josh opens the door and peers onto the corridor, checking that it's deserted, before signaling for her to follow him. As they walk down the corridor, Everleigh thinks that there's still a hurdle they need to conquer: the guards outside of Jensen's room.

She remembers when she asked him if they were always there, Jensen telling her that they were, even when he wasn't in the room. He added that that will happen as well once she is Queen. She remembers him saying that it would take some getting used to, but that it was necessary for their safety.

Everleigh knows that the guards will be there, there's no doubt about it, what she doesn't know is how Josh will convince them to allow her to enter Jensen's room. She will have to trust Josh has a plan, even if she can't, for the life of her, think of one that doesn't involve revealing to them who she is.

They approach the door and Everleigh catches through the corner of her eye the change in Josh's posture, making himself even taller and more imposing than he already is, his hand grabbing her elbow lightly. They reach the guards and Josh tells them that Jensen had sent for company, tilting his head towards her.

Now, under normal circumstances, Everleigh would be offended, but these weren't normal circumstances, so she keeps her mouth shut and lets him tell the guards whatever he needs to convince them to let her in. She can see through the edge of her hood the guards assessing her, trying to determine if she is a threat, and she makes herself look as small and non-threatening as possible.

Josh asks them if they intend on keeping the King waiting, a slight edge to his voice, before the men step aside and open the door for her to enter. She feels him squeezing her elbow and whispering he will wait for her there, before letting her go.

Everleigh nods and steps forward, walking past the guards, wondering how this is going to end.