Loyalty Or Honour (Book 3)

Chapter Forty

Vote ~ Comment ~ Enjoy!

A month has passed since Hunter's devastating death. Almost a month has passed since the day they gathered together and commemorated his life. The bodies of the men in the ambush were buried where they fell, a stone placed there to always remember those who laid their lives down for the Royals. Despite the anger and the sorrow those close to him are still experiencing, life continues to go on. 

The sun rises in the morning and falls down again at night. Food must be prepared, eaten and cleared away. Children are sent off to school, adults go off to work and babies continue to scream, sleep and eat. Even the Glen's must continue the best they can. Although Xia is not sent off to school and Alice refuses to go to work. Instead they stay by their mother's side and help around the house.

Orion requested a period of mourning and the Prince gave it to him without a murmur. Orion has not stayed around the house like his siblings. No, that would be giving in to grief and guilt. Instead he sits himself in the few taverns around the village and listens to the conversations around him. Someone somewhere must know more about the ambush and his brother's death. Orion has made a promise and he intends to keep it.

But now it is only morning and no one is out drinking.

Today is the day of the royal wedding. Up at the castle Theodore and Arabella are being dressed in the most exquisite beautiful clothes for their ceremony. Everyone is scheduled to attend. Great and powerful families from across the lands have travelled to witness the wedding of their future King and Queen. Some have journeyed weeks and bring gifts to earn favour. Lords and Ladies mill around as they wait to be allowed into the hall where the vows are to take place. Even the Ricells have come to be in attendance.

Everyone may have been scheduled to attend but there is one family noticeably absent. It is not the Tikva's as Arisxandre's mother and brothers are amongst them. The family that has not bothered to attend is the Usani's. Lord Wolfe knows it is highly unlikely that he will be called out for deigning to remain at home. In his grief he does not particularly care if he does. None of the brother's felt the need to make the journey. So Wolfe did not force any of them to take his place. The wedding being brought forward plays in their favour. They will have to be excused from this apparent slight.

Arisxandre has also refused to attend. Her absent will not be noted. Those around will simply assume she is there because the rest of her family is. Her mother will simply reply to anyone that asks that Ari has been gone only a few moments to refresh herself with a drink.

Instead Ari sits at the Glen's kitchen table with Xia and Alice. Lacy hovers over them all until Ari shoots her a look. Lacy slips down into a seat, a guilty smile on her face. Khiara bustles in and sees all the morose faces of the girls. "Orion has told me that he shall be spending the day with us. I am sure he will be here soon." Khiara strokes Xia's hair in a motherly fashion. Xia barely smiles. "Are you sure that none of you wish to attend the Royal wedding? Another shall not happen for a very long time."

"Mother, how can you talk about the wedding?" Alice exclaims passionately. "Why should I, or Xia, or Ari care one ounce that Lady Arabella is to be wed to the prince?"

"Alice, keep your voice down! Those words of yours could be twisted and I will lose one more child." Khiara snaps. Alice clenches her jaw and scowls down at her hands.

"Everyone is hovering around the gates desperate to catch sight of the Royals. I doubt anyone can hear my words from there!" Alice mutters. Khiara looks sadly at her daughter and sighs.

"Perhaps you are right." She agrees.

She goes over to the stove and sets the kettle on top to boil. Minutes later, steam rises and she removes it from the heat. She pours the water into five mugs and adds some ingredients. She places the mugs in front of the four girls. Ari places her hands around the mug and inhales the steam. The scents of cinnamon and honey intermingle around her nose and she sighs. Never have two smells been so comforting. Lacy places a supportive arm around her shoulders. Alice and Xia nod to their mother in gratefulness for the drink.