Rowan

Chapter Thirty

While no one guessed correctly, I'm dedicating this to _Owlet_ who gave me a great idea that I'll be using for the rewrite! I haven't put any dedications on a few past chapters, so I dedicated one to the others who ventured out and took a guess! Only five chapters left guys omg. After the end, I'll explain my idea for the sequel/not-sequel thing. I can't explain now because it'll ruin something that isn't really "revealed" until the end. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! OOOH and we got a special guest appearance at the end of the chapter.

Chapter Thirty

I do not know what I was expecting. Perhaps a hunter who wanted to boast about killing the legendary King. Maybe in the depths of my mind, I believed that it was a servant or guard who felt as if they had been done wrong and wanted to personally punish the King for their loss. However, standing by the window was none of these.

She appeared to be older, fading into a silver color at its roots while the rest was a darker brown, all of it piled on top of her head. She also wore a large black gown that reminded me of what would be worn to a funeral. The material was thick and rich, something only someone from a background of wealth could afford.

Her head was held high, her arms folded on top of one another in front of her. One of the arms appeared mangled, scars wrapping themselves all around it. Her hand appeared to be missing a finger, the rest drumming along her upper arm.

"Who are you?" I asked, breaking the silence. My voice seemed to create a booming effect, threatening to send a shiver down my spine. I kept still, my eyes never leaving her figure.

She casually turned towards me, a smile appearing on her face. It was a perfect one at that, kind and gentle. Yet, her presence suggested something entirely different. "Forgive me, dear. My name is Anise Sandalius. Formerly known as Queen Sandalius." I blinked, more lost than before.

She had been given the chance to kill the King, long ago when he was given a death sentence for killing her husband. Why had she not accepted if it was her plan now?

"Everything was going according to plan until you came along, Rowan. The King was going to be gone soon enough without my intervening. However, you arrived at the perfect time for him, ruining that. So, I had to come out of hiding and speed up what you were only prolonging."

She finally walked away from the window, coming closer to me with each step she took. Her face did not hold any of the cruelty that her thoughts and words did but perhaps that is why no one ever questioned her. "I am terribly sorry about the fox, dear. However, it seemed I was helping the deformed thing. A creature like that shouldn't be allowed out in the wild. There are dangerous things out in the forest."

I stiffened, refusing to take her bait. Todd had lived in the forest for all his life and not been attacked except for once. He was able to handle himself quite well, however, I was not going to explain that to her.

"Why allow the King to live? You were given the chance to end his life and rejected it," I replied, turning to keep my eyes on her as she began circling me, her back towards the door.

She gave a short laugh, shaking her head as if it was a ridiculous question. "And give him what he wanted? That boy would've gladly welcomed death at the time." Her eyes narrowed, reminding me much of a predatory bird's zeroing in on its prey. "I wanted Kieran to pay for what he did to my husband and me. When his life ended, I wanted him to feel guilt and pain as I am sure he's experienced over these past few months."

I pursed my lips, replying. "Having the King killed will not bring your husband back."

Finally, Anise's facial features twisted into something less kind as she smirked. "No, but it will certainly make me feel much better."