Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Over the past week and a half, Jai surely thought that Destan would have paced the entire palace into a hole. It was all he seemed to be doing these days. He didn't know what had happened to make Audry leave so suddenly, taking Vandor with her for some time away from the palace, only to end up at Thia's on the other side of the city.

Jai knew. He didn't tell anyone about what happened the night of Lyv's birthday, not even Camilla and Soren. He was playing it cool, not even giving a hint with an expression. When Lyv and Gideon wanted to come back, they would. No matter how many times Destan sent a message with a raven or himself.

Now, Destan was walking around and around the circular table in the council chamber. Jai sat in his usual chair beside his father's, boots resting on the edge of the table.

"Destan, sit down, would you? You're making me dizzy."

"How are you still not worried?"

"Because we know Audry and Vandor. Besides, they're at Thia's. You know that."

"Yes, and neither will see me whenever I tried to go over there."

"Give it time, brother."

Destan heaved a sigh, plopping himself down in the seat beside him.

He was right, though. Lyv and Gideon had hidden themselves away at the Branvon estate after leaving the palace. Destan had gone over the following day to check on Lyv, but the doors never opened and Jai had to drag him away or he would have sat on the front steps until they finally opened.

Jai didn't tell his brother that he was the reason they left, not him.

"What do you think has happened for Father to call us both in here?" Jai asked, trying to get his mind onto something else.

"Don't know," Destan shrugged. "When he caught me, he was on his way to send word to Camilla and Soren, so they should be here soon."

"So, neither of you know?" Laurel asked, walking down the steps into the room.

"You, too?" Jai asked, finally taking his boots off the table and sitting up straighter.

"Mother caught me before I went out for a ride with Eamon. He's with his tutor and not very happy about having to do school work when we were going to sneak off for a free day."

When all the older children of the king and queen were called into the council chamber, it meant something big was happening. There had been an influx of ravens coming in with messages over the last few days, especially from the north. And even for being his spy over in Escarral, Jules had been unusually quiet. He hadn't received any word from her in weeks.

Within the next few minutes, there small group had more than doubled with the arrivals of Camilla and Soren, followed by his mother and father. Emmeric held several pieces of parchment in his hands, all messages they had received over the past several days. His mouth was set in a hard line and eyebrows pulled together as he sat on Jai's other side.

"Thank you all for coming," the king said, looking around at all of them. "We're just waiting on..."

The council chamber door opened once more and three others walked in – Lyv and Gideon, still as Audry and Vandor, and Thia. Gideon and Thia were on either side of Lyv, who strode in with an aura of power she'd never allowed herself to exude in Dalcaine before. It was a power of her magic and of royalty. Jai remembered seeing her radiate the same power back in Escarral as he kept an eye on her in the city. Mother above, it took his breath away even more so now as his gaze slowly dragged over her.