A Stain on the Royal Tapestry

Chapter 9: A Royal Mistake

After the confrontation the day prior the group was anxious to move on, but there had still been no contact from Jackson. The group knew it was unlikely that the hideout would be done so early since it had been abandoned many years prior. Thankfully, the hideout was just a resting and hiding point until they could move on the fortress that was shared between the kingdoms that shared alliances with the Lyon family. After helping Varick with the horses as normal, Serephina returned to her house. She made her way to the kitchen, which she knew is where the others would be enjoying an after chore snack as they had made a habit of doing the past few days. She was about to enter the kitchen when she heard Kaden sigh his usual irritated sigh.

"We need to leave soon. After the episode yesterday it is even more apparent that Varick is getting too close to her, Serephina heard Kaden grumble as he ate the food she had prepared for them.

"That is not a horrible thing." Leah snapped back at her husband, growing even more sick of his obsession with bringing Varick down. She was happy Varick was beginning to realize his own feelings. Kaden ignored his wife continuing,

"Of all the girls in the world that he has to open up to he chooses an orphan farm girl."

"Why is that so wrong? He can choose whoever he wants. She is his friend, he trusts her." Leah replied.

"They are both going to end up heartbroken. They are inseparable but there is no scenario in which we are taking her with us. It is better if we begin to separate them in the few days we have left."

"Friendship is not a sin." Leah clarified, not at all liking where this conversation was going.

"You see how they are my love, " Kaden sighed, "It is not long before they begin to be more than friends." Serephina felt as though she might throw up, but she could not bring herself to move. She had been naive to think that only Liam thought that they were more than friends. Am I the only one who does not think Varick and I are more than friends? She thought.

"We keep having this conversation over and over, and I am sick of it!" Leah exclaimed.

"I hate to agree with your husband, and as much as I like them together, Varick is not going to be able to remember how he functioned without her. She is the only one who has ever been able to open him up, and once they separate that door that he opened is going to come slamming shut. If we let it go farther the more he will lock everyone out once he realizes he is lost without her." Lewis whispered, through his heart and soul strongly disagreed with his words. He knew Varick cared deeply for her, but after his reaction to Liam, which endangered all of them, he had no choice to agree with Kaden.

"No matter what law says, he does not really have a choice. We have to leave her behind, or she will just be another stain on the family tapestry." Kaden stated, as though he had not just issued the greatest insult in the kingdom.

"Lewis, how could you change your mind overnight? You were the one who had the idea of locking them in the barn together, and Kaden...how can you say such a cruel thing?" Leah questioned, sobbing. Lewis and Leah locked us in the barn? Serephina thought to herself. As Serephina heard the chair scraping the floor as Leah stood up, she somehow urged herself to make her way to the living room so that she would not be caught eavesdropping. All Serephina wanted to do when she reached the living room was sit down and cry, but Varick came in the front door as soon as she stepped foot into the room.

"It looks as though there is going to be a ferocious storm so I brought in the outdoor animals... what is wrong?" Varick stepped toward Serephina who only stepped away from him, turning her head away in hopes he would not see her tears. Before Varick could pry further he was startled by Leah who entered the room sobbing.