Power and The Queen

Chapter Thirty - Six.🟢

Barun paced around the dining room of his new residence. The only thing he appreciated about it was Lida and Logan had agreed to stay with him. He tried not to think too much of Queen Artemis' generosity. Knights were gifted lands and territories over the centuries by tradition.

This only happened after they had sworn an oath of fealty to the reigning king and queen. They become lord over those lands for as long as they live and their family grows to become lord over. That was the benevolence Queen Artemis had done to him. Though he knew she did so with much contempt.

His new quarters, however, were not the reason for his restlessness in the past days. He was yet to see his family and Lord Aeson had advised against it. Advice was putting it mildly. He had forbidden it. The thought of not getting to see them for much longer plagued him. Barun had so much to tell them, especially Cora. He thought of her as he caressed the necklace she had given him in his palms. He would commend her of how she had been correct of the beast at sea.

Barun had many things to ask his father as well. King Ravious had spoken in so much riddles and somehow he was sure things had gone out of place and he could only think of one woman as the cause. He had known something was wrong after Cora could survive in the Forbidden forest more, so he could go in and get her. Barun had assumed the forest calm because of his sister, but now he knew otherwise. He prayed she kept it secret as he requested.

The forest, according to Ovalon's history, was once shelter to a powerful soccecer. He was being chased by the Prefect's soldiers. The prefect had accused him of seducing his wife and commanded that he be burned. The forest could do little to protect him, so he enchanted the forest that no one without a sorcerer's blood would enter and live.

Of all the things that bothered him, none of it hurt more than the image he and his companions had seen while leaving the Palace few days back. He had seen her there. She was dressed differently, but he was sure it was her and she was there with her lips to that of the Prince. The image hunted him. He could not brush it off, not with what he knew.

For Cora to have been in the Palace then, he was sure something had gone wrong. He prayed to the gods every day for clarity and for her safety, hoping to get both.

A tap came from the entrance of the dining room. It was Logan. He held a scroll in his hands with his eyes glittering with excitement, while he lazily walked and took a seat at the table. Taking a fruit in his mouth, he placed his legs on the table, not minding it was filled with food. Anyone that had never seen Logan fight would think he was a mere slob. Barun sighed and rubbed his temples. With the amount of thinking he was doing, he would age too quickly, though he was only just nineteen.

"Are you going to tell me what that is?" Barun asked.

He wore the necklace he was holding he sat down.

"I was, but then I figured you needed to remember your sister kissing a boy again." Logan replied.

Logan tossed another fruit in his mouth while Barun's fist bounced on the table. He was livid that Logan would taunt him about that. They all knew how it affected him. He took a deep breath, feeling the pain in his hand.

"That was no mere boy, Logan. He was the Prince did you not see?" he emphasised.

"Lida should be back soon not to worry. We shall know all we have missed soon. For now, let's open this."

Logan twirls the parchment in his hands till Barun rested his back on the chair. He was a hand full, but he never seemed affected by how worked up people are.

"They could not possibly have a new mission for us already, we just got back but i could use a distraction." Barun said.

He picked up a bun of bread, biting into its softness. He had noticed the seal was from the knight's order.