Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥

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Lady Hill's face was livid as she strode out of the carriage, stopping shortly before Landon. She was an elegant lady despite her large girth, her hair pinned up by a gold snake, and her dark eyes narrowed in contempt as she spotted Ethelind. Her coat-of-arms, a coiled serpent baring its fangs, was embroidered on the tunic of the coachman who stood behind her, still holding open the carriage door.

Their words were 'Poison In Our Blood' as far as Ethelind recalled. A crap motto, if she had ever heard one. The Eternel motto was 'We Will Not Be Deterred', and she smirked slightly. It was one of the few things she liked about her heritage.

"Welcome," Landon greeted, unfazed.

"No!" Lady Hill snapped acerbically, taking even Landon back with her tone. "Don't welcome me! My daughter has..."

Jax's hand wavered by the pommel of his sword from where he stood nearby.

"Don't talk to the king like that," Jax warned sharply.

Some of her confidence faltered under his sharp stare before she recomposed herself.

"I apologise, Your Majesty. I forgot myself," Lady Hill said coldly. "Let me try again. My daughter Luella has disappeared, and so has that white-haired, devilish archer Ethelind sent me. He spied for her, then kidnapped my child, and took her to you for ransom!"

Ethelind had to bite back a smile. So the white-haired archer was on the loose and had angered a powerful lady in the meantime. She had sent Will to Lady Hill to spy and had received a few amusing letters in response about Lady Hill's business. That he had run away with Lady Hill's daughter just made him even more amusing. That boy was bold, she had to admit. When she had gone to visit him in the cells, he had grinned at her lazily and called her a bitch multiple times without fear.

"I don't like your accusations," Landon said coldly.

Lady Hill turned to Ethelind and pointed at her.

"It was her, Your Grace, I tell you," Lady Hill spat. "That deceptive little..."

"Excuse me if I sound blunt, but I do not care about you enough to stage something like that," Ethelind said.

"Then why did you do it?"

"Maybe you did, just for attention," Ethelind smirked. "You never gave the poor girl much attention, did you?"

"Ma was very nice to her," a girl said, stepping out of the carriage. Ethelind recognised the girl as Lyndsey, Lady Hill's other daughter. "Although Luella was an attention-seeking snake and a bastard, of all things, mother took her in and cared for her."

"As far as I'm aware, honey, she's not the only attention seeker around here," Ethelind said smoothly.

"Are you insulting my daughter?" Lady Hill sneered.

"Silence," Landon snapped.

They all stopped speaking.

He nodded at Lady Hill. "Your chambers have been set up in the West Tower. We will not discuss this here."

"Fine." Lady Hill sauntered off, Lyndsey at her heels like an obedient puppy.

Landon watched her go before exchanging a look with Jax and striding off. Jax turned to leave, too, but she spoke before he could.

"Where's Malena?" Ethelind asked him. She had not seen Lachlan's youngest daughter for a while and wanted to check she was okay. Kael had ordered for Malena to be sent to a secure location in Folkridge, but Ethelind did not know if Landon had sent out new orders since.