His Royal Highness

Chapter Ten

Charlotte was crushed into a hug as soon as she entered the room. She immediately recognized Sebastian's embrace and scent.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he whispered softly into her hair. She held him tighter in response.

"I should be the one saying that," she mumbled into his chest. Then, she lifted her face off and asked, "What happened?"

She could finally see the troubled look on Sebastian's handsome face. His brows were furrowed with worry and his body seemed tense.

"Kai and I were just walking with my father. I had introduced them to each other and they seemed to get along decently. We were doing fine. There were even guards escorting us, considering that three powerful men were all in one place," he started.

"And then my father collapsed to the floor with a dagger in his back. A third of us immediately went to tend to the king and the rest of us spun around, trying to figure out where the dagger had come from. The guards said that the dagger had shot past them, probably thrown from some distance," he explained.

Charlotte held back a gasp at the news that the king had been struck by a dagger. When Kai had told her that someone had tried to assassinate the king, she was shocked. But knowing the actual details augmented the shock.

"Kai immediately pulled me away to safety and the guards attempted to look for the assassin. But nobody even knew where he had been hiding and...he escaped," Sebastian delivered even more bad news.

He sighed before finishing. "The guards, who weren't transporting the king to the medical quarters, took me to this room and locked me in, for safety matters. I asked Kai to find you, to make sure that you were safe."

His stormy grey eyes stared at her as if they couldn't get enough of her. Sebastian enveloped her into another embrace, perhaps to comfort him with the fact that she was alive and safe in his arms.

"I was really worried about you too, you know, after what happened with Duke Frederick," Charlotte replied. She wouldn't be able to forget those few terrifying seconds where she thought that what had happened to Duke Frederick had happened to Sebastian as well.

Kai was the first to pick up on what she had said. "What happened to Duke Frederick?" he asked, his voice cautious and alert. Sebastian looked curious as well.

Her eyes widened in response, looking at them both. "You don't know?"

They both shook their head.

"He was poisoned to death," Charlotte informed, her voice wavering slightly. "He died right in front of me."

All sounds sucked out of the room at her statement. She probably could've hear a pin drop if she had one.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked carefully. Charlotte leaned against him in response.

"I'm scared for you," she whispered. "Two have died so far and now your father is hurt."

"I'll be fine. I've been wearing your invention, remember?" Sebastian replied. Then, he addressed Kai. "How long do you think it's been? Do you think it will be okay if I asked to go see the king?"

"I am not the person to ask that. But, there are guards posted outside if you want to know," Kai shrugged. His eyes were slowly reverting back to green. Or, at least, one eye.

Sebastian took his suggestion and released Charlotte to make his way to the door. From where she was standing, Charlotte could only hear a few murmurs being exchanged. She could only guess on what was being said, although Sebastian's facial expressions hinted at certain possibilities.