King Tyrol was a ruthless man, and any who
crossed his path could expect swift punishment. Whatever he wanted, it was
unlikely to be a trivial matter. He had never before requested her presence at
court without an important reason. Word of a happy occasion would have reached
her. This visit with the king would not be pleasant.
Shala immediately
began twisting Aubriana’s hair to secure it, but Aubriana held up a hand.
“Leave it,” she said. “He’ll be even angrier if he thinks I kept him waiting
for my own vanity.”
Shala released the
golden strands, allowing them to fall freely upon the princess’s shoulders.
With a nod, Aubriana headed out to the throne room, while Shala followed close
behind. Aubriana approached the king with a polite curtsy. He stared at her,
his eyes narrow, his expression severe. Ivor stood at the king’s side, his arms
held tightly behind his back.
“Did you or did you
not send a letter to your brother that contained information about our armies?”
Prince Ivor asked. He strode forward to stare into his wife’s eyes. In his hand
was a small piece of parchment.
“I did not,” she
replied. “I have no knowledge of your armies.”
The king shook his
head and waited for the prince to prove his case.
“I have a letter
here written in your own hand.” Ivor shoved the paper toward her.
Taking the page
from her husband’s hand, she scanned the writing. “This is not my handwriting,”
she declared. “I have not written to my brother since my arrival in Na’zora. I
have corresponded only with my sister-in-law, and I have not done so since the
war began.” In order to send letters to Ryshel, Aubriana had entrusted them to
the care of her closest friends. She trusted them completely. Neither the king
nor the prince were aware of these letters, none of which contained information
about the war.
“Liar! It is your
seal!” Ivor shouted. Snatching the paper from her hands, he presented it to the
king. “You can see, Majesty, that is clearly her seal on this letter addressed
to King Gannon of Ra’jhou.”
The assembled men
at court began to murmur. Aubriana looked around at their faces, knowing she
had already been convicted. There was no hope for a fair trial. It would seem
her own husband had drafted a letter in order to frame her. She failed to see
what such actions would accomplish, but she knew there was no chance of proving
her innocence. Perhaps Ivor was planning to have her executed, though there was
no reason to do so. He was free to pursue other women as he wished, and
Aubriana maintained her silence on the matter. If he wanted her gone, all he
had to do was send her away.
The king examined
the red wax seal. “This is indeed the seal of Princess Aubriana. She shall be
confined to her rooms with only one servant to wait upon her. She may have no
visitors.”
Aubriana felt a
lump rise in her throat. “Your Majesty, may I still be visited by my son?”
“Certainly not,” he
replied. “You will not corrupt the heir to this kingdom. Guards!”
As she pleaded with
the king to reconsider, two guards grabbed her arms and dragged her away. They
forced her back to her chambers, shoving Shala inside as well. The doors to her
chamber would be guarded at all hours from now on.
As the doors
slammed shut, Aubriana crumpled to the floor in tears. Shala knelt, taking the
princess’s head and pressing it to her chest.
“Please don’t cry,
my lady,” she said as tears ran down her own cheeks.
“My son,” she said.
“My son.” Aubriana could hardly breathe through the heaviness in her chest. She
was already a prisoner and had thought the king couldn’t make her life any
worse. How wrong she had been. Now she would be denied the one thing that
brought her joy. Without her child, she had nothing.
Chapter 14
“M y eyes have
never beheld such a sight,” Gannon declared, shaking his head. “Fire rained
down from the heavens, unleashing chaos among our troops.”
The
crossed his path could expect swift punishment. Whatever he wanted, it was
unlikely to be a trivial matter. He had never before requested her presence at
court without an important reason. Word of a happy occasion would have reached
her. This visit with the king would not be pleasant.
Shala immediately
began twisting Aubriana’s hair to secure it, but Aubriana held up a hand.
“Leave it,” she said. “He’ll be even angrier if he thinks I kept him waiting
for my own vanity.”
Shala released the
golden strands, allowing them to fall freely upon the princess’s shoulders.
With a nod, Aubriana headed out to the throne room, while Shala followed close
behind. Aubriana approached the king with a polite curtsy. He stared at her,
his eyes narrow, his expression severe. Ivor stood at the king’s side, his arms
held tightly behind his back.
“Did you or did you
not send a letter to your brother that contained information about our armies?”
Prince Ivor asked. He strode forward to stare into his wife’s eyes. In his hand
was a small piece of parchment.
“I did not,” she
replied. “I have no knowledge of your armies.”
The king shook his
head and waited for the prince to prove his case.
“I have a letter
here written in your own hand.” Ivor shoved the paper toward her.
Taking the page
from her husband’s hand, she scanned the writing. “This is not my handwriting,”
she declared. “I have not written to my brother since my arrival in Na’zora. I
have corresponded only with my sister-in-law, and I have not done so since the
war began.” In order to send letters to Ryshel, Aubriana had entrusted them to
the care of her closest friends. She trusted them completely. Neither the king
nor the prince were aware of these letters, none of which contained information
about the war.
“Liar! It is your
seal!” Ivor shouted. Snatching the paper from her hands, he presented it to the
king. “You can see, Majesty, that is clearly her seal on this letter addressed
to King Gannon of Ra’jhou.”
The assembled men
at court began to murmur. Aubriana looked around at their faces, knowing she
had already been convicted. There was no hope for a fair trial. It would seem
her own husband had drafted a letter in order to frame her. She failed to see
what such actions would accomplish, but she knew there was no chance of proving
her innocence. Perhaps Ivor was planning to have her executed, though there was
no reason to do so. He was free to pursue other women as he wished, and
Aubriana maintained her silence on the matter. If he wanted her gone, all he
had to do was send her away.
The king examined
the red wax seal. “This is indeed the seal of Princess Aubriana. She shall be
confined to her rooms with only one servant to wait upon her. She may have no
visitors.”
Aubriana felt a
lump rise in her throat. “Your Majesty, may I still be visited by my son?”
“Certainly not,” he
replied. “You will not corrupt the heir to this kingdom. Guards!”
As she pleaded with
the king to reconsider, two guards grabbed her arms and dragged her away. They
forced her back to her chambers, shoving Shala inside as well. The doors to her
chamber would be guarded at all hours from now on.
As the doors
slammed shut, Aubriana crumpled to the floor in tears. Shala knelt, taking the
princess’s head and pressing it to her chest.
“Please don’t cry,
my lady,” she said as tears ran down her own cheeks.
“My son,” she said.
“My son.” Aubriana could hardly breathe through the heaviness in her chest. She
was already a prisoner and had thought the king couldn’t make her life any
worse. How wrong she had been. Now she would be denied the one thing that
brought her joy. Without her child, she had nothing.
Chapter 14
“M y eyes have
never beheld such a sight,” Gannon declared, shaking his head. “Fire rained
down from the heavens, unleashing chaos among our troops.”
The
Similar Books
