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“As you wish, Your Highness,” Hagen agreed with a smile. “Be careful. We will keep your double in the spotlight as long as possible to conceal your whereabouts.”
Caelan turned and strode out of the queen’s private chambers. Even if Amara had other plans in the works, he couldn’t worry about them. He had enough on his plate with Caspagir. And the first step was finding Rayne and his friends.
3
Rayne Laurent
Rayne hesitated outside the queen’s private chambers for only a moment after the doors closed behind Caelan, his heart growing heavy with the seeming finality of the quiet snick. Something about all of this felt wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what was bothering him about the plans just yet. He’d spent most of his life studying the political maneuvering and positioning of Queen Amara here in Erya as well as against the other rulers of their neighbors. He thought he understood her better than most, but this…
In the past when she’d called Caelan in for impromptu duties, there were other ministers and delegates involved. The clandestine nature of this mission left him wondering if anyone besides himself, Caelan, Queen Amara, and Hagen knew, which was simply wrong and he didn’t like it. This entire affair had left his stomach unsettled in the worst way, but it wasn’t his place to question. Events were already set into motion. His job was to assist Caelan as best he could and keep the prince safe.
Shaking his head, Rayne forced himself to turn sharply on his heel and start down the silent hallway toward the bank of elevators. From there, he would drop to the twentieth floor and then take the bridge across to the West Tower where his apartments were located along with Eno’s, Drayce’s, and even Caelan’s. The royal family usually stayed together in their own wing, but Amara was always thinking about the safety of her son and only heir. If they were separate, it was harder for an attacker to take out the entire royal family.
Sadly, the physical distance also seemed to put emotional distance between the queen and prince, but that was not Rayne’s business. His business was looking out for what was best for Caelan, which would in turn serve what was best for all of Erya. That didn’t stop him from feeling bad for his friend, though.
On the elevator, he glanced at his watch to find a text waiting for him from Eno. They were now in his rooms as he’d requested by text before he walked into the bar. Excellent. They were right on time. It was nice when everything fell neatly into line, not something that happened often when Drayce was involved. The man seemed to thrive on chaos and since it amused Caelan so much, Drayce naturally felt compelled to create it wherever he went.
As he walked down the long corridors richly appointed in dark marbles, exquisite artwork, and thick carpeting that swallowed up the sound of his footsteps, Rayne mentally listed all the preparations that needed to be finalized that night. Amara had informed him of the coming mission prior to meeting with her own son so that he could get things ready for their departure.
He was almost saddened by the fact that he barely noticed the place he’d called home for so long, but then in his mind, the palace was only inevitable in his life. His father had served as an advisor to many heads of state during his years, leading him to spend more time in the palace than with his family. He’d outlined a list of steps and studies Rayne needed to follow in order to attain the position of advisor himself.
Rayne had never questioned his path in life. It had always been presented to him as the path, and he was just lucky he felt that it fit his personality so well.
Of course, Rayne being Rayne, he felt the need to surpass his father’s achievements. His father had never advised anyone higher ranked than a cabinet member. He’d never been a personal advisor to the queen, though he’d met her on more than one occasion. No, Rayne had known he’d never be satisfied until he was an advisor to the royal family.
What he hadn’t expected was to be hand-selected by the queen to serve her son.
His entire life had been dedicated to being the best at whatever he did, whether it was his studies, having access to the best information, or being able to provide the best strategies. His perseverance allowed him to climb to the top again and again, finally capturing the queen’s attention. To this day, he wasn’t entirely sure why she’d selected him, but he was determined to always live up to that great honor.
Oddly enough, one of the surprising things about his job was that he actually liked Caelan on a personal level.
