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“I’m so sorry.” I touched his arm, worried he might pull away in his heartbreak. “I know you loved her.”
Noah snickered. “Cora, you must know I didn’t love Vanessa. You do know that, right?”
I frowned. Of course I didn’t know that. “But you said—"
“I said a lot of stupid things to convince myself that what I was doing was right. I loved the situation for my people and the fact that marrying Vanessa would have been the right thing to do. Shows what good judgement some people have.” He cleared his throat. “I’m not heartbroken.”
Noah folded up the note and placed it in his shirt. Then he reached his hands down, skillfully tying up the assassin with apparently another warrior survival kit tool he had in his pack, ensuring it would be impossible for her to escape. Only then did he heal her just as he’d promised.
“Now, we need to move quickly. I need to get home and get that witch away from my family. And my kingdom.”
* * *
The trip back to the castle was slow, but we didn’t stop. Not this time. There were only a few of us who went out immediately, while the captain and others stayed behind to truly resecure the Unseelie borders.
War was fully upon the kingdom now, and so there would need to be strategic ways to manage the border. But that discussion was for another day.
Right now, Noah’s sole mission was to protect the king and queen and get rid of Vanessa.
As we approached the castle, it appeared silent.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“We don’t send messengers home from war. The Royal Council must have convened and they’ll be on shifts awaiting news or our return.” Noah dismounted his horse and dragged the assassin off of it with him. He’d ridden the entire way holding on to a person who wanted to kill him and ensuring she made it, at least long enough to corroborate the story she’d told us.
He really wasn’t taking any chances for the queen to try to spin something as a misunderstanding. Though she valued her son and her own life. It wasn’t as though she’d willingly put herself at risk after actually hearing the truth.
I knew where we were heading as soon as we walked into the castle. The throne room. But this time, it wouldn’t be me who was embarrassed.
Noah paused by the doors. “Are you ready?”
“To see Vanessa dragged out of here? More than ready.”
Noah looked at me with a degree of pride in his eyes before making the grand entrance into the throne room.
Vanessa squealed and let out her dramatic sob, running toward Noah. Until she saw who he was holding with him.
Her gaze immediately hardened and the cruelty the staff had come to know so well instantly took over her face. She breathed heavily and started looking around the room, perhaps for an escape or a way to twist this in her favor.
“Guards, seize the duchess,” Noah announced.
“Noah,” the queen raised her voice, coming toward him from her throne. “What is the meaning of this?”
The guards immediately took hold of her at the prince’s command, regardless of his mother’s uncertainty.
“Mother, trust me.” His voice was quiet, and the way he said it was enough that the queen backed off.
The king rose. “Royal court is immediately back in session. The prince will be the eyes and ears from the events that have unfolded. Son.”
“Thank you, Father,” Noah said.
And he stood, walking in front of the Royal Council as he told of the dragons, the Seelie, the army that had gathered outside of Dukesburg.
I loved that he gave the people in the town credit for their steadfast loyalty. I loved the way he bravely spoke of going to get troops, praising the warriors who had come along with him. He never took credit. Though he fought just as hard as his men, he never put himself in the spotlight. I thought that was one mark of a great leader.
He continued, and my ears perked up as he explained the new whistle from the engineers that was used on the dragons that temporarily grounded them. I would have to learn more about that—it was an incredible feat to tame them, even if it was only long enough to scare them away.
And then finally, he spoke of how I said I’d distract the army and keep them busy with our imprisonment so that he could get help and hold the Seelie to their spot at the border.
