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“Araki is my closest friend. Should you hurt him in any way or cause him trouble, I will not hesitate to have your original execution reinstated. It is only held off on his command.” He threatened.
“The kingdom has a problem on its hands and whatever it is, I think I can help. General, I saved him in the forest. I got him back here, didn’t I? Does that not make up for my first attack? Without me to teleport him, he would have died.” I glared at him.
“And yet you still came here intending to assassinate him. I don’t trust you, witch.” Klaus growled.
“I can help,” I insisted, trying not to take offence. “A fae duchess now, yes, but who is next? If anyone is next.”
“Do not involve yourself with issues of the kingdom that you have no right to know about. You are no one. Just a witch from a coven that Araki has hunted for years!”
I sighed, exasperated. “Fine! I won’t help. But I do have one question. There was blood on Araki’s fingers when he returned. Why?”
Klaus brushed a hand through his dark curls. They made him look younger despite the fatigue in his eyes as if the job was taking its toll on him. He couldn’t be any older than Araki. “Araki has a weakness for praying for the dead, no matter what race they are or what grief protocols they have. He says the same prayer for each one he feels responsible for. He must have touched the duchess’s body.”
Araki’s actions continued to confuse me. But more importantly, the duchess wasn’t missing, she was dead.
“Are there other missing people?” I inquired. “How many fae with magic were taken?”
“I’ve said enough. Good night miss Reilyn,” Klaus said sharply before leaving me alone in the library. His evasiveness pushed me to believe that more people were missing. What was happening? An eerie familiar filled me. Could it be…?
Breakfast With the King
Reilyn
The next morning, I wandered the hallways, searching for breakfast. I dismissed Mirae just after she prepared my bath and told her I’d have breakfast much later. In truth, I wanted to stretch my legs outside the confines of my room. I planned to use the ‘freedom’ I was granted for now. Following the scent of freshly baked bread, I treaded my way through the floor below the library. Meandering through the back of the palace, the walls turned to stone, and I realized it was on the same level as the cells. Drafts billowed through the hallway, and I followed the scent to a kitchen. It was wide, twice the size of my bedroom upstairs, and a group of cooks bustled about. A large wooden table sat at the centre, piled with fruit, baked bread, dried meats, and condiments. I stared at it all, my stomach grumbling until one of the cooks noticed me.
“Can I help you, My lady?” he asked as he dusted off his apron from where flour stains marked it.
“Oh,” I said, staring at the bread. Behind it, on a counter, was a chunk of cheese. My mouth watered. “I was just—”
“Your Majesty!” The cook suddenly squeaked, straightening up. I turned as the rest of the cooks stood to attention and spun around to face Araki. Striding into the kitchen, Araki swiped up a chunk of cheese and popped it into his mouth. He paused, his eyes widening slightly when he noticed me. It’s as if he had forgotten about my presence in the palace.
“Good morning, lady Reilyn,” Araki greeted merrily as though he was glad to see me.
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” I replied, plastering a smile.
“Prepare two breakfasts for the terrace, please,” Araki ordered the chefs. “I’ll be dining there this morning.” His mouth curled into a small smile that made him look youthful and even more charming. “Reilyn, join me, please.”
I nodded despite my suspicions. Araki pushed another piece of cheese toward me as we left the kitchen. I started eating it as we walked.
“Why invite me?” I asked once we were out of earshot.
“Because I hate dining alone. Too used to sharing company at mealtimes in the military. And you looked lost and hungry.” Araki glanced at me over his shoulder.
“Right,” I muttered. The great King Araki, a former army soldier. He led the way to the terrace, where a man in a long jacket prepared the table for two. The man welcomed us and made himself scarce once Araki and I sat down. I sat opposite Araki, feeling his long legs brush against mine when he stretched. Araki gazed at the garden to the city beyond the wall. I thought of how easily we could have been spotted the night of the ball, fighting, my assassination attempt, and how foolish I had thought I would have ever returned easily to the coven if I had gotten away.
I looked at his face as he peered out into the distance. He seemed more rested today with his unbuttoned shirt and untidy hair like he had just rolled out of bed without caring about his appearance. Araki’s looks were rugged, sharp, like ice glimmers;dangerous but hard to look away from. When he turned his head, I quickly averted my eyes to a spot behind him. Araki smirked at me like he knew he had caught me ogling him. I was spared from the embarrassment when a chef appeared with our breakfast. The chef set the table and dismissed himself.
“Surely, you didn’t invite me to just have breakfast. What do you want to talk about, Your Majesty?” I asked, grabbing a slice of bread, cutting a slice of cheese, adding some fresh fig jam onto the bread, and eating the handful in one go. An appreciative moan escaped my lips as the rich flavours burst on my tongue.
Araki stared at me as he sipped his tea.
“What?” I said a little defensively, “The food is great.”
Araki chuckled. “You let Howard know when you see him.”
I ate a couple more bites and stopped when Araki didn’t answer my question as he continued to eat and sip his tea languidly. As much as the food tasted delicious, my curiosity about why Araki invited me was much greater to be ignored.
“Have you considered my offer?” I questioned, then added when his face darkened, “or how about we talk about the spell you cast on us to bind our magic, and now I can barely summon any ounce of magic without it hurting more than anything I’ve ever felt? Or how about why Mutisa are murdering innocent people in your kingdom?”
