happened to Jaisyn. She and Mathilda
had sat together for long hours
through the night. Mathilda was
unusually quiet until she fell asleep.
Shock had kept Isolde from fighting
through the guards to get to her sister,
but today, she was determined to get
answers today.
It was still early in the morning so
her maids had yet to come to her
room. Stepping from her nightgown,
she ignored the deep chill and padded
over to the day gown that Iliana had
hung out for her. As she slipped into
the dress, she was thankful the
buttons and laces were at its front.
The hard part over, she ran a brush
through her hair and pulled a ribbon
around it. Passing a quick glance back
to the bed, where Mathilda was curled
under the covers, she moved quickly
to the door.
***
Varian had come to a decision. He
left the chambers that his mother had
previously occupied and walked,
keeping his back straight, to Jaisyn’s
rooms. He knew he would find his
brother there. He expected to see the
numerous guards that congregated
before the queen’s door; he did not
expect to see Isolde.
His stride slowed as his gaze drank
her in. She was demanding to be let
inside to see her sister. The guards
had their instructions and refused to
budge.
As if sensing him, her head swiveled
in his direction and a sigh escaped her
lips. She moved away from the guards
and came at him. For a moment,
Varian thought she would throw
herself in his arms, and although he
was glad that she did not, he couldn’t
help the shiver of anticipation that
rushed through him for that fleeting
moment.
Her eyes were round as she came to
an abrupt halt before him.
“What has happened? No one will
tell me anything. Has something bad
happened to my sister? Has Lady
Lydia recovered from her swoon?
Why did she faint?”
***
Varian stared at her for a long
moment, and Isolde stepped closer to
him. She couldn’t read anything from
his expression. Normally, Varian
wore a smile that fooled one into
thinking that he was calm, but today,
his expression was neutral. Blank.
“Swoon?” he repeated slowly, as if
testing the word in his mouth. Isolde
nodded. She’d seen Lydia’s body in
his arms yesterday. “No. She has not
recovered.”
With that, he stepped around her
and Isolde stared after him in
confusion as he approached the
guards. He said nothing but after a
few moments, they cleared a path for
him. She followed after, watching as
he disappeared into her sister’s
chambers until the door closed. The
guards moved back into place, arms
crossed over their chests as they
stared straight ahead.
“You will move aside at once!”
Isolde demanded angrily. One of the
guards looked down at her before
returning his gaze to something above
her head. They were ignoring her.
There had been only a handful of
times she’d wished she were as skilled
with the sword as her sister. At the
moment, she wished she were more
like Jaisyn. Then she could hack
through them until they let her in to
see her sister.
Chapter 20
Vulcan heard the door open and
lifted his head to see who was
entering his wife’s chambers. It was
still
early
morning.
When
he
recognized his brother’s face, Vulcan
slid quietly from the bed and met him
at the window. The healer was still in
her chair and Jaisyn slept on.
Looking behind Vulcan to where
Jaisyn rested, Varian asked calmly,
“How is she?”
“Sleeping. She will live.”
Varian nodded, his blue eyes never
leaving his brother’s. “I am sorry.”
“The blame is not yours, brother.”
Angling his head, Varian spoke
firmly. “With your permission, I
would like to take my mother’s body
back to the Mountains. I also ask that
you allow me to return Calista to her
father. You can be assured she will be
punished for her part in this.”
Vulcan stared at his brother’s stoic
countenance and nodded. He hadn’t
seen Varian since last eve, when he’d
walked from his wife’s chambers
cradling the dead body of his mother
in his arms. Dressed in black, Varian
was the reincarnation of death.
“How long will you be gone?” he
asked evenly. His brother looked
relaxed, as he usually did, but another
emotion, one Vulcan had never seen
before, lurked silently in his eyes.
Varian shrugged. “It should be no
more than a few weeks.” He paused,
his eyes lazily taking in Vulcan.
“Unless you have some objection to
that, liege.”
The two stared at each other for
long moments before Vulcan moved
closer to Varian.
When he stood before his brother,
Vulcan spoke softly. “I am sorry for
your loss, Varian. I know how close
you were to your mother.” He pushed
back the anger that enveloped his
body as he thought of how near Lydia
had come to killing his wife and child.
“You may take her to the Mountains,
but know that Calista is forever
banned from my sight. If she is seen
anywhere near this castle or my wife,
I will have her exiled from all of
Morden.” He paused briefly to allow
Varian to raise any objections to his
decree. He only nodded in agreement.
“And Varian…take all the time that
you need.”
Varian dipped his head and looked
back to where Jaisyn lay. “I am truly
sorry for the wrongs my mother has
committed against you and your
family.”
“You did not know, Varian.” He
paused, wondering if Varian had any
idea of exactly how much wrong
Lydia had done to his family. She’d
killed his mother, bewitched his
father, attempted to kill him numerous
times, and had done the same to his
wife and child. Did he know
everything? Vulcan could read nothing
in his brother’s eyes. “I have never
had cause to question your loyalty.”
He did not reply to that, but
continued to stare at Vulcan.
“I intend to spend no more than a
month in the Mountains, but I am
unsure. I have not been there for
many years. Perhaps I will tend to my
holdings in that region before I return
to Lytheria.”
The king could only nod. He knew
that Varian had inherited keeps and
estates from his mother but his brother
had never shown interest in them.
They were currently run by their
individual
stewards
and
while
nowhere near as grand as the castles
that belonged to Vulcan, they were
large and uniquely built creations.
“If you ever have need of me, you
have only to send word.”
Inclining his head once more,
Varian turned and headed for the
door.
“Varian—”
He stopped right before the door
and turned back to Vulcan. “Go with
the Gods.”
Nodding, Varian replied solemnly.
“May they keep you and your
family.” He left without looking back.
***
Isolde waited until Varian emerged
from the chambers. She was standing
to the side and he did not see her as
he first. He spoke some words to one
of the guards before he turned in the
opposite direction. Isolde picked up
the skirt of her dress and walked after
him as quickly as she could without
running.
“Varian!” she hissed softly, ignoring
the looks of the servants as she
brushed past them. She held little
hope of catching up to the long strides
of the seemingly oblivious prince.
He turned into the passageway that
led to Lydia’s chambers and Isolde,
after noticing that path was clear, tore
into a run. She caught up with him
then, planting herself directly in his
path, and effectively preventing him
from continuing on.
For her efforts, she received a lifted
brow from Varian.
“Why are you avoiding me?” she
asked, taking in deep breaths.
“I was not avoiding you,” Varian
replied, and Isolde frowned when she
noticed that his face was still
completely blank.
“Then why did you not stop when I
called you?” she demanded, shaking
her head and exhaling. “What has
happened to my sister?”
Something flickered briefly in his
gaze and he closed himself off to her
once more. “My mother, apparently.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion
and she reached out and grabbed his
arm. His gaze moved down to where
her arm rested against his sleeve, but
lifted to hers once more.
“Varian, you’re confusing me. Your
mother?” Isolde moved her hand from
his sleeve and fiddled with her hair.
“What does your mother have to do
with my sister?”
“Everything.”
Isolde stared at him for a long time.
Why was he acting like this with her?
Varian was usually very forthcoming
when it came to her and now he was
aloof.
“You do not understand?” He
questioned lightly, a cool smile
forming on his lips.
She shook her head. Moving closer
to her, Varian reached down and
picked up her arm, the arm that she’d
removed from his sleeve. He replaced
it over his. “I will show you.”
A chill went up her spine and she
considered snatching her hand back.
Varian had become coolly polite, and
that meant something was terribly
wrong. Although she wanted badly to
turn around, and run back to the
doors that housed Jaisyn, she trusted
Varian. Whatever he had to show her
would help her understand what was
happening with her sister.
***
As soon as they entered Lydia’s
chambers, a chill crept into Isolde’s
bones. No fire was lit therein. It was
also dark, and through the bed
curtains, Isolde could make out a soft
silhouette.
She turned to look at Varian,
wondering why he would bring her
into this chamber when Lydia was
asleep.
Varian moved closer to the bed.
When he was within arm’s length, he
pulled the bed curtains away and
pushed them up.
Isolde’s feet inched closer to Varian,
and she froze when she observed the
white gauze that held a bound body.
Her hands went to her mouth as her
eyes lifted to Vulcan’s.
She shook her head, horrified, as
her mind began to piece things
together. She’d seen a motionless
Lydia in Varian’s arms last night and
had assumed the dowager queen had
fainted.
Removing her hand from her mouth
slowly, she asked, “Is that…?”
Varian lifted his eyes from the
gauze-wrapped body and nodded.
“My mother.”
Her brain still reeling with the fact
that Lydia was now deceased, Isolde
could only mutter, “How?”
“Poison.” He turned around to face
her. “It seems my mother tried to
poison Jaisyn. It backfired and she
now lies dead.”
Eyes widening in fear, Isolde moved
closer to him. He looked away from
her. “What of my sister, Varian? Is
she dead as well?” Isolde paused and
thought of the guards blocking her
entry to Jaisyn’s chambers. Was that
why they were keeping her out? Was
Jaisyn dead?
Varian shook his head. “No. When
last I spoke to my brother, your sister
was alive and well. My mother’s plans
were thwarted.”
Relief
rendered
her
slightly
lightheaded but as she continued to
stare at Varian, the meaning of what