Chapter 156: Trial
"Your doting uncle has been caught." He said, his voice tight.
She sat up slowly, letting the covers fall to her waist.
"So soon?" The question escaped her.
"Of course. People like him deserve to be dealt with imdiately."
She clenched her fist buried underneath the covers.
They were going to sentence him to death, she knew. Abducting the King was punishable by death, but that wasn’t his only cri.
She couldn’t help thinking about Arlan. No matter how much she hated the man, he was Arlan’s father, and her uncle as well.
"Can it be postponed?"
His brow quirked up. "Postponed? Why would you ever want to postpone it after what he did to you? I thought you would be happy about it."
"I am happy." She sighed heavily before adding, "It’s just that his son-"
"His son would be better off without him."
She knew Arlan despised his father, but her sentints still stood in the way.
"It’s fine then."
He walked forward and stood at the footstool of the bed.
"We have to drink to the news, Miss Stenly."
"You an ’you’ have to drink to the news, I hope. I do not drink wine very often - it makes
make a fool of myself. And besides, Andon is always there to share a drink or two with you."
"I shouldn’t bother Andon with such a flimsy request."
Claire could hear the subtle pain in his voice. "Well, I agree that your request is flimsy. So, you should not bother
as well, Your Grace."
"I, the King, am bothering my very own Cupbearer by asking her to serve
wine?"
He shook his head. "You are getting too bold." There was a teasing note in his voice.
Yeren began inching towards the bed. The candle caught on his wind-tousled hair and bronze-like skin... and those lips of his.
"Don’t co any closer!" She drew the covers over herself and held it up like a shield between them.
"Give
a few minutes, I will attend to you... I have to get dressed first."
Just when she thought he would co closer, he stopped and said, "Very well. I will expect you."
He turned on his heel and left the room as quietly as he had entered.
With a sigh, she let the covers drop and slid out of the bed.
She decided there was no point bothering with her drawers since she would just serve wine and return imdiately, she thought.
After looking at herself in the mirror and making sure to remove the necklace, she left for his chambers.
If it had been his chambers at the castle, he would have been standing at the balcony and looking up at the sky as he she was doing now.
"Co in." He said, even though she had already entered the room.
She went further inside and stopped at the center of the room.
Claire scanned the room for the wine decanter, and after finding it, walked towards it to pour a goblet of wine for him.
"Is there sothing you are not telling ?" Her hand froze midair.
Why was he asking that all of a sudden?
Did he find out sothing?
Realising that her silence might be misinterpreted, she quickly said, "What makes you think so, Your Grace?"
He slowly spun around to face her.
"Sothing about you just feels off to ."
She took a step back unconsciously. "I wonder as to why you would say such a thing."
"We shall see." Was all he said in response.
Should she tell him everything that happened? If she did, Redmare and the other council mbers would be exposed and the whole court drama would co to an abrupt end.
But...
It was their word against hers. All she had was her story, no proof. She had burned the vile that had contained the antidote. And her silence was a bold strike against her. If she had hoped to gain any favour in court, she would have gone to Yeren from the beginning.
It was too late to confess - she would only implicate herself because n like Redmare knew how to manoeuvre situations.
He had tried to kill Yeren...
But Aurora was in danger as well.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she picked up the goblet of wine and took it to him, aware that he was watching her every move.
"Thank you." He murmured as he took it from her and sipped it slowly.
"Have you finished inspecting all the Town buildings?"
He raised a brow at her question.
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"You said we are to leave tomorrow, so..." She trailed off carefully.
He tilted his head, his eyes never leaving her face.
"You don’t expect
to inspect every single building in the Town, do you? Are you still trying to postpone the trial?"
"No... I just wanted to know if we would have to return here after the trial."
He narrowed his eyes to slits. "You want to co back here?"
Claire shook her head quickly. Too quickly.
"No?"
He took another sip of the drink.
"There is another reason I called you here."
Her spine straightened in anticipation of whatever he had to say.
Did he intend to propose?
’Oh, don’t be silly, Claire,’ an inner voice whispered.
She waited, trying not to be too expectant.
"I have seized all of Lord Straught’s land and properties as well as his title and position in court." He began, his eyes fixed intently on hers as though he wanted to catch every reaction, every flicker of emotion.
"Oh. What about his son?"
"I intend to follow the law down to the letter, Claire. He should have thought about his descendants before coming after
and what’s mine."
A sweet tingle surged through her at his words but she quickly ignored it.
Arlan’s situation was completely identical to her and Aurora’s, the only difference being that their father was innocent of the charges laid against him, whereas uncle Jarren was not.
"And what do you intend to do with the land, Your Grace? From what I heard, you haven’t had any use for the land you seized from my father." Her voice beca unsteady as the uttered the last words.
A smile cracked through his expression, softening his handso face into sothing sowhat more approachable.
"I intend to give it to you and your sister." When he saw the look on her face, he quickly added, "As his nieces."
Reviews
All reviews (0)