Chapter 26: Zero Morals
What did he say?
He realized that he had never been tonguetied on any subject before.
The stares were becoming choking, the sly grins pathetic.
"I have an interest in the Stenly family. Her father served in my court faithfully to the end of his days - and I only want to see to it that his daughters are well taken care of."
Jarren’s smug smile vanished.
"I take care of my nieces as though they are my own children." His voice was unnervingly calm.
Yeren nearly choked on the outrageous lie.
"Your fatherly skills are not on trial."
A brief laugh went through the whole court.
Jarren reddened when he discovered that they were all laughing at his expense.
"If my paternal skills are not on trial, why then do you seek to protect the Stenly girls from ?"
Yeren leaned back, finally feeling like he was the one in control once again.
The man across the room grounded his fist.
Yeren was beginning to enjoy provoking him until he reddened and popped like a ripe cherry.
"How dare you!"
"If you were so good, why then did she run away?"
Jarren began to stutter, his face contorting in a grim scowl.
"She did not... run away, Your Grace. We have reasons to believe she, as well as my son, was taken from the manor."
They both knew he was lying - and Yeren planned to capitulate on that.
"And, if what you say is true, why did all your household servants give the sa testimony ’they went into the woods and never returned’?"
Jarren gulped.
"How do you... You have no right to question my n! For all they know, they may have walked in the woods before being kidnapped."
Yeren narrowed his eyes.
"I have the right to question whom I choose." His voice was as cool as steel as he spoke, maintaining the sa deep lulling calm it always had.
But Jarren was hanging by a thread.
"I," he patted his chest, "am the Lord of Penbrook... the King of Penbrook. And as the King, I can do whatever I choose."
A nod greeted the man’s bold declaration.
"What a mighty ruler you are. How then did you lose your son?"
The man growled.
"You took him!" He pointed his finger at Yeren.
"You took her! Nothing can separate
from her. Not even her sister!"
A hush fell over the crowd. Even Yeren was shocked at how fast everything escalated.
"Why do you ntion her sister?"
The man’s eyes were bloodshot, his face a pretty shade of red.
Jarren seed to have caught himself just in ti before he spilled so much.
Even the council mbers were shocked.
"Reveal your intentions so that your petition in the court may be honoured." Redmare said.
Jarren glanced down like a chastened boy.
He had finally bitten more than he could chew, Yeren thought with rye amusent.
If he had a goblet of wine within reach at that mont, he would have made a toast.
"Tell us..." He urged lazily.
"The sister burnt
- so I threw her into the dungeons."
His hands twitched at the way the cruel statent was uttered without an iota of remorse.
"And what was her reason for doing so?"
Jarren cleared his throat loudly.
"She separated myself and her sister."
"How old is she, if I may ask?"
The man before him hesitated.
"About ten, I believe."
A gasp tore through the small crowd.
Yeren held up a hand.
"I believe I have heard enough as well. The next hearing for this case will be in five days. The Moon Goddess so help you if your son is not found by then."
With that, he left the hall to find a jug of fresh wine.
The man was not ashad to admit to his obsession over the girl.
Only he and Jarren knew what was actually being spoken about - ownership.
But, for entirely different reasons.
Why did Jarren want her? It was obvious his reasons were beyond logical and blood-related.
Was it because of her beauty? A man like him could have all the damsels in cities like Freecun and Roose. Why was he after her so violently?
And if he took her from the mad man, he was calling for war.
He was the King he had nothing to be afraid of, but Claire would be traumatized further if she were in the center of such a battle.
And the question of Aurora. He locked the little girl in the dungeons? Was she even being fed?
If he had his way, he would march to the dungeons and give the brazen man a beating he would never forget.
He poured himself the much-needed and downed three full goblets before settling down.
Andon was yet to be back and the day was bleeding into the night.
It would be another full moon, he noted. He could only hope Claire was not in the forest during the full moon of the previous day - a wolfess girl didn’t belong in such a place.
If Andon returned again without her, he would forsake his duties and go in search of her. And probably place a bounty on her head, awarding whoever would bring her to him.
But that would only expose his desperation.
And if she was dead?
What would happen to her poor sister?
He moved to the parapets and overlooked the Kingdom he ruled.
What would it feel like to have soone stand beside him through it all? He asked himself.
But, it couldn’t be her.
It could never be Claire.
The whole Kingdom would reject her - and him as well if he insisted on wedding her.
And if he rescued an unmarried woman with no intentions to marry her, he would completely soil her reputation.
Andon never brought up the complexities of the aftermath.
He knew he couldn’t marry her, but he wasn’t willing to let so other man have her.
But then again, what did he do with her when she was found?
The sky darkened above him as he remained buried in his thoughts.
Footsteps slapped behind him.
He hadn’t heard anyone co in.
When he turned around, Andon stood there, looking worn out and haggard.
"Still no news." He said cooly, trying to conceal the disappointnt in his tone.
Andon inched closer.
Yeren wrinkled his nose when the stench hit him. Andon reeked of dung and mud and sothing that slled divinely awful.
"Were you bathing in shit?" He couldn’t help but ask.
Andon laughed out loud.
"No, Your Grace. We found a foot trail that led to the swamp..."
Yeren had to move away, causing Andon to laugh harder.
Yeren caught himself laughing as well.
"What did the trail lead you to?" He asked, deciding to humour the impossible man.
"This." Andon produced a few strands of reddish hair.
"What is this? You found a red stallion for your amusent?"
Andon rolled his eyes.
"This is her hair. Sniff it."
Yeren hesitated before he brought it close to his nose. It indeed slled like her - flowers and sunshine and sweet-slling oils, but it was almost concealed by the sa stench emanating from Andon.
Andon held out his hand to retrieve the strands but Yeren clutched it tighter.
"Where did you find it?"
Andon cleared his throat. On a little boat at the shore of the sea. There was no one in the boat, but her scent was faint. It was clear she was there... and might have gone far South."
Part of him was happy - she wasn’t dead.
Just on the other side of the world - far from his reach.
"I don’t believe she would leave without her sister."
Andon shrugged.
"Neither do I, Your Grace. What are my new orders."
"Inquire privately for the owner of that boat and ask him to take you South for whatever price he’ll charge. I trust only you to bring her back."
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