Abigail had had a long day. She spent the majority of the morning talking to the ambassador, and almost the whole rest of the day trying to make sense of what she had learned.
She didn't used to be this way; she normally would leave this to someone else, someone more responsible. But Abigail had learned that some responsibility had to be hers, and something made Abigail very drawn to this case. There were always strange goings on when you were in the Royal family. You heard all kinds of weird things. Whether it be domestic things, or foreign things, or conspiracy theories, Abigail could never seem to catch a break from them.
She warned Gavin about this when they became engaged. She told him that being a royal was a heavy burden, by the boy seemed intent on facing it head on. That was one of the many things she loved about her fiancé.
But she was still worried.
She had seen that day the toll it had taken on Shelby. It seemed so out of character for the slightly older girl. She was usually headstrong and regal, but when she had heard the ambassador's testimony, she lost it.
Abigail could hardly blame her, though. It had scared herself half to death. Perhaps that's what made Abigail so set on getting to the bottom of the disturbance. The fact that something had unsettled the whole royal family. The fact that something seemingly out of the blue had taken them all by surprise.
Abigail frowned over the notes she had taken from the morning's interrogation. She had tried to digest it all deeply, find something that hadn't yet been noticed. She was so distracted, she forgot to eat lunch, and by the time she looked up, the sun had already set.
There was a light rap at the door.
"Yes?" Abigail called softly.
"Supper time, my lady," came her maid's voice from the other side of the door.
"I'll be there in a moment," Abigail replied. She thought she would show her parents her notes. Perhaps they would find something she could not. She stacked the papers together neatly, and joined her maid towards the dining hall.
In the dining room, the royals were already there. Abigail was delighted to see Shelby had joined them. She looked much better than she had last time the princess saw her. It was amazing what a little rest could do.
"Good evening, Abigail," Cassandra said warmly.
Abigail beamed at her mother.
"Good evening," she replied with a brief curtsy, as was custom in the court.
Abigail sat next to her fiancé, and across from Shelby.
Servants began laying platters down for supper, and Abigail took deep breaths to catch a whiff of all the different foods. Once everything had been set and they started eating, the Queen focused on Abigail.
"Did you discover anything today, my dear," she asked. Abigail frowned down at her plate.
"I think so," she said, and all the others lifted their heads in interest.
"What is it?" Shelby asked. She knew her sister-in-law well enough to know there was something serious on the princess's mind.
"I think it's fairly obvious that someone is desperate for power," Abigail responded, to which they all nodded. "But I don't think they're going to stop at just that clan we saw slaughtered. Perhaps it was just bad timing that our ambassadors were there at such an occurrence, but I seriously doubt it. Even more suspicious, when the ambassadors were captured, they pounded them with questions about Araluen." Abigail paused, still refusing to look up. "I think they're planning to attack Araluen."
Nobody moved. Nobody said a word. Abigail almost wished they would. She wished they would tell her she was wrong. She would have even liked if they scoffed at the idea. But instead, the stared at her with wide eyes, knowing what she said was a wise assumption.
Cassandra was the first to look away.
"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "That is disturbing indeed." She turned to her husband. "I think plans should be arranged for one of us to go have a talk with those in Picta. We must show them that this is not acceptable."
"Is that a wise move?" Mason asked. "All respect, of course," he added hastily.
Cassandra looked at her son, curious as to what he had to say.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well, if we make a move, seemingly threatening, they only respond with malice."
Cassandra smiled.
"Yes, that would be rather troublesome," she replied smoothly. "But that's exactly why we'll be going as a diplomatic mission."
"But you saw what happened to the last group," Gavin protested.
"Yes, Gavin," Cassandra said. "But if we send a royal, they will be more hesitant to attack, wouldn't you think? So a violent move would be a declaration of war."
Nobody complained. The Queen had a point. Abigail marveled at her mother's wisdom. Then, she supposed, she hadn't been queen for almost twenty years for nothing.
"Then there's the issue of who to send," Horace said.
"I'll do it," Shelby spoke up for the first time. Several emotions flashed over Mason's face in a split second. First surprise, confusion, and then horror.
"Absolutely not," he said suddenly.
Everyone looked at him.
"Why not?" Horace asked. "I think that will be great diplomacy practice for Shelby. The people of the neighboring kingdoms need to learn to respect the authority she has now."
"But what if they don't?" Mason asked, looking desperate.
"I'll go with her," Abigail said. "I want to get to the bottom of this. They'll have to respect my authority and judgment. And if they don't, then they'll have a war on their hands."
Mason was shaking his head.
"But you and Shelby both will be endangered. You heard what happened to the ambassadors."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Shelby replied calmly. Abigail nodded, proving her devotion to the plan. Mason fixed his eyes on Shelby and they had a silent standoff. They stared at each other for several moments, as if they were having a secret conversation. After a few seconds, Mason dropped his gaze. He looked as if he wanted to protest more, but said nothing further. Instead, he slumped back in his chair looking defeated.
"Sounds like half a plan, at least," Horace said.
Cassandra nodded.
"It's sounds like a whole plan to me. We'll ready up an entourage and send you two off in two weeks."
The girls nodded.
Cassandra focused on Shelby.
"But you won't leave until after your birthday, of course."
Shelby smiled a little.
"That's right," Abigail exclaimed. "We have to throw you a massive feast!"
"I don't know about that," Shelby said. "You know I've never been much of a party person."
"Oh, please," Abigail said, waving her hand dismissively. "It's going to be your first royal birthday. And turning 21, no less. That's important."
"If you say so," Shelby said, with one eyebrow raised.
Mason still wasn't saying anything, and he hadn't touched his food.
"What's the matter with you?" Abigail pouted. "Don't you want to take part in her part planning."
"I'll leave that to you," he said. Something about his voice sounded strange to her. He sounded more exhausted than he had ever been.
"Suit yourself," Abigail sniffed.
The girls continued eating their dinner and talking about party plans. Just as they had finished up, the double doors to the dining hall opened with a loud groan.
Marcus, the gate keeper, was standing in the doorway with a paper in his hand.
"You Majesty," he said, bowing at the Queen briefly. "A telegram."
"From whom?" Cassandra asked, her brow furrowed. They rarely got telegrams unless it was something desperately important.
"From the Ranger Corps, my lady," he replied, and then shifted his gaze to Shelby. "It's Alyss Treaty, my lady. She's been killed."
So…about the ending…I was reading the sneak peek for The Royal Ranger, Mr. Flanagan's new book. It was mentioned that Alyss had died…So I thought I might as well incorporate it in my story since it was canon. So, there you go. Don't kill me, it wasn't my idea.
Also, I'm sick. That's why my writing is all over the place. Sometimes I write endlessly, sometimes I can't write a full sentence. So sorry about that. :\
Last thing…By the way guys, I do know what I'm doing, I swear. If anyone has an questions or needs clarifications on something that's not spoiler related, feel free to PM me. But I put a lot of effort into research and writing out plot points. So, yes, despite popular belief, I know what I'm doing.
See you later,
- Destiny.
