Chapter 5

It was only later that I found out how Edmund had reacted after I left. While I had gone off in a search for blood and revenge, his actions were also far from mature.

Edmund held the porcelain vase in his hand, testing its weight. It was one of the many gifts his father had sent to his mother before her untimely death. Made in Nihon-ja, it had been decorated with the landscape of a river, and at its banks peasants worked the rice fields. Each stroke had been hand crafted with care and diligence. The Emperor had once told him that whenever a mistake was made, the painter would be forced by his master to start again. The perfect vases were worth a small fortune. Any slight mistake took away great value. The lilacs of the lilies and the attention to each peasant's almond eyes were perfect in every sense. A wealthy merchant would not send anything less to his wife. Especially a beloved princess. The landscape almost transported an observer to another place where workers sang as the river bubbled by. The scene was peaceful and serene.

Edmund hurled the vase into a wall.

With a resounding crash, the precious vase shattered into hundreds of shards, littering the floor in a rubble that had seconds ago been so beautiful.

Edmund stalked around the room, his nostrils flaring and his green eyes flashing. He couldn't believe she had done this to him. She had been using him for months. Months! Not even a few days or a week. She had planned this for so long it made him feel sick in the stomach. The first time he had laid eyes on her he had thought she was a peculiar boy. Jumping out of trees like an acrobat without a second thought to the danger. He had been even more amazed on finding out she was a girl. Roaming through the countryside with only that wretched mutt for company. He was impressed but also concerned for her. There was just something about her. The freedom she had and her carefully guarded façade that had intrigued him. And those eyes. They were plain at the first glance but the longer you stared, the more entangled you got in the green flecks and golden rings that hid so much heartache. He had wanted to discover all her secrets. To spend a lifetime unravelling all her mysteries. Now he wished that he hadn't been a gentleman. He should have left her in the middle of nowhere. She would never have made it to Castle Araluen. He would never have fallen so deeply for her. He had showed her his mothers balcony for Gorlog's sake! He had never even shown Laura his own sacred hideaway when he was convinced that she would be his future bride. And then admitting his love like an idiot.

"I love you Mon," he repeated. "I love how you're real and not some fake. I love how you make me want to be a better person. But most of all I love you. The girl who has stolen my heart."

She hadn't answered him straight away. It was so clear. She had hesitated. How could he have been so stupid! She must have been laughing at him the whole time and how easy it had been.

"ARGH!" he yelled in frustration. Something had to pay, anything.

Edmund grabbed the edge of a mahogany side table and threw it to the ground, letting the silver tray and the coffee pot on it spill the lukewarm liquid on the rug below.

The worst part was that even if he had never met her, the consequences would have been much worse. Poor Will and Alyss would still be searching for a son who would never have had the chance to live out his life. They would probably still be oblivious to the threat posed by El Jefe. Araluen was much indebted to that backstabbing thief.

His hands were trembling in rage. Edmund swore loudly and threw another vase into the wall.

Everyone used him. Everyone. He could never just be a person. All people saw were the title and the riches that came with him. He wasn't a boy or a man or a soldier. He was just a pile of gold reels, waiting to be collected and spent. He thought she had been different and how stupid he had been. She had been the thief. A bloody thief and he had still trusted her. Did that mean she was good at her job or that he had been a fool? That voice in the back of his head that sounded a lot like Evanlyn's advisors told him it had been the latter. That he should have listened to what they said.

† † †

"On to other matters, I have heard that Prince Edmund's new girlfriend is not from the gentry?" Sir Geoffrey said twirling his thin moustache. Edmund rolled his eyes at the pompous idiot. Of course he knew Mon wasn't a courtier. He had known long ago and was only pretending as they all did. Trying to tread carefully so as not to anger the Royal beast - but poking it all the same.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes slightly. "And?"

"Do you think it is appropriate to house a thief in the Royal Quarters?" Lord Hindle added.

"You quite obviously do not Lord Hindle. But I trust her and any jewels are far from her reach if that is your concern," Cassandra answered. Growing up with people who had a penchant for bending the rules – namely Halt and Will – meant she did not always see eye to eye with the men who had been her father's advisors.

"Is the Prince's trust in her too great?" Sir Geoffrey prodded. "I do not mean to be rude, Your Majesty, but someone has to ask the hard questions."

"I understand your position Sir Geoffrey," Cassandra responded, but Edmund did not agree with her placating stance.

"I don't appreciate you undermining my judgement. I think I can choose who I would like to court and it is none of your business," Edmund retorted.

"Sorry Your Royal Highness, but upon marriage, any woman you court will become a princess and may, heaven forbid, bear the future heirs to the kingdom," Sir Geoffrey continued despite the frowns of everyone in the room. "Hence it is the concern of the nation."

"That is highly unlikely," Edmund replied with a glare at the snivelling man. How dare he suggest that Cassandra and Madelyn and even the child yet to be born would all be killed! It was bordering on treasonous. How dare he even tell Edmund what to do? If he wanted to marry Mon this minute he would grab a priest and be at the alter in a thrice and Sir Geoffrey couldn't do anything to stop him.

"And even if so, I will do what I want and as your Prince, you will not question me!"

With his final words of defiance, Edmund stalked out of the room. He did not wait for the footmen to close the door and instead took the door handles out of their grasp and slammed it behind him.

† † †

Edmund heard pounding at his door. He ignored it and continued pacing around the sitting room. At this rate he was going to carve a channel in the stone beneath him. The knocking continued, this time accompanied with the sound of the doorknob being jangled about. No one was opening the solid oak door anytime soon, especially as Edmund had had the sense to lock it.

He didn't want to speak to anyone. Word had no doubt spread by now. It was after supper time and he was yet to show his face.

"Edmund," Peters called, knocking louder. "I know you're in there."

"Leave me be!" Edmund yelled back.

"You'll want to hear me out," Peters offered. Edmund clenched his jaw tighter. Yes, Peters was usually his closest confidante. A man who had practically helped raise him and one of the few who he trusted and knew would be eternally loyal. A fresh stream of anger pulsed through him. Or maybe just another who had ulterior motives. He had trusted Mon and where had that got him. Why had Peters dedicated his life to a spoilt little prince and his grieving mother?

"I said, leave me be! Is that so hard to understand!" Edmund ordered.

"I will find the spare key and open this door," Peters warned.

"Don't you dare!" Edmund heard the jangling in the lock and sighed. Of course Peters already had the key. He considered cleaning up the mess he had made. But only for half a second. Edmund continued pacing.

There was a low whistle from behind him.

"What happened in here? Looks like a bear was let loose."

"Shut up Peters or I will force you out. And I will enjoy every moment."

"I don't doubt it, but just hear me out."

Edmund turned and glared at the knight. "Stop saying that!"

"I've spent the whole afternoon trying to clean up this mess for your sake and what I have to say is worthwhile."

"I don't know anything on this damn earth you could say that could clean up this mess. Unless perhaps that fraud was thrown from her horse or something equally terrible happened to her," Edmund all but snarled. He didn't know how much he meant those words. A part of his heart wrenched at the idea of Mon being hurt but then his anger made his blood boil and made him want her to suffer. It certainly felt good to say it out loud.

"She didn't do it," Peters said looking Edmund straight in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" Edmund demanded, stalking towards Peters in a barely restrained rage. Peters did not flinch in the slightest.

"She didn't do it," Peters repeated. Edmund stopped. He was caught off balance. Peters was looking him straight in the eye and wouldn't lie about something of such gravity. Even Mon had denied it herself. But then he had held the evidence of her betrayal in his own hands and no one would ever admit to such a crime. Everyone always betrayed him. It wasn't unlikely that it would happen yet again.

"Stop lying to me!"

"I am not lying to you. You just don't want to believe me because you're hurting Ed. I can see it in your eyes and I understand. That's why you're so angry. You're angry because it hurts to be betrayed. It's all those emotions about your father all over again," Peters said.

"Don't you dare talk about my fath…!"

"We all know that he shouldn't have left your mother in such a state but he is or was a merchant and no doubt had important business to attend to…"

"Stop right now Peters!" Edmund practically bellowed. Peters was just one word away from getting it – straight in the face or deep in the gut.

"But he didn't forget you. All those gifts he sent over the years were him showing his love even if he couldn't be here in pers…"

"I will knock you out, so help me Go...!"

"And the slightest bit of wavering from her doesn't mean the same thing will happen again…"

"He left my mother for Gorlog's sake and you saw what it did to her! It killed her! It's gonna kill me! It never ends well for the likes of us. We're always just used by others for our titles and gold and then abandoned at the slightest incident and made a fool of! The moment she couldn't get what she wanted and become a ranger she cut her losses and left."

"Mon wasn't like that," Peters said, quietly. "She cared about you. She wouldn't do something like that to you. Didn't you see the honestly in how hard she tried to fit in? To live in this world?" Peters gestured to the finery around him. "It wasn't her."

"Then who is Gorlog's name was it?" Edmund practically bellowed.

"The twins."

"The twins?" Edmund whispered. That's what Mon had said. Could it be true? He felt unsure for a second. No, it couldn't be.

Edmund cleared his throat. "Why would they steal? That is absolutely ludicrous…"

Peters shook his head in disbelief. "She told you didn't she."

"No, what are you talking about," Edmund said but with too much hesitation.

"She told you herself that the twins had framed her and you didn't believe her. No wonder she left."

"Why would the daughters of a baron who have all the jewels they could so desire steal? It doesn't even make sense Peters. Think with your head," Edmund continued.

Exasperated, Peters stepped forward and shook Edmund by the shoulders, much like he had done when punishing his cheekiness when he was a child.

"Here me out boy! I heard them whispering in the halls and so listened in. Emily was jealous of your attention of Mon and roped Laura in to help her frame Mon. They had access to the jewels of other courtiers and even put some of their own in the mix. They came to the Royal Quarters and got access because the guards remembered how close you and Laura had been. Emily snuck into your room and stole your signet ring just to top off the betrayal and when Mon left her room they piled it all in her bags. And now she's gone and they're basking in their own success. So who really betrayed you?" Peters demanded.

Edmund shook himself free of the stronger mans grip.

"How dare you treat me like a child? I am the Prince of Araluen. Second in line to the throne. Do not touch me like that again!" he ordered, giving Peters a glare.

"You are impossible," Peters said, raising his hands in surrender. "I told you the truth and you won't even believe me. Don't you even want to believe what I'm telling you? At the first sign of trouble you went running. I know you love her. I know she loves you. End of story. There's no need for a huge brouhaha. You know what. She probably deserves better. After all she's done for this country and for your family and for you, you can't even stick by her. I'm not saying Mon is perfect, but the least you could do was fight for her. You should jump at the possibility of her innocence. Heck you should have believed her when she first denied it and stuck by her side against the twins. But you can't. You're still that angry little boy who was betrayed by his father and could never let it go."

Edmund didn't know whether to lower his head in suitable chastisement or reprimand Peters for his words. They were harsh and cut deep. He wanted to think that he was thinking clearly. That he wasn't involving his past but it was just too hard. It took much more to earn back a trust that was destroyed. He knew that Peters was only trying to help, but right now it was easier to be obstinate rather than give in and admit his own possible pettiness.

"Just get out Peters," Edmund said, dismissing the man with a wave of his hand. He didn't want to deal with all this right now.

"When you come to your senses come talk to me. Hopefully it's not too late," Peters said, giving in.

"Just go," Edmund murmured sitting down on the settee as he heard Peters close the door behind him. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. It was all too much. He didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to forget everything. He reached for his bowl of chocolate. That always made him feel better. His mother used to cure all his hurt and pain with a kiss on the head and a piece of the goodness from Arridi. His hand stopped mid way. Now he couldn't bear to eat any. It just reminded him of her.

"ARGH!" He threw the chocolate aside in frustration.

There was more knocking at his door.

"I told you Peters, get out!" Edmund yelled. The door opened regardless and he heard footfalls approach from behind.

"Don't you even know how to obey instruction?" There was no answer.

Edmund shrugged. "I'm just don't know what to do." He stretched his shoulder muscles which were tightening up. Hands put pressure on his shoulder, gently kneading. It was strange. Edmund didn't expect in a million years to have Peters massage him. It was more likely for him to get a friendly punch in the shoulder then anything this tender.

He turned around. "Peters, what are you…" The words stuck in his throat when he saw a feminine figure. Her ebony hair hung loose around her shoulders, contrasting with the bright gold of her jewellery.

"Emily what do you think you're doing?" Edmund asked sitting up and out of her grasp. He didn't want her hands anywhere near him.

Emily giggled. "Helping you relieve some of the pressure that's on your broad and strong shoulders."

"Please go," Edmund said. "You know I didn't want Peters in here. I just want to be alone."

"Peters can't obey instruction, but I promise I'm a good listener," Emily continued, twirling her hair.

"What are you even doing here? I won't be very good company," Edmund said rubbing his temples in growing annoyance.

"We don't have to talk," Emily persisted, taking a seat beside him. Edmund wanted to leave but he refused to be pushed out of his own suite of rooms. How had she even gotten in the Royal Quarters? What had the guards been thinking?

"I'm told I'm good company. And now that your girlfriend has left, there is no need to stoop that low again. My mother is a lady and my father is the Baron of Whitby fief. We should make the perfect couple," Emily rambled. What was she talking about? It rung some sort of bell in Edmund's mind.

Emily was jealous of your attention of Mon and roped Laura in to help her frame Mon. Emily hates me and has wanted to be with you for a long time. She set me up.

It couldn't be true, could it?

"I'm with Mon, what are you talking about?" Edmund said, choosing his words carefully.

Emily shook her head in confusion. "But I thought you two were over?"

"Who told you that?" Edmund played dumb.

"Well she left the castle and after what happened…" Emily trailed off.

"And what happened?"

"She stole all those jewels for goodness sake! You aren't telling me that you still want to be with her after that?" Emily burst out.

Edmund suddenly stood up, scaring the conniving schemer who let out a shriek.

"GET OUT!" He yelled pointing to the door.

"Why Edmund?"

"What did you do? So help me Gorlog, if you did what I think you did…"

"Okay fine I did meddle a little, but how is it bad if it means that we can get together," Emily said taking a step towards him with a huge smile.

"I can't believe you! You better leave this room before I do something I regret," Edmund said, his fingers clenching into a fist. Her eyes followed him like a hawk searching for her prey but when she took in his lowered eyebrows and the flexing of his muscle tendons, she gasped and skipped backwards, suddenly frightened.

"Leave," Edmund ordered, his words cutting like a whip – the kind that they used as punishment for prisoners. Emily nodded furiously before gathering her skirts and practically flying out of his room.

It was only when the door closed shut that it all finally hit him.

What in Gorlog's name had he done?