Chapter 89

Cassie

It had been several months since I had been in the palace but it seemed different. Darker and more foreboding somehow. Of course that might have something to do with how grey and stormy the night sky was.

"Carefully now." Bending down Ian helped me across a fallen log. "Are you doing ok?" He asked as another fat rain drop hit my face. We had left his car , well hidden on the edge of the palace grounds and hiked our way here. And I had felt every step.

"Yeah." I panted even though I wasn't. I was carrying around what felt like two bowling balls, my ankles were swollen and my feet hurt but I got why we couldn't just drive up to the house and announce ourselves.

We were here to help but Ian had no plans to stay. He kept saying the time wasn't right. I agreed with him but I kind of wanted to know when the time was going to be right? Not that I wanted to come back, I had a life now.

Sure it wasn't the life of luxury that should have been given to me as the wife of the kings heir but it was my life and it was happy.

Hard but I was used to that. Nothing in my life had ever been easy and I'd had to work for everything I had. It just made holding onto those things even tighter.

My face lifted to the towering walls of the palace and traced the wet dull grey stones. It looked drab , like misery flung to it.

It made me want to cling to my new life even tighter. I'd hold my future, my mum , and my new friends and my twins tight and I would fight for us to be happy.

After tonight I would never have to come back here.

"I should have thought about your condition. The terrain is rough in this area." Ian took my elbow and steadied me. I smiled tiredly at him.

"I know I remember it from we lead the run." Memories of that night flashed before my eyes. How the king himself had pulled me from the run to give me an ultimatum. I'd given him my word and then broken it. It was the first time I had ever broken a promise and it would be the last.

"I'm ok honestly." I said as Ian's eyes narrowed. "How do we get in?"

The palace might look like a simple if somewhat extravagant Manor House but I knew it was a fortress. There would be guards. I was surprised we'd even got this far.  Frowning I glanced behind me. It was really strange that we had got this far.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

"There's someone waiting for us. A friend."

My ears pricked up at the sound of his words. A friend of mine here? I didn't have any friends in the royal court.

In fact I only had one friend in the entire universe that I could trust.

"Forrest?" I squeaked too loudly and Ian's eyes flashed. He pressed a finger to his lips to hush me. I lowered my voice to a hissing whisper. "Is Forrest here?"

Ian didn't answer me at first. He just crept forward and I had no choice but to sneak along with him.

"Ian, is it Forrest?" Under the shadows of the huge house I caught the back of shirt in my hand and tugged him to a stop.

"Cassie now isn't the time. We have to be quick. We only have a few hours."

I stomped my swollen foot. "I'm not going a step further until you tell me. This whole situation stinks of a trap  and -"

He whirled on me, strong hands coming down heavily on my shoulders he held me to the spot and glared down at me.

"It's not a trap or an ambush. I am not leading you to your doom. In fact I'm pissed off you would even think I would after everything I've done for you this past half a year. I have friends in this court. People who I trust with my life and with your life as well."

"I don't think we can trust anyone here." I muttered and that was the truth. Maybe once upon a time the palace was full of love and trust but it hadn't been that way for several long years. Now it just felt like the hallways were full of shadows and lies.

"No?" A female and hurt voice spoke from the shadows. "I am hurt you think so Cassie."

Stepping to the side I peered at the tiny hunched over figure of my husbands housekeeper,

"Cathy." I rushed forward. Grabbing her in a hug and sobbing. "I am so happy to see you. So so happy I've missed you."

Stepping back she held me out at arms length. "Look at you." Her eyes scanned over my stomach and her grinned grew. "You're growing some strong pups in there and you look radiant but-" her eyes flashed. "I could murder you for running away. I was worried sick. The prince was going out of his mind. He still is although he has to hide it so the madam doesn't see."

My heart did a weird sort of flip flop. "He moved her in then?"

"More like she moved in and started pretending to be you. But not for much longer. You're back and things will go back to the way they are meant to be."

I didn't want to steal her happiness away by telling her I wasn't staying.

"We don't have time for this." Ian snapped. "Cassie you must try and heal the king."

"I don't have any medical things with me and what about his doctors?" I held out my hands to show him they were empty.

"Heal him using your magic Cassie. If he dies now the whole kingdom might be lost."