Lucy Wickshire 188 Chapter Twenty-Two 9

Queen Raine opened her eyes to a dark oak ceiling. She looked round, trying to get her bearing. Her eyes met the inside of a wooden cottage. She found that she was lying on the soft beddings and confusion set in. She could hear voices from behind the closed door. She groaned at her stabbing neck pain as she tried to get up. She made her way to the door and pushed it open as softly as she could, but the door betrayed her; creaking loudly, announcing her presence to those on the other side.

She recognized those in the room, they were Lord Morge, her mother and two ministers.

"Mother." she greeted. The ministers dipped their heads in a bow when she walked in.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"You are awake, good. We are about to leave." Lady Teel said.

"To where?" she asked.

"Back to the capital. It has been almost two weeks since the invasion. I hear the prince's coronation is near." Lady Teel answered.

"Coronation? What about His Majesty?" Queen Raine asked.

"Dead." Lady Teel answered coldly. Queen Raine felt the floor s.h.i.+ft and she tried to maintain her balance and stand up right.

"Then why? Why are we returning? I... I have nothing to return to." she whispered softly.

"You are still queen. Besides, Lord Morge promises that this will be resolved. Lady Wicks.h.i.+re has had everything taken care of." Lady Teel said.

"She knew?" Queen Raine asked as the idea came to mind.

"We should be leaving." Lord Morge said.

"Did she know?!" Queen Raine shouted in anger. The rising group paused at her outrage.

"Yes." Lord Morge answered. She had already known the answer that was coming, yet she was still unprepared for it.

"Why? Why did she do nothing?" she choked at her words. "You still wish for us to return after this? Mother, does this make any sense? What if she decides to do nothing if we get harmed. How can you trust our lives to someone who let the king die!" Queen Raine was fuming now.

"Raine, you put yourself together or I will put you to sleep!" this silenced Queen Raine. Even though her chest heaved in anger, she no more uttered a word.