Chapter 3: What He Refuses to See

At the palace, Kael slammed his fist against the desk. His guards had just informed him that Luciana still hadn't been found. Ever since Eloisa woke up, he'd sent men to search for Luciana, but they'd turned up nothing near the place where he'd left her.

After that, they'd expanded the search — farther and farther out — and still nothing. Now they'd combed through the entire forest without finding a single trace of her.

"Search the villages. Someone must have helped her," Kael ordered.

She had to be hiding somewhere, trying to make him feel guilty for leaving her there. But it wouldn't work. Luciana had hurt Eloisa, and she needed to understand that her actions had consequences.

"When Duke Sandoval finds out his daughter is missing, there'll be hell to pay."

"The court won't tolerate this behavior. The king knows it, which is why he's so furious."

"He pampers his mistress, who does nothing but spend money on jewels and dresses. It's disgraceful."

"That mistress is nothing but a harpy. Lady Sandoval disappeared because of her."

"The Queen Mother won't be pleased. That mistress doesn't stand a chance."

"If the king didn't favor her, I wouldn't give her the time of day."

"Disgusting, having to serve that whore. Who knows how many men she's been with" and the king thinks he's the only one.

"If I didn't need this job, I'd pour the hot tea right on her head. She's a prostitute with delusions of being queen."

The maids talked, and Eloisa — standing on the other side of the door — heard every word. Her fury reached its limit. She'd thought the servants treated her with respect because she was going to be queen. But no — it was only because they feared Kael would fire them.

In the palace's south wing, the Queen Mother had just returned from a trip, and the first thing she learned was that Luciana was missing. She went looking for Kael at once.

"Kael Evanston, do you have any idea what you've done?" she bellowed the moment she crossed the threshold.

"Mother, why are you barging in like this?" the king asked.

"Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I can't believe how far you've gone for the sake of that harlot."

"Please stop shouting. I don't know who you're referring to or what's upset you so much. If your trip went badly, don't take it out on me." He tried to calm her.

Of course he knew what she was talking about. And he knew his mother adored Luciana — was deeply grateful to her for what she'd done for him.

"I'm talking about that Eloisa girl. Ever since you brought her to the palace, all you've done is hurt Luciana's feelings. What good are those eyes if you can't see the kind of viper you've brought under this roof?" The woman was moments away from cracking her cane over her son's head.

"Enough, please, Your Majesty. You don't understand." Eloisa appeared, stepping between Kael and the Queen Mother. "Kael isn't at fault. He's only worried about me and correcting Lady Sandoval's poor behavior."

"You... this is all your fault. A common trollop who's blinded my fool of a son."

The Queen Mother swung her cane at Eloisa, but Kael caught it.

"Don't disrespect her, Mother. Eloisa is the daughter of the warrior who saved my life. I brought her to the palace for her protection, and that's something Luciana has refused to accept," Kael said.

"There's no doubt those eyes are truly wasted on you. Luciana should never have sacrificed hers for someone like you," the Queen Mother lamented.

Eloisa clenched her fists in the fabric of her dress. She despised hearing everyone praise Luciana like she was a saint — even the servants valued her that much.

"Lady Sandoval wasn't exactly a saint either. She — she didn't just disappear. She ran off with her lover!" Eloisa shouted with obvious intent.

Kael stared at her in surprise, while the Queen Mother's knuckles whitened around her cane.

Eloisa moved closer to Kael and grabbed his hand, trembling theatrically.

"I — I didn't want to say anything. But that's why she pushed me down the stairs — she found out I'd discovered her secret. I saw her sneaking a man into her room. I heard everything... the two of them... in bed..." she sobbed.

Kael's fists tightened as Eloisa's words sank in, nails digging into his palms. The thought that Luciana had been with another man, that she'd betrayed him so disgustingly, made his blood boil.

"I'm sorry, Kael... I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping quiet. But watching everyone search for her so desperately, hearing them talk about her like she's a saint — it makes me so angry, especially for you. You loved her so much." She lowered her head, still sobbing.

"You heard her, Mother. Luciana is no saint. She's a whore who ran off with her lover," Kael spat.

The Queen Mother shook her head. "When you truly open your eyes, I hope Luciana never forgives you."

She turned and walked out. Kael, seething, ordered the search called off. There was no point — not now that he knew Luciana had fled with her lover.

"I'm sorry, Kael. She didn't know how to appreciate your love."

Eloisa rested her head against Kael's chest and wrapped her arms around him, a mocking smile hidden on her lips. Luciana's disappearance had been a gift.

Meanwhile, Luciana had convinced her father not to act impulsively. The duke returned to the camp and then to the palace, where he learned what was being said about his daughter. He confronted Kael before the entire court.

"Ungrateful wretch — that's what you are!" the duke roared.

"Watch your words, Duke. You're not speaking to one of your subordinates," Kael shot back.

"That's precisely why you're still alive. I left my daughter in your care, and when I return, I find she's vanished — and instead of searching for her, you've invented lies and dragged her name through the mud."

"Your daughter is no saint. She ran off with her lover. You should be grateful I didn't hunt her down and execute her for infidelity," Kael replied.

"If we're talking about infidelity, then look in the mirror, Your Majesty. Until my daughter's name has been cleared, my troops withdraw from the frontier," the duke threatened.

Murmurs erupted through the court. Some protested. Others knew the kingdom would be defenseless. A few believed the duke was overreacting — his daughter had fled, and here he was defending her.

"You can't do that. You—"

"Let him," the Queen Mother interrupted, rising from her seat. "Your daughter's honor was destroyed by that harlot of yours. Now face the consequences."

The Queen Mother stood before the duke and bowed.

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Grace. The fault is mine for raising an ungrateful son who's so easily manipulated," she said.

"Mother! Are you trying to humiliate me?"

"Me? You're doing that all by yourself. More than half this court is laughing at you because those eyes don't work — you're still blind because of that harlot," she scolded.

"Your Majesty the Queen Mother," the duke interjected, "forgive my outburst. But she is my daughter, and her reputation has been smeared. Until it's cleared and she is found, I'm withdrawing from the court and from everything connected to the palace."

"Duke Sandoval, are you suggesting a reb—"

"Silence. You may be king, but the crown is too big for you, my son. Duke Sandoval, go and do what you must to find your daughter," the Queen Mother said.

The duke strode out of the throne room. Inside, everything descended into chaos. The scene the duke had made had planted doubts in more than half the court.

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