The Crown Prophecy by Meg Acuna

Author:Meg Acuna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Meg Acuna
Published: 2024-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

When Serena was finally well enough to return to the kitchens, she worked at a slower pace than usual, meaning that Permelia, James, Franc, and I were left to pick up the slack.

I didn’t blame her at all, of course, but the extra hours were starting to wear on me.

They hadn’t found the would-be poisoner and nothing out of the ordinary had happened since, but it had Maddox on edge. She frequented the kitchens, looking for any evidence she had missed. The kitchen staff had all been questioned, but the investigation seemed to hit a dead end and the captain was visibly frustrated by her lack of progress. The transition of power, she said, was a tenuous time, and if Falerin were to try anything, it would likely be now.

There were now tasters before every meal (a job that I did not envy) and the security at the gate had been doubled.

Still, I heard whispers around the castle that disappearances had picked up slightly in the outer towns of Enorias. Evander had no practice holding the wards. His mother was still unconscious, and though the healers had said that they hoped she would recover now that her magic wasn’t being overextended, I could tell it was more of a wish than a medical truth from the way the servants walked around as if they were preparing themselves for the inevitable. Queen Evalina, it seemed, was deeply beloved here, and her condition had a deep impact on the mood around the castle, which had become somber and tense.

Mellie managed to remain bright and optimistic, clinging to the possibility that her friend would recover, but there were moments where I could see her facade crack as she leaned against the counter with both hands and stared down at the worktop for minutes at a time, whatever she was working on forgotten.

The few glimpses of Evander I had caught in the halls and while serving meals were enough to make me truly worried for him. In just a matter of days, his complexion had gone from healthy and robust to greyed and drawn. Though I was careful never to meet his gaze, the glances I stole when he wasn’t looking my way were enough to see that the light was gone from his eyes.

Was anticipatory grief eating at him, or had the demands of the Crown drained him this quickly? I couldn’t imagine his massive display of magic in the trial room left much in his reserves. Taking the throne when he was already so depleted . . . the guilt settled heavily in my stomach.

Lost in thought, I nearly missed the soft knock on my door. I padded over, expecting to see Mellie on the other side. To my surprise, I instead found Colette.

It had been four days since the incident in Vanessa’s room, and we hadn’t spoken since. I didn’t have anything to say that wouldn’t be hurtful, and as angry as I was, I recognized that Colette wasn’t the one who deserved the brunt of it.

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