Chapter 2
"It's okay. I won't leave," Edward said.
He pulled Lillian and Sarah closer to him. "Estelle is just upset. She'll get over it in a few days. If things don't improve, we can let her adopt Oliver and raise him as her own.
"She doesn't have any children, and she loves kids. Having a child would be a good thing for her."
Hearing that, Lillian tugged softly at Edward's sleeve and whispered, "What do we do now?"
Edward took a breath, a quiet confidence settling in his voice. "Go get some gifts. Tomorrow morning, I'll head over to the tavern and talk to her. I'll let her know how tough things have been for me at the saltworks.
"I'll tell her how sincerely you and Sarah have treated me, and how well-behaved the children are. She will understand."
*****
"What? Didn't Lady Estelle stay here?" Edward said, surprised.
As soon as dawn broke, Edward headed to the tavern with the gifts in hand, but the staff's answer caught him off guard.
He said, "Lady Estelle rode out of the city last night. The attendants who arrived later only rested briefly before following her."
Edward said nothing. The gift box in his hands fell to the ground, and he staggered as he braced himself against the wall.
"Lord Edward, what's wrong?" the staff member asked.
Edward didn't care about anything else. He pushed the guy's hand away and ran out.
Another man said, "Lady Estelle left the city at midnight on horse. At this pace, she could reach Jevoria in two days at the earliest."
Edward's heart sank. He went back to write to his family. There were still a few days before he had to go to Jevoria on duty.
Without an order from the king, he couldn't leave this place. All he could do was ask the Monroe family in Jevoria to help patch things up.
He could only pray that I wasn't truly furious.
"I have to move fast," he muttered.
*****
I arrived in Jevoria late at night two days later. I rode past Monroe Manor without stopping and went straight to the palace.
The king's guards stood watch with their swords. When they saw me, their tone softened. "Lady Estelle? The gates are already locked for the night. If you need anything, please come back tomorrow."
I swung down from my horse.
Days of hard riding left my legs weak, and I fell to the ground.
Violet, my most trusted maid, rushed to help me up, but I gently pushed her aside.
I took the seal out of my pocket and bowed to them. "I'm Estelle Grant. I really need to see His Majesty."
The king's guards exchanged glances.
Before they could send word inside, the gates slowly creaked open. Stefan, the royal attendant, strode out.
He lowered his voice. "Your Highness, are you all right? The city watches just reported in, and His Majesty sent me here immediately. His Majesty has been waiting for you for two days."
I was taken aback for a moment, then hurried after Stefan, rushing into the palace.
I pushed open the door, and Jacob looked up from his documents, his eyes locking onto mine.
After days of hard travel, I was a wreck. Mud spattered my pants, my hair was coming loose, my lips were cracked, and my eyes were hollow with despair.
I staggered forward, trying to bow to him, but I couldn't get any words out. Tears spilled down without warning, and I managed to choke out, "Jacob."
When I called him "Jacob" instead of "Your Majesty", his eyes instantly grew teary with emotion.
Before either of us could say anything else, he hurried to guide me into a seat. "I'm here. Don't bother with the formalities. It's freezing out there. Come have some hot coffee."
Seeing me in such a miserable state, Jacob sighed deeply and asked, almost hesitantly, "Estelle, you've found out, right?"
My voice was hoarse and worn, carrying a calm that felt like resignation. "Jacob, I went to see Edward. And I saw his family."
I forced the words out one by one. Each sentence tore through my chest like a knife.
Jacob stayed silent, then reached up and brushed away my tears. He forced a smile. "Look at you. You're crying like a kid.
"When your father was shot dead in Galdon, you cried like this, too. You cried while still urging people to get me to safety.
"Back then, I told myself that when I finally took the throne, I would never let you cry like this ever again. I failed you. I'm sorry."
I shook my head, pressing my cheek against Jacob's warm hands. "No, you didn't fail me. You're the best brother anyone could ever ask for."
In the flickering candlelight, the hard edge of the king faded, and all that remained was a brother who ached for his sister.
He said, "I learned about it too late. I didn't know how to tell you, so I let you go see it yourself.
"If I'd known how much it would hurt you, I would have had them brought here. You shouldn't have had to suffer through that journey.
"It's okay, Estelle. I've got your back."
That very night, Jacob issued two official orders. One cut me free from Edward, the Intendant of the Salt Tax. The other put the Monroe family on the line.
As soon as the order came down, the Monroe family gathered together, and the arguments were said to be fierce.
Some demanded an explanation from Edward. Some wanted to tie him up and drag him to Jevoria to beg forgiveness. The more cowardly ones were already packing their things, getting ready to lie low somewhere else.
*****
Just after noon, Violet came in and said Alice and Connor were here, saying they wanted to "check on" me.
"Tell them I'm not feeling well and won't be seeing guests," I said.
Violet nodded and left.
Soon, Violet came back and said, "Alice and Connor are waiting at the gate, saying they're here to beg forgiveness for their son.
"There are quite a few people outside, watching and whispering. I'm afraid that—"
My hand froze on the page. Now I knew exactly why Edward was such a selfish cheater.
Like parents, like son.
Were they trying to manipulate me now?
"Let them in," I said.