“Marie was a quiet woman who kept mostly to herself. I didn’t know her well other than she was good at her job. She was diligent and efficient and worked as an assistant to the royal guard for about five years or so. I couldn’t tell you more about her, because I frankly don’t know. She never shared anything personal.”
Rowan glances over at me, clearly sharing my curiosity about why someone so capable, who had been there for five years, would leave her position.
“Was there anything…unusual about her departure? Do you remember her giving a reason for leaving?” Rowan asks.
He hesitates for a moment, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Your Majesties,” he begins cautiously, “Marie was dismissed from her position by your mother, the former queen.”
A chill sweeps through me, as though an icy gust had found its way into the warmth of the palace. My heart clenches tightly, disbelief and anger battling for dominance within my chest. Why did our mother bother giving us a bullshit name to throw us off track when she knew who took Desta all along? What the fuck is she trying to hide?
“Are you certain?” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper as I work to rein in my fury.
“Absolutely, Your Majesty,” Commander Lawrence confirms, his expression grave. “It happened twenty-one years ago.” He clears his throat. “Two weeks before Desta’s kidnapping and your father’s death.”
“Do you remember any reason given at the time?” Rowan questions quickly.
“No. I did not speak with your mother nor was I there when Marie was discharged. I was simply told about it after the fact by your father and that was that. I hadn’t thought much about it as a new person came on shortly after, and then, well, then Desta was taken, and your father murdered.”
The weight of this settles heavily upon my chest, pressing down like a crushing burden. A myriad of questions swirl through my mind, each one laced with confusion and doubt.
I glance over to Rowan, who gives me a brief nod, and I turn back to the commander. “Thank you, Commander,” I say quietly, my thoughts racing ahead like a runaway train. “That was very helpful.”
“Always, Your Majesty,” he replies with a nod. “I’m always here to serve you and your family.” He goes to stand and then hesitates, glancing from me to Rowan before continuing. “Actually, there is something else I wanted to discuss with you if I may?”
“Of course.”
“I understand you’re in need of a new nanny for your children, King Sebastian?”
I frown, momentarily taken aback by the abrupt change in topic but grateful for the distraction. “Yes, that’s correct. Why do you ask?”
A rare smile lights his face. “Your housekeeper, Emily, overheard earlier speaking of it with Queen Bellamy. My daughter, Charlotte, has recently returned to Messalina after working as a teacher in France,” he explains, pride evident in his voice. “She has extensive experience with children, and I believe she would be an excellent fit for your family.”
“Charlotte, you say?” I repeat, mentally cataloging the information. I didn’t know he had a daughter. Actually, I didn’t know he was ever married. But the idea of entrusting my children to someone with a connection to our loyal royal guard holds a certain appeal.
“Yes!” he exclaims. “She’s well educated, responsible, and highly adaptable. I also trained her myself when she was a teenager, so she’s more than physically capable of keeping the children safe and knows how to handle threats.”
“Thank you for the suggestion, Commander,” I say with asmall, relieved smile, liking the idea more and more. “Your daughter sounds like a wonderful candidate. We will certainly take her into consideration.”
He stands and bows respectfully. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Once the commander leaves, I turn to Rowan, my voice hiding none of my rage. “What are we going to do now?”
“Sebastian,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck! There is no information on Marie. She’s gone. Poof. Evaporated into thin air. Our mother fired her and two weeks later, Marie took Desta and killed our father. Why the fuck would our mother keep that from us instead of telling us the facts from the start? That’s what I don’t get in all of this. That’s what I keep cycling back to.”
I shake my head. “Same. Maybe she feels responsible because she fired her?” Only as the words leave my mouth, I know they’re too simple. “No. It’s more than that. I just can’t think of why she wouldn’t want us to know who took Desta.”
He sighs, losing steam since there are no answers to be found. At least not yet. “Go talk to Bellamy about this Charlotte woman. That’s at least promising.”
I leave Rowan here and stride through the palace halls, my heart lightening at the prospect of sharing news about Charlotte with Bellamy. I know we have to consider other candidates, but something about the commander’s daughter feels like a perfect fit. My fingers graze over the cool stone of the corridor walls as I approach the new third floor of the library.
“Sebastian!” Bellamy calls out upon seeing me enter, her eyes sparkling. She’s sitting on the floor reading a book with Zayer while Phaedra and Sabrina work on a puzzle with Arthur asleep beside them. “How did your day of crazy meetings go?”
“Better than expected actually,” I reply, snatching Zayer off her lap and lifting him high in the air before kissing the crown of his head and setting him down. “Do you have a moment?”
“Sure,” she answers, surprised.
I help her off the ground and walk her over to the fireplace on the opposite side of the room. I love that she’s using this room. I love that she’s smiling again.
“Is everything okay?”
