“Klyn had to go on an errand and is not feeling well. I would like for him to be able to rest upon his return without the worry that a chore has been leftundone.”
“Yes, I will assist Michan and Sean so Sir Klyn mayrest.”
“Thank you. He is due back by mid-afternoon,” Iinformed.
I spent a fair amount of time in the bath pampering myself. After I got out of the bath, I left my washroom to get dressed in my quarters. As I slipped on a comfortable dress, I noticed that ominous, dark clouds had filled the sky to the south. I frowned and walked out to the balcony to investigate the sudden change in weather. Though cool, it had been so beautiful when I was out here with River. Now the wind was blowing all those dark clouds towardsDrishane.
Had I been in the bath thatlong?
Michan, Sean, and River were all busy crouched by the carriage at the front of the stable. Was Klyn back? I left the balcony and made my way to Klyn’s quarters. His door was open, but the room and washroom were empty. I went downstairs and caught the attention of a castle hand that was stationed to thefoyer.
“Do you know if Klyn has returned?” Iasked.
“No, my Queen. Sir Klyn has yet to return,” hereplied.
“Have you been at this post all morning?” Iinquired.
“Yes, myQueen.”
I nodded and walked outside into the breeze. I stared at Michan, Sean, and River while I tried to listen to them. I rubbed at my ears when I realized that I could not hear them. When I turned my head to look at the bridge, a piercing noise rang through my head. In the blink of an eye, I was seized with a painful headache. The headache was so powerful that I brought both hands up to my head while the wind punished my face with myhair.
“—Queen?”
I faintly heard a familiar voice. I tried to open my eyes, but the pain was too great. I felt one set of hands on me; one hand on my back, and one gently trying to pull my hands away from myhead.
“My Queen, can you hearme?”
Liam. It wasLiam.
“Hey!” I think Liam was yelling though it sounded like my head was underwater. “Help!” Liam calledout.
Moments later, I felt an arm behind the backs of my knee and a firm hand grasp my shoulder. The next thing I knew, River was carrying me back into the castle. Once we crossed into the castle, my headache began to subside rapidly and I was able to open myeyes.
River sat me down at the formal table in the dining room and he sat beside me. Liam, Michan, Ethan, and Sean were all beside me. Some people were scurrying about trying to bring me tea. I explained that I suffered a major headache. The longer I sat there, the more concerned I became. The headache had wiped out my hearing and vision for a few momentsoutside.
The wind whipped through the foyer and the castle hands opted to close the doors. We typically left them open from sun up to sun down. Given the wind and the storm, they wanted the doorsclosed.
“Liam, tell them not to close the doors,” I stated as I rubbed myeyes.
“But, my Queen, the wind is so bad. There is astorm—”
“Liam, tell them not to close the doors,” I repeated. “Klyn still is not back. Those doors are not to close until he hasreturned.”
Liam went to the foyer to pass along my instructions. The doors remained open during the storm. I sat with my gentlemen in the dining room. Bile rose in my throat as I felt the humidity form a sheen of moisture on my skin.Something waswrong.
“We need to go out and look for Klyn,” Isaid.
“No,” River said firmly. “This is no weather for any of us to be out in. Especially you, myQueen.”
“Excuse me, River?” I met his icy stare. “The last time I checked, I was in charge here,” Iinsisted.
“With all due respect, my Queen, that is not a good decision for you,” River paused and then gestured with his head to the other gentlemen. “Nor is it a good decision for them. We wait until the storm passes, and then we will organize an appropriate group to go look for SirKlyn.”
“Maybe he is indoors, my Queen,” Sean offeredup.
“Yes, perhaps he found shelter,” Ethanadded.
I wanted to believe them. I really did. I even tried to convince myself to believe them. But something told me otherwise. I looked down at my hand and realized that I did not have my family ring on. After my bath, I had dressed quickly and gone to the balcony. In haste, I forgot to slip the ringon.
