Yet his father was more than willing to turn on Benedict to hide his own treasonous activities.
No more. It was time Benedict fully cut those ties to his family and forged on alone. Perhaps he’d have less to regret in the future.
Not that he’d have much of a future. He would spend it sitting in the dungeon, hoping his Court didn’t crumble around him on Midsummer because he’d failed to stop Claudius.
Even when he tried to do the right thing, he still ended up with nothing but regrets.
Chapter Fourteen
Beatrice stayed standing where she was, watching as Benedict was dragged away in chains, his arms gripped by two tall swordmaidens.
Benedict had seemed so sincere, both when he’d been pleading with her to be quiet and just now as he was being hauled away.
Besides, this whole thing made no sense, now that she paused a moment to truly think. There was no way Benedict’s father and brother had come to stop him from capturing the Primrose. They hated humans even more than Benedict did. Or had. Did he still hate humans? Until that evening, Beatrice had started to think he didn’t.
King Theseus turned to Lord Jonlius and Borachio and made an inviting gesture. “Would the two of you come with me? I would like to discuss exactly what happened tonight.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. We will be happy to cooperate.” Lord Jonlius’s voice was too smooth, too arrogant.
As King Theseus led Lord Jonlius and Borachio away, Beatrice forced her feet to move. She hurried to Queen Hippolyta and curtsied, her heart pounding. She didn’t havequite the easy friendship with the queen that Brigid did. Instead, the Swordmaiden Queen rather intimidated her. “Your Majesty. I’m not sure…well, something isn’t…I don’t think…”
“Take a deep breath, Apprentice Librarian Beatrice.” Queen Hippolyta sheathed her sword and smiled. “Your family has been informed of what was happening. That was quick thinking to send Lady Helena to us.”
“It was all I could think to do, Your Majesty.” Beatrice bobbed another curtsy, gripping her skirt with shaking fingers. At least Meg, Basil, Munch, and, most importantly, Brigid, had been warned about the trap. “But you should know. I don’t think Benedict’s father and brother were here to stop him. I think they planned to help him. I don’t have any proof of that. They didn’t say anything incriminating. But…”
Queen Hippolyta’s smile widened, her eyes twinkling slightly. “Oh, we are well aware that they weren’t here out of the goodness of their hearts. Why do you think Theseus asked them to join him for further questioning?”
Beatrice released a breath in a whoosh. Of course King Theseus and Queen Hippolyta had guessed. They knew the opinions and beliefs of the various members of their Court, especially of those who opposed them.
She scrunched her skirts in her fists and gathered her courage. “I’m also not sure Benedict was trying to trap the Primrose. I thought so, when Lady Helena told me. But then I confronted him, and he kept telling me to trust him. He said the trap wasn’t for the Primrose, and that the Library’s fate depended on what he was doing. He went so far as to vow that he wasn’t lying.”
“That is not something to take lightly.” Queen Hippolyta’s smile vanished, her eyes cooling.
“No, it isn’t.” Fae didn’t vow without a good reason since the magic of the Fae Realm would prevent them from breakingthat vow. “And just now as he was hauled away, he said that he trapped the person he intended to trap.”
Which didn’t make sense at all. The only person he’d managed to trap was himself. Had he feared that he would do something to the Library?
“Do you think Claudius is forcing him to do something against the Library?” Beatrice asked the question out loud, her mind whirling. “But he couldn’t have known that Helena would overhear, and that I would send for the king.”
“There is certainly more here than meets the eye.” Queen Hippolyta pressed her mouth into a thin line before she tipped her head slightly. “Thank you for your help tonight, Beatrice. The king and I will thoroughly investigate this situation.”
Turning, Queen Hippolyta motioned with her hand. The remaining swordmaidens stepped into formation around her, then all of them strode away.
Beatrice stood there, strangely at a loss now that the action was over and she’d been dismissed.
What now? It wasn’t like she could help with the investigation. She wasn’t clever like her sister. She wasn’t even a proper part of the Primrose League.
Yet she felt like she should be there for Benedict. Which was weird. She’d threatened him only moments ago. She’d utterly believed he’d been about to betray her sister.
And now she wasn’t so sure. Now she almost felt a strange loyalty to him, as if she needed to defend him from false allegations.
Were they false? And if they were, what had Benedict been up to?
His words kept ringing in her ears.Please, Beatrice. Please trust me.
Did she dare trust Benedict of all people? Especially in something like this? If he was lying, then the danger to her sister was over.
But if he wasn’t lying, then that danger was still out there.
