Chapter 25

Jamie was, understandably, quite upset.

They heard the whole situation from her once they managed to sit her down in a chair with some tea. Ari hovered near her anxiously as if he desired to give comfort but wasn't sure if he should. Why, Lyla had no idea. She didn't understand him sometimes.

"It's not fair." Jamie's hands pressed to her cheeks, which had paled in her distress. "I've been going to balls and having archery lessons and selfishly fooling around while Ben has been sick."

"You didn't know, Jamie, and besides- you've been doing important work with us here," Lyla pointed out, but Jamie didn't appear convinced.

Lyla was just grateful that Ben seemed to have been the only one with any sort of malady. Tristran, as penned in his letter, felt nothing out of sorts. And yet, if something terrible were to befall his husband, Lyla couldn't imagine what he would do, how he would feel...

Jamie voiced her thoughts. "If anything happens to him, I-"

"Nothing's happening to Ben." Ari firmly cut into her train of thought before she could finish the sentence. "Let's not make assumptions; we don't even know why he's ill."

"Tristran said he has a fever. Isn't that how the villagers started?" Jamie's tone was bordering on hysteria, and Lyla thought they ought to move; currently they stood behind a flowerpot in the corner of the ballroom, and people were beginning to stare. "I must go to him," Jamie said woodenly, her eyes fixed blankly ahead at some unseen point on the wall. "I have to see him."

"Shh, Jamie, it's alright." Ari's hand landed firmly on her shoulder, the intensity in his eyes making Lyla look away. "She needs to sit down."

Eli stood up, smoothing his hands over any wrinkles in his coat before signalling for a servant.

"Lady Jamie is unwell. Please give our regards to the hostess, as we will be escorting her to her chambers."

The servant bowed, somehow managing to balance his tray of champagne flutes at the same time, and the noises of the ball gradually receded behind as they emptied into the hallway.

"I'm fine," Jamie protested, shrugging their concerns off. "I.. just.. I have to go to Apreuna."

"Perhaps I should go with her," Lyla murmured now as she watched Jamie's maid tuck her safely into her bed. Aveline and Ari spoke softly to her while Eli waited outside the door with Lyla.

"We could all go," Eli offered, without much feeling; both of them knew that wasn't a realistic option. If the Verignes mystery illness had truly befallen Ben, then there was more reason now to figure out was behind it and hopefully locate a cure.

"We need you here, Lyla." Aveline's gaze rested on hers with urgency. "Besides, Ari's right— Ben's fever could have nothing to do with what's happening here."

"Either way, it's not a coincidence we should overlook."

"I agree. But we can easily send Jamie on one of the royal vessels; she'll be looked after then. Tristran can pick her up at the harbor."

Ari appeared in front of them, then. The bruises under his eyes were more apparent than usual, Lyla wondered if he'd gotten much sleep the night before.

"We're sending her out tomorrow morning," he mumbled, brushing past them. "She doesn't wish for anyone to come with her."

Well, that answered that question; Ari didn't leave any room for argument.

"It's not helping her to stay here," explained Eli. "She needs to see Benjamin-"

"She needs to rest," Ari interjected. He started to walk back down the corridor, his hands tense at his sides, so Lyla took this as 'good night'.

"It's late," said Aveline in her usual gentle way. "We should all be resting."

Lyla suddenly felt exhausted in her ballgown and fancy hair, and yet even though she couldn't even stand on her own two feet, she couldn't sleep. The sounds of the ball carried on and on into the late hours of the night, until she wanted to yank open her door and throw her shoe down the hall into the ballroom.

Ben couldn't possibly have had the illness... right?

Lyla knew it wasn't contagious, but it didn't stop her from worrying about Tristran, too. Were they doing alright? The prince's letter had said very little. Something about Ben being sick, and that there was trouble.

Lyla rolled over countless times until her fretting gradually tired her and the laughter from somewhere in the palace gradually died down.

-

Eli, dutiful as always, made sure all the arrangements were made, and Jamie left early the next morning. Lyla watched her boat ebb away on the waves until it was merely a black dot on the horizon, and she hoped that Jamie would find Ben in better health, that things were not as bad as they'd assumed. She had no idea how long Jamie would be absent, but surely things would not be the same without her.

"Perhaps it won't be so bad, after all," she'd said aloud to Inez, chafing her hands on her goosebumped arms to stave off the chill. "Perhaps it's good that she's leaving; Ben will be able to lift Jamie's spirits in no time. I like to imagine that he's simply come down with a common cold. "

Inez hummed, rocking back on her heels. "Well, I've finally figured out why Ari and Aveline took to you so much when you first came on."

Startled, Lyla glanced up. "Why?"

"They're obsessed with innocence." Inez was in a contemplative mood today; thoughtful as she gazed out on the open waves, and she tended to talk more when she felt reflective.

"I'm not innocent." Lyla found herself resenting this; she didn't like to think of herself as naive. But Inez simply waved her off.

"Of course you are. And whenever Ari and Aveline see something pure and untainted by the world, they have to take care of it. It's why they protect sea creatures and rescue children."

"Rescue children? Inez, I don't..."

Inez stopped short and fixed Lyla with a hard stare. After a moment, comprehension shifted in her features.

"It's nothing," she said. "Forget it."

"What are you two blabbering about?" Ari had walked back from the docks with Aveline in tow, and Inez's mouth closed with a snap. But he didn't bother waiting for them to respond. "It's raining, Aveline is cold, and we're still standing out here." His hair ruffled in the breeze as he glowered at the ocean.

Aveline suggested they have breakfast, and Lyla didn't have time to think about all of the subjects she suddenly had to meditate on as they re-entered the Verignes castle.

It'd been a few months, but the imposing marble and intricate palace carvings still took Lyla's breath away whenever she walked into the vestibule. It was quiet today, mostly; tranquil after the business of the ball last night.

Aveline suddenly stopped short, cursing in a soft voice, and Lyla paused.

"What is it?"

"Don't look now," she hissed, "but would you guess who's speaking with Camille, over there?"

"Who?" Lyla's head swerved around automatically; sure enough, Her Highness stood at the entrance to the hallway, a porcelain hand covering her mouth as she giggled at something her companion had said. The stout, male figure leaning towards her suddenly appeared familiar to Lyla, and her hand clapped over her mouth. "Lord Guernot?!"

"What the hell is he doing here?"

"Visiting his home kingdom, I suspect," said Ari grimly. "He is from Verignes, after all."

Lyla didn't bother to avert her blatant staring. She imagined she looked as if as if her eyes were about to pop out of her head.
Guernot saw them in a moment, his eyes lighting with recognition.

"Ah! Lady Lyla!" He strode towards them with his arms wide, a broad grin on his cheeks. Faint lines had been drawn on his forehead; likely the result of too much Apreuna sun. He was probably in his late twenties, Lyla realized with distaste, wondering why the hell her mother had tried to push them together. "Your presence is sorely missed in Apreuna."

"I'm certain," she maintained, her tone flat. "It does puzzle me, however, why you aren't there. I thought you were to remain in Apreuna for the rest of the season."

His expression transformed into one of innocence. "Why, Lyla— Verignes is my home. I couldn't bear to be parted from it for another second."

"What Lyla meant to say is, we don't want you here," Ari supplied helpfully.

"Pity." Guernot's lips folded into a half-sneer, half-smirk. "Anyway, not that I have to explain myself to you, but I came home to visit. Also, to see how you're doing with the job." His voice became a loud whisper. "From what I hear, it's... not so well."

"Guernot, we've spoken about this; those voices in your head aren't actually real."

"Ah, I see you've met Lord Guernot!" Before he could respond, Camille suddenly had squeezed herself into the circle, smoothly interjecting herself into the conversation, and Lyla noted with a bit of envy that not a hair in her elaborate auburn updo was out of place. "One of our finest, I'd say."

The lord's smugness was so self-satisfied and taunting, it made Lyla want to punch him, forgetting for a moment that he was technically supposed to be her suitor. "We're acquainted, Highness."

"Unfortunately." Aveline said it so sweetly it almost could be mistaken for a compliment. "Your Highness, he was just asking us about our duties here in Verignes."

"Oh." Almost immediately, Camille's shoulders drooped with disinterest.

But the nobleman wasn't finished. "Are you certain yet that you don't want to give up, return to Apreuna and admit you failed?"

"I think they are doing very well, Lord Guernot," trilled Camille, offering her obliging contribution to the discussion. "They make fine additions to my parties. You don't see many pirates at Lady Taya's balls, do you?"

"Uh," he bowed, "no, princess."

"I didn't think so." Camille inclined her head, her vanity apparently satisfied, and her rose-colored gown swirled with delicacy around her feet as she skipped blithely away.

"Well." After a moment, Lyla cleared her throat. "As... er, wonderful as as this visit has been, we are very busy."

"Yes." Guernot folded his arms, somewhat resembling a bratty child. "I work for the King, you know. I'm certain he'd be quite interested to hear of your progress here."

"You can tell him-"

"That we're working on it," Aveline interrupted Ari before he could say something presumably shocking.

The lord's grin increased. "Well, you'll be letting me know when you need help?"

"Don't count on it," muttered Lyla. "Good day, sir."

"Of course, Lady Lyla. That color looks lovely on you, by the way."

Lyla watched him strut down the hallway, waiting until she was sure he was gone to speak.
"Well, this has been a horrible past twenty-four hours."
Her companions murmured their agreement and she continued.
"First; we find out the villagers were taking drugs. Then Ben falls ill, Jamie leaves... this is just the icing on the cake, truly."

"The drugs are the strangest part." Ari shook his head. "We walk into the kingdom expecting to kill someone; you know, avenge some murders and all that, and come to find out the villagers are doing it voluntarily?"

"We don't know that for sure," Aveline reminded them. "You don't think Lord Guernot knows anything about this, do you?"

"He's stupid, but I wouldn't put it past him."

Lyla blew out a breath. So many things had happened since they'd set foot in the kingdom- admittedly, most of them bad. At least, she supposed, her time in Verignes hadn't been boring.

Somehow, the thought didn't bring her much comfort.

**soo.. Jamie's gone. And Guernot is here!! Don't worry, Jamie will be back (no spoilers, ofc, but we might be hearing from her sooner rather than later!) and as for everything else... omg, guys, I know I said I was taking a hiatus around chapter 35, but all the stuff that happens before then is sooo exciting, I can't wait. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!!**