The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 16: Limes Vs Bread

Another dreary morning. Claire wished she had died in her sleep.

She’d had the same wolf dream, only that the wolf didn’t leap on her. It just watched her from the shadows of the woods, with its gleaming green eyes.

Her throat was dry, and her stomach seemed to hurt. All she had taken the previous night was wine. Too much wine. Nothing more.

Her head hurt slightly; so did other parts of her body. As the events of the previous night flooded her memory, she squinted her eyes shut. Aurora’s pale face and bruised neck still haunted her. Was her sister well taken care of? Where were they keeping her?

Claire had cried herself to sleep the previous night. Surprisingly, her uncle had not paid her any unwelcome midnight visits, for which she was glad.

A brisk knock cracked the silence, followed by the sound of a key scraping in the lock. Dana came in bearing a tray of diced-up limes. Where was Seraphine? Seraphine had always snuck food up to her when she visited.

"My lady," the pinch-faced woman greeted as she set the tray down on the bed.

Claire’s gaze darted to the tray, then out the window. The scent of citrus filled the room. The woman smelled like kitchen smoke and freshly baked bread.

Dana moved to the windows and opened the curtains.

"It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it."

Claire said nothing.

"Perhaps a..."

The door opened. Seraphine walked in.

Dana spun around, skirts swirling.

"What are you doing here? The master sent you to the kitchens."

Seraphine ignored her.

She rushed to Claire’s side. Her gaze flicked to the untouched tray of limes for a split second.

Grunting, Dana curtsied and left the room. Both of them waited until they were sure the maid had left and wasn’t eavesdropping.

"I do not want you to get into trouble because of me. I can look after myself."

The woman gulped.

"There’s a young man here to see you. He’s in the woods."

Claire gripped the woman’s icy hands and held them firmly.

"What about my sister? Do you know where they are keeping her?"

The woman shook her head.

"She was conveyed in a wagon in the middle of the night. No one knows where she was taken - at the master’s orders."

Master, not Alpha, Claire realized.

Her heart shattered. She had promised Aurora that nothing would ever separate them. It was all her fault. If she hadn’t accepted to come to Penbrook in the first place, none of this would have happened.

They would be poor, yes, but they would have been happy.

The thought of Aurora locked up in a dark and damp room while she laid comfortably on her bed sent a shiver coursing through her.

"You have to leave this afternoon." Seraphine said, pulling her out of her reverie.

"I can’t. You of all people know that. Besides, I’m too weak to outrun wolves. I can’t shift and I haven’t eaten a proper meal in days. Living on lime is not what I imagined when I signed up to marry his fucking son." She said through gritted teeth.

The woman smoothed her hair. The small action brought tears to her eyes - she usually smoothed Aurora’s hair.

"He’s leaving to see the King by noon-"

"Why?"

"Let me finish. He’ll be leaving with most of his men, leaving a few servants behind. You’ll elect to take a walk and ask that I accompany you. Your friend would be waiting for you there. Then, I run back and cry out that I can’t find you-"

"What about my sister?" Claire couldn’t resist asking.

"If I receive word concerning her whereabouts, I will communicate it to you."

She wiped her flooding eyes.

"Why are you helping me?"

There was a brief hesitation. "You remind me of my daughter."

"But... what if Uncle Jarren finds out? He’d hurt you..."

The woman placed a finger on her lips.

"Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Now eat this."

The woman produced a wrapping of bread and cheese she had hidden in her long gray dress. The smell of the bread quickly overshadowed the pungent citrus scent she had become used to.

"I have to go. Don’t forget what I told you. As soon as you hear his party leave, start preparing. After an hour, ring for me to come to you."

Claire managed a brisk nod.

Then, Seraphine stood and walked out of the room in a rustle of heavy skirts.

A heavy sigh escaped her. She didn’t want to leave - not without Aurora.

What if Seraphine got harmed because of her?

She still didn’t know what had befallen Margaret.

That was the longest Seraphine had ever spoken to her, she realized.

Could she hear despite her burned ears or was she reading her lips?

She bit deep into the bread and found that her appetite had long deserted her. Every bite was flavoured with guilt.

How could she eat when she wasn’t sure her sister had?

But somehow, she stuffed everything down her parched throat, washing it down with water.

She dusted the crumbs and picked up the lime tray.

Just then, the door opened, revealing Uncle Jarren.

Her grip on the tray tightened but she schooled her face to remain blank.

"How was your night?" He asked, closing the door behind himself.

He moved with difficulty, she noticed. She must have burned him terribly.

His beard had been shaved neatly as usual and his garments were impeccable.

"My night was fine." She lowered her eyes to hide the resentment burning there.

He inched closer to the bed.

Her eyes darted to the crumbs scattered on the floor.

Please don’t see it, she prayed to whichever god would listen to her.

"I’m off to see your lover, my love."

She winced at his choice of words.

"You act as if the very mention of him repulses you, when deep down, you open your-".

"Why do you honour me with your visit, dear uncle?" She cut him off smoothly. His eyes glinted, instantly recognizing the challenge.

He let out a tired sigh. "I wanted you to know that I intend to reclaim your father’s lands from the crown." He sat down at the edge of the bed with a loud creak, reaching out to give her hand a little squeeze.

"I’m doing it for you. I want to give you back what they took from you - because I love you."

She jerked her hand away from his grasp.

"Do you doubt my feelings?"

"Give me back my sister and I’ll believe you."

"Your sister is my little form of insurance, you see. If you try anything stupid - like what you did the previous night - she will bear the brunt of your actions."

Claire gulped.

Escaping would be a terrible idea, she imagined. If they hurt a hair on Aurora’s head, she’d kill them all. With her bare hands if she had to.

"What kind of love do you claim to have for me, then? Must I be your prisoner?"

He picked up a lime and pressed it against her sealed lips.

"Open for me." He coaxed.

Her eyes snapped to his. Something in his gaze flickered - the exact same thing happened when he nearly strangled Aurora.

He smelled like freshly tanned leather.

Her trembling lips parted. She sucked on the slice of lime he thrust into her mouth.

A slow grin curved his thin lips.

The most terrifying thing about him was his unpredictability - she never knew if he wanted to strangle her.

"It smells like... bread in here, doesn’t it?" He sniffed at the air like an animal.

Her stomach knotted. She avoided looking at where the crumbs were littered.

"Those kitchen wenches. They spread the aroma everywhere, don’t they?"

She nodded, struggling to hide the relief that flooded through her. Her heart had been pounding so loud she feared he could hear it.

He picked up a stray strand of her hair and curled it around his finger.

"Smooth as silk." He murmured.

His hands moved to her head. She felt his hands snaking through her tangled locks.

He was sniffing her hair, she realized with sickening conviction.

Uncle Jarren rubbed his face against her hair.

"Everyone needs to know you are mine. Even him."

She knew who the ’him’ was all too clearly.

He finally pulled away from her.

"Who gave you bread?" He asked in a very calm voice.

A lump formed in her throat.

"No one."

Claire felt his grip on her hair tighten.

"Don’t lie to me, my love."

She turned her face away. He leaned his forehead against hers, such that their breaths mingled.

"I’ll hang them all. Tell me and I’ll spare them."

She straightened her shoulders.

"No one, my love." She choked out.

Surprisingly, the words seemed to appease him.

He placed a kiss on her forehead and stood up.

Claire refused to look up.

"I’m glad you are finally learning your place. I’ll visit tonight" His gaze darkened. "Do you want me to leave any message for your King lover whilst I am there?"

She shook her head.

Then, he left the room.

She sagged against the head rest of the bed.

She had to leave before nightfall somehow.

But how?

What about Aurora?

She ran her hands through her hair.

"Yeren." The name escaped her without her realizing it.

Would he help her?