The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 71: Visit the Priest

Her spine slowly straightened.

Then she looked at the person standing beside her.

"Lord Andon."

"Miss Stenly." He sketched a small bow.

Claire gulped and arranged her already neat gown. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"I take it that you do not plan on telling me why you were eavesdropping on highly esteemed council members."

She fumbled with a smile.

"You saw nothing, Lord Andon." Then she spun on her heels and made to walk away.

"Miss Stenly?" He called out.

She stopped walking and glanced over her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"The King will not be joining the meeting for today."

"Am I to see him in his private chambers?" She felt her pulse quicken at the thought.

His lips quirked into a sly grin.

"As much as I hate to say this, you cannot. The King will be indisposed for the rest of the day. Enjoy your... freedom."

"What about his family?"

He raised a brow. "They will be fine... unless you have a reason to think otherwise?"

"Of course not. I only asked because I expected him to spend time with them."

Andon sighed. She noticed the dark shadows beneath his eyes.

"The King won’t be seeing anyone today. Now," He ran a hand over his face, "It is my duty to inform the council that he would not be gracing the table."

"May I ask why?"

He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"No, you may not. Have a nice day, Miss Stenly. I trust you are greatly relieved?"

Relieved? How could she be relieved?

She watched him enter the chamber and closed the door behind him.

Was the King ill?

What was she going to do for the rest of her day? She contemplated continuing the book on Lycans she had been reading, but she had little interest in it.

When she glanced out at the sky, it was cloudy. The autumn rain would soon begin, Claire noted.

The walk back to her chambers was torturous. When she reached the main hall, she took a detour to the King’s tower.

She had to see him for herself.

His guards, four in number, stood outside his door.

She was small in size compared to them. None of them spared her a glance, they just kept staring ahead.

As she moved closer to the door, two of them drew together and blocked her path.

Claire glanced from one to the other, her mouth hanging open.

"Let me through." She tried again.

The statue men refused to move.

"Your Grace!" She called out.

There was no response from within.

"The King requested for me."

Their hands fell to the hilt of their swords.

"I need to see the King, if you will let me through."

Still no response.

The urge to stomp her feet like a little girl was too strong.

"Is the King inside?"

No answer.

Then, she saw Andon walking towards the room.

"Thank the heavens." She whispered under her breath.

"What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be sewing or napping like a lady should be doing?"

She twisted her lips. "In case you have forgotten, I am not a lady, and I could never be so vain to spend such a beautiful morning sewing and napping."

He smirked.

"Suit yourself."

As he approached the door, the guards parted for him to walk through.

Claire rushes to follow behind him, but the guards blocked her path once again.

"What have I done to you?" She asked them, hating the fact that their faces were concealed from her view.

She wasn’t even close enough to eavesdrop if she wanted to.

With slumped shoulders, she returned back to her room.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully until she was sure the King wasn’t on his death bed.

Claire went straight to Aurora’s room, sinking down on the bed as soon as she entered the room.

"The King was not at the meeting this morning." She began.

"He could have been busy." Rory quickly said in his defense.

"But he was in his room all morning, Rory! And those stupid guards will not let me see him."

Rory patted her knee.

"The King is fine."

"And if he is not?"

"Have you asked Lord Andon about him?"

Claire nodded. "He deliberately tries to frustrate me every time I ask him about the King."

"So... does this mean that you are no longer his Cupbearer?"

Claire tilted her head, considering her sister’s question.

"I do not know.

"He will be fine, Claire. We should even visit the priest to pray for him."

Claire rose from the bed.

"Yes. Let’s do that."

Aurora wore a light blue wool dress and slung a scarf over her shoulders.

"Shall we?"

Hand in hand, they walked to the church, passing through the garden path.

Memories from the kiss they had shared in the garden filtered through her mind.

"Why are you so quiet?"

Claire stiffened, touching her hand to her chest as she asked, "Me?"

Rory nodded.

The grand steps that led into the church were painted with images of the history of the werewolf religion. The floors inside were carefully designed with mosaics that told ancient stories of their kind, so was the ceiling above them.

The priest was a little man that bent over a cane as he walked down the aisle of the empty pews.

"What a pleasure!" He called out from a distance away.

The statue of the moon goddess stood on the altar.

"Hana." The man pulled Aurora into his arms and patted her head.

"My name is Aurora."

The man felt her face.

"Forgive my failing mirror. What do you want to confess before the goddess?"

Rory turned to her sister.

"My sister actually wanted to pray for the King."

The man slowly turned to look at her.

"Pray for the King? Even a sword thrust by a god would not harm that man."

Claire covered her mouth.

"Very well, we will pray for him together." To Aurora, he said, "Have the nightmares gone?"

Darting a quick glance at her sister, Rory nodded.

"What was your last nightmare about?"

Aurora turned to her very slowly.

"I dreamt that Claire... that Claire died."