Page 60 of Quest

His tone was laced with a controlled intensity that cinched my chest. He reached into his bag, pulling out a bundle of my herbs and the essential components of my disguise…the lifeline in this masquerade that had gone missing.

A smirk twisted his lips. “Looking for these?”

The color drained from my face at the sight of my stolen materials. Denials welled up within me, but Kael’s knowing, calculated look told me they would be futile. I swallowed hard, my mind scrambling for a way out, but he didn’t even give me the chance to fabricate a lie.

“I’m not blind, nor am I a fool. Your disguise is fading, and without these”—he tauntingly waved my materials—“you’re not our comrade Ren, but just a deceitful apothecary’s daughter pretending to be something she’s not.”

“How did you know?” Had he uncovered information about me somewhere along our trek? Though for that paranoia, I already knew part of the answer. He’d been watching me, piecing together his suspicions until he was sure…confirming that the one I should have been worried about had been him all along.

“I’ve had my doubts for a while,” Kael said, his voice softer now but no less dangerous. “But in the end, you don’t make a very convincing man.”

My pride stung. Even under the guise of magic, my efforts at deception had fallen short. Yet his vague suspicions weren’t enough to compel me to give up. “That’s hardly proof,” I countered in a feeble effort at bravado.

“Oh, you want more?” His voice softened, tinged with a mix of regret and resolution as he recounted the details of his discovery. “I was just returning from a swim down the stream when I saw you by the pond. The moon was high, bathing everything in its glow. You were standing there, your movements graceful and deliberate as you brushed your hair, untangling each strand with such care and distinct grace. You were looking at your reflection, twisting your hair into a meticulous bun. The way you checked each angle wasn’t the preparation of a man, but intimate, as if you were preparing to meet someone special. There was a beauty in that moment…not just in what I saw, but in the raw truth of your identity, an unintentional confession of who you really are.”

His eyes held mine a moment, searching for any sign of denial…before his gaze darted away, as if uncomfortable by his detailed observations, an odd contrast with his earlier sinister tone.

My heart thrashed against my ribs, a wild drum of panic. I wanted to refute his narrative, but shock had momentarily stolen my voice. My cheeks burned as Kael pieced together his observations, his account too detailed to be fabricated.

The memory he’d described occurred just last night, the evening following after Darcel and I had shared our first kiss. We’d arranged to meet for a romantic stroll during his turn for the night watch. Thrilled about our new relationship and finally being seen as the woman I was, I’d taken extra care to look my best, retreating to a secluded spot by the pond to primp in peace.

After witnessing something so condemning, it was no surprise that Kael had chosen the next evening to confront me, using this final piece of evidence to challenge my disguise…meaning my closely guarded secret was now in the hands of someone I wasn’t sure I could trust. His challenging stare dared me to continue my denial, but I was suddenly weary from the burden of my constant charade.

I released a shaky sigh, conceding defeat. His smirk broadened, smug in victory. “I appreciate that despite your fierce pride, you can recognize when you’ve lost.”

“What do you want?” I asked, my tone composed despite my raging turmoil.

He smiled, though it lacked warmth. “A simple arrangement beneficial to us both.”

A cold shiver trickled down my spine as I grasped his implication. “Blackmail?” Despite my efforts, my voice wavered.

“Think of it as insurance,” Kael countered smoothly, coaxingly. "You keep my secrets, and I’ll keep yours.”

His words were calculated, designed to manipulate; I hated that part of me considered his twisted proposal. Yet beneath his confident guise, I detected a hint of hesitation, as if his heart wasn’t entirely in the deceit he peddled.

I lifted my chin defiantly. “And if I refuse to cooperate?”

“Then I suppose the prince learns how his trusted herbalist has deceived him from the start. I’d hate to see the fallout from such a revelation.”

I smirked, seizing the opportunity to shift the balance in my favor. “A conniving threat, but unfortunately for you one that is ineffective, considering he already knows.”

His initial shock gave me a fleeting sense of triumph. Kael scrutinized me, searching for deceit, but upon realizing the truth in my words, he quickly recovered. “Even so, there are still plenty of others who don’t, nor can you escape the consequences. Despite the prince’s efforts to protect you, he can’t shield you from the court’s whispers, the distrust, or the damage to your and his reputations once the kingdom learns that a woman accompanied this quest and spent time alone with the prince…as well as another man.”

His words were a harsh dose of reality. The potential ramifications of my secret becoming public would affect not just me but also my father, our apothecary…and most worryingly Darcel.

“And consider the prince’s position—his reputation is at far greater risk than yours,” Kael pressed, his voice sharpening. “What will people say when they learn he’s been compromised by his involvement with you? Rather than embarking on this quest for Lumeria’s benefit, he’s been gallivanting with a woman-in-disguise. His actions could be seen not just as personal folly but as a betrayal of his royal duties.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. The implications twisted my stomach, far surpassing the dread of my own exposure. “But that’s not what's happened—” I tried to interject, but Kael’s cold laughter cut me off.

“The truth of the matter is irrelevant. In the eyes of the court and the gossipmongers, perception is reality. I have enough influence and presence on this quest to spin the narrative any way I choose.” Despite his relentless attack, I sensed more hesitation in his words than before, as if he stood at a crossroads facing a path he wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to go down.

The potential harm to Darcel given his vulnerabilities and his efforts to prove his worth resonated deeply within me. My heart ached at the possibility that my defiance of Kael’s demands could undermine the man I loved. My determination faltered, motivated less by my own concerns than by the man I loved, as I confronted the harsh truth that yielding to Kael might be the only way to shield us both from severe repercussions.

The tension hung heavy between us, as suffocating as the dampness of the surrounding woods. It was clear Kael had orchestrated this confrontation with chilling precision. I was trapped by his machinations, an advantage he was fully aware of.

Reluctantly, my resistance crumbled under the pressure of his threats. Recognizing that my options were severely limited, I reluctantly nodded. “Fine,” I conceded bitterly. “We will keep each other’s secrets.”

Kael’s smile was strained, his eyes devoid of genuine satisfaction—a curious response for someone who seemingly held the upper hand. “Wise decision,” he acknowledged, his tone softer but laced with a hollow camaraderie that did nothing to mask the power he believed he wielded over me.

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