Page 87 of The Thief
Alastair watched as Elsa stood and curtsied. He was struck by how lovely she was; her hair blonde as the wheat that grew on Obsidian Ridge and her eyes the loveliest lavender color.
His perusal of her was broken when she said, “It’s nice to meet you, Prince Alastair. I have heard many good things about you. Where is Queen Scarlett?”
He smiled and replied, “She will be here in just a moment. She wanted to make sure she was presentable for our guests.”
He knew it was a lie, but he didn’t know what else to say.
Owyn and Elsa both chuckled.
“I feel the same, as I am the one who usually greets anyone when they arrive at Braewood Keep,” Elsa said, sitting back down on the couch.
It was Alastair’s turn to chuckle. “Well, I hope she gets here quickly. We have much to discuss,” he said, reminding them all of why they were there.
When he saw her coming towards the parlor, he stepped away from the door. He didn’t sit down yet, and Owyn and Elsa both stood as Scarlett came through the door. Alastair shared a reassuring glance with her as she came in, shutting the door behind her. Elsa and Owyn both bowed and she waved them off with a smile.
“I am not your queen,” she said, chuckling. “I’m really not even the interim ruler of the kingdom right now. The real queen is Catriona, not me. So please don’t treat me as such. I keep telling everyone that, but no one seems to understand.”
“They only call you that because right now, it is true. If we find your cousin and it changes, then they will call you otherwise,” Alastair said.
Scarlett rolled her eyes as she sat down on one of the couches opposite from Elsa.
“So, Owyn, tell me what you have discovered.”
Scarlett sighed, emotionally drained.
She watched in silence as Owyn and Elsa excused themselves from the parlor, their talk having gone over an hour long.
Owyn had informed them of everything they knew, including information about her uncle and his knowledge of the kidnapping. He had only done it to save himself, and that was what made her the most upset.
Alastair and Scarlett had also informed Owyn and Elsa that Everett had sent them the letter containing the information about Catriona.
Scarlett had been surprised to hear that Owyn had Elsa help him for the majority of the time, examining and breaking the riddles codes to give the true location of the queen.
When Owyn had described the meeting with Angus McBride, even she had been anxious.
All the evidence pointed to Cyrus, but they knew they would need more than a riddle from Angus, and even though Everett had seen her with his own eyes, it would be his word against Cyrus’. And from what Everett had heard, he didn’t want to let them examine the castle, potentially finding the queen there and proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Cyrus had indeed kidnapped her.
The knowledge that there was a friend on the island taking care of Catriona reassured everyone.
They would need to find out what Brigid knew, if she knew anything, before they would trust her. Which was completely understandable, given the circumstances in which the situation came about.
Who knew if Cyrus was working alone or not?
Scarlett had trouble thinking that he did this himself; it would take a lot of planning, and she didn’t think that Cyrus had the patience.
According to Alastair and Owyn though, in their dealings with him, he could be a very patient man. He just wanted more power.
Alastair moved in the room and Scarlett snapped to attention, drawn from her thoughts.
“I’m glad they came,” she said, happiness filling her heart with the knowledge that confirmed that Catriona was alive on Obsidian Ridge.
“I am as well. I find it interesting though, that Angus McBride chose Owyn to send the letters to. Why not here to us?” Alastair concurred, moving from the arm of the couch to sit next to her.
Instinctively, she leaned into him, his arm going around her and hugging her tightly to him.
“I have no idea. Maybe he felt he could only trust Owyn? Maybe to protect me? To keep me from knowing for now so that I wouldn’t get involved?”
He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “You are already involved. As the acting queen, you are the next target. Art cannot remove it just by saying he is ruling the kingdom now. Everyone knows that unless the law is passed, he will not be king. You will be queen, especially if the Counsel of Electors refuses to let there be an election.”
