Page 76 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
RITE OF BLOOD AND LOSS
ONE
The corridors of Castle Sanulieon are deserted at this time, which is probably a good thing considering that I'm not wearing anything befitting a new princess right now, but there was hardly time to dress properly when my lady's maid woke us with the news that someone is dead.
Linc squeezes my hand in an attempt to reassure me, but I don't think there's anything that can at this point. I'm not sure what we're going to find when we arrive at the House Rothorne apartments, but I know it's not going to be good. Lord Fallmartin wouldn't be summoning us if the person who was dead wasn't important.
A horrible feeling sinks within me. "I didn't think to ask Jemima which Lord Fallmartin," I whisper.
"What?" Linc asks, turning to me with a concerned expression on his face. He gestures for his bodyguard to pause for a moment and pulls me into an alcove, giving us a small amount of privacy. "What do you mean, which Lord Fallmartin?"
"I assumed it was my father summoning us, but what if it's not. What if it's Bastian?" I look up at him with wide eyes, a terror gripping me like none I've ever known before. I'm not sure whether it's because of the thought of the two of us being without our protector here at court, or at the idea of my brother having control over House Rothorne.
While Lord Fallmartin is in charge, I'm assured of Linc's safety. But I don't think the logic will work the same on Bastian, not with how much difficulty he's been having with the fact that Linc and I are together.
Linc cups my face in his hand and looks at me. "It's going to be all right," he assures me. "I'm certain that Jemima would have said it was Bastian if he's now Lord Fallmartin. Your father will be fine."
I take a shaky breath. "That does make sense. But who..."
"We'll find out when we get there," he responds. "It might not be nearly as bad as we think." Even from his tone, I can tell that he doesn't believe what he's saying. I have no idea what to expect when we get to the apartments, but I know that it's not going to be good.
Neither of us say anything as we make the rest of our way to the House Rothorne apartments, and are ushered inside by one of the servants. It's strange not to have Jemima greet me to take my cloak, but she's back in the servants' quarters of the rooms I now share with Linc.
I let out a sigh of relief when we're ushered into the drawing room and I spot my brother, still in his formal wear, sitting on one of the chairs. Any relief quickly vanishes when I see his bloody lip, and clear indications that he's been in a fight. The cup of blood in his hands is enough to tell me that he's at least a little hurt.
"What's he doing here?" Bastian asks, looking past me to where Linc is standing.
"It's my wedding night, where do you think I was?" I say without thinking.
"He is your sister's husband," Lord Fallmartin says, drawing my attention to him. He doesn't seem to be hurt either.
Relief rushes through me at the realisation that my father is still alive, and it's far stronger than I would have expected. More than that, it goes beyond the practicality of having him around to protect us. Recently, I've been enjoying learning about his insights and plans. It's felt like there's mutual respect growing between us, and I'm glad that doesn't have to change.
"He's not of our House," Bastian responds, reminding me of the situation.
"What affects House Rothorne, affects him," my father says in a tone that invites no arguments.
Bastian scowls, but immediately winces as pain cuts through him.
"I can leave, if you want me to," Linc says.
"That won't be necessary, Your Highness," Lord Fallmartin says.
Now that my shock has worn off, the reality of what's happening sinks in. "Where's Bella?" I ask Lord Fallmartin. "And Thomas?"
A serious expression crosses Lord Fallmartin's face. "You should come with me."
I exchange a worried glance with Linc, but move to follow him anyway. I have no reason to think that Lord Fallmartin is going to hurt either of us. He's made it clear several times that it isn't in his best interests to have either Linc or me killed, and despite knowing that he would have left me to die if he'd had a choice, I trust him.
A sense of dread settles in my stomach as we follow him into his study. It only takes a moment for me to realise what's happening, with the prone body on the floor being unmistakably that of Lord Vermouten.
A numb feeling comes over me as the reality hits. I've not spent that much time with Thomas, but it's difficult to believe that the world is a worse place without him in it.
Bella leans over him, tears running down her cheeks, and her black and red dress from earlier all around her.
It's strange to see everyone still dressed like they were at the wedding, while Linc and I have been to sleep in the time since we left the ballroom. It makes me wonder how long ago all of this happened, and exactly how long anyone waited to come and get us.
Bella looks up, her eyes hollow and full of pain. For all of her warnings towards me about loving Linc, it seems she wasn't able to heed them and loved Thomas anyway. She said she wasn't in love with him, but it's clear there's enough love for her to be hurting like this.
