Wesleynard stalked down the castle's corridors he approached Ralthone's office, and two knights were standing guard. They could sense his anger and felt unease as he approached, one the knights reached a handout in an attempt to stop him, "S-sir!"
"Stand aside," Wesleynard growled. The knight hesitated for a moment before stepping aside, revealing Ralthone's office. Without another word, Wesleynard stormed inside. Ralthone looked up from his desk, surprised to see him. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice cool.
"What in God's name happened?" He spat anger spewing from his chest, and Ralthone's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"
"Do not play dumb with me!" Wesleynard roared, slamming his fist down on the desk. "I received word that an assassin tried to kill Ana Sofia!"
Ralthone's face twisted, "I'm afraid that is none of your business, had you been there protecting her there-." Wesleynard's hand shot out, grasping Ralthone by the throat and slamming him against the wall.
"You dare to speak of protecting her?" His voice was low and deadly. "You have no right to say such a thing!"
Ralthone grinned as he strained against the hand gripping his airway a wild frenzy blew in his eyes, "Who do you think saved her?" Ralthone was a bit shorter than Wesleynard but, his strength was on par with the man as well.
"I do not care who saved her," Wesleynard hissed, tightening his grip on Ralthone's throat. "All I know is that an assassin tried to kill her, and it should have never happened! You are the one tasked with overseeing the security within our gates!" He pushed further back into the wall he was determined to pulverize his spine, if necessary, his eyes blazing with fury. Ralthone's eyes flashed quickly with a quiet fear before he sneered at the man.
"Enough!" A regal voice cut through the air. Natalia stepped into the room; her eyes fixed on the two men.
"Wesleynard, release him at once." She commanded, her voice cool and collected despite the tension in the room. Wesleynard slowly released his grip on Ralthone's throat, his face still twisted in anger.
"This man is a threat to Ana Sofia," he growled, pointing an accusing finger at Ralthone. "He has no business being in her presence."
Ralthone cackled at Wesleynard's accusation, the two looked at him with a mixture of disgust and horror, "A bold claim Sir. Wesleynard what evidence do you have to show for that claim you brazenly hold against me."
Natalia raised a hand, "That's enough the both of you have taken this much too far." She commanded. She began to escort Wesleynard away the two of them existed Ralthone's office Wesleynard quickly turned away his anger still fuming within him, as they walked away, Wesleynard let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He turned to face Natalia, his expression serious.
"Something isn't right here," he said, his voice low. "We need to keep an eye on Ralthone." Natalia furrowed her brow as she watched as his face contorted.
"Wesleynard? Do you know something?" she questioned unsure of whether to press for more information.
"I cannot put my finger on it, but there's something off about him. He seemed too eager to brush aside the incident and even more so to provoke me," he replied, his voice still tinged with anger. "I don't trust him."
Natalia sighed, "I'm not so sure Wes. Ralthone is many things but, do you think he could be behind the attack?" Wesleynard stopped, "I don't know but, what business did he have at the church? None of it makes sense. Why were her guards outside the room? Why weren't the staff thoroughly inspected?" He felt his head throb Wesleynard's words were laced with frustration as he tried to piece together the events that had occurred.
Natalia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You're right, something isn't adding up. We should discuss this further with Ana Sofia. She needs to know what's going on."
"No. There is no need to add more stress, I want her to only focus on the wedding preparations. Good Night Natalia." Wesleynard's voice was stern, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. He knew that Natalia was right, and Ana Sofia needed to know what was happening. But he also didn't want to distract her from the upcoming wedding.
"Alright. Goodnight, call on me if Ana needs anything."
When he arrived back in his chambers he found Ana still sleeping soundly her slow breathing provided him a small comfort Wesleynard approached her gently, his eyes taking in every detail of her face. She looked so peaceful, her delicate features softened by sleep. He couldn't help but think of how close she had come to dying. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
He felt his mind begin to race when he heard a soft mumble, "Wes, come hold me."
Wesleynard's heart skipped a beat as he heard her soft voice. He quickly moved to the bedside, pressing his lips gently against her forehead. He could feel the warmth of her skin against his own, and it brought him a sense of comfort. He gently pulled the covers down, sliding in beside her. Their bodies pressed close together, his arms wrapping around her waist. He held her tightly, feeling her heartbeat slowly return to normal. She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open. "Wes?" she whispered softly.
"Shh, it's okay." She looked at him in the darkness of the room and her face crumpled before a new fit of sobs wracked her body. He held her tightly, he wanted to fall apart and cry himself how he wished he could take away her memory of the pain and fear she must have felt he knew the struggles she would face in trying to cope with.
Wesleynard wiped her tears away as gently as he could "I'm here for you," his voice was low and soothing. "You are safe with me."
He could feel her body shiver slightly as he pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her. She took a deep shaky breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I don't know why I keep breaking down like this."
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "It's okay to feel afraid. You've been through a lot today." She nodded, sniffling slightly.
"Wes don't leave me." she whimpered as she settled into a quiet slumber, Wesleynard remained by her side throughout the night, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He listened to her soft breathing, feeling her body slowly relax against him. As the sun began to rise, he gently pulled away, not wanting to disturb her anymore.
*******************
Ana Sofia awoke she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, she stretched lazily, yawning as she took in the sight of Wesleynard sitting by the window, gazing out at the rolling hills of Elynor. His strong arms rested on his bent knees, and he seemed lost in thought.
She watched him for a moment before speaking softly. "Good morning, Wes." He turned to face her, a small smile appearing on his face. "Good morning, my queen. Did you sleep well?"
She nodded, "Yes, thank you." She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sorry about yesterday... I shouldn't have lost control like that. People lose their lives every day I am no special exclusion." She sighed.
He gently walked over to her, "Don't ever say that Ana, I-I can't ever forgive myself for not being there to protect you." He could barely meet her eyes as shame overtook his expression.
Ana Sofia reached out to him, her hand finding his. "Wes, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm still shaken up but, it's not anything I'm not used to after all my hus-" she stilled as if a dark memory surfaced.
"Ana, you don't have to finish that sentence." He said softly, his eyes filled with concern. "I'll make you forget it all, I promise." He said as he reached out to cup her face gently.
"Wesleynard..." Ana Sofia trailed off, her eyes meeting his, "I don't know what to say." She bit her lower lip, trying to find the words. "I can't promise that I will forget, but I do trust you to know you wouldn't hurt me that way, and I believe that together, we can face whatever comes our way."
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and she hungrily pulled him closer "Wesleynard...," Ana Sofia whispered, her eyes meeting his. She felt a warmth spread through her as he kissed her, his lips soft and gentle against hers. As they pulled apart, she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and safety in his presence. "I trust you, Wesleynard."
He pulled her in a planted a soft kiss on her forehead, he didn't say much but Ana wanted to savor this moment without the intruding thoughts clouding her judgment. When Wesleynard left her room Ana Sofia didn't leave her room for an entire week, she wasn't ready to go back out into the world. She didn't want to admit it but the attempt on her life had shaken her up more than she wanted to admit. She had developed night terrors and sleepless nights Natalia checked in on her every day, bringing her food and keeping her company. She gave her tonics and soothing potions to calm her mind they were successful but, Ana Sofia was hopeful that she wouldn't need to drug herself forever.