Abbott's POV
I made my way home. The eastern wing was mine and mine alone, not even Aldous was allowed to enter without an invitation from me without risking a court proceeding in front of the lords of noble houses. It was heavily fortified by my own loyal men.
As I walked past the main halls on my way to the eastern wing, I came across a woman surrounded by four of her companions that made me stop.
Her hands were concealed under her heavy dress and her hairdo was so high, I wondered briefly if someone did it on purpose to get back at her for some sin she committed.
"Dowager Princess" I murmured without doing much else.
"Dowager Princess? Why so formal, son? You used to call me mama, child. When did you stop?" she said with a smile that concealed the viper underneath.
Around the time you poisoned me, I was tempted to quip, but it would be unwise to accuse a kin of some sort… of something as diabolical as trying to kill a second prince even though it was the truth…at least, not publicly.
I watched her. She hasn't aged since the last time I saw her.
Lady Beth Raven, Markle's mother and the widow of the older brother I never met.
Crown prince Jensen died when I was six years old. I never met him or at least, I don't remember meeting him since the first ten years of my life are blank. He was supposed to be king after Aldous but tragedy struck.
He died when he fell down a horse.
I became the first prince and heir to the throne much to the chardrin of Aldous Raven, I am sure but his prayers were answered when Lady Beth turned out to be with child… Jensen's child at the time of his demise, Thus, my unceremonious fall to the second prince.
I was entrusted in her care to be raised as a spare alongside her beloved son, Markle. She sat back as i took on the punishments of her mischievous son and when i stopped taking the blame for Markle's idiocy at fifteen, she laced my food with a poisonous tree bark with hopes of my untimely demise as i was sent to fort Enoch for attempting to murder the monarch.
She leaned in for a brief hug and I obliged her.
"You don't look dead" she whispered.
"I rarely do. I do hope we can move past the time you tried to kill me. It is not like i keep a grudge or something, Lady beth"
"Do not threaten me, boy!" she said through her clenched jaw. "Be grateful I didn't go to the king about your threats to his heir or he will have your head on a pike for your treachery"
"Be careful, Mama. words like that could get your throat slit. You have no idea how disposable princess dowager that are way past childbearing age with no husbands can be. Sometimes, they disappear…never. To. be. Found. Again"
l kissed her cheek and pulled away. "It was really nice to have run into you, your highness. Please, watch your steps. The floors are slippery this time of day"
I walked past her and continued on my journey to my wing.
Once in the safe confines of the Eastern wing, I went to my bedchamber and stripped down. I took a cold bath and went to the study to take a look at some of the reports on my table. I do take my job as the lord commander of his majesty's army quite seriously while finding time to be the leader of the elite crescent battalion loyal only to me.
I was halfway through the pile of scrolls on my table that needed my seal when the door opened and my housekeeper appeared before me.
"Reisa, I asked to be left alone till dinner time. Why are you here?"
"It is dinner time, milord"
I drew my attention away from my duties and looked at her. I have missed enough dinner without any interruption in the past, there must be a particular reason for Reisa's interruption.
"Reisa, this is not about dinner, is it?" I asked her.
"A letter came, milord…" she hesitated before she continued talking "...from Steinfeld Mansion. It is from Lady…"
"I know who sent it, Reisa. Give her whatever it is she needs" I ordered.
I waited for her to leave but instead she dragged her feet reluctantly.
"Reisa?" I said impatiently.
"She wants…you, milord"
"Me?" I blinked. "Send her one of the new horses i acquired, she loves horses, doesn't she Reisa?"
"Hmm…Lady Daphne has taken a great…dislike to the last two horses you send, milord. It doesn't seem fair to condemn another poor creature to her justified anger, your highness. Her demands are as clear as the ink she used to write to you. She wants you!"
Reisa's slightly raised voice made me look at her. She lost her voice and courage awfully fast. She lowered her head immediately.
"You think her anger is justified?"
She shook her head. "My sincere apology for speaking out of turn, your highness. I shall send the horse to her"
Reisa turned around to leave but what she said got me thinking. "Did she really harm those poor horses?"
"Yes,milord"
"We should spare the horses such fate. Do not send her a horse then"
"Will you go to her?" Reisa asked me, taking a step closer like she could will me to do her bidding.
I thought about it for a few seconds before shaking my head. "No. I don't respond well to threats. I will see her when I am able to, Reisa. Send dresses to her. She can't murder those, can she?"