CHAPTER 23
Grace's gaze darkened as she studied Robert's expression. "Tell me," she said evenly, her voice a sharp contrast to the storm brewing inside her. "What do you know about Matthew Sterrn?"
Robert stiffened slightly but quickly masked his reaction.
"And don't lie," Grace added. "I know you've met with him. I know your movements, Robert, I have my eyes over you".
For a moment, he hesitated, then let out a small, humorless grin.
"I… I" He paused, exhaling before continuing, "I only met with him once, PrinceQuicke. And he didn't give me any real answers."
Grace's brows furrowed.
"Answers to what?" she pressed, though her heartbeat had already begun to quicken.
Robert hesitated again before speaking, "pardon me, Your Highness, but I sought answers about you, about why you haven't been well." His voice was careful, cautious, as though unsure how his next words would be received. He continued "But all he gave me was a single name."
He looked her in the eye.
"Grace Johnson."
The moment he uttered the name, Grace felt a strong presence around, she didn't know there would come a time where the mention of her name would send cold shivers down her spine.
She felt the room shift, as though the walls had grown smaller, pressing in on her. Her breath hitched, and for the first time in a long time, she felt… haunted.
She darted her gaze around the room, searching for something, anything to ground herself. But all she found was the past creeping in, unwelcome and relentless,her old life flickered before her eyes like a cruel mirage.
Parkston. He had moved on and her parents? Did they ever truly miss her?
And then, the night she died.
She swallowed hard.
"Your Highness?"
The voice calling her back to reality was distant, almost drowned out by the chaos in her mind.
"Your Highness!"
Robert's voice was clearer now, edged with concern.
Grace blinked rapidly and turned to him.
"You seemed lost just now, Prince Quicke," he said, his tone wary. "Do you need me to leave?"
She inhaled deeply, steadying herself.
"No."
Robert studied her for a moment before speaking again.
"If I may ask, do you know the name I just mentioned? Grace Johnson?" His eyes were sharp, reading her reaction carefully. "You looked disturbed by the mention of the name".
Grace met his gaze, her mind racing. Should she lie? Should she tell him the truth?
No. He wasn't ready to fully grasp what was going on.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, measuring her words carefully.
"I am also looking for Grace Johnson," she said, keeping her voice controlled. "She might know why I've been having these trances."
She let the sentence hang, watching how he would respond.
Robert exhaled, his expression unreadable, though concern flickered behind his eyes.
"Then we should meet with Matthew Sterrn again," he said, firm in his decision. "This time we would go together. We need answers, Your Highness. And we need them soon."
Grace didn't hesitate to nod, but she knew she couldn't let Robert be privy to everything just yet. She didn't trust him enough.
"I agree," she said. "But on one condition."
Robert raised a brow.
"I will speak with him alone first," she stated, her voice leaving no room for argument. "If he truly knows something, I need to understand who he is before we let him speak freely in your presence."
A moment passed between them,then finally, Robert nodded.
"As you wish, My Prince," he said.
Still, Grace could see it in his eyes that he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, but for now, it was enough.
The moment the agreement was settled, Robert straightened, returning to his composed stance.
"I'll continue checking on the bread order," he assured her, almost as if shifting the conversation back to something mundane would erase the heaviness of the moment. "And I promise not to intrude or overstep my place again."
Grace gave him a simple nod before dismissing him.
She waited for the door to close behind him before she finally let herself exhale, the entire conversation had drained her.
"My past isn't dead. It's crawling back to me."She said
She shook her head, pushing the thought aside. There was no room for weakness.
She strode to her desk and, without wasting another second, signed the letter that would grant Juliet's family passage into the kingdom. She had delayed long enough.
….
The kingdom was buzzing with activity.
The coronation was now only two days away.
Letters had been sent out, banners had been hung, and the grand hall was being prepared.
Grace's royal attire had been finalized, stitched with precision, embroidered with gold and deep sapphire, a symbol of power, a symbol of her upcoming reign.
Yet, amid the excitement, Juliet was growing more anxious. She hadn't seen her family in what felt like an eternity, and now, the moment was finally drawing near.
Queen Judith was drowning in meetings, ensuring that the transition of power would go smoothly.
And King Charlenugo?
The time had come for him to prepare for his final duty as king.
He would perform the sacred ritual, a tradition passed down for generations, where he would symbolically rest his crown before his successor took the throne.
Everything was in motion.
And yet, while the kingdom prepared for a new ruler, Robert was distracted, he kept waiting for a call from the tea house regarding the special bread order.