Chapter 75

CAMILLA’S PO.V

Two days later and I still hated the idea. It just felt wrong to me and I tried searching for another solution to the problem but there was none. The people were worried and there had been more fights breaking out in the last two days. than in the last month combined. Everyone had a different opinion on how what they thought was supposed to happen and the rumor mill was alive with theories. Some were closer to the truth than I would have liked while others were so unbelievable that I could not fathom how anyone possibly came up with it. A small gurgle interrupted me and I glanced down at Aurora lying peacefully in her bassinet. I couldn’t leave her alone for an extended period of time so she was going with us. She and Audrey were going to be in a safe tent with Christine but it still didn’t stop me from worrying. There were so many things that could go wrong and I couldn’t help but feel like something bad was going to happen. The door to the room opened and I turned to see Ryker. He was dressed in tailored slacks with a button–up shirt. His coat was slung over his shoulder and despite the more casual look to his outfit, he still looked every part of the royal that he was. He crossed the length of the room and came to stand right next to me. I put on a practiced smile hoping he wouldn’t see the worry on my face. “I felt your anxiety,” he said casually without looking up at me. “Do you want to talk about it?” I shook my head. “It will be a quick meeting, in and out. It doesn’t have to last up to half an hour. All you need to do is tell them that you heard the rumors and they are unfounded.”

“You should have been king instead,” I muttered. “You’re so good at this already, I have no idea what I am doing.”

“Cut yourself some slack, you’ve barely been queen for a year. You’ll learn and you will get better at it. You’re already a great Queen as it is.”

“Going to war in your first year as Queen does not exactly scream ‘great,” I couldn’t keep the condescending edge out of my tone. Ryker sighed and opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by someone mind linking us both.

“They carriage is ready,” Christine said. “It is time.”

She broke off the mind link and I just stood there in silence. Ryker offered me a small smile of encouragement before picking up our daughter. Audrey was already with Christine. He held out his hand to me and I gingerly took it. That uneasy feeling hadn’t left but for the first time since I woke up, I felt a little confident that things weren’t going to end up badly.

I was quiet for the entire carriage ride. Audrey chattered nonstop while Ryker entertained her. As soon as we got out of the palace, I was handed some notes to serve as pointers for what I was supposed to say. As I read through them, I couldn’t help but feel a certain level of guilt. I knew I couldn’t say half of the

things that were written down.

Basically, the strategy was to expose his mother but paint her as a whore who tried to pin a pregnancy on the king.copy right hot novel pub