Chapter 94

CAMILLA’S PO.V

I didn’t see Ryker for the rest of the day and I honestly thought I would be grateful to not do the extra practice session with him but I found that I actually missed it. I went looking for him around the entire palace and even asked a few guards if they had seen him but no one could tell me anything. I ended up retiring to my room in the hopes that he would come to bed while I was asleep.

By the time I woke up the next morning. I knew he hadn’t come to bed. His side of the bed was still neat and cold. I tried to search for him for as long as possible before training but it was as if he had disappeared into thin air. Christine was too busy helping me with Audrey for me to ask and right after training, I had to spend over an hour trying to calm Aurora down because she just wouldn’t stop screaming.

It was almost noon when she calmed down and I was already at my wits end. Christine offered to help me with her while I went ahead with my work but I knew that if I put her down, there was a huge possibility that she would start screaming again. I balanced her in one hand and went to my office to finish up some paperwork. It was hard trying to do that with a child in my arms but I managed.

It took twice as long as it should have and by the time I finished, I was exhausted. Aurora was passed out in my arms and I had planned to go into my room to relax when one of the elders approached me saying they needed to meet with Ryker and I. I couldn’t tell them that I didn’t know where he was so I made up an excuse about him being busy and followed them.

I could see the relief on their faces when they saw that I was alone. It should have annoyed me that they feared Ryker more than they respected me but I didn’t quite mind. It was the life I lived and it served me well on a good day. I sat down at my usual spot but it felt different without Ryker’s steady presence next to me. I squared my shoulders and plastered on my stoic expression as I faced them.

“We delivered the news of the curfew today,” one of the elders began. “The people are murmuring. They will not be held down like this for long. We need to come up with a more permanent solution.”

“What do you suggest then?” I asked and there was an awkward silence.

“You are the Queen, your majesty, it is your jo to come up with these things,” his tone was condescending. He spoke like I was a child that needed explaining to. “Our duty is to help as best as we can but ultimately, we cannot make the decisions for you.”

“That sounds very convenient,” I shifted in the chair when Aurora began to stir. “I’m not asking for a solution from you, I am asking for suggestions. You kept it a secret for so long so I assume you thought about potential outcomes. That is within your job description, isn’t it?”

I was tired of dealing with them. I decided to play on the same cards that Ryker used yesterday. I knew I wouldn’t be as good at it as he was but I figured it would be enough to leave majority of the brainstorming to them. They cast wary looks at each other but neither of them spoke. I knew I had trapped them in a tough position where they could either admit that they were slacking on their jobs or they could think of solutions for me.

“Your majesty, with all due respect, this is all very last minute” one began.

“I am sure that gives you an idea of how I feel about this then. I will leave you to the thinking. In the meantime, pacify the people. Divert their attention to something else. Do not make them feel trapped. Everyone will love a cage if it is presented as a gift. Make them feel safe and get me the names of the two other people who went missing.copy right hot novel pub