Chapter 161: King’s Bedroom
Rhaegar exhaled a long trail of smoke, his amber eyes glinting as his gaze shifted toward the princess’s wing of the palace. The lights in her bedroom were dimmed, and he quickly realized she wasn’t there tonight.
"One of our spies reported that the king summoned her to his chambers," Alim said quietly, handing him a fresh cigar.
The closer they got to Erelith, the sharper the ache in Rhaegar’s body became. Now, standing so near the royal palace, it felt as though every bone in his body might shatter at once.
Hearing Alim’s words, his muscles tensed, and a dark wave of blood rushed to his head, clouding his thoughts. No matter how hard he tried to think positively, he knew precisely why that vile creature had called his stepsister to his chambers tonight.
"Control yourself," Naveen murmured, stepping closer to him. Her voice was calm, yet firm. "Keep trying to connect with her. Wait for her response. That’s all you can do."
Rhaegar nodded reluctantly, taking a deep drag from the cigar and filling his lungs with gray smoke. The herbal blend no longer brought him any relief, but he smoked one after another anyway. He knew that if his hands were empty, he’d use them to crush someone’s skull.
"What about the Gypsy tribe?" he asked at last, turning to Gian, who had just returned from a meeting with the nomads.
"They’re ready," Gian said, lowering the hood of his black cloak. "They’re leaving for their positions as we speak."
Rhaegar gave a curt nod and turned his gaze back to the palace.