Chapter 203: It Doesn’t Concern You
The king was unraveling.
"Your Majesty," Thessaly began gently, "the sage was prepared for this. He gave us specific instructions, and the first is to make sure that you do not get involved."
Damien’s jaw clenched. His gaze turned to the horizon again.
"From this point on," she continued, taking a cautious step forward, "it doesn’t concern you. And the queen cannot know."
How could he not tell her? How could he lie by omission as her body carried the very life that Veyron had risked his own to protect?
He turned to Thessaly at last, eyes raw with fury barely restrained. "If he’s captured, it means..."
"It means that we trust Veyron’s foresight. He said if this happened, your role ends here. You must keep the queen calm. You must act as if nothing has happened. He believed in your leadership, but more importantly... he believed the child must be born alive. Be rest assured, he would die rather than involve you."
"What do you mean us?"
Doctor Thessaly stiffened, instinctively taking a step back. Her hands trembled slightly at her sides as her mind raced for a way to backtrack, to reframe what she had just said. But there was no use. In her panic, she had let the veil slip. She had said too much. Far too much.
Damien rose slowly from his seat, the porcelain cup forgotten on the table beside him. His movement was smooth, restrained. And that was what made it dangerous. The King of Blood City was holding back a wrath he had no intention of unleashing—yet.
"Thessa," he warned, voice low but lined with the steel of command, "if you do not start talking..."
She opened her mouth but faltered.