Chapter 109: A Rude Awakening
The only person who was shocked at the revelation was Henry. Rylen didn’t even blink; he knew the crown prince wouldn’t accuse his mother without proof, and judging by her reaction during breakfast, he knew she was guilty.
He didn’t approve of Rose being in the castle, but he also didn’t approve of the way the Queen had tried to get rid of her. She could have died, and he had heard the rumors about what had happened at her arrival and how sick she was. He couldn’t imagine what she had gone through at the hands of the person who kidnapped her and the auctioneers.
"Don’t lie on the Queen’s name," Henry barked at his niece.
Caius slowly closed his eyes, his irritation reaching its peak. He had let Henry do as he liked in the hopes that it would scare Martha into speaking—because if he had been the one to handle it, she might have ended up unable to speak forever—and it had worked, but he was sick of the steward’s meddling.
"Henry, if you interrupt one more time... your niece knows better than to lie to me again, isn’t that right?" he asked with a smirk.
"Yes, Your Highness. I promise I am not lying. I was asked by the Queen. She made the plans with the man who would come to take Rose. My job was to keep the door open, get rid of her clothes, and make sure to convince you that she had run away."
Caius could already guess Martha’s role, so nothing she said was shocking or new to him. The information he actually wanted was the identity of the people involved. He knew his mother was the one in charge, but there was no way she could set this sort of plan in motion without a certain person’s approval.
"Who was the man who kidnapped her?" Caius asked.
"I don’t know," Martha said as she scrambled to her feet. "I think the Queen used a prisoner."
Martha had no reason to hold back now. The most important name she shouldn’t have mentioned was already out of her mouth. Now, there was nothing to lose that hadn’t already been lost.