Chapter 88: Gentlemanly
Once Maddie departed, Steve entered the study to give his report.
"How is it progressing?" Hezekiah inquired.
"It should be completed within two more hours," Steve answered with a nod.
"Very good." Hezekiah retrieved another scroll and handed it to him. "This is a royal decree and it must take effect immediately. Quinn, Duke of the North, is forbidden from entering the castle for the next two days. Any of his loyalists who resist this command are to be detained, no matter the cost."
Steve knelt on both knees, the scroll pressed against his chest. "Your will is my command." Rising, he turned on his heel and left the room.
Now alone, Hezekiah exhaled heavily, closing his eyes as exhaustion crept over him. So much had gone into preparing for the days ahead.
"I do not mind losing you if it means claiming her," he muttered under his breath.
To steel himself, he would not see Belle until the night of their mating. He could not afford to waver now, not when everything was in motion.
In Belle’s chambers, chaos brewed.
The news of her impending introduction to the kingdom’s ministers, nobles, and aristocrats had just reached her ears, sending her into a downward spiral.
She had tried to leave at once, storming out to demand answers from Hezekiah, but the guards stationed outside refused to let her pass. Pacing the room, she gnawed at her nails, wracking her brain for a way out.