Chapter 23: Chapter 23

As soon as Alexa slept in his arms. Jared changed the position which she was in so he could leave her to rest. After leaving her room and making certain that there were guards guarding her as she slept, he moved to where his warriors who came from Kythia with him were and he called one of them away fryon the rest. He was glad that he had enough foresight to leave with some members of his guards, the ones who would die for their belief and were already aware of what had happened because they were around when Flynn and his demonic sister Fallon were reigning hell on Kythia.

"Sire, what do you need my assistance for?" The guard asked.

"I need you to go on a mission for me. One which no one else would be aware of. I need you to spy on someone for me." Jared asked.

The man pondered Jared statement. "I am assuming that nobody will know of this fact?"

Jared nodded.

"Who is the person and what am I to report?" The man asked and Jared smiled. that was the particular reason why this person was chosen, he always endeavour to get the work done with little to no questions asked.

"You are to report every single thing about this person from the moment he leaves his room, he he heads to most times. Who he meets with and who he smile at even thing which you see as normal that this person does is something which you should report to me." Jared said and when the person nodded, Jared continued. "The person you are spying on is Flynn."

The man looked surprised before he turned to Jared. "He has started here too?"

"I believe he has started here before we came." Jared replied.

"I will find how to report." The man replied as he walked off. Jared turned and walked back to his wife who thought he was beside her as she slept not knowing he was giving orders which none should be aware of.

*****

Flynn was angry, furious even when he realized that the queen response to his request was to send someone to tail him. They should not have underestimated him. He always knew when he was being watched but this time, the queen just went too far.

And as a repayment for her worries about putting someone to watch his movements, he decided to keep the queen occupied, she would not be worried about his actions when she was fighting for her life.

Once again, the kitchen maid came to good use. All he had to do was give out five hundred gold coins for a little extra ingredient to be used for the queen food and this he did juts after he killed the spy. So that the queen will know he was coming for her but she would not suspect her food cooked by her own people. It was time that Flynn started falling a lot of things, time for him to escalate everything besides if he could not have Alexa as his wife, he could certainly enjoy her on her matrimonial bed but he would give her one last chance for survival when war do happen. One chance for her to be on his side and then she would be seen as his enemy. He really expended a lot of energy on Alexa because he had a soft spot for her.

After all, it's not everyone that breaks so beautiful on the first trial and then rebound to be stronger. Alexa acting like a boy just made Flynn interested messing with her head once more and breaking her again and this time, he would ensure that she remain broken.

****

Alexa stood by her father as the physician examined her mother. Jared was behind Alexa, holding her by her waist, giving her the strength to maintain a stioc expression. Watching her mother collapse after eating was enough to make Alexa feel like a scared little girl when she experienced her mother first episode.

"Calm down Alexa. I am sure that your mother is alright, maybe she is just this way because you have been getting on her nerves recently and she wants you to promise her to be a good daughter or something like that. I am sure that it is a very minor thing." Jared whispered to Alexa who shook her head but did not reply her husband.

The physician stood up from beside the queen and moved outside and as one, Jared, Alexa and the king followed him. When they were outside the queen room, the physician shook his head.

"I am so sorry your majesty but currently there is nothing we can do..." The male started and Alexa true to her form flared up.

"What do you mean that there is nothing you can do?" Alexa questioned. "My mother is lying down, pale and barely able to open her eyes and you are saying there is nothing you can do?"

"According to my diagnosis, nothing is wrong with her..." The man tried saying but Alexa laughed.

"You should not have even mentioned that. Not when it is clear for even someone who is touched to see that the queen is not fine. How can you diagnose something else?"

The king shook his head. "I rarely agree with my daughter when she is speaking out of anger but I have to this time. How can you say nothing is wrong with Mirabelle when she is almost lifeless. I thought I had the best physicians that this hemisphere has to offer."

"You do and I am the very best but as for the queen..." The physician shook his head.

"That is enough." Jared cuts in, now he understood why Alexa hated physicians, especially since they never took anything serious. Unwilling to investigate and quick to draw conclusions even when the truth is staring at them straight in the face. "You cannot look at the queen and tell me nothing is wrong with her but even then, I do not think we need you around the queen any longer."

"Jared." The king called out. Uncomfortable with his in-law words. His wife was still lying down unmoving in her room, they certainly need the physician.

"My king, he would continue to prepare you for the worse, taking the queen fighting chance from her before it even comes to fruition. Making her give up and you to do the same because of his words. I think it would be better to get another physician." Jared stated.

"And where do you suggest you can get from?" The male said in such a pompous tone that Alexa actually took a step forward like she wanted to punch the man in the face, just to be on the safe side, Jared wrapped his arms around his wife and tucked her into his side.

"Kythia, I would start with the letter to send to them that will ensure that they come with people who are well versed in treatment of the queen symptoms and in all rounds too." Jared stated as the physician sighed.

"You can do whatever you wish foreigner because you are not of us and so you know nothing of our ways. I see no need to argue with your likes."

"And he is the prince, future king of Asteria, you better pay him the respect he is due or I will ensure you do so, after losing some blood of your own." Alexa threatened.

Jared looked at the king who nodded his approval and with the king blessing, he dragged his wife away from the physician and she was looking murderous, not even waiting for the man to give her a reason before pouncing on him.

"Sometimes, you make me laugh with your actions." Jared stated and when Alexa turned her glare which she placed on the entrance of their study at him, Jared swallowed his laughter. She really was not in the mood for jokes. In fact, he could see that she was scared, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"I am glad that my mother being sick is funny to you." Alexa snapped.

"You know that is not what I am referring to. Was your mother always this way?" Jared asked and Alexa shook her head.

"No, she was not strong right from time yes but that was always under the weather, it was not until I was twelve or thirteen that her illness picked up and then trade negotiations started, I remember that the first of those negotiations were for physicians." Alexa sighed as Jared paused.

"Wait, are you trying to say that most of your physicians are from Corthin?" Jared asked.

"All I think but they have been here for over a decade so certainly their loyalty should lie with us now..." Alexa shrugged.

Jared was lost in his thoughts as he replied. "Yes, they should." Jared remembered what Fallon did, how Corthin infiltrated to Kythia nobles and how they almost sold the kingdom from the inside out, apparently these people pass through another means but it is still the same tactics. Dominate a particular class of people and have people who will side you there and do as you wish then you swoop in and claim the victory in which they have done the ground work and act like saviors to a system which you are in fault of corrupting in the begining.

"What are you thinking?" Alexa asked, seeing Jared with his serious face that seemed grimmer with each second that passed.

"Something dangerous that can lead to treason and war and maybe complete annihilation if it gets out. I have to handle this with care." Jared replied.

Alexa felt goosebumps rise on her skin at the words and tone which Jared used.

"Then why are you thinking it?"

"Because if I do not think about it or act and eventually it turns out to be true... Your mother might be the first victim." Jared answered.

"What..." Alexa started but Jared shook his head.

"I think it would be better if you go get some snacks or catch up with Betty, maybe learn where she has been sneaking off to all these time." Jared changed the topic.

"You want me to leave here." Alexa deduced.

"Yes I do, so that if anybody is implicated, it will be only me and you will not be aware to what happened. Truly aware." Jared responded and when Alexa tried to say something to change Jared mind he kissed her. "Please just do something else. I promise that I will come find you as soon as I am done."

Alexa leaned in to Jared and kissed him before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. After Jared was certain that she had gone far, only then did he sit down once more and penned down the queen illness, hinted at what happened to Alexa when she was young and who he suspected, wrote about his thoughts about the physicians who came from the kingdom of Corthin that still dominated the kingdom top health levels and what he wanted Kythia to do and then what he wanted his friend to do." After penning the letter and sealing it with his wax as Lord hard of Kythia instead of his prince of Asteria seal. He went in search for Mona and when he saw her, he called her aside.

"One of us is missing." Mona said as greeting.

"More of us will miss too starting tomorrow." Jared responded and when Mona did not reply sensing his urgency, he continued. "I need you to take five who can protect you and ride non stop until you can get this letter into the hands of the crown prince of Kythia."

"And what will I say when people ask?" Mona asked.

"That you are looking for a cure for the queen." Jared answered as Mona nodded.

"Can I ask what is happening?" Mona pried.

"A repeat of the sequence that happened three years ago but in different events and these events might not be as curtailed as then." Jared replied.

Mona nodded before leaving, her heart in her chest. All she hoped for was that this time she was not tortured like the former. At least this time she was sure that the side she chose would protect her since they do not leave any other theirs behind.

Mona could not shake the feeling that the only way for her to be left behind is if she died in course of doing what was sent of her. And she did not plan to die anytime soon.