Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 142: Trouble (2)
Ophelia helped Dante to put on his armour, and against his wishes, she walked with him to gather the knights he would take with him, and then headed to the front door, where knights awaited him.
Ophelia stood at the front door with Thomas, watching as Dante led the knights out of the castle. ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐.๐๐ผ๐บ
Opheliaโs greatest concern at the moment was Dante not only returning home injured, but returning home before the full moon rose to the sky.
"All will be well, Lady Hastings," Thomas said to comfort Ophelia.
"Is this Kaden a skilled fighter?" Ophelia asked, needing to know more about the duke.
"He is, but I donโt believe he can defeat Lord Hastings. I know that it might sound biased because of my allegiance to Lord Hastings, but I truly believe the duke cannot take down your husband. It only bothers me that I do not understand why he would march onto Lord Hastings land," said Thomas.
"Perhaps he is trying to get someoneโs attention, and he is using Dante to do it. Why go after the man the king wants dead? Is there a chance the duke did this to get Danteโs attention and make it look like a fight to outsiders?" Ophelia inquired.
"I do not think Lord Hastings would send away the duke if he wanted to suggest an alliance, but since the duke is the kingโs enemy, it would remove any doubt towards Lord Hastings that he was betraying the king. I will report all that reaches the castle to you. I must escort you to your chamber."
"I made a promise to my husband that I would use his chamber for the time being. He used this battle against me. We should rest now since we have quite a long day ahead of us. The town will be in chaos," Ophelia said, taking one last look at Danteโs entourage.
Ophelia turned on her heels to go back to Danteโs chamber.
As she walked, Ophelia thought of how she would keep the servants calm and still prepare for Theoโs coming arrival. Danteโs absence would give an opening for others to come to the castle and try to challenge her authority.
Thankfully, Mary would be in the castle by then.
"This news is bound to reach Lady Cecilia, but my husband hasnโt changed his order. She will not be allowed inside the castle. Anyone who disobeys my husbandโs wishes can follow Cecilia out of the castle. I donโt need her to be present to worry the servants and me," said Ophelia.
"As you wish," Thomas answered.
Thomas looked forward to Opheliaโs time running the castle without Dante in it. Ophelia was granted full control of the castle, so everyone was to listen to her. It was her time to shine, and Thomas trusted her to do well.
"I must rise early to gather everyone and ask them not to panic at this time. I know him," Ophelia said, abruptly stopping. "I remember where I saw that knight. He joined us on the trip from Valthorn to Hastings castle. He helped to put the chain on my neck."
Ophelia touched her neck where she could almost feel the cold metal against her flesh.
"Am I losing my mind, Thomas? How could I possibly forget that is where I saw him? She tasked him to keep hold of the chain, and he was near to her. Judging by his recent stares, I think it is fair to assume he is loyal to Lady Cecilia," Ophelia concluded.
"If you tell me what he looks like, I can find and imprison him for you," Thomas offered.
Ophelia closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "No," she answered after a moment of silence. "We must use him to expose the others who are loyal to Lady Cecilia. I need to get them all out at once, or my life will always be in danger. Weโll talk in the chamber," she whispered.
Ophelia carried on to lead the way back to Danteโs chamber to share what the knight looked like.
Away from the castle, Cecilia sat alone in her bedchamber, preparing a letter to a man whose help she greatly needed.
Cecilia didnโt need to be in the castle to get what she wanted. She had been in the castle long before Dante was born, so she had plenty of time to create a web of spies Dante could never get rid of.
It was only a matter of time until everything went back to what it was before Ophelia arrived in the castle.
Cecilia placed the letter in an envelope and wrote down the name โAlistairโ.
Cecilia needed to know more about why Alistair needed Ophelia and what he was willing to do in exchange for her. She didnโt care what became of Ophelia as long as it placed Dante in a better position.
Cecilia tucked the envelope under a book, hiding it to send out in the morning.
Victoria was lingering around Cecilia, and Cecilia already suspected Victoria was trying to stop her from speaking with Alistair.
"Silly girl," Cecilia clicked her tongue.
Victoria needed to learn how to use men.
They could use Alistair to get rid of Ophelia and then kill him since he wasnโt loyal to the Hastings. They would kill two birds with one stone.
The chamber door opened, allowing a man to enter.
"Have you forgotten how to knock, or is Victoria lingering again? It is about time you came to me, Remus. I was starting to think you forgot where your loyalty lies. Did anyone see you leave?" Cecilia said, turning to her source of news in the castle.
"No, but Lady Hastings appears to be watching me. She looked directly at me today. She has changed your order and allowed the knights to eat in the dining halls. Many of them are turning over to her side, and so are the maids," Remus reported.
Cecilia wasnโt bothered by this news. "The maids and knights will follow whoever they think is in charge at the moment. I donโt blame them for falling in line with how my son is acting. Since she is watching you, I will need you to pass on this next task to someone else."
"I cannot go another day knowing that a woman sits in the castle I call home. It feels as though I am hurting my husband. The time for my son to be caged will soon be upon us. It is perfect for an accident to happen between the pair," Cecilia said, her grand plan soon coming into play.
"Have someone placed to guard him and another to lead her to where my son will be caged, then free him so he can kill his little bride."
