Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 191: Shift in power (1)

The carriages came to a stop when they reached the market.

Thomas opened the door to offer his hand to Ophelia.

"Did they do it?" Ophelia inquired as she placed her hand on Thomas’s. She looked ahead at where Giselle exited her carriage.

"Yes. The guards spoke of the king’s condition beside Lady Valthorn’s carriage," Thomas answered.

"Good. I wonder what she will think of it. You must all be ready to stop any letter she tries to send to the Valthorn castle. If Lord Valthorn will make a move to attack, we must be ready for it," said Ophelia.

Ophelia couldn’t wait for Giselle to make a plot to reveal her intentions for coming to the castle. She had to help Giselle set up a scheme so they had a good reason to imprison her.

Hearing of the king’s health would make Giselle panic. It would make her want to return home instead of staying on enemy land. To not upset Joel, Giselle would have to carry out any plot he sent her with before she could leave.

"Ophelia, dear!" Giselle called as she walked over to where Ophelia stood. "Why don’t I buy you and Theo a treat?"

"I haven’t eaten from you in years, and I will not start now. It doesn’t matter that you would be buying the food from someone else. If you want to perform a good act, I suggest you start with gifts that don’t need to be consumed," Ophelia said, wary of food placed in Giselle’s hand.

"Don’t be like this. You used to love my cooking," said Giselle.

"No. It was awful and burnt. When it wasn’t burnt, it was partly raw. We ate it because we wanted to stay alive. It was survival, not love," Ophelia corrected Giselle.

"I have become better with cooking," Giselle said, an idea striking her. "Why don’t I cook your dinner?"

Ophelia laughed at the absurd idea that she would eat dinner prepared by Giselle. "You have not stepped into a kitchen for years. I would not like for there to be a fire in a kitchen, but I would allow you to start small. A picnic in the garden would be lovely. I will allow the head cook to help you."

"Wonderful. I know that I can never be a good mother to you, but since we are both wives to powerful men, we should get along. We’ll always be in the same spaces, and it will be tiring to fight each time. We should agree not to be hostile when we gather with others," Giselle said, reaching for Ophelia’s hand to hold.

"For once, I agree with you. I am tired of arguing with you. When we see each other at gatherings, we shall not bicker. I would like my hand back now," Ophelia said, pulling her hand out of Giselle’s hold.

"I believe we can get along once we forget our past. Have you heard about Freya? I sometimes wonder how she is faring in the palace," Giselle said, searching for gossip.

"This is why we can never speak for too long. We were speaking of us getting along, but then you needed to mention Freya. I do not know how Freya is faring in the palace, nor do I care. If you are so concerned about her, I can arrange a carriage to take you to the palace," Ophelia offered.

"No, no. Forgive me," Giselle apologised. "I will keep my focus on the picnic. I will surprise you with how well I can prepare one. It will be one to die for."

’Fool,’ Ophelia thought, wanting to expose Giselle’s plans, but she could not.

"I must help Theo, so excuse me. I will let the guards give us a tour in a moment," Ophelia said, turning her back to Giselle.

For the first time in Giselle’s visit to the Hastings castle, it felt as though her plans were finally going her way.

No matter how Ophelia lashed out, Giselle knew for certain that Ophelia yearned for her love, so she could never push her away for long.

’I need her alive,’ Giselle thought, plotting only to get rid of Dante.

Ophelia was going to be Giselle’s way of staying on Nigel’s good side.

***

Away from the Hastings land, Freya stood alone in her chamber. She bit at her nails as the news she overheard troubled her.

"Why hasn’t he answered me?" Freya asked herself as she paced back and forth.

Freya wrote many letters to her father, but none of them earned her a response.

Freya was still shaken up by the methods Althea used to ’help’ her.

Fortunately, the priest stopped coming after Freya heard rumours that the king was ill and Sebastian had taken the throne.

Freya didn’t know whether it was good or bad news for her. Would she have a bit of power if Sebastian were to become king right now? Could she get revenge on Althea for the hell she put her through?

Freya wished to have someone at her side to guide her through the palace. She was bound to be stuck in her bedchamber forever if there wasn’t anyone to help her.

The sound of the door opening set Freya’s attention elsewhere.

Freya slowly backed into a corner, thinking it was the priest, but to her surprise, Sebastian had come to her.

"Have you forgotten how to greet the crown prince? I expected you to be happy to see me, or are you still sulking about not seeing your family? Do not bother me with your cries," Sebastian said as he walked to Freya’s bed to collapse onto it.

Freya cautiously approached the bed. "I have heard strange rumours that the king has fallen ill. Is it true?"

"These bastards don’t know how to keep their mouths shut," Sebastian muttered.

Freya gasped. "It is true. Will the king be well?"

"I don’t know, but why don’t you pray for him to go peacefully? After all, if he dies now, you can go from the woman of a crown prince to the woman of a king. Wouldn’t that be lovely?" Sebastian asked, closing his eyes as he intended to sleep.

"That is not funny for you to say-"

"I wasn’t joking," Sebastian interjected. "Wasn’t it your intention to become a woman of the king?"

"I wanted to become queen. Not your whore!" Freya corrected Sebastian.

"It’s all the same. The only difference is the title. I’ll be getting married soon, so you should start learning to be obedient. My future bride wants to meet you, and I have agreed to it. My women should get along," said Sebastian.

"Do you think we are children for you to force us to get along?" Freya asked, angry with the way Sebastian spoke to her.

"I think if you want to keep your pretty little head attached to your body, you would do as I say," Sebastian advised Freya.