CHAPTER 478: FLASHING IMAGES

Her nails suffered the biting of a lifetime. Arabella chewed on them, lifting the thought up and down, tossing it round and round her mind until Silas returned from the search.

His first stop after the door was the map room where the young woman had shut herself in.

"What happened? I was informed of your sudden visit to the prince’s quarters after receiving a package from him,"

From his voice and tone alone, it was very obvious he was doing his best in order to keep calm.

"He angered me again," she murmured while twiddling the edge of the map in front of her between her fingers.

"How? What did he send this time around?"

What was certainly obvious from her side however was the fact that Arabella had been crying... A lot.

She flicked at the brooch Cedric had gifted her, effectively pushing his way. Silas’ response was to walk around the desk and pick it up.

"Is this the third present he mentioned during your dance with him?"

Her eyes darted up towards him momentarily, but there was no light in them, "Yes,"

"Why did it upset you so much? Does this brooch have a more significant meaning to you?" he held and flipped it around his fingers.

"The stone decorating it is from the same mine that my grandfather signed over to me,"

Arabella had been so consumed by her recent finding that she had completely forgot to concoct a solid explanation for her brash reaction earlier that day. The tears staining her face needed a reason too.

There was no way to anticipate what her husband’s reaction would be should she tell him the truth about her brother’s whereabouts.

Him knowing could seal some avenues of thinking for her. The matter needed deeper thought, and thought was exactly what she lacked in that moment.

"Is that it?" he cleared his throat, "I don’t mean to diminish your feelings on the matter but... I would have thought them having access to your family’s mines wouldn’t stir that much agitation in you,"

"Forgive me," she looked down at her own lap, "I lost my temper,"

"It was extremely reckless of you to step foot inside his chambers. You couldn’t know what was racing across his mind,"

She knew exactly what raced across his mind, alright? That wasn’t the issue. Or perhaps it was. She was too blinded by her own, suffocating rage that nothing seemed to make sense the way it should have.

"I know," she nodded, head still down.

Silas crouched down to get a glimpse of her face before moving her hair out of the way, "What did he say?"

"Nothing good," she whispered, "Something about how his reach extended and all of that,"

Silas features twitched, giving her no other indicator for any emotion. So, all there was to do for her was to wait and see his reaction when it unfolded.

Did he believe her? Yes? No?

Time was needed for her to determine what to do with the information. The worst part yet was Arabella had been so consumed that she waisted her chance to confront Rubius with the news. To, at least, ask him if he knew about Arthur.

However, with Silas around, it was impossible to speak without him hearing it.

The vampire stood up and walked over to the door before opening it. Behind the wood stood the butler Carlton ready to knock.

Case in point, his hearing was too strong to allow her the privacy of a conversation with her grandfather.

The butler cleared his throat as he bowed, "My Lord, my Lady," he straightened up, "Time has come for the royal party to depart,"

They did not wait around and made their way down towards the entrance to stand ready for the prince’s exit.

Just like they had come, they walked back with the prince at their head. Cedric did not miss the chance to grab Arabella’s hand and put his lips on it.

The moment lasted way too long for hers or Silas’ comfort.

"I thank you for your hospitality. I’ve had quite the good time here. In fact, the decor in your home has inspired me to bring some changes in my own," he grinned.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, your highness," Arabella curtsied, but never met his eyes.

"Well, the door home is always open should you ever change your mind or at the very least come for a short visit,"

As if that could ever be true.

The next in line was her grandfather who, surprisingly, did not have much to say aside from a generic goodbye which she did not mind.

Her blood still boiled inside but there was nothing to be done right then and there.

Irene followed, that time around fully clothed. She dared not raise her gaze while passing them by.

One by one, in line, the servants marched, heads down straight for their respective carriages.

The trumpets blared, the knights mounted their horses and the thudding of hooves thundered the ground.

To everyone else, it was over. They were gone, releasing them of the pressure that had built up upon their shoulders, but Arabella could not afford that luxury.

The face of her brother lived rent free in her head, flashing behind her eyes without any warnings.

His smile, the subtle frown that governed his features whenever something upset him. He never was one to share or to speak his mind, but Arabella read him like a book from cover page to the very end.

For his last years spent back in the Sterling manor, Arthur had grown colder, more shut off. Then again, who could blame him?

Certainly not her!

"Will you be alright?" Silas’ voice broke her out of her trance.

"Yes, I might spend a few more hours in the map room then try to get a good night’s sleep," she smiled meekly.

"That does sound like a sane plan,"

A sound plan that would probably never unfold. There was no chance in heaven or hell Arabella would be able to earn a lick of sleep after what she found out.