Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 143

Chapter 143: A bold bluff
Trace’s mouth fell open at Anaisa’s seamless transition from his wife to a bratty, entitled princess. The guards looked startled by her sudden appearance, and exchanged a brief, confused glance before they moved aside.

With an understated sigh of relief, the two magic users followed Anaisa into the royal chambers, and she strode through the empty sitting room and toward the queen’s bedroom.

She paused there, and knocked gently at the door. Trace grimaced, realizing their entire purpose for being here could be for naught.

The tiny prince had been weak and sickly. It was possible he had already passed away.

A weary doctor opened the door, and his gaze grew confused at the strange subset of palace occupants waiting for him.

“Yes?” He asked.

Trace was glad that Anaisa was at the forefront. She was the only one of them not under the compulsion to be silent about Oakdown’s plot.

“Where to begin?” She grimaced. “We need to get the prince out of the palace, now. Out of the city, even. There has been a coup of sorts, and the king’s will is no longer his own. As one of his only free acts, he ordered us to get his son out and to safety.”

“I… this is most irregular,” The doctor looked Anaisa up and down. Trace watched his eyes take in her servant’s uniform, and the appearance of the princess’s hair.

“I’m Anaisa, Sapphira’s double, and maid,” She explained. “You treated my ankle after I twisted it at the ball when I was pretending to be her for her safety. You will recognize Trace, her bodyguard, of course.”

“Of course,” The doctor was still confused.

“We have to get him to safety. Sanders can confirm there is manipulative magic in the palace, and that the baby is in danger if we don’t get him out.” She turned to the man.

The doctor looked at him as well, and Trace frowned. Would he be able to say so?

“I have not heard Anaisa tell a lie,” Sanders said with a small smile.

“Bring them in,” A raspy voice from behind the doctor said.

“But Your Highness–” The doctor whirled.

“Let them in.”

The doctor sighed and moved to one side, gesturing that the three people should enter.

On the bed, hair splayed around her like a sunrise, the queen lay, looking on the very brink of death.

“My baby is in danger?” She asked, looking at Anaisa.

“Yes, Your Highness,” She said. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Trace looked to the little bundle in the queen’s arms. The woman held the infant a little closer, and the babe let out a tiny sound.

“I can… feel… my guard around the king’s mind is not what it should be. It has been breached,” The queen brought one hand up to her head. “I have a terrible headache.”

“You should rest,” The doctor insisted, but she waved him off.

“His mind is not his own. I can only imagine this is someone wanting power, and my son would be the first in line to stop them from legally having it,” She looked down at the child. “Where will you take him?”

Trace grimaced. “Far away,” He answered simply.

“We would keep him somewhere safe until we can fix what has happened here,” Anaisa told her. “Oakdown is the perpetrator. He is commanding the king to marry Sapphira to his son, Denholm. They are evil, and they have plans beyond that involving… I’m sorry, this is a lot. We will stop it… somehow.”

“The doctor will go with you. I will do what I can to free the king’s mind but… I’m afraid that I am a shield, not a sword. I do not believe I can cut the bonds around his will.” A tear streaked down the queen’s face as she snuggled her baby.

“Will you… will you not come?” Anaisa suddenly asked.

“Does Oakdown know of my child?” The queen narrowed her eyes.

“He knows naught other than you are ill,” Sanders answered.

“If the Count does not know of my son, then my leaving would be suspicious.” The queen said firmly. “I will stay in confinement, pretending to still be with child, and then let loose rumors of a miscarriage at the appropriate time. He must not learn of my son.” The queen stated firmly. “The doctor will go with you to ensure my son’s survival.”

“I cannot ensure that, he is weak–” The doctor tried.

“You will ensure it.” The queen said harshly. “But you will need a wet nurse.”

“I know of a suitable candidate.” Sanders put in suddenly. “I will have her meet you at the West gate of the city. I’m certain she can be there within the hour.”

“We must go quickly,” Anaisa urged, “Oakdown meets with the king now, but we must be gone before he is done.”

“I love you,” The queen whispered to the baby, snuggling him close, and then holding him out to Anaisa.

“We will guard him with our lives,” She promised.

Trace looked at the doctor, “What is the safest way to smuggle him out of the palace? We do not want to smother him, but we cannot let people know about any infants coming or going.”

The doctor frowned, and looked at Anaisa’s bag.

“You need all of this?” He asked her, “Everything in here?”

“I can fit anything you need in mine,” Trace slung his pack around and opened it hurriedly. In the stress of packing quickly, he had only taken very little. Things were quickly rearranged so that most of Anaisa’s things were mixed into his, and room was made for the child in her bag.

“Hand me paper, quickly,” The queen said. “You’ll need transportation. I’ll issue you horses from my personal stable. They were part of my dowry and not accounted for in the palace records. No one will see that some are gone.”

The queen sent a final, loving look toward the infant before Anaisa closed her pack to conceal him.

“By the way, his name… is Ewan.”