Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 79

Mental
Anaisa was shocked by Trace’s short speech. Did he really suspect the king and princess were going to be subject to some kind of magical manipulation or attack? He’d told her to make sure the princess didn’t trust her dreams… A sinking feeling curled up in her stomach.

“That is not a concern.” The king waved him off easily.

“Your Majesty–” Trace began, but snapped his mouth shut as someone new entered the room in the room.

“Such a commotion for so early in the morning,” A sweet voice from the left of the main chamber could be heard.

Anaisa stood in awe as the queen moved towards them. Though it had been over a decade since Anaisa had seen the woman in the royal bridal parade, she looked no less stunning than the day she married the king.

The queen looked curiously at the small group of people in her sitting room, her gaze focusing on Anaisa, and then Sapphira.

“Your Majesty,” She addressed her husband formally, “I do believe you may have something to tell me?”

He sighed heavily, and gestured for her to sit down. Sapphira did the same. Anaisa, dressed as a princess but technically being a servant, moved to the side and stood awkwardly. Trace moved with her, calming her nerves a little.

“When Sapphira had her hair changed to its current color, she used her maid’s hair as a template, and they discovered how very alike they look. Given that her ball is coming closer, I decided that a double might be a good idea to head off any danger or threats to the princess.” The king explained.

Anaisa frowned. There was a lot of information left out of his explanation. So much so that it felt deceptive.

“Is there some threat against her?” The queen leaned forward, worried.

“This is precautionary,” The king shook his head. “Please don’t worry yourself at all. I’ve even assigned her a new bodyguard that is so thorough that he was worrying over a mental attack on myself!”

The queen smiled softly, turning laughing eyes on Trace. “You need not worry yourself about that.”

“May I ask why?” Trace bowed as he dared to ask the question burning in Anaisa’s mind. “You seem amused by the prospect.”

The monarch and his wife exchanged a glance, and the king shrugged slightly. “It’s up to you, Dear.”

The queen lifted her head with a regal air. “I am His Majesty’s shield. His mind is safe from all magical attacks and manipulation so long as I am awake, and he is never awake without me.”

Anaisa blinked, and felt a sudden rush of pity for the woman. She didn’t imagine a king got much sleep! What an exhausting life for the queen.

“But when you are asleep?” Trace turned the question on the king, hoping it wasn’t disrespectful.

“During the night, I am not around people, but there is someone who watches for magic use.” The king waved Trace’s concerns away. “You can rest easy, but I thank you for your thoroughness in your quest to protect my kingdom. I ask that you focus solely on protecting my daughter from now until at least after the ball.”

“I understand, Your Majesty,” Trace bowed, but Anaisa noted that he had not agreed.

“You’re excused for a short while. I will have some time with my daughter and you seem anxious. Take a walk to calm yourself.” King Harold nodded at the bodyguard. Anaisa froze, not knowing if she was excused as well.

Trace bowed and turned, not looking at his wife as he left the room. The doors opened and closed after him, and no one said anything to Anaisa for a time.

“Red hair is quite unusual,” The queen looked between the pair of young women again. “I knew it was in the line of nobility, but I did not expect it in a servant.”

Anaisa froze, trying not to react, but now everyone was staring at her. She remained silent, but the king frowned.

“That hadn’t occurred to me before. I interact with so few commoners, I suppose I did not realize just how rare it was until just now.” His eyebrows came together. “You looked familiar, but I assumed it was simply because you look so much like Sapphira… but…”

The former count’s daughter trembled. Her knees were shaking so badly she thought she would collapse under her own weight.

“Oh, out with it, Father,” Sapphira complained. “What is it you want to say?”

“Respect His Majesty, Sapphira,” The queen chastised her stepdaughter gently. “You know it is the law that you do so. Now, I am tired, I think I will go and lie down for a while.” She said softly, standing up with the king’s hand at her elbow.

Anaisa looked towards the window. It was only an hour or so past dawn, and the woman already needed to rest? She must be even more sleep deprived than Anaisa had guessed.

Sapphira had said her stepmother had been ill, hadn’t she? Anaisa wondered at the nature of the illness, until the queen laid a hand under her stomach as she left the room… under a bulge that had been disguised by her skirts. Anaisa stifled her gasp, but the king quickly reclaimed her attention.

“Annie. You said your maid’s name is Annie?” The king spoke to his daughter, and she nodded.

“Is that your full name?” The king flashed a serious gaze at Anaisa. She could see in his eyes that he was putting things together.

“It is a nickname,” She admitted.

“And your full name?” He demanded, causing even his daughter to cringe away from him.

“Anaisa, Daughter of Hector, Son of Go.” Clenching her jaw, Anaisa ground out the words.

“How did you get into the palace’s service?” King Harold stared at her intently, and the young woman threw caution to the wind, glad that Trace wasn’t here to witness the events leading up to her inevitable execution.

“I was thrown from my home when my father was falsely accused of treason.” She snapped. “I had nowhere to go, no way to survive! What was I to do but to try and find any job that would take me under a nickname? If your housekeeper had done any sort of investigation at all before hiring me, it would have been clear who I was from the beginning! None of this is my fault!”

“No,” The king narrowed his gaze. “It’s your father’s.”