Page 51 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown (Kingdom of Bellhollow #1)

T ears pool in my eyes as I step out of the room, where Hilga stands with a stick in her hand.

A week has passed since I had the encounter with the prince and Skylar about my frequent visits to the forest. Neither one of them has asked me about it since, thankfully.

I haven’t changed much, besides the times I go so they don’t suspect anything, but I haven’t seen Kieran every day.

He doesn’t want to risk it in case the Fae looking out for us miss hearing them walk into the forest or they can’t have someone looking out while we meet up.

Apparently, the prince has added more guards to our town, which has made it a little more difficult for the Fae to leave their posts than before.

Everything is changing around us, and I can’t keep up.

“Your hand looks worse than it did the first time,” Henry, the same guard who walked me to the gates the first time, says.

Not wanting to see the wings on the walls, I don’t lift my head.

It never gets any better seeing them pinned to the wall, knowing most of the Fae are dead.

My heart aches every single time I think about the man, who won’t ever be able to fly again, even if he got his wings back.

I wish there was something I could do to help him.

“I thought you would have gotten better, but I was wrong.” Henry speaks again as we walk down the long hallway.

“I have been through a lot recently,” I mumble, trying to keep my tears at bay.

My hand aches from every single strike. I lost count of how many I took, but from the way my hand looks, it was a lot.

“Have you not been practicing?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Too much going on. With my father dying.” My voice cracks. “To try to get everything done, I haven’t had time to eat let alone practice.”

I’ve lost some weight since my father died, but I can’t do much about it.

I’ve been giving my portion of meat to my mother so she can have the strength and nourishment for when she has the baby.

Which leaves me with only a little food every single day, but I need Mother to be healthy and strong so I don’t lose her as well.

“Did you remember anything?” he asks another question.

I stop walking and lift my head, my eyebrows pulling together as I look at him. “Why do you care all of a sudden?” I inquire, folding my arms over my chest.

I hiss when the top of my hand brushes against my arm, pain shooting across it.

“I don’t like seeing you get hurt,” he replies.

My head flinches back a little. “Wh-what?”

Henry, a palace guard, doesn’t like to see me get hurt? Where did that come from? Why does he care all of a sudden?

“I don’t like seeing anyone get hurt, but especially not women who don’t deserve it,” he repeats.

“The prince doesn’t think that way,” I mumble, not able to stop myself.

“The prince is the prince, he can think however he wants and no one will question it.” Henry gives me a pointed look like he knows something I don’t. “But that doesn’t mean his guards don’t have a brain. A lot of us do, we just don’t say anything.”

“Because you aren’t allowed to?” I cock an eyebrow and start walking again.

My hand still aches as I walk down the long hallway, wanting to get home as fast as I can and away from prying eyes. I need to get stuff on my hand before it gets even worse and the salve won’t do anything.

“Partially.” Henry shrugs as he keeps pace with me. “Some don’t want their opinion known. It makes everything easier if no one knows and just assumes.”

“Unless you are of the opposing view.” I point out. “But no one would actually say if they are because if they did then the prince would have their head.”

“You’re right. However, I think some people may already have, without the prince knowing. Some people are just better at hiding it than others,” Henry points out.

“True.” I mull over his words.

I haven’t said anything, but I am one of the people with an opposing view to the prince and king. Do other people know that?

We walk in silence for several minutes past the gates of the palace.

“You don’t have to walk with me back to the house.” I slow my pace and hide my hand, not wanting the townspeople to see the damage Hilga has done.

“But I must. Prince Archie gave me explicit orders to pick you up at your house and drop you off,” he replies. “I don’t want to lose my head because you told me not to.”

I sigh and shake my head. “Fine, if you must.”

This is probably another way for Prince Archie to keep track of my every move and ensure I don’t do anything he would disapprove of.

“Here is a different salve to use on your hands that will help heal it faster.” Henry pulls something out of his pocket. “You only need to use a little because it goes a long way.”

I look at the little jar in his hands with apprehension. For all I know it could make it worse if I put it on.

“How do I know you are telling the truth?” I ask, not taking the jar from his hand.

We’ve stopped walking again, standing in the middle of an empty street.

“A mutual friend wanted me to give it to you,” he vaguely says.

“Mutual friend?” My eyebrows pinch together. “The only mutual friends we have are the prince and my sister, who I don’t consider friends.” I roll my eyes.

“They aren’t my friends either,” he replies. “Her name starts with a Z.”

My eyes go wide as I stare at him.

“Zah—”

“Do not say her name,” he growls. “Only I am able to utter her name.”

Only he is able to utter her name?

“Is she your?—”

“Do not speak,” he hisses. “There could be ears listening,” his voice lowers.

Right, because I’m being watched by someone, but who?

“Just take the salve and put a little on after each session. It should help with the pain and allow the swelling to go down quickly,” he says.

“Won’t people get suspicious with how fast it is healing?” I ask.

“No, because there are healers in the palace who create things all the time. No one will blink an eye if you don’t draw attention to it.” He places the little bottle in my hand and resumes walking. “Are you going to follow, or are you just going to stare at the bottle?”

I rush after him, picking up my pace to catch up. “Thank you?” It comes out more as a question.

Why would Zahra do something like this? Is Henry her mate? Or is he pretending since he only said the first letter of her name and made me fill in the blank?

But the way he was possessive of me not saying her name and that only he could, it isn’t normal.

It was like he was her mate and extremely possessive of her.

But Zahra has said nothing about her mate being human.

Does she even really have a mate? I know Zahra said she does, but how do I not know she wasn’t lying to try and get me to trust her?

I don’t know if I should trust Henry until I know for sure from Zahra herself or Kieran.

Kieran has to know about their relationship if I don’t see Zahra. He is the High Lord, so he has to know everyone and their mates, right?

“Just make sure to put it on,” he tells me. “And if it’s still bad tomorrow morning, apply more on again. That should heal it faster.”

“How do you know this?” I inquire, skeptical.

Henry pulls his hair away from his forehead and I see a long scar slashing through the left. “She gave me some of the salve to heal it quickly. Sadly, it doesn’t help with scarring, but it stops the pain.”

“How—” but I stop myself from asking how he got it.

It’s none of my business and I don’t want him to think we are friends. There is no way I can get close to him or trust him until I talk to Kieran. Until then, I am going to be civil.

“That is none of your business.” His voice is curt. “Here you are. Keep that salve hidden. I don’t need you snitching on me.”

“I won’t,” I growl, glaring at him.

I keep way too many secrets already. If someone found out he gave it to me, that would only lead to more questions.

I’m not letting that happen.

“Just a reminder. I don’t need you doing something silly and getting all of us in trouble,” he sneers. “I’ll be back next week to pick you up at the same time. Don’t make me wait or I will have to tell the prince.”

“I thought you didn’t like innocent people, especially women, getting hurt.” I eye him suspiciously.

“I don’t, but I’d rather it be you than me. I won’t play around. I have a life to live. If you want to put yours in danger, that’s your own fault,” he replies.

He doesn’t know that I’m Kieran’s mate. Was he lying when he said he knew Zahra? Would she have told him I am mates with Kieran?

Something isn’t adding up here, and it’s making me uneasy.

“Fine. I’ll be on time. Don’t worry.” I roll my eyes and walk to the front door. “Thanks for the salve.”

Before he can respond, I open the door and go into my house.

“Your hand,” is the first thing Mother says.

“I’m going to put it in some cold water and put salve on it,” I tell her. “It will be fine in a couple of days.”

Or I hope it will be. I’m not going to put on the salve Henry gave me until I talk with Kieran. I don’t want to risk it getting worse. What if he gave it to me to see if I would use it, but instead I get a reaction and it warns people that I’ve put something on it that I shouldn’t?

Not happening.

That would put my life at risk. It’s not worth it. The pain will be all right until I can talk with Kieran about it.

“Let me know if you need me to do anything,” Mother offers, shocking me. “I don’t understand why they need to strike when you make a mistake. That is no way for you to learn. It will only distract you.”

“I know.” I sigh as I dip my hand into the cold water from where the ice melted earlier.

It makes no sense, but I don’t have a say in it. It’s up to the prince what Hilga does.

“When is Prince Archie going to ask you to marry him?” Mother asks.

I stand still and take a deep breath. This is the most she has talked to me since Father died. What was going on?

“Did he visit you while I was gone?” I finally turn around.

There she is, sitting at the table, sewing a pair of pants. “No, but I know he has been trying to court you for a while. I am only curious.”

I shake my head. “He alluded to it the other day, but Skylar told him to wait several months because of Father?—”

I take a deep breath in, pause, and slowly let it out.

“I don’t think I’m going to say yes when he asks,” I mumble more to myself. “I don’t like him. I want nothing to do with him. I don’t think I’ll ever love him. Skylar would be a better fit.”

“Remember what Avira said. Maybe you should say yes and make a couple of appearances,” Mother suggests. “Just something to think about.”

Nodding, I can’t say anything. Mother saw my side before with not wanting to marry the prince and now all of the sudden she is agreeing that I should. That isn’t her.

“I’m going to go change,” I mutter, walking past her.