Chapter 179
CAMILLA’S P.O.V
We were ready to leave the next morning and despite not wanting to scare the others with his fast healing, he came out to see us off. I was a bit terrified of what we were going to meet at home. I couldn’t keep myself from fidgeting the entire ride. I hadn’t heard from Christine or the kids and I was worried about them. Ryker intertwined our fingers the entire ride. He didn’t say a word but I could feel his presence. I could feel his comfort and his reassurance.
By the time we got to the palace, I didn’t even wait for the carriage to come to a halt before I rushed out. Christine was already waiting in front of the palace with the girls and they rushed into my arms. Despite the persona I was to hold as a Queen, I couldn’t bring myself to care about that, I rushed to my knees and pulled them into my arms. I pulled them impossibly closer and let out a sigh of relief when I realized they were fine.
I had not realized how much I missed and wanted them to be fine. Audrey was telling me about everything she did while we were gone and in all honesty, I wasn’t paying attention to her words, I just wanted to hold her. Ryker walked over to me and they immediately pulled away from me to embrace their father. He picked them up with ease and I watched as he whispered kind words into their ears.
“I take it the trip was successful,” Christine hummed from beside me and I nodded. “Come on, I made lunch for you, we can talk over lunch.”
We walked into the palace and I couldn’t help but look around anxiously almost expecting something bad to have happened. Everyone was all smiles which to me was weird. Reina had never gone this long without hurting someone first. I couldn’t help but think back on Briggs‘ words. What was her endgame? What was she planning? Had she already done it or was she waiting for me to return before she did it? No matter how I thought about it, it still looked bad and I was exhausted.
I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I walked into the living room. The smell of food assaulted my nose. and I rushed over to the table and piled my plate high. I heard Ryker chuckle beside me but He didn’t say a word, he just simply joined me. Audrey and Aurora kept babbling on and despite how tired he was, Ryker listened to them patiently and whispered small answers to them. I felt a pang of jealousy that they preferred their father over me but I at the same time, I also didn’t mind. I enjoyed watching their relationship with him. It was something I never had and I wanted them to have it.
“Did anything happen while we were gone?” I asked Christine and she shook her head. I felt relieved but there was something else underneath it, something akin to worry.
“It has been perfectly normal if I am being honest. I was bracing myself for some kind of trouble but nothing happened. There have been no unrecognizable illnesses, no dead crops, nothing. She may have just given up.”
“She hasn’t,” I cut her off and her brows furrowed in confusion. “She said I was finally ready for her endgame. I don’t know what that means but I know it isn’t anything good. Something bad is coming, I don’t know what it is but it has to be something bad. It has to be worse than whatever it is that she has done right now.”
Silence descended over the room as my words settled in everyone’s hearing. I hadn’t meant to bring fear but I needed to say it. I couldn’t have them walking around in ignorance before the worst hit. We were in the dark before the storm and whatever we did now was going to shape the future. I turned to Lyla who was looking at me with a sad smile, there was something deep in her eyes that, out, something I couldn’t make out. The longer I watched her, the more annoyed I got. Of having a seer if she couldn’t even help us.
couldn’t make
whatice
was
She blamed it on the goddess but why would the goddess willingly keep information from us? It made no sense. She was of zero help to me right now and only seemed to make my anxiety worse. She opened her mouth to speak but I turned away from her. I didn’t want to hear her proverbial stories that had no discernible meaning. The most important thing for me now as to make sure that everyone I loved was safe and was braced for the hit.
A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Riley walk in. She looked exhausted, like she had just woken up from sleep and she did a double take when she saw us. She rushed over to her brother first before finally coming to embrace me. As I held her close, I realized just how much danger she was in by staying here. She pulled away from me with a small smile and I knew she would hate me for my next words.
“You have to leave,” I said and she stumbled back. All eyes tuned to me and I saw Ryker raise a single brow in my direction. “I love you and I love having you here but you need to return home now.”
“What are you talking about?” she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Ryker. “Are you being for real, right now? You’re both just going to chase me away from here. You’re my family and we are meant to stick together. I don’t want to see Damien, I don’t want to be around him.”
“She is right,” I knew the words pained Ryker to say. “Something is going down here and you do not need to be around when it happens. You should be safe at home and if that means being with Damien then so be it.”
She stared at the both of us in shock. The room was completely quiet, even the girls had stopped speaking as if they understood the gravity of the situation. I hated having to put Riley in that spot, I hated having to send her away. She wasn’t ready to see Damien, she wasn’t ready to face the truth but that truth was better than whatever was about to go down. I didn’t know what it was but I could tell that it was going to be disastrous. I could feel it in my bones.
“You what, fuck you all,” she spat turning on her heels. She stomped over to the door then paused and looked over her shoulder at us. “I don’t know what you think family is but this is not it. Family is meant to stick to there despite the storms. I would have stayed.”
“I know,” I answered saving Ryker from the pain of having to. “That is exactly what makes us family because we don’t want you to. One day, you’ll understand.”
She flipped me off and stormed out of the room. Once she left, it was obvious that she took a portion of the warmth in the room with her. No one could speak or even move. The first person to break the spell was Juan, he slowly stood to his feet and took both girls from Ryker. They didn’t protest once and allowed him lead them out of the room. Christine followed closely behind him and I watched as they left the room leaving just us and Lyla.
“It was bound to happen that way, there is no path you had taken that wouldn’t have ended like that,” Lyla whispered and I whirled on her.
“A little heads up would have been nice, don’t you think?” I spat and she flinched. “Your job has been to sit there and give us shit after things go south. What use are you as a seer if you cannot help us avoid the bad?”
“I already told you, even if I wanted to help you, I couldn’t, the goddess would-‘
“Enough with the goddess bullshit,” I cut her off. “You are of no help to me or anyone else here for that matter. All you have done is follow us around for some excitement. I am done accommodating you, you can get out now.”
She opened her mouth to speak but at the last minute, she decided against it and stormed off. I watched her disappear as guilt filled me. I should never have spoken to her like that, but I was furious, I was angry and she was the closest person that I could take my anger out on.
As soon as she walked out, Ryker opened his mouth but I cut him off. “I know, that was insensitive and rude. I will talk to her tomorrow and apologize. Right now, I just… I just need a break. It is too much all at once. I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can,” he whispered reaching out to place his hand over mine. “Part of being Queen is making the hard choice. Riley doesn’t have to agree with your choice but you did it for the greater good. It was a hard as fuck one but it was the right one, I can talk to her for you if you want, try and calm her down” before tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’ll appreciate that.”
He gave me a small smile and leaned over to kiss my temple. “You’re doing a great job, Camilla. Everything you have done has been to protect this kingdom and this family. No one might have told you yet but you are a damn great Queen.’
I sniffled. His words weren’t meant to make me cry like that. “Thank you, that means a lot.”
“No, thank you, Camilla,” he gave my shoulder a small squeeze before rising to his feet. “You should probably go up to bed. You’ve had a very long morning. Everything else can wait. I will meet you there.”
“But-”
“Now, Camilla, I wasn’t asking.”
