Chapter 5

Jeffrey was silent for a moment after he heard my response. Then, he said, "Sunny has been at my side every day lately, and she has been terribly noisy. If I lose my temper one day, who knows what I might do. Kat, be a good girl. I will give you a surprise the day the banquet ends."

A surprise?

Jeffrey, as it happened, I had one for you too.

Five days earlier, a magus had sent word into the palace: [The Blood Crystal binds souls between two worlds. When fate calls, they gather. When fate is silenced, they part. On the night of the full moon, one may return where one belongs when one's fate is no longer bonded and the crystal is shattered.]

After three bitter years of searching, I could finally go home…

-

The banquet was held at Windsong Pavilion in the Royal Gardens. Lanterns burned bright as day, and music drifted through the air.

Jeffrey sat on the seats of honor with Cecily next to him. He leaned over and picked up a piece of perch, then fed her. He murmured something to her and she blushed when she heard it.

Perhaps my gaze was too hard. After our eyes met, Cecily toyed with the string of glass beads around her wrist. I did not know where those beads had come from, but Jeffrey treasured them dearly.

I had once praised them for being beautiful. Usually, Jeffrey would give anything I called beautiful to me. But that time, his expression only paused slightly before he put it away. After that, I mentioned them several more times, but he always found an excuse not to give it to me. I ended up dwelling on them even more because of that.

Yet now, that string of glass beads was on Cecily's wrist.

Halfway through the banquet, Cecily suddenly frowned. One hand rested lightly on her belly, and her face went pale.

Jeffrey's expression changed at once. "Summon the court physician!"

After examining Cecily, the court physician rose and reported in a low voice. "Lady Cecily's pregnancy is unstable. I believe something in tonight's food did not agree with her. There's a certain component in the Honey Spiced Cake. If a pregnant woman eats it, it can cause bleeding and endanger the baby..."

Everyone's eyes fell on me in silence.

Cecily suddenly got up and fell to her knees to kiss my foot. "My queen, I know you do not like me. If you have any resentment, please take it out on me. But the child in my belly is His Majesty's only child. I beg you to show mercy and spare this child."

I stepped aside and retreated to a pace. Even after so many years in this world, I was still not used to accepting this custom even as a queen.

But that simply made me look guilty.

Jeffrey slowly got up. His gaze was dark and the emotions inside unreadable. After a moment of silence, he started, "Katherine. I can give you everything you want, but why would you harm an innocent babe?"

I looked straight at him. "Jeffrey. You don't believe me?"

He did not answer, and his silence chilled me to the bone.

Cecily suddenly let out a terrible cry as she clutched her belly with both hands. She curled in on herself and then collapsed. "So much blood... Your Majesty, why would you harm my child..."

The banquet fell into chaos at once, shouts and frantic footsteps filled the garden.

As voices surrounded me, I slowly raised my head.

On the night of the full moon, the Blood Crystal would break, and the path home would open.

I tightened my hand, and there was a crisp crack. White light seeped through my fingers, drowning the surrounding noise little by little…