Tie It With a Ribbon
He Knows not what He Does
“I want men scouring this entire country if that is what it takes! And I will not have you tell me I am being unreasonable! Does this ring not have value anymore? I am King, not you, and you will do as I say!”
“But, milord—”
“I did not leave room for your petty comments! Go!”
The soldier stumbled out of the audience hall, which had been full of laughter and jokes only months ago during Zanzibar’s coronation. Now the same hall was silent and lonely. We were the only two in here, and any who were summoned here always came in stuttering.
“What is wrong with these soldiers? Does loyalty mean nothing to them?” Zanzibar hissed to himself, practically fuming beside me. “I remember when they listened!”
His fingers tapped impatiently on the arm of his throne, and his other hands held his face, shielding his eyes from my view. I knew what they would have looked like, and I knew that I did not wish to see them.
“Zanzibar, I just want to find my mother and William. Did you even…check the graves?”
He whipped his head to me suddenly, revealing a look of complete distrust and disgust. “You are speaking words of that piece of trash, Alena.”
“I just want to know if they’re alright! If they are not there, I will feel so much more confident.”
“Do you not trust me anymore?” he asked, his eyes still narrowed. “Do you not trust your own husband—your own King?”
“I did not say that,” I mumbled quietly, looking down to the blade in my lap as he grumbled to himself over and over. The thing still frightened me beyond anything, so I returned it to its hiding place on my person. I did not see why I still required it.
“Zanzibar, just what are you doing?” Cadence demanded, her hands crossed firmly over her chest. “You have this entire country on edge! What is going through that thick head of yours?”
“Mother, I will handle this,” he told her, still appearing so suspicious.
“Obviously not! This is not how you go about this!”
“You handed me my title. You have no authority any longer,” he informed her. I watched them in shock, and Cadence looked so enraged.
“I am your mother, Zanzibar! Or have you forgotten? I will always have authority over you! This is madness, I tell you. You cannot run around scaring everyone out of their minds!”
“Are you questioning me?”
“Yes, I am! Will that be a problem? I’m sure everyone in this palace is questioning you!”
“I can guarantee you they are not!” He rose to his feet suddenly. “Alena, I am going to check on the soldiers and ensure they are doing their duty. If anyone needs anything, defer them to me.”
I watched wordlessly as he left, leaving an icy chill in his wake. I looked to Cadence, who was also breathless. She fell to her knees, clasping her hands and closing her eyes.
“Cadence, what are you doing?” I whispered, kneeling before her.
“When Zanzibar was born, we almost lost him. He was incredibly premature, and the doctors told us not to get too attached to our new cub. He said he would not live past one week if that long.
“So I prayed to Meret, begging him to help us through this time of despair and to save our new son. He helped me then, so surely he can help Zanzibar now. Surely he is ill?”
I shook my head. “I think he is afraid. I’m sure he will snap out of this once we find William and my mother.”
“What if you never find them?”
I looked to the window, to the sky above us. “Then I will have to go against my King.”
“Please save my son, Alena. He does not know what he is doing.”
I pushed myself to my feet, leaving her to pray alone.
If Zanzibar would not listen, then I would have to risk everything to save everything. If I did not, he would destroy us.
And we would simply be just another piece of history.
“But, milord—”
“I did not leave room for your petty comments! Go!”
The soldier stumbled out of the audience hall, which had been full of laughter and jokes only months ago during Zanzibar’s coronation. Now the same hall was silent and lonely. We were the only two in here, and any who were summoned here always came in stuttering.
“What is wrong with these soldiers? Does loyalty mean nothing to them?” Zanzibar hissed to himself, practically fuming beside me. “I remember when they listened!”
His fingers tapped impatiently on the arm of his throne, and his other hands held his face, shielding his eyes from my view. I knew what they would have looked like, and I knew that I did not wish to see them.
“Zanzibar, I just want to find my mother and William. Did you even…check the graves?”
He whipped his head to me suddenly, revealing a look of complete distrust and disgust. “You are speaking words of that piece of trash, Alena.”
“I just want to know if they’re alright! If they are not there, I will feel so much more confident.”
“Do you not trust me anymore?” he asked, his eyes still narrowed. “Do you not trust your own husband—your own King?”
“I did not say that,” I mumbled quietly, looking down to the blade in my lap as he grumbled to himself over and over. The thing still frightened me beyond anything, so I returned it to its hiding place on my person. I did not see why I still required it.
“Zanzibar, just what are you doing?” Cadence demanded, her hands crossed firmly over her chest. “You have this entire country on edge! What is going through that thick head of yours?”
“Mother, I will handle this,” he told her, still appearing so suspicious.
“Obviously not! This is not how you go about this!”
“You handed me my title. You have no authority any longer,” he informed her. I watched them in shock, and Cadence looked so enraged.
“I am your mother, Zanzibar! Or have you forgotten? I will always have authority over you! This is madness, I tell you. You cannot run around scaring everyone out of their minds!”
“Are you questioning me?”
“Yes, I am! Will that be a problem? I’m sure everyone in this palace is questioning you!”
“I can guarantee you they are not!” He rose to his feet suddenly. “Alena, I am going to check on the soldiers and ensure they are doing their duty. If anyone needs anything, defer them to me.”
I watched wordlessly as he left, leaving an icy chill in his wake. I looked to Cadence, who was also breathless. She fell to her knees, clasping her hands and closing her eyes.
“Cadence, what are you doing?” I whispered, kneeling before her.
“When Zanzibar was born, we almost lost him. He was incredibly premature, and the doctors told us not to get too attached to our new cub. He said he would not live past one week if that long.
“So I prayed to Meret, begging him to help us through this time of despair and to save our new son. He helped me then, so surely he can help Zanzibar now. Surely he is ill?”
I shook my head. “I think he is afraid. I’m sure he will snap out of this once we find William and my mother.”
“What if you never find them?”
I looked to the window, to the sky above us. “Then I will have to go against my King.”
“Please save my son, Alena. He does not know what he is doing.”
I pushed myself to my feet, leaving her to pray alone.
If Zanzibar would not listen, then I would have to risk everything to save everything. If I did not, he would destroy us.
And we would simply be just another piece of history.