Ever Ever After

Chapter 71: Setting Out to Excalibur

“It’s not… a disease?” Ailea croaked.

“That seems to be the case.”

“Pray tell me that if I find out who that is that cursed me that I’ll be free of all this trouble?”

“It’s possible, my lady, but I ought to say that it’ll be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.”

“Hmm. If we provoke the man who had placed a curse on her through means of ritual, then I say we should plan a counterattack. I won’t allow my wife to live like this.”

“That is a possibility, Your Grace.”

Clint leaned against the window. He was deep in thought, perhaps dreaming of the demise of the man who had cursed his wife.

Ailea turned to him. He looked haggard. Had he slept yet? She looked down at his hand. “It will be difficult to cure your hand, Clint.”

“It’ll be okay. We don’t have evidence yet, so we can’t do much.”

“I understand.”

“Ailea, you understand that this was no natural disease, right? Someone wanted to see your demise. They wanted you to suffer.”

She was silent, unable to reply.

“What am I supposed to do with that?” A murderous glint pierced his half-closed eyes like a predator seeking its prey.

A thought suddenly came to mind—the maid in the Outer Castle. She might know of his wife’s sleepwalking tendencies.

That evening, Shantee had been ordered by Clint to look for Cassie’s whereabouts.

***

A few days passed and the ducal couple set out for Excalibur.

The carriage came to a stop for rest at dawn. They would not arrive in Sutton until at least another day.

“My lady, you don’t look well. Are you tired?”

“No it’s not that. Just that—” Ailea shut her eyes tight. She heard the wolves’ howls from far away.

“It will be alright, my lady. That you can hear their cries means that they are far away.”

Ailea trembled, mumbling,” Yes, I suppose that’s true.”

“What’s the matter?” Clint asked Kaiton.

“Oh, nothing much. Though your wife seems to be afraid of wolves. Their howls gave her quite a fright.”

“Is that so?” Clint looked at Ailea. “Should we hunt them? It will take a while, though.”

Kaiton nodded. “It will be good for training.”

Ailea’s heart was in despair.  They had travelled a long journey. Now they want to hunt wolves? Had they gone senile?

She shook her head. “This much is okay.”

Clint folded his arm. “Lord Kaiton, my wife is cold, don’t you think so?”

“She seems to be shivering a lot.”

“We’re heading south, though.”

The two men began teasing her, and Ailea scowled at them alternately.

Clint laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. Let’s go to the tent. I’ll be by your side.”

Ailea nodded. “That’s good.”

“Why are you giving me that look?”

“Don’t you want to study as well?”

“My dearest wife, my body isn’t well right now.”

Clint brought up excuses and attempted to escape, but it was futile. Kaiton quickly came over and brought the bag containing Ailea’s books. Clint was left without a choice but read the papers Ailea compiled together. His expression—agonizing at first—was grave and solemn. She had researched many subjects within a short period of time, and the vocabulary used was far superior than those of educated aristocrats.

“Dearest wife.”

“Hmm?”

“Were you not afraid when you were banished to the Outer Castle? Why do you study this much?”

“Stop beating around the bush. Go study.”

“Even… even the knights won’t dare order me around like this,” Clint grumbled, but obeyed her words.