I Bought the exiled king (by Natalie Winter) novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Valencia

“No, don’t believe her. She is lying and-” Nina began once again.

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But the Crone’s staff struck once, the sharp crack reverberating through the cavern. The sound cut through the weak moans of the injured, and the frantic thundering of my own heart.

“Nina,” the Crone said, her voice oddly calm, “you will hold your tongue.”

Nina flinched but quickly straightened, her face rearranging itself into that of a kicked puppy. She clasped her hands together as though she were an innocent child being blamed for another’s fault. Her lips trembled just enough to make her performance convincing.

“Crone,” she said, her tone adapting a sweetness she had never used for me, “I only speak because I fear for us all. Can’t you see? She brings ruin wherever she goes. Since the moment she stepped foot in this kingdom, there has been nothing but calamity. First Sarah fell ill, then the scrolls she copied were destroyed, now–now this!” She gestured wildly at the bloodied floor, the temple keepers‘ still forms covered hastily with cloth.

Her eyes shone with fake grief. “Do you not see the pattern? Is that not the mark of cursed blood?”

Her words slithered through the room like smoke, curling into the ears of the younger novices who huddled together at the far wall. I saw the way they exchanged nervous glances, their doubt and fear feeding on one another.

I wanted to scream. To tell them that I hadn’t asked for this, hadn’t wanted to be dragged into their politics, their curses, their bloody wars. But my throat felt tight, as though Nina’s accusations held it closed.

Sarah, bless her soul, tried again to defend me. She pushed herself up, wincing as the movement tugged at her injured arm. “That’s not true! Valencia saved me. She fought him-” she nodded toward the doorway where soldiers had forced their way in moments ago-“while Nina cowered in the corner.”

Sarah didn’t even bother with honorifics and used her first name directly, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Nina.

Nina’s head snapped toward Sarah like a snake ready to strike. “Insolent girl. You dare to twist the truth? She dragged you into her mess. And she is still using you to shield herself from her own incompetence. You’ve been blinded by her lies.”

Sarah’s face went pale, but she held her ground. I wanted to go to her, to stand between them, but my legs felt as though they were carved from stone.

The Crone, however, was no statue. She turned her piercing gaze upon Nina, the harsh lines on her face even more prominent. “You speak boldly for someone whose hands are free of blood tonight.”

Nina blinked, startled. “I–I don’t understand.”

The Crone’s staff pressed against the floor again, this time softer, deliberate, as though marking out a rhythm only she could hear. “When the doors burst open, who stood back? Who clutched her skirts and shrieked for others to act? Who raised no blade, and lifted no hand to defend her sisters?”

9:00 Mon, Sep 29

Chapter 154

Nina’s cheeks flushed crimson. “I am no warrior, Crone, My skills lie in order and discipline. You cannot fault me for not being trained in battle.”

“No.” The Crone tilted her head. “But I can fault you for your eagerness to point a finger at another while your own cowardice still drips from your robes like spilt blood.”

A murmur rippled through the gathered women. Even some of the younger novices who had seemed swayed by Nina’s earlier words now looked at her with wide, uncertain eyes,

Nina stiffened. “You cannot possibly believe her over me.” She jabbed her finger at me again, desperation leaking through her veneer of control. “Look at her! She stands here, claiming the King is dying, when we all saw him stabilise. She calls herself novice, yet she stumbles from one disaster to another. And now she is asking us to go in the heart of the battle to get killed!”

The Crone’s eyes flicked to me, sharp and assessing, before returning to Nina. “And yet, when the doors opened, it was Valencia who dragged a wounded sister to safety while you… what did you do? You simply watched.”

“I was protecting myself!” Nina’s voice cracked as she scrambled to find a good answer. “What good would it do if I died too?”

“Ah.” The Crone’s lips curved, but it was not a smile, it was a look that said she could not be fooled so easily. “So it is better for others to die than for you to risk yourself.”

I went near Sarah who looked utterly relieved despite the blood trickling down her arms. She was looking at the Crone with reverence and as if she had atlast found justice.

Nina’s breath came in ragged bursts. She knew she was cornered, yet her venom hadn’t run dry. “You’ve always favoured her,” she spat suddenly, her mask shattering. “From the moment she arrived. You think she’s special because of her mark. Because of her cursed blood. But she’s not one of us! She doesn’t belong here!”

Her eyes found mine, blazing with loathing. “And she never will.”

The Crone stepped closer, her staff ringing against the stone with each tap. When she stopped, she was only a breath away from Nina, her shadow looming taller than the girl herself.

“You forget yourself,” the Crone whispered. “It is not your place to decide who belongs. It is mine. And I have decided to go check on the King. So you better be prepared to give me some answers if I dont find him healthy and breathing when I see him.”

Nina recoiled as though struck. “You’ll regret this. All of you will regret this.”

At this point, she was not even denying that she had a hand in the King’s death. Maybe the soldiers arrival and the little peek of war she got from the few minutes in which the door to temples had been opened made her believe that Martin would win.

I wondered what promises he had made her and what made her think he would live upto them. Martin was not one to keep promises and if needed, he would kill her just for hovering around him like a pesky fly.

That would be fun to watch, I thought. But my daydreaming was stopped short by the loud sound outside the doors that boomed again. This time a crack split the wood, splinters flying inward. Gasps echoed around the chamber.

9:00 Mon, Sep 29

Chapter 154

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“Brace it!” the Crone shouted, snapping her staff toward the remaining keepers. Women scrambled to push shelves and tables against the doors, their faces pale but determined.

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