Chapter 82: chapter 82

After Amelia gave her reluctant permission to accompany Caspian, preparations began to enter the forest. The atmosphere was tense—quiet, yet heavy with unspoken thoughts.Felix mounted his horse swiftly. Caspian turned to Amelia and extended his hand towards her with an air of entitlement. “Ride with me,” he said firmly.Amelia’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t take his hand. Is there a chance he intends to kill me once we’re deep in the forest? she wondered. Can I really trust him?“No,” she said firmly after a moment’s thought, her voice steady. “I’ll ride my own horse.”Caspian frowned. “You can’t ride on your own.”“I have my help,” Amelia replied, nodding subtly toward Liam.But Caspian’s tone turned sharp. “We can’t take that boy with us.”Amelia hesitated, her voice faltered for a moment before she gathered herself.“Fine then... I refuse to go with you.”Caspian’s eyes darkened with anger. He stepped closer, towering over her.“How dare you talk back to me?” he hissed.Amelia held her ground, even as her heart pounded. “I said—I will not ride with you.”There was a tense silence, the kind that crackled in the air like the calm before a storm. Felix, sensing that the situation was on the verge of escalating, dismounted quickly and stepped between them.“My lady,” Felix said gently, glancing from her to Caspian, “what we’re about to do is confidential. No one should know. That includes your groom."Amelia looked at him, her jaw clenched. “sir, I have already agreed to go with him—without knowing what he is planning. That’s enough trust for one day.”She paused, her gaze returning to Caspian as her voice grew firmer. “If you want me to come, then I’ll take my horse and the groom with me. Or I’m not going anywhere.”Felix glanced at Caspian, whose face remained unreadable for a moment. Then Felix gave a small nod.Caspian exhaled sharply through his nose, annoyed but resigned. “Fine,” he snapped. “Go get your damn horse.”Without another word, Amelia turned and walked away, the tension still lingering in the air like a warning.Amelia made her way toward the horses, her mind heavy with uncertainty. The wind had picked up slightly, brushing strands of hair across her face as she walked through the grass. Just ahead, Liam sat quietly on a tree trunk, a thoughtful look on his face. He rose the moment he saw her approaching, brushing the dust from his trousers.“My lady,” he greeted softly, bowing his head.Amelia stopped in front of him, her voice low and urgent. “We’re going into the forest,” she said, casting a glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. “But not for hunting. There’s something else. Some secret plan. I don’t know what they’re up to—but it feels serious. Something is going on.”Liam’s expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing.“They didn’t want to take you,” she added, lowering her voice further. “But I insisted. So stay close. And be careful.”Liam nodded without hesitation. “You don’t need to worry, my lady,” he said gently, with quiet conviction. “I’ll keep you safe—even if it costs me my life. Amelia’s gaze softened. "I hope it never comes to that," she said with a faint smile.With Liam’s help, she mounted her horse. Straightening her posture, she took hold of the reins, and Liam gently guided the horse toward where Felix and Caspian stood waiting near the forest's edge.Their eyes lifted as she approached. Amelia knew—this was no ordinary ride into the trees. And something told her this journey was about to change everything.They started walking together, leaving the open valley behind. Caspian led the way on horseback, silent and focused, his posture tense. Amelia followed, her own horse stepping carefully along the uneven path. Liam walked beside her, alert, his eyes scanning the woods. Felix brought up the rear, ever watchful.From a distance, Rosaline stood beneath the shade of a twisted pine, her gaze fixed on the group disappearing into the forest trail. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but she didn’t need to—something was happening. Something she wasn’t a part of. She had received word from her spy—Caspian had been secretly visiting the witch her late husband had once trusted so deeply. Rosaline knew Caspian wasn’t the type to believe in such things. He was too proud, too rational. But if these visits were happening, there had to be a reason. And that reason unsettled her.She had told herself it didn’t matter. That Amelia’s presence meant little. But the truth was burning beneath her skin like a slow flame. She should have stayed with me.Rosaline’s breath caught as she imagined the worst—that Amelia, naive and unsure, might somehow align herself with Caspian. If that happened, everything Rosaline had worked for, every careful thread she had woven to bring about his downfall, could unravel.Her chest tightened. Foolish girl, she thought bitterly. You don’t know the monster he truly is.Jealousy coiled around her heart like a serpent. It wasn’t just fear—it was fury. A slow, seething rage born of betrayal and desperation. Her hands curled into fists at her sides.Without hesitation, she turned sharply and motioned to a figure lingering nearby in the trees—a man cloaked in dark riding leathers, one of her most trusted.“Follow them,” she commanded in a low, steady voice. “Stay out of sight. I want to know everything—where they go, what they say, The man bowed slightly. “Yes, Your Grace.”As he disappeared silently into the woods, Rosaline remained where she was, her gaze still locked on the path where Amelia had vanished.The trail into the forest was narrow, hemmed in by towering trees whose branches tangled high above, blotting out much of the sky. Sunlight broke through only in fragments, casting shifting patterns across the ground.