Chapter 118

Chapter 118 Stay away from her

After returning to the palace from Cas sandra’s clinic, I decided to go and visit Mother. It wasn’t my first choice of things to do, but I couldn’t wait any longer, so I made my way to the South Wing until I reached her chambers.

I knocked on the door but didn’t bother to wait for a reply before entering.

Mother seemed surprised to see me, and when she rose from the bed, her eyes were large. She appeared more tired than usual, not that I could blame her. She was experiencing quite the ordeal, and the stress of her confinement seemed to be taking its toll. Her already fair complexion had lost all of its color and her eyes seemed sunken. Her hair was loose from its usual intricate style, and her l*ps quivered.

“Kane,” she greeted me quietly. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to visit, Mother,” I replied as if it were obvious, and after I crossed the room to give her a hug, I took a seat in the velvet armchair in the corner. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better,” Mother remarked dryly, and then she sighed. “I heard talk from the halls that the wretched healer Cas sandra has moved out of the palace. Is there any specific reason behind it?”

I smiled. “Nothing that you need to concern yourself with.”

Mother glared at me for a moment, but when she

As much as I disliked the situation, I was glad that Asher had agreed not to escalate the punishment of my mother and allowed me to handle things, though knew he was suspicious of my intentions.

“Ugh, that awful healer,” Mother continued, and she shook her head as she

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stared out the window into the darkening sky. “What a terrible plague upon us all. I do not understand why Asher brought that vile girl to Merliscire, but I have the feeling that she is the root cause of all of this trouble. I’m certain she’s trying to seduce Asher and take Adalyn’s place-”

“Come now, Mother, that’s not what’s happening,” I sighed, and I ran a hand through my hair. “Stop worrying about Cas sandra. She’s no threat to you or Adalyn.”

Mother exhaled sharply and crossed her arms.

“Says you,” she huffed, and then her l*ps pouted slightly and her eyes grew round with feigned emotion. “I’m only worried about Prince Marco. I can’t imagine how the poor child is feeling. His father has been swept away from him by some. back woods woman from a territory no one cares or thinks about. I can’t begin to understand what a child of five could be thinking right now. He must be both devastated and crushed by Asher’s recent actions. And then the imprisonment of his grandmother! The boy has suffered too much.”

I remained silent but rolled my eyes when she wasn’t looking. I knew my mother all too well. Margaret Collins had never been a good person. Some had even considered her evil because she had once campaigned to have me take the crown instead of Asher. For months after my brother had become the Alpha King, there were whispers of my mother’s wicked plights and suggestions that she’d only married the late king to further her agenda.

While I knew she wasn’t a good person, I didn’t think her actions were unforgivable. I knew redemption was possible for her.

I also knew that she wasn’t responsible for Cora Felix’s death, even though Asher suspected her due to her absence from his coronation ceremony. He’d harbor ill feelings toward her ever since that day, and though I knew where my

other had actually been that day, I couldn’t tell him. Even though her whereabouts could clear her of suspicion, it wasn’t my secret to tell.

I studied Mother closely.

Even though she hadn’t been responsible fr her death, then was no denying she had disliked Cora Felix strongly, and now she shared a similar distaste for

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Cas sandra. Margaret Collins saw anyone close to ASher as her enemy due to her deep-rooted insecurity.

Truth be told, the late Alpha King had never sincerely liked or even loved her. From all that I’d gathered over the years, he considered Mother to be another substitute for Selene, Asher’s late mother and Mother had taken those sentiments to heart. That feeling of loneliness had only hardened her over the years and stripped her of any goodness she may have had within her.

Lately, all Mother seemed to care about was her hatred for Cas sandra Keller

and Prince Marco’s ascension to the throne after Asher. She was hellbent on he

grandson becoming the Alpha King after my brother, even though the young pri wasn’t Asher’s biological son. I didn’t understand her hyperfixation on the matter. Adalyn and Asher had no other offspring, so Marco was an uncontested heir no

matter what.

I sighed. No of this mattered to me. I didn’t understand all of the drama surrounding the throne and the ruling of this country. Politics had never interested

me.

“What did you do today?” Mother spoke up and interrupted my thoughts. “I must say, my darling, I’m surprised you’ve stuck around the palace for so long. It isn’t like you to linger. You’re always traveling so much.”

“I’ve decided to slow down a little,” I remarked off-handedly. “No use jetting off when there’s so much going on here. Now, let’s see… I spent some time in the library, walked the grounds, visited the new clinic-”

“The clinic?” Mother repeated back in surprise. “What were you doing there? Don’t tell me that you’re experiencing feelings for the healer as well.”

Despite her serious expression, her tone was light, so I knew she was joking. Of course, that did little to settle my nerves.

“I went there to apologize to her,” I said sternly. “And clarify that Erika’s name has been cleared.”

Mother scoffed and shook her head. “Unbelievable. I don’t understand, Kane.

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Between you and Asher, it’s as if I don’t know either of you anymore. That maid was suspicious. Asher should never have punished me. All of this for a healer’s maid.”

Her scorn quickly shifted to sadness, and her eyes welled up with tears. Though I knew her actions had been worthy of this punishment, I couldn’t stand seeing her cry like this. I rose from my seat and walked over to her.

“Don’t cry, Mother,” I soothed her gently, and I placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Please don’t cry.”

Mother whimpered for a moment and then began to sniffle.

“Thank you, son,” she said softly, and then she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. “I know what I say doesn’t matter, but I think it would be best for you to maintain some distance from the healer. She’s nothing but trouble, and you don’t need her causing any mischief in your life.”

I smiled despite her words. “I can’t make any promises, Mother.”

As she studied me and wiped the tears from her cheeks, I remembered the words she’d said to me many years ago.

“Stay away from the warrior’s daughter.”

At the time, I’d heeded her decree and stayed away from Cora Felix.

However, this time, I didn’t believe I should do the same again.

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