Chapter 221: A Face Remembered
While unrest continued growing inside the palace, Griswold quietly began creating even greater unrest beyond its walls. Rumours spread through taverns, marketplaces, and village squares until they became impossible to contain, and before long the people no longer knew what to believe.
"Is it true the king plans to kill his own nephew?" one man whispered.
"I heard Julian and his mother have been locked inside the palace and are being tortured," another answered with certainty.
"There hasn’t been a single peaceful day in the palace lately," someone else murmured uneasily. "If all these things keep happening, doesn’t it mean something terrible is about to happen?"
The whispers spread from one person to another, growing louder with every retelling until fear itself became another weapon in Griswold’s hands.
Meanwhile, Rowan had to devote even more time to dealing with the unrest among the people because none of the rumours spreading across Eryndor were true.
He was genuinely protecting Julian and his mother from those who wished them harm, not torturing or exploiting them as the rumours claimed. However, whoever was behind all of this was carrying out their plan remarkably well.
They made sure those lies spread through every gathering place where people loved to talk, and before long, the entire kingdom was filled with conflicting opinions. While many remained loyal to their king and believed in him, others had begun to whisper that Rowan was cruel and unfit to rule, insisting that he should be removed from the throne.
A few days later, Rebecca was taking a slow walk through the palace grounds. She had recovered enough to walk longer distances, although she still moved carefully. As she wandered along one of the quiet corridors overlooking the gardens, she noticed Cedric standing beneath the covered walkway, silently watching the rain as it fell upon the courtyard below.
The steady drizzle created a gentle pattering sound, and each raindrop sent ripples spreading across the shallow pools that had gathered on the stone pavement. The cool air carried the scent of wet earth, and despite the turmoil surrounding the palace, everything before them looked strangely peaceful.
Rebecca found herself walking toward him. "Lord Cedric?" she called softly.
He turned at the sound of her voice and acknowledged her with a quiet nod.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all, my lady," he replied.
She stepped beside him, and for a while neither of them spoke. Together they watched the rain fall in silence, listening to the soothing rhythm of the droplets striking the ground. It was a rare moment of calm, although both of them knew that beyond those palace walls, the kingdom was anything but peaceful.
After a long pause, Rebecca finally broke the silence.
"I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you for saving us that day," she said quietly.
Without taking his eyes off the rain, Cedric answered, "It was nothing, my lady."
"It wasn’t nothing," she replied with a gentle shake of her head. "Thank you for protecting Julian and me and for making sure we arrived here safely."
Cedric drew a slow breath before finally turning to look at her.
"I’m grateful for your thanks," he said, "but I don’t deserve all the credit. If anyone should be thanked, it is His Majesty."
Rebecca looked at him curiously.
"If His Majesty hadn’t ordered us to find the two of you immediately and spared no effort in the search, it might have taken much longer before you were found. By then... neither you nor your son might have survived."
Rebecca lowered her eyes as those words settled in her heart.
After a moment, Cedric spoke again, his voice calm and sincere.
"I know you have your reasons for distrusting this palace after everything you’ve experienced, but I can assure you that His Majesty truly cares about your safety and Julian’s. He will not allow any harm to come to either of you."
A faint smile appeared on Rebecca’s lips.
"I know," she answered softly.
The more time she spent in the palace, the more she realised just how different Rowan was from the man she had once loved. He was nothing like Alaric. If anything, he seemed kinder than his brother had ever been.
She let out a quiet sigh. "And I also know that everyone here is suffering because of Julian and me. The palace is in chaos, the kingdom is restless, and all of this started because of us." She paused before adding softly, "Sometimes... I can’t help feeling guilty for staying here."
Cedric slowly shook his head.
"These are difficult times," he admitted, "but I have complete faith that His Majesty will overcome them. He has carried heavier burdens before, and I believe he will restore peace to Eryndor again."
Rebecca looked at him with quiet curiosity. "You seem to have an incredible amount of confidence in him."
"I do," Cedric answered without the slightest hesitation.
He had served Rowan for years and had witnessed firsthand the kind of ruler he was. There had never been a moment when Cedric questioned whether Rowan belonged on the throne. Whatever others chose to believe meant very little to him because he knew the truth, and he also believed it was only a matter of time before the person orchestrating everything was exposed.
"But we cannot do it without your help," he continued, meeting her eyes. "You have a part to play in this as well if we’re going to put an end to all of this."
Rebecca held his gaze for a long, thoughtful moment before giving a firm nod. "I will help."
Cedric returned the nod, and for the first time since she had arrived at the palace, there was a trace of relief in his expression. "You have my gratitude, my lady," he said sincerely.
Rebecca smiled faintly before remembering something.
"That reminds me..." she began, her expression turning serious once more. "When will I get to meet the sketch artist? I believe... I can remember the man’s face clearly now."
