Chapter 222: The Hunt Begins
Everyone had gathered inside the chamber as Rebecca carefully described every detail she could remember to the court sketch artist.
The room remained completely silent, and no one interrupted as the man steadily moved his charcoal across the blank parchment, bringing the face to life one careful stroke at a time.
"He had a beard that reached about here," Rebecca said, lifting her hand to indicate the length before continuing, "and his eyes were slightly hooded..."
Her voice gradually trailed away as she searched through her memories, making sure she left nothing out. Every now and then, the sketch artist would pause to study her expression before adjusting a line or darkening a feature, determined to recreate the face as accurately as possible.
Rosalind watched the portrait slowly take shape, and after a while she leaned slightly toward Rowan.
"This is starting to look like someone familiar," she murmured.
Rowan’s brows drew together as he continued staring at the drawing. He had been thinking the exact same thing, although he had refused to jump to conclusions until the portrait was complete.
Finally, Rebecca fell silent. "That is all," she said quietly.
The sketch artist gave a final nod before adding one last stroke to the portrait. After blowing gently across the parchment to clear away the loose charcoal dust, he set it upon the table and stepped aside so everyone could see it clearly.
The moment their eyes landed on the drawing, the room seemed to hold its breath.
"Griswold..." Rowan, Rosalind and Cedric spoke almost at the same time, disbelief and certainty blending together in their voices.
Rowan’s jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles beneath his skin became visible.
"I knew he was up to no good," he muttered, his voice low with restrained fury as anger burned behind his eyes. Every suspicious action, every misleading word, and every failed attempt to uncover the truth suddenly began fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.
Cedric looked toward him immediately. "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
There was no hesitation.
"Arrest him immediately," Rowan ordered coldly. "And if you discover he has already fled, then track him down no matter where he has gone. Search every road, every town and every border if you must, but bring him back to me alive."
Cedric lowered his head at once. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Rowan was convinced Griswold would never have remained in one place after everything that had happened. A man as calculating as him would have expected Rebecca to regain her memory eventually, and once that happened, he would have known his identity would be exposed. That alone was enough reason to disappear long before anyone came looking for him. Still, Rowan refused to believe a man could simply vanish from the face of the earth.
The moment Cedric hurried away to carry out the order, Rowan turned back to Rebecca.
"You have our gratitude for cooperating," he said with an approving nod. "Your courage has helped us more than you know, and I intend to reward you for it."
Rebecca shook her head almost immediately. "There is no need, Your Majesty."
Rowan looked at her in mild surprise.
"I only did what was right," she explained quietly. "Besides, as long as that man remains free, Julian and I cannot leave the palace anyway. You have already given us shelter, protection and everything we need. That alone is more than enough."
She lowered her gaze slightly. "We have already caused enough trouble simply by existing. The least I can do is help however I can."
Rosalind’s expression softened as she stepped forward and gently rested a hand on Rebecca’s shoulder.
"You haven’t caused this," she said warmly. "The people responsible are the ones who chose this path."
Rebecca looked at her before offering a faint but grateful smile.
****
Cedric, meanwhile, wasted no time gathering a group of his most capable men. Every moment they delayed increased the chances of Griswold escaping farther, and neither he nor Rowan intended to allow that to happen.
Within minutes, horses thundered through the palace gates as they rode straight toward Griswold’s estate.
The mansion stood as proudly as ever, but an unsettling silence lingered around it.
Cedric did not bother announcing his arrival. "Move!"
The guards burst through the entrance, forcing the heavy doors open before overwhelming the household guards stationed outside. Servants cried out in alarm as soldiers spread throughout the estate, searching every corridor, every chamber and every hidden room.
Yet after what felt like an eternity, the report remained the same.
Griswold was nowhere to be found.
Cedric’s expression darkened. He turned sharply toward one trembling servant whose face had gone completely pale.
"Speak," Cedric demanded. "Where is your master?"
The servant swallowed so hard that his throat bobbed visibly. "I... I don’t know."
Cedric took a slow step closer. "You don’t know?" he repeated, his voice dangerously calm. "Your master abandoned his own estate, yet you expect me to believe he disappeared without telling a single soul where he was going?"
The servant’s legs shook violently beneath him. "I... I swear..."
Cedric’s eyes narrowed.
Something about the man’s fear felt different. It was not merely fear of soldiers.
It was the fear of someone hiding the truth.
"You do know," Cedric said quietly, certainty settling into his voice.
The servant gasped as Cedric slowly drew his sword and rested its cold edge beneath the servant’s chin.
"Tell me everything," he said. "Because if this matter reaches His Majesty before you speak, he will consider you an accomplice to treason, and I assure you that your punishment will be far worse than telling me the truth."
The servant’s composure shattered. "He... he left three days ago," he stammered. "He said he was travelling to Ravens hollow"
His voice shook as he revealed the destination.
Cedric listened without interrupting. Once the servant had finished, he slowly lowered his sword before sliding it back into its sheath.
He turned toward the soldiers waiting behind him. "We ride for Ravens hollow" he ordered firmly. "Immediately."
