Chapter 43

"There's been a coup d'état, my Sovereign." Hadok said, bowing his head.

Bastian looked at Hadok then the ground in shock.

A strike of state? Why? He was the Sovereign, their rightful ruler.

Attempting to appear as though he was not bothered by it he looked at the flower.

"Why is she here?" He asked.

"Because she is your Queen. You have been bound to her by Union and she you. You are inseparable, my Sovereign." Hadok said.

He gave a glare to her but her eyes became distant as though she was recalling a memory.

"My Sovereign, my Queen, we must be moving." Hadok said rising to his feet.

Bastian turned to look at him, "Very well." He rolled on his shoulder and raised himself to stand but he felt his head spin and quickly reached for support. His hand found a tree and he blinked a few times to regain his balance.

"You are still recovering, I will help you my Sovereign." He heard Hadok say and soon felt his arm being put around the big man's shoulders and they began walking, the two women in front.

"Still recovering from what?" He asked opening his eyes and seeing tree limbs and vines.

"You were given a sedative by Emon the seneschal, my Sovereign." He answered.

Bastian squinted his eyes as he recalled the bald man's strange behaviour, and the wine. He'd been a fool!

"Where is Emon now?"

"He fell unconscious soon after I discovered you, my Sovereign."

Bastian nodded and said that he was fine to walk on his own.

"This way." Said Hadok as he crouched behind a log.

Bastian crouched next to him the women now behind them.

The log was on a cliff overhanging the ocean. The waves crashed loudly on the shore.

"Why are we here?" He asked.

"I have found a small boat that will ferry us to Bell Island-"

"No." Bastian stated with a serious look, "We will not bring them there."

'Them' meaning the Lords.

"But what if the Beloved Queen is in danger as well, my Sovereign?" Hadok asked.

"There is a reason my mother is called the Beloved Queen, they would not dare lay a hand on her or there would be riots." Bastian said with a smirk. The Lords would not dare.

"Very well, my Sovereign. We shall then make our way to your personal dwelling." Hadok said pointing into the distance to where his personal palace was.

Bastian nodded his assent.

Hadok signalled that he would go and see if the way was clear while he stayed back with the women.

"Who's she?" He whispered as Hadok disappeared into the shrubbery referring to the blonde woman that had been following the flower.

"My personal maid." He heard her answer, a slight edge to her voice. He turned and saw a fear in her eyes that confused him.

He peered over the log and waited for the signal.

Hadok had arrived at the small dock and was surveying the boat, Bastian watched as he waved back to them.

"Let's go." He said as he gave the flower a slight shove. She shot him a glare and he ignored it following behind them. He wanted a weapon, a sword would be great but he could live with a dagger or a knife.

He crouched as he neared the bottom of the slope and glanced over a large fern, Hadok was still standing on the dock waiting.

Bastian heard footsteps and quickly ducked back behind the fern. He covered the maid's mouth as she had begun breathing too loudly. He looked and saw that the flower was glaring at him, he signalled that she'd been breathing too loudly but Hydrangea only gave him a harder glare. Her grey eyes could be very sharp.

He removed his hand annoyed, and Hydrangea crawled to where the now trembling maid was.

"Hadok! What brings you by this side of the island?" The intruder called out.

"I was instructed to guard this dock, it could be used as a route of escape." He listened as Hadok replied.

"Have you heard that Sovereign's body has been taken?" The man asked.

"No."

"The seneschal was supposed to bring his body but Emon was found unconscious on the floor and the Sovereign is missing." The man's words had an edge to them and Bastian could tell that he was suspicious.

"Then I will watch for both of them." Said Hadok his voice threatening.

"The guards said that you were last see-" The voice stopped with a crack.

Bastian could guess what had happened. He rose to his feet and saw as he suspected; Hadok and broken the soldier's neck.

"What happened?" He heard the flower ask, shock clear in her voice.

"My Queen, we must leave, come." Said Hadok as he turned her from the scene of the dead soldier.

Hadok helped the women into the boat while Bastian searched the small, canoe-like-boat for oars. Once he found them he handed one to Hadok who sat in the stern, and kept the other as he sat in the bow and began to paddle out into the channel in the direction of his island.

"Is that man dead?" He heard the flower's voice ask with a small tremor to it.

"Are you frightened of the answer?" He asked as he steered along a narrow river that he knew to be a faster passage.

"Maybe." She replied softly after a long silence.

He smirked, he found it amusing that she had a weak stomach.

"He is dead." Stated Hadok after a pause.

Bastian halted in his even strokes when he heard a heaving sound and turned to see that the maid was throwing up over the boat and into the river while the flower stroked her back.

Once he could see that the maid had finished, he and Hadok began to paddle slowly along the still waters, ever watching their backs.