Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Hunting raids

I found him in Verity's map room.I could see he had been washed and dressed for the day, but the traces of last night's weariness were as obvious as dirty robes.He was dressed to stay indoors and read documents.I knocked on the ajar door, and seeing him sitting in his chair before the fire with his back to me, he nodded for me to come in.When I entered the room, he didn't even look at me, just sat still, and the air in the room was tense with the imminent blizzard forming.There was a tray of breakfast on the table next to his chair, and he didn't look like he had touched a bite.I stood quietly beside him, almost certain that I was sent here again by technique this time.As the silence stretched on, I wondered if Verity himself knew why.After a while I decided to speak first to break the silence.

"Your Highness, aren't you riding out with the guards today?" I asked. It made me feel like I had opened the floodgates.He turned to look at me, the wrinkles on his face deepened overnight, looking haggard and sick. "I won't, and I don't dare. How can I acquiesce in such cannibalism! But what choice do I have? When everyone is determined to avenge the princess, I hide listlessly in the castle! I dare not stop my attack!" A soldier defends his honor, so he has to look like he doesn't know what's going on, like a dork, a slob, or a coward. Today's deeds will undoubtedly be written into a ballad, what should I call it? 'Verity slaughters the unwise'?Or 'Queen Kettricken's sacrificial offering to the Forged'? His tone rose word by word, and I walked over to the door and shut it tightly behind him in the middle of what he was saying, looking around the room as he continued to growl, wondering if there was anyone else besides me. Heard this too?

"Did you sleep well last night, Your Highness?" I asked when he had finished. He smiled resignedly. "You should know why I couldn't fall asleep at first. When I tried to fall asleep again, it was less... attractive. My wife came to my room." I feel my ears starting to heat up.I don't want to hear whatever he wants to tell me, I don't want to know what happened to them last night, whether it was a fight or a reconciliation.Just because Verity is so heartless. "She didn't cry as you might think. She didn't come looking for comfort, she didn't come because she was afraid of the night, and she didn't want me to worry about her anymore, but she stood upright like a reproached officer. My bedside begged me to forgive her for her misbehavior. She was paler than chalk, but determined as oak..." His voice trailed off, as if he felt he had said too much. "She foresaw this hunt, not me. She came here in the middle of the night and asked what we should do, and I didn't know how to answer, not even now..."

"At least she foresaw this," I continued, hoping to assuage his anger at Kettricken a little. "But I didn't," he said gravely. "She did. So will the Rider. Oh, if the Rider was still there, he would have known it the moment she disappeared, and thought of all sorts of contingencies. plan, but I can't. I just want to bring her back as soon as possible, and I hope that no one will hear about it, as if it can be done! So today I thought to myself, in case I really want to inherit the throne, the whole kingdom I am afraid that the power will be in the hands of the most incompetent person."

This was the Prince of Verity I had never seen before, a man whose self-confidence was beginning to crumble, and who finally understood how out of tune Kettricken was with him.But it's not her fault.She is strong and has been raised to be a ruler since she was a child.Verity often said that he himself was the second son from childhood, and that the right woman for him should be able to hold him like an anchor, help him become a competent king, or cry on his pillow at night seeking Reassure him that he is manly enough to be a king.But Kettricken's upbringing and self-discipline made him doubt his own abilities.Suddenly it dawned on me that Verity was just a human being.But that's not reassuring at all.

"You should at least go out and talk to people," I ventured to suggest. "What do you want me to say? 'The hunt went well'? No. You go, boy. Follow 'em to see, then come back and tell me what happened. Go now, and don't forget to close the door. I don't want See no one until you get back." I turned to do as he was told, only to run into Regal as I left the hall for the courtyard.He rarely got up and walked around so early, and from his appearance, he didn't want to get up so early.His clothes and hair were well-groomed, but the delicate ornaments were gone, no earrings, no carefully folded silk ornaments tied at his throat, the only jewelry was his royal ring.His neatly combed hair was unscented and uncurled, and his eyes were red and irritated.When I tried to walk past him, he grabbed me and tried to pull me across so I could face him.I just relaxed my muscles, didn't resist him at all, and was surprised that he couldn't move me.He turned to look at me with burning eyes, only to find that he had to tilt his head a little to look directly into my eyes.I knew I was taller and stronger, but never expected such a pleasant side effect.I refrained from a grin that turned up at the corners of my mouth, but my eyes must have revealed the joy.He gave me a rough push and I just swayed slightly.

"Where is Verity?" he growled at me. "His Royal Highness?" I pretended not to understand what he wanted to ask. "Where is my brother? His shameless wife..." He roared out, almost suffocating with anger. "Where is my brother usually around this time?" he finally managed to finish himself. And I'm not lying. "Sometimes I got up early to climb the Beacon Tower, or I was having breakfast, I guess. Or maybe I was taking a bath..." I answered him. "Useless little bastard!" Regal sent me away, leaving like a whirlwind in the direction of the Beacon Tower, and I wished him a happy climb up the stairs.I ran as soon as he was out of sight, not wanting to waste this hard-earned time.When I stepped into the courtyard, I immediately understood why Regal was angry.Kettricken stood on the carriage seat, and all looked up at her.She was wearing the same outfit as the night before, and I could clearly see a bloodstain on the sleeve of her white fur jacket in the daylight, and a deeper bloodstain on the purple trousers.The sight of her with a sword buckled at her waist, boots and hat at the ready, really displeased me.How can she do this?I looked around the scene, wondering what she had said, and made everyone look at her with wide eyes, and I rushed into the dead silence of the crowd.Everyone seemed to be holding their breath waiting for her to speak.When she spoke in a calm tone, the crowd was silent except for her clear voice echoing in the cold air.