My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 305: To Safety

Chapter 305: To Safety

In the inception of Castille, dragons were a real threat that people dealt with often according to history books. Even more than the history taught in schools, the scarring from times when dragons burnt down Coeurvalle was still present in old buildings. The marks were present most obviously in the oldest part of the palace and a few churches in the surrounding areas.

It was a brief reminder that, while not seen for over a century, dragons were still out there. The northern war gave way to a young dragon and Desmond became their hero. Many thought that was the end of that.

However, as the large body of a fully grown dragon took to the sky, clearly coming from the direction of Letum, the hearts of those in the capital and any northern territories were struck with fear. It was an unfathomable sight that most expected to never see considering the last sighting of a fully grown dragon was generations before.

Since the beginning of winter, the focus of Castillian soldiers had been on the southern border and less attention went to Letum after Desmond brought home his men after retrieving the usable items left on the scarred battlefield where burn marks littered every surface. The first line of defense in the north only had minutes to respond to the dragon breaking through the surface of the earth and practically destroying a mountain as it woke up.

It seemed that the previous King’s desire for the precious metals under the surface disturbed a lot more than he realized.

"Your Majesty, you must go to safety now," another guard announced, arriving after securing the safety tunnels underground. "The tunnels have been secured."

"Leonor, I made a promise to your husband–"

"I will only go if everyone bearing witness today is permitted to go as well," Leonor insisted.

Stephano didn’t even momentarily waver. It wasn’t as if he had an entire family to hide in the safety tunnels under the palaces. He ushered for them to go.

"We must hurry, Your Majesty."

Leonor’s hands felt clammy as they rushed through the palace and went to a hidden stairway in the King’s chambers that led deep underground. While there were candles lit on the wall on the way down, there was still an eerie feeling as they went lower and lower.

The air felt heavier and there was a scent of moisture that Leonor found herself disgusted by.

There was a section of the tunnel that had been blocked off and redone so, that even in an emergency, the King would still be comfortable. It was undoubtedly a creation by Stephano’s father and those before him who enabled such behavior of holding himself above the average person.

Regardless of how it got there, Leonor felt relieved they weren’t simply sitting in a tunnel and waiting for time to pass them by.

When they were in a place they could sit and relax, she sat with a sigh, knowing she could be deemed unladylike at that moment but not particularly caring. The gravity of the situation called for her to let go.

She glanced and saw the count comforting his wife and she felt a pang of something that stirred her heart. Every time the couple acted lovingly in front of her, she felt she was getting a glimpse of the life her mother missed out on.

"What will happen now, Your Majesty?" Leonor asked Stephano who stood near the door of the large area deemed his living quarters for the time being.

As Leonor’s eyes swept over the space further, she realized there were a few other rooms divided off of the space. It must have been for the King’s family or whoever he deemed worthy to be in that space with him.

With them were the witnesses to the confirmation ceremony. Gideon and Beth were fretful and they stuck with each other. The mage who had performed the ceremony stood in the corner with his arms crossed. Leonor noticed he occasionally glanced at her.

"The guards will report to me," Stephano responded after a long while of contemplation. "Then we will figure out what happens after that. This now takes precedence over any conflict with Eirenguard because it will affect them as well depending on how far this dragon travels."

Leonor was calmed down enough to stand up and she approached the King.

"I don’t like staying down here while others are still up there," she said. "What about the students? Many of them are likely in the Mage’s Quarter at this time of day. Most of them aren’t from the capital. They have no place to go other than the dorms that are at the edge of the city. I hope none of them leave."

Stephano smirked lightly and he reached out to place a hand on Leonor’s shoulder.

"You underestimate Quinn’s paranoia," he said. "There’s an emergency protocol in that place to shield the building during situations such as this. The student mages are in lockdown. There’s enough food to survive for a while."

"What about the help in the Queen’s Palace?" she asked. "The other servants. I ought to go and behave like a true leader."

However, the mage who performed the ceremony stepped forward and spoke up for the first time since the completion of the ceremony.

"Your Majesty, if I may be so interruptive, I don’t believe it’s a good idea," he said. "Could I please have a word with you in private?"

Stephano was taken aback at first to be interrupted, but seeing the genuine expression on the man’s face, he decided to entertain him for a moment.

They disappeared for a while before Stephano returned to the main room and gestured for Leonor to join them. She followed them without a second thought, but her hands were wringing together nervously. She could no longer hold back her true feelings about the current situation.

"The confirmation spell is multipurpose, as you know, Your Grace," the mage began.

"Yes, I’m aware," Leonor responded shortly.

"Before the mana faded, I noticed that the mark representing pregnancy is there," the mage admitted. "I am not your healer or physician, but I feel it’s best you take better care of yourself during this time."