The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 293: Whereabouts

Chapter 293: Whereabouts

The first rays of the morning sun painted the castle’s walls with a warm golden hue, signaling the start of a new day.

Annalise stirred in her bed, her eyes fluttering as she tried to adjust to the brightness. The outside world seemed way too warm and sunny for an early winter morning.

If she had to guess then it was definitely due to the castle’s weirdness that had suddenly changed the weather from cold to warm.

Once she was fully awake, she looked around the bed and found only Kenric sleeping beside her while there was no sign of either Valerius or Damien.

She gently tried to extricate herself from the hold of her slumbering husband. But her fingertips brushed against the softness of his chest as she attempted to climb down the bed, causing him to stir.

She waited for him to return to sleep while holding her breath, trying to make no sound at all. Once she was sure that he was back to sleep, she decided to hurriedly climb down from the bed.

But as soon as she moved, she felt a grip around her wrist, and there was Kenric, the mischievous Autumn Prince, pulling her back into the bed.

He flashed a playful grin, his eyes glinting mischievously, as he hovered over her, trapping her between the soft mattress and his strong muscular body.

"How sneaky of you, Little Bird." He whispered while bringing his face closer to hers.

"Kenric, it’s so early in the morning and I need to get dressed. Stop with your fun." Annalise tried to get past the teasing of her husband but it didn’t prove too helpful as Kenric only tightened his hold on her.

He began to tease her with his gentle caresses, making her heart race as she tried to suppress a giggle. His fingers were making her feel ticklish and that was the last thing she wanted him to find out.

Somehow, she managed to break free from Kenric’s playful clutches, despite the objections from her body and soul that were more than happy to be left in the Autumn Prince’s care.

Miraculously she somehow succeeded in getting dressed despite Kenric constantly teasing her and trying to distract her.

"You should get dressed too." She told him as she completed braiding her long hair and putting on some small but pretty hairpins in it that matched the design and color of her dress.

"How about you help me?" Kenric proposed as he followed behind her, not allowing her any peace of mind even for a moment.

Annalise turned to stare at her husband as she replied - "You better get ready. I’m heading downstairs." She didn’t give him time to speak any further as she hurried out of the room. As she left, Kenric’s melodious laughter trailed behind her like a sweet melody.

-

Annalise found her way downstairs and she headed straight to the kitchen, where the delightful aroma of freshly baked bread was filling the air.

The kitchen was almost silent and empty with only Aunt Claire and Vladiya bustling around, preparing a hearty breakfast for the family.

"Good morning, My Lady," Aunt Claire greeted her with a warm smile. "You’re just in time to taste this freshly baked bread by Vladiya. How about you let us know if it’s as good as it smells."

"Good morning, My Lady," Vladiya also greeted Annalise as she brought a slice of freshly baked bread for latter to taste.

Annalise took a little bite and immediately let out a moan as the soft and sweet bread nearly melted in her mouth. "This is so good, Vladiya." She praised the young woman who seemed slightly embarrassed.

Annalise joined Aunt Claire and Vladiya to help them in preparing the breakfast.

"You have mostly prepared everything, there’s barely anything left for me to do." She complained as she followed Aunt Claire to wash the fresh fruits that had been brought by Mr. Warren, something he did every morning.

"I didn’t know that you will be joining us. It’s your fault basically. Remember to inform me beforehand from now on so that I can keep some work for you to do. How about that?" Aunt Claire proposed.

"That sounds like a great idea." Annalise accepted the offer without a second thought, beaming happily when Aunt Claire just shook her head in exasperation.

As time passed, Annalise couldn’t help but wonder where her husbands were, especially Damien and Valerius.

She finally enquired about their whereabouts from Aunt Claire.

"Lord Damien is currently helping Mr. Warren and Richard in the stable. The three of them had bathed the horses since it’s a sunny day. And they must be feeding the horses now." Aunt Claire informed as she started working on preparing a fruit salad.

Damien had always been fond of horses and enjoyed spending time caring for them.

"What about Valerius?"

"Lord Valerius and His Highness Elijah went down the mountain early in the morning along with Mr. Warren. They didn’t tell us anything but according to Mr. Warren, the two of them went toward the opposite end of the mountain instead of heading to the Capital." Aunt Claire told Annalise all that she knew.

Annalise thanked Aunt Claire for all the information before they all got busy.

By the time the breakfast preparations were complete, Valerius and Elijah still hadn’t returned. It wasn’t unusual for them to be away for so long, but Annalise couldn’t stop herself wondering about their whereabouts. Still, she decided to not think too much as she helped Aunt Claire and Vladiya.

With everything set on the table, Annalise, Aunt Claire, and Vladiya sat down to enjoy the breakfast they had prepared. However, the dining table felt a bit empty without the presence of even one of her husbands.

As they began to eat, Damien finally joined them after finishing his chores in the stable. He headed straight toward Annalise and planted a kiss on her forehead, whispering - "Good Morning", before he settled down in the chair next to hers.

Annalise immediately felt overjoyed and her bond got swarmed with warmth because of Damien’s closeness.

Not long after, Kenric also joined the breakfast gathering. He took his seat on the other side of Annalise while Sera served him food.

The group chatted about usual stuff but no one, especially Damien and Kenric, mentioned Valerius and Elijah, which only made Annalise more curious to know what was going on.