Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 250: Enemy in the castle (1)

"Our men at the border are pushing forward as we now have the upper hand. For now, you mustn’t worry. It appears as though the Valthorn army is falling back," Thomas said, excited for the Hastings.

"That is good news. Should I send more men from the castle to aid them? We shouldn’t push with all force now," said Ophelia.

"The second wave of men I spoke of will push forward. It would be too risky to decrease the number of men in the castle. If the border needs help, they will send for it. Would you like a response to be sent?"

"No," Ophelia replied, shaking her head. "It seems they have it all under control. Continue to send all reports to me quickly. Has anything come from the capital? Any news of whether my husband and the duke have reached?"

"Not yet. It will take some time. Have you reconsidered sending someone to personally deliver your message?" Thomas asked.

"No. They would be running right into a battlefield. I must be patient and wait. I am sure news will come to us soon. You must have the knights keep watch over the visitors. Make sure that no one wanders around the castle," Ophelia said, thinking of what Thomas said earlier. "They are to stay in one space."

"There might be some women and children here alone. See to it that they are not troubled by anyone. They must be guided to sleep away from others so they can be safe. What else must I do?" Ophelia wondered, fearing she had missed something.

"You must eat and rest. You haven’t been sleeping as you should," Alice said, worried Ophelia might fall.

"I am fine. I have taken medicine in the morning and have not felt ill since then. I would not lie to you both about how I feel. I must see that the castle is secure before I go to rest. You can follow me, and if it appears that I am not well, say it," Ophelia suggested.

Alice shared a look with Thomas.

Even if they spoke up about what they witnessed, Ophelia would not want to rest.

"I will do one final walk through the castle, and when I am done, I will lie down for a few hours. Alice, please bring a light meal to my bedchamber. I will be there shortly. Happy now?" Ophelia questioned Thomas.

"Thrilled, Lady Hastings. We would all like to keep our heads when Lord Hastings returns. We are not the ones who have made you sick, but I am certain he would find us to be at fault," Thomas explained.

"Then, I would bring him back to his senses. How could anyone be responsible for me becoming ill? Besides, when my husband returns, he will be far too distracted to scold you. Oh," Ophelia tapped her mouth. "That was too much."

"I did not think about it until your reaction. I won’t speak of it to anyone," Thomas promised.

"That isn’t why I reacted in that manner. I think of you as a little brother, Thomas. There are certain topics I don’t want to speak of for your ears to hear, as well as Alice. You have both earned a place in my heart to be considered my family," said Ophelia.

"Is that why you wouldn’t allow Lord Hastings to scold me?"

"I wouldn’t allow him to scold anyone if it were unnecessary. If you are wrong, then you should be spoken to. If you are right and someone scolds you, I shall speak up for you. I will do it for everyone in the castle if needed," Ophelia said.

"Why?" Ophelia asked, turning around to face Thomas. "Does it make you uncomfortable? I understand if it does."

"No, it doesn’t. If I have not said it before, I am quite happy you were the one chosen to become Lady Hastings. I know that it wasn’t what you wanted at first, but it is refreshing to have someone beside Lord Hastings who cares. The former Lady Hastings was a bit," Thomas stopped, hesitant to speak ill of the Hastings.

Ophelia chuckled. "I understand, so you don’t need to say it. I am also happy that I ended up here. As much as I hate to admit it, my mother and Lord Valthorn did one thing right. What is it now?"

Ophelia stepped to the right to get a better look at the knight running towards her. "Is there a new report from the border?"

"No, there was an attack here in the castle. One of the townspeople we brought here for safety tried to attack another. It seemed to be over food," the knight shared.

Ophelia rubbed her forehead and sighed. "There is plenty of food to go around, yet they would fight. I was worried we welcomed the enemy into the castle. Have the one who started the attack be taken to the dungeon. They will be released once everyone is out of the castle."

"Yes, Lady Hastings."

"No matter what I do, it seems trouble will show itself. I have been ensuring they have plenty to eat and a warm place to rest their heads, but somehow, there is a fight. I hope this is the last I hear about a fight," Ophelia said, but she had a feeling more would come.

"Send a guard to follow, Alice. I don’t like having her out of my sight. If anyone is targeting me, they will go after those close to me. Theo already has his guards, and you can protect yourself. I can spare one of the other guards for Alice," Ophelia decided.

Ophelia looked ahead at where her other guards stood, covering all the paths leading to the kitchen. "I shall let you decide," she told Thomas.

"I can assign someone who is not your guard to be at her side. Lord Hastings wanted you to have five guards, so I will respect his wishes. I will send someone to her now," Thomas said, motioning for the other guards to circle Ophelia.

"I would feel most comfortable if you went to get her and assign her a guard later. It would ease my worry," Ophelia said, trusting Thomas most to keep Alice safe. "I will retire to my bedchamber. I am going straight there without going off course."

"Very well. See to it that Lady Hastings gets to her chamber safely. I will return to your side shortly," Thomas said, following Ophelia’s order.

Thomas hastily walked away from Ophelia, wanting to get her food quickly and return to her side.