The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 254: Burden of Truth

A week before the grand wedding of the crown prince and Cordelia, Jessamyn and Jerrick accepted an invitation to dine with Elaine and William. The evening promised to be an elegant affair, with William greeting them warmly at the grand entrance of his manor in Roche.

Isadora was with Cordelia, helping her with the preparations for the wedding. Jessamyn was with Cordelia the whole morning as Jerrick was busy. She would have preferred to stay with Cordelia, but she had to honor her promise and attend the dinner for William’s sake.

She hoped William’s eyes would get opened to the plots of Elaine. She hoped her plan worked.

"Welcome, Jessamyn, Jerrick," William said with a smile, his eyes shining with genuine warmth. "Elaine and I are so pleased to have you here."

Jessamyn returned his smile, feeling a sense of comfort in William’s presence. "Thank you for having us, William. It’s always a pleasure."

The mansion was adorned with the beauty of spring blooms, their fragrant scents wafting through the air. They strolled through the lush gardens, the setting sun casting a golden glow over the manicured lawns. Birds chirped merrily, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient oaks.

Elaine joined them, her beauty accentuated by the soft light of the evening. She greeted Jessamyn and Jerrick with a warm but slightly distant smile. "It’s wonderful to see you both. Shall we make our way to the dining hall?"

As they walked, they engaged in light conversation, the atmosphere filled with laughter and shared stories. Jerrick’s hand rested gently on the small of Jessamyn’s back, a silent testament to their deep connection.

Jessamyn sensed how calm her son was. He must be resting peacefully.

The dining hall was a vision of luxury, with a long table set with fine porcelain dishes and gleaming silverware. Candles flickered, casting a warm glow over the room. They took their seats, the table spread with an array of delectable dishes.

"Please, help yourselves," Elaine said graciously, her eyes briefly meeting Jessamyn’s.

As the meal progressed, Jessamyn kept a watchful eye on Jerrick’s plate, ensuring no trace of nuts was present.

"There are no nuts in his dishes, right?" Jessamyn asked Elaine, softly. William’s eyes were on her and his hearing was better than normal humans and she knew he heard her too.

His brows furrowed, wondering about the odd request Jessamyn made. As far as he knew, Jerrick was not allergic to anything, in fact, even poisons wouldn’t affect him.

He was the Lycaon Wulfhednar!

"No! You mentioned it and I prepared everything with utmost care. You can relax..." Elaine smiled as she spoke in a hushed tone.

Jessamyn smiled with relief.

William looked at Jerrick who appeared to not mind what the ladies were whispering among themselves.

They enjoyed the rich flavors of the dishes, and the conversation flowed easily. However, Jessamyn’s senses were heightened with each bite Jerrick took.

Why isn’t he doing what he was supposed to do? Did she truly add no nuts to his dish?

"Jessamyn," Jerrick said, placing a comforting hand on hers. "You’re more tense than usual. Everything alright?"

She smiled, a touch of worry still lingering in her eyes. "I’m just being cautious. Enjoy the meal, Jerrick."

As the evening wore on, Jessamyn allowed herself to relax slightly. The food was delicious, and the company was pleasant.

Maybe she was being too hard on Elaine. Maybe she too was trapped by the Council and now that she had William, she changed her mind.

But suddenly, a look of discomfort crossed Jerrick’s face. He began to sweat, his breathing becoming labored.

"Jerrick, what’s wrong?" Jessamyn asked, her voice tinged with panic.

Jerrick grasped her hand, his face pale. "I... I don’t feel well," he rasped, struggling to catch his breath.

Panic surged through Jessamyn as she sprang to her feet. "He’s having an allergic reaction!" she cried out, her heart pounding.

Elaine and William exchanged concerned glances as Jessamyn rushed to Jerrick’s side, her hands trembling as she tried to calm him. "Stay with me, Jerrick. Breathe, just breathe."

William, confused at first, acted seeing Jessamyn’s panicked reaction. He called for the physician. The room was a flurry of activity as they tried to aid Jerrick. Jessamyn’s mind raced with anger which she veiled behind her panicked shouts. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Where is the physician?" she demanded, her voice cracking. "He needs help now!"

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the castle physician arrived, administering a treatment that eased Jerrick’s breathing. He slipped into a restless sleep; his face still pale but his breathing steady.

Jessamyn sat by Jerrick’s side, holding his hand as he pretended to sleep. He was about to open his eyes, but Jessamyn pinched his hand to make him fall asleep.

Just as Jessamyn expected, Elaine walked into the room.

Jessamyn, her heart still racing, stood, her mind swirling with anger. She turned to Elaine; her eyes blazing. "Elaine, I specifically asked you to avoid nuts in Jerrick’s dish! How could this happen?"

Elaine’s expression remained calm, almost detached. "I’m terribly sorry, Jessamyn. It must have been a mistake."

Jessamyn’s fury flared. "A mistake? You put my husband’s life in danger! This is no mere oversight!"

Elaine’s elusive smile and evasive answer only fueled Jessamyn’s suspicions. "Jessamyn, please. It wasn’t intentional. We would never harm Jerrick."

"We? Do not include William in this! You prepared the dinner, Elaine, and I know who you work for."

As the tension thickened, Jessamyn’s mind raced. This wasn’t just a mistake. She could see through Elaine’s composed facade.

This was a calculated move by the council, a ploy to test if Jerrick could heal himself—a test to confirm their suspicions about him being the Lycaon Wulfhednar. For now, at least, they seemed to have removed all doubts. They now believed that Jerrick was not a shifter.

This was what she wanted but the lack of accountability on Elaine’s face made her heart shudder. She looked unfazed and uncaring as if she didn’t care whatever happened to the best friend of the man who was willing to do anything for her.

How much was she brainwashed?

Unbeknownst to them, William had been listening to the entire conversation, his heart heavy with a growing sprout of doubt. He looked at Elaine, the woman he loved, with a newfound uncertainty. Had she been part of this cruel scheme?

The seeds of mistrust were planted, and as he watched Jessamyn’s fierce protectiveness over Jerrick, he couldn’t help but wonder what other secrets Elaine might be hiding.

Still, he couldn’t stand by and watch Jessamyn shouting at Elaine and he entered the room.

"Thankfully Jerrick is fine and can we get past this?" William asked looking at Jessamyn.

Jessamyn brought out a soft smile to her face hiding all the other emotions she felt. "Thanks to your quick aid, my husband is fine. I should thank you."

William’s eyes met Jessamyn and the two of them engaged in a staring contest.

"William," Elaine’s voice broke as she clung to him. "I didn’t do it deliberately. The maids must have mixed up the knife I used to slice the nuts with the ones for fruits. Otherwise, I don’t understand... why..." She started to sob.

Jessamyn looked at Elaine with no expression on her face and William patted her back. "Did anyone blame you?" he asked, his voice soft.

Jessamyn let out a deep breath.

"No," Elaine said softly.

"That’s right... It’s an accident and thankfully nothing bad happened. So... You look tired, my love. Why don’t you rest?" William said cupping her cheeks.

Jessamyn pressed her lips and sat beside Jerrick showing her back to him. She didn’t have the patience to watch them being lovey-dovey.

"But you said the archduke wasn’t allergic to anything as long as you remembered..." Elaine said in a whiny tone.

Jessamyn’s ears perked up and she turned to face William. William looked at her with his eyes wide, clearly understanding the source of her anger.

Jerrick had specifically asked him not to pass any information to Elaine until they could confirm that she had changed, but he had interfered in Jessamyn’s plot.

’I am sorry, crossbow lady,’ William spoke and Jessamyn heard it in her heart.

Jessamyn only glared at him.

"Some allergies flare up all of a sudden. I was talking about when we were in the barracks during the war. He used to eat everything. He must have developed allergies later..."

William explained and brought Elaine out of the room. Jessamyn locked the door and went to sit beside Jerrick, huffing with anger.

The dinner that had started with promise had turned into a tense, revealing evening. Jessamyn sighed in relief as she looked at Jerrick, his face finally serene after the ordeal.

Her thoughts drifted to the implications of the night’s events. The council’s ploy was clear now, and she would need to be more vigilant than ever.

"Jessamyn," Jerrick whispered, as he opened his eyes. "Are you alright?"

Jessamyn smiled softly, relief washing over her. "I should be asking you that. How are you such a good actor?"

"I learned it from you," he replied, squeezing her hand gently.

"You did good, dearest husband," Jessamyn kissed his forehead. "Now we know for sure."

"The council doesn’t trust you and now they know you don’t trust them," he said sitting up.

Jessamyn didn’t know how he managed to make his face turn darker earlier. He surely was talented in many ways.

"They will never stop testing us, Jerrick," Jessamyn said softly.