The Duke's Bed Warmer

Chapter 193: The Watcher

Alina found Austin resting in his chambers. He looked peaceful for the first time in months. She smiled at the sight of him, then remembered they had to visit Cecily. She would already be so angry for not meeting w her before leaving.

"Come with me," she said, pulling on his hand. "Cecily will never forgive us if we do not see her today."

Austin groaned dramatically but stood up anyway.

"I have the two most dangerous women in my life," he grinned as they walked towards the east wing.

The moment they opened the door, Cecily jumped to her feet so fast that her chair nearly tipped

over.

"You two" she cried.

She rushed forward and pulled both of them into a tight hug, then slapped Austin’s arm lightly.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought I would never see you again! And you..." she turned to Alina, "running into danger like some storybook heroine!"

Alina laughed despite tears forming in her own eyes.

"We are safe. See!" Alina said. "And we have so much to tell you."

The three of them sat on the sofa together as they told her everything from Emeric’s discovery to Crane’s threat, the long chase, Audrey’s heartbreaking realization, and her decision.

Cecily listened to them carefully gasping and shaking her head in disbelief in between.

"Audrey... isn’t the princess?" she repeated. "I can’t believe it."

"So did we," Austin said. "It was such a shocking revelation."

"And she cancelled the wedding herself? It’s so difficult believe," Cecily said. "She must have been really hurt."

Then she looked at them and smiled.

"But you two are finally free now!!" she exclaimed.

Cecily’s face suddenly lit up with an excited smile.

"Then... when is the wedding?"

Both of them froze. Cecily burst out laughing.

"Don’t look at me like that," she said. "You cannot possibly wait any longer after everything you have been through! Everyone in the castle is already talking about it. After all, you fought a war for each other to get married."

Alina glanced at Austin. They had talked about their future together a countless number of times. They had talked about wanting to get married to each other. But that was it. There were no plans or date.

Cecily looked between them suspiciously.

"Don’t tell me you haven’t actually planned the wedding?"

Both of them looked away. Cecily gasped dramatically.

"You haven’t!"

"We’ve been busy," Alina replied.

"Surviving," Austin added.

"That is not an excuse anymore," Cecily said. "You are both finally free. What exactly are you waiting for?"

Austin and Alina looked at each other. Then Austin cleared his throat.

"We’ll discuss it."

"Good." Cecily smiled triumphantly. "Because I want an answer soon."

"Fine," he replied, shaking his head.

Alina stood up, pulling him up with her.

"Let’s go! Looks like we have something important to discuss."

"I suppose we do."

Cecily watched them leave with a big smile.

"Finally," she muttered. "Someone in this castle is moving on."

As they left the east wing and walked through the corridors together, neither of them spoke for a while.

"What do you think?" Alina asked.

"About what?"

"The wedding, Austin!!!"

"I want it," he answered so quickly that it surprised her.

"You do?" she smiled.

He looked down at her.

"Of course I do."

For years for him, the idea of marriage had been tied to Audrey, obligations, and royal expectations. But now it was different. He actually wanted it now because it was Alina.

But then the smile from his face disappeared.

"What is it?" Alina asked noticing the change in his expressions.

"Cecily."

Alina’s smile disappeared as well as she remembered the promise Austin had done to her.

Austin had promised her she would attend his wedding. But that promise still felt impossibly far away.

"We still don’t know who did it," Austin murmured.

Even after five years, they had no evidence that could even give them a hint of the culprit.

"If we can’t find the culprit..." he couldn’t finish.

Alina held his hand tightly.

"Everything is getting better," Alina said. "I have a feeling that person will be caught soon. We don’t have to rush. We can wait. I too want Cecily in my wedding."

Austin smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Meoww."

Both of them froze.

Harwick jumped and crashed onto Austin’s boots.

Then he immediately flopped onto his back in the middle of the corridor demanding attention from him like always. Then he let out another dramatic meow like he was offended they weren’t petting him.

Alina burst out laughing while Austin sighed.

"Of course."

Harwick rolled onto his side. Then onto his other side, then stretched dramatically.

"How are you?" Austin asked, crouching down.

Harwick still kept rolling. Austin then scratched behind his ears and he instantly began purring loud enough to shake the floor.

"Traitor," Alina laughed.

The cat immediately abandoned Austin and walked towards her making Austin frown.

"Excuse me?"

Harwick ignored him and rubbed against Alina’s legs instead, purring even louder.

"I’m the one who have been feeding you for months."

But Harwick continued rubbing against Alina. Austin looked genuinely betrayed. Alina laughed so hard she was almost about to fall.

"Looks like I’m his favourite now."

"Apparently."

Then Harwick jumped into Alina’s arms like a king returning to his throne.

"Ungrateful creature," Austin muttered.

Harwick yawned, making both of them laugh again.

Meanwhile, far away from Ravenmoor, in a dark room lit only by a single oil lamp, an old man sat alone at a desk covered in papers. His fingers moved slowly across the newest report.

Audrey’s wedding is cancelled. Chancellor Crane is exposed. Austin Moore has returned to Ravenmoor with his bed warmer Alina Ashworth.

He tapped his fingers on the table. Then he reached for another document hidden under the others—a fifteen year old document. He read the name on the top.

Cecily Moore.

"So," he murmured, his voice rough. "The children have finally reached the truth."

He closed the file and tied it with a ribbon.

For years he had just watched them, but today he finally smiled.

"Perhaps it is finally time."