The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 52: Gifts (3)

In the palace, Damien walked in search of the crown prince to deliver him a letter from the Collins residence.

The servant who delivered the letter spoke of it coming from Lily Collins, and though Tyrion would prefer to to be from Penelope, it was something that Tyrion would not want to miss.

Damien approached a door where armoured knights hand-selected by Tyrion guarded the door. The door was opened for Damien without any questions.

Inside, Tyrion sat behind a large table where he was plotting his next move. Arthur’s death was just the beginning of cleaning out the palace.

"What is it? If it will upset me, don’t bother with it," said Tyrion.

"It is a letter from Lily Collins," Damien said, passing the letter over to Tyrion. "I have the servant who delivered it waiting by the front doors."

Tyrion took the letter and opened it. It wasn’t every day that he got a letter from Lily, but when he did, it was always something concerning her sister.

Damien grew curious about what was written after Tyrion balled up the piece of paper as though it had done something to him. "Bad news?" He asked.

Tyrion needed a moment to settle his anger. "Where is the royal carriage that I don’t use?"

"It is placed away with the other carriages. Should I make arrangements for you to leave the palace?" Damien asked.

"No," Tyrion replied, tossing the crumpled-up paper to the pile on the table. "Have it sent to the Collins estate along with flowers from the queen’s garden. You are to deliver it personally to the Collins estate."

"And I am to pick it up when?" Damien asked, hoping Tyrion wasn’t doing what he thought.

Tyrion bit his tongue. It was responses like this which drove him mad sometimes.

Tyrion approached the sword resting on the table.

Damien bowed, deciding to leave before he lost his head.

There was still a chance for Damien to lose his head since the queen didn’t allow just anyone to pick her special flowers.

Hopefully, news of flowers going to Penelope would make her less upset.

On his way out, Damien came across Solomon.

"The crown prince is busy," said Damien.

"I will hear it from the prince, not from a guard. Don’t let the position he has placed you in get to your head. I can easily remove you," Solomon said, challenging Damien to speak back.

Solomon hated the sight of the armoured guards Tyrion put together. Tyrion had somehow gotten the guards to listen only to him. The court was fighting for authority over the guards for themselves and for the king, who allowed Tyrion to do as he wanted.

"If you go inside, there is no guarantee that you will step out," Damien warned Solomon.

"I shall take my chances," Solomon replied, going forward only to have the guards block his path with swords. "Prince Tyrion, I seek an audience with you."

Tyrion came to the door to close it, but before he did, he said, "We are not always fortunate to get what we seek. Good day."

Solomon remained still after the door closed on him. He came on behalf of the court to get answers about Arthur, who was missing, but he was stuck.

Solomon fixed his shirt as he turned around. He was even more annoyed by the smile the guard wore, mocking him. The pathetic guard should enjoy laughing while he could, since it wouldn’t be this way forever.

Instead of trying to talk some sense into Tyrion, Solomon decided to try his luck with the second prince.

Damien waited for Solomon to leave to then continue with his task. He gathered the flowers and prepared the carriage to take to Penelope.

A few hours later, Damien arrived at the Collins estate, hoping that the duke was not around.

"What is this?" Reed asked from where he sat at the gates.

With all the Collins women at home, Reed went back to the old position he had many years ago, which was to deal with the unwelcome visitors at the gate.

Damien stepped out of the carriage to greet the man he had seen by Penelope’s side.

"You’re a long way from the palace. Palaces are normally far bigger than this estate. Get back inside and go to the palace," Reed instructed Damien.

Damien smiled. "I’ve come here to deliver on behalf of your crown prince. It is addressed to Penelope Collins, so if you would please allow me to hand it off and then be on my way, that would be lovely."

"Gifts are left here and will be taken up by the guards. Hand it over and be on your way," Reed replied.

Reed closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. Between guarding Penelope and the stories he listened to his wife write, he wasn’t getting much rest.

"Listen here, old man."

Reed’s eyes fluttered open.

Damien turned to the mouthy guard who spoke out of turn. "Be silent."

"Old man?" Reed’s shoulders shook from laughter. "Not even my children have called me old. I might not be as young as you two fools, but this old man can still take you down. You are to leave gifts and go."

"I apologise. The prince’s guard will be properly dealt with for his disrespect. Good day," Damien bid goodbye.

Damien then went to the horse he had prepared to take him back to the palace.

Reed sighed, annoyed by the fools before him. "Take your carriage with you."

"The carriage is the gift as well as the flowers inside. I have done my duty, so it is time for me," Damien said, leaving Reed to take care of the carriage.

Reed looked at the carriage again. The colours and symbols on the carriage made it quite easy to spot that it was a carriage meant for royals. Questions would arise from Penelope using it, and more gossip would start.

More importantly, Edgar would be the one with the most questions.

Still, Reed had to send the gift up like he had done with all the others.

"Young fools," Reed muttered, knowing what was at play here.

It was no coincidence that after Penelope received a carriage as a gift hours earlier, Tyrion decided to give her a royal carriage. It certainly surpassed the carriage sent by the other man.

"Inform Miss Penelope of it after you have inspected the inside. Do not let her get near it before a search is done. Open the gates," Reed ordered the guards around him.

Reed stayed seated by the gates, looking forward to the entertainment which would come from the men courting Penelope, trying to outshine each other’s gifts.