The Driver's Lie

"My king, the driver is back, but he was rushed to the palace hospital."

The guard's voice echoed through the dimly lit hallway. Dom stopped in his tracks. His hands hovered over the silk tie of his robe, his fingers suddenly rigid.

"What? What happened?" Dom demanded. His voice clipped the silence, low and dangerous.

"We do not know the full details yet, Your Majesty. He was shot in the arm. The medical team rushed him to surgery the moment he crossed the palace gates."

Dom yanked the knot on his robe tight. A cold knot formed in his stomach. "Okay, what about the maiden? Where is she?"

"I do not know, my king. She isn't with him. He was alone."

Dom stared at the guard, his jaw hardening. "Are you sure you saw this, or are you just repeating rumors? Make way for me. I will go talk to him at the hospital myself."

"But my king, it is late already. You can do that tomorrow."

Dom turned his head. His advisor, Gideon, strolled down the corridor, adjusting his cuffs. Gideon had been testing his patience a lot lately. Dom was seriously considering handing the man a termination letter.

Dom leveled a dark glare at him and brushed past his shoulder. "Late? You better not get in my way, Gideon."

Dom marched down the grand halls, the heavy thud of his bare feet against the marble floors echoing his rising heart rate. He could not remember the last time he had set foot in the palace clinic. Ever since he was a young boy, that place held nothing but dark, suffocating memories. He avoided the medical wing as much as humanly possible.

The most vivid memory struck him as the sterile smell of antiseptic reached his nose. He had been ten years old. The winter air had been biting, frosting the windows of the very same clinic. That was the night his step-mother passed away while trying to give birth to his baby sibling. The phantom chill of that night crawled up Dom's spine. It remained one of his most agonizing memories.

The queen had been incredibly kind to him. He was not her biological son, merely the product of his father's affair, yet she had treated him as her own flesh and blood. When she died, a massive part of his childhood died with her. Her presence had been the only shield protecting him from the ruthless politics of the royal court. The moment she drew her last breath, the harsh reality of being an unwanted bastard dawned on him. The palace staff turned cold. The whispers grew loud. He had left the palace at the very first opportunity and swore never to return. The only reason he walked these halls today was because his father had summoned him back. Taking the throne had not been an easy choice, though he did not regret it.

But right now, the sterile white lights of the clinic threatened to drag him back to that helpless ten-year-old boy.

"Your Majesty, you really should not be out right now," Gideon said, jogging to keep up. "I can always go check on him myself and ask the questions you want answered."

Dom stopped and turned on his heel. His eyes flashed with a dangerous warning. "Gideon, one more word from you and you are out of a job. Do not make me mad."

Gideon swallowed hard and lowered his head. "I am sorry, Your Royal Highness. I will keep quiet now."

They walked the rest of the short distance in heavy, oppressive silence. Dom climbed into the waiting transport cart, and they rode to the clinic entrance. The moment Dom stepped through the double doors, a small commotion rippled through the night staff. Nurses gasped and bowed. Doctors scrambled to stand at attention. Dom hated this part of being a king. He always tried his best to project a calm, gentle aura, but he was the ruler. He had to be strict, or the court would perceive him as weak. He did not want their fear, but he refused to tolerate their disrespect.

Dom ignored the bowing staff and marched straight to the front desk. He demanded to see the doctor in charge and the patient who had just been brought in. Within minutes, a trembling nurse pointed him down a narrow corridor.

Dom pushed open the door to the recovery room. The young driver lay on the crisp white sheets, his left arm heavily bandaged and elevated. He looked pale, his skin slick with sweat, eyes wide and unfocused from the pain and medication.

"What happened?" Dom demanded, stepping right to the edge of the bed. He did not care for pleasantries. "Where is the maiden who left with you?"

The driver jumped at the sound of the king's voice. "I am so sorry, my king! I didn't know she had people waiting for us, and I was not on guard—"

"Wait," Dom barked, slicing a hand through the air. "What are you saying?"

People? What people? Who the hell would be waiting for them?

The driver swallowed nervously, shrinking back against the pillows. "The maiden... she had people waiting for us. They had guns. They blocked the road, stopped the car, and took away everything we had with us."

Dom's chest tightened. His mind scrambled to process the words. "What? What about her? Where is she?"

"She was with them," the driver rushed out, his voice cracking. "I know because she was the one who told me to stop. I did, thinking she just wanted to ease herself on the side of the road. But that is when the men came out of the shadows. It was horrible, Your Majesty. Being faced with loaded guns when I was harmless..."

Dom stared down at the shaking young man. The driver looked like he had just stared death in the face. The fear in his eyes seemed genuine, but the words spilling from his mouth made zero logical sense.

Why would Valerie do that? Why would she organize an armed crew just to steal from him? She did not even know she was going to run an errand for him today. The assignment had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. How could she possibly have time to coordinate an armed robbery? It was too hard to swallow. The narrative cracked the harder Dom pressed on it. Valerie was not a citizen of this kingdom. She was a foreigner. She barely spoke to anyone, kept her head bowed, and spent almost all her time confined within the palace walls. She had no underground connections.

"Are you sure that is exactly what happened?" Dom asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. His eyes bore into the driver, searching for the lie.

"Yes, my king," the driver squeaked.

"And they just let you come back? Why did she not return with you then?"

"I don't know, my king. I was shot when I tried to run away, but I managed to escape into the brush. They let me go."

"My king, if I may cut in," a calm voice interrupted.

Dom tore his gaze away from the driver and looked at the doorway. The royal doctor stood there, his hands clasped respectfully in front of him.

"Yes?" Dom snapped.

"The young man is terribly shaken, and he just got out of emergency surgery. His body has been through severe trauma. I would advise you to let him rest before you interrogate him further."

Dom clenched his jaw. He knew the doctor was right. Pushing a heavily medicated, traumatized man would yield nothing but more frantic babbling. But every instinct in Dom's body rejected the story he had just been fed. There is no way Valerie plotted an armed heist. She barely even left the palace grounds. She didn't talk much. He knew this for a fact because he always found his eyes drifting to her. He watched her work. He noticed the quiet, careful way she moved through his quarters. The image of that timid girl standing shoulder-to-shoulder with armed bandits was laughable.

"Fine," Dom said, turning his cold gaze back to the driver. "I will be back by morning. You better be prepared to tell me in full detail what went down on that road, and exactly where you left Valerie."

Dom spun around and marched out of the clinic, his heavy strides eating up the distance. Gideon hurried after him, struggling to keep pace.

"Should we launch a search for her?" Gideon asked, panting slightly.

Dom shot him a withering look. "Of course. Do you really need to ask me that? The diamonds she was carrying are worth millions. She cannot just disappear. Tell the guards to close all the borders immediately. Keep an eye out for her at every checkpoint. If she indeed did do this, she has to pay."

Dom spat the words out, but deep inside his chest, a strange dissonance hummed. He knew the diamonds were not the real reason his heart hammered against his ribs. The precious stones were worth millions, yes, but they were a drop in the ocean of his wealth. The missing diamonds were not the source of this suffocating anxiety. He could not pinpoint why the thought of Valerie out there in the dark terrified him so much.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Gideon bowed.

When they reached the doors of the royal chamber, Gideon excused himself to execute the orders. Dom stepped into his massive bedroom and pushed the heavy oak doors shut. The click of the lock echoed in the vast, empty space.

Dom stripped off his robe and tossed it over a chair. He began to pace the length of the room. His bare feet padded softly against the thick carpets. He dragged a hand through his hair, tugging at the roots. He could not picture Valerie stealing from the palace. She just did not fit the profile of a master thief. She had earned his trust over the past few weeks. She cleaned his personal chambers, moving around priceless artifacts and loose gold coins, and not a single item had ever gone missing. He trusted her. That was the only reason he sent her on the errand in the first place.

Could this have been her grand plan all along? Behave like a meek maid, earn the king's trust, and then strike when the payload was big enough?

Dom stopped pacing and stared out the large glass window overlooking the dark kingdom. No, it still made no sense. She did not know anyone outside the palace. Unless there was an entire secret life she was hiding from him.

"This is messed up," Dom muttered to the empty room.

He rested his forehead against the cool glass. The anxiety clawed at his throat. The idea of her being alone, trapped by armed men, wandering in the dangerous wilderness, made his stomach turn. He had watched her constantly. He had never seen her do a single suspicious thing. She could not have pulled off a heist like this. Something went wrong on that road, and the driver was lying to save his own skin.

Dom cursed himself. He should have done better. He should have assigned royal guards to escort the vehicle. He should have made sure she went and came back safely.

The hours dragged on in agonizing silence. Dom did not sleep a single wink. He spent the entire night walking from one end of the chamber to the other, his mind running in frantic circles. Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined her terrified face. He found his own reaction deeply disturbing. She was just a palace maid. There was no logical reason why a king should lose a night of sleep over a missing servant. It bothered him. It confused him. Yet, no matter how much he rationalized it, the deep gnawing fear for her safety refused to fade.

When the first rays of morning light pierced through the windows, Dom gave up on the idea of rest. He walked into the marble bathroom and stood under a freezing shower, hoping the icy water would shock the anxiety out of his system. It did not work.

He stepped out, dried off, and threw on a casual pair of dark trousers and a simple linen shirt. He had no official appointments today, which was a small mercy. His first thought was to march right back down to the clinic and rip the truth out of the driver's throat, but he forced himself to hold back. He needed a clear head.

He choked down a few bites of a quick breakfast, tasting nothing, and took a stroll down to the royal garden. The morning air was crisp. The scent of blooming roses and damp soil filled the air. But the peaceful scenery did nothing to soothe the raging storm in his mind. No matter where he looked, he saw her quiet smile. He saw the way she bowed her head. Nothing could stop her from invading his thoughts.

"Make it stop," Dom growled, rubbing his temples.

"Make what stop, Your Majesty?"

Dom flinched and whipped his head around. Gideon stood a few paces behind him on the gravel path. Dom had been so lost in his head he had not even heard the man approach.

Dom scowled. "Has she been found?"

"Who?" Gideon asked, blinking in genuine confusion.

Dom shot him a look of pure disgust. "What?"

"Has who been found?"

Dom stepped closer, his fists curling at his sides. "Has Valerie been found? Do you want to be thrown into the dungeon this early in the morning?"

Here Dom was, losing his sanity over the missing maid, and his right-hand man was acting clueless and forgetful.

"Oh, that," Gideon waved a hand carelessly. "Not yet."

The dismissive tone ignited a flash of hot anger in Dom's chest. He could not figure out why this man's casual attitude made him so fiercely defensive.

"That?" Dom snapped, his voice echoing sharply across the garden. "She is a person, Gideon. She has been missing since last night, potentially in grave danger, and all you can say is 'that'? Right after forgetting who she even is? I really should throw you into the dungeon."

Gideon sighed, crossing his arms. "One would think you are in a relationship with this maid. She is just a palace maid, Dom. They run away all the time. She is not the first servant to steal from the crown, and she definitely won't be the last."

Dom's vision tinted red. The sudden, overwhelming urge to punch his advisor in the face spiked through his veins.

"I am not in any relationship with her," Dom gritted out, stepping into Gideon's personal space. "She is my person, and it is only right that I look out for the people under my roof."

Gideon raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Well, technically, she is not your person since she is not even from this country."

The words were factual. Valerie was a foreigner. But she had been here long enough. And maybe, just maybe, Dom did possess a special kind of feeling for her because he enjoyed her quiet presence.

"See, you are defensive," Gideon pushed, leaning in. "Are you in love with her? You even know her actual name. We both know you are terrible with names. You barely remember the names of the nobles working for you. Do I need to know something about you and this maid?"

The provocation snapped the last thread of Dom's restraint. He did not think. He just reacted.

Dom shifted his weight, pulled his arm back, and drove his fist straight into Gideon's jaw.

The loud crack of bone hitting bone echoed in the quiet garden. Gideon stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock, clutching his face as he hit the grass.

"Wow!" Gideon gasped, tasting blood.

Dom stood over him, his chest heaving, his knuckles throbbing with a dull ache. "What? You had that coming. Love? I do not do love. Why would I love someone I barely know? And a maid? Of course I know her name, because I asked her. She has been working directly in my private chambers for a while now. I know your name, do I not?"

Gideon stayed on the ground, nursing his rapidly swelling face, choosing to keep his mouth firmly shut.

Dom paced away, running a hand over his face. "She has millions in diamonds with her. I need those stones to get to their intended destination. You know how important that trade route is. So why wouldn't I be out of my mind with worry?"

He threw the excuse out there, wrapping his anxiety in a cloak of logic and duty.

Gideon slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position, wiping a smear of blood from his split lip. "I am sorry I was insensitive, my king. It won't happen again."

Gideon's broken, quiet voice suddenly pierced through Dom's rage. The reality of what he had just done crashed down on him. He had just assaulted his closest advisor over a passing comment about a servant.

Dom let out a heavy breath, the tension draining from his shoulders. "Oh, I am so sorry, Gideon. I should not have done that."

Gideon managed a weak chuckle, wincing as his jaw stretched. "You know, if anyone walks in on you apologizing to me, it won't be a good look for the crown. I have been a little provocative since last night. I guess I deserved a reality check."

"I am sorry," Dom repeated, extending a hand to help the man up.

Gideon took it and brushed the dirt off his trousers. "A king saying sorry to his subordinate. Well, that is a first."

"Shut up," Dom muttered.

"Okay, okay," Gideon sighed. "Just to be clear, we have massive search parties looking for her right now. Every checkpoint is on high alert. She will be found very soon, so long as she is still within the borders of this country."

Dom's expression hardened again. The panic receded, leaving behind a cold, strict authority. "Good. Once she is found, send her to me directly."

Gideon frowned, holding his bruised jaw. "But why? I think the proper protocol is to send her straight to the underground prison and probe her. Hopefully, she hasn't sold the diamonds yet."

"Do not question my words, Gideon," Dom ordered, his tone leaving no room for debate. "I am overriding standard protocol. Once she is captured, bypass the dungeon. Send her straight to my quarters. And arrange for me to see that driver again within the hour."

Gideon bowed his head. "Yes, my king."

Gideon turned and limped away down the gravel path, leaving Dom alone in the sprawling garden.

Dom stood still, his mind instantly running back to the maiden. No matter how hard he tried to force himself to picture her plotting a master heist, the image of her gentle face in his head aggressively refused to align with the driver's story. The defensiveness he felt was confusing, but he shoved the feelings down. He just had to wait. He prayed to whatever gods were listening that his guards would find her before the sun set. He needed to see her alive, and he needed to hear her side of the story. Hopefully, she would be found before the day ended.