death is the only ending for the trash queen

Part 5

She hated her father for making her endure yet another one.

In all fairness to Alberu, the twin icy stares he was receiving from both his wife and daughter weren't at all inviting. Especially Cale's. She looked more venomous than normal, tapping her fingers in agitation against her arm and glaring at Alberu as though his very existence was a personal affront to her.

It very much was.

It was a relief when the carriage stopped and a gentle tapping on the window informed them that the entourage would be camping out for the night. Alberu realized only then that he'd forgotten to arrange for a midday break for their travels. He winced internally, he normally traveled as much as possible without taking breaks but Penelope was still young. Being cooped up in a carriage all day must have been unpleasant for her.

As much as he wished to apologize, he wasn't left able to.

Penelope hopped to her feet and headed towards the carriage door. "I'm going for a walk." She said shortly before the carriage door slammed behind her.

Alberu blinked owlishly at the slammed door, turning unthinkingly towards Cale and being surprised all over again by how similar her expression was to his own.

For just a moment, Cale looked like a concerned mother staring after her rebellious daughter.

The moment disappeared and was replaced with her typical sneer, she leaned back in her seat and spread her legs in an unladylike fashion.

She looked more like a common thug than a queen.

Alberu tapped his finger against his knee.

It was a good opportunity.

The two of them were alone together for the first time in... well, a very long time. It was unlikely he'd be able to catch her alone again.

That didn't mean he wanted to broach the topic.

He wasn't a fool. Penelope's sudden change in behavior and the return to the Henituse territory could only have one clear cause. Cale had never, to his knowledge at least, attempted to turn his daughter against him but what other explanation was there?

Penelope was a loving and sweet daughter one day and she looked at him like he was scum the next. Given that Penelope spent all her waking hours with her mother who hated him, it was the obvious conclusion to come to.

Who would believe that a four year old had decided to hate him all on her own? It defied logic. Even if she was upset at him for working too often, it was more likely to manifest itself in hurt feelings or attention seeking behavior, not a cold denial of his very existence.

"What did you do?" Alberu asked, his sunny political smile looking more strained than normal as he addressed his wife.

Cale's anger was immediate, flashing in her eyes with hateful intent. "Oh dear, my king." She mocked. "What could you be referring to?"

He grit his teeth and the smile was dangerously close to falling from his lips. "Penelope. What did you say to her? She'll barely look at me."

Cale laughed.

It was a cruel and lasting laugh, one worthy of the villainess all knew her to be. There wasn't a hint of warmth to it nor even a sign of amusement.

She wasn't laughing because she was happy or entertained, she was just laughing at him. Openly and loudly, as though he were nothing but a pathetic clown.

He hated how good she was at that sort of laugh. He'd experienced plenty of mockery and indignity over the course of his life but nothing was quite as mercilessly piercing as Cale's snigger. She could make even the most self confident of men feel as though they were insignificant maggots beneath her heel.