death is the only ending for the trash queen

Part 10

Cale leaned against the bedframe thoughtfully.

There were a lot of things she didn't understand about Alberu. Big things and little things and mostly she'd decided that she didn't give a fuck. He was a disgusting bastard that was unworthy of her time and effort.

And yet, in moments like these she couldn't help but enter a pensive state.

Whatever his reason for not selecting a second bride, it was surely just as slimy as he was. And whatever his reason for working into the dead of night at her bedside surely had absolutely nothing to do with innocent or kind emotions. He was probably planning something wicked behind his smile.

The thoughts that she'd normally be able to think with venomous hatred came out a bit tepid though. She thought it was interesting how the faint light danced across his focused face and wondered, not for the first time, why exactly was it that she hated him so much.

Yes, he was a duplicitous bastard who made her skin crawl but...

Well, she'd certainly met worse scumbags. And for all her criticism of his political minded manipulative nature, he never actually abused his power. Merely utilized it effectively in order to run the kingdom.

So why was it that she couldn't help but despise him...?

Cale wasn't the sort of person who needed a logical reason to hate a person. She hated who she hated, she liked who she liked, and she smashed bottles on who she felt like smashing bottles on. In that way she was a very simple person.

All the same, Alberu was something of an unscratchable itch inside of her.

Perhaps it was just the tangled nature of their relationship that just made him hard to ignore.

Alberu didn't notice her approach at all.

One thing could be said about Cale.

She didn't change her mind about a plan once she'd decided on one very easily. A mere near death experience was nearly enough to make her change her mind about a plot she'd already concocted.

She wrapped her arms gently around him from behind, resting her chin on his head as she felt his body tense up.

It was a bit funny how nervous he got around her new 'attitude'. She certainly wasn't used to pulling off an affectionate act but at least she got some satisfaction out of it in knowing that she was convincing enough to unnerve him.

"...Cale?"

His voice was a bit lower than normal and it struck her as strange for some reason. She peeked at the paperwork he'd been so intently working on and frowned. It didn't look like the normal nonsense. It was a strongly worded royal order directed towards the Stan family.

What had that garbage marquis done to earn Alberu's wrath she wondered.

"Were you waiting for me to wake up?" She asked sweetly. "Thank you."

There was a long pause before Alberu responded and she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked and there was something distant to his voice that made Cale feel strangely uncomfortable.

She never liked the way he drew a line between them. Of course he did it with everyone as the man was fake as hell but she always felt personally offended when he did so with her.

"Yes, thank you so much for helping me." She was quite proud of her performance. It was pretty funny to think about how confused the bastard probably was.

Alberu's fist clenched on the desk and his tension didn't improve one bit.

"I didn't do anything." He said bitterly and it caught Cale off guard. It was nothing like the affable tone that Alberu normally used. He sounded upset. Actually upset. It wasn't that she'd never heard him upset before but normally it was amidst an argument or when she'd done something to make him upset.