Catheline's POV:
The morning sky was clouded as it rained a few days ago. Even if it was nearly the time of rainfall, it felt as if it was winter. The gardens were soaking from the downpour which had fallen last night.
Today was the day Xander returned to the capital. I realized that I had been quite down in his absence. It felt as if a part of me had been gone. And now, it would soon be back with me.
By the time I came out of my chambers, the sun began to shine brightly in the sky. There were some clouds passed across it occasionally, blocking the sun's rays.
I rushed off to see whether my husband had returned. Unable to control my excitement, I began running faster than I should.
"Your Grace, you mustn't run!" Karra yelled, trailing after me.
I didn't bother answering back. Even Karra knew how eager I was for today. When we reached the entrance to the gardens, we were met with a scene that made me stop in my tracks.
"What is the meaning of this, Nathaniel!?"
"Please understand, Madam Daraa. He doesn't want to see anyone..."
I stood there, rooted to the spot, listening to the two people argue. What was going on? Was Xander alright? Dread began to crawl under my skin, causing me to approach the two. Lady Daraa turned around suddenly, causing me to stop again. This time, both of them were looking at me.
"Your Grace---"
"What happened?"
Lady Daraa and Nathaniel exchanged uneasy glances. The anticipation in the air was so thick that it could have been cut down by a sword.
"Nathaniel, what happened?" I asked, directing the question to him. He gave me a surprised expression and took a deep breath.
"Your Grace...The King doesn't wish to see anyone now,"
I froze. What? "And why is that?" I questioned him further. This time, the concern in my voice was audible.
"He and Duke Daven talked before he died... It must be because of that conversation. He has been like that all through the travel."
I stood there for a few moments. This seemed very unlikely of Xander. Even if he was upset, he would never shut everyone away from him like this. It must only mean that what Xander heard, made him truly upset. I turned around my heels and rushed towards his chambers.
I couldn't let him do this.
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I arrived at the doors. All I had to do was a simple knock. Yet, I hesitated. Would he respond to me when he specifically ordered Nathaniel to not allow anyone to see him? Was I important enough for him to exclude me from that order? I was about to find it out. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. There was no response.
"Xander?..." I called him out. There was yet no response.
All my hopes suddenly evaporated like they were nothing. But they still stuck me to the door as I stared at them with blank eyes, wishing that they would open for me. But soon, I heard a voice.
"Please leave me alone."
"How could I?" I leaned my ear against the door. "Are you alright?"
A pause. "No."
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Narrator's POV:
Everyone in the mansion was on high alert that day. A messenger had just arrived, rushing through the halls in a hurry. He approached a door, where there were two guards, stationed outside the door.
"This is for His Highness," he said, revealing a roll of paper in his hands.
"Why did it take you so long to deliver a message?" One of the guards asked.
"It has been hard to leave Anthreal." The man replied meekly. "There are guards at every entrance to the kingdom,"
The guard nodded before turning around to enter the room. The room was filled with very few people. Heads turned the moment the guard came in. All except one.
"Finally," that man said, raising a hand. "You took your time,"
The guard was startled for a moment. He knew how dangerous the man who talked to him was just now. Previously, he required everyone to call him Lord. Now, it changed to His Highness. By the passing day, his arrogance leveled like a cup filled with water.
With a sigh, he walked forward and handed the paper to that man. Elest Simion took it in his hands and opened it unhurriedly. His dark eyes scanned the message before he crumbled the paper into pieces.
"What does it say, Your Highness?..." Lord Alion asked him with a hint of anxiety.
"Duke Ares Daven has been ill for weeks. Death is upon him like clouds."
Everyone exchanged shocked looks. According to their new king, that man was one of the few to know the truth about him.
"It seems that my nephew would soon have a shock. Or he already had." Elest Simion continued, putting a hand on his forehead.
More silence prevailed. The time it took for news to reach their area from Anthreal took some time.
"Your Highness," General Anthony said calmly. "Now that the boy knows the truth, I suggest it is the right moment to attack while he is weak."
"Not yet." the man mumbled.
There was still time for the right moment. If he killed Xander right away, it would not give him joy. He needs to deal with his wife first.
"We missed the chance to attack his Queen while we had the chance," Lord Alion said, thumping his fists on the table. "Now that she is with child, it is a disadvantage, Your Highness."
General Anthony looked away, not bothering to mask his discontent. He knew that the Queen was with children but drew a line between serving and child slaughter.
"What do you say, General?"
"Lord Alion is right in a sense," He replied. "But we can not attack the Queen at this moment."
"And why not?" Lord Alion inquired.
"Because of her father," Anthony spoke gently. "I got the information that King Matthew had coronated his lost son. We can anger Xander, but we can not anger the King of Peliasse. I have information that he has thirty thousand men in his army. The numbers will increase as he establishes peace with the surrounding kingdoms. Besides, the Queen will be ever more protected now."
Elest Simion closed his eyes and smiled. He was impressed at how thoughtful his general was. He was right. "We need time," he said. "Just the right moment to hit two birds with a stone,"
Evil thoughts fuel evil deeds. And evil deeds cause catastrophes.
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Karra's POV:
I had never seen the Queen worry this much.
She stayed near the King's door for a few hours. No matter how much I persuaded her, she refused to leave. She announced that she would not leave the corridor and wait for the King to open the doors.
Somehow, I knew that would not happen.
After a few hours, she began to feel dreary and tired. Nathaniel and Madam Daraa had to be involved in convincing her to retire to her chambers. After continuous lectures and speeches for her sake, the Queen finally gave in.
I was now escorting her to her chambers. She looked so pale that I was worried that she might faint again. That is why for the best, I held her hand.
"Your Grace, please calm down," I advised, trying to not initiate her anger. Her mood was irregular these days.
"Hm," she hummed, taking my words to heed. Suddenly, she gasped, making me gasp even louder.
"What is it?" I squealed. My immediate response was to glimpse at her belly. "Are you giving birth somehow?"
The Queen gave me a surprised look before pinching me hard on the cheek. I yelped in pain, realizing my fault. No woman gave birth when she was just four months pregnant.
"There is still more time,"
"My apologies, Your Grace," I mumbled, as we resumed walking. "I was panicked for the moment."
"Everything is alright. Don't worry so much,"
We reached the Queen's chambers and I opened the door. The Queen walked in shakily. All this time, my breath was caught up in my lungs, fearing that something might happen to her. When she landed on the bed safely, I sighed, wiping the sweat off my head.
"Do you want some food, Your Grace?" I asked.
She looked at the window and shook her head. "I have no appetite..."
I knew the reason why. Sometimes, I wondered why the King had to be this harsh to his Queen. Even if he has some difficulties with himself, he can still show some affection. But all this made me realize that something happened on his journey. And that something had not been good.
"Your Grace, you can't." I insisted. "Even if it is not for yourself, please eat for the fragile life growing within you,"
She looked at me, in a look drained of any positive feelings. I knew how badly she missed the King, the whole castle knew. Alas, if only the King knew...
"Your Grace, I am sure the King would come to you,"
"How do you know?" She asked, like a curious child. "I...I don't know what to do anymore. He sounded so upset..."
"I just do," I replied stubbornly. "Now, let me bring you something to eat"
Waiting for no answer, I turned on my heels and left the chambers. I know I am defying orders but when it comes to the Queen, I was willing to do anything for her safety. Even if she knew the art of using a sword, she was still a pregnant woman.
On the way to the kitchens, I bumped into Macy, the one who liked to poke her mind into every business. She gave me a calm look before leaving silently. If it was a few months ago, she would have picked up a fight with me. But it is delightful to see her finally mature as a person. She was irritating with her chatter.
I continued walking to the kitchens when I heard someone say something strange.
"Are you sure you saw him?"
"Yeah. A dark figure who was lurking in the gardens a few days ago,"
"I assume we are the only ones who saw him---"
"That could be Lady Cassandra---"
"No. It was a man. I am sure."
Before they could continue further, I cleared my throat and entered the royal kitchens. The two speakers flinched and looked at me.
"What are you two talking about?" I inquired as I neared them.
They exchanged nervous glances and looked at me. "Karra, we were talking about nothing..." One of them said.
"So is it safe for me to tell His Majesty about how you did not report a probable intruder?"
The tension in the air rose. I knew this might work since anyone who upheld a traitor was putting their neck on the scaffold. They could lose their lives over this. But of course, I was only bluffing to them. I wanted to know about this intruder, so I could report it to the Queen.
"Please do not tell His Majesty!" The first one of them pleaded. "We will tell you what we saw!" I nodded and leaned in. And they began their tale.
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Catheline's POV:
Fear and anxiety.
These two were the only emotions that could describe me.
I stood near the window as the sky began to become brighter. There were still dark clouds in the sky. I sighed, caressing my belly gently. Getting rid of Lady Tremaine was the best decision Lady Daraa had made for me so far. I was glad that I no longer needed to listen to her rubbish politely.
But all I had in mind was my husband. I had every right to be selfish here. What I wanted for days was simply to look at him only for him to shut me out.
I sighed again, looking at the sky. Even if my body was tough, it still felt soft and fragile. Being pregnant gave me no chance to train every day and hence, I had to stop. And it almost left me with no work for the rest of the day.
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the door open. I looked around to find Karra with a tray of warm soup.
"No snacks today, Your Grace," she said. "Today is very cold. And you despise the chill,"
That was true. I disliked the cold weather and the doctor said that I must stay warm. And to be truthful, I found soup more appropriate at this time. She led me to the bed and handed me the bowl.
"Your Grace, I heard something bizarre while I was in the kitchen," Karra said, as she stood near me.
"Go on," I told her, taking the soup.
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By the time she was finished speaking, I was horrified to the core. Not because of the idea that an unknown man was roaming in the castle, but the memory of sensing a presence a few days ago. So it wasn't imagination.
"Should we tell the King?" She asked me. I paused and gave it a thought. I put the bowl aside and shook my head.
"He has enough things to worry about...We can inform Nathaniel instead."
I always had the chance to tell him when he came to me. If he comes to me tonight at all. If he wouldn't, then it was going to be hard for him to earn my forgiveness.
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Author's NOTE:
Hello loves!
I am sorry for the late update. I had a mini writer's block and college work.
I want to thank you for many things. Such as the 2,000+ views and the ranks in the hashtags #kindness and #onesidedlove.
Thank you all so much, I don't know how I can express this 💜
Please comment on your views and vote for the story.
Until we meet again.
- LH