Catheline's POV:
Fear filled my lungs as Leon lead me through the dark and cold hallways. The guards were patrolling them more than ever and I heard at least ten greetings from them.
Karra was beside me, returning from the kitchens. On my other side, was Lady Daraa. I clutched the cloak Xander gave me closer to myself and struggled to walk any further.
My body was giving up on me.
But I had to find the truth.
"Please let us return to your chambers, Your Grace..." Karra begged, helping me walk.
I did not respond and kept on walking. I had no mood to return and be assured to sleep. I would not be likely to be blessed with nice dreams tonight.
The skies were not merciful either. As if the last storm was taking place, the winds were blowing with tremendous force. The occasional sound of thunder and the bright flashes in the skies reminded me of another terrible day. And it made me move faster.
"Your Grace..." I heard Daraa call me.
But I could barely keep up. Every other moment, I almost lost balance. My body was being tormented by me but I did not care. I need to hear that he was fine.
At last, Leon halted at a door as the light flashed in the sky. He turned around, his expression troubled.
"Your Grace-"
"Open the doors," I commanded seriously.
He flinched before nodding and going ahead. The bright warm lights from the audience chambers hit the floor slowly. I urged Karra to take me in with a nudge and she did so hesitantly.
Inside, were three guards, one of whom was wearing clothes that did not belong to the ones Leon and the other two wore.
They bowed as I made towards them, feeling the apprehension spiral out of control.
"You," I said, looking at the odd one. "Are you the messenger from the City's border defense?"
I felt the presence of Lady Daraa beside me. The man nodded. He looked like any other soldier. Except, there was a strange gleam in his eyes.
"Why are you here?" Daraa asked him before I could say something. "You are supposed to fight there and protect the kingdom,"
"I..." the man spoke in a rough voice.
The other two men retreated and watched us from a distance. I looked at Daraa anxiously and looked at the man again.
"Where is the King?" I asked him, letting go of Karra's arm. "Tell me what you know of him,"
The man looked at me before his eyes fell on my belly. I felt a strange sensation, a wrong one. Something was wrong.
"The enemies attacked near the water bridge," He said, falling to his knees. "They massacred many men..."
I clutched the cloak tighter around my body, almost choking on the air. No. This was no place for weakness.
"What about the King? Is he alright?" I repeated, my eyes glaring at him.
The man looked up before exhaling in the most miserable way possible.
"I know nothing of the King..." he spoke in a hushed tone. "All I know...is that he is going to die tonight,"
Someone gasped, but I could not make out who. One of the guards rushed forward, withdrawing his sword noisily.
"Your orders, Your Grace," I heard him say as he pointed his sword at the man's throat.
The man, however, laughed. He laughed as if he said the funniest thing ever. I stared at him, with complete numbness.
My brain stopped working and my heart seemed to be preparing to jump out of my body. My lungs seemed to be shriveling and many shivers ran through my entire body. Anguish and anxiety clouded everything I built.
"You..." I said, my voice coming out in a whisper. "You dare say that..."
"I dare to say many things, Queen Catheline..." he spoke fearlessly, with a twisted smile on his expression.
This time, I finally realized what was going on. I looked away as I could barely breathe. But his venomous words were able to reach my ears.
"Your husband would die a painful death, deserving of him. He would be slaughtered in a way that after they are done, no one would even find even a bit of him!"
I gasped, as I felt a painful twist in my abdomen. I heard someone scream and come over to my side. But I had no control of my body or mind.
It was as if my internals were on fire. Tears began pouring out of my eyes as my voice came out in a shriek.
"Ahh!"
"Your Grace!"
"You will never see him again. Your dear husband" the man went on taunting.
My vision blurred and I felt something trickle down my thighs. I did not know what it was. Everything was on fire. I never felt such pain in my life.
"Take his head off!" I shrieked madly as I felt another pair of arms hold onto me.
"And after we are done, we would come for you-"
His voice stopped echoing in the air midway and I flinched and closed my eyes tightly. He was no more. I refused to look at the sight. It all made me sick. I wanted it all to end. I let go of myself, having no energy to even stand. Karra cried out, unable to carry my whole weight.
"She is bleeding..."
That was the last thing I heard before the dark curtain fell over my eyes. No, no, no...
Not my little one.
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Xander's POV:
The sight was beyond devastating.
I truly had no words left to describe what I was seeing.
How come such a peaceful place becomes a graveyard so suddenly?
"How could this have happened?"
"Those bastards attacked at night!
In numbers, we still have no idea of,"
"This is outrageous!"
"This is entirely despicable of them to use such underhanded tactics,"
I glanced at the river flowing peacefully in front of me. It evoked a sense of calmness. Unlike the brutal scene beyond the river. An entire camp of nearly a hundred soldiers.
Burnt and destroyed.
Every man slayed and everything disintegrated to dust.
The rain had washed everything else and there was not even a sight of the bloodshed.
And all of this...is my fault.
I could protect no one. This proved it. I was useless. I never felt more useless.
"They shall rest in peace," Nathaniel said finally, as I heard him approach me.
"They shall not," I said back. "How come I did not see this coming?"
"Your Majesty! This is not your fault!" He argued, moving closer. Even he seemed shaken by the sight he was seeing.
"I was unable to protect them..." I told him and myself.
Guarding beyond the rivers, nearer to the forests seemed an appropriate move. Seeing that citizens still walk to this very river to fetch water. This was, everyone could mind their business, uninterrupted.
This is war.
But it was no way to excuse the deaths of the lives of a hundred men.
"Blasphemy," Marwin Sunster's voice came from beside me. "It would deem noble if he had them killed during battle than having them killed discreetly at night,"
I closed my eyes, simply having the first taste of war. It was a plague. Everyone is affected by it. Not even a single person is safe. Even if I experienced attacks a couple of times now, I could not absorb this into my mind.
What shall I say to the wives and mothers and children of these men?
No one likes to defend a weak King.
"We have ridden over all the way here. You are completely drenched, Your Majesty..." Nathaniel's voice reached my ears.
I did not even bother feeling the iciness my clothes made me feel. I was used to it. I had no right to stay warm and protected when my men were massacred. Guilt was flooding every corner of my mind and I had no way to stop it.
"This is war, Your Majesty." Marwin sighed. "They have died fighting for their kingdom,"
"They were killed in their sleep," I gritted, clenching my fists.
"They will never come back. No matter how much we pray," he told me, sensing my anger.
"I want them avenged," I said as I turned to look at him.
"You can. No one would stop you," he replied. "We need a new strategy. The water bridge is still the area that needs to be protected the most,"
I nodded, agreeing to his advice. I had to ask someone to have the water inspected. If the enemies dared to poison it, Anthreal would suffer. How much must it suffer?
"He plans to get the throne on bloodshed," I mumbled, looking at the sight one more time. "Nathaniel, once we go back, we need to discuss these men's families..."
"I understand, Your Majesty," he nodded.
I tore my eyes away and began walking away with a heavy heart. But a sudden thought struck me like lightning.
All of this seems...too strange.
"Is everything alright?"
"No..." I whispered, thinking about it. "Tell me...is killing these many beneficial at all?"
Marwin came over to my other side and shook his head. "As I said, killing in battle is nobler. Though I do realize how much of a scum the man is."
"This is a waste of resources from his side. We can simply place more men here if they killed the ones here. If they wanted to commence a full-on battle, then announcing their attack would be more suitable," I said, glancing at the ground deeply.
"If he wishes to show off his strength..." Nathaniel began. "That is so immature. He did use underhanded tactics before,"
"What if this is...a threat?" Marwin suggested, his voice rising.
"No...what if this was..." I trailed off.
Killing these many at night in a deplorable way means something more. He had done this for a reason. He always did it for a reason.
And then, the word hit me.
"What if this is...a trap?"
Before I knew it, something pricked my left shoulder fiercely. I hissed and stumbled forward, realizing everything was too late.
"We need you to leave, Your Majesty!" Nathaniel yelled as he held my arm.
"I shall bring the physician!" Marwin yelled and sprinted away hurriedly.
A barrage of thirty soldiers rushed forward as Nathaniel ordered them to stay guard.
"No!..." I gasped, trying to control the pain. I turned back to see all men looking at me for orders.
"Find the archer or achers! He must not have gone too far!"
Another pang of misery went through my shoulder as I held onto Nathaniel.
"You will be fine..." he whispered, panic written all over his voice. "I shall go there myself,"
.................................................................
"The arrow was not poisoned or shot near to your heart, Your Majesty,"
We were in a tent, constructed for this specific use. The physician was the same man who cured the baby wolf I brought ten years ago. He did age a little but overall, his features were the same.
I did not answer back as I was too taken aback by my thoughts. The man was carefully stitching up the wound caused by the arrow. It was painful but I did not mind it.
I should have realized it sooner.
"Luckily, you are all fine, Your Majesty," Marwin sighed, standing close by me. "This was all a trap..."
"A trap to lure and assassinate me," I said, using all the techniques I was taught to stay calm.
For some reason, I was tired of these attempts at my life. Was there always a scheme behind every turn?
"It is done," the physician declared as he distanced himself from me. "It would leave a scar though-"
"No worries," I told him, placing my hand on my shoulders. "My wife would be livid-"
Wait. Catheline!
"The news of my injury should not spread further," I said to Marwin.
He nodded and just then, loud voices could be heard from outside the tent. I looked up and found the words to be more coherent.
"He should have died! This is impossible!"
"Shut your bloody mouth and move, you bastard!"
"Drag him! He cannot escape!"
I stood up, wincing a little at the pain. So, they did manage to capture the man.
Nathaniel entered the tent, his face covered with dirt. I was taken aback by his condition.
"Are you hurt?" I asked, grabbing my shirt which was hung over on the chair I had been sitting on.
"Not at all," he replied, his voice dripping with anger. "He is a madman. I suggest you put him to death,"
"We shall see," I uttered.
All three of us stepped outside. The setting was precarious and everybody was shouting. In the middle was a man, held down by the shoulders on his knees by two soldiers.
As soon I walked forward, everyone fell quiet. I held my sword in my hand tightly as I made my way to the archer.
"This was not supposed to happen...you were supposed to die..."
"What a shame," I told him and he looked up at me. "You are either too deranged to aim properly or too afraid of this task,"
The man's eyes fell on the soil and he continued to tremble. The entire air was silent and my anger seemed to have resumed seeping out of my mind.
"This was not supposed to happen," the man began whispering again.
My patience was fragile and now, it broke. I moved closer and held the man's collar roughly. I forced him to look at me. His trembling ones met my fierce ones.
"What did your foolish false king tell you?" I inquired, losing my temper. "Did you witness how his men slayed mine!? Even if my uncle was a cruel being, I am sure you were not one,"
Or was he?
He did not answer or make any attempt of doing so. But soon, he began muttering something.
"The two of you should have died...My King would be so disappointed in me if he knew that I failed to do my part..."
I almost let go of him in disgust. Instead, I tightened my hands on his collar. Two?
"What two?..." I asked, fear bubbling in my heart. "What 'two' of us? What are you talking about!?"
"You and your wretched child!" he shouted.
I let go of him, stunned. He went back to his mad muttering. All my thoughts have shifted from this man to her.
And that was it.
I lost my temper again.
Rage erupted in my mind, flowing into every drop of blood in my body. I ignored every other voice. I moved toward the man again, clenching the hilt of my sword tightly.
"What.do.you.mean?"
My voice was dangerous. Even Nathaniel approached me but stayed at a safer distance. The despicable man looked up and this time, he stopped trembling. There was a new shimmer of arrogance in his eyes and I hated it.
"You can learn it yourself when you return to your wife, you coward," he said, his voice filled with venom.
All I knew was that I saw red. I raised my sword and slashed him in his throat, having no emotions at all. Within a few moments, the man struggled to live. He did not deserve to live. And so, he met his end.
Mistriver was drenched with dark red fluid at the corner and I turned to look at Nathaniel. He reacted violently but I did not bother how perilous I looked.
"Prepare the horses back to the castle. Now,"
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Karra's POV:
"How could you let any of this happen!?"
Tears rolled down my eyes as I held onto the Queen's hand. She was on her bed, lifeless. My heart was almost unable to beat as quickly as it did now.
It was all my fault.
"The Queen insisted," Lady Daraa said slowly, in a despaired voice.
"Miss Karra, do you mind..." I heard Mr. Gabriel call me.
I turned around to find him staring at me in sadness. I refused to let go of the Queen's hand.
"She lost her babe..." I cried out. my tears were uncontrollable. "I should have stopped her!"
"No. This is my fault." He argued, falling on one of his knees. "The fetus was fine. I remember saying that it was a healthy one. But I did not imagine..."
"It was all a trap to anger her and make her lose her child!" I whispered, looking at the silhouette of the Queen behind the curtains. Those miserable bastards..."
The two in the room did not mind my foul language. I am sure they were beyond angry. But they blamed themselves. And I did not wish for that. It was all solely my fault.
"It was my duty to serve and protect her..." I said, ruffling my messy hair with my other hand. "The King will have my head..."
"No one is having no one's head, silly girl," Lady Daraa chided. "This is my fault. I should not have let her go. I should have interrogated the man myself,"
"Ladies, this is none of your fault!" Doctor Gabriel yelled one last time. "I am confident that the Queen was strong enough to protect her child. She is strong. But now, our worries must lie on the safety of her Grace. So Miss Karra, please move aside,"
This time, I reluctantly moved and let him check her pulse. I managed to gather my strength to get onto my feet.
I moved toward Lady Daraa as she gazed at the bed solemnly. Her eyes were pale and showed no emotion. But I could see that she was beyond upset.
"Her pulse is weak." the man spoke, looking at both of us. "She might not wake up today."
"You claimed that she was strong enough to carry the child. That she would not be affected by anything much," I heard Lady Daraa's rough voice. "How come this could even happen?"
There was something in her tone. As if...it was beyond remorse. I looked at Doctor Gabriel who sighed.
"I still stand by my words," he said, looking at her with confidence. "Even the fetus was alright before this. No...something else must have happened,"
"Something what!?" Lady Daraa barked at him.
"Has her food been inspected thoroughly?"
I exchanged looks, at loss for words. Soon, both of their eyes fell on me. I gulped and began remembering every morsel the Queen had been served over the months.
"I baked most of her Grace's favorites. I took care of every single thing in her snacks. But the other three courses..."
"Do you mean-"
"Calm down, My Lady!" I gasped, looking at her. She could not be suspecting me. "Every two weeks I and the other maids go to the market to get fresh supplies. They have been strictly ordered by you to take care of the Queen's diet!"
"You calm down now, silly girl," Lady Daraa sighed and looked at me with a stern gaze. "You have no reason to hurt Her Grace,"
I nodded and my gaze fell to the ground. I would never hurt the Queen or her child. She seemed so jubilant and I would not dare to destroy it. She deserved every bit of happiness.
But now...it had been taken from her.
We still had no news from the border and we can not trust other sources. I sighed and found Doctor Gabriel looking at us with realization.
"Have they purchased any extra materials? Somehow one of them must have obtained something that is against pregnancy..." he said.
The look on Lady Daraa's face could have killed someone. She inhaled deeply before standing straight.
"Karra, ask Leon to bring twenty guards to the kitchen. Wake up every maid responsible for the dishes that were served to the Queen. Doctor, follow me," she said, in an authoritative voice.
My fists rolled into balls as I wiped away my tears. I looked at the bed one more time. I will bring your child justice, Your Grace.
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Author's note:
I'm sorry...