Chapter Fifty Seven
The Gold District - Hand's Residence
"I'm happy you were available to see me." Kaelen walked past the Hands latest servant with a bone chilling smile directed toward Trip and Martha. "I see you replaced... Shelia? Shelly? Charmane?"
"It was Chantey," frowned Trip Hand thoughtfully as he stood to take Kaelen's extended hand. "I still don't know where she got to but we had to replace her."
"Uh huh," frowned Kaelen as he sat in the chair next to Martha, across from Trip.
"Kaelen," gushed Martha with a fake smile. She impatiently waved toward Simone, dismissing her, "We weren't expecting you after all the commotion at yours and Ruby's engagement party." Martha batted her eyes and simpered, "I was sure that the council would hold an emergency meeting."
Kaelen nodded as he sat back in the chair, "Yes it's been a very long night and day." Kaelen tilted his head toward Trip, "I was very sad to see that you weren't in attendance."
Trip shoulders rose and fell and a sigh swooshed from his lips, "There was a strike at my plant on Raxian that needed my attention." Trip eyebrows furrowed as he shook his head, "But upon my arrival the strike that I received word about was nothing but conjecture. I arrived back home to find out that your poor paramour was killed."
"Xara isn't dead," replied Kaelen coldly. "As a matter of fact," Kaelen waited until Chantey served everyone and exited the room before he continued, "I'm pleased to let you both know that Xara is expecting."
"Expecting," spat Martha. "Expecting what?"
Kaelen lips kicked up as he smiled coolly at Martha, "My child of course."
"I saw with my own eyes -."
"How is that," interrupted Kaelen. He leaned foward and pinned Martha was an icy stare. "You and Ruby were both knocked out on the other side of the clearing."
Martha waved away Kaelen's words, "Ruby is seeing a medic with the hopes that she can provide you with an heir."
Kaelen stared unimpressed at Martha, "Ruby is not capable of given me a child. I've come to terms with that and refuse to waste royals trying various experiments to get her pregnant."
"But -," began Martha urgently.
"No buts," sighed Kaelen.
"You uncouth heathen," exclaimed Martha angrily. "That horrid woman should have died at your engagement party. She was shot in the chest! No one should or could have survived that! She should have died," screamed Martha.
"Should she have," drawled Kaelen. Kaelen rested his elbows on his knees, placed his head in his hands and smiled maniacally at the floor. "It's funny you would mention how you hope she died at the engagement party," drawled Kaelen. He raised his head to stare at Martha blankly, "I have it on good authority that you and Ruby planned to have Xara murdered."
"That's ridiculous," scoffed Trip uncertainty laced his voice.
Kaelen turned to gaze amused at him, "I believe that little uprising was actually a ploy by your dear wife to make sure you were gone while she and your daughter planned to eliminate what is mine."
"What is yours," mocked Martha sardonically. "You sound like a real man! Like an Ah'Tarian man! But you are not an Ah'Tarian man! You are nothing but a mongrel" Martha stood up to stare down her nose at Kaelen, "My daughter deserves better than to marry a man that clings to his antiquated customs."
Kaelen blinked up at Martha with wide eyes. "Antiquated," stated Kaelen innocently. "To have a paramour is one of the founding principles of the Ah'Tarian society." Kaeled poked his lip out while he arched an eyebrow, "Maybe you implying your daughter is too good for me?"
"Of course she is," snapped Martha. Martha smacked her lips, "You don't appreciate her."
"Your daughter doesn't appreciate the honor I bestow on her," smiled Kaelen humorlessly.
"Honor," spat Martha as she went to the study door and locked it. "My daughter is bestowing an honor on you!"
"Really," drawled Kaelen as he turned to watch her lock the door. "And why would you ever believe that?"
"You need an Ah'Tarian wife to keep your seat," laughed Martha. "You need my daughter -."
"I could have chose someone else," replied Kaelen in clipped tones. "But at the time I found her amusing. Who knew I'd do better going to the Yellow or White District and just finding some random female." Kaelen gave an off handed shrug, "May she wouldn't be so free with her favors."
Trip stared wide eye as Martha fingers clenched the back of the chair she had recently sat in. "Martha dear I believe you should sit back down and try to talk this out like rational people."
"How are you and I supposed to speak rationally to a barbarian who's people just migrated out of caves," spat Martha while her fingers tore into the upholstery. "He insinuated our Ruby is a whore when -."
Kaelen sent a contemputous stare toward Martha before he rolled his eyes, "Madame what do you believe the definition of the word whore is?" Kaelen chuckled as he watched Martha attempt to find a definition her daughter woudn't fit into. After listening for several minutes he shook his had, "I feel as if I'm unwelcomed into the Hands family."
"You aren't," snapped Martha. "Your seat is very much welcome but you are not."
"Ah," nodded Kaelen. "So you had a plan," murmured Kaelen before he turned to look at Martha with cold eyes. "You planned for me to meet some unfortunate end after the wedding and for Ruby to retain my seat as my widow."
"Of course not," exclaimed Trip as he surged to his feet. "I don't know what is going on but -."
"What is going on," drawled Kaelen, his hazel eyes turned to gaze boredly at Trip, "is your wife and maybe your daughter planned to kill my paramour. And if I am listening correctly your wife planned to kill me as well."
"No that can't be true," insisted the man as he fell to his seat. "Orchid said she only needed a blood sample from Xara and hair, tissue and a blood sample her cousin!" Trip turned worried eyes to his wife, "Why would you do something like this? He is friends with the first and second chair's heirs. They would kill us for attempting to harm him."
"He is a nobody that no one would miss," smirked Martha. "I doubt that little fat troll of a sister would even miss him."
Kaelen lips pulled down into a frown, "I came here because you were accused of trying to kill my paramour with your daughter. Instead I am being insulted." Kaelen shook his head, "Since we are insulting each other I guess I should inform you that your boob job is lopsided and the surgeon obviously took out one too many ribs because your waist is just ghastly to look at."
"How dare you," gasped Martha.
"And I see you attempted to get your ass enlarged now you have a flat rounded ass like a pancake," continued Kaelen as if she'd never spoken. "Now," sighed Kaelen, "since we've both insulted each other why don't we get to why I'm here."
"You and that whore carrying that vile spawn of a child are dead," exclaimed Martha with a wave of her hand, "and I refuse to let my daugher humiliate herself with you any longer."
Kaelen seat fell back to the floor and he blinked up at the ceiling. Calmly Kaelen adjusted the cuff of his left sleeve as he laid there, "Can I take this as your admission of guilt?"
"What," screeched Martha as she walked over to stare down at him in contempt. "You are still worried about who attempted to kill that whore?" Martha lifted her foot and kicked him in the stomach heavily. "If you most know," snarled Martha as she lifted her foot and slammed it down into his chest, "I did it!"
Kaelen hand snaked out and wrapped around Martha's ankle; with a pull he knocked her off balance. Slowly he rose to his feet while he wiped several drops of blood from his bottom lip. "Was that your attempt to kill me," asked Kaelen amused. "I guess I should have told you that you'd have to try harder than that."
"Attempt," snarled Martha. "I am sure I crushed your ribs and you have several internal injuries," Martha smiled gleefully, "You are a good as dead."
"Really," inquired Kaelen. "I am really as good as dead?"
Martha frowned confused as he seemed to stand taller, "I guess I should have put a little more effort into killing you."
"I guess you should have," drawled Kaelen. "I do have a quick question before you continue with your attempt at killing me." Kaelen picked the chair off the floor and sat back down, "What roll did Ruby have in the attempt on Xara's life?"
"What," scoffed Martha with a laugh. "You are as irratiating as I've heard!" Martha raised a hand and sent several pulses toward him. "I disentergated him," smiled Martha as she gazed gleefully at the incinerated chair.
"N-no," whispered Trip as he pointed behind Martha.
Martha swung around and stared shocked at Kaelen. "How did you," her head swung back to the destroyed chair. "How did you...?"
"You won't live long enough to know," responded Kaelen as his hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck. Kaelen tilted his head to examine Martha's expression while he picked her struggling body off the floor. "I believe I told you once to not test me," whispered Kaelen. He his fingers tightened around her neck, "You are unnecessary and I only kept you around because Ruby seemed to be fond of you."
Kaelen's grasp around Marth's neck tightened while she struggled to free herself. "If I wasn't clear previously," drawled Kaelen cruelly while slowly lifted her from the floor, "you're about to die."
Martha attempted to struggle against the tight grasp he had on her neck, her feet swung as they searched for something to take the pressure off her neck.
"Please," cried Trip as he watched his wife dangle from Kaelen's hands. "Please show mercy."
Kaelen gold eyes swung to stare calmly at Trip . "Because you asked so nicely," responded Kaelen, "I'll show mercy." Kaelen extended his arm and lifted Martha several more inches off the floor. He smiled cruelly into her wide blue eyes before his fingers tightened around the pale column of her neck. "I'll definitely show you mercy," whispered Kaelen as the sound of her her larynx and hyoid bone being crushed echoed loudly in the silent room.
Kaelen dispassionately tossed her limp body to the floor and pulled a small cream colored handkerchief out of his inside blazer pocket. "I am assuming that I don't need to inform you what would happen if you tell anyone what happened today," drawled Kaelen as his eyes moved to the man's.
"N-no," whimpered Trip as he cowered behind his desk.
Kaelen placed the soiled linen into his pocket. "If I even hear a breath of a rumor about what happened here today....You're as dead as that bitch you called a wife."
"I-I -."
"Shut up," snapped Kaelen as he swung the door open to the room. He looked down at Martha's dead body and waved a hand setting it on ablaze. He looked coldly at Trip, "Just in case she could heal from that."
"I-I-!"
"Just shut up," sighed Kaelen as he called for his hand held. "Someone will be here shortly to make sure her body is properly disposed of." Kaelen gazed toward the exit and saw the new housekeeper and shook his head, "Oh! If you want to know where Chantey got off too you should check your wife's rose garden. Her body was buried there." Kaelen closed the door before Trip could respond.
*****
Silver Lights District - Ward Residence
Xara stared sadly out the window of her room on the second floor she didn't move as the door opened and closed.
"Are you waiting for him," snarled the voice from behind her.
Xara sighed as she tried to admire the view of the gardens below. "Lilac bushes are beautiful this time of year." Xara giggled as she brushed hair from her forehead, "This is my first time every seeing them but they are really beautiful."
"Don't ignore me," whispered Ruby menacingly behind Xara.
Xara turned to stare wearily at Ruby. "I wasn't ignoring you. I was telling you about the bushes in the garden." Xara pushed away from the window and crossed to the vanity table, "May I ask why you are here?"
"I'm here to rub your stomach," smiled Ruby evilly. "I want to bond with Kaelen and my child even before it is born."
Xara gave Ruby a bland look through the mirror while she sat down. She picked up a silver handled comb and began take down her hair, "Kaelen stated I would be able to raise my child without yours or his interference."
Ruby smiled cruelly, "Kaelen lied."
"Ah," nodded Xara. "I wouldn't doubt that he's lying to one of us," replied Xara as she sat down in the chair. Xara folded her hands in her lap and gave Ruby a patient stare. "I don't wish to seem as if I don't like your company," Xara smoothed her hands over her skirts, "but it's been a very long and trying day. I wish to go to bed."
Ruby chuckled huskily while she moved toward the vanity and stared down, jealousy blazed bright in her eyes, "Your hair is so pretty." Ruby reached out and touched a long red curl, "I can definitely see why Kaelen likes the color so much."
"Please leave," frowned Xara as Ruby's grip on hair tightened. "I am tired and wish -."
Ruby smiled, "I definitely understand after your horrid ordeal." Ruby released the long curl and bared her teeth in a smile. "Good night Xara." Ruby slowly moved to the door before she paused and turned gloatingly back to Xara. "Before I forget, Kaelen and I have decided to move the wedding date to five days from now."
Xara gazed out of guarded green eyes at Ruby before she responded blandly, "Congratulations!"
Ruby expression darkened as she angrily opened the door and slammed it behind her.
Xara stared at her hair in the mirror before she rose. "She laid a spell that will make my hair fall out," whispered Xara blankly. Xara reached into the small drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors "I guess I should be happy she laid the spell at the tip of my hair and not further up." Xara slowly proceeded to cut her waist length hair to her shoulders. "Did she really think this would bother me?"
Several minutes later Xara carefully examined her uneven shoulder length waves as her bedroom door opened and closed.
"What the hell happened to your hair." exclaimed Kaelen.
Xara turned to stare at Kaelen with a calm expression, "I cut it."
"I don't like it," thundered Kaelen as he went over and touched it.
Xara nodded slowly, "I'll grow it back."
Kaelen fisted twisted into her hair while he pulled her head back. He gazed deeply into her eyes while his hand tightened into her hair, "Before you make anymore changes to yourself ask first."
Xara lips tilted up into a smile. "Kaelen?"
"Yes," responded Kaelen as he pulled her to her feet.
"Can I gain weight to accommodate the pregnancy," asked Xara with a half smile.
Kaelen chuckled while he picked Xara up to stand on the vanity chair. "You know what I meant," whispered Kaelen as he pulled her skirt up to her waist.
"I know," sighed Xara quietly as she widened her stance.
Kaelen smirked as he pulled her underwear down, "I still want to eat you up."
"Okay," whispered Xara meekly. Her breath hitched in her throat as Kaelen lifted her up on his shoulders. She gripped his head and squealed as his warm breath fanned over her center.