Arius pov
I entered the room which Faye was lying in while different healers ran around her trying to make her comfortable.
Her eyes brightened at seeing me, before when she smiled that way at me, I always thought that I was very lucky to have her, now all I can ask myself is what was I thinking?
What was I thinking by cheating on Gwenn with her? What was I thinking when I allowed her to leave the room with that baby? What was I thinking when I allowed the council to strong arm me into making her my concubine, breaking my marriage contract to Gwenn in the process? What the hell was I thinking when I allowed it to get to this level.
“Get out.” I said softly but my tone did not hide the steel behind my words, within seconds the room emptied of the healers that were waiting on her arm and foot.
“My king.” She started.
The second I reached her, my hand shot out and held her by the throat. “How many times did I warn you not to try and harm Gwenn, how many times have I told you to stay away from her?” I asked her. She coughed as she found it hard to breathe but my mood was an angry one, anger which I was not ready to let go off.
“My King please.” She coughs and her words just serve to make me more incensed.
My hand tightened around her neck. “I am not your anything.” I growled at her. “The only reason why you are still alive is because of my child, if not. I would have killed you times over and again for making Gwenn angry alone. If you want to survive enough to carry your child to full term then I suggest you stay away from Gwenn. Annoy her one more time and she will not the one whom you need to worry about. Do I make myself clear?” I asked Faye who nodded her head as much as she could. I let go of her neck as she started to cough.
“Now that we got that out of the way, you want to tell me why the council attacked Gwenn and almost killed her?”
“My…” She started and when I glared at her, she swallowed the rest of her words. “Your majesty, I have no idea…”
“Faye you know me and you know I don’t like being lied to. How would you like to lose your child during being tortured? I can actually count you as a threat against the crown because Gwenn is my queen and you are nothing.”
“Don’t you feel anything for this child at all?” Faye plead but I shook my head, whatever she was hoping to achieve with her plea was not going to work.
“The only children I want are those born to me by my wife not you, start talking.” I order and truly she opened her mouth and talked.
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Gwenn Pov
I knew I was torturing myself by thinking about what Arius was doing with Faye but I couldn’t help myself. My only consolation is that she is already pregnant, there is nothing that they can do together anymore that will result in more children.
When the door banged open with enough force that had me turning to a shadow for a second, thinking there was threat in the palace only for me to realize that it was Arius and his eyes were blazing fire.
He was really angry so angry he was not bothering with a calm façade anymore.
“Yama, are you okay?” The man with the white hair asked and Arius nose flared.
“Don’t call me that, I have not yet ascended to that position.” He bits out as he advanced into the room more, coming closer to the council.
When some of them shifted back, his glare increased. “No, you people should not be afraid. If you certainly can be bribed then I don’t see why you should be scared of the repercussions.” He said as they all shifted uncomfortably now.
“You see.” He continued. “I had a long talk with my concubine, the same one whom each and every of you forced on me. When you did that, I thought it was because she was pregnant but I was wrong. You all are still playing your silly politics in my life when you don’t have the right. Your queen is a foreigner, it is time you better accept. There is just going to be one person in her position and that’s her.”
“Your majesty, you need to calm down. What you are saying doesn’t make sense. We have accepted her and you.” Isolde replied but Arius shook his head.
“Don’t class yourself in the same category as them, not until you learn what they did.” Arius said and when Isolde looked around, some other council members could not meet her gaze.
“What happened?” She asked Arius.
“Darwish, Provlith and Ataf has earned their selves a dismissal from the council and a ban from the palace until their deaths.” Arius stated and his words caused a pandemonium among other members.
I watched as they all started talking at once, saying words like Arius did not have the right to do that and in the midst of their words, the three people whose name were mention just sat there. There face had disbelief on it, I didn’t know if they were stunned that they escaped so easily or they were stunned that Arius actually removed them from the council.
“My king, reconsider.” Gogan, the man who healed me the second time I passed through the boundary said. “A council member being stripped of his titles has not happened in decades.”
“Then it is about time, I revived that practice.” Arius said as he looked at the three people who he had just demoted.
“Listen and listen clearly, Whatever Faye promised you is not hers to give. Killing Gwenn like she suggested will not make her be in that position, worse of all, if anything happens to Gwenn, I will get married to another foreigner entirely. If any of you try to raise your hand against my queen anymore, with the intention to harm her, she can kill you and I will not bat an eyelash at it. And if she doesn’t kill you, you can bet that I will do that myself. It is time you start acting like grown up and not children with vendettas.”
“Do you like Gwenn?” Isolde asked Arius who froze and looked at her weirdly.
“I am saying nobody harms Gwenn and you turned that into asking me if I like her?” Arius said even though my cheeks were red and unlike their skin, mine was light and visible for all to see.
“I didn’t turn the question into anything. I just want to know the answer to it.” Isolde said.
“Why?” Arius asked her.
“Because she deserves to know that at least. Since she got married to you, she had not have any time to relax and breathe, she might act happy sometimes but she is not and now she is being attacked by her own subjects. I am asking for her sake.” Isolde explains. “I am also asking so that the council will know the answer and they will know the level of wrath they stand to face is they want to harm her again.”
Arius eyes became soft, his glare disappeared and for the first time since he show up, he smiled. “Gwenn id like me, she keeps me on my toes. I made a mistake and now I am suffering for it. If not that, believe me when I say that we would be closer and I would be a lot happier than I am now.” He stated and his words caused my heart to give a pang but they didn’t satisfy me.
‘He turned away from me to look at the council in general. “In case if you don’t understand, yes I do love her and if anybody try to harm her again… Let us not start on what I will do to the person.” Arius said but I couldn’t stay anymore.
I stood up to leave and he turned to look at me in surprise, his brow raising at my sudden movement when standing.
“I need to go and check up on Themis and Orel.” I blurted out. Arius gaze went up but he still nodded and I ran away from them as fast as I could.
“Learn to lie better, they are still not around.” Arius voice whispered close to my ears even though he was far away and I quickened my pace.
What was I to do, I couldn’t remain in the room while he told the council that he loves me. I am not wavering in my decision but I didn’t want to hear it too.
Seems pathetic, the easiest way to make me run is for him to declare that he loves me.