"Phyllis." said the man looking out the window. He watched people celebrating victory with happy laughter. He narrowed his eyes and turned to the woman clad in armour.
She glided towards the man who whispered her name. His eyes trailed her body. He grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him. They embraced each other, and she lay her head on his shoulder, relaxing in his warmth. He felt different today, though she chose to ignore it, just coming back from battle. He pulled her shoulders back softly and put his gloved hand on her cheek. He looked into her eyes as they kissed each other passionately. His lips felt soft, though it felt wrong.
"Is something the matter, your majesty?" she said, raising her brow in concern.
He softly smiled at her and moved a strand of hair away, tucking it behind her ear. "Nothing is the matter, my dear. Haven't we talked about this before? Call me by my name when we are alone."
"Alright, Theodore," she mumbled as she sighed into his chest.
This moment of silence felt blissful. The room felt serene.
He chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming. Before Phyllis could comprehend, Theodore had caught hold of her hair, pulling it back. Her eyes widened as she winced in slight pain. She gripped his arms, trying to get them off of her.
"What are you doing?" she shouted in confusion.
He glared at her, his gaze seeming distant. "If even a beggar gave you a show of affection, you would fall at his whims, my dear." he expressed melodically, though his words were anything but.
Phyllis gasped aloud, Theodore's hold weakened, and she pulled away immediately. She huffed in anger, stumbling around for a few moments before straightening up. She glared at him, waiting for him to explain whatever just happened.
"It's quite simple, Phyllis. I don't need you anymore. You helped bring victory to my kingdom now your work has finished," he said calmly.
"What? You said you wanted to marry me. You said you loved me, Theodore," she looked stoic. She felt racking pain. It was unlike what she felt from a battle wound. Her heart felt hollow. She felt betrayed.
He scoffed and pulled his head back in laughter. "You think I would marry you? An illegitimate daughter of a viscount, who is filthy of scars from war?
"These scars are the result of a war I won. A war I won for you! You said that once I returned, you would marry me. Stop lying to me!" She screamed.
"Oh, how blind you are," said Theodore mockingly.
She looked away, tears springing up into her eyes. She then heard the king walk up to her. She took a step back in distrust. He stopped only inches away from her. He suddenly pulled her sword out of its sheath. He smirked before making a quick swipe across his neck. A small cut had now formed, blood seeping through it.
Her eyes widened as she gasped in horror. The sword fell out of the king's hands, the metal clanging against the marble floor, vibrating through the room. She fell to her knees.
"GUARDS!" he shouted.
Five castle guards burst into the room. All of their expressions changed as they saw their king injured.
"Seize this woman, for treason!"
Before Phyllis could do anything she was caught roughly by two guards. She was getting arrested for something she didn't do. She protested multiple times as she was being dragged to the dungeons.
Her cries and shouts echoed throughout the entire castle. Nobody heard her. Nobody helped her. They were all too busy celebrating their Kingdom's freedom.