Lillia was in shock when she saw the maid, but she soon got over herself and yelled at the maid to get help.
"Go get help",she yelled. But the maid didn't move, she had a look of fright. Soon others started trooping in, many of them angry that they where being disturbed from their sleep. The maid earlier scream had woken many of them up. When they saw the scene, their mouth fell agape. The new queen with blood in her hand, with a dead body also.
Lillia didn't care about the look in their eyes, she really wanted to help the old man. So when she saw peter, she immediately called him.
Peter on seeing the scene couldn't help but be surprised, had the queen killed someone?
But he didn't think too much, he carried the man dead body and walked out of the kitchen, with lillia trailing him.
Few minutes later....
Everyone was assembled at the king court, the king sitting on his throne with a stern look, he was beyond furious. Lillia stood by his side ready to explain what happened and to stop him from glaring at the servants because she knew it was none of them ....at least that what she thought.
"What happened?",Aiden deep voice thundered ready to kill anyone that delayed his reply.
Lillia was about to speak when the maid who came first to the scene began to talk.
"Milord,we don't know what happened",she narrated her eyes down not daring to look at the king eyes to eyes. "I heard noise coming from the kitchen and decided to check what was going on, only to see....",her voice trailed off and her eyes slowly looked up at the queen in fear.
"Better speak now or your head would be in a scaffold",Aiden threatened.
"I saw..milady with a knife beside her....blood all over her hands and the cook dead body...",
Lillia blood went cold, her entire body shook, she felt her knees turn weak.
What was the maid saying?
The way the maid explained was like she was the murderer.
Aiden eyes narrowed down, the queen? His new wife?
"So are you saying that the queen is responsible for the death of the cook?",Aiden questioned.
The maid didn't answer anymore, she wasn't sure but by what she saw it was definitely the queen but how was she going to say that the queen killed someone.
When the maid wasted his time in replying his question he shouted loud.
"Answer me immediately ",
On hearing the king angry voice, she immediately spoke, not caring about the implications of her word.
"Yes milord ",
Everyone gasped loud at the revelation of the maid.
"I didn't...kill the man", lillia immediately tried to defend herself.
But Aiden raised his palm up telling her to keep quiet.
"What is your prove to your allegation?",Aiden questioned the maid more, pushing her to her limit.
"I...saw... blood..in her hands ... holding the body ...",the maid answered, she now regretted waking up when she heard the noise, or why she had spoken up.
"So, just a blood on hands means she killed him?",Aiden asked more.
The maid couldn't take it anymore, the fear had taken over her body, making her go beyond her limit,she burst out loud in tears, falling to her knees.
"My king, I don't know what happened, I heard noise at the kitchen and decided to check and then I saw the queen so I just thought...",
"You thoughts",Aiden interrupted her.
"No...no...I mean",the maid couldn't think anymore.
The other servants behind didn't dare to speak, seeing the maid get broken down slowly was a reminder of the king's powers and authority. The king was messing up her mind, making her say things.
"Lillia what do you have to say to her allegation?", this time he directed his question to Lillia, who stood beside him shaking in anger. Lillia whole body was shaking in anger, she wanted so badly to slap the accuser's mouth, probably a few beatings.
"I didn't kill the cook",as she spoke her eyes burned deep into the maid who shook in fear "I was parched and decided to go get water ..."
"Why didn't you just order someone?",Aiden interrupted her with his brow lifted.
"I didn't want to disturb anyone as am still new here, wanting to set a good relationship with everyone. So I went alone but along the way, I heard whispers,more than two voices spoke",.
Aiden eyes narrowed and he looked at peter whose eyes dilated immediately.
"I hid in a pillar until they left. I decided to see what they where doing at the kitchen, on the way I saw the knife, covered in blood. I immediately wanted to set alarm but then I heard groans,it was so painful in hearing that I rushed to see who it was, then I saw him, the cook , barely alive, he spoke few words...",
"What did he say?",Aiden tone changed to one of alert as if lillia next statement was worth the whole world, even peter leaned in a little.
Lillia got a little bit scared on seeing both men reactions but she didn't reason it much.
"He mentioned something about Warrentons and being betrayed by...", lillia was not able to say everything finished because that was the last words of the old man.
Aiden seemed satisfied about her revelation, a slight smirk curved on his face, sending cold shiver into everyone watching him spines.
"It seems like maximus is sending us a message,it only good that we send him one ourselves",he muttered.
He dismissed everyone, except for peter and lillia.
"What of the spy?",Aiden asked.
"His getting a little treatment with the healers",.
"Good,see to it that the messaged is passed and... follow him behind...once you get to the slough city, murder every maids of the king",Aiden threw peter a dirty smile. Lillia mouth fell agape on hearing this, they lost only one of their cook why must they then kill all their maids in return. As if sensing her disturbance, Aiden turned to face her.
"It only fair that we revenge the cook's death right?",he said. Lillia gulped down,the king was really scary. Peter bowed at the king and queen then he left leaving Aiden and lillia alone.
Lillia felt her heart race fast,she wanted to leave but her leg couldn't move, her eyes Looking everywhere apart from the Aiden.
"I would like to take my leave now",she said.
She took few steps when suddenly a strong hand grabbed her from behind, pushing her towards him causing her to straddle him.
"Milord, what are you doing?",she asked in fear. Her face went red at their closeness.
"Nothing much, just doing what husband and wife usually do"he answered nonchalantly, his face resting on her shoulder blade inhaling her intoxicating scent.
What husband and wife do?
Husband that kisses other women having a private relationship with the duke daughter meanwhile having a wife. What a husband?
Why her the clueless wife, who was meant to be faithful to the king.
Anger surge through her and disgust filled her face, she hated herself and her father more. She was stuck In a world that she hated. The injustice was too much, injury her woman pride.
She pulled at his hold but his hold on her was too strong that she had to use her two hands instead but he wouldn't bulg.
"Stop resisting me ",he spoke, his voice burying inside her. His breath hitting her opened shoulder.
Aiden felt stuck in her, she smelt like flowers, like fresh innocent rose. He wanted her so badly, he wanted to pin her on his bed and have his way with her. Her hand that tried pushing him away by his shoulders where warm making him hot. He never got this kind of feeling from any woman apart from rose, but that was when he haven't met this beautiful gem. He wanted her all to himself but he kept on resisting not wanting to fully accept his true feelings, he had Rose, and she was his all.
"Let go of me",her soft small voice rang in his ears like sweet music.
"Why?",he asked not even removing his face from her shoulders.
"Why? Why ..., Because we are at your court room, anyone can come in",she tried coming up with excuse. His breath were so hot that it seemed to burn her very soul. But she couldn't let him touch her when he was still in love with another woman, she just couldn't.
"So are you suggesting we head towards the room",the king spoke with a low chuckle.
Lillia face went red immediately, her blood seemed to all flow into her face, who was talking about room ?
What room?
"Whose talking about room here?,I wasn't saying that, just let go of me",she said in a hurry.
Aiden didn't like the way she was regetting him, he pulled his face away from her shoulders reluctantly and faced her, their faces where barely away from each other.
"Why?, Don't you want me to touch you?",
Such shameless man, asking such question when he had a lover.
"I need to take a shower besides I haven't had any wink of sleep, it still quiet too early anyway",she tried coming up with an excuse.
Aiden looked at her eyes for a few seconds before releasing her. Lillia immediately took many steps away from him, arranging her clothe.
"We have a party to go to later in the day, get yourself ready", with that he left her standing there.
He sounded angry but why?. She didn't do anything to him.
Lillia walked out of the court room, peeking around to see if anyone was around but when she saw none she went to her room. Married couple shared the same room but she was different, she had requested to move out of the king's room not wanting any closeness with him when he still had a LOVER.
She wasn't shameless like him.
Peter meanwhile, got himself ready to spy on the beaten man.
As soon as he left the dradevows, he ran with steady feet even though the serious injury in his stomach hurt like hell he still manage to fight through it.
He flapped down a carriage nearby.
"Slough",he said.
"Twenty",the rider said.
He didn't bargain even though the price was way too much but he wasn't ready to start bargaining, he wanted to leave dradevows quick. This place was a nightmare, and he never wanted to come here again.
He got in and the rider rode off flapping the reins of the horse.
Soon they arrived at slough and he came down paying the rider and walking up the town heading to a huge mansion that stood at the hill.
Being a citizen there he got quite a few greetings from passby. No one was able to tell that he was badly injured. He got to the mansion and was led by few guards with red colored buttoned clothe and red pointy cap. They led him to the court room of the mansion which was the castle of the king of slough.
He got sitted at the chairs waiting for the king of slough. Few minutes later maximus a fat pot belly man came out with a long staff at his hands. He was a big fat King with short dark hair. Even though he was big and too fat he was surprisingly handsome and good-looking with a well defined fair face. His skin was smooth and white glowing under the light.
When he saw his spy sent to dradevows, a smile curved on his face .
"Any good news for me drake?",he asked taking his sit.
Drake eyes filled with terror has he narrated everything that happened to him at dradevows castle, how he was tortured and let free.
"He has a message for you",
"What could it be?", maximus asked the earlier smile was removed from his face and his eyes stared daggers.
"That this was a lesson",
The simple message was confusing and both men too didn't make anything of it. Drake wasn't too special for the king, so what was the message.
"Nevermind, that small brat is always confusing. I have a party from now, so I guess I might ask him what he meant by that. All king's have a ball to attend so we shall see each other there", maximus got up to leave but drake still had a few words to say.
"Becareful milord and also....watch your back",with that drake bowed and left slough castle.
"Got a little scared and his already shaking in his boot, such a coward", maximus scoffed.
"Get me a good robe, let head to the ball", he ordered a servant by his side.
Meanwhile in the back of slough, in the dark corner, a shadow hid with a cape over it. It watched the carriage rode the king far away from the carriage. Immediately, it drawn out it sword and began to attack, silently.
****