Javier's POV
I stood, staring at the woman before me, my patience unraveling with each passing second. A thought reverberated in my mind, this was not the same meek, silent princess I had wed just days ago.
Her eyes, those fierce, burning eyes, gazed upon me, filled with a fury and venom I had not anticipated. The way she looked at me, as though I were her adversary, unsettled me deeply. She did not look like Anneliese. Yes, it was the same face, the same soft features, but something about her had changed. Something I could not place, something foreign. As though she had become another entirely. But that was impossible, wasn't it?
"Let me go," she demanded again, snarling at me like a wild animal, her voice laced with unmistakable anger. "You have no idea whom you are dealing with." Her words were strange, incomprehensible, and they spilled from her lips so easily. What had become of the woman I had married? Where was the gentle princess who rarely spoke more than a few words, let alone raise her voice?
I silenced the barrage of questions in my mind. Something had transpired, something that needed to be addressed. But before I could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps reached my ears. A guard appeared in front of me, his head respectfully bowed.
I did not look at him, my gaze still fixed upon her, while she glanced at the guard, her posture shifting with irritation. Was she always like this?
"Your Majesty, the royal physician has arrived," the guard said, his voice low and deferential, before stepping back.
I nodded, but my eyes never left hers.
"Come with me," I commanded, my voice firm and steady. I had never raised a hand to a woman, but she was testing my restraint. I turned and began walking, but there was no sound of footsteps trailing behind me.
I turned back to find her standing still, arms crossed, her defiant gaze fixed firmly upon me. The air between us was taut, and I could feel my temper rising. My hand clenched at my side as I took a slow, steadying breath.
"Let… me… go," she said, her words still heavy with that foreign tongue, but this time, I could feel her determination radiating from her.
I strode toward her, my steps swift and purposeful, and before she could react, I grasped her firmly by the neck.
"I am your husband, and I am your king. You will obey me, and you will do as I command," I growled, dragging her with me, ignoring the humiliation this would bring her. She had embarrassed both herself and me enough for one day.
But I should have known better.
Before I could take three full steps, she kicked me sharply on the shin. My grip tightened instinctively around her neck, but I found myself momentarily stunned. Her eyes burned with hatred, yet I saw something else there, something I couldn't quite identify, but it glistened beneath the anger.
And then, to my surprise, she fell to the floor, dragging me with her. My body bent forward, my hand releasing its grip on her neck, but she seized my leg, locking her hand around it.
She shook her head vehemently, her long hair flying in all directions. "You are not taking me anywhere to have your way with me. I will not let you go until you speak to me in a language I understand." She shouted.
I attempted to move my leg, but she fell swiftly to the ground, yanking at it with a strong grip, her body writhing on the floor. I cast a glance at her ladies-in-waiting, but they all bowed their heads, too terrified to meet my gaze.
Then, her maidservant swiftly knelt before me, her hands clasped together, rubbing them nervously as tears streamed down her face.
"My lord, she knows not what she does. Please, I beg of you, forgive us." Her voice trembled in her native tongue, and though I understood her words, I chose not to look at her, my eyes instead drawn back to the princess, still writhing on the floor before me.
What madness had befallen her?
"My lord, she was never like this. I cannot fathom what has brought such an outburst upon her, but I know it can be mended if only she sees the physician." The young maidservant's cries intensified, her voice grating on my nerves. Irritation clawed at me.
I turned sharply to the guards who stood at attention nearby. "Take her to her chambers," I commanded, my voice cold.
They bowed in unison, stepping forward. As they approached her, she suddenly wrapped herself around my leg, clinging to it like some wretched parasite.
"No, no! I shall not go until you…" She screamed, her voice rising in defiance. The guards halted, unsure, and she tightened her grip around my leg more.
I could feel my patience thinning. "Do it," I snarled at them.
With that, the guards moved, prying her off my leg. She screamed, her fingers digging into my flesh as I yanked my leg away from her grasp. One of the guards hoisted her over his shoulder, the struggle continuing as she thrashed violently.
"You mother...fucker! Let me go! You brutes, you dicks! I'll have you all pay for this!" Her words rang out, laced with fury and confusion as she was dragged away. The ladies-in-waiting, now standing, hastened after their mad queen.
I turned slowly to watch her being carried off, the anger in her eyes still visible even as she was subdued.
"Mother...fucker?" I repeated under my breath, slowly, the unfamiliar term echoing in my mind. What could it mean?
"My lord, the royal council has gathered and awaits your presence," a voice interrupted, pulling me from my ruminations. I turned to find one of mine most trusted advisors standing behind me, his countenance grave with concern.
I nodded, still ensnared in the whirl of my thoughts, my response delayed. The strange words which she had spoken unto me, still lingered in my mind, echoing like a discordant bell in the silence of my soul. What spirit had possessed the woman I had wed?