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Chapter 20 - The aftermath.
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Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 21 - The enemy lies.
All of yesterday seemed to have gone by in such a blur! I mean I remember it, I remember it all, but it was as if my whole body and mind were on autopilot. Every part of me took over and willed me to move and speak. I felt like a big part of me had sunk. Sunk deep within myself where the pit of guilt swam in my stomach constantly and I had been that way for so many months and all alone, I felt nervous and my throat kept closing up with each passing hour that I was here with people again. And being here now...I felt even more guilty. Knowing that we were all on the verge now of having a better life, a chance at happiness and it wasn’t just my younger self’s hopeless dream anymore.I woke up this morning in bed, and I just lay there for what felt like hours. I didn’t even recognize where I was at first, I had to keep rubbing my eyes just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming that I was here and not still in my cell. But once I realized, it was ok and I was safe... not to mention I’m actually the
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 22 - By your side.
Nathaniel had barely opened his eyes since yesterday and merely muttered words we couldn’t understand every time we tried to coax him into drinking some water. His eyes would flutter as he lugged it down, but we could sense he wasn’t aware of who we were and where he was. Me and Maude had barely slept, taking turns to watch over him, with Mallon and Matthias stopping by with more fresh water and linen. I nearly cried every time Nathaniel soiled and wetted himself and he’d have bouts of shouting and screaming in his sleep. Our poor Nathaniel was locked away for months in complete darkness and who knows how little food and fresh water he was given!My emotions flittered from guilt to sorrow and anger, all I wanted was to be able to go back in time and save him from all of this. We may have sworn to be there for one another but I never would have agreed to it, if I had known this was how far his loyalty to me would be pushed.I sat quietly at his bedside, most of the dirt and grubbiness
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 23 - Talking of consequences.
Three days later:I had awoken with an ache in my back and a bottom numb from sleeping in the hard chair all night. I looked up to see Nathaniel sleeping soundly and my hand still wrapped around his. I stretched out my limbs then stood up, taking a cool washcloth and wiping it lightly across his forehead. He had been taking a few more spoonfuls each meal time and lugging down more water, but he still seemed unaware of where he was and who we were. Luckily, the doctor’s medicines and oils had helped to reduce the purple and yellow blotching around his eyes. I looked at him thoughtfully.. As much as I didn’t want him to hate me, his survival would be enough and over the last few days it was all that I had wished for.The day we had cleared the village, I had sent Matthias to see Nathaniel’s parents and bring them to see him. As soon as they talked into the room, his mother broke into tears, while his father looked at him with love and worry. I realized as soon as I saw them, that they w
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 24 - Prince of love.
Once again, I had sat with Nathaniel all night, and as soon as his parents arrived I told them of the good news that Nathaniel had spoken to me last night. He was still confused, but he was aware of me being with him and today I felt ever more optimistic about his recovery. His father helped me prop Nathaniel up on pillows to feed him his morning meal of oats and tiny pieces of apple as his mother sat on the other side of him, holding his hand. He opened his mouth for each spoonful as usual but suddenly stopped and his eyes opened wider than they had last night. He stared at me, his eyes wandering all over my face as if to take in all of my features. “Aurelia!” He whispered.“I’m right here” I replied softly.“I thought... I thought I dreamed about you being here. But you look so real this time.”“I am real Nathaniel, it’s ok.” I gently took one of his hands and held it up in his view and pressed it against my cheek. “See, I am real”.The corner of his lips tried to tug into a small s
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 25 - A new reign.
Two days later:I looked in the reflecting glass at my long silky silver gown and my neatly curled hair that tumbled down my back with a few loose ones pinned back from my face with my mother’s ruby and silver grips. The dress was also my mother’s. Poor Maude spent hours last night pinning and altering it to fit it to my skinny frame, but ever since I saw her portrait hanging on the wall in her drawing room, I knew I wanted to look as elegant as she did on her coronation day. Maude added a touch of rouge to my cheeks and my lips as my skin was still pale and pasty from months of no daylight. She had managed to make me look healthier than I actually was.Maude finished straightening out the back of my dress and stood up behind me. She put her hands on my arms and looked at my reflection. “You look so beautiful, my dear... It is a dream come true to see you like this today”, She sniffled.I smiled at her and placed my hand on hers. Nerves were erupting in my stomach, but it was more the
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 26 - For our people.
I sat with authority as I waited for the councilmen to take their seats. Once they were settled and all looked to me, I started with the matters of today. “Good morning gentleman, first things first, have you all come to a decision with Edric’s punishment?”“Yes, we have your majesty!” Mr Williams replied. “We feel it is in the best interest of the people, to have Edric sentenced to death, by beheading. We can have a platform and can have a reliable executioner ready in just a matter of days. We think it best that the whole kingdom is witness to his demise. It may give them some relief to see justice taking place.”“And you’re all in agreement with this?”“Yes ma’am”. All the councilmen nodded.Then George began to speak. “Your majesty, as brutal as it is, the people need to see some sort of punishment for all that he has done. We need to make a statement to show them that we have taken his merciless actions very seriously and have not condoned any of it and it’ll help the people to s
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 27 - The good and the bad.
One week laterI sat in a tall velvet chair at the hill of the village, with Mallon seated next to me, Matthias and two of my other close guards, Kole and John behind me on our wooden, platformed viewing area. I could see all the way to the foot of the village with two crowds of people standing by and waiting with the footpath as passageway in between them and it was quiet... eerily quiet. The sun shone, but the dark clouds were beginning to form over our heads as if on que to shadow this particlar day. To many this must feel like a joyous occassion and I couldn’t blame them, in fact I understood thier anticipation for what was to come. It was if today marked the officiliality of the end of Edric’s reign.To my right was the erected stage where the executioner waited with his sword still in its sleeve at his hip and his black cloaked mask covering his face. This was to be my first time witnessing an execution, while my father enjoyed dragging people here to their deaths for even the l
Rule of a ruthless King Chapter 28 - I do.
Two weeks later:Excited, joy, pure happiness were all understatements for how I felt today. I was giddy with love and glee while Maude saw to the finishing touches of my vail as she draped it over my face. My long white, silk and lace gown draped down to my feet and the trail sat beautifully behind me as it flowed across the floor. Maude was wearing a new special dress, one I had demanded she had made by our seamstress. She hadn’t owned a dress of her own for years and I wanted her to feel just as beautiful as I did. She blushed profusly when I gushed at how incredibly pretty she looked in it. But now it was her gushing over me as she continuosuly wiped stray tears away from her cheeks.There was not an ounce, not a speck of doubt in my mind or my heart that deterred me away from marrying Mallon today. We had been waiting for this, for weeks now and not just because we found it so increasingly hard to keep our hands off of each other but because we had wanted to be together so long a
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