Ch. 21：Queen's Karma

“You will apologize on your knees.”
The queen laughed as if his words were a joke but her expression contorted making her laughing face seem more like a grimace.
“I am still the queen, you little –“ Someone placed a hand across her mouth to stop her but she slapped the person’s hand away. “How do you expect me to get on my knees for this – for this –“ Her eyes darted to me and an ugly expression twisted her face. She swallowed the slur on the tip of her tongue when she turned back to Killian. Whatever she saw on his face had her swallowing.
“Will my first decree as the Alpha King be for your beheading, Mother?” My mouth went dry after he spoke.
“Your – Your Majesty.” It was Scarlett’s father that spoke then. “It will be a disgrace to the royal family for the queen to get on her knees. As a symbol of the dignity –“
“You’re giving me a headache, Alpha Hawke.” Those words spoken with quiet warning silenced the restless crowd. “I will take your silence as defiance against the throne – MY throne.” A cruel smile crossed his lip for a split second.
The queen wore a frightening expression on her face that looked both agitated and enraged.
“Your Majesty –“ Someone else tried to intervene but a single look silenced them.
“Very well. My mother has decided to undermine the power of the throne in the presence of everyone so I will have to act accordingly as the king.” The king clapped his hands twice and a group of men dressed in red and black uniforms materialized from nowhere. At a glance, it seemed they had materialized from thin air but then I noticed they’d been standing at the sides all along, still as statues blending in with the hall’s decorations.
“For contempt against the throne, I, Alpha King Killian the First, sentence Dowager Queen Cordelia to de – “ A scream rent the air, cutting off his words.
“I’ll kneel!” The words were wrenched out of the queen followed by a burst of bitter and chilling laughter. “If the king asks me to kneel, who am I not to kneel?” With grace and dignity, she gathered her flowing apparel and lowered herself to her knees.
Murmurs broke out around the hall. Some people gasped and others dared to point at the queen on her knees. I couldn’t keep my mouth from falling open at the dignified woman on her knees in presence of both alphas and omegas.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I am sorry for unwittingly insulting your Luna.” She spoke with a drawl and again, her words ended with a harsh and bitter laugh.
“You should not be apologizing to me.” Killian spared me a glance. The queen’s gaze followed his and landed on me. Her gaze was blank as she gave a small nod.
“I am sorry for insulting you,” she muttered in a quiet voice.
“Apologize for earlier too,” Killian interjected. Her eyes flashed with hostility for a second but she nodded again.
Like a little child, she opened her mouth and followed instructions. “I am sorry about earlier too.”
“It’s – It’s okay,” I muttered with flaming cheeks.
Her apology and humiliation should get me excited but I wouldn’t deny it was too much disgracing her in presence of everyone like this. Even I felt sorry for her and I wasn’t the type to feel sorry for the misfortune of those that tormented me.
She was the queen, the most respected woman in the kingdom. Whether the dowager or not, she was still the only legally recognized queen in the kingdom, a dignified symbol of the royal family, and she had been forced to her knees to apologize to a peasant girl who she’d tried to intimidate.
“Very well. You may rise.” Two girls rushed to the queen to help her up but she shrugged them off, standing on her own and exiting the room without a backward glance, her shoulders stiff.
“You all may proceed to the reception,” Killian addressed the equally terrified and excited crowd. “Come.” He offered me a hand and I took it after a moment of hesitation.
I understood that all these were his methods of getting the kingdom to believe in our sham of a mating but it still unnerved me that he could treat the woman he called mother with such cruelty. There was no doubt that this was a dangerous man to play with but telling the woman that raised him to kneel before a crowd of people beneath her painted him in a more cruel light than I’d first seen.
“Was that – was that really necessary?” I asked as we left the throne room.
“You are in no place to question me.” The cold words shut me right up.
“Right,” I muttered.” Yes, I should not forget my place. I was nothing but a fake mate that he was using to get Scarlett off his tail.
“If you think it was for your benefit, it was not.”
I wasn’t stupid enough to believe he did all that for me. The queen had tried to insult him by making me wear a slave choker that belonged to his mother. That was his revenge against her but he dragged me into it. He needed an excuse and as usual, he used me.
I knew I was getting the short end of the deal by agreeing to be his fake mate but I also knew I was still getting more than I could ever hope to achieve on my own. Yet, the way he used me as he liked would backfire on me and he would not even care. I already had Scarlett on my tail and now the queen. He did not give a rat’s ass about me but he didn’t have to be so dismissive of a simple question.
We got to the reception and we were guided to our seats. Alpha Hawke, the most powerful man in the kingdom after the king, opened the ceremony with a toast. This time, I was seated next to Killian. When he moved, the flowing red robes of the king brushed against me, making the hair on my arms rise. That was how closely seated we were.
To keep up appearances, he served me. I saw some women in the crowd fan their faces at that gesture. The king serving a peasant’s meal. Whether he was a murderous bastard or not, it didn’t matter to them. He was a powerful man and his looks were the most superior in the kingdom so they swooned at his actions. If only they knew that even his seemingly romantic gestures were born out of selfishness.
My mood plummeted the longer the ceremony continued – and it continued for quite a while. The kingdom would feast for seven days to celebrate the new king and every feast would last from dawn until dusk.
“Smile.” The prince – king’s face entered my vision, blocking my view. I tilted my body backwards but his head drew even closer. He was close enough for me to see the flecks in his red eyes.
“W – What are you –“ I stuttered when he held my nape, preventing me from turning away.
“If you keep frowning, people will have questions. Smile or I’ll have to kiss you.” My lips pulled upwards effortlessly. “That’s a creepy smile,” he whispered, his breath hitting my face. “But it will have to do.” He let me go and readjusted his robes.
I looked up to see people gawking at me, the women with reddened cheeks. I did not dare look up again after that but their gazes still burnt holes into my skin.
A server brought wine and I grabbed the cup closest to me, holding it out to be filled. A sweet taste filled my mouth and my eyes widened in surprise. I’d only drank leftover wine from glasses I had to wash and they always tasted bland or bitter so I didn’t expect wine to be sweet like this. I gulped the cup in a short time and reached for the bottle next to me.
“You like it?” Killian muttered, tone soft but eyes indifferent. I nodded in response and he grabbed the bottle from me and poured my glass.
“Thank you,” I muttered, draining my cup a second time.
The wine was sweet but I did not want to seem like a glutton drinking so much in such a short time.
“More?” Killian asked but I shook my head. He shrugged and turned back to the event playing out before us. A group of children from a pack I didn’t care to listen to were praying for the king’s reign.
After a couple of minutes, I felt my insides warm. Uncomfortable, I poured myself a third cup of wine, nursing it this time.
The problem started after that. My eyes – The world swarm before my eyes and my vision began to blink out.
What – did the queen find a way to poison me already? I panicked, my heart beating as fast as my head spun.