Unloving His Majesty

Confusion

Princess Zania woke up the following day more confused than the day before. Prince Maxwell still had his arms around her. That had never happened before as far as she knew but it strangely felt familiar.

“Morning my queen,” the prince greeted charmingly while she blinked back her tears. It was like he knew what she longed for in their previous marriage and doing it, except she no longer wanted him to.

He tugged back her hair and gazed lovingly at her eyes. He recalled just how he longed to have all her attention and love in their previous marriage. How he held her just like this when she was unconscious. How stupid he was to believe the lies Mary told him. How crazy he acted instead of confessing his love for her.

“Our union was beautiful. I hope we can give our people an heir soon.”

His words got her heart racing and palms sweating. Before long she was panting, trying to force air into her lungs. Another panic attack washed over her. She had no intentions of losing a part of herself again. All those miscarriages left her empty inside. She wished she was barren.

“Zania,” the prince called to her softly before patiently patting her back. He knew exactly why she had that panic attack. Her emotional state multiplied the guilt he felt.

“Breathe, Zania. I swear to you that I will be by your side every step of the way. Breathe, my love,” he urged her, his words making her a confused mess. She had never had panic attacks before in her life, until the day before when she realised that she would not be able to avoid consummating their marriage. It took over twenty minutes for her to calm down. To her surprise, he just held her in his arms and did not ask what triggered her panic attack. She appreciated that because she would not know where to begin to explain herself. She would sound crazy to him and anyone else listening to her reasons. It was natural for them to want an heir. It was good for the nation, except she knew better.

A few minutes later she looked at the delicious dishes brought in by the maids, astonished.

“I believe these are your favourites,” the charming man next to her beamed while her heart ached.

“How did you know what I liked?” she asked while he chuckled.

“It is my responsibility to know what my queen likes and pamper her.”

The princess rolled her eyes inside. They were married for five years and he never cared about anything related to her. He pampered his mistress and rubbed his infidelity on her face. The thought raised her anger and resentment. The food that looked mouth watering a few minutes ago suddenly made her stomach revolt. She got up to walk away from it and him, but he would not let her. He held her hand and brought her back to sit on his lap.

“Zania, please look at me,” he urged with that voice that got to her despite her anger.

“I know that you have no reason to trust me. All I ask is that you give me a chance to prove myself to you. Give me a chance to love you.”

She studied him for a second and saw only honesty in his eyes. That only left her with more questions and uncertainties. Was he being genuine or luring her into a slaughter?

She was still lost in her thoughts when he took a fork and started feeding her.

“Max?” she questioned. His actions were raising a rollercoaster of emotions. She was becoming emotionally unstable and hated it. One moment she was all enticed by him, the next she was confused and then angry.

“My Queen,” his charming response made her treacherous heart flutter.

“We had a long day and night. You need your energy,” he said wittily, making her blush. They made love most of the night and it was not one sided. The nights events were the main reason she was all confused.

“You are gorgeous when you blush,” he declared, getting her all flushed before feeding her until she could not take it anymore.

“That’s my queen!” he beamed and burst out into laughter when she rolled her eyes at him. “Lord, you are gorgeous,” he added, making her all gooey inside.

An hour later, everyone in the castle gasped before bowing their heads to greet their leaders. The two looked madly in love to those watching. Many wondered if they were not secretly dating before their fathers died.

This castle now has a queen. She has the final say in everything and I mean everything,” the prince declared to the castle employees who bowed respectfully. “Any disrespect to my queen will be punishable by death. It is a decree,” he added while the princess looked at him amazed. She had no authority over his castle employees before. Many were openly loyal to his mistress.

“Hail to the Queen!” the employees chanted while the scribe recorded the decree that would soon be circulated to the whole island.

“You look radiant,” Lady Celia told her friend when the prince finally left his wife he did not seem to want to let out of his sight.

Princess Zania blushed, making her friend giggle.

“The prince that good?”

“Celia!” the princess cried, her face burning up before quickly whispering to her friend.

“I need a contraception.”

“Zania?” Lady Celia questioned. She had hoped that her friend had a change of heart about the Prince. The castle employees all sang him praises and painted a picture of someone who is kind and considerate. That was the same picture she got from her interactions with the Prince.

“Celia, please. I can’t get pregnant. I can’t lose anymore babies,” the princess desperately pleaded.

“An heir with DNA from both tribes would truly unite this island, Zania. The prince is crazy about you,” Lady Celia tried to reason but she could not argue anymore when the princess let her in on her suspicions.

“He does not look like he is faking his love for you. He even got rid of Mary’s family from all prominent positions.”

The princess let out a sigh. “I know what I went through. It was real. He never loved me, it is all a show. I am never letting my gut down. I am never going to let him hurt me, you, my people and the animals like he did.”

“Very well, then,” Lady Celia conceded and shook her head at her friend’s next words.

“I need you to return to the our castle. You can’t stay here, Celia. I just cant lose you again. Keep away…”

“Zania,” Lady Celia interjected. It was their custom that the best friend moved and stayed with the princess wherever she went. She grew up knowing this. It was her life’s mission to be by the princess till death.

“I can’t lose you, Celia. That stress and grief led to my first miscarriage. I couldn’t protect you from him and his mistress.”

“I understand all that, Zania, but what if it was all just a bad dream?”

“It was not.”

Lady Celia could only nod at her friend’s determined response. She believed that the prince was genuine, but she trusted her friend more.

“I will organise the contraception and return to our castle,” she conceded and got squeezed into a warm hug right when the prince returned.

“Celia, as my queen’s best friend, I hope you will stay and keep her company,” the prince said with a huge grin while the two women exchanged suspicious looks.

The prince looked and sounded sincere, but Lady Celia could not block her friend’s reservations about him. Was it possible that he wanted her to stay in order to use her to blackmail and torture her friend?