Lady In Red

45

"I do not think it is appropriate to have that girl drink a concoction for infertility, You know my son-"

"Your son, needs a true Lycan to bore his children. Not some weak human. She is not capable of birthing a royal Lycan. She shall only tarnish your long kept legacy of our blood lines. Your grace, once she is infertile, you have the right of break the treaty, sever all ties with that weak kingdom and kick that human out of your castle. You son shall take a wife of your choice, someone you can trust"General Vincent walked closer, "Someone you can manipulate. Someone who can never threaten your position as the Queen mother."

She looked away, trusting his words and putting that vile liquid in the physician's prescribed medicine.

"Martha" She rang her bell and her maid walked in.

"Have this sent to the Queen. Tell her it's for stabilizing her nerves"

The women nodded taking the tray and walking out the entrance.

As she made her way towards the Queen's wing she gasped as a sword stopped her. She looked up and anger, questioning the man who dared stop the Dowager's women. But her face went pale cold as Sir Andrew stared at the bottle.

"I shall give you two choices Martha. You succumb to his majesty's mercy or Die like the rest of your staff that has been disappearing day by day. You have two sons working in the clergy. They and their children shall meet the same fate if you stoop so low as a traitor."

She trembled, hesitant before handing the bottle to him.

"Keep them coming, and not a word to be spoken" She nodded, stepping back as his eyes snapped to hers.

As she turned around, she stopped looking slightly back, "T-The general shall be marrying the young mistress at dawn tomorrow Your Majesty." She whispered before running to return back.

Andrew clenched his jaw, holding the bottle in his hand so tight it shattered right there. He let go looking at his hand to see blood drip down his palm. He signs turning back and bumps into a young maid.

She yelps and almost stumbled down before he grabbed her elbow, preventing it.

She looked up and her fear suddenly vanished, he could tell so easily.

"Sir Andrew." her voice greets.

"Lydia" he replied.

She looked down, and her brows creased in worry.

"That's a lot of blood. Would you like to tend to it?"

He couldn't, he shouldn't have, but he couldn't bring himself to say no to her,. As she smiled up at him. No woman had ever smiled to him so beautifully. He snapped out of his bubble before commanding someone to clean that mess and following her like a puppy.

He sat rigid, silent as the air, breathing slowly as she tended to his wound. She wrapped his hand in the thing gauge before smiling and moving away.

"That would do."

"Apologises for taking your time"

She found his voice captivating. Andrew was half the fearful man of the King. But still very terrifying to converse with. People found him impassive with his expressionless face and eyes that never failed to see through many.

Lydia didn't fear him solely because he was kind to the Queen. She knew he meant no harm to her.

"No, you weren't." She said bowing before leaving his study.

His eyes fell accidentally, perhaps on her thin waist as she walked out his door.

"She has a very thin waist" He whispered earning a 'Sorry?' from his colleague.

He raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

***

Regina sat on her bed, wiping her tears away and regretting keeping the General's behaviour from her brother. Had she told him, perhaps he would have kept her under his wing, Better yet she could've been safer with the Queen.

She looked down at her wrists, the bruises from early turning her skin purple. She was confined to her quarters the day after her mother found out about that dinner. She was chastised and humiliated before her own maid as her mother slapped her. The heavy influence of the general was blinding her mother.

His words had her doubt her position in court, had she not handed her daughter's hand to him and suspected the Queen of taking her limelight her mother thought she would lose all power.

Regina wished she was stronger. But she was not. She stared at the letters the Duke sent to her. Ripped apart by her mother when he addressed his concerns about her health and safety.

She was forced to write of her indifferent feelings to him, telling him how she never wished to see him. Regina cherished this man, someone she had known for long. But now she would be seeing him heartbroken and worse, take a wife soon.

The doors opened making a loud thud through her chambers. She flinced standing and stepping back as she saw him. Her mother, was not next to him as she ought to have been, He smirked with that horrible face of his.

Regina couldn't speak, years of abuse had her words snatched out her tough as she whimpered under his stare.

"What a beautiful bride I shall have" He sneered making her almost puke at those words.

"Please don't" She begged as he grabbed her hand, right over the bruises making her wince out loud.

"M-Mother doesn't tolerate your actions towards me. Let me g-go"

"Well, she isn't here now." He said pulling her closer and staring down at her.

"If you ever go against me again, I shall have my guards accidentally slip your little lover's carriage down a cliff while he makes his stupid excursions."

"No"

He chuckled took her hand and put a ring on her finger.

"Now" He said grabbing her jaw and she whimpered trying to move away.

"When I tell your mother we are engaged, you stay quiet. No crying, no begging for mercy. NO talking! You will do as I say or that duke of your shall suffer and better yet, I will have my men rape the Queen and make sure she is humiliated before the court overnight"

"You can't do that. She is the Queen"

Regina cried as he slapped her and brought her face back to his filthy mouth.

"Your mother is the only authority here when the King is gone. And I am under her command. So if you will, be obedient or suffer the consequences"

"The next time these doors open, you shall be my wife"

He pushed her harshly, she gasped hitting her back over the wall painfully and watched him walk away before ordering the guards locked the door again.

She sighs walking towards her vanity and opening up a small compartment.

Poison, she begged her maid to get under the impression of feeding it to him before things could get worse. But there was no stopping the General, and he would never fall for a sudden good act by her. He would see right through her if she asked him for a drink.

She smiled opening it and putting in a glass of water and keeping the glass next to her mirror.

If she was to marry him, she'd rather die than be abused.