Lady In Red

47

She twisted in her sleep, unable to seek comfort. Ever since she heard the King was back in the castle, dread filled her stomach. She prayed for her soul. She didn't know what was coming. Whether she would be punished. If rumours would spread about her and Fred alone in the back of the Dowager's wings.

What if Fred was executed? What if Lydia was banished for refusing the Dowager's command? What If the King didn't find her of no use or esteem for his kingdom anymore?

She sighs sitting up, pulling her lace robe over her petticoat and walking towards the windows of her chamber.

She felt her heart drop at the thought of disappointing the king. He had been in the castle for the past five hours yet not once had she been summoned by him. She had not seen him for a week. His week-long odyssey had finally come to an end, it was supposed to make her happy, seeing him again, yet she was waiting on the dreadful future.

A tour was to be scheduled a year in their marriage. To present her as the Queen of their land to their nations. It was held back due to multiple setbacks.

The loud bang over the doors echoed through the walls causing her to flinch. Her heart raced as she placed her palm over her chest in fear.

"Your Majesty, permission to enter." I heard Fred's voice and immediately pulled my robe close tying the ends and Lydia walked out through her chamber connected to mind. She ran to me checking for for my decency before nodding as we heard another loud knock.

She opened the door revealing Clara and Fred, both frantic.

"What's the matter-" My voice breaks.

"The King-" Fred gulped breathing. He sighed closing his eyes as blood drained from my veins.

"He requests your presence in the grand hall. Now!"

His urgency insinuated deep fear. I gulp looking at Lydia as she put my shoes on and handed me a shawl before they escorted me out. The harsh night wind slapped my cheeks making me wrap my arms around each other.

"Madam-" Fred stopped before the doors. Andrew standing at gate and he looked at me with a frown.

"Is it necessary?" Fred asked.

"His majesty's command" Andrew whispered before opening the door and urging her to walk in.

She was greeted with dark silence. The doors slamming shut echoed through the hall. The windows up far lit some of the hall blue. She couldn't discern much. As her eyes Fixed at the thrown of the King. He sat there, his hand gripping the base of his sword. He sat with his legs apart, leaning back. Sword by his feet and he lifted his gaze to her.

She was suffocating within those huges walls.

Fear.

That was what she felt entering the eerie quiet hall with him as the only one before her.

"Y-Your Majesty-"

"Ruby" His cold reply filled her with cold sweat.

"Have I ever mentioned what I do to the traitors of this Kingdom? Especially under my wing?"

She gulps stepping back unconsciously and shaking her head.

"Hm?" He asked again.

"No-your majesty"

"Come here" He commands.

Her legs couldn't move. But his temperance was like a thin thread, on the brink of breaking. She breathes stepping towards him when something hits her leg. She looked down to see a hand.

A bloody hand.

She gasped stepping back and her eyes suddenly fell to the ground. Two bodies right next to her feet.

Her breath hitched as she covered her mouth, aghast. She held her scream back as her heartbeat pulsated through her chest. Turning pale before him he watched his queen panic. He smiled staring at her.

"My apologies." His voice said softly before she heard some men pull the curtains apart and lit the mantle on fire. Illuminating the entire hall.

Massacre filled her eyes.

She couldn't even scream for her breath was held back. She couldn't breathe nor could she keep her eyes on those lying lifeless on the ground. Between them was a bed. And on that bed, chained up, laid the bloody body of Clark Vincent.

A gut-wrenching sob left her throat as the men lifted him up, the chains shackled against each other. As they grabbed her hair and held him to sit up, he groaned opening his eyes.

One of the eyeballs blood shot red. She wheezed turning around, away from that sight as bile raised to her throat but she gulped that down stopping herself from puking.

"No no Baby, I did this for you. And you will see it. Andrew!"

She shook her head as his hesitant face obeyed and he held her shoulder before turning her around. She closed her eyes hiding her face behind her hand.

She heard him sigh.

"Bring her to me" He commands and she shakes her head begging him to let her go.

But Andrew had to obey his King. He softly takes her arm making sure only to touch her elbow, no other part could be touched of his Queen before him. He dragged the whimpering woman towards his King and she stood before him breathing heavily.

"My love" He whispered cupping her cheeks.

She flinched slightly making him grit his teeth.

A gasp left her mouth as he turned her around, holding her jaw up to witness The General being whipped over his fresh wounds again.

"That's what happens to traitors" He whispered in her ear. She tried to move her head away closing her eyes but he gripped her tight, his other hand squeezing her waist.

"Don't you dare close your eyes" He commands.

She sniffed watching him, her stomach turning inside as she could feel every s***h on his body. His blood sprinkled over the guard's covered faces.

"Stop-" She murmured turning around when his hold eased on her.

He wrapped his hands around her and hugged her, watching him.

"Tight him up. Pour a bucket of water over him, wake that b***h up!" He roars.

Xerxes pulled her towards his throne and sat on it forcing her down on his lap. His other hand was over his thigh while he watched in amusement as that man gasped at the icy water poured down his head.

"General, how happy to see you awake, although I disapprove of your bare chest before my Queen."

He continued gasping for air and groaning, His wounds leaking blood.

Ruby squirmed in his grip, a firm arm wound around her waist making it impossible to get off him.

"Your grace-Please"

"Hush my queen" He whispered.

Those words were such sweet ones, yet his tone was filled with authority and anger.

"Where is your decorum General" He hissed making the guard undo his shackles which were tied above his head before and push his head down on the ground before them. He cried in pain as his back skin stretched pulling apart the dried blood and reopening them.

"Y-Your Majesty. I-I was f-frame-d"

"Did ask you to speak?" he asked agitated.

Even the thought of his eyes on Ruby had had been itching in his mind. When he found out Clark had raised his hand on her Xerxes knew his destiny right there.

At the depths of lost hope in dying peacefully.

"You said you had something that wakes one up yes? If one fainted?" The King turned to a man standing in corners trembling under his eyes. He nodded kneeling and pulling something out of his bag.

"Make him smell it"

The general winced opening his eyes and suddenly awake. His agonizing weeps are heard by all.

"Isn't that fascinating? " He whispered to his Queen who kept her head down. Her hands laced together and her eyes still teary.

"Hm? You find a herbalist on your way back home and just pick him up. And supposedly he has remedies for all possible wounds. Even fainting"

She had no idea what he was talking about. Xerxes was acting weird. His anger had not subsided yet he was speaking happily.

"Hm baby?" he brought her attention to him by pushing her chin up.

"What?" she whispered but he leaned in mid-word and kissed her lips.

She squirmed under his hold as he cupped her cheek and tightened that hold around her waist, licking and biting her lower lip before pushing her tongue in.

She whimpered as he ate her like a hungry wolf.

He pulled away leaving he breathless, "I fear I might take you right here if I didn't stop." He whispered pushing away her curles and staring at her light red cheek.

"Where did he slap you?"

He knew...the King knew.

She gulped not answering, he brushed his finger over her red cheek, "Here??"

Silence greets him, but Xerxes had no patience, fisting her hair in his hand and pulling her head back. She wince digging her fingers in his sleeve.

"Did he slap you here? Yes or No baby?"

"Yes," she breathes out as he lets go and kisses her cheek softly.

"Get the salt water" He commands and she knows exactly what that means.

"I want to leave, Your Majesty" She whispered as he guided her face in the crook of his neck.