THE KING'S SLAVE BRIDE

YOU TOOK ENOUGH

NA’IMAH

Eyes followed me as I made my way through the palace halls. I could hear the servants whispering as I passed by, even though I couldn’t make out every word they were saying because of the collar around my neck cutting off my access to something as simple as my super hearing ability. Still, I could make out some words here and there.

“I heard she’s the recent one.”

“Hmm, quite the surprise she has all her limbs attached to her body.”

“Did you think he fvcked her?”

Someone scoffed among them.

“Why wouldn’t he? Ever heard of him taking any woman into his chambers without touching them?”

“I know, I know. They usually come out looking worse than death and she seems fine. You can’t blame me for having doubts.”

“Is she fine though? She’s limping, and…”

“Look, blood stains on her dress.”

A condescending huff followed, then something I couldn’t decipher was said, more murmurs. “I heard she’s a slave.”

Another group of palace servants said as I walked past them.

“The Queen Dowager called her to serve the king.”

“I can’t believe the king would fvck a slave.”

I tried my best to block out the sneers, the muffled words of disgust and the ones who had the courage to spit in spite of me.

It wasn’t their fault that I had found myself in this predicament. Even though they thought themselves better than me, they believed they were higher, all because they served the palace. But the only difference was that I was in chains and they weren’t; they had no free will over their lives, the same way I didn’t so why should I let their words get to me?

I made it to the courtyard without falling on my face or reacting to any of the smears I had gotten when a group of court ladies stopped me in my tracks.

“The Queen Dowager requires your presence.” The court lady who seemed to be the leader of the group stepped forward, hands folded in front of her in a manner that seemed like she had her hands resting on a table.

My initial reaction is to go with them, because hello? I was a slave in the palace who had to obey the higher command but the shame of what I had to endure for hours on end at the hands of her son had me enraged.

“No. Tell her I said I’m not coming to her,” I gritted out.

The court ladies gasped at my response, glancing at each other with a perplexed expression on their faces.

“You’re saying no to Her Highness, the Queen Dowager?” The leader of the group asked.

“You heard me the first time. Please move out of my way,” I hissed, waiting. They remained standing, staring me down like I just told them I murdered someone.

Without saying another word, I moved through the space around them and walked away. She wants to see me? What for? To confirm if her plan worked? I snarled inwardly as I stepped through Kaedyr's courtyard and the adjoining bridge that would take me out of his palace to the east palace. Which, unfortunately, was the Queen Dowager’s palace and it led to the palace gate that would take me out of this wretched place.

I wasn’t surprised when I made it halfway through the east palace and I caught sight of the Queen Dowager standing on the bridge that travelled over the lake in the palace to a pavilion on the other side of the lake.

She watched me, then her eyes travelled behind me. I knew she would want a conversation and there was no point avoiding it now that she can see me. The official I saw in her room the other day trailed beside her as she walked down the bridge. There was no point in walking away so I remained where I was.

“I see you disregarded the summons from my court ladies,” she mused as she got closer. “I can’t see them behind you, which means they either didn’t see you or you ignored them.”

“I saw them, and I told them to tell you to fvck off to hell,” I sneered at her, fists balled in anger.

“You will not speak to Her Royal Highness like—

— She raised her hand to halt his speech. “It’s fine. I see the young hybrid has some grievance to get off her chest.”

“Some grievances?” I snarled at the nonchalant response from her.

“I can see you are angry.”

“Angry? No. I am livid. The only thing keeping me from gutting you is this collar around my neck because I swear to Aethyra, if I could shift, you’d be dead from the moment I laid eyes on you,” I growled and she nodded.

“You know, treating a royal won’t do you any favours.”

“What f*****g favours do I need from you? What’s the worst thing you can do? I’m already in chains, my people are in chains, my parents are out of my reach. You lied to me and sent me to that evil creature you call your son, knowing what he would do.”

“I told you to be prepared for anything that might happen,” she said in a casual tone.

“You told me he wanted to dine and talk, not that he was going to defile me and use my body like a rag doll for hours. You…” My eyes snapped closed and I stopped myself. I released a heavy sigh as I opened my eyes. “There’s no point having this conversation with you. Your son got what he wanted, and he knows whatever game you’re trying to play. And to be honest, I don’t care what games are between you two; keep me out of it. You are of no use to me because, at the end of the day, the king has the final say. There’s nothing you can do to help me or my people and I was stupid to think you had any kind of power in this palace.”

Her face contorted into something ugly with anger and hatred. “I am the Queen Dowager—

“—only in title,” I stopped her before she could continue. “What power do you have and what good will it do to me that’s worth subjecting myself to such degrading and tainting abuse from your son?”

She snarled at me, and another growl came from her side, confirming what I already suspected. “Yeah, I thought as much. You want me to be his consort, concubine, or whatever the f**k it is you said. Yet you barely have any power to make that happen.”

“Hold up your end of the bargain and let me take care of the rest. I can…”

Shaking my head as I waved my hand in a dismissive motion. “No. I already gave enough for today. Your son deflowered me, took my purity. You of all people know how much importance that holds for my people, for nature. And as if that weren’t enough, he gave me a mark he would never claim in this lifetime, ruining my chances of ever finding a mate. I have given more than enough for whatever game it is you’re playing with him. You want more from me? Then show me you have the power to move mountains and make things happen for me.”

“What makes you think you’re in any position to make demands? You don’t get to choose what to do; you’re a slxve.” The palace official beside her growled and I nodded.

“True, I am a slxve, your slxve, which is the worst you can do to me. You’ll be doing me a favour if you choose to kill me for insulting the throne. Dangle my parents all you want but they might be dead for all I know, so why should I do anything you want?”

“What do you want?” the Queen Dowager asked before I could continue talking.

“The truth: why you’re so eager to put me in your son’s palace. And something else.”

“What else?”

I shrugged, “You’re the Queen Dowager; figure it out. When you have answers and a better bargain, you know where to find me.” I walked away without a backward glance.