Chapter 2: A Second Chance for the Begging King

"Y-Your Majesty I..I..."

Ethelred felt his heart clench at the sight of her—his queen, his wife, trembling and bruised in his arms. The way she couldn't meet his gaze, the way her voice caught on the title he once forbade her to use… it was a knife to his heart.

He knew this was his doing. His cruelty, his blindness, his obsession with Ravena had allowed her to be treated like this. And now, seeing the confusion and fear in her eyes, he was devastatingly aware of the price of his past mistakes.

Slowly, gently, he brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek—his thumb lingers on her soft skin, feeling the delicate curve of her jaw. In that moment, he was transported back to that bittersweet dream… a life where she smiled at him every day, where her gentle touch was the only comfort he knew.

But this was not a dream. This was his second chance. And he would not waste it.

He leaned in closer, his voice a low murmur meant only for her ears.

"Faylen… my wife, my queen… please look at me. Let me see your eyes… let me see the woman who loved me even when I didn't deserve it."

His other hand came up to cup her face, cradling it like a precious treasure. His touch was so careful, so different from the rough handling she had endured at the hands of his men. He wanted to wipe away every bruise, every hurt he had allowed… and he would start by wiping away the pain he saw in her eyes.

"I know you're confused… I know you don't know if you can trust me. But I swear to you, on my life… on our love… I will never let anyone hurt you again. You are my heart, my home… and I will spend the rest of my days making this up to you."

He paused, swallowing hard, his voice rough with emotion.

"Please Faylen… give me a chance. A real chance. Let me be the husband you deserve… the king you need. I am begging you."

His eyes searched hers, pleading. In that moment, the great and terrible Ethelred, the Crimson Reaper of Veridorn,was brought to his knees—not by an army, not by a rival king… but by the love of a woman he had once hurting.

She was stunned and conflicted, couldn't believe this was the same man who despised her since their marriage.

"What..what about Ravena? I'm not her... I'm not the one you loved,Your Majesty.."

She tries to remind him of who he had once loved. It was not her. Never her.

She gripped her own dress, lowering her head.

She shakes her head.

"Please.. don't beg,Your Majesty. It wasn't good for your image, begging an abandoned Queen in front of the court".

Everyone was still watching the drama and yet he doesn't care.

"I..I have never hated you, Your Majesty. If that's what you're worried about. There's nothing for you to ask for forgiveness. i know we're married out of convenience so I understand your behaviour towards me".

She forced up a smile.

"How can you treat someone you don't love the same way you treat those you loved? It doesn't make sense"

She tries to reassure him,by saying he did nothing wrong when in truth, there's so many things he had done wrong to her. Despite everything,her love for him never changed.

Ethelred heard her words, each one a dagger to his heart. She was right—he had treated her as a convenience, a pawn in his political games. He had never truly seen her, never appreciated the woman who had loved him despite his cruelty.

He gentled his grip on her chin, his thumb brushing away another fallen tear. His voice was low, rough with barely restrained emotion.

"Faylen, my wife... I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I know I have been blind, a fool, a monster. But please believe me when I say... Ravena was never you."

He paused, collecting himself, before continuing.

"Ravena was a dream, a fantasy I spun to justify my obsession. But you... you are real. You are a woman of strength, of kindness, of a love that I never understood until I lost it."

He lifted her hand, pressing a fervent kiss to her knuckles. His eyes never left hers, violet irises burning with intensity.

"I know we were married for convenience... but I swear to you, Faylen, I will make every day of our marriage a testament to love. I will be the husband you deserve, the partner you need. I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you."

He glance around the room, at the watching eyes of the court. He knew he should care about his image, about the perception of a king begging before his subjects. But he didn't.

Right now, all that mattered was her. His queen, his wife, his second chance at redemption.

"Let them watch," he said, his voice ringing out in the silent throne room. "Let them see the man who will move heaven and earth to love his wife. The man who knows he doesn't deserve her... but will spend the rest of his life proving that he will be worthy of her love."

He turned back to her, his voice dropping to a fervent whisper.

"Please Faylen... give me a chance to love you. A real chance. Don't give me excuses... give me a purpose. Give me a reason to be a better man."

He leaned in, his forehead touching hers, his breath mingling with hers. In that moment, the world fell away... and there was only her. Only the woman he had once scorned... but now knew he could not live without her. His wife. His only Queen.

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