Episode 17

Persephone

The old hag's silver hair was plaited beautifully to keep every strand in place. Such beautiful work. She walked through the huge doors into a vast hall way. Noble Ladies, more than I'd seen together in one place walked ahead of us. I had thought the palace was a serene environment for only the royal family. What section of the palace was this? Why were there so many here?

"The Queen Dowager to pass through the Court's Hallway!!! "Someone shrieked behind me. I would have looked backward to see who it was had the orderly movement not struck my eye.

The ladies froze at first then immediately recovering from their shock, the ones closest to the right side of the wall, moved to it and the ones closest to the left side move to it, thus creating more than enough space for ten people to pass through.

I stole a glance at the old hag as she moved, hands behind her back like she was inspecting. Dowager? The previous King's mother? A really weird monarchy this is. The queen Dowager should be Queen Hera... had her husband been dead. It was no wonder she could call Queen Hera like that. How could Queen Elpis cope with this sort of arrangement? Her title here was no less a decoration beside her name. Like the other two would give her breathing space to rule. I could suddenly feel her frustration.

Nearing the crowd of women, I leisurely looked around at them. Their heads were bowed so I could only see heads and clothes. Beautiful dresses of different colors and makes. It seemed not all women here dressed like whores then.

"Good morning, Queen Dowager! "They all said in unison. The old hag waved her hand in dismissal as we passed through the crowd. Heads began rising and I felt eyes on me. I trailed the old hag as we neared an opening from which sunlight poured in. I could hear clanging of swords and clashing of shields. I could also hear groaning. We were nearing the barracks. My breathing became uneven as I realized what I would likely see there. Who. My heart thudded against my chest rapidly. The old hag cornered and entered where the barracks. I followed.

The sounds stopped followed by their salutes. I gaped. I'd never seen so many armed and half-dressed men in one place.

"Back to training now! "Someone shouted as the old hag waved again in dismissal. I recognized that voice. Adrienne. I could not will my eyes not to look. That silky dark hair I used to play with. His ever sparkly grey eyes that used to hold so much love in them for me now gazed at me with unflinching hatred and disgust. They flashed with indignance and anger, much like lightning on a pitch black night.

Something similar must have flashed on my face because surprise lit up in his eyes. If he hated me, I loathed him. He had tried to rape me on hearing I'd been defiled. I snapped my head forward after glaring to my fill.

I felt even more eyes on me this time making me feel dirty. There were whispers.

"She's the peasant... "

"The king's woman... "

"She's really easy on the eyes... "

"That's one big catch... "

"I wonder how someone so divine could've lived in the slums... "

"I hear she was Sir Adrienne's bride... "

"Says the King had her by force... "

The comments kept rolling in and I walked faster wanting to leave the Barracks immediately.

Not watching where I was going, I bumped hard into someone.

"Why if it isn't the devil himself. "I snorted, glaring at Teris. He glared right back as gasps filled the air.

"You will not speak to His Majesty that way. "A man said beside Teris. Recognition hit me hard as I stared at his dark eyes. He was one of the men who came to the tavern with Teris that night. One of the men who had refused to open the door while I screamed for help. Anger filled me as I clenched my fist and collided it with his face.

His head snapped sideways as blood dripped from his nose. I had broken his nose. Only then did I notice my breaths were ragged. Only then did I notice the old hag gaping at me. Only then did I notice the guards with weapons drawn. My body still shook with anger as I spoke.

"Bastard. Where the hell were you that night while I screamed for help? You so conveniently disappeared while... while... "I trailed off. His dark eyes held true remorse in them, so much I could not bear to look at him as he held his nose.

"What is... "Teris was saying but I held a finger up.

"Quiet Teris. You may have been drugged but he was not. "I said without looking at him.

"Sheath your swords. She's harmless. "The old hag said to the guards which they did without complaint.

"Adrienne, take Orien to the healer's quarters. "Teris said.

The man whose nose I broke, Orien, dropped his hand from his now purple looking nose and stared at me with pain in his eyes.

"If there is anyway I can atone for this, I would have. I did not leave his side on purpose that day... "

I shoved him aside and walked forward, just to get away from them. I heard footsteps behind me but I did not dare turn to see who followed me. I walked past hallways, past staircases, hoping to find the familiar hallway that led to my room but I walked a very long time on unfamiliar routes. Perhaps minutes. Perhaps hours. I had gotten myself lost. On noting that fact, I looked back. The present hallway was empty. Whoever was following must have gotten tired.

This wing of the castle seemed so quiet. I could see spider webs. Lots of them. There were no lamps on the lamp stands. Thankfully, it was day time. This wasn't somewhere I would want to near in the dark.

I looked forward and then backward. The hallway seemed unending from both sides. No sign of the sunlight that shone from where I cornered from. No doors. Just this long path with a few windows that looked the same when you look forward and backward.

I took a pin from my hair and used the sharp edge to mark a stone of the wall on my right. It was silly but I would go forward. If I had come from the opposite direction, noting the path I took with the old hag, I was surely close to that huge hall.

With that, I thread forward. When I walked ten steps, I would make marks. After walking for what seemed like forever, I found myself a the beginning of where I had made those marks. I frowned. I sure as hell had not turned back. Only forward and I was right here again. I swirled around and started walking. Something was wrong. Utterly wrong with this place and I could feel it. I increased my pace on instinct. My heartbeat increased as well as i found myself again at the start of my marks. I'd gone forward and backwards and i still found myself back here. No sign of the barracks i'd run from. How would i get back? Why could i not get back? I felt a sudden jolt in my belly that made me take a step backward as i groaned, clutching my belly. Another jolt and i yelped, squeezing my eyes in pain as my knees gave out. The movement in my belly was... rough and hard. The baby had given a few jolts before but never this. It felt like... Like it wanted to escape the walls of my belly. It hit forward, throwing me forward with it as well. The pain i felt knew no bounds. My breathing came faster, air eluding my lungs. I sprawled on my side, curling myself and clutching my belly, as if to reduce the pain. It struck again and my own scream deafened me. I needed to leave here... I needed... air. My innards were on fire. Burning and being devoured. My surroundings became blurry and i set a hand on the floor. Crawling. Crawling towards the high window i had not noticed there before. Every move an effort to keep from screaming again as my child kept looking for ways to get out of me... like it was being burned as well. One more move to the window and i would scream at whoever i saw down there to come help me. I placed my hand on the wall underneath the window and one moment, my hand was on the wall that felt like glass and another minute, i was there. Sounds of clanking filling the air as Adrienne walked Orien away from the barracks and the Old hag was looking at Teris as she had been when i'd left... As if i had only left for a few seconds.

Pain seared through my abdomen better than a branding iron, my mind conceding to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion. Without meaning to my body curls into something fetal, something primeval and all the while the pain burned and radiated and I screamed.

Teris

She shoved Orien out of the way and stormed off to where the garden lay ahead. I went after her , anger rising at how she'd spoken to me. In front of my men. She'd broken Orien's nose for fucks sake.

"Teris, leave her. She needs space, child. "I heard grandmother say somewhere behind me but i ignored her. A few steps and i could not find her. Where could she have gone to? I sure as hell was not going to be caught following a woman all around by my subjects so i turned right back and went to grandmother.

"Child, your anger will get you nowhere with her. It is not easy to get... defiled by a man and still stay around him. Do not think she will ever forget it. She looks like a good child and i can tell he is not one of the many gold digging wenches your mother lets roam this place. Neither is she like that eel you call a wife. "

Grandmother had never liked Elpida. Even after the six years i had married her and made her queen, grandmother could hardly hide her distaste. She always claimed Elpida was a fox waiting for the right time to strike. I narrowed my eyes at the sentence. "She throws tantrums, causes problems for me wherever she threads upon, insults me and my crown-"

"At least she lets you know how she feels rather than fox her way about with fake smiles and soothing words. Truthful and sincere is what i'd call her. "Grandmother said and her dark eyes twinkled with amusement that i had not seen since i had kissed her cheek as a boy.

"But... "

Her scream pierced my ears and i looked at where it came from. She was there... a few steps away from us, on the ground, clutching her belly. My legs moved on their own and I moved faster than i had ever moved to her.

She wailed. That was all i could hear.

She suddenly screamed again. "Get her away from here Teris!"Grandmother shouted somewhere behind me but I could not look away from her. Not as she cried and screamed. Not as I could do nothing to ease the pain she felt. Not as I felt fear that I'd never known in my life.

I began trembling when my eyes caught red at the hem of her pink dress. Blood. She trashed there on the floor and somehow I started moving. Placing my hand under her back and knees, I scooped her up and sped out of the barracks, unable to look at anything except her pained face and the tears that fell from her beautiful eyes.

She clutched the seam of my black tunic as she breathed. "Teris... "

"Teris... "She breathed

"Our child... Don't let him die. "She got out before releasing my tunic and went limp in my arms.

I sped down the hallways I knew so well. I knew grandmother was somewhere behind me and was trying to give out a few orders. I heard Orien too but I couldn't stop. Not now. Adrenaline flood my system, It pumped and beat like it was trying to escape. It felt as though my heart would explode and my eyes were wide with fear. I must have looked deranged for every person who saw me running cleared the path for me.

I reached the nearest healers quarters but as I motioned into the room I paused. Not here. They would find out she was not human. I ran a bit more to find Gaius whose eyes widened on sighting me. One look at her and he dashed for his personal quarters, urging me to follow.

I did and as soon as i got in the smell of potions wafted my nostrils. I looked around the brightly lit room for where to set her. Potions, bottles with colored liquids, salves, plants and at the corner of his room, a small bed.

While I lay her down on it, he locked the doors to his quarters.

"She was screaming and there's blood too. "My eyes roamed her body once more as I asked what I dreaded deep down. "Will she... Will she die? The child... Is it... Is it... "

Gaius placed a hand on her abdomen and pushed a bit.

"It is still alive. "

I heaved a sigh of relief and ran a hand through my hair as I looked over her again. She looked so pale. Her lips now without color. Gaius put a finger under her eyes and pulled down a bit, inspecting.

"Not for long. We need the poison out. "

I stilled. I could not have heard correctly. "Poison? "I repeated, just to be sure. Looking at Gaius who dragged his eyes from her body and met my stare.

"Yes Sire. Poison. And not for the child alone. Whoever did this meant to end her. Slowly and Painfully. "

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