xxii

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎

______

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Over the next few days Mariah did little else but wonder the halls of the castle. The King had left on a short one day business trip with Jessebelle and would be back in the night time. Mariah had a sour look on her face all morning after the King had informed her. She wished she could control her jealous thoughts, but she couldn't. She just felt angry and upset. 

She was foolish to let herself believe that after her last intimate moment with the King he would be more attentive with her, she was ofcourse wrong. He had went back to his ways of ignoring her presence and only caring that she was close enough for him to sense her. That was all he wanted, to ensure she was safe. 

While walking through the fifth floor, she was not watching her surroundings or taking in where she was or where she was going, causing her to bump into someone. She fell back on her butt and looked up with wide eyes to see Mr Aldridge. "S-sorry" she mumbled pathetically, without getting up from the floor. She knew what Mr Aldridge thought of her, as he never failed to mention his offer of sending her away each time they crossed paths. 

Mr Aldrige looked down at the frail thing and his face turned down in a frown. He hated her, things were so perfect before she came. Albeit the King was a lot more cruel, but he was set on his goal of ruling... this little mite before him was nothing more than a distraction for his King. 

It was then that Aldridge conjured up a plan in his head, a plan that would surely get him killed if the King found out. But it had to be done. Today. 

With a forced smile he looked down at the young, naive and gullible thing before him. "Mariah! You are just the person I have been on a look out for." Mr Aldridge began sweetly, "Did you receive his majesty's gift for you yet? It is in the stables" he carried on. 

Mariah's eyes first widened in suprise before they brightened with excitement. "N-no, i haven't seen it sir" she said excitedly. Her energy changing from sad and gloomy to bright and happy within a few seconds. "Ah, allow me to escort you then, but before we do that there really is something i must do, it should only take a few seconds, so please wait here. 

Mariah nodded her head, to elated with the idea of the King having gifted her something to notice the wicked intentions of Aldridge. 

Mr Aldrige sped across the castle to his room with much haste. He grabbed his medicinal satchel and sought out the small pill he needed to complete his task. In the same second he had raced towards the guard house and told one od them to summon a merchanter for him. 

By the time he got back to mariah only a few minutes had past. He had demanded the guards to tell the merchanter to meet him by the stables within 15 minutes. The plan was now set in its motion, and although a bit rushed Aldridge has full confidence that it wouldn't fall through. 

Within the hour, Mariah Castello will be nothing more than whispers of a ghost in this castle. 

"Come Ms Mariah. I will take you to see the gift." Aldridge said with a smile more genuine on his face. Afterall, he would finally be getting rid of the thorn in his side. 

Mariah followed the old butler more than willingly. She was so happy at the idea that the King had thought of her. As the days passed it was becoming increasingly more difficult for Mariah to convince herself that she was nothing more than a whore for his majesty. A warm body for him to enjoy and nothing more than that. She struggled to convice herself thay he loved her and was starting to believe that he has grown bored. Many times in the day she thought of the offer Mr Aldridge had given her, and sometimes she wondered if the King would miss her should she accept it 

The pair stepped out the back door of the castle and walked across the immense field to where the horses were kept. Mariah had a spring in her step as she got closer and finally the entered the stables. "Why dont we make this fun," Aldridge suggested as he tried to buy time for the merchant to arrive. 

"The gift as a bow on it. So you should try and find it on your own." Aldridge said with a gentle smile. Mariah nodded and carefully began to walk through the stables. Aldridge knew she would find a gift... But it was not intended for her, it was a gift for the princess. 

It took Mariah no more than ten minutes to find the small pony with the pink bow around its neck. She gasped in shock, not believing that this was the gift bought for her.

She looked at Mr Aldridge with teary eyes and asked him, "Are you sure this gift is meant for me?" she said bitterly, and Mr Aldridge nodded his head. "But this is not my name on the gift... It's hers." Mariah said with a whimper of realization. She felt a sharp pain in her chest and sat down, unable to bear the hurt. 

Mr Aldridge looked down at the young girl and almost felt sorry for her, afterall, she did not ask to be a part of all this. She was simply meant to be a maid. "I am sorry Mariah, hopefully you'll be happier with the household i am sending you to." Aldridge said with a sad smile as he heard the merchant enter. Mariah looked up at him with confusion before he pushed Mariah, sending her flying backwards and knocking her head against the stable door. She rolled over, her eyes hazy from disorientation as mr Aldridge forced the small pill into her mouth, Mariah's eyes began yo roll back as the pill took affect and began to seize before passing out.

The merchanter stepped into the stables and looked down at the girl who seemed nothing but innocent. "Take her to this address and tell the home owner that she is a gift from his majesty." Mr Aldridge said to the man he had met a few times before. The man nodded before picking the girl up and placing her in the back of his cart. "You must be quick. The king will look for her, and he will kill anyone involved. I am doing this for her own good." Aldridge informed the man with a mask over his face. 

The merchanter nodded in understanding before he mounted his horse and took off as fast as he could, heading for the beautiful city of Florence. 

The King sat restless in the meeting with the elders and the family of Princess Jessebelle of France. They were discussing the treaty that they would draw up in regards to their marriage and how the land would shift, but the King stuggled to focus on any words spoken. His beast was restless within him, creating a sense of unease as he struggled to control it. 

The King's eyes began to shift from grey green to a bloody red and finally the elders noticed the terrifying change. "Your majesty!" the elders exclaimed in alarm. As his canines began to elongate past that of even a vampire. The king took a deep calming breath that only seemed to agitate him more as he realized his mate was not near him. All he wanted was a large lungful of her scent to put him to ease. 

He had been far too long away from her and his beast was growing uncontrollable. He needed her presence around him. "Do not worry," the King began with a low growl. "Just hurry on with this meeting, my inner demon grows weary when we can not sense her presence. That is all". 

The elders nodded but the fear remained in their eyes as they watched their King slowly slip away and the unholy monster begin to take his place. 

Jessebelle raised her well trimmed eyebrow and asked, "Who is her?" her face turned down in a frown. The king sighed, having no patience for the vexing woman beside him. And all of a sudden, like a wave it hit him... The sensation of his mates blood being drawn. Any control he had of his beast was gone as in the next few seconds he had trasformed completely with low growl. The elders all stood up and stepped back as the beast ran through the room and out of the meeting hall. 

Jessebelle stood up her eyes wide with fear and confusion before her knees buckled and she fell to the floor from the bloodlust that it emitted. She pitied the creature that had angered him so, because she knew it would not be seeing the next morning's sunrise.