A few days later, I received an unexpected visitor: it was Sadie Polk.
“Your Majesty, I come to apologize for my behavior from a few weeks ago and thank you for your help after my accident. I know I should have come a lot sooner, but I was feeling very embarrassed by what happened, please forgive me,” she apologized.
“I have nothing to forgive, I am sorry that I upset you with my questions that day,” I said. “I am very glad to see you here, would you mind taking a walk with me?”
Sadie hesitated for a moment, perhaps she was afraid that I would ask her more questions about the Trobetians, but since the queen was granting her the honor of requesting her company, she could not refuse.
"Of course," she replied with an affectionate smile.
We left the Queen&
Almost at dawn, I heard the door of the common area open and I hurried out. Gregory had returned safely. Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms as if I were a normal wife happy to have her husband back. He placed his arms around me, holding me close to his body without saying a word. Not once in the months that we had been married had I been so happy to see him and now I was overwhelmed by joy.“Addison, are you all right?” His voice sounded dejected.“I am fine, and you?” I noticed that his sleeve was stained with blood. “What happened to you?!” I asked concerned.“Do not worry about me, I am fine. It was just an arrow that grazed me.”He leaned back on the couch, he looked exhausted, he closed his eyes for a few moments to rest. I sat next to him.
By the time the tea party took place, panic had subdued, people had returned to their routines and were trying to forget the past. It wasn't the first time the kingdom had been attacked by the Trobetians and it surely was not going to be the last time.As the carriage drove me to the tea party, I told myself that this time would be different. I practiced my best smile and I tried to convince myself that none of the women at the party were a match for me. Only I was the queen, I had all the power and I could not be intimidated by my subjects.When I arrived, Florence, her husband Luke, and her seven-year-old son were waiting for me outside. The family greeted me as it was proper and then Florence guided me to where the tea party was going to take place.“Your Majesty, I am sorry for the intrusion, but do you think it
That night I could not wait to see my husband, I wanted to tell him what had happened at Florence's house. For the first time, after all this time, I had taken his advice and I wanted him to know about it. I waited for hours for him in the common area between our bedrooms with Honey by my side. Finally, almost at midnight, Gregory came in. He seemed taken aback to find me still awake.“Did something bad happen?” He asked as he looked me up and down.“No... nothing bad,” I replied.“I am glad,” he said, and then turned around to go to his room.“I did what you told me!” I exclaimed before he went in.Gregory paused for a moment and then came back into the common area, but he kept his distance from me.“What was that?” He asked with a weary expression on his fa
I knew I had to apologize to Gregory, but I could not bring myself to do it. I had done wrong, that was clear to me, but he had also done wrong by me by bringing me here against my will and arranging our marriage with my uncle without taking me into consideration. I hated that now I was not only attracted to him but I also felt guilty for hurting his feelings when he did not deserve my compassion.A few days after the party, Linda paid me a visit to the castle.“Tell me, has there been any improvement between you and the king since our last talk?” She inquired without wasting any time.I shook my head. “No, everything is the same,” I admitted.“How is that possible?! I thought you were going to apologize to him.”
I could not help but to see Gregory differently when we met that night, the evil monster I thought I was married to gave way to the image of a compassionate and brave man with a difficult past. I wanted to tell him that now I knew the truth and apologize for having judged him so harshly; there was so much I wanted to say and yet I did not say anything. Although for me everything had changed in one afternoon, for him I was still the wife who hated him. Like any other night, as if everything had not changed, we greet each other with courteous indifference and then each one to his own.In the solitude of my room, I thought about everything I had learned that the day, the horror that everyone around me had endured. I was filled with guilt, Gregory was practically a hero and I had been treating him like a pest for months. I needed to make amends. Soon.I spent the next
The event to help the farmers was a success and it made me feel great about helping people. It helped me realize that as a queen I could do more than hear people’s complaints during Open Day, I could actually make a difference in my subjects’ lives.Motivated by this idea, I organized another visit to the city so that I could meet the needs of its inhabitants and learn how I could help them. Gregory did not object, so I wasted no time getting into action.Life in the city was hectic, I loved the noises, the smells, and the joy I found on every street. I walked through different streets accompanied by Cora, my assistant was very useful to me because she noticed many more details than I about the needs people had. I spoke with many citizens, all of them were surprised to see the queen asking for their opinions but they were also very glad and eager to talk.
The following week I went back to the city, I was excited about my new mission to improve the kingdom and it also helped me keep my mind off of Gregory. This time I met even more people and more situations that needed to be addressed. After a couple of hours walking the streets I heard a distant sound that was gradually increasing, it was like cannons being fired, and then I realized that the sound of explosions was accompanied by drums, like a war march. The noise became so intense that I could feel it rumble through my body as if I were in the center of a battlefield. I did not know where the noise came from or what it meant, but it terrified me. Everyone around me was agitated, in a matter of seconds, the city fell into a state of panic even more exaggerated than the day of the fire. The inhabitants left their houses and shops overwhelmed by uncertainty. Cora took me by the hand.“Your Majesty…" her voice trembled.Aroun
The three men began to discuss the logistics of the draft while I distracted myself by fiddling with a cup on the table. It took several hours for Rudyard and Norton to return.“Your Majesty, everything is under control, we have ordered a curfew to prevent further disturbances and we dispatched several guards to watch the streets,” Rudyard announced as soon as he entered the hall.“Good. They better behave, there is nothing I hate more than a rowdy crowd for no good reason,” Gregory replied.“We have great news: the king has agreed to the conscription,” Julian announced cheerfully.“Wow! I am glad to hear that,” Norton replied enthusiastically.“We will give it a try, see how it goes,” Gregory clarified.“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Norton replied, tipping his head in agreement.
The light of the fireplace reflected on Gregory’s perfect body and on mine, although I was only looking at him. My husband was lying on the rug by the fireplace next to me, we were both exhausted and overjoyed to be back home.We were finally at peace, the Trobetians were defeated, Anthony was Lorene’s new king, Queen Kendalia and Constance Labelle had been made prisoners and they could not hurt us anymore.Gregory rested her chin on the palm of his left hand, while he brought his right toward me. Gently, he placed his fingertips on my belly and began to move them over my skin almost barely touching me. A half smile spread across his face as his gaze followed the direction of his hand. My skin prickled at his brush. He then took my waist and draw me towards him. I placed my hand on his shoulder and kissed him.
I was dumbstruck looking at Gregory in the distance. I held my breath, as if I feared that breathing the image of him would vanish. Waves of different emotions attacked me at the same time, I felt my heart overflowing with joy, but my stupefaction prevented me from moving or even speaking."You are the spitting image of your father…" Sable Morgan muttered, his face contorted by shock."Let her go and I will show you that I am nothing like my father," Gregory threatened.“So you finally decided to confront me,” Sable Morgan asked, narrowing his eyes.“No, I'm not here to confront you, I'm here to kill you,” Gregory replied firmly.“You can certainly, Gregory Dominis," Sable Morgan said with a smirk.“Let go of Addison first. Then we'll settle thing between us, I'll even make you believe for a momen
I walked in circles inside the tiny cell I was kept in. I wanted to tear down to walls to escape or at least I wanted to find a way to contact Gregory to tell him that he had to choose Dranda over me. I knew that meant I would die, but I did not care as long as the kingdom was saved, I was not going to be able to live with myself knowing Dranda fell because of me.Something gave me hope, my uncle said that my cousin Anthony was the one leading the Lerene army and I knew he was nothing like his father, maybe Anthony would refuse to attack Dranda if my brothers manage to contact him beforehand. I did not really care about what would happen to me, as long as everyone I loved was safe.A couple of days went by, I tried to find a way to escape my prison but it was impossible. On the third day, the warden dragged me out of the c
During the next few days, Edward and Andrew helped Gregory plan the attack against Lerene. I was overjoyed to have my brothers here with me, I finally felt like I had everything in this world. Even though I was so happy, part of me was afraid of the war that was coming, I feared that I might lose one of my brothers or my husband but I tried not to think much about it and instead concentrate on the present and how happy I was to have them here with me.Since Edward and Andrew spent a lot of time with Gregory and the knights making strategies and talking about the war that was coming, I had a lot of free time in my hands. It was not that they did not invite me to their meetings, they did but I did not wish to be part of them because every time they talked about attacks and military strategies I got anxious thinking that the life of the men I loved was going to be at risk.
(Addison’s P.O.V.)My husband stayed by my side the whole following week, little by little my strength came back and I was able to get out of bed with help.“It is time to appear before the kingdom. I already feel strong enough to show myself in public,” I declared as soon as I was able to get out of bed.“You are just winning a battle against death and all you can think of is the welfare of the people. This kingdom does not deserve you, and neither do I,” said Gregory while his eyes reflected the love he felt for me.“It is too late, I am the only queen they have,” I said, smiling. “Help me, I need to look presentable.”Gregory and Cora assisted me to get dressed and fix my hair, it was impossible to fight my paleness and my obvious loss of weight, but they tried hard to make me look as hea
(Addison’s POV)I had almost no strength to stay awake, but I could not sleep either. Despite the fact that my physical pain was practically unbearable, any discomfort in my body languished compared to the sadness in my heart. I always knew that my uncle and aunt were not nice people, but I never imagined what they were capable of. The idea of my brothers being killed was too much to bear. I had to cling to something to cope with the pain that overwhelmed me, that something was my kingdom. The people of Dranda were terrified believing that the Trobetians had murdered me, and I was not going to allow these disgusting beings to break the will of my people.I did not know what time it was when I opened my eyes, the light was bright, streaming through the closed curtains. I found Gregory sitting in an armchair next to my bed, fast asleep. My handsome husband was not his normal self, his face was
(Gregory POV)It was dusk again, my eyes stung from lack of sleep. Tiredness made it impossible for me to think clearly. Cora begged me to go to sleep, but I did not want to be away from Addison for even a second.At midnight, I closed my eyes for a moment because I could no longer bear the stinging, I dozed off until a weak voice brought me back from sleep:“Gregory… I am afraid, I don't want to die.”Addison's voice was harsh and weak, but it was her. In a second I was totally conscious and I took her hand in mine. My beautiful wife was pale and almost lifeless. Although her eyes were as beautiful as ever, they did not shine. Addison squeezed my hand weakly, she barely had the strength to stay conscious. I kissed her hands and her forehead, tears of happiness escaped my eyes.“Do not be afraid, my love, everything wil
(Gregory’s POV)Maurice was with Addison for hours. Norton and Tucker waited beside me to show me their support. I was so worried I thought I was going to loose my mind.Maurice came out after a while.“Your Majesty, the queen has regained consciousness for a few moments, it seems that the antidote is helping her to resist, but it is too early to be able to ensure her survival. I am afraid there is not much more I can do at the moment,” the doctor explained. “I will be back soon and apply another dose,” Maurice declared.“Leave me alone, please,” I asked without turning to see the knights, my gaze was fixed on Addison's door.“Let's get out of here and give the king some privacy,” Tucker said. “I will take care of the kingdom, Your Majes
(Gregory’s POV)I felt sick, I could not believe Addison had betrayed me this way. I thought she was the woman of my dreams, I was so in love with her I never thought she would be capable of trying to murder me. Lerene was going to pay for this, I was going to destroy King Adolf and his kingdom, I would not rest until I had obliterated their existence from this earth… Addison was a different story, I had no idea what to do about that. I knew she was a traitor and she did not deserve my compassion, I should send her back to Lerene and let her perish with everyone else, but I could not. I did want to part from her… I was too weak to let her out of my life. “What do you want to do, Your Majesty?” Tucker inquired since it had been several minutes since I last spoke.“I do not know…