ELORA
My heart sank. I didn’t know why but I suspected it had to do with the fact that the king had more important duties to attend to than me. I was confused. What did his visit to my room mean? However, he was the king of Bale so I didn’t expect less.
“What duties are so much more important than pleasing a beautiful woman like this, Rome? Hm? What duties?” His nasal voice said, eyes darting between me and his son.
I wished he could stop drawing attention to me.
The king turned back, eyes on her even while he responded to his family.
“I’m not like you, father. Can we eat peacefully and go back to our businesses?”
The room felt even hotter.
“What other business is more important than spending time with family?” I could hear the smugness in his voice.
Skye scoffed. Loud. All eyes went to her.
“Family, indeed.”
Her father gave her a deadly glare and then turned to me. His eyes softened.
“Now, Elora. If you have any difficulties, you know where to find my chambers, right?”
I didn’t know how to respond. The old king was flirting with me.
“If my son is making life in the Castle difficult for you, you can come to me… I’ll talk to him. You know we just want beautiful heirs like you…”
The old king didn’t need me to respond. He seemed he was doing so to get at his son. Beside me, Rome heaved. I turned to him to see his sapphire eyes storm. In seconds, it wasn’t there anymore.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty.” Kate’s voice called out cutting the tension as abruptly as a knife through butter.
The king narrowed his eyes at her but gave her leave to speak.
“I’m sorry for what happened with your mistress and her Lady’s maid.”
Was Kate apologizing for mutilating us?
“What exactly happened to them?” Skye asked.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for what I did to your mistress and her Lady’s maid. I hit them… I was in a very horrible mood, Your Majesty. I’m repenting, I’ll never do that again.”
Skye snorted. She dropped her cutlery and gave an eye roll. She had had it with the royal family, her family.
“Yes, Kate. You won’t do that ever again. I already told your mother what would happen if you did.” His words came deadly slow as he neared me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
My breath hitched, my fork clattering to my plate in shock.
“Elora? Is the food not to your liking?” This time, it was Kain Kurt. “I heard your father fed his slaves their feces… Even after the king abolished slavery. The people say you joined him in torturing them.”
I gripped my fork, tight and then slowly raised my head to meet his gaze. A disgusting smirk danced on his lips as his beady eyes twinkled. At that moment, I hated him with every drop of my blood. My body quivered and my hands tingled.
He trained his gaze on me, daring me to deny his claims. Kain Kurt didn’t seem like somebody to go back on his word so I knew it was wise to do as his letter said.
“Yes, he did.” I croaked and gritted my teeth. I was confessing to an act I wasn’t aware of.
Someone gasped as I swallowed, pushing down the tears welling up.
“Is it true? I heard that you invented quite a way to torture your slaves. You would pour acid over their skin and peel it off ever so carefully or you would then roast them over an open fire as their families watched. You look so innocent but…”
“We are dining, Kurt,” Skye stated, interrupting him, “Mind your manners.”
My heart pounded as bile welled up in my throat. He had referred to my father’s death pulling up memories of that night. I tried not to give a reaction but tears welled up in my eyes. Kain Kurt was enjoying twisting the truth.
“Pardon me, your highness. I was just making small talk with Elora as she seemed a bit tense.”
It was entertainment to Kain. I felt helpless under the gaze of everyone looking at me with plain disgust. I knew that the king’s hate towards me would increase more than ever.
The king dropped his cutlery, rested back in his seat, glared at Kain and his Father then stood up. “Speak like this at dinner again, and you’ll see the things I can come up with.” His baritone voice shook me.
He sent a hot glare towards them that even I felt even though it wasn’t directed at me, turning and storming out of the room. His dark cloak billowed behind him.
The door slammed making all of us jump.
I didn’t know what to do now.
Was I to leave as his mistress or stay back?
Would leaving raise eyebrows?