Chapter 16 My Queen
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” Your majesty, Lady Annalise is here” An eunuch announced to King Treven who was getting ready to sleep. He had a tiring day at the court assembly and with Meisi playing a dangerous game in the palace. The court was thrown into an uproar immediately after the news got to them that the royal consort had bore a princess instead of the Prince they announced in the morning. The entire situation gave him a headache but he controlled his court with his normal intimidating and cold attitude. They knew better not to mess with him.
He had his eunuch search for Annalise before he remembered that she had taken his permission to travel to Ruqgu two weeks ago and he had granted her even though she never told him why she wished to embark on the journey. She only mentioned with an emotional tone that the journey was important.
But she is back now in the middle of the night requesting an audience with him. He wondered why because she had never requested such from him. He asked the eunuch to let her in immediately. He missed her presence in the palace already.
” I trust you have been good YourMajesty,” She said with a bow Immediately she stepped into the room. She appears to be happy. As she giggled like a teenager. Her journey must have been adventurous.
” Lise” He greeted her with the nickname he gave her when he was young and couldn’t pronounce her full name so he settled for Lise. She was his favorite out of his mother’s handmaidens and when the queen died, Annalise took care of him like her own son. She was more of a mother to him than his supposed aunt who hated him when he was little. He only called her Lise when they were alone.
” I was about to sleep” he whined and Annalise laughed. The big merciless king was only ever like this around her. He behaves like the son she never had.
” I know Your Majesty but this matter is greatly important,” She said changing her tone to a serious one. He offered her a sit on the soft couch and sat down on the other one opposite her. He almost facepalmed himself as he remembered that he did not ask her about her journey but kept quiet to listen to the important thing she had to tell him.
“So important that you had to enter my chamber at night?” He teased but she did not laugh.
” I want to apologise to you your majesty” She stared at the floor as she blurted out the words. He became confused and asked her why almost instantly.
” I’m so sorry Your Majesty,” She said while holding back her tears.
“For what?”
” I watched you search for your queen for years yet I did nothing when I knew when she was all these years”
He stared at her like she suddenly grew two heads. He almost laughed at how ridiculous she sounded at the moment. She knew where his queen was? What the hell? She was the same person who accompanied him on his tour around the entire kingdom of Nayak to search for his queen while carrying the last teardrop of his mother looking for anyone young or old but a female that would awaken it or make it shine but found none. But now she said she knew who the female was the entire time but never gave him a hint. His heart almost broke at the betrayal but he maintained a straight face waiting for an explanation.
” More than Twenty years ago; The late Queen and I had traveled to her city to see her best friend. When we got there, the woman was in labor with many complications that could take her life and the child too. Your mother was heartbroken seeing her best friend in that state so she brought her back from the brink of death with the tears of Natalí” Annalise explained but he remained in the dark wondering how this storytelling relates to her knowing who his soulmate was.
” And what does this story have to do with my queen?” He asked almost impatiently.
” Her best friend after being saved; made an oath to the goddess and your mother that her newlyborn daughter will marry you when she grows up,” She said patiently waiting for his expression but he gave nothing out.
” And you knew about this oath?” He asked with the same voice he used in addressing the members of his court. Cold and chilling.
” I never thought she was your queen, your majesty. It was when I found her in Ruqgu and the last teardrop stirred in my hands that I confirmed” She knelt immediately after feeling the change in the atmosphere. The king of Nayak can influence the air around him according to his mood and his emotions and Annalise is no stranger to any of his abilities. She knew he was trying hard not to choke her to death with her breath.
” I’m sorry Your Majesty. I have committed a grave sin” She pleaded without raising her head as she bowed in front of him. The air was becoming normal now as he suddenly stood up grabbing a small hand that was lying on the couch beside him. He fanned himself slowly as his expression lightened.
” But you found her right?” He asked back in his playful tone.
” Yes. She is here in Nayak” She nodded fervently without raising her head.
” Tell me. Is she beautiful?” he asked fanning himself dramatically. He was excited about finally meeting his true queen but trying hard to hide it. He was grinning from ear to ear though.
” Yes she is but..” Annalise answered raising her head slowly. She could sense the excitement in his tone and that calmed her a little bit.
” But what? What is the but again? She is in Nayak Right?” He asked impatiently. If not for the weight of her answer, Annalise could have laughed at his expression but she didn’t. She held it.
” She is married” She muttered and all his excitement died instantly. How?! he finally found his queen but she is married? What in the sick game was the universe trying to play on him? How could his soulmate be married?
” Married? How can she be married? She is my Queen! How can another man have my Queen?” He threw the fan away as he placed it around the room looking like Annalise just snatched a piece of his favorite pastry from him.
” I managed to convince her anyway and she is in Nayak currently” Her words returned his sense of authority. It doesn’t matter if she was married in Ruqgu, the only thing that was certain to him was that she was his woman and no man would even stand in his way. Nobody has the right to the entire land in Triyall. He rules over Nayak with the blood of Nati running through his veins. Any man would think twice before dragging his soulmate with him.
” She is mine now anyway. I want to meet her” He stated and Annalise shrugged her shoulders but was still bowing.
” I will bring her early in the morning tomorrow Your Majesty” Annalise assured him and he calmed a little before dismissing her for the night.
Annalise almost collapsed immediately when she stepped out, If not for the fact that the king viewed her as his mother; Her head would have been the one to walk out of that chamber but he took the news better than she thought. She thought he would punish her but he was only excited to meet his queen.
She grabbed her lantern and made her way out of the palace, back to her house where she had left Lady Marilyn in the care of Erxi. Immediately she entered the house, she heard a scream coming out of the guest room. She hurried to the room only find find Marilyn shaking and screaming from a nightmare.