Chapter 42 – little Birdy
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” What the hell is he doing here?” I mumbled under my breath loud enough for Treven to hear beside me. My heartbeat increased in pace as Patrick’s footsteps became louder and closer to us.
” Do you know him?” Treven asked in a whisper and I almost snapped at him. “That is my ex-husband”
” No! He is now a total stranger to you. From now on, you don’t know him” Treven muttered to me in an authoritative tone and I nodded my head in reply but what was up to? And why did Patrick suddenly show up in Nayak? He left a week after my wedding, he only paid a courtesy visit to the king in my absence but why would he show up all of a sudden?
” How may I help you? Lord Patrick?” The king’s voice boomed immediately after Patrick’s polite bow. He raised his head and glared at me intensely before giving me his wicked smile. Memories of that smile flooded my head and I found myself breathing hard as tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I thought I was over everything but seeing him in front of me messed with my mind more than I intended.
” A little Birdy told me that the Almighty king of Nayak married my supposed dead wife and I thought. How can the king marry a ghost? But now that I’m seeing this with my two eyes….” Murmurs from the court members trailed his statement but the king’s authoritative tone cut him off. ” How dare you barge into my court and start saying nonsense?!”
” I’m not saying nonsense, your majesty, Ask that lying bitch beside you. She knows exactly what I mean!” Patrick sneered at me and I could see Treven’s hands itching to grab a sword and behead him right on that spot. He looked so angry that it was scary, there was silence in the court as the ministers panicked, unsure of what to expect from the king based on his reaction. Some already pity Patrick while some are weighing the possibilities of a war between Nayak and Ruqgu if Patrick were to cross a line.
” I will advise you to choose your words carefully” The low slithering words from Treven didn’t even help the thick tension in the room.
” I do not have much to say, I only have a request from Your Majesty.”
” Which is?” one of the ministers asked.
” I want my wife to get down from there and follow me back home. I will forgive her little stunt of faking her death, as you can see, I have not divorced her yet and in Ruqgu, only the husband can divorce his wife. I want her back home” Immediately the words flew out of his mouth, and all the panic in my body disappeared replaced with anger. Every panic turned into bitterness in my belly as I scoffed loudly at the nerve of that idiot. The first time I fought back flashed in my mind and I got that surge of courage once again. My bitter laughter rang through the courtroom as all eyes landed on me for the first time.
” You should consider applying for the role of a clown at the circus. sweet Natalí!” My reply shocked everyone at the court even Treven. But I wasn’t done, I’m tired of that scumbag treating me the way he likes. The tears encased in my bracelet stirred, responding to my unbalanced emotions. ” The nerve of you to come here and utter this nonsense from your mouth is appalling. Get out of here this instant!”
” I can forgive everything you have done Marilyn but I won’t forgive this insult! Get down from here and follow me home this instant! My patience is wearing thin” He ignored me and moved forward to us, Valtar and another guard blocked his way but before I could blink, Treven’s hand was already on the hilt of Valtar’s sword. He swung it but stopped when I grabbed his robes.
” I should rip out your mouth for taking to the mother of my heir like that. Do you know whose presence you are?” Treven snatched his robes away from my hands and I could see Patrick gulped down in fear. He stepped backward looking like he was about to pee his body. Whoever advises him to come and cause this scene must be intoxicated on a rare type of opium.
” All these for a useless barren bitch? She must have warmed your bed specially for you to be like this for her” Patrick scoffed and this time around, I couldn’t stop Treven as he pushed both Valtar and the other guards away. He pounced on Patrick at once and the latter only managed to dodge the sword.
” Your majesty! You can not kill an ambassador! This will…” One of the ministers raised his voice but only fueled Treven’s anger. ” Let it lead to war! I will crush Ruqgu between my palms without breaking a sweat. I can not kill an ambassador but he can walk in here and insult Natalí’s chosen? The mother of your future king!” Advancing towards Patrick one more time, he threw the sword at Patrick and grabbed another one from another guard.
” I agree with the King. Insulting the Queen is like insulting Natalí herself. He must be punished accordingly” Another minister voiced out and some others seemed to agree with him. ” He may be married to her but she now belongs to Natalí. This insult shall not be tolerated”
The smirk on Patrick’s face fell, he must have thought that the ministers would agree with him and ask for my crown immediately because this could be considered adultery in Ruqgu. But no Nayaki citizen will allow Natalí’s chosen to be insulted.
” I will not fight an unarmed man.”
Patrick scrambled to pick the sword and all the ministers stepped backwards to avoid getting slashed. I knew Patrick wasn’t that good with weapons, he only enjoyed horseback riding and archery. It amused me to see Treven’s large frame dwarf him with ease.
” Please have mercy on me” He pleaded seeing the distant cousin of death in front of him. Coward! He won’t even pick up the sword.
” It’s not that funny when you are on the other side of the coin, is it? I already made a promise to her the first time I met that I will kill the man that dared to lay his hands on her and yet you walked into my palace like the little rat you are and you expect to make it out alive? Pick up the sword this instant!” The king’s voice boomed in the hall and it thrilled me to hear a whimper from the man who tormented me for five years.
” I surrender… you can have her! I don’t want to die for a useless barren…” He raised his hands in surrender but another swing from Treven’s sword made him pick the sword on the ground to defend himself. But still, Treven managed to slash both his arms with the fastest move I have seen. He dropped the sword and held his bloodied arms in pain.
” When will you learn how to use your words wisely? That woman is not barren, she is with my child. Something you failed to do for eight years and one more foul word to her again, I won’t hesitate to cut your head off!” Seeing the defeated look on Patrick’s face at the announcement of my pregnancy, he dropped the sword and came back to sit beside me.
” Are you okay?” Treven asked and I nodded. Patrick knelt and tears rushed down his cheeks, he was genuinely hurt but I didn’t even care. I would have pitied him but when I thought about his actions, he didn’t deserve my pity.
” I will not forgive this insolence from an ambassador. I expect a full written apology from the tilling council of Ruqgu, two thousand in gold and silver, and two hundred horses or I will show Ruqgu how Nayak fights war using them as an example. I am not merciful, I will only accept an apology because my mother and my Queen came from that city. You deserve to die but I can’t kill my cousin can I?” Treven said and the ministers looked at the king in shock. Even I cannot keep the shock off my face. How?