King Malik sat in front of his mirror, preparing himself for his meeting with the masked girl.
His seamstress carefully dressed him in a deep crimson tunic embroidered with gold thread, accompanied by black leather pants and polished boots. As she added the final touches to his outfit, Malik couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of what was to come.
“Make sure I look my best,” he said to the seamstress. “I want to make a good impression.”
The seamstress bowed her head, thinking to herself that the king was already the most handsome man in all the land, even without her dressing him up.
She couldn’t believe that he wasn’t aware of his charms and attractiveness.
“Yes, your majesty,” she replied, and after she finished dressing up for the king, she bowed and left the room.
Once alone, Malik took a deep breath and smiled, thinking about the masked girl he had been meeting secretly for months.
He couldn’t believe he could find solace In the hand of a stranger, someone he hadn’t seen his face, although he was relieved to finally have someone to confide in and he was always eager to continue in their clandestine meetings since he lost Aurora.
Alpha Malik contemplated the idea of requesting the masked girl to reveal her face, convinced that she would not be intimidated by him any longer.
Despite this, he maintained his usual aloof demeanor as he exited his quarters, where Evans awaited him dutifully at attention.
Evans bowed respectfully to the king. “Your Majesty,” he greeted.
“I’m going to the garden,” Malik announced, turning to Evans”You don’t need to wait for me,” he added, addressing Evans.
“Understood, Your Highness,” Evans replied with a nod.
Malik began to walk away, heading towards the garden. Evans comprehended the king’s intention and observed Malik departing towards the garden.
As he was walking along the dimly lit hallway that led to the garden wanting to cross, suddenly he saw Jeanne coming towards him. He halted in his tracks, wondering what one of Xena’s friends was doing out so late at night.
“Jeanne, what are you doing here at this hour?” he asked, his voice cold and stern.
Jeanne took a deep breath, and tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to speak, but her sobs choked her words, wanting to make the king buy her story.
Alpha Malik raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the sudden display of emotion from the usually composed woman.
“Speak, Jeanne,” he commanded.
Jeanne wiped her tears and finally managed to speak. “Xena… she fainted and lost the baby,” she said, her voice shaking.
Malik’s eyes widened in shock as Jeanne delivered the news. Xena was one of the few people in the kingdom he cared deeply for, and he couldn’t believe she had lost her pregnancy. It was hard for him to fathom how she had even managed to conceive in the first place, given her condition.
As the shock wore off, Malik’s thoughts turned to the queen’s recent order to Morena, which he had been aware of despite feigning ignorance. He had not yet decided who he wanted to be the mother of his children, but he knew that the queen had her agenda in mind.
He wondered if there was a connection between the queen’s actions and Xena’s tragedy. Malik’s expression darkened as he contemplated the possibility.
“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice full of concern.
“At the clinic,” Jeanne replied, still wiping her tears.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Malik forgot all about his plan to meet with the masked girl and followed Jeanne to the clinic.
As they strolled along, Jeanne seized the opportunity to tell Malik everything, She recounted the events that had unfolded, explaining in detail how Queen Nneka had pushed Xena and caused her so much anguish.
At first, Malik felt the urge to dismiss Jeanne’s words and rebuke her for speaking ill of the queen. But as he listened further, he realized how much pain Xena must be experiencing, and he began to empathize with Jeanne.
Recognizing that Xena was the only person Jeanne had left, Malik decided to let her speak her mind freely, and he assured her that he would do what he could to help Xena.
Malik’s heart was heavy as he walked, and his mind raced with worry. He couldn’t lose Xena, not after everything she had been through with his mother.
As they approached the clinic, Malik’s attention was drawn to the sound of Queen Nneka’s voice, raised in anger. He paused, listening intently as she berated someone named Morena, threatening them with dire consequences.
Malik’s voice rang out sharply, interrupting the queen’s tirade. “And who ordered that?” he demanded, causing Nneka and Morena to turn in surprise.
Nneka quickly glanced at Morena, signaling her to remain silent. But Malik was not easily dissuaded. He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on the queen. “I said, who gave the order?” he repeated, his tone brooking no argument.
My lord,” Nneka said, adopting a pretentious expression. “I was merely questioning Morena’s competence as the royal physician. After all, she failed to detect that concubine Xena was pregnant until after she had lost the child.”
Malik looked at Morena, sensing that the queen was lying and likely had been threatening her. “Is that true?” he asked, his voice betraying his skepticism.
Morena hesitated for a moment, then spoke haltingly. “I… I did not know of Xena’s condition until after the miscarriage, my lord. But I assure you, I have always acted in the best interest of the kingdom and its people.”
Malik’s expression remained stern as he regarded Morena. He knew there was more to the story than what was being said, but for now, he would bide his time and gather more information before taking action.
“Yes my king, I am so sorry for my negligence” Morena uttered while Nneka grabbed the opportunity and started shouting at Morena again.
“My king,” Nneka continued, her voice dripping with insincerity. “It would be wise to find another physician for the palace. Morena has proven incapable of preventing the loss of the heir we were expecting.”
Malik felt a wave of disgust wash over him as he listened to the queen’s words. Hypocrites were the people he despised the most, and Nneka was a prime example.
“Queen Nneka,” he said, his voice cold and measured. “Are you suggesting that the physician who has been caring for me since I was a child is not capable? If that is the case, then perhaps my health is also fake.”
The queen’s face paled at the king’s words, and she stumbled slightly, her ankle making contact with the ground. Malik’s expression remained stony as he watched her reaction.
“No, your majesty, I would never dare to suggest that,” Nneka backtracked quickly, her tone now conciliatory. “I am only looking out for the welfare of the king, the community, and the women.”
Jeanne watched from a distance, a victorious smirk on her face. She knew her friend’s plans had finally succeeded.
Meanwhile, Malik strode towards Xena’s bed and took her hand in his, his gaze softening as he looked down at her pale face. “Xena, my dear, how are you feeling?” he asked gently.
Xena tried to speak, her voice barely audible. “I’m… I’m okay, but I don’t want this woman here,” she managed to say, referring to Nneka. “She made me lose our baby, your baby, my king.”
Nneka seethed with jealousy and anger as she saw the happy expression on Xena’s face. She opened her mouth to speak, wanting to defend herself and persuade the king to leave Xena’s side, but Malik cut her off.
“Queen Nneka, you may take your leave now,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.