The Changeling Queen

Chapter Fourteen

I stiffen slightly, frowning a little bit as I look at him. Queen Cahya had been thinking about getting remarried? I don't remember that from the game, but I guess it could be something that was saved for later, or maybe it has something to do with why she was refusing to pay the dowry for the Princess. He looks at me with one eyebrow raised, his smile finally starting to slip from his face.

"Your Highness, did you truly forget?" he asks, sitting up now so he's leaning towards me over the table that is the only thing separating us.

"I apologize, but my mind has been a bit scattered lately," I try to lie, trying to casually wipe my sweaty palms on my dress. "I would also like to extend my apology because, I will not be accepting your proposal."

"Why ever not?" he demands, slamming his hand on the table, which made me jump slightly. "I am exceptional, with exceptional breeding, one of the largest estates in the country, and I have wealth that would make even the other nobility weep. I am a perfect match for someone like you."

I force a tight lipped smile since I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "I understand your frustration, but as I said, I am sorry to say that I am declining your proposal."

"That isn't a valid enough reason," he says as he stands up, slamming his hand against the table again.

"You seemed receptive enough to the idea when I proposed to you. I thought that you were just trying to appear elegant and lady-like. How dare you reject me?" he says, his voice becoming increasingly louder as he walks around the table towards me.

I stand up as well, glad that the long dress is hiding my shaking knees. A lump forms in my throat that I try to swallow down so my voice doesn't quiver. Should I call for guards now? Why aren't the option boxes popping up? I'm so scared. "I was being polite to you, but now that you have continued to push it, I am no longer interested in being polite. I just want you to leave," I say as I gestured towards the door.

He walks up to me, now trapping me between the couch and his body. I try to side step him, but he quickly closes the gap I might have been able to escape through by sticking his leg out. "Your Highness," he growls, his face only inches from mine. I feel my stomach flop as I try to hold back tears. "Are you really so arrogant and self centered that you think that you don't need a King Consort by your side? As soon as you lose even one battle, lose just one inch of land, no one will ever take you seriously again without a strong King Consort by your side. Otherwise, you will just be another Queen who is too blind to see that she is not fit to rule on her own."

I want to get angry. I want to scream and shout at him, but the way he is looming over me makes me afraid. My eyes are watering, and it was only then that I realized that my lower lip was trembling. I felt like I couldn't even breathe with how tight my chest feels. When he grabs my waist, I feel like I'm going to vomit. My stomach just won't stop rolling.

"You are making my point for me, Your Majesty. You are clearly too emotional to be ruling a Kingdom on your own," he says as he runs his hand around to grip my ass through my dress.

Silent tears start rolling down my face, but before I can say anything, or he can add anything even more disgusting to what he's already said, the door bursts open. "What did you say to her?" Prince Claudius demands, though he stops when he sees the position I'm in. "My apologies," I can hear him grinding his teeth, but I still can't find my voice. How am I suppose to ask for help from him anyway? He hates Queen Cahya. He'll probably just laugh at me if I try to reach out. "I'll speak to you about this later, in private, Your Majesty."

"Good. Go on then, you snot nose brat," the man whose name I still don't know snaps at Prince Claudius.

I stare at the man before looking over at the doorway, where Prince Claudius is still standing. He seems confused as he sees the tears rolling down my face. "Your Majesty... are you alright?" he asks, a note of real concern in his face.

"Can you go get my guards, please?" I ask in a shaky voice, trying not to choke on the sobs that are clogging my throat.

He looks between us, and the man looks horrified at me. "No, please. It's an overreaction on her part. We're just about to celebrate our engagement, but she's having second thoughts now."

"There's no engagement," I say, trying to push him away, despite the fact that he's as easy to move as a wall. "Prince Claudius, please. I know that we are not on the best of terms, but go get my guards. I will never ask anything from you again."

He stands there for a moment longer, clearly thinking something through. I don't have the voice to scream for help, and I don't know what else to do, but before I can even process the thought that he's just going to leave, he walks over to the man and slaps him across the face. If it happened in the game, I would have thought that a Prince slapping a nobleman was a bit funny, but now I'm just relieved that he's taking a step away from me so he can face the Prince.

"You little rat," he growls as he tries to grab Prince Claudius's shirt collar, though he dodges him easily.

Prince Claudius takes a step back, pushing up his sleeves, but as soon as that man's hands are off of me, I manage to find my voice. "Guards!" I scream, rushing towards the door. "Come here, quickly!"