Cursed By The Gods Book 1 and 2

Chapter 47

“You w***e!”

Emilia looked up from where she was squeezing her tunic and gowns in her trunk to see Octavius storm into her room with rage clearly etched out on his face. His face was red and his hair stood out on ends. He advanced towards her like a mad man with his fists clenched at his sides.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked with barely restrained anger. She struggled to keep her own hands by her side when she itched so hard to hit him across his face till his nose bleed.

“You deceived me! Why did you lie to me about going to Intavia? How long have you been seeing Helos, ehn?!”

“What are you talking about you scum?”

“Scum?!” he laughed without humor. “Scum? Is that what your defense is? How long have you been f*****g Helos?”

The fragile gates holding her rage back broke. She reared back and hit him hard across the face. “How dare?! By the gods where did you get such a stupid idea from?” she yelled.

Servants rushed to the doorway upon hearing the commotion. Upon seeing the looks on both Octavius and Emilia’s face they slinked back into the shadows, even the soldiers that had come to investigate shrank back.

Octavius laughed. “I have seen it all. All of your wickedness, all this while you deceived me! Tell me, did you plan this? How many years have you being planning this? Was it your wish that I would be dethroned while your lover comes and take my kingdom?” he shook her shoulders as he talked, his voice raising with every sentence. He laughed again and dropped his hands from her shoulders. “Until Ashterah…”

“Of course, Ashterah! Your b***h mistress, the one you have been slinking off to for how long? Did you enjoy her? She’s the best you’ve ever had, uhn?” Her voice broke. She swiped angrily at the tears gathering in her eyes and wished her voice wouldn’t break so but the evidence of his betrayal and the look of guilt on his face was more than she could bear. Her hear broke because she loved and clearly her feelings weren’t returned. He was such a good actor, for years he had pretended to her, pretended to care enough to marry her but to what purpose?

Octavius’s heart pound at an accusation he knew was true but he wasn’t going to let her get away with taking his love for granted while trying to make him feel guilty. He clenched his feet by his side in a bid to resist the urge to hit her. He whirled and called for a guard. A guard arrived pensively staring at his toes with his head bowed.

“Get Ilena and throw her in the dungeon now,” Octavius ordered.

“No!” Emilia shrieked. She ran for the guard as he walked off to do his master’s bidding but Octavius pushed her back so violently she fell against the side of her bed. He wished to go help her when she squealed in pain but his heart was bleeding from her betrayal. He turned away so he didn’t have to see her struggle to rise and walked off.

From her place on the floor Emilia winced in pain. Her impact with the wooden frame of the bed had been so bad that her side hurt. She pulled her tunic up and grimace at the sight of the purplish bruise on her skin, it was blurry through her tears but she could see the color forming on her skin and it was bad.

How did she get here? How did her marriage get so sour in such a short time?

She tried to pull herself from the floor to continue packing her things but the pain was so intense she gave up, laying on the floor to weep bitterly.

************************************************************************

The head servant, Demiris, entered the kitchen to see the kitchen servants chattering and pinching off the food they were supposed to be preparing for the household. He pursed his thin lips at their gluttony and foolishness. He cleared his throat and all their eyes flew towards the door, they immediately disbanded and scrambled to their duties at the sight of him, those who had been picking at the food quickly threw what was left in their hands into their mouths discreetly. He shook his head.

“Where is the woman who has come to look for a job?” he bellowed.

One of the maids pointed to the door. Outside was a young woman with brown hair and brown her with a baby wrapped in brown swaddling strapped to her. She stood with a thin worn out coat under the light rain with her head slightly bowed

“You are?” Demiris asked brashly.

She lifted her head to look up at him. “Remin, my lord.”

“Remin. You do know there isn’t much opening in here for a new maid,” he glanced down at the swaddling where the baby slept peacefully even though the rain landed lightly on his face. “And you have an extra mouth to feed, we have a lot of those here as it is.”

“I am here to take the job as the princess’ governess.”

Demiris curled his lips in distaste. Since the yesterday of the child’s birth everyone in the palace refused to acknowledge her birth, not even the king and queen were seen either celebrating of cursing the gods. “I see.” He looked Remin up and down before stepping back. “Well, come inside the child does need a governess even I doubt you would be of much use here.”

Remin entered, grateful for the relief from the rain. She stroked her son, Strukus, on the face to clean the droplets of water off it. He didn’t even open his eyes once, she smiled with motherly love.

“Come with me, Remin, I will show you to the child’s room.”

Remin went after the head servant. He led the way to the servants’ passage that was a little bit damp, the walls were cold and it was dark. He climbed a stairs that led to the second floor of the castle and turned right. The walls here were dry and decorated with the royal coat of arms and through the length of the hall were guards in uniforms keeping watch. Demiris led her to a room with its door slightly ajar, he didn’t enter instead he gestured for her to go in.

“You are welcome to take of a child no one wants to even set eyes on.”

Remin’s heart broke at his words. She entered the room and noticed that Demiris retreated quickly. The room was fairly large with the crib and many toys scattered around, there was a rocking chair by the corner under a window. Remin walked to the crib, one look inside made her realize her assignment would not be an easy one. Her jaws dropped at the sight of the beautiful child fast asleep in it, she bent down to stroke the child’s soft dark skin. She could see why the people rejected her and called her a curse, she looked neither like the king or queen. There were people, far away people of other kingdom with skin like the child’s but no one in Camelorn had one like the baby in the crib. Termla hadn’t told her much about the child but she knew she was born of the gods.

Her baby began to squirm, his mouth opened like he was about to cry so she quickly unwrapped him and dropped the cloth off him. Little Strukus’ mouth was bent like he was on the verge of wailing, she patted him and cooed at him. Just then the Cleopoda opened her eyes and looked up at her, Remin was shocked by the incredible beauty of her eyes. It was impossible to believe the child was just a day old when her eyes were already open, clear and seeing. Cleopoda reached her small hands up, squeezing her tiny fingers repeatedly. As Remin reached to take her hand Strukus also reached his hand down and took hold of Cleopoda’s and they both laughed. Remin looked on in amazement.

Strukus squirmed again wishing to be put down so she dropped him gently inside the crib and watched as the children’s joined hands fell between them and Cleopoda went back to sleep.