Betrothed To The King

Chapter27

Sage walked into her mistress’s room with a kettle of hot water but didn’t find Queen Pearl. She sighed as she went inside the bathroom to mix the bathing water.

“Why couldn’t she just wait for me to come? I am sure she has gone to see her friends,” Sage sighed as she headed to the guest room.

She got to the guest room entrance and knocked. She opened the door to see the two friends sitting on the bed with smiley faces. She could tell that they had been talking their hearts out, but her mistress wasn’t there with them.

“Uhm… I am sorry for disturbing your moment. I just came to ask if you have, by any chance, seen Queen Pearl?” Sage asked as they both shook their heads.

“She is supposed to be in her room, or isn’t she there?” Seren asked as Sage nodded slowly. She was becoming scared already. “Maybe she is in the king’s room,” Seren added as Sage nodded, not sure she would be there because the king had a woman with him.

She trailed to the king’s chamber and knocked. Almost immediately, the door was opened, revealing a naked woman. Sage didn’t pay attention to that because what was on her mind was seeing the queen and seeing her in good health.

“Please, I have come to check if Queen Pearl is in here?” she said as the woman turned back as if looking for Queen Pearl.

“Well, she isn’t here because I am spending time with the king,” she whispered, not wanting the king to hear her reply because the king would definitely kick her out if he heard that.

Now, this is serious. If Queen Pearl isn’t here and not in the guest room, then where could she be? She doesn’t go out or visit any room.

Sage’s eyes were already filled with tears as she decided to go to Prince Ray’s room and check on her.

But she got there, and it was the same news. She wasn’t there either. Sage found herself crying in front of the prince with fear in her heart. King Archer would definitely kill her this time.

“Have you been looking for her?” he asked as she nodded slowly with more tears rolling down her cheeks. “Come on. This is bad news. If she isn’t in her room or the king’s room, then she isn’t in this castle. We need to ask the guards,” Prince Ray said, pulling Sage with him, and he was scared of King Archer noticing the situation because that would make everything worse.

“Have you seen Queen Pearl? My brother’s last wife?” Prince Ray asked the guards by the castle entrance as they shook their heads.

“We have been standing here all day, my prince, and Queen Pearl hasn’t passed here, nor has any stranger entered,” the guard said as Prince Ray ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he knew what Archer was capable of doing once he heard about this.

“Now you all need to go round the castle and look for her. Call all the guards in this castle. Search all the walls of this castle immediately!” he ordered as the guards hurried out. Prince Ray turned to the crying Sage, whose hair had been soaked with her own tears.

“Were there guards standing by her door?” Prince Ray asked as she shook her head.

“They had gone to eat by then,” Sage replied as Ray sighed and walked up the stairs.

“King Archer needs to know what’s going on so that we can act fast before it’s too late,” Prince Ray said as he headed up. Sage became more terrified. Her throat would be slit.

***

“What do you mean by no one can find her? Where could she have gone? Because I know that no stranger can enter this castle without getting caught,” King Archer shouted as he turned to Sage. “Sage! Why would you leave your mistress when you knew that the guards weren’t around?” King Archer yelled angrily at Sage, who immediately knelt down in tears.

“I am sorry for my carelessness, my king. I will accept any punishment, but my king, I left her to get her water ready to bathe her for the night. I know that it was my duty to protect my mistress, my king, but I had no other choice than to leave,” Sage cried as King Archer tightened his fist. He knew that he shouldn’t be blaming Sage because Sage is a woman just like her mistress.

Maybe he should blame himself for bringing a woman into his room after deciding not to sleep with one for a while. If Pearl had been with him in his bedroom, she would have been safe. Now he couldn’t tell if his wife was in the right hands, if she and the baby were fine.

Zinnia walked into the king’s chamber, surprised by the scenario.

“I heard what happened. How is that possible? This castle is tightly guarded, so how could Pearl be missed? Sage, answer me!” Zinnia yelled as she grabbed Sage’s clothes.

**

The guards of Prussiate had entered into the castle in disguise as Guham guards. They both walked through the stairs and hallways, not knowing exactly where to find the queen.

They got to the second hallway. The hallway was empty and without guards. They heard footsteps coming towards them as they quickly hid by a pillar.

They watched closely and saw that it was the queen they had come for. She walked tiredly through the hallway, obviously weak from the heaviness of her belly.

They signaled to each other as they tiptoed to her and covered her nose with a chemical towel. She was so weak that the chemical worked faster on her.

They quickly put her in guard attire to disguise her better. They were about to head towards the stairs as Zinnia sighted them.

“I know who you people are, and I know that you were sent by King Theo,” she said calmly, approaching the already scared guards. They were scared that she might shout and call the guards.

“We are sorry, my queen, we will immediately leave now. Don’t call the guards. We are begging,” they knelt pleadingly.

“No, no… I am here to help you.”

Zinnia helped the guards of Prussiate escape with Pearl. She was so happy that she finally got rid of Pearl. She knew that once Pearl got to Prussiate, King Theo would never let her return.

**

King Archer exhaled deeply as he sat on his throne.

“You all should leave. Go and rest. It’s late already, and we can’t find Pearl tonight. Pearl has been taken away, and I have one suspect, but tomorrow we will continue our search,” King Archer said as they all retreated to their various rooms.

He turned to the woman and gave her a hard glare as she quickly ran off.

**

I woke up with a very sharp headache. I opened my eyes to find everything blurry, so I had to use the back of my palms to clear my view.

I looked around the room I was in, but it was in no way familiar to me. This wasn’t Guham castle.

Yeah, I know that I haven’t been in all the castle rooms, but I am quite sure that I am not in Guham, so where am I?

I sat up tiredly as I swung my legs carefully down the bed and tried to stand up, but the weakness I felt was so bad. My legs were so weak that I didn’t think I could stand.

“Look who is up. The beautiful wife of King Archer,” the bold voice I could recognize said with a mischievous giggle as I raised my head to see who it was.

Wait, no. It’s King Theodore, which means I’m in Prussiate. How did I get here? I remember walking through the hallway with the intention of going to King Archer’s room, but what happened next? Who brought me here? Was I kidnapped? So many unanswered questions ran through my head as the fear of being kidnapped gripped me.

“What am I doing here?” I asked as my lips vibrated in fear.

“You’re here to see me and stay with me. I know that you would think I kidnapped you, but no, I didn’t kidnap you. I took you,” he sounded so possessive, sending cold shivers down my spine. At some point, I felt like my brain paused. I was so shocked.

What does he mean by he took me? I can’t be here with him, and he knows that.

“So… when am I leaving?” I asked as he scoffed expressionlessly and turned to me, looking so cold and dangerous with those evil eyes of his. I could see that this time he was serious with me. He stared at me with no form of kind expression, which made me feel cold.

I think I’m in big danger.

“You’re not leaving. You’re the wife of my enemy, which makes you my enemy too. You’re here to serve me as a slave, and you will obey whatever you are asked to do or you will be killed. Have I made myself clear?” he shouted, nearly making me lose my balance.

A slave for him? No, I can’t be a slave. Even if I should be, I can’t suffer with my baby bump. That would be too much for me.

“Have I made myself clear?” he yelled again, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Ye… yes, you have,” I stuttered in tears as he groaned angrily.

“Yes, your king. You will call me your king from today onward. Say it!” he shouted with angry, vibrating lips.

“Yes, my king,” I yelled back in tears. This is not what I expected. Why would he want to punish me for King Archer’s crime when I wasn’t there from the beginning of the fight, and worst of all, I am not his only wife? Why am I always the unfortunate one?

“And for making me repeat myself, you will be given a bigger portion of work,” King Theo said as he snapped his fingers. Just then, two maids came in, bowed to the king, and grabbed my two hands, taking me away roughly.

This isn’t what I imagined. How will they want to punish me even with this bump?