Reborn: I’ll Save This Doomed Marriage

Divide

I awoke to a loud thud. My head was heavy, my eyes darting side to side. My vision was clouded, but out rang a clapping of hands. “Ah, I knew you would wake up soon. Good for you, your highness.” The voice was shrill, and not at all beautiful. Not like a melody on a spring day, and not as graceful as the leaves that fell. “I always knew that you were weak. Stealing someone’s fiancé, brings misfortune to those, you know?” I heard the footsteps get louder as I felt the dip in the bed.

I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to get a glimpse of the person who was speaking hill to the queen.

“My, my, you are a terrible mother. Letting your first child go, followed by the separation of your second child from his father, and this one, will be born sick.” The laugh, that awful laugh! It was as if my ears were bleeding.

“Camilla!” I heard another voice ring out. “What are you doing in the Queen’s bedroom?” The voice boomed, I her body shake and recoil.

“Just having a little fun. She stole him after all, why wouldn’t I?” She asked innocently back.

“If the queen was put under distress, her baby will be affected. I do not intend to protect you from King Edward’s wrath should his beloved wife fall even more ill from before after your little visit.” I felt her body come closer to mine.

The warmth soaking into the sheets, covering me in a blanket of worry.

I had tried to stop opening my eyes, as if I had fallen back into unconsciousness. “She’s asleep. She’s delirious actually. Maybe it would be a good thing for the child to die. She isn’t a fit mother.” She leaned down towards me, her breath tickling my ear. “She is just a rejected empress who seduced the next king in line.” I had enough.

I opened my eyes, and gripped her throat.

“You insolent, pathetic excuse of a human being.” The venom dripped off my tongue.

“Your majesty! We…didn’t know that you were coherent.” The young man spoke out. My eyes darted to his. I didn’t release my grip on her throat, but it was enough to hold her and make her uncomfortable.

“…fetch me my husband.” My eyes burning into his soul. His face went ghost white, he looked as if he was facing the chopping block.

I held onto her throat, before looking at her, c*****g my head to the side to before studying her profile.

She squirmed, but never tried to yank herself from my grip. Smart woman. “Edward did not love you, because your voice is annoying. You are not fit to be queen if you do not have an elegant voice, you are not fit to be queen not only because of that, but because you lack restraint. You lack compassion, you lack manners. What is the most satisfying to know is that, I didn’t even know you existed. Edward had never told me of any engagement. You do not even exist to him.” I pushed her back, sending her flying to the ground as Edward had flung the doors open.

His face was full of worry as he came over to my bed side. “Angel, are you feeling better?” He cooed in my ear as his hand gripped mine. He moved it down to my stomach, the other brushing my hair out of my face.

“I want her exiled.” My voice came out scratchy, he looked down to the floor to see her cowering in fear.

“…Lord Jasper has already informed me of his sisters misdoings. She will be tried for treason on the grounds of causing you emotional distress, which could’ve affected my heir.” Her eyes went wide in realization.

She clawed at his feet, begging him as her tears dripped into puddles on the wooden floor. “Edward! Treason? You loved me. You once loved me more than her!” She stood up, gripping onto him with such strength.

Her fingers dug into his arms as she pleaded with him.

“Edward?” My voice rang out.

He turned towards me, pushing her off of him.

“Why don’t we let…miss Camilla-“

“It’s LADY Camilla! Not to mention you are the one who stole this life from me!” She challenged back.

“Edward, cut off all diplomatic ties with her house. Strip them of their title, put her on a horse and send her home. Their family will no longer be a part of our kingdom. They are to be exiled from the land. Guards!” I yelled.

She gripped onto Edward, her eyes pleading with him to do something.

“You love me! I know you love me! Just say it so we can be happy together Edward!” She screamed at him.

He stared at her blankly as the guards grabbed her shoulders and threw her out of my room.

He sat next to my on the bed, his hand roaming my stomach. “Fiancée?” I said, my eyes meeting his.

“I was engaged before I had met you, yes. Although I don’t care for her. She cannot sing like you, nor can she care for my children, she’s unpleasant. She’s not you angel.” He said gently.

A pleasant smiled crossed my lips. “Of course not. She wouldn’t know of my past, she is only clouded by her jealousy.” I snickered.

A smile played at his lips as his eyes roamed my body. “What did she say to you?” His warm lips touched my hand, sending waves of warmth through my cold and now frail body.

I thought for a minute, carefully selecting my words. “She said I was a bad mother. That I had seduced you.” A small smile gathered across my lips. I unconsciously lifted my hand to cover it.

“You did seduce me, that’s what I told her.” His breath felt warm on my neck. My smile grew wider as my pain melted away. The happiness and joy I had felt in that moment, him revealing the inner workings of his mind.

“How did I seduce you? I was utterly devoted to Octavian.” I said matter of factly.

He frowned before cupping my face in his warm palms. “I don’t know how, but I found myself falling for you the minute I had laid eyes on you. I knew that you were meant to be my wife. Something…something just told me.” He kissed my cheeks, my eyelids, and my forehead, before placing one last kiss on my lips. “Octavian, he didn’t know what he had with you, but it wasn’t love.” His face contorted with a pained-like expression.

I c****d my head in confusion, trying to piece together what he was saying. My mind raced at what he was thinking of me. He had never known me before our life together. He didn’t know the old me, he only knew the broken me. My spirit that had been broken over and over. I sighed before he started again.

“He didn’t love you, all he did was use you. And every time I think of all the pain I had caused for you. The day I took you away, I hadn’t realized what I had saved you from. But also what I was taking you from. You were meant to be Empress. You birthed a male heir. You birthed myself a male heir, yet I can’t help but feel as if, I’ve ignored your feelings in all of this.” He gestured around. “I never asked. I never asked if you wanted a life with Henry. I never let you have that conversation with me and I’m such a selfish man!” He exploded. “Everything that you have gone through was because of me! I am the reason for all of your pain! Your suffering! Yet, I can’t help myself. I can’t stop myself from…loving you…touching you, kissing you. And…you’re too loyal to see through your own unhappiness.” His voice was quiet, the sound deafening my ears from the previous ringing when he yelled. I laid there, frozen, afraid to speak.

I didn’t know what to say, except that I’m glad he had told me, i am glad that he had told and shared with me his past. So that way I can share mine with him as well.

“I told you, I will follow you anywhere. Octavian, you know much of the history. But you don’t understand that our marriage from the inside, had been over the moment he hit me. I could never forgive someone who claimed they loved me for that. I do not blame you for taking me, I only thank you…for giving me a second chance at a better life. It didn’t start off as ideal, but I would follow you through anything, I knew the moment I let you see me, truly see me, that you meant no harm.” My hand gripped his tight.