HIS VIRGIN BRIDE

CHAPTER 17

ELENA POV

An Hour Later

I yawned loudly for the hundredth time and open my eyes only to see Madam Pat also sleeping with the guard that was assigned to escort me…

Even though she has an hideous face and stature I just can’t deny the fact that she’s the closest person apart from Queen mother Ariel and Tonio who i haven’t seen for weeks now..

‘We are here your highness’..The coachman said and I stretched out a bit and came down from the carriage not bothering to wear my boots…

‘What is she doing here??’..I muttered as soon as i spotted laughing with Javier…

I walked past them without saying a word and before i could reach the door he called me back..

‘What??’..i asked.

‘Why would you allow Calla perform your queenly duties Elena?? Why would she go to the school and go to the church on your behalf??’..He asked and my mouth went agape..

`What?!! Calla never did that on my behalf?! I didn’t ask her to?!’..i yelled..

‘Yeah you didn’t cause you didn’t Care so she did it on her own free will,you’re an adult Elena so you should know this!!’..He fired back and i scoffed loudly..

I can’t believe this bull s**t!!..

‘Okay now she’s playing dirty again and you choose to tag along like an i***t dog!? I had to wake up by 4am to—

‘To sneak out with your secret lover Tonio yeah I know and that’s why he’s in the dungeon!!’..He cut in and tears streamed down my cheeks…

‘You can accuse me of many things but i won’t let you disrespect me again because of your friend!! She’s playing dirty and when you realize it it would be too late!!’.

JAVIER’S POV

Typical Elena..

Always so dramatic when it comes to Calla..

I mean I don’t get why she her so much—She’s way more prettier than Calla could ever be but still she’s still mad because Calla is always trying to help her…

‘Are you done talking??’..I snarled after a minute of silence..

‘Yeah I’m done talking your highness and if you’d excuse me I’d like to go to sleep cause I had to wake up at 4am!!!!’…she snarled back..

‘Ohhh hush up!!! You’re always so cranky like a pregnant woman!! Go to sleep and act stupid cause that’s how you always behave!!! But let me make this clear to you Elena,you aren’t a queen to me but you must perform your queenly duties whether you like it or not and you would sleep on my bed tonight!!’..I ordered and went inside the castle..

‘I won’t sleep with a man who chooses his stupid friend over his wife just wait and see!!!’..She yelled from behind and I scoffed…

‘You know she’s really cranky,why were you guys forced to marry each other I mean she’s not even your type?’..Calla asked and I frowned…

‘What do you mean by she’s not my type? She’s clearly my type’..

‘No don’t take it that way I mean that she doesn’t respect you,she doesn’t care about the welfare of the kingdom,she doesn’t have proper etiquette and most of all she’s rude,obnoxious and pretends to like your mother’..She replied and my frown grew deeper…

‘How do you know all this you don’t stay regularly at the palace,how do your know she doesn’t like my mother cause they get along really really well’..I asked curious to know where she was heading with her point and she pursed her lips…

‘Well uhmm that’s what…. that’s the gossip in town you know..the.. the town gossipers think she hates your mother and it might be true cause Lady…sorry Queen Elena practically hates everyone here including you…think..think about it Javier what kind of a queen wears jackets and boots??’..She asked and I nodded…

She may have a point…

Elena might hate my mother but why do I care anyway??..

I made a promise that I’m going to have her and maybe when I do I might teach her a very painful lesson…

‘Calla can you do me a favor??’..I asked as we both walked down the hallway…

‘Anything for my dear king’..she responded bowing down curtly..

‘Good can you teach Elena good courtesy?? I mean could you teach her how to act like a proper court lady at least??’…I asked and she smiled..

‘It’ll be a pleasure unless the queen doesn’t want it then I’m done’..She murmured..

‘Ohhh she’ll want it alright.I’ll make sure of it’…

ELENA’S POV

‘I will do no such thing!!!’..I screamed as I stood up from my bed..

‘You have to do it my queen.The King demands so’..Madam Pat replied and I scoffed..

‘I won’t do it Madam Pat,I will certainly not take lessons from that puny Lady Calla!!! I mean I’m sure she’s roped him into making that decision since that’s she always does—Could you even imagine that she performed some part of my duty today just to make Javier ridicule me?!’..I said aloud ..

‘Sorry my queen but everyone in this castle knows Lady Calla is desperate for the King attention’..She replied .

‘Well why doesn’t anyone say anything?!!’..I yelled and she arched her brows it dawned on me too..

‘Ohhh cause he’s the king.Well d--n him cause I’m not taking lessons!! I asked for a list of the royal council where is it??’.. I muttered..

‘Here it is and oh the perfect candidates for your royal assistants are waiting for you in the court room’..she said and I shrugged..

‘You’ll be my royal assistant Madam Pat’..

‘But I’m just a seamstress’..

‘A seamstress who knows what she’s doing,you know everything that goes on in this place and you clearly have experience..okay fine think of it as helping me please??’..I muttered with a smile on my face and she smiled too…

‘Well you’re the queen after all’..

‘Thanks Madam Pat’..I muttered again and she nodded leaving..

I sat on the bed and then took out the list from the envelope and stared down at the papers..

Hmm….

The person who conjured this list up really has a skill for writing beautifully…

I stared down at the list and then scanned the list of names;

*Lord Bachor

*Countess Clara

*Lord Richard

*Lord Ernesto

*Lady Evaline

*Lord Alistair

*Count Jeremiah

*Lady Celine

*Duke Ardan…

So there are nine people in charge of the royal treasury and one of them or maybe two or three who knows is clearly a thief…

The question is who??..

I have to clearly do some digging and the only person who knows about everyone in North ridge is…

Tonio…

But Javier has locked him away because he defended me all because that stupid Calla lied judging from what the maids told me…

I can’t believe he would just lock away an innocent man like Tonio..

Well Calla played dirty and now it’s time for some payback..

She won’t know what hit her…

AUTHORESS’S POV

‘She went to the banker and from the looks of it she knows thinks something is wrong’..The stranger in a cloak muttered to the other seated strangers in black cloaks..

‘Good job my son,you would clearly be rewarded for your information’..The leader said tapping his hands on the large oak table showing his red signet ring with two letters of his title encrusted on it …

‘We have to kidnap her now my Lord!! She’s already on to me’..one of his people said and he smiled..

‘No she isn’t and when the time is right my prisoner would get her….when..the..time..is.. right’..

JAVIER’S POV

At Night

I heard squeaky noises which irritated my ears and turned around thinking it would go away but it didn’t instead it grew louder..

‘Will somebody stop that noise??’..i murmured in my sleep but since no guard was there I woke up only for me to see…

Rats!!!..

There were rats on my bed!!!..

‘What the…Guards!! GUARDS!!! There are rats on my bed!!!’..I yelled at the top of my voice and three guards bursted into my room when they heard my screams…

‘Rats!! How are there rats here?!!’…One of them asked and I frowned..

‘Are you clearly asking your king this stupid question?!! Get these things out of my sight there are clearly fifteen rats running around so do something!!!’..I screamed and wore on my robe…

I can’t even sleep in my own room and it’s just 11pm…

I angrily went down to the wine cellar to have a drink which would maybe eventually let me sleep after the rats are gone from my bed…

I mean where did they even come from anyway??..

The castle hasn’t been bothered by rats before so why now???….

And why is it in my room all of a sudden??..

Elena!!!…

I downed my shot of whiskey and angrily stomped to Elena’s room and when I opened the door she was clearly asleep wearing the same bright red negligee…

I gulped hard as the soft blanket outline the shape of her body since it was tucked under her arm…

I badly want her and I would have her but right now I really need to sleep…

‘We’re having trouble with the rats sire,I’m sorry but you have to wait’…One of the guards said..

‘How many has been caught??’..I asked..

‘Two sire and it seems we have ten more on our plate to handle’…He replied and I groaned..

‘You can leave I’ll find somewhere else to sleep’..I murmred and he bowed as he left…

I walked towards Calla’s room and before I could reach there she bursted out her door screaming at the top of her voice…

‘What is it?!!’..I asked..

‘There are cockroaches..there..there are cockroaches all over my room..flying..flying cockroaches’..She replied panting heavily…

‘Cockroaches?? That’s not possible my castle doesn’t have cockroaches?!’..I said not beliveing her and open the doors only for me to see cockroaches all her the place..

‘How is this even possible?!!’..I asked as I shut the door quickly before any of the pests could get out…

If there’s one thing I hate then it’s cockroaches and rats…

‘Do you think…no offense but do you think Lady Elena is behind it??’..She asked and I shook my head…

‘No she isn’t I checked her room and she’s clearly asleep,besides there’s no way she could get into our rooms without us knowing’..

‘Yeah you’re right,I guess I’ll go sleep in the guest room then’..she murmured and yawned as she left and I nodded angrily rubbing my sore eyes..

There are a lot of things for me to do tomorrow and if I don’t get enough sleep then it’s bad enough for me.