Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Viktor POV

We both enjoyed the silence as we looked at each other. Her fever was high.. higher than its ever been, so she really needed the rest. I’d asked Beatrice why it was so high.. she said that not mating with her mate was making her best act up and get worse. Top that with her mare being an unfaithful bastard and we’re left with a sick Violette.

It didn’t take her very long to fall asleep. My eyelids were heavy and my body was exhausted.. I should go to my chambers but I couldn’t bring myself to go.

I stood up and walked to her desk. Everything was neatly placed in certain spots on it. I saw a stack of papers from her writing.. I looked back at her, listening to her breathing and heartbeat, and when I realized she was truly asleep.. my hands wandered to the papers.

These are her thoughts.. her words. And even as personal as they may be, it killed me to not know what was going through her mind. Maybe these would give me some insight. I wondered what she wrote about.

I took a deep breath as I picked them up and walked back over to the chair. I shouldn’t be doing this.. this is awful of me. But I just had to know.

I began reading, my heart aching at the words poured out into the papers. I made her my slave not realizing that she’d already felt like one in her own home. At the time.. that wasn’t even a thought that had crossed my mind.. I was only aiming to show her Father who the real man was.

She’d written about the way they received her Mother. The woman my father killed. She blamed herself for it just as much as she blamed her father. I hadn’t known he’d.. beat her for it. It made me feel terrible for what was done.. but b***d must have b***d. That is what my Father always said.

Arthur murdered my little brother.. so my father got even. But what my father failed to realize is it didn’t just hurt Arthur.. it hurt Violette. And that made me angry for some reason. She was innocent in all of this.

She wrote about her time with Lillian and the others. How they lifted her spirits and made her feel like she was more than her father’s daughter. She thinks of them as more than just friends.. but family. I admire her strength to stand by them when her father was on his drunken rampages. She stood up for them when no one did so for her.

During my time in the dungeon there, id heard whispers about her. Though if Arthur were ever to find out someone had been talking about her around me.. it never ended well. He didn’t want me to know anything about her. I’d always figured it was because he didn’t want me to get to her.. but something tells me otherwise.

The whispers I’d heard though.. they said she’d make an amazing Queen compared to her ancestors.. that she was kind and just.. that she was a very empathetic person. I never believed it.. not until I saw it with my very eyes.

I looked at her through my tired eyes and sighed softly. She truly is nothing like her father. Even I realized that far before I’d brought her here.. I was just punishing her for her father’s sins. Of course, I’d always wondered if it was a facade. But reading her nightmares.. the things she thinks about constantly makes me believe she’s truly a good person.

After I’d finished reading every word, I placed her papers back on the desk in the exact spot I’d found them. I was wrong for it.. but I couldn’t help it. I’d hoped maybe I’d find something in her writing about me.. what she thought of me, at least. But there was nothing.

I walked back to my chair and sat down, staring at the many faces she made in her dreams. There were a few whimpers here and there.. and every time she moved the blanket would slip away from her petite frame more and more.

I closed my eyes.. maybe I’ll just rest for a while. I’ll leave before she awakens and go back to my duties. But just for this moment, I’d like to enjoy her presence and maybe get a night of peaceful sleep.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

I woke up to the sound of Violette’s door opening and I sat up straight. I turned to see who it was and caught a whiff of Beatrice’s scent.

“Oh.. good morning, my king.. I didn’t realize you’d be in here.” She mind-linked me so that our talking would wake Violette.

“I was just leaving,” I replied. I stood up as she walked all the way in and rested her hand on Violette’s forehead.

“No fever. She’s doing better already.” She said.

“That’s good.. I gave her what you said to last night.” I said. She replied with a nod. I walked to the door and opened it, looking back once at the girl I named my slave.

“I’ve been searching for her mate,” I said.

“Why would you ever do that? She’s your slave.. my king.” Beatrice replied.

“I can’t let her suffer.. you said it yourself. She won’t make it unless she’s rejected or accepted. He clearly wants nothing to do with her.. so I want him to reject her.” I said.

“You do know that will cause a great deal of pain..” she said worriedly.

“I know that Beatrice.. but it’s better than.. look, I’ve been searching for a while now.. but I haven’t found anything. Cedric spent time in Arthur’s kingdom and no one knows a thing. If I don’t find him, she will die. And..” I trailed off.

“And what.. my king?” Beatrice tried her best to get me to talk about these things but I’ve never been so good at it.

“I don’t want to let her go.. I don’t think I can.” I said. She let out a small sigh.

“You care for her.” She said. I only nodded in response. As wrong as it was, I cared for her so deep. I don’t even know the full extent of it, but I know at this point I’d do anything to keep her.

“Just.. if there’s anything you can do to slow the process.. please try.” I said.

It made it difficult that not even Violette knew his identity. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I believe her. She wasn’t much of a liar. Anyone could see that. She is very upfront about everything.

“I will try my best. You’re not the only one who cares for her.. she’s a gentle girl.. she reminds me of my Tilda.” She said as she looked at Violette.

Beatrice never talks about her daughter because it brings her great sorrow.. but to compare the two.. I knew that was a lot. Though I do see where she sees that.

“I will leave you, now..” I said. Beatrice nodded her head.

I quickly left the room and made my way to my chambers. Loren wasn’t there as his shift was over, and instead, Igor was in his place. Igor opened the door without a word and I walked in to continue my obligations.

Even as hard as I tried, I found it difficult to work. My mind raced with ideas, anything I could use to help me sort out this situation. It was taking a toll on me. I sat at my desk forever just thinking of her.

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