XXXIII

Lady Dae

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

It's been two days since the departure of prince Erik, and lady Eleanor has yet to recover, the woman was still broken hearted and had refused to leave the room, it saddened her because she has no one to accompany her, well there was lady Helena but she too rarely left the confinement of her room... So she was left alone mostly to herself, most of the concubines avoided her.

"What's with the frown?" Princess Roshanne suddenly asked, the two of them were at the princess garden, Princess Adelaide had invited her for a tea party in which she couldn't refuse, turns out the princess had set up a tea party just for the three of them.

"Ummmm... I'm just worried about lady Eleanor." She answered watching as princess Adelaide make a flower by the corner.

"She'll be alright, just give her more time... This is the first time her son would be leaving for war." Princess Roshanne replied to her. The princess was wearing her usually color of dress... Red and gold, but she looks extra beautiful today, maybe because she was wearing a few jewelery, such as necklace and earrings made of rubies.

"Your highness... If you don't mind. Can I ask you something?" Princess Roshanne turned towards her.

"Drop the formalities Dae... We are in the garden." She reminded her.

"Oh... Um... Right." Her cheeks reddened.

"Go on ask away." The princess encourage her. Dae cleared her throat before asking the question that had been bugging her for quite a while now.

"Is... Lady Eleanor and lady Ceris lovers?" Roshanne smiles and shakes her head.

"I knew it's only a matter of time before you ask that question." She sets down her tea cup, she didn't answer right away, she remained looking at princess Adelaide who's making her flower crown, while her little dragon, named Pearl, a small dragon with white like scale and pinkish wings rest on her shoulder, Pearl was a small dragon, about the size of a cat... From what Roshanne had told her, Pearl would only grow to be about the size of a mule. Just enough to carry Adelaide.

"It was an open secret inside the harem about those two... They are lovers yes. They raised their children together and pretty much do anything together." Princess Roshanne answered her question. But this only made her worry.

"But... Wouldn't the king be mad?" Roshanne looks at her then.

"He will kill them the moment he found out about this... That's why the two kept it a secret." Still it was quite amazing how good they are at hiding it.

"And no one had dared to snitch on them?" The princess smirks at her.

"Trust me a lot have already tried... They weren't just successful." Lady Dae shivers, something about the way the princess had said it seems so sinister, there was a glint in her eyes that could only speak of something bad.

"The two are protected by me... Their secrets are safe with me... And I hope it will be with you too." Princess Roshanne turned to look her in the eyes, and Dae nods her head, of course, she wouldn't dare betray any of them. They were kind to her, in that way she could at least repay them. The two of them remained silent for a moment, just enjoying the quietness of the garden... That was until Neviska entered and approached her.

"My lady... Your father wishes to talk to you." Dae's head whip towards Neviska, her father? She had almost forgotten about him... Dae bit her lower lip... What does he want?

" Did he tell you what he wants?" Roshanne asked Neviska who shakes her head, the princess then turn towards her.

" You can refuse if you wishes to Dae." The princess reminded her, before holding her hand, Dae looked at their hand... And wishes it could be that easy saying no to her father, but she knows that man... If she refuse him... He would hurt her, and worst he could harm the princess too.

"It's fine." She answered instead, giving a small squeeze on the princess hands before standing up. She waves at princess Adelaide before following Neviska out of the garden... She saw her father standing by the entrance, with his red and black clothes, a symbol of royalty in Lysos. He stood their, tall and imposing, he looks like he could take on the guards alone with just his fist. His father was always regarded as the beast of Lysos, it was because of his tremendous size, his father was 6 feet tall... And among his sons, Marcus was the one who came close to his height but in size it was Frederick. Their people believe that the blood of his father could be traced back to the first kings who laid with the Gods of earth, and their spawn were considered the giants who used to roam the unconquered lands.

"Good day father." She greeted him... He looks down on her before smiling... A smile that had sent shiver across her spine.

"Good day Daughter." He greeted back, before turning to look at Neviska. He wishes to be left alone with her, so she turns towards Neviska.

"You're free to do as you please for the rest of the afternoon... I'll meet you later before supper." She told her, Neviska was ready to complain, but one begging look from Dae had her shutting her mouth.

"Of course my lady... I'll see you later." Neviska excused herself.

"Why don't you accompany me to my quarter, daughter... It's been a while since we last talked." He told her, offering his arm for her to take, and she did.

" Did Marcus left?" She asked him.

" No, I couldn't send my heir... Your other brothers on the other hand left for the battle.

"Why did you... Gave them our soldiers?" She curiously asked, ten thousand of his father's men were sent to the war... It's almost all of their soldiers gathered, who is left in their kingdom to protect their people?

"So I could gain leverage my daughter." Her father whispered to her.

"The dowry he promised to me was a position in his court in exchange for the soldiers and you. I agreed, I need to be closer to him." He told her. Dae nods her head, of course, that's what his father wanted. The two of them entered his quarter, Marcus was already there, looking at something in their father's desk.

"We are already loosing the battle against him, we are nothing compared to his flying and flame breathing beast, a lot of our cities have already been burned to the ground, so I quickly seek solutions to this problem before we are completely annihilated." He spoke, Marcus turned towards her and smile, among all his siblings she was scared the most to Marcus, because he was quiet, he never treated her badly before when their father would take them to meet her, but it was that thing that he does that scared her the most... His quietness and his observing eyes is what scares her, Because she doesn't know what's going on in his mind... It makes him... So unpredictable.

"Good day sister."He greeted her, she just smiled and nods her head, Marcus then continued what he was doing.

"As I was saying. The only thing I could come up to is to destroy them from the inside." She turned to her father who was now sitting down.

"I want to plant mistrust among his subjects, I want them to doubt him, I wanted rebellion to form inside the kingdom, in the way we could ruin them from the inside and cripple them." Her father told her... Dae swallowed.

"But it may take years father." She told him, because she knows it wouldn't be an easy job to do.

"I know daughter, but patience is the key to everything, that's why we are going to slowly build trust and influence among his court, that is why I want you to earn favors to the higher nobles, befriend a couple of them, and eliminate contenders, and the easiest way for you to have an ally is to get pregnant." Dae flinched at her father's words... Pregnant? That word again, sweat began to gather on her forehead.

" The king will return tonight, go and prepare, then visit him to his room. Do everything that you must do, and make sure that the other bitches he has wouldn't get the chance to get to him first." Dae could only swallow and nod at her father's words.

"Then we will kill every sons he has..." Her father stood and approached her, he then placed his hand on top of his stomach, making her shiver.

"Until he has no one but yours to choose." There was sinister glint in her father's eyes.

"What... What if I wasn't able to give him one?" Her father's eyes snaps towards her, and before she knew it, she was gripping her cheeks so hard it made her cry.

"Then you will not stop until you gave him one... And if you give birth to a child who doesn't have the golden eyes and hair you will try and try and try until you give him the golden son he so desires and I don't care even if you die... You understand me!" Dae nods her head, trying to hold back her tears.

"And let this be a warning to you... Every child that you give birth to, that isn't what I wanted will die the moment they leave your womb... Is that clear?" Dae nods her head again, her father then let go of her... Making her drop to the ground, she didn't dare to look at him, knowing that it will ire him more...

"One more thing." Her father added, Dae closes her eyes and clenched her hand... What more could he want?! What more could he demand of her?!

"You seems to be close to the golden bitch." Dae's eyes snaps towards him... Who is he calling the Golden bitch?

"Your brother wanted to propose a marriage between him and the Sainte, perhaps you could help him." Dae looked at Marcus who's now looking at her with a knowing smile on his lips.

"But Marcus is married." She told her father as she slowly stood up.

"And the princess refuses any marriage proposal." She told him, her father smiles at her.

"The bitch is playing hard to get. And was always on her guard. But she isn't made of ice nor metal completely, one way or another she will cave in." Her father then fetch out a another vial, this time it contains a pink or perhaps reddish liquid.

" What is that?" She asked him, suddenly scared, would he want her to poison the princess?

" A potion, I prepared specifically for her... In two days Marcus would ask for a private audience with her... And I want you to put this in her tea cup or perhaps her food." Dae paled at the notion of having to poison the princess.

" But killing her... " Her father raised his hand to stop her from speaking.

"This is not kill her... But to turn her to what she really is... A bitch.. your brother's bitch to be precise." Dae looked at the vial on the table, and she swear, she had not felt so angry before, the feeling of it was burning from deep within her guts up to her chest that is beggining to claw against her throat and was begging to be let out. Why? Why would he want to harm the princess?!

"In simple word sister, that is a love potion." Marcus state approaching them.

" I tried to approach her, using a civilized type of approach, tried to negotiate with her... But the princess wouldn't budge... So this is the only way we could think of... Snare her and then use her against her father." Her brother supplied for her, touching her shoulder.

" But why? What would you gain from doing this?" She asked confused.

" Why not just tell her your plan? The princess is a known hater of the king, their relationship isn't good, so I don't see the purpose of this." She tried and reasoned out, her brother Chuckled.

" The princess wouldn't want to help us... She made it clear the moment she refused my offer. And do you honestly think she would side with us? Even though she hated her father, she loves her kingdom, she wouldn't allow for trouble to stir inside her kingdom." Her brother Marcus told her before grabbing the vial.

" Now why don't you be a good little sister and do as what you are told to do." Marcus then placed the vial on top of her hand.

" And help me get what I wanted."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Princess Roshanne

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

" His Majesty have arrived your highness." Odette reported to her, before placing a tray of snacks on her desk.

"Good... Anything else?" Odette sighed.

"Your father wasn't pleased, he's irritated and have already caused trouble, he was also looking for his bastard, but he was nowhere." Roshanne smiles, now he's seeing what a terrible mistake he had done choosing that bastard.

"What else?"She inquired before placing down her quilt and grabbing a piece of cookie, her favorite dessert.

"Well... He retired to his room." Roshanne's brow raised.

"He didn't call for any of his concubines?" She asked, with Dae in mind, usually when her father is not in a good mood he will require one of his concubines company. And usually he would call on his favorite.

"No your highness." Odette replied, that was odd... She thought, a knight on her door knocked before stepping inside.

"Your highness, lady Dae request an audience with you." She turned to look at Odette who also look back at her... It surprised her that Dae came looking for her... Because she was used to being the one to look for her.

"Let her in. And close the door, I am not to be disturbed... Odette your dismissed." Odette bowed before exiting, Dae came in, she has now change, she looks lovely in her green dress, and it looks like she dress to impress. She smiled, was she trying to impress her? How cute.

"What brought you here my lady?" She asked, although Dae looked skittish, she looked back first before slowly approaching her.

"I came to warn you princess... My father had talked to me. And told me of his plans." She told her, her voice just loud enough for the two of them to hear... This news made her smile, she was pleased that Dae was doing what she wanted.

" Tell me then." She watches as Dae fetch something out of her sleeves.

" I will visit the king tonight at his chamber, after our talk specifically under his command I am to give comfort and.... And pleasure to the king." The smile drop from her lips... Her eyebrow furrowed... She's taking his command? She's going to sleep with her father? The thought of it ired her so much. And although Dae looked uncomfortable and scared at the notion of it, she still couldn't help but be mad.

"So your going to do it? Spread your legs for him?" She asked her before standing up so she could see Dae closely.

" I... No princess... I just don't have any other choices, I must do this if I wanted my father to trust me." She stated sounding pleading.

" You could have said no." She told her but Dae shakes her head.

" He would kill me." She told her, making Roshanne tensed and stop... Kill her... Of course how could she be so stupid? She was so focused on Dae and her wants that it had completely skip her mind that Dae's father is capable of hurting her... And stopping and controlling Dae completely would raise suspicion from her father... How could she be so stupid? Roshanne looked away and sighed.

" Of course... Forgive me, it just had skipped my mind what your father is capable of. " She turned towards her and grab her hand.

"Do forgive me if I can't do anything, despite making a promise that the king wouldn't touch you again." She sincerely apologize, but Dae had only smiled.

" You could still make that promise come true... Your highness... When they are days that I don't wanna see him... Perhaps you could help me." Dae offered instead making Roshanne smile, but it didn't do anything to vanquish the hate that is slowly stirring in her guts against her father.

"Then what is this vial for?" She asked Dae before grabbing vial and observing it.

"Father and brother wanted me to give it to you. Marcus told me it was a love potion." Roshanne brow raised...and then she laughed.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. A potion? A love potion? The idea itself is ridiculously because first of all...it doesn't work on her, and then second why did they stoop so low as to use such ridiculous method... To the point that she is offended by the notion that they are slighting her.

"Your father and brother are stupid... I swear I am glad you're not one of them." She told Dae, before placing down the vial and turning towards her. She observed her, Dae's lips was painted with a light color, and a light blush was put on her cheeks, her hair was brush and smell of scented oils, the dress she's wearing revealed her cleavage, making it more pleasing in the eyes, specially to her pervert of a father. She lick her lower lip, she wanted her, she decided, she would have her instead.

"I have something for you in return." She told her. Going back to her cabinet and fetched something.

"Put this in father's wine." She told her, placing a small circular pill on her hand.

"He will fell asleep, then after that come to my room... Let's talk more about your father's plan... As I am curious myself." She winks at Dae before leaning forward and kissing her on her forehead, of course she must have the first taste.