The King’s Tainted Mate
Chapter 22

I was going to hurt her all over again. Despite my good willed intentions and promises I made, I was still going to make her tread that path of pain again.

reaction to her news.

I grabbed what would make my fourth, fifth or hundredth cup of wine. I did not care to count as I only sought to wash out the bitter taste that had flooded my mouth at my wife's announcement. Neither did I care for the eyes watching nor what they thought of my Everything else did not matter except her. My mate. My sweet Shyla of whom I should have been working at winning her heart instead of breaking it into even more tiny pieces.

That is what this news meant. If it was indeed true, if my chosen mate was indeed with child, it would be one more reason for my mate to hate my entire existence. One more reason to widen the gap that separated our hearts and it would be my doing once again. "I have not had an opportunity to sit with fate and inquire of it as to why all the things that have befallen me have done so in the manner that they have. I have merely accepted each and every one of them."

My mate's words pierced my heart. I did not wish for this to be one more thing that she had to accept, but looking at the maiden I had made queen instead of my mate, there was no doubt in her eyes either. We would need the midwives to confirm it, but looking at Myrna, she was truly convinced that even their replaceings would not be so different from her own. Was it too late to ask of the moon goddess to change her mind and take back this child? I tugged at my garments that suddenly felt too tight to let me breathe. "Are you alright, my love?" She sought to touch, but I evaded her out stretched hands and reached for one more cup of wine instead and gulped it all down. It was still not enough to wash out the poison that was my wife's words or the dread that came with my mate getting wind of it.

Not that I wished to hide any of it, but I turned in Gol's direction. I did not know what I sought there. Perhaps his word. His promise to keep from poisoning my mate's mind with what he'd heard and seen. The outlaw had an indecipherable expression on his face, but his mere presence seemed to scream my mate's reason of needing him by her side. I could not be trusted.

I wished to blurt out that this was not how it seemed, but was drawn to the sound of the many voices that had filled the air around me.

"Congratulations, your majesty!"

The entire room had erupted in cheers at my wife's words and those overly excited nobles had began to line up to offer their congratulations. I wouldn't be accepting any of those. Not just because there was nothing to celebrate as far as I was concerned, but because even if it was true that my chosen mate was with child, this was no way to announce the conception of someone as important as an heir of Xatis.

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves." Because I needed to maintain some semblance of normalcy, I mustered the most gentle tone I could and faked a smile.

"Forgive me, your highness. It wasn't my intention at all." If it was possible for Myrna to blush or smile anymore shyly than she currently was, I knew she would have, just to have more of those pitiful looks that she had inspired from her guests. Looks that I had no doubt were meant to sway my words and actions.

"Even then, this is no way to do it." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears that I refused to acknowledge.

"You don't want this, do you, your majesty?" Of course I didn't, but I was not that reckless to utter such words either. It would just be what those looking to tarnish my reign wished for. Myrna, however, seemed bent on being reckless. One would even say she sought to display how much influence she had on her king. Her broken tone snapped something in me. This was not the time nor the place and I was not that kind of king either.

"I will take that bath after all. And I wish not to be disturbed after." What I really wished for was to seek my saviour out, melt into her arms and forget about all my troubles. I needed my mate.

"Oh but your highness, surely you wouldn't abandon your queen on such a joyous occasion now would you?"

Your queen... That soured my mood more than the careless statement from the arrogant noble who seemed not to have learnt anything from our last encounter.

"You seem to care so much about my queen, Lord Evarius." I growled, yet not possessively but out of annoyance.

"O-On the contrary, your majesty." The infuriating man bowed, but it felt more of a mockery. "It's just that having fathered heirs of my own and having had some kind of experience with my own wife, I do understand why her majesty would do this. It being her virgin conception and all."

"Well if you know so much about what she wished to achieve, then perhaps you should have advised her clearly on the ways such delicate matters are meant to be handled." Lord Evarius looked as though he'd been slapped, but that was nowhere near what I wished to do to him. Luckily for him, I had entertained this long enough and no longer wished to indulge anyone. Not even my wife who looked at a loss for words.

Against her very many protests, I stepped out of the hall and headed to the only place I wished to be. The rest would have to wait.