The King’s Tainted Mate
Chapter 23

Seeing Myrna, seeing them together had brought it all back. The pain, the betrayal, every dark thing that had befallen me ever since I had fallen victim to her sinister plotting that was unexpected of a sister. Even when I did not wish to, I had been plunged into that

sea of pain and forced to relieve every one of those single moments I had come so close to death.

I shouldn't have looked back, but being handed over to his guard, no matter how gently he'd done it, had pierced my heart. He had chosen her all over again, erasing the little piece of us we'd had for the fleeting time we'd spent together. It was expected but the reality had still barrelled into me with such a force that had me wishing to lock my aching heart away in a deep dark abyss, never to be unearthed again. Perhaps then I would be spared of any more pain.

They had looked perfect together. Even with him covered in the remnants of the attack and she dressed in the finest clothes I had ever seen on my sister, they still looked perfect.

The sight had lasted but for a moment before I was carried out of the hall and yet it had been imprinted on my very soul. It had threatened to drown me, every piece of the memory, but thanks to Liira I had been saved. She had been the angel that had kept me from drowning.

I did not know how she knew, but the moment I had been carried out of the hall she'd held my hand and talked me through the ordeal, prepared me the perfect bath and had whispered the most comforting words to my wounded soul. It had been done in the pretext of saving my child, but none of her words had actually been about the precious life growing in my belly.

"My lady, his majesty insists." He hadn't forgotten about me, but sending his guard to shove his kingly will down my throat so early in the morning was not how I'd envisioned knowing about that truth. He'd stayed away and yet he was insisting on taking care of me still. I felt like the other maiden instead of being the maiden, his maiden.

Realizing I would forever be just that, the mother to his child, hidden away from his world made my heartache.

I chose to chase those gloomy thoughts away and stared at the long line of maidens in front of me one more time and shook my head. "I do not need anyone to clean after me, so I must decline his highness's offer." The maidens were meant to be my own personal servants given to me by the king to serve me in my quarters, but I wouldn't have it. I may have ended up in the palace, but I was not about to have anyone take care of me in that manner. Having Liira take care of me was only bearable because of her knowledge of medicine and I was already aware of the many guards that had been posted in all those quiet halls for my sake. "It's honestly a bit too much."

Instead of being at a loss for words for not being able to convince me otherwise, the guard looked rather amused. "I will let him know of your decision, my lady."

"And please do call me Shyla. I'm no lady after all." The formal address had been too much too. I hated being addressed as such.

"And please do call me Shyla. I'm no lady after all." The formal address had been too much too. I hated being addressed as such.

"Unless you wish for his majesty to behead your servant, do not ask me of such things."

"You are no servant of mine." I snapped at the guard as I began to realize that there were nightmares awaiting me in my palace life that I had not even thought about.

"Oh, but I am, my lady. And unlike them." The guard said pointing to the line of maidens I refused to wait on me. "You will not be rid of me so easily." Surprisingly, apart from Liira, this particular guard I did not mind having around. Something about him made me feel at ease, safe.

His smirk made me give up my quest. I would not argue with him anymore because it was pointless, I realized, and we'd done enough of it already. If he could take back everyone of those maidens and leave me be, it would be all I'd need for a peaceful moment. "If I may, my lady, my lord." A short plump girl stepped forward nervously.

"What is it Astryn?" It surprised me that the guard knew her by name and actually smiled at her genuinely. The said maiden only fumbled with her apron in return as if she regretted having spoken at all.

"Well," She began, her eyes cast down as if whatever she was about to say would land her in some kind of trouble. "My lady, will let me stay?"

"Astryn!" Someone from the line scolded after her bold request. "Forgive her my lady. She's still in training and has a terrible habit of speaking before carefully considering her words." A glare landed on the poor maiden and the way she coiled after the scolding ignited something in me, making me speak rather rashly in response.

"I guess I could do with some company." I didn't, but in a way she reminded me of me and perhaps if she did indeed have that terrible habit of speaking, she would be just what I would need to serve as a distraction from my own unwelcome thoughts. "Thank you Astryn. You might have just saved me from angering the king." Delighted was what the guard was, one would even say this was his plan entirely.

"Oh lord Rakon, you are too kind." The maiden blushed profusely amidst angry stares from the rest that made me think I had made the right decision in denying their services.

"I will leave you to it then." The guard who I now knew to be Rakon bowed and moved to usher the rest of the maidens out.

"Oh this is lovely, my lady." Astryn exclaimed as she ran to the large window overlooking the forest that surrounded the castle. She turned out to be a welcome immediate distraction as she did not even bother with introductions. "I have always wished to serve in this part of the palace. So many treasures to unearth." Her dreamy sigh sought to pull me into her fantasies. Whatever those were.

"I thought this was about me." I stared at her faking being hurt.

"Oh but it is my lady. Ever since I got wind of your bravery, I knew I had to meet you. I had to serve you, if only for a day."

"M-My what?" I stared at the maiden whose face bore total admiration for me that unsettled me.

Ignoring my question, Astryn pulled me down to the bed instead before uttering one of the most ludicrous things I did not expect even from her loud mouth. "Tell me how an outlaw and her father saved the king from one of the worst mercineries to plague Xatis? And don't you dare be so modest in your answer as his majesty has made it clear he owes you the biggest debt anyone can owe...his life."

It hurt to hear that he'd branded me just his savior, but hearing that he'd bragged about it melted something inside. "It was nothing really." Despite her warning, I couldn't help sounding modest as the truth was not something I wished to sing about. I expected her to protest, but it seemed something else bothered her. "Is anything the matter, Astryn?"

"It was a brave thing you did, but it does not explain anything." Her face suddenly set in a deep frown, making me curious.

"Explain what, exactly?"

"His highness's behaviour." I wished to hear nothing of my mate, but making that known would invite more questions from Astryn. Questions I wished not to answer. And besides, I had a feeling that she would tell me anyway. "He'd picked each of us maids by hand and that is just unusual. Lord Rakon has been working round the clock presenting guards to his majesty for his approval, which is equally unusual as he has always trusted his judgement to handle the security around the palace, except this place, apparently. He's also had cooks on their feet demanding to have rabbit meat prepared hence forth which is even more unusual." Had he really? I blushed as Astryn remained oblivious to my reaction and kept mumbling. "Of all my lessons in training, I have paid particular attention to anything to do with his highness and not once has he ever asked for rabbit meat and now suddenly he wishes for it to be prepared daily?" The maiden was getting exesparated by the second while I blushed even harder the more she spoke. "I swear if he was no king, I'd think he was with child. Oh my God that is it!" Astryn shot up from the bed, realization coating her every word and I was sure I was about to be accused of an obvious crime, but then she broke the little pieces that had remained of my world. "It's the queen, she might be with child, finally