To Wed A King

Midnight Allegations

Lucan closed his eyes as he sank further into the bath, his chest heaving. Claude was singing one of his favourite songs, one about a woman who had butchered her husband and kept his dead body as a puppet since it would make him obey her.

A small smile lifted his lips. A puppet. He could almost imagine Adeline becoming more like that. As submissive as his very favourite Claude right here.

His eyes opened, and he turned to the woman. She was still wearing the red dress, and all he could imagine was seeing Adeline in it, her lips parted as she moaned his name.

He sighed, closing his eyes. His ego had suffered enough today, but at least, he had fought to bring her back to life. She would not reakize it now, but he had won. He was not letting her slip away like that.

Claude moved further as she finished the song. "Do you need me to do anything, Your Majesty?"

He nodded slowly. "The dress you are wearing..."

Claude smiled. "Shall I take it off?"

"Yes," he answered, much to the woman's delight. "And have the exact thing made for Adeline. I do not want to see you in it anymore."

Claude's lips parted as tears burned through her eyes. "But Your Majesty, I made this especially for the nights when I will grace your bed."

He raised a brow. "So?"

"I... Your Majesty, it is..."

"Are you disobeying my order?"

"I would never, Your Majesty. But your order would be much easier to obey if you had asked for me to please you."

Seeing Adeline wearing that dress would please him just fine, but he knew that was not what she meant.

He held her gaze. "I do not need you to please me."

"But Your Majesty..."

A knock on the door interrupted her, and she swallowed, standing up. She went to the door and opened it, and Angel walked in, his eyes sunken from fatigue.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. The royal physician will not be able to make it as he has met with an accident. We might have to..."

Lucan turned away. "I have treated her already. At least find a physician who would check on her."

Angel nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. Do you still intend on making the trip back to Vahrenhall tonight? It is far too late."

Lucan sighed. "We shall wait till dawn." He turned to Claude. "Hand me my robes."

Claude handed the bath robe as Angel bowed and walked away. Lucan tied it around him, then walked down towards his chamber. He did not bother with elaborate dressing and settled for an open robe and slacks. He let his hair fall to his shoulder, the water lightly dripping from it.

The torches were on in the chamber, and he sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes taking in Adeline. She was lightly murmuring, her lashes moving. She would wake up anytime soon. Her wounds were taken care of.

He peeled off the robe he was wearing, then grabbed his hookah pot. He did not feel like it, and he pushed it away, then lay in bed. Soon enough, his eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep.

He did not expect to awaken so early, or worse, be woken up by the loud, shrill yell of a woman above him.

The yell came from beside him, and he woke up with a start, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword he always kept close to his bed.

He turned, and Adeline was sitting up, her eyes wide, her chest heaving. Her hair was in disarray, and she looked like she had seen a ghost.

He stopped, his brows furrowing, his head tilting slowly to the left.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Adeline swallowed, her hands pulling the sheets to her chest, her eyes wide. "What did you do to me?"

"What?"

"I said, what did you do to me? How could you take advantage of a sleeping woman, strip her, and bring her to your bwd? Are you such a dishonourable man? Have you..."

"Do not dare inault my homorvafter I saved you from tour own stupidity. You pierced an arrow in your stomach. Was I supposed to spiritually treat it without getting rid of your clothes?"

"You are a liar!" She yelled, her eyes wide. She pulled the sheets to herself and, with a grunt, got out of bed. She was much shorter, her anger reverberating through her as she stood in front of him.

Lucan watched her, his brows furrowed. The servants had all gathered outside his room, including soldiers and Angel, who had thought the shouts were from an attack.

"You are a liar. There is nothing that comes out of your mouth that holds honour or truth. You are a bloodthristy gremlin who sips the tears of people and believes to be the top of the world when he is, in fact..."

Lucan drew the sword, placing it directly on her neck. Her eyes widen3d, but she did stop talking, her chest heaving.

"One more word," he dared, meeting her eyes. "One."

Adeline swallowed, and he slowly put the sword away, then took a step further. She immediately moved away, a gasp leaving her lips.

Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed her by the waist, his hand covering her lips, and pinned her back on the bed, his body hovering above hers.

She was too stunned to speak, her chest heaving, her hand held down by his in a nuch stronger grip.

"I can have you when and how I want. Never take my kindness for some sort of weakness."

Adeline swallowed and then gave a small grunt. Her wound had come undone by the force, and she was bleeding again. The pain filled her, and her eyes slowly filled with tears.

Lucan turned to the wound, and he moved closer to her, his eyes taking her in.

"Now, stay still, and I will fix it."

She bit down on her lips, unable to speak. He moved away from her, then pulled her to a seating position. She gave a small yelp, and Lucan moved her, causing her to rest on him, so less strain was on her waist.

Adeline swallowed, her eyes slowly closing. She could feel Lucan's fingers on her waist, and she hated the fact that she had been this weak.