You, nothing
“Your majesty, please stop. What you say makes no sense. How could I cheat on you?"
Lady Abba said with tears in her eyes, as she saw the sharp dagger that the king was pointing at her. Her only hope was that the king was angry about the banquet and that he was bluffing. Yes, that must be it, since there was no way he could know for sure.
“Husband, don't say that when our baby is born, you will love him, or her deeply. Now you're angry, and your temper doesn't let you see. Don't kill your own child, don't kill Mahala's heir." Abba's chest rose and fell rapidly. The anxiety she was experiencing right now, not even in her worst days in Bodoro had she felt it.
However, the king did not lower the dagger, nor did the fury in his eyes disappear, quite the contrary.
King Alcott raised his other hand and slapped her in the face, causing Lady Abba's head to turn away. She, speechless, looked up at her king.
But Alcott was not finished. He crouched down to her level and removed the hair that covered half of her face with the dagger. Lady Abba did not dare to move, and only out of the corner of her eye looked at the pointy object that was very close to her eye. Sweat began to drip from her forehead.
Alcott brought his face closer to hers, putting his lips close to her ear, and in a low voice, he said, "I'm going to tell you why I'm sure that child is not mine."
The king got up and took a few steps back. Abba followed him closely only with her eyes, afraid to lose him for a moment. Lady Abba was a very strong person of character. Her life with her father has shaped her into who she is now. But today, she was crying like a baby. Unable to defend herself.
"Never spill my seeds in you, not a single one." Alcott watched with satisfaction at his second wife's broken expression, filling his heart with satisfaction.
"My queen is the only woman who will be the mother of my children." Pointing the dagger at her, he continued, "You, nothing."
The inferno in the king's heart spread around the room suffocating her, and letting Abba see him for what he was. A madman in love, capable of anything. Not only a king.
Abba let out a groan of pain. She did not love the king, but the cruelty he was exerting against her was straight to her soul.
“That afternoon I was not going to sully the sacred place that my queen and I have shared since we joined our lives. Nor did I want you to leave your scent or any trace of your presence. In the same way, I was not going to dirty my sheets. We use yours for that purpose.”
Lady Abba's disbelieving heart was breaking into pieces. What she saw that night was not at all what the king was describing. His virility did not lie, and neither did the long hours they spent together.
“In fact, it was the worst night of my life. Holding my seeds in for so long made me sick, but they never left my body. I did not waste them on you, because each one of them is reserved solely for my queen.”
Lady Abba's sense of femininity was trampled on, creating a void within her. It was over for the poor woman at the king's feet.
As the world she knew ended, she found herself in limbo. It is most likely that her father will kill her if she does not end up dead at the king's hands. As her fire slowly burned out, she was left with only her suffering and regrets.
Taking her gaze away from the king, Lady Abba bowed her head, hiding her shame beneath her hair.
Meanwhile, in the visitors' palace, King Soto enjoyed a hearty dinner, accompanied by the best wine from the land of abundance. This is how the neighbouring kingdom of Forever Green was known. The king had his eye on it because of the richness of its vegetation. All kinds of fruits and vegetables could grow there, giving the best quality. And this wine was proof of that.
With his head, he ordered one of his poor servants to pour more wine, and when she finished, the king instructed her to refill his guest's. Finally, with a wave of his hand, the king dismissed everyone who was in the room, serving them.
Alone, King Soto raised his goblet and said, "Let's toast, my friend, as our moment is drawing near."
In front of him, Sir Garson Olivansis raised his, and the two together drank until not a drop was left.
Sir Garson took a napkin and delicately wiped his lips. “Of course, my esteemed king. There is nothing that I want more, and I wait with open arms. It is time for my tentacles to sail to other lands. Mahala is running a bit short for us right now. My family and I need more, and that is where you, my dear King Soto, fit like a glove."
The two powerful men laughed non-stop, rejoicing in their hearts at their plan, imagining the moment when Mahala's throne and riches would fall into their hands.
Late at night, King Alcott was deep in thought, pondering his next move, as he waited in his watchtower for his spy. These hours that he was locked up here allowed him to calm down from the terrible encounter he suffered when confronting his second wife. No, not his second wife. He will not refer to anyone else by that title, except his beloved Amberjill.
Distracted from his thinking, the king abruptly got up from his seat due to the noises he heard outside. Alcott, drawing his sword, and on guard, waited for the intruder to enter through the door.
With a kick, Shadow flung the door wide, struggling to get inside. His burden was not making his job easy, quite the opposite. The spy, tired of climbing the stairs with his prisoner on his shoulders, threw him to the ground, trying to catch his breath.
King Alcott lowered his sword and looked at the package that was on the floor. Shadow, when he recovered, walked towards his prey, and bending down, opened the sack in which he had contained the man, uncovering his head.
Sir Perseus shook his head violently, yelling to be released through the gag Shadow had placed on him. But when his enraged eyes landed on the king, he stopped short.
