“To interrogate that servant. I want to know why she did this to her. You take care of her while I’m gone.” He replied.
“I will.”
Alessandro went to the dungeon where they were holding the servant. When she saw him enter her cell, she trembled in fear because the king seemed furious.
“Why did you attack the princess?” he asked, his voice as cold as ice.
“That damned woman’s father killed my husband on the battlefield! It was only right that I did the same to her!” She said without remorse.
“Tell me, who ordered you to kill her?”
“No one. I only did it for revenge. Your Majesty wanted to kill her too, right? Everyone in the kingdom wants her dead.”
“What rubbish are you saying?”
“Your Majesty hates her too, for being the daughter of your enemy! You want her dead too! I only did Your Majesty a favor.”
“You’re completely insane.”
“I’m only telling the truth! Even though she’s your wife, you haven’t consummated your marriage. Your Majesty has ignored her since she arrived here. Your Majesty has never considered her his queen! She’s just the princess of the enemy kingdom, a sinner who must pay for everything she has done!”
Alessandro took the sword from one of the guards and slit the servant’s throat. As she choked on her own blood, he looked at her with contempt and said, “This will be the fate of anyone who dares to touch my wife.”
Alessandro turned and left the dungeon. As he walked through the halls of the palace, the servant’s words echoed in his mind. Abril had been attacked because of him, because he had never treated her like his wife. Even if he didn’t like her, she should have had his respect. He knew this perfectly well. However, he had only ignored her, forgetting that she existed, letting her live a miserable life, and making everyone think that she deserved to be punished for the sins her father had committed. For all his sins, she had to pay even though she was just an innocent young woman who was not to be blamed for anything.
Alessandro returned to his room. Cassian was by Abril’s side, waiting for her to wake up.
“You should go to your chambers, Cassian.
“What happened to the maid?”
“She’s dead.”
“Did she say why she attacked the princess?”
“For revenge and hatred,”
“Is that all?”
“Yes,”
“What are you going to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“When she recovers, are you going to let her go back to that house? Let her be alone?”
“No. She can’t go back there. It’s dangerous. Someone else could try to kill her, like now.”
“She’s not going to like it when you tell her.”
“I know, but I can’t keep the promise I made to her anymore.”
Cassian walked towards the door. As he passed Alessandro, he said, “Take good care of her.” When Cassian left, Alessandro approached the bed, sat on the edge, and caressed Abril’s cheek. She was cold. She looked so fragile, so small. For the first time, he realized that she really wasn’t the enemy. She was just another victim of that war that had brought so much pain.
*****
Abril was unconscious for three days. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Alessandro. He put his hand on her forehead.
“How are you?” He asked.
“I’m thirsty,” Abril replied.
Alessandro took a glass of water, helped her up, and helped her to drink. When she finished, she said, “My stomach hurts a lot.”
“You were stabbed. It’s only natural that it hurts. The maid who attacked you? She won’t hurt you again. She’s dead. I took care of her personally.”
“I didn’t do anything to her, but even so, she…” Abril’s voice broke, and she began to cry. “Why do I have to pay for something I didn’t do?”
Alessandro gently stroked her hair, comforting her. “Don’t cry, or your wound might open.” He wiped her tears and handed her a handkerchief.
Abril blew her nose and said, “I would like to go home.”
“You can’t.”
“What?”
“You need to recover.”
Abril was aware that she was in no condition to go home, that the best thing she could do was wait to recover, so she stopped insisting.
Over the next few days, Abril realized that the servants had changed the way they treated her. They were respectful and courteous to her. One day, when Cassian had come to visit, she said, “The maids are acting strange.”
“Has anyone been rude to you?”
“No, on the contrary, they have all been very kind and respectful. That’s what’s weird.”
“You are part of the royal family, Abril. So, their treating you that way is normal.”
“I know, but I’ve never received such treatment, so it’s strange to me.”
“If anyone is disrespectful or rude, don’t hesitate to report. That person will pay with their life for insulting the royal family.”
Alessandro had been listening to the conversation between Abril and Cassian. As he entered, he said,
“You are my wife. You have complete freedom to punish anyone who dares to offend you. You can punish them however you wish, no matter what, even if that means death.”
“I would never do that. I couldn’t bear for someone to die because of me. I am not like my who is mad for blood.” father
Cassian seemed to sense he was intruding. He stood up and said, “I have something urgent to attend to. See you later.”
After Cassian left, Alessandro sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on Abril’s forehead to check for a fever. He had begun doing this every time he returned to their chambers, no matter how much she insisted she was fine.
“How is your wound? Does it hurt?”
“It still hurts.”
“I’d like to see it. May I?”
Abril nodded.
As she still couldn’t move very well, Alessandro pulled back the blankets and helped her raise her nightgown. He could see her bare legs and undergarments. He looked at her face to gauge her expression. She seemed calm, with no trace of embarrassment.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” Alessandro thought as he helped her sit up so he could remove the bandage.
Abril winced as she sat up.
“That hurts.” she complained.
“I’m sorry.”
Alessandro thought the wound would heal faster due to her powers, but that wasn’t the case. It was healing slowly.
“Do your injuries always take so long to heal?”
“Yes, although I think that’s normal.”
Alessandro applied a fresh bandage and asked, “Do you get sick often?”
“Not anymore, but when I was younger, yes. I always had a fever. I wasn’t very healthy. But that changed as I grew up. Now I hardly ever get sick.”
As he finished applying the bandage, Alessandro noticed small scars on Abril’s legs. He touched them with his fingertips. Abril blushed. That was new to her. Though she didn’t seem ashamed to let him see her body, she did blush when he touched her.
“How did you get these scars?”
“It was when I fell into the rose bushes three years ago.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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