Althea watched one of her maids pour dark red liquor into her tall glass while two more young girl in the black maids' uniforms were serving her guest––Duke Kalder paid the queen an unexpectedly late visit but, having been her loyal supporter for so many years, he knew that the woman would never turn him down.
Once the maids finished serving the wine, they quickly left the room, and Althea started, "I was under the impression that you were busy today, Your Grace."
The old man grinned as he swirled the wine in his glass before taking a sip. "Do not worry, Your Majesty, everything will be done perfectly, per usual. One of the leads I got pointed to a young Gypsy dancer who might be the one you are looking for. I have sent my people to get her."
Althea nodded understandingly, drinking her wine as well. "Then, I assu, you wanted to haver her fun with her first?"
Duke Kalder chuckled, the red liquid spilling from his lips. "She has a similar build. I would like her to wear one of the princess' dresses while I have her. Do ask one of your servants to get sothing pretty from Lorelai's closet."
The queen nodded again. "Of course, Your Grace. Whatever you like."
She closed her eyelids, hiding her tired brown eyes, and pressed her cold lips against the glass.
'Old pervert,' was the only thought that popped up in her mind.
Duke Kalder's interest in young, fragile-looking girls was no secret; in fact, every single noble knew about that peculiar fetish of his. All his prostitutes or the commoner girls he would buy to spend a night with, always looked similar, yet he was never satisfied because no one looked like Lorelai.
His obsession with the princess' appearance was understandable, thus, nobody ever questioned his tastes. However, it was not his obsession over the body that was so terrifying, but the way he liked to crush it.
He wanted all of his won to resemble Lorelai. Princess Lorelai, who was weak, fragile, and crippled.
Crippled to the point that she could not run away from him.
He did not like his won running away from him.
"Just make sure the girl can still breathe once you are done," Althea finally said out loud. "I need her alive."
The man laughed again and was about to reply when suddenly, the two of them were distracted by a loud commotion outside the queen's drawing room.
"Let see His Grace, now! I am one of his n! He is expecting !" A screeching, shaking voice pleaded from behind the door and the guardian knights standing outside the door tried to subdue the screaming man.
At last, one of the royal knights asked for permission to enter the room and once it was granted, another guard brought in the intruder, securing his arms behind his back.
Duke Kalder almost jumped from his seat, dropping his glass on the floor and spilling the wine.
He recognized his knight and yet, the man shaking in front of him looked nothing but a ghost of a man he had sent to the Gypsies just hours ago. Pale as snow, eyes opened wide in terror, his armor still dripping with blood.
"What happened?! Where are the others?"
He marched toward the guards and motioned for them to release his man. The knight fell onto his knees, his entire body shaking as he struggled to utter the words.
"B-beasts... They were––they were not Gypsies like before... The beasts... ca to help them."
Duke Kalder shot a worried glance at Althea and the latter quickly dismissed her own knights with a brief jerk of her head. Once they left, the old man grabbed his knight by the neck, his beady black eyes running over his blood-stained face.
"What do you an the beasts helped them? The mbers of the delegation?"
The knight nodded frantically. "The k-king himself! He-he left alive to c-co back here and send you a warning!"
"King Rhaegar?" Althea tried to confirm and the knight nodded again.
"He-he said to not c-co back there again. Or else... we will have t-to deal with him."
"Interesting," Althea returned to her chair and picked up her glass again, pouring more wine into it. "The lycan king attacked one of our noblen's people while protecting the Gypsies he had never t before, huh?"
"This is outrageous!" Duke Kalder shouted, throwing his knight on the ground and motioning for him to leave. "How dare those filthy animals touch my n?! In my own kingdom! He committed a cri against us!"
The queen shot him a nacing glare and the man bit his tongue. His mistake was calling Erelith "his" kingdom in front of the ruling monarch.
Althea continued, "While it is true that he committed a cri against our people, he is still the King of the Beast Land and our honored guest. I have no idea why he would defend the Gypsies but I guess we can figure it out later on. He did not harm you directly, which ans you cannot accuse him of anything and seek justice."
"But, Your Majesty! How can you say sothing like that?! I am soon to be the Archduke of Erelith! This title ans a lot!"
Althea narrowed her eyes in irritation, gritting her teeth behind her thin, red lips as she tried to compose herself.
Yes, it was true that Vincent Kalder was second in power in Erelith, and since he was also her loyal supporter involved in many of her intricate and devious sches, the queen could not simply dismiss such a situation if she still wanted to remain on the winning side herself.
Luckily, there was one thing she could do to both punish the lycan king and put him back in his place. And she was certain that the duke would appreciate it as well.
"Do not fret, Your Grace. King Rhaegar thought he was sending us a warning by attending the celebration when in fact, there will be very little he would actually enjoy here."
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