Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 178: Queen Mother’s Murderer

Chapter 178: Queen Mother’s Murderer

{Music recommendation; Runaway by Peter Baert}

"What are you..?..!! Haa..!!!" Nichole tried to speak in-between his choking, disbelief and shock painting his visage at the sudden ominous change in her once panicked demeanor. He hastily struggled to free his throat from the harshness of the vines embrace, but they felt indestructible. When she took a step forward, he moved back, but the vines got tighter, and he could feel the pressure from the vines turning his face red as he was unable to free himself or call out for help.

His voice was critically strained as he tried to snap her out from whatever spirit may have possessed her into doing this, into trying to kill him, but the more he tried, the tighter the vines became until he could no longer breathe. His eyes mystically turned scaly gold like that of a reptile, the course of his life at risk was already triggering his dragon to come out, but at the nick of time, a booming voice approaching their direction had stopped everything.

"Little Lamb!"

Ivan’s reprimanding tone broke through the dark spell, his rich familiar voice making its way into her ear, her mind and soul recognizing him, whilst she blinked her eyes, returning to her normal confused self. A gasp of horror escaped Samantha’s lips at the sight of Nichole getting seriously strangled by the vines she had manifested without knowing. In an instant, she set him free from the vine’s hold, magically unwrapping them from his throat, and with her green eyes awestruck, she watched as he coughed profusely while gasping harshly for some air.

"Your... your Majesty?"

Her body automatically flinched as Nichole stumbled the other way to support his weight by placing his hand against the wall, his throat sore and red from the vines mark. Samantha’s bewildered gaze moved to see the baffled Ivan making his way towards them, and he was unable to hide the shock from his eyes considering what he just witnessed. Alain hid behind him, his doe brown eyes staring cluelessly at what just happened, but he felt a little terrified without understanding why.

"Are you alright?" Ivan asked Samantha after making it to her side, his gaze holding his concern as he studied her perplexed expression. Her heartbeat pounded unsteadily, overtaken by a sudden adrenaline rush, and there was a mixture of fear and confusion in her gaze. She shook her head upon noticing Nichole who was still struggling to gain his regular breathing back, and her hands clutched to the edge of the table behind her.

"I promise you I... I didn’t..." she looked at the perplexed Ivan, unsure of how to explain what just happened here in a way that would make sense to him. "I’d never hurt anyone I... I don’t know what happened here but I didn’t do it. I came here to get some water and he wouldn’t let me go and I just... it just happened but I promise I didn’t do this, I didn’t do it intentionally... I wouldn’t try to kill anyone."

"You’re a fucking witch!" Nichole exclaimed in-between his coughs as he backed away from the paranoid woman, shaking his head in disbelief as he eyed her up and down. "Did you really just try to end my life with those things?! Are you aware of the consequences you would have suffered if you dared to stain your hands with royal blood?! Huh?!" He was raising his voice in rage, his golden irises still reflecting his dragon’s fury as his chest heaved in reaction. Samantha shook her head with tears pricking her eyes, unable to say a word as his rage was beginning to frighten her.

"You can harm her in your Kingdom, but certainly not in mine. Don’t forget that you were the one who brought this pathetic predicament upon yourself." Ivan stepped forward, shielding his confused, teary-eyed little lamb from the threatening gaze of Nichole. "Do you need me to report your disgusting actions to your wife and people? All of your irritating scandals, I have the evidence to prove that you’ve been cheating on your innocent little wife, not only that but the illegal bribes you’ve been receiving from other Kingdoms, so we’ll do it like this; You better keep your mouth sealed about what happened here, and I won’t have to make you leave my Kingdom, disgraced and humiliated."

Ivan proposed a strict deal, and Nichole massaged his strained neck before narrowing his golden eyes into a glaring slit, his tongue tied. He was nearly killed today by this woman, but now he’s forced to also cover up her evil deeds?!! If it were anyone else he’d spit on their faces right now, but when it came to Ivan, he knew he was the inferior one, most especially now that the land has returned to what it used to be. He was already on Ivan’s bad side, and he couldn’t afford to get deeper as it would leave his life hanging on a balance the way it did a few minutes ago.

"What do you say?" Ivan waited for his response, and from Nichole’s body language, he knew the man could not refuse as it would stain his clean reputation. He was no different from Eamon, they were always the devil dressed in white, manipulating scumbags, but if he was going to set the kingdom right, he would have to handle the witches first before coming for Nichole.

"Have it your way." Nichole submitted to defeat as he stepped back, his eyes returning to their normal color. "But beware of her, she’s not safe to be around, and I hope you realize this soon before it becomes too late." Shifting glances between the two of them, he turned around to exit the place, and most importantly, getting his neck checked.

Ivan turned his attention to Samantha who was still in the middle of recovering from her ordeal. When he placed both of his hands on her trembling shoulders, her body jerked in startlement, but after realizing the one holding her was Ivan, it reduced her antsy. Her eyes were glazed the more she remembered how her vines almost strangled Nichole to death, and if Ivan hadn’t interrupted her on time, she couldn’t bring herself to imagine the trouble she would have placed everyone in.

"Ivan I.."

"It’s okay, don’t think about it." He consoled softly, making her look at him questioningly. He saw what she did, or what she was about to do, and even after being a witness to her own inexplicable actions, how is he able to look at her in the same loving manner?

"Won’t you question me at all?" She asked, visibly stupefied, "I almost killed someone in front of you but–"

"But you didn’t, the bastard is still able to walk." Ivan murmured as his hand reached forward to cup her right cheek, and he said firmly, "I don’t care if you hurt someone out there, I’m only ever concerned when they hurt you in return. Did he touch you in any way?" His eyes scanned her body, but when he met her green ones that softened after listening to him, she shook her head slowly.

"No, he didn’t hurt me but... but why are you here? I’m glad that you are but how did you–"

"Well, your new friend came to get me." Ivan’s gaze diverted to Alain who had climbed one of the chairs and was reaching for the cup of juice on the table. Samantha followed his gaze, and her eyes sprang wide.

"You mean Ali? When he left I thought he was running off again, but he came to get you?"

"Hmm." Ivan nodded, moving some strands of her hair behind her ear. "And I’m glad he did. A few more contenders are left before the first round comes to an end. You’ve seen Maurice do his part, so there’s no need to wait. If you don’t feel like staying I can always send Lucy to follow you back to the Palace. Get some rest and wait for me to return."

"But..."

"You can explain everything to me when I return to the Palace to meet you." He kissed the top of her forehead. "If you want we can both leave this Field together, we’ll have the Palace to ourselves, just the two of us. Doesn’t that sound tempting?"

"You are King, you should be here." To hide her sudden blush, she buried her face in his chest while succumbing to his embrace. Just like that, he had eased her frantic mind.

"You can leave Lucy too, she has been excited to see the tournament till the end. I’ll return to the Palace myself and wait for you." She pulled back to find him pondering on her own decision.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She glanced at Alain who had finished the cup of fresh juice and was licking his lips. "I’ll have to return him to his parents before I leave."

"After you." And he followed Samantha out.

He personally selected a Carriage that would take her back to the Palace, and Samantha could feel her heart swell as she observed how well he treated her. When she returned to the Palace, the place was quiet as usual, and when she recalled everything that happened with Nichole, it made her body shudder.

For the past few days she was made to believe that the whispers would no longer bother her, she thought it was the end as the rest of her days went by smoothly, but untimely, the voice had compelled her into killing Nichole. Was this really her soulmate doing? How did he know she was with someone or was he secretly watching her every move without her knowing?

Brushing her hair away from her face, Samantha made it through the labyrinth path, but she stopped in her gait upon sighting Lady Agathe who went through a strange door that led one to the deeper path of the dungeon, but why was she going there?

When the door closed, Samantha made her way towards the door and opened it, but when she looked inside, she saw no one but a darkened pathway that was illuminated by torches on a stick. To make sure the woman was alright, Samantha followed the pathway she predicted she must have taken, as there was only one, but before she could call her name, her lips automatically shut themselves when she found her standing in front of a prison cell that had Caddel locked within.

Instinctively, Samantha hid back in a corner.

So this is where Ivan had kept him. But why was she here?

"I can never understand human kindness no matter how hard I try." Lady Agathe mused to the young man inside the cell. "For the sake of your other members, you choose to rot in here while they roam freely, I should learn a thing or two about being so compassionate." She chuckled mockingly, sounding unlike her usual calm self.

"What do you want?" Caddel, unmoved by her words, demanded from her, and she smiled cunningly before feigning empathy.

"I mean, you’ve been doing a good job hiding the truth that I was the one who killed the Queen Mother, so I have to come from time to time to show my gratitude, don’t you think?"

Samantha’s eyes momentarily bulged from her socket. She killed the Queen Mother???

When she made attempts to flee from the scene, Samantha ended up knocking off a chair behind her, alerting Lady Agathe of her presence.

"You!!" Her eyes widened in alarm after spotting the human girl.

"Run!" Caddel bellowed at Samantha who immediately took to her heels.