The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 101: Change completely

Chapter 101: Change completely

The Queen was shocked by the king’s outburst. She had been married to him for over twenty years and had seen many expressions cross his face; anger, hatred, and cold indifference. But fear? Never.

Yet at this moment, the man before her looked terrified.

It shook her deeply.

From his youth, the king had always been proud and never showed weakness. Now, she could only stand there, staring at him, her disbelief written all over her face.

At that moment, the physicians also heard the noise from the king’s chamber. Because of his illness, they had been waiting in the outer hall.

"Your Majesty," the Queen called softly.

Earlier, when she had seen him holding a knife, she had thought he was losing his mind. But now, she was even more convinced of it.

The king, who had just shouted at her with all his strength, suddenly felt weak as a fresh wave of pain assaulted him. It was as if he had snapped back to reality; realizing that he had only been dreaming.

"Your Majesty," one of the royal physicians called as they entered.

"Check on the king," Queen Mary commanded, relieved to see that his usual indifferent gaze had returned. But worry still gnawed at her. If her husband was simply ill and dying, that would be one thing. But if he had gone mad? That would be far worse.

The physicians examined the king, but none could determine how to treat him. In just a few hours, he already looked worse than he had earlier.

Physician Nathan frowned. He had a keen sense of smell, and something about the king’s scent unsettled him: it reminded him of death. Yet the king was still alive.

"Your Majesty, shall we put the king to sleep again?" Physician Nathan asked hesitantly.

"No! No."

The king’s sudden refusal shocked everyone. Since they had entered, he had barely spoken a word. Earlier, he had even ignored all their questions.

"Let’s go outside," the Queen said, noticing that her husband looked frightened again. If the king was really going mad she intended to keep it a secret.

"Wait."

The king’s voice stopped them as they were about to leave. He did not want to be alone in the room. He also did not want the physicians to see him looking scared. But above all, though he hated seeing the Queen’s sorrow, she was the only one he could trust at this moment.

After all, they were husband and wife. They had children together. What affected him would affect her and their sons as well. "Let the Queen stay," he said.

The Queen was surprised but returned to his bedside.

"Do you need something, Your Majesty?" she asked after the physicians had left.

"Send for the seer. And... accompany me," the king said.

The Queen was surprised again. She knew that the king relied on the seer; that was not unusual. But for him to ask her to accompany him?

That was unexpected.

Their marriage had only truly been a marriage in the early years, when he had still been a prince. Once he became king, their relationship had become one in name only.

He had chosen a mistress and doted on her. Other women surrounded him constantly. When there were no pressing matters, he would host lavish banquets, entertaining himself with beautiful courtesans. His behavior had been disgraceful, but she had no choice but to cover for him.

At that time, their children had still been young. If rumors of his debauchery spread too far, someone might have used the opportunity to stir rebellion. She had done what she could to secure her future and, more importantly, that of her sons.

There had never been much love between them. Their marriage had been one of duty.

Her father, the Duke of the Seventh Region, had been a powerful man. The previous king had feared he might rebel, while her father had believed that peace was the only way to protect the common people. To prove his loyalty, he had married off his favorite daughter, her to the royal city.

At the time, the second prince, her husband had no chance of ascending the throne. She had expected to live a quiet life, perhaps even gain the title of Duchess later and move away from the royal palace of the king Knit death.

But everything had changed within three years.

The king had fallen ill, leaving the Crown Prince to handle the affairs of the kingdom. But mistakes were made; some so deliberate that it seemed as though someone was actively working against the royal family.

Though murmurs of discontent grew, nothing drastic had happened. The crown prince continue to take care of state affairs.

Until the fateful hunting trip.

The two princes had gone hunting as usual, only to be attacked by a bear.

The Crown Prince had been gravely wounded. He could not be saved. Even her husband had barely survived. Many believed both princes would die that day.

When King Knit received the news, he suffered a heart attack; one that ultimately led to his death a few days later.

One after another, King George had lost his brother and his father. And so, the throne fell to him.

At the time, he had still been recovering from his injuries, and many had tried to take advantage of his weakness. But he had been wise. Within a year, he had secured his place as king and brought the kingdom under control.

During that time, the Queen had admired him. She had thought herself fortunate to have married a man who could protect his family.

But she had never expected him to change so completely once his power was secure. The king was ruthless, so even if he made mistakes with his conduct no one dared to question him.

The only fortunate thing was that he had never tried to harm her or their sons. Though she resented him as a husband, she could not deny that he was a good father; he always wanted the best for their children.

She had little say in the kingdom’s affairs, but she had little reason to complain. She had the honor of being Queen. The only thing she lacked was her husband’s love.

But fortunately, she had never been deeply in love with him. So it had not hurt much.

Or perhaps she had simply grown so used to pretending that she did not care, that she had convinced herself it was true.

"Could you increase the oil lamps? The room is too dark," the king murmured.

His voice was careful, almost hesitant.

The Queen, startled by his request, began to wonder what he had dreamed about to make him this frightened.

Although the king was close to the seer, she had never thought of him as a man who truly believed in ghosts.

"Your Majesty, the seer has arrived," came the eunuch’s voice from outside.