The King's Lover
Chapter 247: Queen Violeta’s Fear

Chapter 247: Queen Violeta’s Fear

"Seal your lips!" one of the ladies yelled. "Your Majesty, please send her to the dungeons. A simple task, and as always, she does it wrong. Lord Elrod has been bedridden for days now because of a useless servant, and now the crown prince has his ring back."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I believe she will only bring further disappointment. We will get a better, more useful servant. It was my mistake—I never should have brought her. But this will not happen again," another said.

"She might be useless," the third said, "but we might not easily find another servant who can get close to the peasant whore with the guards on the floor."

"This would have been the perfect opportunity to get rid of the whore permanently, but this useless servant keeps getting in the way."

Welma didn’t like the way the conversation was leaning. It seemed two of the ladies were in support of getting rid of her and punishing her, while one seemed to be on her side. Welma thought it was weird, as they were never at odds.

She needed to tip the scale in her favor, or she might actually get punished. Just what had she gotten herself into? She should never have agreed when the ladies walked up to her—but it wasn’t like she could exactly decline. She worked in the castle.

"Rose is leaving with the crown prince for Futherfield in four days," Welma blurted out, the consequences be damned. She prayed that this news would be able to distract them from the failed stolen ring attempt.

"What did you just say?" the Queen asked.

"Please forgive me for speaking out of turn, Your Majesty, but Rose said this," she whispered.

"She’s lying. There’s no way the crown prince would take a peasant whore on his journey," one of the ladies blurted.

Welma’s heart fell to her stomach when she said Rose’s name, but the noble women didn’t seem to notice. She couldn’t see their expressions, as her face was still to the ground, but no one was yelling at her.

Queen Violeta went quiet, and her eyes lost their focus. The ladies immediately went quiet when the Queen no longer spoke.

Welma could hear nothing but her breath against the floor. She couldn’t tell what was happening, but it didn’t sound like they would take her to the dungeons anymore.

"Are you certain?" Queen Violeta asked. Her voice was quieter.

"Yes, Your Majesty. She told me herself." <a href="https://.com">.com

"Your Majesty, she might be saying this to save her neck. Securing Futherfield is important for the kingdom. The crown prince wouldn’t just take her with him."

"At this point, we cannot say," one of the ladies added, and the rest went quiet.

"What else do you know?" the Queen asked, her voice softer. It was almost like her anger had dissipated but that wasn’t the case, rather it had compressed into something denser.

Welma slowly shook her head. "That’s all," she whispered. "I couldn’t find out more information before I was called," Welma lied easily.

"Find out all that you can!" the Queen said and stood to her feet.

She took a step forward and her ladies tried to go with her, but Queen Violeta put out a hand to stop them, and they understood. There was only one place they couldn’t go with the Queen.

Queen Violeta stepped out of her room and rapidly made her way to the King. She was ushered in immediately but had to wait in a smaller section of the King’s bedchambers for a while before she was told the King could receive her.

Queen Violeta walked into the room and King Gaius sat on the bed. The pillows propped him up, but even that couldn’t stop him from slightly leaning to the side.

He looked older than the last time she had seen him. His black hair was now all white and thinning. He was smaller, paler, and she could see his bones sticking out.

Queen Violeta did her best not to show any reaction. Her husband had always been of weak constitution, and it was one of the reasons he had been harsher on their son. It had also affected their marriage—but not enough to bother Violeta. She was Queen.

Violeta sat on the chair that had been set up for her close to the bed. The room smelled of herbs and death. She didn’t like to think about it, but she knew her husband didn’t have long.

Gaius coughed twice, and a physician held a handkerchief to his lips. He wiped the King’s lips, and blood stained the white fabric. Violeta felt cold. It was worse than she thought. Gaius always chased away all the physicians, but right now, one remained.

"Violeta," Gaius called softly. "You have come to see me more times than ever in the past two months. What is it this time?" Gaius sounded weak, but he spoke clearly.

"You didn’t tell me you had gotten worse," Violeta whispered.

"I get worse every day," Gaius said with a tired laugh, which led to another round of coughs and the physician frantically wiping his lips. <a href="https://.com">.com

"But..." the rest of her words drowned out at the King’s stare. "Don’t you think it is time?" she asked, changing the subject. Gaius hated the topic of his illness.

Gaius opened his mouth to speak but coughed again, and the physician had to give him herbs to drink before the coughing subsided.

"I am sorry for bothering you, but your son cannot refuse an order from you. He might hate it, but he has no choice but to obey the order of the King."

"You and I know using force will only backfire."

"I am not asking that you order him to get rid of the whore, but shouldn’t the crown prince be married by now? We were married long before your father, the late Majesty, died."

Gaius closed his eyes at his wife’s words. One would call it cruel, but he didn’t think it was. Violeta always spoke like this.

"You think marriage will stop this?" Gaius asked.

"No, but I fear a peasant whore might end up being Queen if you don’t stop your son!"