No one speaks after that, but something irreversible settles over the table.
This is no longer about weakening a king, it is about replacing him.
Chapter 26
Back in my chamber, Aileen helps me take down my hair. It’s been braided all day and now falls to my shoulders in dark, intricate waves. I run my hands through it to untangle the mess, while Aileen is laying out my sleep garments for me.
“What did you think of tonight?” Aileen asks.
“I will need a day or two to put my feelings in order. I was aware people wanted to limit Charles’s power—and I agree—but replacing him through any means necessary is something I do not know how to support.”
Aileen nods thoughtfully. “He is your husband after all, and the father of your children.”
I stop with my hands still tangled in my hair. “Please don’t think I will turn my back on the opposition; that is not what I am saying. My loyalty lies with my family, my friends, and the subjects in and outside of this kingdom. Charles has not been kind to me, but I can’t help but feel that there must be another way. My main concern, though, is replacing him with someone who seems equally as unstable…”
Aileen sits down next to me in front of the mirror and watches me brush out my hair. “I understand, I truly do. To be honest, I never thought my father would go so far as to involvePepin in this. My guess is that they are all tired. They have been fighting for years to no avail and are now considering more drastic measures.”
“Of course, the opposition has been draining their own funds for years in an attempt to stop Charles, and they have poured their time and effort into securing their own estates. It must be exhausting to not see the results.” I put the brush down.
“Let the events of the past few days settle and we’ll come back to this conversation,” Aileen suggests. “I believe that nothing is going to happen any time soon, and there is still time to shape the actions the opposition is going to take.”
When Aileen leaves, I sit on the bed. My candle has almost burned out, so I set aside the letters I have been receiving from Charles and my family and get comfortable under the covers.
* * *
Wake up!
I jolt awake. Something moves inside my room, and I grab the candlestick on my dresser.
“Who’s there?”
My only answer is someone breathing heavily.
I can see the outline of a man standing at the end of my bed, a towering frame with a hunched back.
“Pepin, please leave this instant, or I am going to call for my guard,” I say with force.
My heart is beating out of my chest.
While I cannot see the details in the dark, I recognize his shaky hand movements. He is stroking his cock, andit looks like he is holding my clothes in his other hand, holding them up to his face.
Bile rises up my throat.
“So beautiful, Fastrada,” he rasps, his breathing uneven. “My father might be a bastard, but he has excellent taste. You smell like a summer flower, so wild and untamed. I want to bury my cock inside your sweet pussy so badly—”
I don’t know what comes over me, but I throw a pillow at him. It is a pointless gesture, but at least it takes him by surprise and gives me a short moment to get out of bed and rush for the door.
Before I can reach it, he grabs me by the hair and pulls me back hard. I scream out in pain, but his hand closes swiftly over my mouth. I can smell the muskiness of his dirty cock on his hand and try to bite, but his grip is too strong.
“You gamble boldly for a queen whose crown rests on a madman,” he whispers, with wet lips touching my ear. “I could be tempted to keep you alive when I finally take the throne, if only you’d play nice with me.”
His hand is pressing so firmly on my mouth and nose that it’s getting harder to draw a breath. Memories resurface of Charles towering over me, choking me, and suddenly I feel it. The ring on my finger, warming up, pulsing ever so slightly.
Pepin lets go of me.
He looks confused, befuddled even, and still he approaches again, pushing me hard until my back hit’s the wall near my bedroom door.
“What are you? Are you a witch, Fastrada? Is that it? Have you enchanted my father? Are you doing the same to me?” He is angry now, stuffing himself back into his trousers.
