Chapter 161
Pain bloomed across my cheek, but I refused to flinch.
I stood tall, my head held high, and forced a slow, mocking smile onto my lips.
Her nostrils flared.
Lucian only chuckled, shaking his head. "You always were defiant."
I leveled him with a glare. "You'll regret this. You will regret all of this! I promise you!"
His smirk widened. "Oh, I highly doubt that."
His mother took a deep breath, composing herself. "Lucian will be Alpha king soon," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Which means you have no right to these chambers anymore. They are meant for the Alpha King and his Queen."
I narrowed my eyes. "I am still the Queen."
Lucian let out an exaggerated sigh. "Not for long. When I am sworn you I shall move the motion to depose you as the Queen. You won't taint this castle any longer with your rotten blood."
At his signal, two guards stepped forward.
I stiffened. "What do you think you're doing?"
Lucian's smirk didn't waver. "Removing you from these chambers."
"You can't just throw me out of my own chambers!" I hissed.
The royal concubine's lips curled. "Oh, but we can."
I whirled to Lucian. "You have no right to—"
"Enough," he interrupted. "I would prefer if you walked out on your own, but if you insist on making this difficult..." He gestured toward the guards.
Before I could react, rough hands grabbed my arms.
I struggled, but their grip was unrelenting.
"Let me go!" I spat.
Lucian sighed. "You're only embarrassing yourself."
I fought harder, but it was useless.
"Don't forget, Ariadne," Lucian murmured as I was dragged toward the door. "You are nothing here. Nothing."
I met his gaze with pure hatred. "Rowan will come back for me. When he comes back you will pay for all that you have done."
Lucian laughed. "If he's still alive."
The words sent a chill through me, but I refused to let him see my fear.
As the guards hauled me out, the last thing I saw was his smirk and his mother's victorious smile.
And then the doors slammed shut behind me.
I had been thrown out of my own chambers.
Like I was nothing.
....................
As I picked myself up from the floor and walked away from the chambers I was violently thrown out from, I felt immense pain in my belly. The guards had been a little too harsh on me, throwing me around like I was a rag doll.
I managed to make it to the physician's chambers all alone by myself, garnering many looks from the castle staff who chose to watch me writhe in pain.
When I finally made it inside the royal physician's chambers, I collapsed before I could reach him.
He rushed towards me, helping me up.
I sat on the edge of the physician's examination table, my hands pressed protectively over my swollen belly. My body felt unbearably heavy, exhaustion threatening to pull me under, but my mind was racing. There was no time to rest.
"Please," I whispered, my voice raw with desperation. "Induce the labor now."
The royal physician, Aldric, looked at me with deep concern. He had been tending to me ever since I arrived at the castle—one of the few people I still trusted in this place. But even he hesitated now.
"Your Majesty," he said carefully, "this is not a decision to be made lightly."
I swallowed hard. "It's not a decision at all, Aldric. It's a necessity."
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I understand your fears, but forcing labor early is extremely dangerous, both for you and the child. You are barely at term. The baby's lungs might not be developed fully. There's a risk of—"
"I don't have a choice!" I snapped, gripping the table. My voice shook, but I pushed forward. "Lucian is planning to take the throne. He's already bribed my guards. He's already made arrangements to hand me over to Braam. Do you understand what that means?"
Aldric flinched. "I do."
"He forged a letter in my handwriting," I continued bitterly. "Sent it to Rowan, telling him everything is fine. Rowan doesn't even know what's happening!"
Aldric exhaled sharply. "You're certain of this?"
"He showed me the letter himself," I spat. "Lucian is confident, Aldric. He knows he's already won. Unless I do something."
Aldric was silent for a long moment, his fingers gripping the back of a chair as he considered. "And you believe having the child now will stop him?"
I nodded. "I found something in the records—years ago,I know it can help."
His brows furrowed. "That is true, but it was a unique case. The council could still try to twist it—"
"But it's something," I insisted. "A chance. And I have to take it. Don't you think?"
He rubbed a hand down his face. "If we are to proceed, we must do this carefully. Are you in pain?"
He asked and I nodded.
"I was pushed out of my chambers by the Royal concubine and Lucian. My belly hurts so bad."
The physician touched my belly.
"Let me examine you. If the child is in distress—"
"Then we make sure he survives. Bo matter what,"I said firmly.
Aldric exhaled slowly. Then, finally, he gave me a small nod. "The child appears to be fine. There is a way," he admitted. "But it won't be easy."
I gripped the edge of the table. "Tell me."
He turned away, gathering a few medical instruments, as if trying to buy himself time before he spoke again. "A natural birth might be too much for the baby," he finally said. "And for you. Your body is under extreme stress and pain already. The safest way to ensure the child's survival would be to—"
He hesitated.
"To what?" I pressed.
"Cut the baby out."
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