Chapter 35

Marchelle reached the queen’s room, saw the prince’s guard outside, and found the prince safe and sound in the arms of the wet nurse. “Where have you been?”
“Chamber pot room,” both of them lied at the same time. They thought since everyone was busy, they could have a quicky.
“Right,” Marchelle said, taking the prince from her arms and left. The guard followed her, but she stopped him, “no, stay.”
“Princess, you know I cannot leave the prince’s side,” the guard protested.
“Really? I guess you can come with and explain to the king where you have been so that he can behead you on the spot or you and your lover can make a run for it with your heads on,” Marchelle threatened in need to be rid of them.
The guard and the wet nurse did not think twice and made a run for it.
Marchelle walked as fast as she could to find King Evander and sent her guard to go find the king.
King Evander was relieved to hear his son is safe and made his way back to the castle, calling all his men of the search, “the prince is safe, leave the queen if she no longer wants to be my queen.”

Iris woke up in the arms of the guard, her head hurting, “Please, take me back.”
“Don’t make me hit you over the head again, my love,” the guard said as he continued to walk away from the castle with her.
“You have it all wrong. I don’t love you! I don’t know who you are!” Iris slammed his chest.
“We made love, and you told me over and over that you loved me,” the guard said, and increased his grip on her.
“Let go of me! You must have been dreaming!” Iris cried. “Help! Help!”
Iris bit the guard as hard as she could on his shoulder.
“Ahh!” The guard screamed in pain and dropped her. Iris leaped forward and started to run, but the guard jumped her, and his gigantic body brought her small frame crashing down to the ground.
“Please,” Iris whimpered.
“Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to,” the guard said, inspecting her body in the dark.
Iris kicked and screamed.
“Hey! Let her go!” Prince Remington shouted when he heard the familiar voice of Queen Cerena.
“She is mine! She loves me!” the guard said, pulling his sword.
As soon as the guard turned to face Prince Remington, Iris tried to take her window of opportunity but the moment she got on both feet she fell to the ground inagony, crying.
“Cerena?!” Prince Remington called out to her, drawing his sword as he started the sword fight with the guard.
Prince Remington had sword skills like no other and quickly ended the guard’s life.
The prince put his sword back into its holder around his waist and picked Iris up, “my sweet, sweet queen, I should never have left you behind.”
Prince Remington regrets his decision to give up Cerena, especially since he knew his sword skills are equal to his cousin’s.
The prince walked into the castle and took her straight to her room.
“Is she ok? What happened?” Princess Aisley caught up with her husband.
“She is hurting. Maybe a broken bone. Go get a healer,” Prince Remington demanded.
‘I hope she dies,’ Princess Aisley thought before walking away to go find a healer, even though she had no intention of putting in an effort. Princess Aisley was tired of always hearing reports about queen Cerena and did not like the fact that her husband, along with the rest of the world, was so fascinated by her beauty. ‘Her bloody former servant was more beautiful than her,’ Princess Aisley thought.

“Bring a few extra candles to the queen’s bedroom,” Prince Remington demanded the servants when he walked past them.
The servants were shocked to see the blood all over him but went on their way to fetch more candles.
“You; go fetch the king,” Prince Remington ordered a guard.
He laid her down softly on her bed, “can you tell me where it hurts?”
“Everywhere,” Iris cried.
Iris looked around the room, “my son!”
“Where is my son?!” Iris exclaimed.
“With princess Marchelle. She took him to the king,” one of the servants said, rushing into the room and lighting more candles.
“The king thinks you tried to run away with his son,” Prince Remington said in a soft voice.
“What? What made him think that?” Iris questioned.
“Bring me water and a cloth,” Prince Remington requested from the servant.
“When princess Marchelle doesn’t find you or the prince in here, she sounds the alarms,” the servant explained, bringing water and a cloth over.
“Typical,” Iris said before letting out a scream when Prince Remington pressed the wet cloth against her ankle.
“I hope it is not broken. Go see what is taking the healer so long,” Prince Remington told the servant.
“Right away,” the servant said before running off.
“May I?” one guard asked, stepping closer.
“You may not,” Prince Remington declined, possessive.
“I can check if she broke any bones. Your father’s army commander had a healer train us, remember?” the guard reminded prince Remington.
“Of course, go ahead,” Prince Remington said and stepped aside.
The guard started with her arm, “it is dislocated.”
“I know that, but the healer should be able to sort it out,” Prince Remington said.
“Ahh!” Iris cried as the guard popped her dislocated arm back into place.
The guard inspected her ankle, “it does not appear to be broken. We can wait for the healer to give her something for the pain and steady her ankle by wrapping it, or I can wrap it and go to the kitchens to gather a few spices for the pain?”
“Prince Remington, I hear the queen hurt herself after trying to run away?” the healer accused, walking into the room.
“I heard you would like to keep your head,” Prince Remington said sarcastically.

After the healer inspected the queen, he came to the same conclusion as the guard.
“I will make a mixture for her for the pain and send it with a servant,” the healer said as he wrapped her foot.
“My guard will go with you and oversee it. I am aware King Evander’s subjects are not too fond of his queen,” prince Remington instructed his guard to go with the healer.
“That is not entirely true,” Iris said, looking over at the servants that had been nothing but kind to her.
“Perhaps if she showed us kindness, we would show her kindness,” one of King Evander’s guards snorted.
“Kindness by spreading her legs like the king’s sister?” Prince Remington spat, drawing his sword and pointing it at the guard’s throat.
“Please stop killing my guards,” King Evander said. The guard sighed, relieved, before leaving the room, taking up his post.
“Not only did I find her, but I also saved her life,” Prince Remington explained, reminding King Evander of his words.
“I am forever in your debt,” King Evander chuckled sarcastically.
“Not at all. She will leave with me after the celebrations in a week,” Prince Remington said with confidence.
“What?” Iris questioned in shock.
King Evander rested his hand on his sword, “everyone, leave us.”
“She belongs to me now, so I suggest you leave,” Prince Remington said, facing King Evander and mirroring the king’s behavior by resting his own palm on the handle of his sword.
“I belong to the king,” Iris said and tried to sit up. A painful groan escaped her mouth that made Prince Remington flee to her side.
“Don’t get up,” Prince Remington said, faffing over her.
“Are all of you death? Leave us,” King Evander roared and made everyone leave.

“The medicine for her pain,” Prince Remington’s guard walked into the room.
“I have my own healer that will tend to her,” King Evander objected.
“Majesty, your healer prepared it,” the guard bowed his head.
“Then give it to her,” King Evander spat.
“First you could not get rid of her fast enough and now you are acting as if she is your most prized possession,” Prince Remington challenged after Iris fell asleep from the medication.
“Yes, mine. Best you remember that. I knew you would put the effort into finding her if you thought there was a chance for you to have her again,” King Evander laughed.
“You are such a liar! You are just going back on your word because she is mine now!” Prince Remington stood his ground.
King Evander drew his sword first, but Prince Remington was faster and had him pinned to the wall. The guard rushed into the room and all of them had their swords at prince Remington’s neck and his one guard.
"You dare to draw your sword at your own family?” Prince Remington hissed.
“You dare to take what is mine, so we are even,” King Evander laughed back, putting his sword back into its holder.
“At ease,” King Evander demanded his men.
Prince Remington did not ease and was still holding his sword at King Evander’s neck.
“I tell you what; I will sign a treaty that if I die before you then you can have her,” King Evander chuckled nervously.
“You are truly going to go back on your word in front of your guards?” Prince Remington questioned, bursting with anger.
“I never said I promised,” King Evander slowly pushed prince Remington’s sword away.
“You know as well as I know that the word ‘promise,’ does not have to be attached to make it a commitment,” prince Remington said, holding his sword steady.
“A duel then, the winner takes all,” King Evander eventually said.
“I only want the queen and her son,” Prince Remington said, and put his sword away.
“My son?” King Evander hissed, “why not make your own?”
“Then what do you mean by winner takes all?” Prince Remington questioned.