Chapter 42

Iris woke up the next morning and ran to the window of the tower. “They are already gone,” she said out loud. The door opening made her turn around.
“My lady, I am here to take you to your bath,” a servant said.
Iris followed the servant, and a guard followed along.
They went down the spiral stone staircase and entered another room.
“Is the guard going to watch while I bathe?” Iris asked.
“Only if you want me to,” the guard said, licking his lips.
“Away with you, pig,” the servant closed the door in his face.
‘Guess King Evander will never change his guards,’ Iris thought disappointed.
“You will pay for this!” Guard shouted from behind the door.
“No, you will! King Evander did say that all guards have to respect every single woman as if they are a queen!” The servant shouted and turned to Iris.
“Don’t worry too much about him. I will report him to King Evander for being disrespectful,” the servant said and helped Iris out of her dress.
“This dress looks more like something the Spencers would have their woman wear,” the servant said, inspecting the fashion.
“They do have a peculiar style, don’t they?” Iris chuckled and got into the bathtub.
“I will take this to be cleaned. Unfortunately, Princess Marchelle sends you this servant dress, but I am sure when the king return he will allow you to wear a lady’s dress,” the servant said and put the dress aside.
“I am just happy to be out of that one. There was no nightgown, so I was forced to sleep in it,” Iris said, soaking in the bathtub.
“Have you always stayed here?” Iris asked as she does not remember the servant.
“Yes,” the servant smiled and added a few drops of oil to the water.
After bathing the servant helped Iris dry herself and waited for Iris to dress.
The servant walked to the door and took a deep breath before opening the door.
“Will he try anything?” Iris questioned.
“Let’s hope not,” the servant said, and opened the door. The servant slammed her hands over her mouth, catching her own scream, and shut the door as fast as she could.
“The guard has been killed,” the servant said, leaning against the door.
“The Spencers?” Iris whispered and ran to the window, “it won’t open.” Iris struggled at the window.
“We should get to the room,” the servant said, and slowly opened the door to have a look.
The servant grabbed Iris’s hand and ran up the spiral staircase, giving her no chance to object.
Back in the tower room, the servant locked them in.
“We will be trapped up here,” Iris said, running over to the window.
“It does not appear as if we are under attack,” Iris said, looking out of the window at the landscape of townhouses and the kingdom walls.
“Then there is a traitor inside of the castle,” the servant said, filled with fear.

“I killed the guard, but the tower was empty. Iris was not there. She must have escaped during the night,” Marchelle’s guard informed her.
“How? She was under guard all night!” Marchelle shouted angrily.
“I will send out men,” the guard said and turned to go.
“What men? They are all with King Evander,” Marchelle spat.
“Then what do you want me to do?” The guard asked, throwing his arms up in the air.
“Something tells me she went home for her baby,” Marchelle said.
“Her baby?” The guard asked, confused.
“The queen’s baby. Remember, she was in the queen’s body when she conceived and gave birth to King Evander’s son, so she considers it her child,” Marchelle said and reached for her cape.
“Where are you going?” The guard asked.
“We are going after her and kill her on the way. Also, it will be better for us to be that side than here if things go wrong for King Evander,” Marchelle said.
“We just got here a few days ago and you want to travel back?” The guard questioned, running after her.
“Yes, what else? I can’t let her live,” Marchelle said, fearing that King Evander will just learn to love her as a servant.

After a few hours Iris got hungry and so did the servant.
“Stay here. I will go look what is going on,” the servant said and left the tower room.
Iris waited a short while and was about to leave when the servant returned with a guard.
“What is going on?” Iris questioned.
“Someone killed the former guard, so I will be guarding your door,” the guard said.
“Why?” Iris questioned.
“My guess is as good as yours. Unless it was you?” The guard gave her a look up and down.
“Don’t be dwarfed,” Iris exclaimed at the accusation.
“I will bring you some food,” the servant said, and took her leave.
“I will come with you,” Iris said, and attempted to follow the servant.
“You stay right there. King’s orders,” the guard stopped her from leaving the room.
“How is it going with the king?” Iris questioned.
“Don’t you worry about the king,” the guard said and gave a step into the room before shutting the door.
“What are you doing?” Iris asked nervously.
“What does it look like I am doing?” The guard said and started to take his clothes off.
“The servant will be back any moment and might tell the king,” Iris said, backing away.
“I will be quick?” The guard chuckled.
“What about my needs?” Iris thought to try to postpone and find another way out of this situation instead of trying to fight the guard off.
“Your needs?” The guard asked, surprised at her words, as he was expecting her to fight him off.
“Yes. I am a lady now and as a lady, I expected to be courted and wooed the proper way,” Iris said, standing her ground.
The guard looked at her in confusion.
“You are a very attractive man and I think sex will be more enjoyable if both of us are keen on it but first I need to know if you can be a gentleman,” Iris said.
“Like bring you flowers?” The guard asked.
“And read me poems,” Iris added.
The guard thought about it for a moment and then continued to take his pants off, thinking, ‘since I can’t read, she probably wouldn’t want me.’
“Think about me kissing you and touching you instead of fighting you off,” Iris uttered out.
“I can’t read,” the guard said and pinned her to the wall.
“Then I will do the reading,” Iris said, keeping calm.
“But I want you now,” the guard protested, pressing his erection against her.
“Then you will have me only this once. The servant will tell the king. The king will kill you. Or you can be patient and have me every day for the rest of your life,” Iris said, panicked at his erection pressing against her.
The guard reached up and grabbed her breast.
“That is not very polite,” Iris told him off.
“Sorry, my lady,” the guard said and put his pants back on.
“I will go get you some flowers,” the guard said and walked off.
“I love poppies,” Iris called after him, knowing it is not the season for poppies. and hoped he will spend his days searching for poppies.
“Where is he off to in such a hurry?” The servant said, walking into the room with a tray of food for Iris.
“He was about to rape me! What is it with King Evander’s men?” Iris exclaimed angrily.
“What do you expect of men when their own King behaves like an animal?” The servant snorted.
“He has not behaved poorly for over a year,” Iris defended him.
“Well, now that his queen is dead, he will probably turn into a sex-crazy monster again, bedding whoever he pleases,” the servant said and took his leave.
“Surely his second wife won’t stand for that,” Iris said, before she could leave.
“His second wife?” the servant questioned, looking around.
“Did he not marry his stepsister?” Iris wondered.
“Not that I know of. The servants that came with him here said he has not even touched another woman since the queen left with the Spencers,” the servant said, and
shook her head.
Iris locked the door from the inside and walked over to the window, looking out at the stretch of land that seemed never-ending, “come back to me, my love.”

The Spencers were caught off guard at King Evander's battle cry as he charged with his men, but they were not unprepared since they have been planning a war against him for a while.
King Evander and his men bridge the wall easily and soon find himself inside the Spencer’s castle.
“Always hiding! Come out and face me, you cowards! You think you can fool me by making me think Queen Cerena is dead?!” King Evander roared, slamming ornaments and statues over.
“She is really dead,” a small voice came from behind a table.
King Evander walked to the table and lifted it over. A tiny little servant, shaking with fear, was curled up on the floor.
“Show me,” King Evander demanded.