Chapter 9: Jealousy

Alaric fixed the white suit he was wearing for the ball.

Jestina specially handpicked that clothing for him.

That night, he would officially announce that Jestina Castemont was becoming his royal concubine.

Minister Castemont organized the said royal ball to welcome him.

Little did the people in the palace know he was in touch with Minister Castemont during the two long years of his absence. 

Through the old minister, he and Jestina reconciled.

Her being his royal concubine was a part of their plan of kicking the two Eliphas holding the highest positions.

He promised her it was only for the meantime. She would be the queen because she was the rightful one for him.

Alaric’s mind stopped from imagining when he saw the queen approaching him.

She was wearing a silver gown embedded with seemingly beautiful crystals.

Seeing such a beautiful woman approaching while straightly looking at him made catastrophe inside his mind.

In all honesty, he admired her outside appearance, but she was still the daughter of the evil chief minister.

The only thing he could say out of disaster inside him was — “You looked stunning,” he said in a low tone of voice, almost whispering.

The queen was taken aback by his words.

He looked away to hide his embarrassment.

The reaction on her face triggered him to reminisce about that night two years ago.

Her soft skin, her warmth, all of her reactions.

Everything about that night lingered inside his mind for two years while he was away.

Sometimes, he had vivid dreams about that night. He would wake up empty, feeling like he was missing something.

His two years of the journey were no joke.

They met with Sir Gareth Martini, a former Grellis knight.

He told them everything he knew about Chief Minister Eliphas’ misdeeds — including bribery and plunder. The old minister worked with some current sitting officials, with the provincial councils working under them. 

He had already accumulated millions of wealth in just a few years of being the chief minister. 

But since the evidence that Sir Gareth held at that time was still lacking, Alaric and his men embarked on a journey again to gather more evidence that would highlight every avaricious official’s misconduct.

Every day on that journey was like hell for Alaric, but he endured it all in the name of his revenge. The only escape he could make in those trying times was when he recalled the night between him and the queen.

He tried his hardest to forget everything about that night.

He kept saying that Jestina was the one for him, but the queen’s memories kept haunting him.

Alaric could even remember her scent when he was dreaming.

Alaric thought he was so angry at her that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

Alaric ended his contemplation and then extended his hand to the woman in front of him. They had to enter the royal ball, holding each other. It was a tradition for monarchs to show strength and unity.

The queen reached for his hand, and for some reason, he felt different with her touch.

They strolled together towards the stairs.

The people cheered upon seeing them.

His eyes automatically looked for Jestina.

He knew she would wear a white dress, partnering up with his suit.

At the bottom of the stairs, Jestina was standing, looking at him, staring at the queen’s hands intertwined with him.

Her eyes were full of contempt and jealousy.

And upon seeing Jestina’s countenance, he immediately let go of the queen’s hand and hurried to his lover. 

The people cheered for them when they got into each other’s arms.

Alaric didn’t know why, but when they touched, he didn’t feel anything like the way he felt whenever he and the queen collided.

He then took a quick glimpse in the Queen’s direction and saw her walking alone with her cold-blooded emotion. 

“All these things, and you still haven’t had an ounce of emotion in your damn face!” he thought angrily.

Then he talked to the surrounding people.

He wanted to see the queen’s reaction, to be honest.

“I have a special announcement to make tonight. I officially declare Jestina Castemont as my concubine. I hope that Jestina’s addition to the royal family would boost the morale of the nobility,” Alaric said with conviction.

Then he looked around to see the reaction of the two Eliphas. 

But the chief minister was not around, and his daughter was watching while drinking her glass of wine without giving a damn about anything at that moment.

Alaric got annoyed.

The slow music started to play.

“I love this music! I remembered dancing to it every time with you when we were children,” Jestina told him with a beautiful smile on her face. 

Her voice woke him up from staring and thinking about the queen.

He smiled back at her. “So you say, shall we dance?”

 He extended his arm to her, and Jestina reached for it.

Alaric then took her to the hall’s center of the dancing lovers. 

The people focused their attention on them.

The two of them perfectly dance to the music.

They had been dancing to that forever. 

“By the people’s reaction, it seems they wanted you to be the queen,” Alaric said to the woman he was holding.

“I can wait as long as I am the only queen in your heart,” Jestina answered him dearly.

Alaric pulled her closer upon hearing her say that. He was happy that they reconciled and fixed their relationship. He could not wait for her to sit on the throne that belonged to her from the start.

Alaric then heard the murmuring of the people inside the hall.

He looked around to see his cousin, Keane Clementine, kneeling in front of the queen.

“Can I take you to dance, my queen?” Keane said to the woman in front of him. He was smiling from ear to ear.

The queen was also smiling at him. “Please, I will follow your lead.”

The two of them went to the dance hall, holding each other’s arms.

The people’s focus on them shifted to the pair, who struggled to dance but were still comfortable with each other.

The smiles on their faces were like those of lovers who hadn’t seen each other for a long time. 

“Come to think of it, the last time I saw the Queen smile at me was the first time we met. After that, she has these cold-blooded eyes every time I see her,” Alaric thought.

“Do you want to rest for a while?”

Hearing Jestina’s voice, Alaric went back to his situation. He noticed he had been staring at Keane and the queen for some time.

“Yes, I will just sit and drink some wine,” he answered her while smiling to hide the unusual feeling inside.

 Alaric sat in one chair in the corner. The people were still watching and talking about the pair, who were laughing and dancing terribly.

“They make a good pair, I guess.”

“It was the first time Keane asked someone to dance. Even the famous womanizer was mesmerized by her! What a witch.”

Regardless of the murmuring inside, Keane and the queen still focused on each other while talking. They were laughing like they were the only ones inside the enormous hall.

Alaric clenched his fist.

Something was throbbing painfully inside of him, and he didn’t know what it was.

He drank the wine he was holding in one gulp.

He remembered the reaction of the two when they met upon the return of Keane and his men. They called each other Dragon and Phoenix. 

“Did they know each other?” He asked himself.

Suddenly, a man wearing a black suit approached the king and handed him a piece of paper. 

The king’s naturally blue eyes seemed to darken upon reading the letter. “Find the man,” he just said.

“Yes, your majesty.”

Alaric continued to drink more wine.

****

The sun’s scorching heat that day added a grumpy feeling to Alaric as he woke up with an aching head because of over-drinking last night.

“Damn it,” he whispered. Initially, he didn’t plan to over-drink alcohol, but when he saw the queen and Keane happily talking to each other, he couldn’t stop liquoring up.

He stood up, and the maids assisted him in changing clothes when they heard the yelling of the maids outside his chamber.

“What is that?” he asked in annoyance. The maid’s high-pitched noises were hurting his head more.

Danko entered his chamber and informed him, “There was a commotion outside, your majesty.” 

Alaric’s eyebrow furrowed. “What is it about?”

He then walked outside his chamber and went toward the commotion. The maids and Danko immediately followed him.

Alaric was surprised to see who was involved in the commotion — Jestina, her maids, and the queen’s servant, whom she called Leilana.

Jestina’s maids were all yelling at the queen’s servant.

“You are disrespectful to Lady Jestina! You are just a mere maid!” One of Jestina’s maids retorted.

“These things are gifts for the queen. It’s my duty not to let anyone touch her things!” Leilana replied, not willing to back down from her stand.

“Why are you fighting?” Alaric asked in an annoyed tone. The maids suddenly behaved and bowed down to his presence.

One maid answered him, “Her grace just wanted to see what the queen’s servant’s holding was because she was amazed by the colors. But she reiterated that she couldn’t touch the queen’s things since her grace was just a concubine.”

Alaric’s face became sour upon hearing the maid’s words, “Is it true? You said that?” He turned his sight on the queen’s servant.

“No, your majesty! I just said they couldn’t touch the queen’s belongings without her permission,” Leilana answered with a shivering voice.

“What is it you’re holding, then?” Alaric asked the trembling servant.

“They are gifts from commoners for the queen.” 

He then gazed at his Jestina, who had sadness plastered all over her face.

Alaric then pulled the things from the queen’s servant’s hands and threw them to the ground.

“Don’t act all too mighty just because you are on the queen’s side!” Alaric shouted. His voice rang in everyone’s ears who witnessed the scene.

Leilana kneeled. “Your majesty, it is not my intention-”

He cut her attempt to reason and continued to his angrily shouting.

“Put her in prison for four days, no food or water. It is for disrespecting the King’s genuine lover,” he ordered the knights standing behind him.

“Your majesty! I didn’t do anything!” Leilana cried while the knights were dragging her. 

The pain in Alaric’s head had intensified with all those noises.