Pampered by the Villainous Tyrant King

Chapter 43

A/N: I own nothing but plot. Enjoy!

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"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.

It must have only been a couple of seconds, but to Percy, it seemed like his time had stopped. He roughly pushed the maid aside and held his wife in his arms. The knife had sunk half into her shoulder, staining the light blue dress red.

"No...no," Percy muttered. "This can't be..."

He had a fleeting memory of when they had first met, when he had watched the light drain from her eyes after the attack from Kiran.

Damn it, why was she here in the first place when he told her to stay back?

"I-I'm fine..." The queen murmured.

"The hell you are!" Percy yelled angrily.

Her face had turned ashen with her lips pale. Where the knife had ripped into her clothes, the skin had turned a faint shade of green-blue.

Poison. Such an evil move would not have harmed him much except to make him sick.

His eyes flashed red as he looked up. If it were not for his knights who had already pinned Ceto down, he would have cut her head off right then and there.

"I'm glad you're okay at least," the queen whispered. Her eyes closed.

"Your Majesty, we must get the queen help!" Lady Piper pleaded.

Reason flooded Percy's mind. He gathered the queen in his arms. Her body felt so light despite having enough force to throw him out of the way.

"Call for the royal physicians quickly, but do not slip why." Percy caught sight of the maid held hostage who was trying to quietly slip away. "And detain that maid in the dungeons."

The maid looked alarmed. She was clearly a victim who had her throat nearly slashed, so why would they take her in custody? The knights paid no attention to her desperate pleading and dragged her away.

But to Percy, the maid's movements were as clear as day. Ceto had certainly pushed the maid out of the way. However, it was the maid who "stumbled" and threw herself into Percy's way, delaying him by a few precious seconds that now caused the queen to be injured.

"You'll be okay," Percy muttered. "You have to be."

"Are...are you hurt?"

Sweat beads were beginning to dot her forehead. Percy glanced down, worriedly.

"Are you seriously asking if I'm the one hurt? Worry about yourself first!"

Those striking grey eyes were now dull as her eyelids closed.

"I'm glad that I made it in time." She whispered.

Percy grit his teeth.

The queen was laid on a bed in Gardenia Palace. Despite the physicians working to clear her injury, Percy stayed by her side throughout. By now, the poison was working through the queen's system and she lapsed through the borders of consciousness and unconsciousness.

The knife was carefully extracted. Even in unconsciousness, Percy could see the pain and sweat dripping from the queen's pale face. After removal of the knife, the wound still looked terrifying with the edges a discolored red from poison.

"Your Majesty," the royal physician implored.

Percy could only step back and let the doctors do their job. He stepped out of the room where Lady Piper, Lucy, and a few other guards were kneeling in fear. The concern on the king's face had all but turned into barely controlled fury. Should one fault be found, the people kneeling on the ground would have their heads fly off.