Beautiful Cries

Chapter Fifteen: Bitter Hearts

The silence that permitted itself throughout one of the royal carriages as it drove back to the castle was nearly suffocating, the Queen sitting regally on one side while the King stared at her furiously on the other.

His eyes were narrowed and his mouth formed an unpleasantly straight line as he watched his Queen for any slip up, any movement that indicated her fear of him, but there was none.

She continued to stare out the window sightlessly like a blind man, maintaining the posture of a statue as Poseidon thought of what he could say to reprimand her.

When he opened his mouth, ready to rain as much fury as he could upon her, she turned her gaze to his, her shoulders visibly sinking as she took in his angered position.

"I know what you're going to say, my King," she uttered cautiously, something that Poseidon never associated with his Queen, "but there is neither regret nor remorse that I feel towards what I've done."

Poseidon settled his trident against the carriage wall, his eyes clouding over while he glared at his wife.

"What you've done, Amphitrite, is unforgivable, and punishable by death if I so deem fit."

"Then order it." she replied curtly, not wasting any time in staring back out the window.

Poseidon was stunned speechless, her statement catching him off guard as he inspected her more closely.

He couldn't remember the last time he had really gazed at his Queen in love. It had been weeks if not months, for he always found himself busy with the jobs his brother Zeus placed on his head and the women who constantly berated him.

Now as he looked at her, Poseidon frowned with the way her skin had lost the pallor it once had, the glow from her skin was gone, she was far skinnier then the last time he could think of and what troubled him even more was how unabashedly she accepted his statement of death.

"What do you mean order it?" he asked briskly. "Executing my wife would cause a scandal so large it would involve all seven seas."

"Scandal hasn't seemed to bother you before." Her words came out barely above a whisper, her eyes centering directly on his. "I don't see why removing your wife from the equation would create anymore scandal then you already have, it would rather make room for more of your women to take the crown."

"What do you mean 'my women'?" he barked out. "I have had no women, Amphitrite, since--"

"Since my birthday celebration." Came her throaty reply as she refused to look him in the eyes any longer.

Yet again, Poseidon was silenced, his anger flourishing in bounds.

Grabbing his wife's hand he jerked her body to his, making it so that she was so close that he could feel her breath on his skin and she could feel the sinew of his heated muscles through her lace gown.

"I never--"

"I saw you." she gasped out hoarsely, her eyes beginning to brim over with her tears. "With one of the maidens from the ball -- in our bedroom. So do not tell me you haven't been with a woman in some time, Poseidon, because you and I both know you never let the beautiful ones get away."

"Amphitrite--"

She raised her hand to halt him before disentangling herself from his arms to move to the other side of the carriage, sitting as far away from his as she could.

"I've known you haven't cared for me in centuries, Poseidon, because despite the fake apologies and every refusal you've made in bedding a woman, I have forgiven you. I've given you my heart again and again for you to shatter into more pieces every time you do it."