His and His Only Queen **BOOK TWO**

Chapter 15; Taruma

Guards lead us down marble stairs and down a hallway until we hit the banquet room. I pushed aside the memories of Jackson's impersonation and focused on my main target- Axel.

My fists balled at my sides as Axel rose from his table end and pulled a chair out. The same chair I had sat in the last time I had stayed here; I slightly shook my head and sat down in the plush dinning room chair.

Axel nestled down in a chair to my left while Winston and Jameson sat across from me. Axel sat at the end of the table with me at his right hand, the original royal sitting arrangement.

I cleared my throat and broke the silence. "I will ask politely only once, Axel." I warned him before continuing. "Free Chester and Penny."

Axel raised his eyebrows as his eyes scanned down my dress, which surprisingly covered my skin completely.

"Is this the only reason why my Queen has returned to her castle?" Axel inquired.

"Yes Axel, I'm only here for Chester and Penny." I stated.

Axel sighed and nodded, he motioned for the servants to place our platters in front of us. Once the servant lifted the cover of my platter, surprisingly a fresh piece of meat laid on the white porcelain plate. The steak has replaced the salad Axel had given me for dinner my last day here.

"Eat, you'll enjoy it this time." He muttered as he neatly sliced his steak into bites.

I picked up up my fork and pressed down on the steak, a crimson juice leaked out and surrounded the piece of meat. Images of Jackson's blood flashed across my eyes, my hands began to shake causing me to drop my fork.

Winston met eyes with me and noticed the trauma engraved in my eyes. I glanced down at my hands to see a strange red liquid beginning to drench them. I stared at the them in horror as the sticky liquid soaked between the cracks in my skin.

Axel glanced over at me and scowled at me wondering why the hell I was staring down at my hands. I suddenly jolted up from my seat and began to see a crimson puddle seeping out from underneath the table. The blood kissed the toes of my flats causing me to recoil quickly back.

"What the hell is wrong with you, mi pájaro?" Axel inquired as he gazed into my wild eyes.

Curious to why blood leaked out from beneath the table, I bent down on my knees and gazed straight into glossed over white eyes. A scream erupted out of me as Jackson's dead body was bestowed in front of my eyes.

His broken porcelain body laid stiffly under the table on the marble floor. Blood dripped down his awkwardly bent neck onto the floor causing the puddle of blood. Jackson's icy cold stare twisted my stomach into a knot as I was wrenched from my knees. Axel held me at arms length, holding up my melting body.

Tears stung my eyes and guilt stirred in my stomach. The murdering of a man has settled in my head and began to play tricks on my mind.

"What happened to you out there?" He asked sternly, barely making it sound like a question.

I opened my mouth however no words fumbled out, my throat swelled up as I shifted my eyes to my hands. The once sticky, red liquid had dissipated from my hands and my pale skin had replaced it.

"I-I killed a- man." I stuttered trying to get a grip on reality.

Axel sighed and pushed me back down into my chair before sitting down. He removed my platter from my view and placed it on his empty one.

"Who was he?" Axel questioned blankly.

"My mate's brother, Jackson."

"What makes him so special as to be your first kill as my Queen?"