ONYX

Chapter Three

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                    T H R E E
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"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods."

–C.S. Lewis
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Alessandra hadn’t slept all night. While tossing and turning in bed she’d thought of her father—the King. She knew of his fate the moment their skin touched. Although he didn’t know what would happen, she did. She knew the effects would take their time to kill him. By morning, he would be dead. She wanted to go to him, but to do that would only reignite his anger or worse. He might lash out this time.

She couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position in bed because there was a growing pang in her stomach that’d spread to her chest. Her father was dying and she couldn’t save him. She was useless. She wished that her mother could do something to make it go away, but even a mother can’t protect their child from the truth.

Curled in a ball, Alessandra sobbed. Though he hadn’t been the best father, she was still his blood. She loved him even though he hadn’t given her much of his time growing up. She didn’t remember him much as a young girl because he’d purposely removed himself from ever coming in contact with her.

King James couldn’t help it, although he didn’t show it, he loved his daughter— be it in his own way. She was a pawn, an asset that would win him more allies in different kingdoms. It angered him sometimes to think that his wife had failed in producing a male heir, the child that did survive had still won his heart. It’d been why he’d held off on the engagement for so long. Perhaps she really did have a harrowing condition that would make her unfit to marry, but not being able to know or see it had bothered him more than he let on.

Nights were always long, but on this night it felt particularly longer. King James shuffled through all the paperwork at the table, signing official political agreements made by him and his private council such as laws and a new proclamation on taxes. He was running low on money and if his kingdom was poor then he’d be looked down upon by other royals in the continent. That’s why it was vital for Alessandra to marry Prince Daniel, he had the money and the ships for trading and he had connections that would also give him access to imports.

If only she understood, if only all of them understood the pressure it was to rule. It bothered the king most nights that only one out of five of his children that he bared with the queen had survived. With each death of a child, it evaporated any hope that when he died then the kingdom would be left in capable hands. Alessandra was his only living heir, but a woman could not rule alone.

There was so much to do, and so little time.

“Boy, bring me more wine.” The king ordered the servant standing stone still against the wall. The boy bowed lowly then quietly exited King James’ chambers.

Now, he was finally alone.

Leaning back into his seat, he sighed. It’d been a long day. The party functioned smoothly as always, but all of those damn gifts. None of them were worth much value for him to sell to a high profit kingdom so they would have to be stowed away like the other gifts before them.

“What has my king so distressed?” A sultry voice inquired from the bedroom. He’d almost forgotten that he wasn’t truly alone because he’s had a guest visit him at the exact time every night for the past year now. She’d been one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting before King James decided to make her his own as a fulltime mistress.

“I’m not sure you really want to know.” The king responded, stacking his papers to the side to make room for her.

Lucille sashayed over to her King and took the place on the table just in front of him so he’d have full view of her. She was practically glowing in her white cotton gown and her golden curls cascaded down her back. She’d undone the first button of the gown that way she put on display a teasing amount of cleavage.