In the woods 1

This has been the very moment I've waited for. The moment when hopefully, Queen Charlotte will tell me what is really going on in this palace and especially with Prince Liam. Queen Charlotte got me some of her clothes and after I dressed up, she gave me some water.

"Here, drink this. You're cold." She said.

"I'm fine your majesty. I'm not tasty." I responded.

"You don't have to be tasty to take it, it's warm and you're cold. It'll only keep you warm." She explained.

"Thank you," I responded and took the water from her. "You seem better than earlier." I said.

"I am. Being sobby and sad won't bring him back you know." She then inhaled and continued "Nardin, I'm sorry it took this long to let you know this about your husband. I only thought we could control it." She said.

"It's okay. You don't have to be sorry, we all have our secrets so just go on and tell me." I said.

"Right. Twenty-nine years ago I met the love of my life. I was only nineteen at that time. I had never been in love and so that one time I was, I didn't want to lose him. We dated for four years before he married me. Four years because his parents didn't accept me outrightly. He had just lost his father and needed a woman by his side in other to become king."

"You speak of king Albert?" I asked.

"Yes him. We got married before his coronation and I was the happiest woman alive. But... After twelve months I had no child but that wasn't the issue, the issue was that Percy's mother showed up with baby Percy in her arms claiming it belonged to my husband. King Albert could not deny it and since I was with no child, he didn't want his first son to stay out of his home so one day, I overheard his conversation with his friend Zed. Zed the physician. Albert wanted to take in Percy's mother as his second wife but Zed was trying to discourage him. He thought it'd be better for him to keep the child with his mother and take care of them from the palace other than bringing them in. Zed believed it'd cause nothing but trouble and he had his belief that I would also have a child and that I needed time to conceive but it wasn't happening. I... I..." Now Queen Charlotte was sobbing. "I couldn't imagine sharing him with another woman after just twelve months of marriage and to speak of, a woman who already bore him a son. So I got desperate, so desperate. I mean I know that in our world men are allowed to have as many wives as they wish to but no woman would want that. You wouldn't want Liam to take a second wife, would you?"

"No." I said calmly.

"Exactly. So I resorted to seeking a male child in every way I could until my half-sister took me to a priestess of the dark miracles. The priestess, in turn, led me to the devil himself...." She sighed and continued "and then, then the devil asked that I made a deal with him, that my son would be the prince of darkness. He'd give him all the powers he'll ever need to fight off his enemies. I agreed out of desperation but it didn't end there, the devil had us make another sacrifice I wasn't even aware of. He needed to take a life to create a new one so my cousin sacrificed herself, her life so Liam could come into existence." She narrated.

"I'm so sorry." I said but she ignored my apology and continued.

"I'm so sorry I married you for Liam Nardin, I only did because I didn't want him to lose the crown, he sure didn't want it or care about it and I knew that if he married someone he never loved, he'd never be sexually attracted to her."

"And if he is?"

"He can't Nardin. Liam is as good as a devil now. He's the prince of darkness and a devil cannot ever fall in love."

"You haven't answered my question yet. What happens if Liam is sexually aroused or attracted to a woman?"

Queen Charlotte tried hard not to answer that question even after I insisted. She was not even ready to talk about it.

"Great, if you won't speak to me about it then I'm going in there to consummate my marriage with Liam."

"You can't Nardin."

"Yes I can Charlotte, and I will." I responded.

"Nardin you have to listen to me. This is not a time to be stubborn." She said.

"But you're the one still keeping secrets your majesty. You're the one who wouldn't tell me the entire truth, so I think you're the one being stubborn here." I said and headed out to our room.

"You're going to regret this Nardin." Queen Charlotte echoed but I completely ignored her.

When I got into our room I didn't see my husband anymore. "Liam?!" I called out but got no response. Our door was open and there was no sign that Liam was in that room. I looked around the entire room and didn't find him but when I looked through the window I saw someone like him riding on a horse into the darkness of the woods.

"Huh. He's leaving again." I muttered then quickly left. I met a guard on the way.

"Are you alright my princess?" He asked.

"No. But I will be if you ride me across the woods. I... I... I can't ride a horse. I've never done it before. You can ride a horse at night I suppose." I said.

"Yes I can but may I ask what you seek in the woods my princess." He asked.

"I'm following my husband. Now, are you riding me or not?"

"Your wish is my command, my princess." The guard bowed and we left together to get on the same horse.

"Hold tight my princess." He said as he held my hand and I climbed the horse sitting behind him.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Let's go." I responded and he rode off, galloping into the woods.

Soon we got to a three pathway in the woods and he halted the horse.

"Lights, which way to go right now." I muttered.

"I think his horse went left." He said pointing at the horse trails.

"Oh, perfect. Let's go." I said but instead of moving the guard screamed in pain and bent his head.

"Hey... What's going on with you?" I asked in horror then tried to lift his head, that was when I felt the blood on his chest.

He was dead?