Chapter 15: Nicholas

Nicholas p.o.v.

" And you, Lord Arthur...what benefits you in this?"

He smirked, leaning over his chair as if waiting for this exact question, " Unlike Lady Katerina, I don't want her dead, I just don't want princess to marry king Aldrich...I want her for myself."

Want her for myself...Like Xenia is some piece of land, he could come and demand. And did he even look at himself, how old he is... twenty-eight, thirty? Ugh, at least younger than me, didn't he?

I sighed, trying not to glare at his ugly green eyes; didn't want them to think I'm too possessive over Xenia, I cleared my throat, " Didn't you have a wife..."

" Yes, but not a mistress.", He countered, staring up at the ceiling, " Since I saw her portrait, I couldn't stop thinking about her.", he rasped, looking back at me, " It cost me a fortune to buy that painting..."

What should I do with this girl...Xenia definitely might ask any artist to make her portrait discreetly...and that Artist obviously sold that to the highest bidder. Not knowing how Xenia looked, gave every Lord and King a reason to be fascinated by her. And...that made me so fucking angry.

Taking a deep sigh, I control those lurking demons of jealousy and focused on the more critical problem, which was; what else this fucking Lord wanted, " Not just princess I suppose?", I pressed more, making his smirk grow wider, " After you become king, England would stop intervening with a legitimate succession of the French crown"

And as I suspected, he wanted to overthrow King Aldrich and took his place. Seeing that confidence on his face, I could tell, he definitely had something big planned already to claim the throne.

" Also England will stay away from our territories...", He added further, making me frown, " Exactly what territories we are talking about?"

"Border of Guyenne.", He stated and that made me chuckle, " And now you will say, Normandy, Anjou, Poitou too, right?", I taunted.

" Yes."

" These belong to the English throne."

Lord Arthur banged his head on the table, anger was clear on his face, " According to you people whole of France belongs to the English throne...", he spat.

" Yeah, because it is..."

Stop...fucking hell. What was I doing...These territorial disputes didn't concern me anymore. Coming here, wearing these clothes and talking to these fucking people was a big mistake. I rubbed my face, standing up from the chair, " Enough.", I groaned as I looked back at their shocked faces after seeing my sudden outburst, " I'll have no part in this, I am a priest, these matter doesn't concern me anymore.", I declared, " And I serve only one person, Alexa Queen of Scotland, second of her name..."

" Xenia, I know her real name.", Lord Arthur interrupted, " When I said, I admire her...I was serious about that.", he smirked, looking like some frantic man.

" I will make sure to inform your admiration for Xenia to King Aldrich."

Just imagine, that king didn't even want anyone to see Xenia and when he will find out his cousin wanted to make her his mistress...I won't even need to do anything they all will kill each other themselves, leaving us fucking alone.

My eyes glared back at everyone in the room, including my father, " And if any of you even thinks about doing anything to Xenia...make sure to answer yourself to Rome.", I threatened," Don't make his Holiness excommunicate you people, or interdict your whole country. "

The serious pale expression on their faces was enough for me to know my threat did hit the right spot. Right now, even kings are afraid of the pope and avoided doing anything to make him angry. After all, they won't be considered monarchs without kissing his hand and getting a coronation from the pope himself. However, my terms weren't that good with his holiness...but he will still choose a priest's word over these people.

" He won't do that...", Katerina disputed, making me smirk at her, " Oh, he sure will...why do you think I was sent here for Xenia in the first place?"

Fuck...Why the hell did I say that, even Xenia didn't know why I am really here...Vatican had its own politics in this all and I was nothing but a pawn in that.

" You can't protect her forever.", Katerina snapped making me glare at her wicked amber eyes, " Remember this Katerina if you ever lay even a finger over my Xenia...then I won't hesitate to pick up the sword again."

" Your Xenia?", Lady Annie interrupted, making me realise what I just said, her face had this knowing smirk, I couldn't understand. Clearing my throat, I looked down at her, " She is my daughter."

" Sure she is!"

What's up with her peculiar comments? Sighing, I just ignored her as she was always a weird child.

" Now, if you all excuse me, it's time for my prayer...I should go back.", I declared and turned around but couldn't take a step as a guard just stood in front of me, his hand on his sword.

" What made you think, I'll let you go...not until I get rid of that weak queen.", Katerina said from behind. I just need to nod twice at the shadow coming slowly inside the hall and the next thing I saw was that guard on the floor; blood, gushing out from his slit throat.

As I said to Xenia, I didn't need a sword. I have these killers. However, they all belonged to Xenia now and It was the first time, I used them for myself. Before that, I used to kill my enemies myself...another one of my sins before taking celibacy.

I glanced at another guard who was going to take a step towards me, didn't he see all these shadows, surrounding us? Almost everyone knows these spies and how dangerous they could be. I sighed, " Stay where you are if you don't want to be next."

" You brought Lethals with you?", Katerina shouted from behind, making me look back at her, " What were you thinking, Nicholas, I mean Father.", she corrected.

" I didn't, my queen must have sent them as she didn't trust you all.", I lied, I myself bring them with me, just in case they tried to do something like this and I didn't want to kill anyone with my own hands...however, a man died today because of me, and there was no doubt, I'd sinned. A priest should have never been involved in a situation like this. But it was undeniable, I couldn't let them stop me from going back to Xenia. She will be all alone in that tower...I just wanted to go back to her, no matter how.

" Xenia is their master by the way.", I added and smirked, noticing that finally, Katerina was shocked...and afraid. I am sure, she wouldn't even be able to eat her food peaceful, wondering that perhaps someone poisoned it. Lethal spies are famous for killing, anyone and anywhere on their master's command, they mostly use poison but sometimes knives too. Katerina called Xenia weak and that's why I purposely told her that.

However, I didn't lie, Xenia is their master...it's just she didn't use them properly. And sometimes, I wonder...was this my fault, did I raise Xenia wrong and made her weak and fragile? Perhaps, I should have taught her to be wicked and vicious instead of reading and writing...perhaps I should have told her to stop being so kind and adorable...but I couldn't help myself when her big doe eyes gimmer like stars after helping someone, she just looked so beautiful. And her pure innocent heart...how could I say her not to be the way she is, earlier, Lady Annie taunted her about not wearing jewellery; Xenia didn't wear any jewels because she didn't want any kids to feel inferior. Who thinks like that...who even considers such small things, but Xenia did. Sometimes her actions made me wonder, is she even real...

Fuck...I again started dreaming about her. God help my evil soul. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at my father, who was also sitting silently now, " Lethals will safely escort you to England, Father", I said, kissing his bald head and he looked up at me, smiling, " Don't get yourself killed.", Father joked to which I smiled.

" And you all...don't try to move if you want your neck on your body, not on the ground."

I threatened one last time before leaving that fucking hall, that fucking cottage...and at last that fucking townlet.

I will never...I mean ever going outside from these church walls now. Everything I wanted was inside these walls, my holy church, kids, garden, river, food, sisters...and at last my Xenia. Why had I need to go somewhere and be some fucking king when I have all the things in one place.

But a question lingered deep inside my mind that I didn't even want to acknowledge; for how long, for how long I will have everything inside here and will I be able to live when even one thing will go away? If I say honestly, one person will go away...Will I be okay after Xenia will be married....living far away in a different country with another man, and having his kids. And I wouldn't be able to stop her or should I say, I don't want to stop her as there is no way I'll leave my collar...there is no way I'll break my vows and there is no way I'll ever marry her.

Xenia deserved to be with a man who could give her his all...a man who could love her without shame, a man like King Aldrich.

And that made me helplessly jealous...and beyond fucking furious.