The Prince's Bride Part 2 - J.J. McAvoy Page 0,115

you know your grandmother was the first queen not to carry around poison?” she stated randomly, finally turning to look at me. Her whole face crushed. “Before her, every other queen carried a small dose of poison on themselves, either in their jewelry or the lining of their clothes. Why? Just in case something ever happened—war, kidnapping, coup, revolution. Queens carried poison to either protect themselves or take their own lives. When I first heard that, I remember telling your grandmother, ‘Thank God, we have evolved. That the world is not like it once was.’ And do you know what she told me?”

“What?”

“We’re lying to ourselves if we think we have evolved that much.”

“So why did she stop carrying the poison?”

“Because the king ordered it. He said it projected fear, and he wanted his people to know he trusted them to keep him and this family safe. We stopped because we were told to stop, not because people became better or the world shifted,” she whispered. “So how could this happen, sweetheart? Easily. Bad people exist, and they hurt others, whether they are royalty or not. Sometimes, being royal is a bigger cause for others to hurt us. But we can’t show that because the public does not see that. They want to see our dress, our crowns, our ceremonies. They want the innocent fairy tale, not reality.”

I wasn’t sure what else to say to that. I looked at Ambrose. “Have you heard anything? From the hospital? Anything about what is happening in the palace?”

“Most of the guests have been able to return home this morning. The prime minister has sent his condolences.”

My mother coughed but did not say anything.

“Other than that, nothing, miss. Not even from the hospital.”

“What about Gale?”

“He was in his study, last I was told.”

I wanted to go to him, see what was happening, help in some way. Do something other than just sitting here and watching the news.

This was what I hated the most about being a princess. I was useless. I could save no one and do nothing but sit and wait.

I hated it.

“Do I get a trial, or will I simply be dragged out by my hair to the guillotine?” I asked, cleaning the lipstick from my mouth.

“Are you admitting to something, ma’am?” Iskandar, who once was Arthur’s loyal guard, asked me as he stood at my door, arms behind his back, all of him ridged as stone.

“I’ve already spoken to the police, Iskandar. I’m tired—”

“The Adelaar told me to remind anyone who complained that they should be thankful they are not intubated in a hospital bed. They did not lose a child today.”

I froze. It was as if ice were injected into my veins, and I looked all over his face to see if I had misheard, but his face was void of anything. “Child? What, child?”

“Miss Odette was pregnant. She lost the child due to last night’s events.”

My hand twitched with the urge to touch my stomach, but what would be the point? There was nothing there.

“Tell her...tell I am sorry for her loss.”

“Are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you truly sorry, ma’am? Or is that why you did it. After what you endured.”

“Shut your mouth!” I slammed my arm on the vanity as I rose to my feet. “You will watch your tone with me, Iskandar!”

“My tone has never changed. However, you have not answered my question—”

“I have not answered because the question itself is repugnant!” I yelled, wanting to throw anything I could at his face. Why had Arthur liked a man like him? He could not help Gale; he was not family. But what made this, this robot worth trusting. “I did not poison her! I did not leak anything to anyone! I did nothing to that woman! How many times do I have to say it?”

“The only one who could have told the press about the Adelaar and Miss Odette’s wedding—”

“I did not. Yes, I knew. But I did not tell anyone! I would never betray Arthur! Never! Till the day I die, I will keep all of his memories and secrets. I said nothing to anyone who did not already know about Odette. That is the family. No one else alive other than you and Wolfgang knew. Everyone else was on that damn plane with him. They said nothing. I was too busy mourning,” I whispered, slowly sinking back down into my chair. “How did everything go so wrong, Iskandar? This wasn’t the plan. Arthur had such good plans