25 TRIALS OF A QUEEN (II)

Everything happened in a blur. Aurora snarled as she rushed across the room and grabbed the male servant by the throat and flung him across the room like a rag doll. The male servant crashed against the wall, sliding down with a painful groan on his lips but Aurora wasn't done with him yet. She flew over and she brought her knee up to his face. I heard a crunch from where I was, she must have broken his jaw.

"Your highness, p..p..pleaae." The man stuttered blood already spilling from his lips but Aurora was past listening, I'm guessing all she saw now was red.

I watched as she stalked over to him and grabbed him by his hair, her claws already out. "You dared to put hands on the King's wife?" She snarled at him revealing her canines.

Seeing that the servant cowered shivering in Aurora's grasp as she brought a hand to strike him and she would have done that if she hadn't be stopped.

"ENOUGH!"

We all turned to see Dahlia looking at all of us a calm look on her face as she looked on her daughter. "Release him."

"What?" Aurora gasped looking at her mother in disbelief. "He touched the King's wife, the punishment for that is death!" She announced this looking at the the servant who had gone ghastly pale.

"Well we can't place judgement without hearing from both sides, that wouldn't make you a very fair princess now, would it?" Dahlia asked still in that calm voice, way too calm for my liking.

Aurora didn't like what her mother said but she knew it was the truth. With a huff, she shove the servants away from her, so hard his head hit the ground. Aurora came over to me and helped me up on my feet, inspecting me for bruises. Her dark eyes flashed amber and a growl emitted from her lips when she found two angry red bruise on my wrist, caused from when the male servant pinned my wrist above my head.

"You." Dahlia said to the male servant who had crawled up to his knees, "Come over here." She ordered pointing to the spot in front of her.

The servant rushed to do as he was told. Crawling on all fours till he was finally in front of Dahlia. Dahlia stared at the servant who was cowering in front of her. When he finally raised his gaze up to look at her, Dahlia raised her hand and hit him hard across his face causing four red angry slit to appear on his face, she had used her claws.

"Your majesty!" The servants breathed in fear.

Dahlia growled at the servant. "You know laying hand upon the King's wife was a serious crime, didn't you?"

"Yes I am aware of it your highness!" The servant answered keeping his head down.

"And yet you went ahead to do it, why is that?" Dahlia asked a look of scorn on her face.

"Because she told me to your highness!" The servant said loudly for everyone to here.

WHAT? I muse as my eyes widened in horror. "He's lying!" My voice came out as a whisper, "HE'S LYING!" I yelled this time.

"She made advances at me when I served her wine during lunch today!" The servants continued to spin lies against me.

"Is this true?" Dahlia turned her gaze at me and I turned to look at her in horror.

"How can you ask me that?"

Dahlia shrugged at me. "It's no secret queens take lovers to their bed besides their husbands. Besides everyone knows the wine servants are always irresistible and I'm aware that as a human you might find it hard to resist the temptation."

I gaped at her in shock and disbelief. "But I'm married to your son!"

"And yet I do not smell him on you!" Dahlia retorted a hard look on her face, "You say you are married to him but you do not bear his scent and his mark! You haven't consummated your marriage with my son and I wonder why that is!" She says with a smirk and I blinked at her which caused her smirk to get even wider, she knew she was right!

"What I do with Ivan is none of your business." I managed to get out my hands shaky and it wasn't with fear, this was rage! How dare this woman come into my home and begin to judge me for something I haven't done?

"But you see darling, it is my business." Dahlia drawled out clearly having fun. "Ivan is my son and everything you do is my business if you are to remain queen!"

I scoffed at that. "Are you threatening me now?"

"Take it however you see it as, but right now, you've committed a crime by bringing a mere servant into your chambers!" Dahlia said steering the topic back to servant who was still on the ground.

I turned to look at Aurora desperate for some help. "Please tell me you don't believe this."

Aurora nodded her head at me before turning back to look at her mother. "I believe Arianne, the servant tells nothing but lies!"

"And do you have any proof of this?" Dahlia asked giving her a sharp look, "You left the dining hall first, leaving her alone with the wine servant so a lot could have happened in your absence."

"Mother what you are saying is preposterous, you can't surely believe the words of a servant..." Aurora started to say but got cut off by Dahlia who spoke harshly.

"He may be a servant but he is our own kind!"

"And Arianne is queen! Ivan's wife!" Aurora reminded her mother in the same harsh tone, not backing down!

Dahlia scoffed at that before her gaze went over to mine. "A queen who doesn't bear my son's mark." She says still looking at me, her gaze taunting.

"Ivan wouldn't like this!" Aurora says trying one last time to make her mother see reason but Dahlia was past that, she was hell bent on seeing my humiliation.

"Then we will wait for him to pass judgement but until then I order the queen to be stripped off her crown and thrown into the dungeon!"

"What?" I gasped looking at Dahlia in horror as the guards immediately came in same with Yasmin and the maids.

Aurora immediately stepped in front of me in a protective manner. "Take one more step and I'll gut you all till my whole dress is soaked in your blood!" She bared her teeth at the guards who stopped at that, looking helplessly to Dahlia.

"As the queen dowager I order you to lock the queen up and if the princess protests, lock her up in her room!" Dahlia declares to the guard who immediately rushed to do her bidding.

I became flummoxed and speechless as I stared at Dahlia, she was unstoppable and she knows it! She watched the whole thing with some sick kind of satisfaction in her eyes as the guards dragged a struggling Aurora who threatened to castrate them all if they don't unhand her. But still it was four against one, which wasn't fair.

"Well__" Dahlia drawled bringing my attention back to her, "What are you waiting? Strip her!" Dahlia orders and the maids moved towards me.

Yasmin raised her eyes to look at me apologetically. "Forgive me your majesty." She says with a bow and I nodded my head at her, knowing she has no choice.

At my confirmation, Yasmin nodded her head at the other maids who began to strip me. Removing the crown from my head and stripping me off everything I had on till I was in nothing but my undergarments.

"You are making a big mistake and you will regret it!" I hissed at Dahlia who merely arched a brow up at me.

"Now who's threatening who?" She asks with slight amusement and I clenched my fists, digging my nails so hard into my palm they made tiny crescent moon shape. "Escort her highness in jail till the king arrives and passes judgement!" Dahlia orders the maids who bowed their head before they escorted me.

I raised my head high as I walked out of the bedroom. I didn't want to give Dahlia the satisfaction of seeing me weak. I walked quietly towards the dungeon, the damp air greeting me as I entered it. I was gently pushed into a cell before I was locked in. Yasmin remained while the other maids left.

"I'm sorry." Yasmin apologized.

I smiled as I shook my head at her. "You have nothing to be sorry for Yasmin." I told her and that was the truth.

Yasmin nodded her head at me but I could see she was still nervous. "So um, do you need anythin?" She asked and I shook my head at her.

"No and it's okay Yasmin, I'm alright."

Yasmin didn't look too convinced but it was not like she could do anything. So instead she reached for my hand behind bars and gave it a light squeeze. "Just hang in there okay? The king will fix this. I'm sure he will." Yasmin assured me and I smiled at her squeezing her hand back.

"Thanks Yasmin." I told her and she gave me one last smile before she left, leaving me alone in the dark cold dungeon.

I sat down on the dark floor wrapping my hands around myself as I tried to keep myself warm. Series of thoughts rushed through my head as I sat down on the cold floor. Thoughts about the male servant, Dahlia and how she humiliated me. I hated her! I decided with anger but most importantly I hated how weak I was to do anything to her.

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Hey guys another chapter and BTW Dahlia is a real drama queen. Also please keep the comments coming guys! Really need the encouragement!