The Apple and the Tree 1

The head maid was one of the last to leave the queen's chambers, her footsteps hesitant, her heart pounding in her chest. She was almost at the door when Queen Melina's voice, cold and commanding, cut through the air. "Stay."

The maid froze, her hand resting on the doorframe, fear rooting her to the spot. Slowly, she turned back to face the queen, her eyes wide with terror.

Queen Melina regarded her with a chilling calm, her gaze sharp and unyielding. "Did you poison the girl?" she asked, her voice dangerously soft.

The maid's legs buckled, and she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face and pooling on the polished floor. "Your Majesty, you must forgive me," she sobbed, her voice thick with despair. "I wasn't thinking… All I wanted was to please you."

Melina's expression remained unreadable as she crossed the room, closing the distance between them with measured steps. She reached out, her fingers gripping the maid's chin with a surprising force, tilting her head up until their eyes met. The maid's breath caught in her throat, her tears falling faster as she trembled under the queen's gaze.

"You must be insane," Melina hissed, her voice like ice, "to think I need the help of such an inferior being as yourself."

The maid's sobs grew more desperate, her eyes wide with fear and regret. "I only wanted to be a good subject," she whimpered. "I thought… I thought if I took care of the boy, it would make you happy."

Melina's lips twisted into a cruel smile, her grip on the maid's face tightening. "Whether the boy liked it or not, he was going to die under my umbrella," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "But you, in your foolishness, have ruined that. Now we have a dead Omega whose death is completely useless to me."

The maid's shoulders shook as she cried, her voice breaking. "But no one cares about an Omega," she stammered, desperation lacing her words. "We can cover this up… we can—"

Melina's patience snapped. She grabbed a goblet from a nearby table, her movements swift and precise, and hurled it at the maid with all her strength. The metal goblet struck the maid on the head with a sickening thud, and she let out a scream, clutching the wound as blood immediately began to seep through her fingers.

"There is no 'we,'" Melina spat, her voice rising with fury. She stepped forward, grabbing the maid by the face once more, forcing her to look up through the pain and tears. The maid's eyes were wild with terror, her body trembling uncontrollably as she stared into the queen's cold, unrelenting gaze.

"If you weren't so useful around here," Melina snarled, her fingers digging into the maid's cheeks, "I would have no problem getting rid of you."

The maid's sobs were ragged, her voice barely a whisper as she choked out, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Melina released her with a shove, the force of it sending the maid sprawling to the floor, her blood smearing the polished surface. The queen looked down at her with disgust, her eyes cold and merciless.

There was no sympathy in the queen's gaze, only cold calculation.

"What is your name again?" Melina asked, her voice deceptively soft. "Your old name?"

The maid hesitated, her hand trembling as she wiped at the blood on her cheek. "Anna," she whispered, barely meeting the queen's eyes.

Melina nodded, a small, almost mocking smile playing on her lips. "Anna," she repeated, the name rolling off her tongue like it was something distasteful. "Even the Queen is a woman at the end of the day, Anna. And while Omegas might be nothing more than flesh and free labor, they are also scarce resources. If those scarce resources start turning up dead, someone will care. And we don't want His Majesty investigating his own queen because of the indiscretions of a lowly Omega, now do we?"

Anna's eyes widened with fear as she frantically shook her head. "No, Your Majesty. We can't have that."

Melina's smile didn't reach her eyes, which remained cold and calculating. "This will be buried," she said, her voice carrying an edge that made Anna flinch. "But it is the one chance I will give you. An Omega shouldn't act without permission from their master."

Anna nodded quickly, her face pale. "Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."

Melina's gaze grew distant, a hint of something dark flickering in her eyes. "One of my favorite sights," she said, almost as if to herself, "is watching traitors and caught rebels being drowned. Have you ever seen it, Anna?"

Anna shook her head, her breath catching in her throat.

The queen's smile widened, a cold, cruel curve to her lips. "First, they tie the men's hands behind their backs so tight that when they're thrown into the water and start to struggle for life, they rip their own flesh and break their own bones. Then, a black hood is thrown over their heads, blinding them, sending their minds into a panic. And to ensure they stay under, a giant ball of steel is clamped to their ankles. So, even if the broken bones and darkness don't stop their will to survive, none of it will matter in the end."

Anna's breath hitched, her body trembling with fear. The queen's words painted a vivid picture in her mind, each detail more horrifying than the last.

"That will be you, sweet Anna," Melina continued, her voice a whisper of menace, "if you ever disobey me again."

A tear slipped from Anna's eye, tracing a path down her cheek before falling to the ground. She nodded, her voice a choked whisper. "I won't, Your Majesty. I promise."

Melina's expression softened, though the coldness in her eyes remained. "Good," she said, her tone almost kind. "You may go."

Anna didn't need to be told twice. She bowed deeply, her voice trembling as she thanked the queen. She turned to leave, each step feeling like she was walking on a tightrope over a pit of vipers.

But as she reached the door and began to open it, she was met halfway by Crown Prince Kylian. The sight of him, standing tall and imposing, made her breath catch in her throat. His eyes flicked over her, taking in the blood on her face, the fear in her eyes. Anna could see the subtle shift in his expression, a slight narrowing of his gaze, and she knew he noticed everything.

Kylian stepped aside, allowing her to pass, but the tension in the room thickened as he did so. Anna hurried out, her heart pounding in her chest, feeling the weight of his gaze on her back until the door closed behind her.

Inside the room, Melina watched her son with a carefully guarded expression. Kylian didn't speak immediately, his eyes lingering on the door through which Anna had just fled. He then turned to face his mother, his expression unreadable.

"Mother," he began, his voice calm but carrying an edge that Melina couldn't ignore, "we need to talk."

Melina's smile returned, sharp and knowing. "Of course, my dear," she said smoothly, gesturing for him to sit. "What's on your mind?"

Kylian remained standing, his gaze fixed on her, piercing through the air between them. "I think you already know," he replied, his tone measured but firm.

Melina tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Enlighten me," she said, though her tone indicated she was well aware of what was coming.