Chapter 5. Unwanted Queen

DOVE

It was unclear to me until I heard those terrible words, and the people around me confirmed it.

“A disaster,” I said to myself while trying to hide my tears with a serious face.

Rachel looked at me and smiled mockingly; she was winning the fight. I could never have foreseen that outcome with another woman in Jacob’s life. I saw him so lonely.

“If the king doesn’t want conflict with the neighboring city, he must accept Miss Rachel’s conditions,” said Katherine, who approached so quickly that I couldn’t see her; she was slippery. That woman was a harpy.

My heart was beating very hard; I wanted to run away from there. I wasn’t guilty of all that.

“Those present here were witnesses of the night they went to a room together; we can all give testimony,” said a girl who appeared to be twenty years old; she was the kitchen assistant. “They didn’t come out until the next day.”

The others present began to agree with her. Apparently, most of them had seen them at the Christmas Eve dinner. It was before I met him, before he was engaged to me, but it wasn’t right. I couldn’t understand it; that woman had more right to be his wife than I, who hadn’t even consummated with my husband; we barely talked to each other.

“We will sign an agreement to establish the new marriage,” Leticia, the older harpy, spoke with a terrifying conviction. “We will make arrangements.”

The woman smiled, and the prince was content. They were ignoring me completely as if I didn’t exist, as if I were nobody.

“You can’t decide that.” I remained seated on my throne; I didn’t want to leave. I felt that if I stood up and left, there would be no turning back.

“Girl, stop saying nonsense; save yourself the humiliation and get out of that seat. It doesn’t belong to you.” Leticia attacked me; her words hurt me, and she had the power to let out all her venom.

“Poor thing, I don’t know who made you believe you were the queen,” the prince tilted his head in disapproval. “The servant cannot govern.”

This made me feel bad; my stomach compressed into a knot, making me feel uncomfortable and insecure. I saw my mother among the people; she was crying; she couldn’t defend me. It was all so unfair.

“The king’s heir is my son.” Rachel smiled, this time looking toward the court, pretending kindness. “I couldn’t be happier.”

The people were cheering; they were unimportant people to me, but it hurt me. Nobody wanted me to be here, in royalty. My husband probably didn’t want me either; we weren’t a normal marriage. A tear escaped me; Leticia noticed it and looked down at me, feeling sorry for me. The crying was almost completely escaping, and that would be my end: the eternal ridicule, the rejected wife.

“Girl, get out of there; you’re not the queen,” Katherine started to say with an air of superiority. That day, she was wearing a blue dress from France with brocade on the sides; she still looked worse and sad.

I wanted to shout at everyone that they were a bunch of cretins and hypocrites, that they couldn’t throw me away like garbage. Confronting my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to tell them all the truth and never see me weak again. None of that happened, just more tears that bathed my cheeks, cold, hopeless. People were running rumors, the prince was talking to Leticia about the new marriage, and Rachel felt at ease.

When I saw her grab my arm with force, I couldn’t react; I was too sad. She lifted me and made me fall to the ground. I took a moment to get up before the others noticed. I didn’t want to be on the ground; I didn’t deserve that. I saw her sitting on my throne with a triumphant look and smile; she was daring and had her goals set.

No one said anything; for everyone, it was the correct place she should occupy. My place was on the ground, apparently, because no one defended me at all. Clarisa only said a few words of comfort, but I understood; she couldn’t challenge the royalty without paying for her life.

The door to the room opened wide, letting in the sun’s light in a hurry. Jacob approached with a determined stride, imposing; everyone moved aside so he could walk; he was a king to be feared. His relentless and attractive appearance elicited great respect; nobody stood in his way.

I liked him a lot; he was a strong man who stole my sighs and my heart, even now that I was going to lose him. I didn’t have a chance to stay in this fantasy; I couldn’t stay; it was a dream that was coming to an end. He wouldn’t be my husband anymore; our seduction game was going to end.

“Majesty, it’s good that you have arrived.” The prince made a polite bow; he was polite to those he should be.

The king looked at him with almost blind eyes, which made him a little scared; they were such blue eyes that they couldn’t go unnoticed.

“What are you doing?” Jacob asked with a seriousness that showed his lack of patience.

“Dear son, we have organized your new wedding. Beautiful Rachel has come to tell us about her pregnancy; you must act with honor and ask for her hand,” Leticia talked to him like a child, as if our marriage was a joke.

“Keep quiet.” Jacob didn’t even look at her; instead, he turned to look at Rachel, who was still sitting on my throne. “Get out of there; that’s my wife’s place.”

All voices were silenced by his command; he had left them speechless. Rachel stood up, deeply indignant, ready to start a discussion. Jacob took my hand gently, indicating that I should sit back down, but this time he was by my side. It was like being given a glass of cool water after a tedious walk in the desert.

“That child is not mine,” he said firmly, challenging the prince.

“How can you say that? Show respect; there are witnesses of your encounter.” Katherine was indignant and couldn’t find words to question him.

“The king doesn’t know what he’s talking about, excuse me…” Leticia still treated him like a child; I could see that it made him very angry.

“I will not take responsibility for a baby that is not mine, and I will not marry anyone. I already have a wife.”

I wanted to jump from my seat to hug him; I couldn’t have imagined a better response in my thoughts. I felt proud.

“If you threaten my wife again, I will lock you up in prison for plotting against the queen.” Jacob was on his throne; he looked extremely powerful and upright. He was a king with a lot of presence; he had silenced everyone. “No one will question my marriage again.”

I liked that he defended me, and I felt safe by his side, but that didn’t take away all the doubts I had in my head. I had to find out the truth about my husband no matter what, even if it hurt. There was one thing for sure; now I was sure that nobody wanted me as queen in that place.