The Thread Of Fate

Chapter 11

"The Queen challenged me to a duel because I didn't address her correctly." Kaili wiped her tears off.

"Is that true?" Dominic turned to me.

Now he wants to talk?

I stood rooted to the spot, glaring back at him. Anger had reared its ugly head and it wasn't going away anytime soon.

"She also said that she would leave the kingdom when she lost." Kaili said softly, "So I tried to lose on purpose. I would never want to hurt you that way your highness."

"That isn't what happened." Ariadne yelled.

"Did she not challenge me?" Kaili questioned.

"Yes but-"

"Did she not say that she would leave if she lost?" Kaili cut her off.

"You are twisting her words Kaili." Ariadne frowned.

Throughout the conversation, Dominic had been staring at me. His gaze was cold as always and this time I couldn't make out anything else.

"Seraphina, is that true?" Dominic repeated.

I didn't answer him. The not-so-pleasant fact that he'd chosen to spend his night with her before coming to Beate was fresh in my mind and for some unfathomable reason, my eyes burned. Moisture threatened to spill.

"I think her silence says it all your highness." Kaili spoke in that same false tone.

I felt a trickle down my sleeve and that's when Dominic's face hardened. His eyes narrowed and he walked up to me.

"I'm not going to ask again." He warned in a voice so low only I could hear.

"Good." I answered. By some miracle, my voice didn't break.

"Do you want to leave ?" He frowned.

For a moment I thought of lying but I knew how it would end. Somehow, he always knew when I was lying.

"She was riling me up, which is why I challenged her."

"What did she say?" He asked.

"She said she slept with you before you came to Beate. She said I didn't deserve to be Queen."

"I'm going to kick her out of the kingdom."

"Why? For speaking the truth?" I looked away and threw my sword. That's when I noticed that blood was trickling down my arm, staining the white shirt.

"Yes, I was with her the night before Beate. She wasn't the first woman I've been with." He sighed, "But she won't be the last."

"Thank you for that unnecessary information." I snapped and started looking for the wound that was causing the bleeding.

"It's your elbow." He took my arm in his hand and ripped a little bit of the sleeve off. Taking it, he tied it tight on the wound.

"It was your shirt." I said, mindful that everyone around was staring at us.

"I know." He said softly, "There is no one who deserves to be the Queen more than you do Seraphina."

"She called me a man." I whispered.

"Shall I prove that I don't agree with her ?"