Towards the center of that crumbling day, a doctor monitored Lilith's blood flow, deciding a miscarriage was underway at first. That idea was quickly shunned when soft kicks pressed the surface of Lilith's swollen belly. His hand rested on it feeling the gentle pressure the tiny seedling produced. A gust of air left his lungs. He gazed into Lilith's eyes full of wonder.

"You feel that?" he said. "The young king is alive."

"Thank god!" said Lilith astounded.

"So now you must rest and remember what we talked about."

"Yes, I know."

Before leaving the gloomy atmosphere, he shot a glimpse towards Charles who hid in a shadowed corner. A quick nod is all Charles received from him as he strode by. He left outside to let them sort out their affairs.

For a moment, Charles stood like a stale corpse eyeing his wife. The tension was not yet lifted in spite of the news. When he smiled to ease the gloominess of the atmosphere, Lilith turned her back to him. That cold gesture slit through him like a dagger, pulling out his guilt. What seemed to be the big picture, didn't matter. The heir to his throne still lived on, so why couldn't he find solace? Because it's your fault this happened. Those words whispered in his mind and just as fast, Emyra's face, driving his sorrow further. Their relationship was a thorn in Lilith's side. For the moment, he hoped Emyra understood the importance of Lilith's health and their child's.

As seconds passed, his eyes wandered on Lilith's curled up body. She rested silently on her side with her stomach swaddled in one arm and her face buried in the other. To comfort her, he placed a hand on her shoulder which tensed up just by his touch. He then yanked his arm away, feeling useless. If there was any likelihood of the pregnancy surviving, he would have to be more present until she gave birth, even if that meant ending things with Emyra. Hope would only be restored by him being more supportive. For now, he prayed his company would earn him her trust.

As he collapsed by her bedside on the floor, his head rested against the edge. If the wrong thing left his mouth, the atmosphere would be unsettled further. He stayed mute. Silence, most importantly, avoided the discussion about the affair.

Shortly after eyeing the ceiling for minutes, he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," he said.

A servant walked in with a tray carrying two cups of lavender tea. She placed it on a wobbly, wooden table that shifted from side to side as she prepared to serve them. The clacking noise tarnished the peace in the room. Just at the last stir, she sashayed towards Charles first with a steaming cup in hand.

"How is she?" she said. Her wondrous blue eyes sparkled from the light of the fireplace.

"She's resting," he said.

"I brewed drinks. You both need a calming antidote."

"Ah yes. I'll have some, please."

The frail blonde placed Charles's cup in his hands. His mouth instantly sipped its tranquilizing contents sending him into the realms of relaxation. The corners of his shoulders wilted low, just enough for the tension in his neck to pass.

"This is some powerful stuff and might I add, delicious." A charming grin widened across his face.

"Handpicked from the garden. I'm glad you enjoy it."

As Lilith's eyes narrowed with rage, her body soon shifted to her back. She studied the two closely while their conversation continued. Such an innocent interaction still ignited jealousy. In fact, it was quite informal for a person of her status to talk to a king. While scolding them down further, she examined the girl's features. Her physique matched Charles's preference, skinny to a point of anorexia. Even her face appeared delicate once she got a full glimpse.

Once the girl sensed the stalking eyes of her queen, she froze in place not. The drink was presented to Lilith who dismissed her kind gesture. Finding no reason to stay, she left.

"You have no limit to what you'd put your thing in." She had a sly tongue that Charles despised.

"You're jealous of us talking? Stop with the nonsense," he said sounding annoyed. The provoking exchange would lead to the subject he wasn't yet adjusted to speak of.

"How about Emyra?"

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"What about her?" he said dismissively.

"Don't fool with me."

"Look, I'm sorry about how you found out." Those words were finally said with all sincerity.

"End things with her." She ignored his apology when she decided this was the only way to verify his words sincere.

Charles kept their romance tucked in the back of his mind. Instead, he gave her a dishonest reply.

"I already have."

"Prove it by sending her and her family back to where they came from."

"I'll do no such thing. The castle is their home."

Such words sounded like excuses which made her blood boil.

"Get rid of the filthy bitch or I will end her."

The seriousness in her tone alarmed him. Luckily, her attempts to kill anyone all turned out to be failures.

A pleasant presence she upheld in the public eye, but her mind was as dark as a demon's soul. Her many targets did not suffer as badly as Charles's royal advisor. He, in particular, got in the way of her suggestions. There are greater problems at hand. Your husband would disapprove. Your just a woman, what do you know? Lilith grilled him every time he made such degrading comments. It didn't help that Charles stayed tight-lipped, but then again, he didn't regard her ideas either, not because he didn't care. Her proposals never had anything to do with the country, but things like improving the interior of the castle. She scoffed at the red paint that road the walls of the hallways. White would be more elegant, like me. The wooden flooring also made her cringe in disgust. Lucky for her, Charles agreed to have it ripped up. But then again, it was due to her constant nagging.

"White marble would elevate the look. Wood is outdated". She also wanted to elevate the fashion pieces for everyone in the castle, but that's another story.

None of her concerns were ever economical. Because she's selfish, Charles often thought. Nonetheless, she was shunned from meetings since their thoughts didn't align. That wasn't obvious to her, so she held the advisor responsible for her and Charles's disconnect. And then a plan of many was pulled from her sleeve. She convinced herself he needed to be rid of. Poison! His food and drink were laced with arsenic and as planned, his presence diminished since he became bedridden. Lucky for him, one of his spies tipped him off. He fled the castle in fear for his life costing Charles important council.

Not every form of her wrath called for murder. A totally separate situation involved a child and his father. The boy, who had intrusive tendencies, came to the castle with his father to meet with Charles. Their plan was to unite their armies and become allies. During their meeting, the boy wandered off. He found his way into Lilith's room. Her gold-plated jewelry box with colorful gems engraved on its surface caught his attention instantly. It sat on her dresser under a window that cast a light across its engravings. The shimmer captivated him. He slowly approached it while his hands reached out. When he flipped the lid back, his tiny fingers brushed through her necklaces and earrings. He didn't know Lilith grilled him from her balcony. She poked her head through the entrance full of rage as she watched him palm her favorite necklace.

"Get your filthy hands off my jewels!" She stormed in his direction swiping it away.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Please don't lock me away... or..or...tell my pupah!"

"Who's your father?"

"General Lance Turner."

"The scoundrel that refused my father support?" she said under her breath.

"Can you repeat that?"

"Nothing! Anywho, come with me."

"Am I in trouble?"

"NoOooo!" A sinister smile formed. "I wanna show you more jewels."

"I, uh, okay."

The boy cautiously followed behind to an eerie door in her room. She opened it and pointed inside the pitch black closet. The boy was terrified to refuse, so he went in. She shoved the door behind him, locking him inside. Scorching screams echoed through the halls burning the ears of anyone nearby. However, his cries fulfilled her. She smiled when he yelled for his father. When the screams reached the meeting room, Lance grew worried. He knew his son's voice. Charles followed behind him as they frantically ran toward his screams. Let's just say, when he found his son, he took his business elsewhere.

Charles despised her cruelty and carelessness. He sat there thinking about those incidents and many others. Then a question arose, Did she cause the bleeding? As quickly as he thought of that, he cleared the theory out of his mind avoiding the idea. He decided to put her in her place now that she thought she could do what she wanted again.

"You do not run this country, I do. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"I want her gone," she said ignoring him.

"She will leave, but after she's married. You won't interfere with that either."

"She needs to be punished."

"I've slept with countless women something you have never cared about. Why does it matter now?"

"Because I know that she is not just another conquest," she finally admitted. "Do you love her?" The question caught Charles off guard.

"I...love you." Nothing more left his mouth since he didn't want to answer dishonestly. His endearment for Emyra was something he couldn't deny.

Those words that never left his mouth, thawed the ice wall she built around her heart. In that moment, it fluttered. Was now the right time to say it back? She couldn't find the strength to. For now, she held on to his words full of hope. Perhaps, they could be together.But still, she continued to put on a front like love meant nothing to her. Maybe that's the problem, she thought. What she didn't know was that her carelessness pushed Charles away. In fact, he was too far gone now.

The more she pondered on how she could change things, the more prevalent the idea to say how she felt bloomed. Before Lilith found the courage to say those words back, a yawn came from Charles's mouth as he stretched out his arms. The timing somehow seemed off. He finally stood from the floor and crawled into bed with her. His broad arms pulled her in even through her resistance. Anyway, being held by him resurfaced a comforting memory. They shared happier times long ago. Together they remained silent, both submerged in remorse. Charles had his reasons, but she had her own. Earlier that day, she took a concoction to induce her labor. This was done to reel in Charles's attention since it stayed elsewhere. She thought to herself, I will ruin my sorcerer for this.