Chapter 5 Treason
My fingers trembled as I thought of Sage’s words. Her eyes had always scared me. There was always something feral in them. You could see her heart from her green eyes and it was black— just black.
“Luna, it is time for Alpha Steel’s tea,” A maid said behind me. I faced her, then the clock. It has been an hour since I had that conversation with Sage and my parents. Yet I was barely able to recollect myself and I almost forgot Papa’s tea.
I smiled at the maid and followed her to the kitchen where I prepared the herbal tea for him. My father Inlaw was paralyzed waist down after a silver accident during a war years ago. He was mostly in his room, so it was my culture to pay him a visit with a cup of tea in the morning and evening daily.
Whenever I was late, he would send for me. He enjoyed my company.
I took the cup and nodded at the maid as I passed her, heading for Papa’s room.
“Are you okay, Luna?” She asked, her young eyes filled with worry.
I looked down to see the tea cup clattering against the tray in my hand. I heaved a sigh and steadied my hand, faking a smile. “Of course, I am okay.” I walked past her and went to Papa.
“Hey, Penelope?” Papa wheezed with his frail voice as I entered the dimly lit room. “I thought you’d forgotten this old man.”
I rolled my eyes, placed the tea on the table next to the bed and settled next to him on the bed. He had his head propped up with a pillow, ducked under a fur blanket with his hands by his side. He looked just like Killian, but with a bald patch on the centre of his grey hair.
“Papa, I was just ten minutes late.”
“Ten long minutes.” He sighed, “Can I get an apple?” He asked, pointing at the basket of fruits on the table. I faced it and my eyes zoomed in on the silver fruit knife, then I froze.
Whispers broke out from behind me. You will regret this, he is mine.
“Penelope? Apple.” he repeated.
I shook my head. “Yes.” What is wrong with me? I asked myself. “Here, Papa.” I said handing it to him.
“You are going to regret it— regret it. You should leave my husband. I am back for him,” Sage’s voice rang behind me.
I turned instantly and whipped my hand in the air behind my ear. Sweat breaking out of my forehead.
“What is that?” Papa asked.
I faced him and tried to calm down. But my heart was racing. I looked around the room and it was dark. Then I saw my expression in the mirror, just as my entire eyes turned black.
The next thing I felt was a cold steel knife in my hand and then a scream.
“Ahhhh!!”
It felt like something jumped out of me and then I blinked, opening my eyes. The maid was at the door, screaming. I furrowed my brows and looked forward.
My hands were bloody, around the hilt of the fruit knife, buried deep in Papa’s chest. I was on him and he stared at me, lifeless.
“Ahhhh!!” I screamed, jumping off him. “What happened?!!” I asked, trying to pull the knife from his chest. “No papa. No.”
The sound of running steps neared us. “Dad!! Dad!!!” Killian cried as he entered, rushing to his father on the bed. He faced me, his eyes wide. “Penelope, what have you done?”
“How could you do this?” An elder spat at me. My hands were tied before me, tears rolling down my cheek. “You killed the father of the wolf king.”
I looked around, shaken on the floor of the high council room as elders were round about me with torches in their hands. Guards were armed, glaring at me as though waiting for an order to end my life. Mum and Dad were in the crowd, Sage beside them.
My hands went for my stomach as I shook my head. “No. I didn’t do anything. Where is Killian?” I asked, looking around. Since the guards pulled me out of Papa’s room, I hadn’t set my eyes on him. “I want to see my husband!!” I bawled at them.
“Husband?” Mum asked. “How could you do this to him? You have an amazing husband, yet that was not enough for you. You tried to seduce his father. When he refused, you resorted to killing him to stop him from exposing you for the slut you are.”
My eyes bulged. “What are you saying, Mum? You know me.”
Sage shook her head, her eyes filled with an expression I couldn’t read with all that chaos. But, something struck inside me. Sage and I were just in an argument, then one hour later, I kept thinking about her words, till something came on me to kill my father in law, who was more of a father to me than my own adopted father.
“She did this. This was all her!!” I yelled pointing at Sage.
“Shut up. You can’t implicate me, you devil.” She barked, her voice echoing and bringing everyone to a stand still. “What could I have done? My parents and the house staff are witnesses that I was at home, crying in my room because you insulted me. You weren’t even happy to see me alive.”
Mum nodded. “Yes. Sage was at home, she went home with us.”
I tried speaking when an elder stepped up. He was Papa’s younger brother, his eyes were red from crying too much. “You are going to be punished for this abominable act.”
How did it all suddenly go south? I was planning to tell Killian about our baby tonight and now I was about to be executed for killing his father. How do I tell them I was possessed by something?
“Please, I need to see Killian.”
His uncle spoke up again. “The poor King is mourning his father. What do you need to see him? He married you only because your sister was believed to be dead. You are not even queen material, yet we accepted you. Yet this is how you pay us?”
He stormed to his seat up ahead, banged his gavel on the table. “It is final, the queen is to be executed before sunrise tomorrow.” I gasped, a fresh batch of tears pouring out of my eyes. Everyone nodded. “This is the highest level of treason, it can’t go unpunished. Seize her!!”
“No! Killian!!” I yelled as two guards stepped up to take, my hands covering my stomach. “No, you can’t do this to me!!” I cried out.
Sage stepped forward slowly, taking in every of my moves. Then her eyes bulged as recognition dawned on her. She got it. She knew I was pregnant. I saw it in her eyes as she looked at me.
“We can’t let this treason stand indeed! She has to die for killing the Alpha’s father.”
I gulped, thinking about the punishment. Hot liquid silver forced down my throat. That would tear me from within and kill my child.
The guards dragged me out of the room, Sage smiling as I passed her. We reached the courtyard, they took out a rope to tie me to the large oak tree.
“Please,” I mumbled as my eyes scanned for an escape. I had to live. I saw the walls. They were high. If I make it to the top, I might die by the fall, or even die in the dangerous woods behind these walls. But I had to survive, or die trying.
I pushed the guard nearest to me, breaking out into a race. I scaled the wall and jumped out into the woods beyond. Branches scratched me as I dropped to the ground. I picked myself up, held my stomach.
“I will save you.” I said, taking off into another race, though my legs hurt like crazy.
