Chapter 4 Mountop Royal Visit

Lysandra's POV

The walk to the throne room was brutal, Servants whispered at every turn and spat where I walked.

In just a month, Rachel made sure news of me bedding a stranger spread throughout the Kingdom.

Respect was lost for me– from the Warrior princess to a royal whore. The double doors opened and silence immediately reigned in the room.

"There she is...." Wine sloshed around him as he moved "My eldest daughter"

My Father sat on his throne with a goblet of wine nestled in one finger and duck feet in the other while Rachel sat next to him embodying the royalty he could not

"Is this the Princess Lysandra Hergo?"

An unfamiliar baritone drew my attention. Just in front of my father's council men sat King Caspian in a full Mountop royal regalia.

Sharp jawline, red hair, olive skin and blue eyes that reminded one of the sky, he looked sinfully beautiful...... and young

I curtsied in my father's direction first then in his direction

"I am indeed Princess Lysandra Hergo" My voice suddenly became breathless under his scrutiny

"By the gods, you look divine" He subconsciously leaned forward

"And that is why a stranger took interest in her and bedded her at the border" General Ashton snickered and the other council men joined in the mockery

King Caspian's eyes still did not leave mine, his infatuation only deepened. A woman beside him cleared her throat. From her regalia I could tell she was royal too, maybe the King's advisor.

I simply acknowledge his compliment with a nod before taking my designated seat.

"The King desires the Peninsula in the south. The one owned by the Hergo Clan." The woman beside him announced the reason for their visit

King Caspian wanted the peninsula in the south, one that belonged to my people.

"King Caspian, I am certain those rejections to your request for that land made it to you..." Rachel spoke while my father struggled with the meat in his hand

King Caspian frowned "You speak on behalf of the King now?"

"Yes" She answered simply "The Peninsula is a sacred royal ground. You can't just take it as you please"

"Mountop can infact take over that land and the bay. Asides the treaty of friendship, there's an ancient decree for Mountop to take over the land if Hergo clan goes extinct " The King's advisor said passing a scroll around

It was a written decree stamped with the royal seal. Rachel did not look a bit surprise which meant she knew about this

Could this be why she asked me to poison the king?, afterall the Peninsula gave us a little bit of power over other kingdoms

"And from what I know the Hergo clan has gone into extinction" King Caspian spoke up "Did they not die in an ambush while at war?. So why will the King not release the land"

My Father finally spoke though his words were muffled by the meat stuffed in his mouth

"Because I am King. I can do whatever I want" He chuckled

"You are not of royal blood, you have no claim to the land..." King Caspian's voice rose

"But Princess Lysandra does, She is an Hergo woman afterall" Rachel cut him off signaling that I speak

I contemplated staying silent cause I was treated no better than a servant afterall but that land belonged to my mother, to my people.

All eyes were trained on me, waiting for my decision.

"I refuse to give the land your majesty. It is a sacred ground" I bowed slightly in King Caspian's direction

His frown deepened and his fist on the table clenched so tight, it turned white

"You cannot even protect it. Would you rather the land be taken by beasts" His voice was surprisingly calm "But it is your solely your decision as the only surviving Hergo"

His words left room for negotiation. Although he masked it well, I could still tell how desperate he was for the land. Especially from his persistence.

I shook my head regardless and Rachel immediately took that as a cue to move the conversation to having a meal instead.

My Father's eyes immediately lit up, he ordered a feast be served and for his favourite dancers to perform.

The feast featured different kind of meats, old wine, royal fruits and varieties of fish and vegetables. My Father and his council men dug in immediately, decorum be damned

"Here, have this" Rachel passed me a plate of yellow fish

Suddenly I felt my stomach grumble and everything threatened to spill. I moved away from the fish to stop the nausea

I bowed in my father's direction "I would like to take my leave, I am a bit unwell"

He waved me off without even looking in my direction and I left for the healer's quarters immediately.

Hilda, the royal healer, felt my pulse then her eyes widened with worry

"You are with a child My Lady" She whispered

I shook my head in denial. A child surviving scorpion's milk was impossible and I had no knowledge of the child's dead father.

Hilda moved fast and skillfully like she could read my thoughts

"You shall bleed for a week and your strength will only return two weeks later" She poured something from a green vile into a fresh bowl of scorpion's milk

Her eyes looked at me with an emotion bordering pity or sadness before handing the goblet to me

"The foetus shall not survive it...... Even your ability to bear heirs"

I paused for a moment, the rim of the goblet already on my lips. As a Princess, Royal marriage was a must. And Royal marriages required heirs

"If you drink it, there is no going back my lady" She continued

My heart thundered as I weighed my options. My people needed me more and this was the burden of royalty.

I gulped it all down, letting the sloopy liquid glide down my throat. Pain exploded inside me and I immediately crashed to the floor screaming.

I felt something tearing out of me. Outside a servant knocked on the door

"King Caspian seeks the presence of the Princess"

"The Princess has caught a flu....." Hilda replied helping me from the ground to a bed "No one is to visit her for three weeks"

My heart tightened when suddenly Rachel was in the room with a mocking grin plastered on her face.