LXVIII
A stir rumbled once again within the guards. James squinted at the gate, looking out from the balcony. His vision was swept with a throbbing brightness, finding it difficult to make out details from this distance.
?"Who?"
?"It's not Prince Maurice," Alex assured him. "It's... a woman. Her face is obscured. She's wearing a hood."
?"In this heat?"
?Below, the duke exited the villa and rushed down the path with Thomas and Riley on his heel. It was concerning. Alex seemed too exhausted to summon alarm, listless and limp. It was probably James' fault he was that way.
?"Perhaps Lady Nora came ahead of time," James supposed.
?A single woman didn't pose much of a threat to them, even with her two bodyguards following her heels like dogs. James watched her approach the front door.
?"She might be here to apologise to Mererid for not showing up."
?James hummed in thought, unworried. Eris was calming him. She hated him, yes, but she was still soothing him.
?"Let me borrow some of your clothes."
?He shed his shirt as he returned inside. He needed to freshen up a little to associate with the ladies; he'd been running around in the wild like an animal. Thankfully, the duke's villa had plumbing so he splashed water on himself from the sink and ran it through his hair.
?When he looked over his bare shoulder, Alex wasn't admiring him like he'd hoped. Alex was impersonal and vacant as he held out a fresh set of clothes. It dangled between them in the empty space. James was reminded of when he'd been a prisoner in Alex's custody.
?James received it and covered himself, replacing his kilt with Alex's spare blue one. He looked like a knight. The garments were itchy. Alex hadn't leered at his lower half either, even though he'd been given the chance.
?"I guess I'll pretend to be a knight," James teased. Alex didn't laugh.
?He didn't think about it.
?Unclear voices echoed stronger as they marched through the villa. As they neared the top of the staircase, James drifted behind Alex.
?James couldn't recall having met Lady Nora before but her accent sounded a little different to what he would've imagined as he listened.
It was hardly a noticeable distinction but she sounded slightly more eastern than she did central— more akin to Arkingham than Korcaster.
He wondered if she'd spent significant time there to sound that way.
?He'd noticed it too late; Alex's steps stuttered as he descended the stairs.
James snapped his head up, scanning the front hall for the danger.
The woman stood in the hall with her two knights, making light discussion with Mererid and the duke as the rest of their section watched on, Fletcher and Yusuf absent. There was no threat.
?Had Alex had a previous interaction with the lady? Equally weird, Riley was slugging painfully anxious frowns their way.
?He subtly scrutinised her. Just as James thought, he'd not met Lady Nora before. Even with her hood discarded, he didn't recognise this woman with her magnificent brown curls shimmering with a distinct copper glow. Her appearance would've been memorable.
?They reached the group, their presence slipping into the discussion easily. James kept his keen eyes on the guards. They reciprocated.
?"Ah, Lord Alexander." The duke was sharp enough to ignore James. "I'm not sure you two have met."
?"I recognise you," the woman chuckled. "Duke Chamberlain's son, am I right?"
?"You are correct." Alex took her hand, his tone scraping out low and tight. "Your Majesty."
?James stiffened. The words snapped a bolt of cold shock through him. Her Majesty. But, she wasn't the wife of King William or King Godfrey.
?He hadn't been in full control. His gaze slipped back towards her— an accident.
?Her smile dampened as she noticed him, too.
?"And... who is this?" she asked. Her gaze was fixed on him, even as she addressed the duke.
?Alex quickly answered. It was rude and impulsive. "Only a knight under my command."
?Queen Marigold dissected James without chastising Alex's interruption, too engrossed in him. He had to remain still, statue-like.
?It wasn't his fault that he hadn't realised. She looked completely different now— not like the little girl she'd once been. She was a woman now.
?"I hope you don't mind my saying... You look a lot like my husband." The words should have been a joke but her tone was anything but. It came out serious, her expression muddled in an awful confusion. Some of them tittered nervously.
?James found his voice. "How could I dare think to compare myself to His Majesty?"
?The accent came out wrong. It had been too refined, too similar to hers. It had reflected the sick familiarity it'd heard— another mistake.
?"Why don't we move to the lounge?" Mererid tried to suggest.
?"This man's eyes are red," the queen then realised. She took a small step back. "Why is he alive? A knight at that?"
?There was no safe explanation they could provide her, even if it was obvious they were all clutching for one.
?The duke attempted to intervene. "Your Majesty, if we could just—"
?"Who are you?" she demanded of him. "I want a name."
?James waited, silently. He knew what the result would be, it was an inevitable consequence, one he'd witnessed numerous times now.
?Her gaze drifted then, nervous, eyeing his sword. It got caught there. Eris.
?Those brown doe-eyes widened and James watched suspicion fall into doubt, solidifying on her face. It was a dangerous and tentative hope he saw.
?"Take down the guards," James ordered.
?Riley and Thomas had been waiting for such a command. Her two bodyguards tried to draw their swords in panic but they'd not been quick enough, disarmed almost immediately. Their bodies were pinned to the ground as they struggled.
?"Help us!" the queen cried, seeking out support from the duke's men.
?The duke's guards shifted uncomfortably, waiting on their master's orders. She was a queen, yes, but she was the Ankaid Queen; she had no power over the Theos soldiers. As if realising this, despair marred her features, her complexion ashening.
?"There's no way..."
?James regarded her terror vacantly. However, seeing the tears start to well up twinged his muddy heart. Marigold.
?"Lock her downstairs," James said. And the duke echoed the sentiment to his men.
?Perhaps it was pettiness, perhaps it was relentment, but Eris' influence over him had dimmed after he'd returned. She'd taken a step away from him and guilt finely pricked at him where it hadn't before. It made disrespecting Marigold harder.
?They dragged her away and perhaps the futility kept her quiet because she did not scream nor struggle. It was like her to save face like this.
?"You knew her," Alex stated.
?James took a deep breath, eyes closed, encouraging the stuffiness to roll off his shoulders. He warded off the memories that ventured up to the surface, holding on to Eris' grip in hopes she would help him, just a little more.
?"Arresting a royal is no joke," the duke's tone was dead. James almost felt sorry for him. "I've implicated myself quite severely now."
?James nodded. He'd take note of the duke's cooperation.
?Thomas and Riley returned then.
?"Did you not want to interview her now?" Thomas said. He seemed puzzled that James hadn't followed them before.
?"I'll go," he confirmed.
?"You don't have to," Riley spoke up. "If you want, we can do it."
?This confused Thomas. "Why would he not?"
?Of course, Riley would've known about James' issue with Marigold, just as the duke probably did also.
?"Let's go," James prompted. "We won't have long with her before Prince Maurice arrives. We can only hope Harrison gets here first." He turned to Mererid. "Could you go find Fletcher? We'll need him to take notes."
?"O- of course," she stuttered.
?"Thank you. You'll want to hear this too, Duke."
?They went down a wide set of stairs. It hadn't been the same ones James and Alex had toed down the night that he left but the surroundings became recognisable as they navigated the underground floor.
They passed the door to the kitchen, servants clattering around busily in the cramped space, having no time to take interest in what the men were doing, even if they snuck glances.
?The dungeon had been sealed off from the servants by a door-to-ceiling barred gate, guards stood there rigidly like they were a part of the furniture, letting them through without question. Fletcher ran after them, calling for them to hold the entrance open. They slowed so he could catch up.
?Hot humidity oppressed them there compared to the surface, the air claggy and stale-smelling. Compared to the well-kept servants' quarters, the dungeons were neglected and uncomfortable. This was most likely by design.
?Three knights guarded the queen's cell, standing to attention as they approached. "Your Grace."
?"Thank you, gentlemen," the duke replied. "Open up and take a walk. I've got four knights with me."
?James peered inside the small barred window but it was too dark to see.
?"Of course, Your Grace."
?One of the duke's men unlocked the door for them whilst one-handed Riley a lit lamp. It would provide them with more light inside. The duke's guards then walked off.
?They were a large crowd in this tight corridor yet none moved.
Once it became apparent to James that they were waiting for him to enter first, he did so, the door resisting heavily on its hinges, squealing as he pushed it.
The inside was a black void in front of his eyes.
It wasn't until Riley slithered in, the lamp casting their prisoner in trembling flame, that he could view her.
?They stared at each other for a while. She was on the ground, bolted there by her ankles, on a padded cushion, her chin lifted high as she stubbornly held on to her dignity. Haughty.
?Wood scraped against the rough stone flooring as Thomas dragged a chair inside the cell. He placed it in front of Marigold. James didn't sit immediately, tapping an idle finger on it.
?He couldn't tell what she was thinking.
?Finally, she straightened her back and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "So, it was you." Her tone was matter-of-fact and indecipherable, just as her expression was. This was the game she was going to play, James realised.
?He sniffed in feigned disinterest and took a seat, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his legs, his fingers intertwined between his knees.
?She narrowed her eyes. "So, what do you plan to do to me?"
?"Hello, Mari."
?She flinched at the nickname, complex feelings breaking out and showing all over her face. She clamped down on it quickly.
?"You're alive."
?"You sound disappointed."
?She said nothing.
?"I was a naughty kid back then," James mused. "I never quite did what others wanted of me. I never grew up, I suppose."
?"How are you still alive?" she asked. "How? What have you been doing this whole time?"
?"I fled. And, then, I lived."
?"They looked for you."
?"They were never going to find me." James' humour was sour. "I was a different person out there."
?She hung her head. It seemed the reality hadn't sunk in for her yet. James could see the battle rippling in her tense body.
?Marigold looked up at him again, her face crumpling in sorrow and regret. "You look well." Her voice was soft, warm. It carried many feelings with it, affectionate sentiments that had long gone unanswered by him. It was sickeningly familiar to listen to.
?He nodded. "I survived. I heard a Marigold married Fabian but I'd never been sure if was you... I sometimes wondered how you were."
?Her smile was slight. "Me, too. Silly thoughts, really. I didn't actually think there was any possibility you were alive but I tried to imagine it."
?"Like I said: I'm sorry to disappoint."
?She reminisced in the memories, her faint smile wistful, enshrouding herself in those old childlike feelings like a tender blanket. She may have even been happy to see him but she wasn't glad he was alive. James knew that.
?"Why am I in prison, Julian?"
?"You're smart," James hummed. "Take a guess."
?"Do you hate him?"
?The question was an odd one, even though it shouldn't have been. It was sudden. He found himself unable to answer.
?"Do you?" he asked. "Do you know what he did?"
?Her silence was more telling than any words could've been. She wrung her hands together as if she were in prayer
?James nodded to himself. "You two suit each other."
?"That's harsh," she said quietly.
?James jolted, something snapping in him so savagely that his hands clenched with the mere idea of wringing her neck. Anger sparked to life like a striking match.
?"Harsh?" he repeated, scoffing, smiling in disbelief. "You dare accuse me of being harsh? You conniving revolting little bitch."
?"James," Alex murmured.
?James slackened his ground jaw, breathing in deeply to regain his composure. "So you married him, knowing all this?" he confirmed.
?She stared blankly. James found it hateful.
?"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore," he continued. "You sold yourself to a murderous tyrant. Try as you might to cling on to that polished and elegant image of yours but you are just a jewelled-up whore with bloodied feet. It's amusing that you think you have any dignity still."
?She glared. "You have no idea what kind of man he is."
?"He executed my mum, my dad. He killed thousands of innocent people because he couldn't find my body in the wreckage. And he's going to do it again if we don't stop him. He did all of this for some stupid crown that I barely wanted anyway. He could've had it if he'd just fucking asked."
?All the things that he'd bottled up, the blame, the vitriol, the sorrow, he was finally visiting these feelings for the first time.
He'd never actually outrun them; they'd waited patiently for him, silently, in the corner.
They'd watched him for his entire life, every decision he'd made since.
They were a passenger that he'd never been quick enough to flee from.
?Her lips thinned. "He didn't mean to."
?James pulled himself up, slumping back in his chair. He noticed his hand trembled as he brought it up to rub his cheek.
?"He didn't mean to," he voiced slowly.
?"Fabian loved you, Jule. He loved all of you. It was all truly a mistake that he couldn't take back..."
?James was astounded by the audacity. "He loved me?"
?"You're his younger brother," she croaked. "Of course he loved you."
?"He slaughtered us all."
?"He made a mistake. He was twelve." Her chains rattled as she shifted forward. "Julian, you have no idea what he's like. He is haunted by the people who died. But he is haunted by you the most."
?"Me?"
?"You're the one that got lost. You terrify him. Everything is about you. All the time. You kill him in his nightmares. So, he would have to kill you first, even if others got hurt, too." Her eyes narrowed. "And look at how right he was to think that."
?James swallowed roughly, his mouth dry. "I never would've hunted him if he hadn't struck first." He was subdued, serene-like, his tone weak. "What's coming is his own fault. This is simply the consequence of his own actions."
?"That's cold," she breathed out. "That's too cold. He is the only family you have left."
?"He died that day to me, too," James lied to himself. "I have no such thing."
?The declaration caused her physical pain, her eyes crushing shut as her body tipped her forward. Any lingering childish affection he had for this woman was gone. He couldn't justify her beliefs. They were too repulsive.
?"You've changed a lot," she accused. "My Jule never would've said something so cold."
?"Yeah, well, a lot has changed. I'd always given you the benefit of the doubt, thinking you didn't know the truth. Now I know you're just despicable."
?"When he first told me..." she gasped but fought through it, forcing her truth out. "I hated him. He'd taken you away from me. But then, I calmed down and, well, I just... I felt sorry for him."
?James chuckled lowly.
?"He truly is a pitiful man.," she pleaded for him to understand. "No one knows him better than I do. He is ruined. I pray that you see this, one day, for both of your sakes."
?"You love him, then?"
?"I love him in my own way. How could I not? If I hadn't married him, I would've been sold to someone else. He married me because he's kind."
?James bit the inside of his lip. "Everyone knows how deeply he cares for you."
?Although, that hadn't always been the case.
?"They're wrong. Obsessed? Yes. But he doesn't love me. No, he married me because you loved me."
?A tense moment passed and the realisation settled among the men. James could pinpoint the moment Alex worked it out, the man bristling.
?Riley had known Marigold had been engaged to James, of course; he'd been friends with Llwyd who had played with them as children.
Maybe that was what was going through Marigold's head earlier; perhaps she'd imagined a world where she'd been able to marry him instead.
After all, James had been the one she'd wanted first.
?But, such a time was long gone now. The idea had decayed.
?"I never loved you." It was the truth.
?"And I'll never correct him," she whispered. "I will show him mercy in this way. And I'll have no regrets."
?The fight left James' tired soul. He looked over his shoulder to regard the rest of the men in the cell. Their faces were grim and harrowed. None of them had anything to add.
?"We're done here." James stood from his chair. "You're an accomplice to his crimes, as far as I'm concerned. It's the death penalty for you, I've decided."
?"You can't do that."
?He raised his eyebrows. "No?"
?"Fabian will look for me the moment he realises I'm gone."
?"Soon he won't be capable of much at all."
?She paled horrifically. "You're not really going to...?"
?"Why would you be surprised? He devastated my life."
?"He was twelve!"
?"Twelve or not, it's too late now. His plan will kill thousands more if we don't act. He's a dead man."
?"You don't have the authority to kill me! This isn't legal!"
?James laughed sincerely, then. It was such a naive contention. These people destroyed his path in life and had no idea what he'd done in the meantime. Marigold would've been a lot more scared if she'd gotten even a glimpse of the man James had become. The law was no more than a checklist to him
?"I envy what a sheltered little doll you are. Enjoy these last few moments."
?She was frenzied. Her fingers clutched at the ground, chipping her perfect nails, as if grasping for straws. "I'm pregnant!" she blurted. "There's an unborn child in me!"
?James looked her up and down, unconvinced. She pulled on her clothes, pulling it taught around her belly, revealing its swollen roundness.
?He was unmoved. "Even more reason to kill you, then. I can't have an heir running around."
?"No, no! It's not Fabian's!"
?A blink betrayed his surprise. "What?"
?"I had a miscarriage a few years ago," she hurriedly explained. "We haven't had success since. So, we're having a child using a different man."
?It wasn't a practice necessarily unheard of, albeit a little eccentric. From the sight of her, she seemed relatively far along, around halfway perhaps. Could he do it? Could he kill an unborn baby?
?She might have been lying, of course. But, he had no evidence of it.
?A hand wrapped around his arm, calloused and rough, gripping firmly. Alex was the only person who dared touch him first. He seemed as stern and cold as always but the light in his eye wobbled, pleading to James through thought alone. James' heart twinged.
?Alex was too soft for this world.
?"I'm going to kill you as soon as the baby is born," James decided. He felt Alex relax beside him. "If it looks anything like Fabian, I am going to make both of your deaths hurt."
?"This is all I can ask for," she whimpered. "Thank you."
?James needed to get out of this cramped space quickly. He turned his back, going to leave. But, Marigold had one last appeal for sympathy.
?"He just wants to make your parents proud... to build a great empire."
?James stood in the doorway. He could feel her eyes on his back but he didn't turn to look at her. After this, hopefully, he'd never have to see her again.
?"It's too late for that," was his reply. "He'll never receive that praise and it's his own fault."
?Her wails shrieked through the basement as she was left discarded in her cell, drowning in the thought of her own demise.
It tortured her better than any sort of physical pain ever could.
Her sobs more resembled screams, a raw sound James had heard choired within the violence fifteen years prior.
All those poor servants... their blood pooling on the floors.
?James never wanted to see Marigold or Fabian again.
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For some reason I just couldn't be happy with how this chapter came out, but its serviceable enough rn. might edit later :