Daughter of Death -Chapter 31 (Patreon)

Thank you photofunia for the photo edit

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

“Stay with me tonight, Ferdinand,” Reina cooed. It had been a long and chaotic day what with the arrest of Edeline and the announcement of Reina’s return. The Princess wanted some comfort at last and what better than the company of her beloved?He chuckled softly. “Ah my love how I wish I could.”“But you can,” she argued as she pulled on his shirt and brought him closer to her. “You can; tis simple: you’ve done it before!”“No darling it is not. For while I could bewitch everyone to forget that I stayed it is you  I am thinking of love.”She scowled. “Why’re you denying me?”“Reina my love... Everything has been carefully thought over. Come, sit and I will explain all.”The Princess did as he asked and sat with him on the divan.“Firstly my love: we can not be impertinent and be caught in a compromising position. I may not join my flesh with yours until such a time that we are married.”“But then let’s—”“Hush love,” he cooed, “We shall be married before long. It is less than a week until your eighteenth birthday upon which two things must happen: you will be crowned Queen and you must complete your transformation.”At this, Reina looked visibly excited.“If I do not complete your transformation by your birthday which is also the anniversary of my starting your changes then you shall encounter illness,” he explained patiently, “Your body needs to complete the transformation; it has been too long since you were first turned. Having feasted upon your companions in the woods repeatedly may have slowed your illness but eventually you will start to feel the fatigue and general discomfort. You need completion.”“Then give it to me. I accept,” Reina exhaled as she exposed the skin of her neck and shoulder to him.He smiled at her eagerness. “Not yet it is not so simple. And besides, I had hoped to make such a thing your wedding present.”“Gifts can be given early,” she argued with a coy look in her eye.“Yes but then should I make your transformation now you shall not enjoy the consummation of our love in the same way. And neither shall I for that matter. Patience, love, is required. I will marry you before your birthday and we shall be together finally joined as one flesh.“But I need you to understand what it is I foresee for us. If you do not agree, things shall not go so smoothly for us.”“Very well. I am listening.”Ferdinand took a deep breath and began to outline his plans in further detail: “You and I shall marry before your coronation. In this way, we can be wed in a quiet and intimate ceremony in private and then following your coronation we can host a public celebration. Additionally should I wed you before you are queen, we may both enjoy the pleasure of seeing me as part of your ceremony. And then I may be eligible for more titles than if I had wed you following the coronation.“And of course, should we marry sooner, we may enjoy each other sooner,” he breathed and she smiled back with utter satisfaction. “If I were to be seen taking you before we are wed many would be against us.”“But can’t you just make them forget? Can’t we persuade them that you first took me on the night of our wedding?” she questioned, countering his logic.Ferdinand chuckled at her vivacious spirit. “My dearest I have always dreamt of our union to be taken following our marriage. The thought of you remaining a maid and taking that after we pledge ourselves fills me with such passion. Not all things that I have done that bring me pleasure have been because of my convincing and manipulating others into being able to have such a thing. I like the idea that this: our love and the eventual consummation of it has been through what any other couple in love has gone through. The ceremony of it excites me.”“I only want your pleasure and happiness,” Reina had to admit begrudgingly. “If it pleases you to wait to be wed then I shall wait though I have dreamt of that moment that we are finally together for so long now, my love.”Ferdinand smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “It shall be worth it, love. I promise.”She smiled happily back at him.“And after that...should you still desire it I shall make us one and the same and complete your transformation.” He saw his betrothed’s eyes light up again with anticipation. “Then, you shall become Queen and following that we may plan a wedding feast. In fact it would do well for us to make the announcement that day following you receiving your crown. You can announce that you and I are wed from a private ceremony and that you wish the land to rejoice as well so you are going to have an official public royal ceremony.”“I do love a party and people fussing over everything for me,” she agreed arrogantly. “I shall, then.”“And what do you say to the two of us, now one in body, mind and soul, dispensing justice upon your dear step-mother?”“Go on, Ferdinand,” she begged greedily.“She sought to destroy you. It is only right that we destroy her. Perhaps the night of your coronation feast or our wedding feast you can have her brought out for a public humiliation in answer to the treason she committed. Following that, you and I may have our way with her.”Reina’s eyes widened in awe and excitement over the thought of this. “Yes, my love. Yes. It would give me great pleasure to take her life as she fights back in terror. It is only fitting.”“Then so it shall be,” Ferdinand whispered before pressing a not so chaste kiss to Reina’s lips and letting his hands wander over her bosom.Thought it had been difficult to sleep that night, Reina was forced to admit her fatigue and give in after long. She dreamt of chasing her step-mother through the castle in animalistic pursuit as the former dowager screamed in terror and hopelessness. Another dream had her devouring the former queen in the same stream the woman had tried to kill Reina in. Another still had Ferdinand drinking the woman dry while Reina watched in pleasure and afterwards he let his hands roam over Reina’s body in places she had not yet felt his touch.When Reina woke that morning she was displeased to discover that Ferdinand was nowhere to be found in her chamber but inquiry into his whereabouts soon rectified that.The two took breakfast together in her private dining chambers and Reina detailed her dreams to him. He smiled along with her and encouraged the excitement for the violence she wished to release upon Edeline.As per her love’s suggestion, after Reina had her chamber maids dress her in a proper, rich gown and do her hair finely, The Princess summoned a meeting with her Royal Council. “Lord Ferdinand of Moravia has proposed marriage to me, officially, and I have accepted him.”“Wh-what Your Highness?”“Lord Ferdinand and I had an arrangement before I went missing; a promise of betrothal. This is why he returned to his country to foresee preparations to honour me and Bayern with his offer of marriage. Only, I was disposed of in an attempted assassination. But now that I am returned, I have accepted His Lordship’s offer which he humbly gave me last evening. I have informed him thus this morning.”The Council were rather shocked and surprised.“And you accept this offer out of thought for Bayern and uniting our people to Moravia?”“That is of little importance to me. I accept Lord Ferdinand’s offer out of the love and affection I hold for him and he for me and for Bayern itself.”“How can you be certain Lord Ferdinand does not seek your Crown?” a councilman asked evenly.“He has sworn under pain of death loyalty and fealty to me and to honour Bayern as he would his own beloved Moravia. He comes here without reservation and without any allies or friendships formed here or there. Our bond has been made naturally and is looked upon with favour by God. Why else would it be he who found me in my weakened state? If he so desired power, he could have made his promise and connection to me public after my disappearance and death.”“Perhaps he thought we would suspect him of involvement with the plot,” another spoke up.“How foolish would he be to hatch such a plot only to carry it out before we are wed? No, you are foolish and mistaken to suggest such a thing. Watch your tongue, councilman.”“I beg thy forgiveness,” he whispered, his head bowed.“I do not come here to ask permission to wed only for arrangements to be made for a small ceremony tomorrow. By then I feel I shall have recovered enough to be fit to stand before Your Eminence and say my vows,” she addressed the bishop present. “I do not wish to delay the matter. I love Ferdinand and I wish to wed him before anymore tragedy befalls. May God be merciful enough for that,” she proclaimed gently.The Council felt some reservations against Reina’s wishes but in the end they decided that they should go with Her Royal Highness’ wishes. She did speak true about wanting some joy amidst all the tragedy and they knew that Lord Ferdinand’s station wedding her now would remain as a consort. Besides all of this, Reina could upon her coronation officially and legally announce her choice of husband without interference from anyone. To upset her now to make that choice later would not do them well if they wished to keep their positions. And so the marriage was agreed to.Satisfied by the response, Reina departed from them and decided to pay a visit to the dungeons. After all, Ferdinand was off making preparations of his own and would not return until well after the noon hour had rung.Reina was allowed in to see her step-mother even without her abilities of persuasion. She did, however, have to encourage the guards not to remain too close on watch for what she needed to discuss with Edeline was private.“Step-mother,” she greeted after gazing upon the figure of the woman in a mere shift sat on the floor of the dungeon holding her legs up to her chest in defeat.Edeline’s hazel eyes met Reina’s turquoise ones in alarm. She quickly dropped her gaze, recalling the power the girl had over her. “Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison,” the prisoner whispered to herself repeatedly.“God will not come and save you here,” Reina countered, “I have not come for anything except for information. Your fate has not yet been determined.”The former queen just kept whispering to herself silent prayers for protection and forgiveness.Reina grew impatient. “Or if you would rather not speak to me then I believe I can have you tortured.”“What can mere mortals do to me?” Edeline quoted the bible in response.Reina laughed softly. “You perhaps will not say such things when they begin to break your bones or tear your flesh. Come now Stepmother we are both noblewomen are we not by blood? Let us converse as such even though I am your superior in every way.”“I’ve nothing to say to you, demon,” Edeline responded.Reina laughed but then stopped abruptly, “Look at me. LOOK AT ME!”Edeline jumped in surprise but didn’t do as her step-daughter commanded.Reina shrieked angrily and then seeing Edeline’s silver cross clutched in her hands got an idea: “Fine then I will defile you and make a demon of you too. God cannot protect you from this and then oh then you will speak to me,” she threatened.Edeline glanced up in terror and Reina took effect: “Keep your gaze on me that’s right. Now, Stepmother, tell me what I wish to know. How did you find out about what I am?”“My books.”“What about your books? How did you know to look in them?”“Y-your maids. So much was suspicious. Eventually I decided it was unnatural and I found out about the vampir in my books. I thought perhaps your father was a demon too but I know now it is just you.”“And is that why you tried to have me killed?”“Yes.”“It wasn’t out of jealousy?”“No,” Edeline’s dark hair shook as she responded with her head as well.“But you are jealous of me, are you not?”“I have been,” Edeline had to admit slowly. Reina prodded her for more details and so the woman had to confess to being envious of the young princess and her looks that resembled her mother’s in such a wonderful and delicate way. Reina felt smug satisfaction at the confirmation of her previous thoughts.“But your jealousy drove you to want me dead?”“No. Just your nature as an unholy demon. And so I arranged to have you murdered and your heart removed thus we all be rid of you and your evil.”“But I escaped. How did you learn I was still alive?”Edeline had no choice but to reveal the truth –for Reina had commanded her so. Reina asked Edeline more and more: how many times did Edeline visit her in the forest? What did she do to Reina each time? Why didn’t she kill Reina that third time?And then finally Reina came to a question that she couldn’t have Edeline remember her asking: “What do you know about Ferdinand?”“I beg your pardon? He is your betrothed or so I suspect. I think he wants power and has found just the person to give it to him. But does he know you’re an unholy demon, Reina?” Edeline posed. “I suppose it’s easiest for you if he doesn’t; if you alter his memory as you have done mine and countless others.”Reina stared back at Edeline in surprise, “You don’t know...”“Know what?”Reina paused a moment to consider and then she laughed. “Forget that I asked you anything about Lord Ferdinand today. You only confessed all about your crimes to me and you will plead guilty to whatever you are charged with when the time comes. Do you understand?”“I understand,” Edeline responded without a choice.“Good. I shall have to come up with a story or two to fit your crimes for we cannot have anyone know the real truth can we? But I think I have something that will be...suitable at least. You are jealous of my beauty and you shall die knowing that I shall retain it forever. I appreciate the irony of that.”Edeline stared back at the girl mutely.“Very well, Stepmother. Thank you for confessing. And now I shall leave you to contemplate that you failed and that I shall be happy, and terrible, and beautiful forever.”Smugly, Reina returned to take an afternoon repast with Ferdinand where she told him of her idea to provide her former housemates with the stories of how they uncovered Edeline’s treachery at trying to kill Reina thrice within the cottage in the woods.And so summoning the ever faithful (and grateful) dwarves, they fed them all a tale of a jealous woman and a disguise and corset ribbons to suffocate Reina’s breath and a poisonous comb to stop Reina’s heart and a bewitched fruit which froze Reina’s body into a state like death.And from that moment forward though the details may have changed slightly over time in the retellings, the ‘truth’ about a jealous and power hungry queen was shared as the tale of what beloved Princess Reina had endured and persevered through.Many, many years later Reina would laugh at the stories passed around about a vain witch who tried to kill the young and beautiful child she cast out into a forest to die. For the truth was much more dark and sinister and a lot more enjoyable for the ‘child’ than anyone would ever know...