Princess Arya was forced to marry the winner of the tournament her father had held to stop the war. King Kohl was the strongest among all alphas and she despised the fact that the barbarian had won her hand and future title. She hated him and and hi...
"You disgust me!" Arya screamed at Pascal while Kohl's head laid on her lap. The alpha was breathing heavily, almost choking on his own saliva and vomit.
Pascal knelt next to Arya. "Oh, but I still hold dear feelings for you, sister-in-law. That's why I'll let you leave with one horse, together with your dying husband. He probably has about three hours until he will draw his last breath. You can bury him at any desired place," Pascal said and softly caressed his brother's cheek.
Kohl was too far gone to respond, but Arya could, so she spat in Pascal's face, right into his eye. "Horrible man!" she said while her body shook with anger.
The new king wiped the spit from his face and rubbed his hand on his pants. He then pulled Arya by her arm, forcing the omega to look him in the eyes as he said:
"Come on, don't hate me. I know you like me. Do you think I don't know how you were ogling me? Spending your precious time to come to training practice. I know you were looking at my sweaty body, instead of at your husband's. If you were my mate, I would have put a leash on that pretty neck of yours for looking at other men like you did."
Arya felt tears of anger and shame prickle behind her eyes. She looked at the other people living in the castle and everyone watched them. Ezra laughed.
"Get one horse and lash my brother upon its back!" Pascal ordered his men.
"What about me?" Arya asked.
"One animal is enough. Arya can walk next to the horse!" Pascal said to his men, his eyes not moving away from Arya.
"I want to leave with my Queen!" Brianna screamed.
"You'll stay here," Pascal ordered.
"It's okay, Brianna," Arya said. She didn't want Brianna to be in danger. She shouldn't talk back at Pascal.
Two of Pascal's men lifted Kohl and one pulled Arya by her arm. Before she was pulled away, she stole one last look at her trustworthy maid. She wished that she could see Brianna again and she wished it would be soon.
Brianna nodded and Arya saw how the woman's eyes were all teared up. Arya answered her with the same gesture. A nod that said 'I will never forget you, you are important to me, hope to meet again'.
~
It was getting dark and Arya's feet hurt. She was walking for hours, pulling the horse with Kohl on top. Her husband was unconscious but still alive.
They walked through the woods, but Arya knew nothing of traveling. She didn't even know the way back to oprela and that was the only place she could go to.
Maybe she should just die with her husband on the road. Maybe she had deserved that. She felt torn, her feelings didn't match. A part of her wanted Kohl dead, but a part wanted to protect him too. It pained her to see the once mighty King as helpless as this.
In the middle of the woods, she stopped and buried her face in her hands to cry her eyes out. She felt so ashamed because Pascal's words were true. She knew that now. And Pascal had used them to humiliate her. She deserved it.
How could she think that Pascal was a good man? Only because he'd shared a few decent words with her and Pascal showed her a little respect while the rest didn't? The man was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Arya felt so dumb. She really knew nothing of the world outside the gates of oprela. She should have believed Kohl when he said that Pascal couldn't be trusted.
Still in the middle of her crying, she heard a rustle behind her, so she turned around. A lady approached her, a little older than her.
"Oh my. Look at you, you poor thing. Come with me," the lady said.
She took the strap out of Arya's hands and pulled the horse. Arya followed her, she didn't have many other choices anyway.
After a few minutes, they stood before a little wooden cottage with a few little windows and the lady said:
"That's where I live. Please stay with me for a while. You both are more than welcome to be my guests. I have food and water and shelter."
~
Mira was her name, a beta lady.
Together, they had lifted Kohl off the horse, and now, he was sleeping in Mira's bed. Or he was unconscious, Arya didn't know.
"He'll die," Arya said to Mira while they both looked at the ill man.
Mira bowed down and sniffed at Kohl. She licked his chin, where some vomit had dried up and she seemed to taste something. "Goldpuff," she said, licking her lips.
"What?" Arya asked.
"He's been poisoned with Goldpuff. A flower. A large dose also. If it had been anyone else, they would have been dead already. However, for people who were already acquainted with the usage of the flower, death goes slower."
"What does this all mean?" Arya didn't understand any of it.
"It means that he has been exposed to it before. Probably as a form of torture. If people give very small dosages, it won't kill you, but it does unspeakably horrible and painful things to your body. In the past, people used it as punishment, and though it's sad that he had to go through that abuse in the past, right now, it will probably save his life. I think I can cure him. But you must pray also," Mira said.
Arya felt relief. She wondered what Kohl had experienced when he was younger. She thought about it and she realized that she knew nothing about her husband. She only knew that Kohl was suffering from nightmares.
As Mira was busy with Kohl, Arya observed her home. Who or what was this lady? Everywhere there were books and bottles and pots. Was this lady a witch?
"I will get further supplies for his treatment. Stay with him but don't give him any water! Not even if he asks for it," Mira sternly said and she left.
Arya sat on the chair next to Kohl. The alpha looked so fragile right now. He was pale and looked sickly, breathing hard. Sometimes his eyes fluttered open but they closed almost immediately. He made gargling and choked off noises.
After Mira had returned, she made a paste from herbs, flowers, and mushrooms and handed the bowl with the pulp in Arya's hands, and lifted Kohl to a sitting position. Mira sat behind him and held him down, sticking her fingers deep in his throat till he gagged.
"What...what are you doing? Arya asked.
Kohl gagged so hard, his face turned red and his eyes almost popped out. Luckily he still was out of this world. A little vomit came out.
"He needs to be empty first," Mira said before she laid him on his back again and spooned in some of the mushy pulp. Kohl could barely hold it in, but she kept spooning in, whatever came back out. "It may be a horrifying sight, but he needs to take it or he'll die."
Arya watched with sympathy. Though Kohl was a brute man, he hadn't deserved this.
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