Lady Laila

Chapter 41: 'HOME'

The king stares blankly at Mara and the physician who are standing before him in the throne room. His eight other women present as well, only a bit scared of the man they all belong to...his aura is worse than the day Laila slapped him. This is the side of the king, they never want to see.

"Explain yourselves," he commands.

Mara raises her head, "My Lord, I don't understand. You brought me before you with a physician I only visit when I am unwell. I'm afraid there is nothing for me to explain."

The middle-aged man says nothing, looking to the ground.

"You?" Stephan asks.

"M-my L-lord, there's nothing to e-explain."

Chuckling humorlessly, Stephan nods before sitting up, "Let me aid you a bit. What do you know about Laila's pregnancy?"

His women gasp, covering their mouths, but their shock can't be masked. Lady Laila is pregnant? Turning to Regina, they see she is in shock as well. So no one knew Lady Laila was with child?

Quinn can't help but eye Mara. "Her jealousy is certainly worse than ours," she mutters to May.

"And yet she thought she was better than us," the hazel-eyed brunette whispers back.

"We don't know what she's done yet," Ginger says, as they watch on.

"One more word from any of you, and you're losing your tongues," Stephan glares at the women, who feel the blood drain from their faces.

Turning his attention back to the culprits in front of him, he says, "I'll count to ten in my head. If none of you talk, you will be hung."

Mara looks up at the king, her impenetrable stoic expression immediately gone.

"My Lord, I am your woman," she says, trying to maintain composure, but already feels her legs vibrating.

The king says nothing, as he counts silently, his eyes on them.

"She's my niece, My Lord!" the man says, kneeling on the ground.

"I taught her how to read and write when she was a little girl. I set her up to be seen by you because I knew of your interest in women!"

"Uncle!" Mara exclaims in anger.

"Her literacy is none of my concern, in fact, I am also going to revoke that worthless law soon. What do you know about Laila's pregnancy?"

"My Lord I told you all I knew that day-"
"Kill him," Stephan tells one of the guards who walks up to him with his sword drawn.

Raising his hands, he yells, "MY LORD PLEASE! I LIED TO YOU!"

The guard stands down immediately, as per the king's orders.

"You lied," he repeats, standing up from his throne and walking towards him.

Nodding rapidly, and wiping the beads of sweat from his face, he says again, "Yes. I told you that she was about six or seven weeks along, which was a lie."

"And you did that because?" he questions further.
"I knew you were suspicious of Lady Laila and Arthur, so I made it look like he was the father."

"Because?"

"...I wanted my niece to be queen," he says, gulping at the sight of Stephan standing tall in front of him.

Smiling, Stephan nods, before looking at Mara who averts her eyes. Walking behind the man, he says, "You wouldn't have plotted this if you did not find out about my prophecy from the witch."