The Paladin (The King Eternal Monarch AU)

West

Three days had passed since his dear niece went missing. She was much too brave and resourceful for her own good.

Hadn't she looked into his eyes just ten days ago and only let out a quiet gasp when he cut open her uterus?

Without anesthetic too.

He had let go of the scalpel and had enjoyed pressing his fingers inside the open laceration. He enjoyed seeing her writhe in pain.

She writhed, but she didn't scream, did she?

It ruined all the fun and made him look like a villain. He did think, though, that his idea was absolutely brilliant.

What better way than to mess around with the pretender to the Throne than by ensuring that she never had heirs? Revenge could be so sweet.

The doctors in the operating room had been appalled. Doctor Alice Kim, West's sister took over and quickly barked for anesthesia.

Edward loved that the doctor was West's sister. She would follow his instructions to the T.

Tubectomy, followed by hysterectomy. Removal of Fallopian tubes followed by the removal of the entire uterus.

Alice Kim would do as she was told. The Paladins were all loyal to him. He had them spied on regularly and the reports were always written Clear from Suspicion.

Oh, he had plenty of reason to be suspicious of them. It was always disappointing when the reports came back clean.

Edward smiled broadly as he walked out of the operating room. What a day to celebrate.

What a difference ten days make, he thought with sour regret.

"Your majesty."

He turned his head away from the account books and looked at his aide with cold eyes.

"Go on."

"The navy divers found a few skeletons. None matched the late Princess."

Then we can't call her the late anything, can we? He thought.

"Did anyone try to dredge the lake?"

King Edward's voice was quiet but on edge. He noticed the aide's eyes flicker fearfully between his face and his sword.

Afraid of me, aren't you?

"N – no, your Majesty. They found a shelter of sorts."

"What sort of shelter?"

"I don't know anything specific yet, your Majesty."

He lost his temper and lunged for his aide's collar. His left hand wrapped around the aide's small neck. He flexed and added pressure on the neck. He gripped it hard, enjoying the fear in the man's eyes and the sound of gurgling.

He's suffocating.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five," he counted slowly.

If he dies before five, he dies. If he's still alive...

Edward dropped the man and he fell straight to the ground gasping for air.

He's alive, he thought clinically. Too bad. I should count to ten next time.

"Don't come back until you know all the details. I want all residences within a twenty-mile radius from the lake to be searched. No exceptions."

The aide scrambled to his feet, bowed, and left in a hurry.