A Kingdom of Bloodshed (A Crimson Court Series)

*¬*Chapter Ten*¬*

             "Who is Beatrice?" I whisper in the stunned silence of his room. Those shadows now completely gone, and I'm left staring at the weeping High Lord of this kingdom. Kaz's spine stiffens when he hears her name. The tears that had fallen from his eyes now freezing on his cheeks as he lifted his face to meet mine. "How do you know that name?" The anger beneath the words was unexpected. It causes me to take a step backwards.

"How do you know that name?" He growls again. His hands clenching in his lap. "Because you kept whispering it over and over again." The words are breathless, dropped between us like pebbles in water. Kaz looks away and swallows deeply, wiping his face before murmuring,

"Beatrice was my first wife. The woman I fell in love with many, many decades ago. I was young, or young in Fae years, and I happened to bump into her when I was visiting a far off Kingdom. She came from the Kingdom of Light, so beautiful and pure. Sweet, kind, funny, but sarcastic and bold. I fell for her instantly." He inhales shakily before tugging at his hair. His next words are thick with old hurt.

"Beatrice was like nothing I've ever seen before, someone I've never met. She was hesitant at first, because of where I was from, but eventually I won her over. After deciding to court her, we had the best relationship; soon both of us fell madly for the other. A year and a half into the relationship, I asked her to marry me. She said yes."

Something akin to jealousy begins to bloom in my chest. I don't understand it as I can't stand Kaz, yet... there is something else between us. Something that draws me to him. Kaz continues, oblivious to the thoughts raging in my mind.

"After we were wed, we moved into my home; into Scarwood. She seemed happy at first until the little things that bothered her became apparent. Any time she complained about something, I'd immediately change it. Trying to make her happy. Soon enough I felt that I was changing who I was and where I'm from just to please her, but being foolishly in love, I ignored that feeling. I let her change me. We were married for a few years, before I noticed a change in her. Little things that made me wonder why her mood shifted."

"Beatrice stopped doing the things she loved, hanging out in the garden, singing, spending time with me and becoming more reserved, always out, always gone. Secretive, edgy. I ignored that too because I thought maybe it was my fault, that I was being too much. I came home one day from doing courtly duties in another land, and I called for her.

She didn't answer, so I checked the house, all the places she usually was. When I came upstairs to see if she was napping, I... I heard them."
My heart stutters at his tone.

"I heard them talking. I waited until I'd heard enough before I barged into the room, demanding answers. They acted like it wasn't a big deal, like lying about their affair and then being caught didn't matter. That I should have expected it. I became angry, so blindingly angry. I lost control. My magic tore from me and shredded the room, this room, to pieces. In my destructive rage, I didn't realize I'd killed her, not until Arrow showed up and saved me. Stopped me from hurting anyone else." There's a long pause between his words and the next. Long enough for me to step towards the bed and sink down next to him on it.

Kaz's next words are hollow, empty of emotion. "Arrow saved me that day. Beatrice died but her lover, Darius, survived. Ever since that day, I kept a close hold on myself. I never let myself open up to another again, because I'm afraid to get hurt and I'm even more scared that I'll hurt someone I love." His eyes meet mine, they pierce into me. I don't know what to say, so I keep quiet, processing this information. My fingers curl into fists on my lap as the name of her lover clangs through me.

"Darius?" I whisper. "Yes, that was his name." Kaz frowns, his brows scrunching together at my sudden reaction. "What's wrong Thea?"

I swallow, shaking my head. "Nothing." I can't tell him. I can't tell him that Darius is my father's name. Whether that has any correlation or not is uncertain but... could it be possible? My father did talk about a lost love from his youth long before he met my mother. Kaz turns to face me fully, his eyes hard, "Tell me. Why did that name make your face go white with worry?"