THE TYRANT'S BABY

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Because of You

Amaris felt like she was floating in a fog, drifting between the edges of consciousness. Then, a soft, worried voice began to pierce through the haze.

"...Amaris... Amaris... please, wake up... the king..."

The voice trembled with urgency, and even in her unconscious state, Amaris' mind began to spin, grasping at the words. The mention of the king sent a jolt of fear through her. The king? Did he do something to Rosalind?

A sudden surge of adrenaline pushed her from the depths of her slumber. Her eyelids fluttered, her breath quickened as panic seized her heart. She forced herself awake, gasping as her eyes snapped open, searching wildly for Rosalind.

"Rosalind? Where is she? What has he done?" Amaris mumbled, her voice hoarse as she tried to sit up, her vision still blurred from the lingering exhaustion. Her body screamed in pain, but her concern for her friend overpowered it.

As the room slowly came into focus, Amaris realized she was not in danger, and Rosalind was right beside her. It turned out Rosalind was the one urging her to wake up.

"You are awake!" Rosalind exclaimed in utter happiness and hugged her friend tightly, making Amaris chuckle.

"You're too happy to see me?" Amaris asked as Rosalind pulled away.

"Surely! You have no idea how much you worried me!"

Amaris smiled and hummed as she looked at her bandaged hands. "It hurts..." she unintentionally muttered her thoughts. Rosalind's brows furrowed, and she placed a hand gently over Amaris'.

"I know. If not for the king, you would've..." Rosalind sighed.

"What's wrong? What do you mean?" Amaris asked, confused.

"Did you not know that the moment the king heard you were being brought to the execution grounds, he swiftly, without another thought, came to your rescue?" Rosalind revealed. "I know you do not like him, but I had no choice but to call for his aid. You've been accused, and I had to do something."

"What? That king saved me?" Amaris scoffed in disbelief, her eyes wide.

"He did. He brought you to his chambers two nights ago and even called for the best royal physician for you. He took care of you afterward before he had you brought back to the maids' quarters."

Amaris was in shock at Rosalind's confession. It didn't seem possible. From what she remembered, when she had read the novel, Alaric was not someone who showed affection, not even to his own children.

"That is... different. And also... two nights ago? I've been asleep that long?" she mumbled as Rosalind immediately nodded.

"Yes... And as I said, he is very different, and it scared me." Rosalind lowered her voice and leaned closer to Amaris, glancing around the room to make sure no one else was listening. "The moment he rescued you, he gave an order to have those involved in accusing you arrested," she whispered.

"What?" Amaris reacted, her tone filled with disbelief.

"Yes. And ever since they were arrested, the palace has been eerily quiet, and the screams from the execution grounds... they were brutal. He really is a beast... a tyrant." Rosalind trembled, fear evident in her eyes, and it sent a shiver down Amaris' spine.

"What... did he do?" Amaris asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rosalind shook her head in disappointment and sighed. "They've been tortured by the king himself. Rumors are spreading that unless you wake up and go to him, his anger will not be quenched. That is the reason why I have been trying to wake you... Amaris, those people are dying at the king's hands."

Amaris' breath hitched, and without another word, her protective instincts surged. Ignoring the pain and weakness in her body, she stumbled to her feet and ran as fast as she could toward the execution grounds, determined to stop the madness.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard—the king, torturing people because of me? Her heart pounded in her chest as she ignored Rosalind's protests, her mind only focused on stopping the brutality she had unintentionally caused.

"Amaris, wait! You're too weak!" Rosalind called after her, but Amaris didn't stop.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she ran through the winding palace halls, her body protesting with each step, her bandaged hands stinging from the movement. Her thoughts raced—This is my fault. They're suffering because of me. She didn't know why Alaric had suddenly taken an interest in her well-being, but she couldn't let innocent people die for it.

The closer she got to the execution grounds, the more her fear grew. Echoes of distant screams reached her ears, sending shivers down her spine. When she finally arrived, the sight before her was more horrifying than she had imagined.

There, amidst the blood-stained ground, stood Alaric. His face was twisted in cold fury, his hand still gripping the hilt of a sword as he towered over the tortured prisoners. The guards around him looked equally tense, but none dared to question their king's wrath. Amaris could see the lifeless bodies of the ones who had accused her, their wounds deep, and their faces contorted in pain.

"Stop!" Amaris cried out, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

Alaric turned, his piercing gaze landing on her. His expression softened slightly, but the fire in his eyes remained. He took a step toward her, his sword lowering.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice a low growl, though there was something almost protective in his tone.

Amaris forced herself to stand taller, despite the overwhelming fear that gripped her. "This has to stop! This is not right! This is not justice!"

Alaric's face hardened once more. "They hurt you. They nearly killed you."

"I don't care!" she snapped, surprising even herself with the intensity of her voice. "I'm alive. I'm here. Let them go!"

Alaric's jaw clenched as he took another step closer, his presence overpowering, yet Amaris didn't back down.

"These people—" he began, his voice low but filled with restrained anger.

"They were following orders..." Amaris interrupted, her voice trembling but determined. "Whatever they did, it was because they thought they were doing their duty... Don't punish them for something so little!"

Alaric's expression hardened further as he met Amaris' defiant gaze. His voice dropped to a low growl. "They dared to harm you. Do you expect me to just stand by and do nothing?"

Amaris straightened, even though her body was weak, her voice steady. "I'm not saying do nothing, but this?" She gestured toward the bloodied servants on the ground. "This is too much, your majesty. You're punishing them for something that's over."

"It's not over!" Alaric shot back, stepping closer to her, his fists clenched at his sides. "You could have died! They—" he paused, his eyes flickering with the anger he was trying to suppress, "—they need to be held accountable."

"And they will be," Amaris replied firmly, her eyes not leaving his, "but not like this. This is cruelty, not justice."

Alaric's jaw tightened. "You don't understand—"

"No, you don't understand!" Amaris snapped, cutting him off, her voice rising as she stood her ground. "You're acting out of rage, not reason. You can't just go around torturing people because you're angry!"

Alaric's eyes narrowed. "And what would you have me do, slave? Sit back and let them go unpunished?"

"You can't control everything with force. You're the king, not a brute!" she shouted, her hands trembling as much from the pain in her wounds as from her frustration.

His face darkened, and he stepped even closer, his voice dangerously low. "I am the king. And I will not tolerate anyone laying a hand on you!"

Amaris flinched at his words, So all of this... is solely because of me?