The rejected crown (book 1)

Secrets and shadows

william

William peered into the dimly lit room, curiosity bubbling within him. Inside, a man and a woman were tangled in an intimate struggle. Were they wrestling? William didn't know but They were both naked, their bodies entwined in a way he had never seen before. The man's back was to him, obscuring the woman's face, but the sounds that filled the air were unmistakable—soft, wet kisses mingled with low, breathy moans.

He watched, wide-eyed and frightened, as the man leaned closer, and William's heart raced. Something felt very wrong. The woman's voice, though laced with pleasure, was strained. "Stop it," she whispered, her tone weak and trembling. "Fuck...stop it." But rather than push him away, she tangled her fingers in his dark, wild hair, pulling him down to her.

Then, in an instant, the woman's face came into view. William's breath caught in his throat; he recognized her immediately—it was his cousin, the future queen. Her golden hair swayed as she tossed her head back, eyes closed, lost in the moment.

Panic surged through him, and he must have made a noise. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, locking onto his with shock and fear. "No!" she screamed.

Chaos erupted. The woman shoved the man away, panic flaring in her voice. "Edweyn, stop!"

The man turned, and William's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't recognize him, but he looked tall, strong, and frightening. Without thinking, William turned and ran, but the man's hand shot out, gripping his arm tightly, holding him back as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Let me go!" William cried, struggling to break free.

Giovanna, clutching a blanket to her chest, gasped. "He's my uncle's son... my cousin!"

The man's piercing gaze raked over William. "How old are you, boy?"

"Twelve," William stammered, feeling small and vulnerable.

"Twelve?" The man raised an eyebrow, surprise flickering across his face. "Quite nosy, aren't you?" His irritation was palpable.

Giovanna was now frantically covering herself. "He saw us!" she shouted, panic rising in her voice.

"I know he did," the man replied coolly. "What do you want me to do?"

Giovanna, her cheeks flushed with anger, stood defiantly, the blanket clutched tightly to her. "He'll tell his father. I can't give those men another reason to question my claim to the throne!"

The man held William's arm with an unyielding grip, his expression unreadable. "So what? The queen shagged a knight. Big deal."

Giovanna's eyes blazed with fury. "So what?? You don't understand! Of course you don't—you're a man! Those lords are just waiting for a mistake to use against me. I won't let this little shit be the reason!" She pointed at William, her voice rising.

"I just want to leave!" William piped up, desperation creeping into his voice.

The man looked down at him, annoyance flickering in his eyes. "Then you should've minded your business, boy." He sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to dispel a headache.

"Fuck... what do I do with you?"

Fear washed over Giovanna's face as she glanced between them, her anxiety palpable. The man's expression shifted, caught in a struggle between decision and hesitation. Then, in one swift motion, he struck William hard on the head.

Giovanna gasped, her expression frozen in shock. "What did you do?"

"He's alive," the man replied coolly, his voice steady. "Either he'll forget this, or we'll say he hit his head and must be imagining things."

As darkness enveloped William, his last fleeting thought was a desperate hope that this was just a nightmare, and he would wake up safe in his bed.

When he slipped into unconsciousness, the world faded away, leaving behind a haze of voices. He could hear them distantly—Giovanna's frantic whispers mingled with the man's calm yet menacing tones.

"Take him away, please!" Giovanna ordered, her voice firm despite the tremor beneath it.

"Fine. I have my duties to attend to anyway."

With that, he hoisted William over his shoulder, ignoring the boy's protests. William felt the man's grip tighten as he moved, a distant sense of panic rising in him, but he couldn't fight it anymore. The darkness was too heavy, too inviting.

In a blur of muffled sounds and shifting darkness, William drifted in and out of consciousness. He was vaguely aware of being carried through dimly lit hallways, the flicker of torches casting eerie shadows against stone walls. The man's footsteps echoed ominously, the rhythmic thud only adding to his unease.

Eventually, he was laid down on a cold, hard surface. William's mind was foggy, and the world around him felt distant and dreamlike. He could hear murmurs nearby but couldn't make out the words.

"Keep an eye on him," he heard the man say, his voice low and dangerous. "If he wakes up, you know what to do."

"Of course," another voice replied, gravelly and gruff. "But you know the princess will want to handle this herself. She's stubborn like that."

William felt a flicker of consciousness, a desire to wake up and flee, but his body felt heavy, unresponsive. The muffled voices faded, replaced by the echoing heartbeat in his ears.

In the swirling blackness, he glimpsed shadows moving and felt a cold breeze against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine. He was somewhere dark and unfamiliar, alone and afraid.

Moments passed, or perhaps hours, before a gentle touch brushed against his cheek. "William?" a soft voice called, trembling with urgency. "William, can you hear me?"

It was Giovanna's voice—he recognized it instantly. A surge of warmth bloomed within him, mixed with fear and confusion.

"William, please," she whispered, her voice choked. "I need you to wake up. You can't tell anyone what you saw. You must promise me!"
"And you must wake up...you must not die, not like this "

William felt the weight of her words pressing down on him. He wanted to respond, to reassure her, but the darkness was too thick, and he drifted deeper, deeper into the unknown.

As his consciousness slipped further away, he clung to the last remnants of her voice, a fragile lifeline in a world of chaos. "Please, William..."

And then, silence.