Queen of Betrayal

Chapter 1

It was dawn and Lydia was in the garden picking flowers as usual. Her soft brown hair swayed gently in the morning breeze as she took a deep breath. She felt tired. It was as if she did not get enough rest. Ignoring the way her eyes burned from the lack of sleep she continued to fill the basket with lavenders.

A soft sign escaped her lips as she heard the song from the eastern tower of the castle. How she wished it would one day stop, one day he will not wake up. At all.

She has been hoping this every night before sleep only to have it shattered in the morning. Gently shaking her head she brought the twig of lavender close to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent. It made her sniff as a lone tear escaped her eye. She blinked furiously at the memory as if it would fade away.

Her Fiancé, Everard Quinn. How devastated they were when they heard she was summoned by the emperor of the country. It came as a shock since the next day she was getting married. Everyone knew what that meant, prayed they didn't get that fate for themselves. Yet she did. Her mind kept going back to how Everard begged for them to disappear somewhere, run away.

But she could not do it and put his life and family in danger. She had already endangered the livelihood of her aunt, her mother's sister, Mrs. Moore. Her face kept replaying the pity in everyone's faces as she climbed into the carriage. She could still clearly remember the ashen expression of her aunt. Grief of her lover and the lonely look of her little brother. It still tore at her heart even after two weeks.

She could not get those images out of her head. The chill she felt when she heard the announcement and the disgust she still could not shake off. As if those memories were not enough torment to her she felt a shiver down her spine due to the chilly wind and the slight drizzle.

She looked down at her clothes. Elaborately designed silk, light on skin but it was not doing its purpose. It was showing more of her porcelain skin than covering it. She looked down at the translucent gown, revealing her slender legs all the way up to her thigh. The embroidery was quite useless and was scarce to offer cover.

In the way all those thoughts weighed her down she let her mind wander, failing to notice the footsteps approaching her. It was only when he wrapped his arm around her from behind did she come back to the present, her body freezing in fear.

His huge frame covered her slender one and her slouched self was adding to it. She started to wiggle in his arms choking on her words. "Your M-majesty..."

"I knew you would look good in this", he whispered in a honeyed voice much to her disgust. He runs his hand from her neck tracing down. As his fingers brush her generously exposed bosom her breath hitches and tears pool in her eyes. If she had been feeling uncomfortable all this while, now she was petrified. 

He had made it a morning routine to try and get her to succumb to him. Since there were no one around at that time of the day it was much more convenient to him. She hated feeling so helpless in his arms, knowing he had this leverage over her and what she had to trade in exchange. His fingers shamelessly untied the knot on her neck that seemed to be holding the dress up. Her hands flew to her chest, holding the cloth against her and uncontrollable sobs racked through her body. "Please, don't... please your highne-"

He forcibly pulls one of her hands down, a devilish grin marring his ageing features, showing him in a despicable glint. She tries to push against him, while her body shakes in fear. As sick as that sounds he seems to enjoy it. The fear in he usually sees before submission. 

He slowly traces the freshly exposed skin of her bosom. "You belong to me, Lydia. The sooner you submit, happier you will be." He drawls while still groping her inappropriately. She has lost the will to reason with him in the past weeks. She stayed quiet, trying to pry his hand away from her chest. 

But she owed her silence to a worse traumatic event. She did not want to end up like that young girl who has been ordered by him to stay naked for a week in her room, although she obeyed him. He said it was punishment for her saying she was tired to entertain him. To think it was one of the girls collected from her village, she felt her skin crawl.

At this point his hands have wandered to her thighs tracing them over the silk, reaching up to her rear. "But no dress seems to do you justice." She froze when those words leave him. She starts to hyperventilate at the possible fate that awaits her. Was she going to end up so pitiful without even defying him? Like that girl?

Before she could complete that thought, he goes on as his fingers part the fabric, tracing her legs. As his fingers rise on her thigh, she faints from the shock, dropping the basket of lavenders. His sadistic self relishes the sight of her while brushing the lavenders off her bosom. He lets out a chuckle as he tosses the fabric over her carelessly, to cover her before picking her up in his arms. "My sweet Lydia."

A/N: Hello lovelies! I can't wait to know what you think about this chapter. About Lydia and the sleazebag! Let me know in comments :)