The Alpha King's Hated Slave
The Alpha King’s Hated Slave Chapter 276

Long after sunrise, Vetta laid on her bed staring out of her window. Her eyes were swollen and there’s no strength left in her body.

She’d been crying all the way from Mombana back to Salem, all through the night. Danika’s apologies had thrown her off guard. It was so unexpected. As unexpected as hearing her name from her lips.

She’d freaked out. Till now, there’s no way to explain the way she felt in those moments, she’d done something that she’d never expected she’ll do. Running away.

That unplanned, uncalculated, escape cause her to bruise her arm at the unceremonious fall she’d landed on. But, the pain was hardly felt.

With a soft sigh, she got up from the bed and walked towards the window. As she watched market men and women go about their daily activities and children playing around, Danika’s words filled her ears over and over again.

****But, that is why it h-hurts so much, i-isn’t it? Because you are starting to forget?

You hate that h-hating me does not come so naturally anymore as it does before…

You hate that d-deep within y-yourself, you know that I am not p-pretending to be who I am.

You hate that these d-days you have to look at me and t-try so hard before you can call up that hate…

You are healing, and you hate that too…

You developed a conscience and you hate that too.*****

Tears threatened. She blinked them hard away.

She’d told Danika everything she did to her in the past. Not only that, but she also knows that she’d come to kill her.

Will she tell King Lucien about it?

It’s the perfect weapon against her. Will Danika use it to ruin her? To make the King hate her so much and even execute her?

Does she even need to wonder about it? Anybody will report something like that.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Well, she isn’t going to sit around waiting for her doom to come.

She’ll go to the palace today to see King Lucien today. It’s been so long she saw his face, she misses him so badly.

***********

Baski and Sally were helping Queen Danika get ready for Court.

The Queen is seated in front of the mirror with pale tired eyes that look like they didn’t see any sleep last night at all. Sally stood behind her, combing her hair and rolling them at the top of her hair while glancing worriedly at her occasionally.

“What happened in your bedroom, yesterday, My Queen?” Baski asked for the countless times as she cleaned the Queen’s shoes.

I almost died yesterday, that’s what happened. Queen Danika swallowed the words.

“Nothing, Baski.” She replied as usual.

“Yet, you tightened the security of the Royal Quarters and transferred all the guards that were on duty yesterday. There’s a strange knife I haven’t seen before in your dresser.” Baski g*****d.

“You didn’t add that she cried all evening long, “Sally added softly. “I was so scared.”

Queen Danika raised her hand and touched Sally’s soothingly, “I am sorry for scaring you. You too, Baski. But, I am fine.”

Sally’s expressive eyes obviously say that she doesn’t believe her, but she nodded her head anyway. “If you say so, My Queen.”

They settled into silence afterward.

****”D-do you have any i-idea w-what it feels like to protect someone you love with e-everything in you only for someone e-else to come out of nowhere and take him from you…!?

Then, t-they expect you to j-just t-throw everything away…? To just get up one morning and m-move on…?

D-Don’t think I l-let you g-go. A-And d-don’t think I w-will not be back. I will b-be back, and I will k-kill you! I just need…” ****

“I got the news that the Princess Kamara has already arrived at our Kingdom Salem.” Baski’s voice filled the air.

It jolted the Queen out of her painful thoughts. She swiveled her head to see Baski, “Really? She has!?”

“Yes.” The woman was smiling, “Now, the King can carry out whatever plan he has so fast and come back to Mombana.”

“I still can’t believe he came here on that night.” Sally added, “It’s still unbelievable even though I smelled his cologne at your bedroom the next morning.”

“I know right? The cat swallowed my tongue when I saw him in the hallway that night,” Baski grinned, “I remember thinking that Lord Riverdale is about to enter a big trouble.”

“It’s fortunate that he was able to go home in one piece. The maids rumored that he ran out of the Royal Quarters like his legs were on fire.”

As they conversed freely, Queen Danika settled back into her thoughts.

Will she tell Lucien what happened?

The truth is, she has not made any decisions yet, but somehow, her heart was strongly against telling him.

Somehow, her heart holds onto the memories of Anarieveta, crying so badly and shaking in her arms.

She was so into her own head, she had no idea tears were falling from her eyes until Sally’s hand wiped her wet cheeks.

She turned and saw them staring at her so worriedly. “Are you really alright, My Queen?” Sally asked, almost on the verge of tears herself.

Giving them a watery smile, she nodded her head. “Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry your heads, it’s just my hormones making a mess out of me.”

But Baski didn’t buy it. “Will you ever tell us what happened…?” She asked worriedly.

The Queen lifted a shoulder…and let it fall exhaustedly. “Maybe. Someday.”

************

“We are at the borders of Salem! Almost there.”

A guard’s voice woke him up from sleep. Callan looked around the small-spaced carriage, he must have fallen asleep out of tiredness.

Then, he brought his head out of the carriage and looked around.

They were in a desert of some sort with so many guards all over the place. A small mountain stood so many distances away to his left. Indeed, they were at a border of some sort.

Those guard’s uniforms… They looked so familiar. Too familiar.

“We are expected in the palace.” A prison-guard’s voice filled the air.

Callan watched from the carriage as the prison-guard interacted with the security guards.

A few minutes later, the guards cleared the route and allowed them entry to the Kingdom.

“Welcome to Salem!” One of them shouted.

As their carriage passed through, Callan was transfixed. He couldn’t stop looking around.

As they entered the Kingdom, his heart stopped in his chest. Then, it ran away.

This place… This place…

Memories assailed him.

Unlike before, these ones were flashes, but a film of the part of his life he forgot.

Lots of flicks. Pictures. So much of them.

“Arrrgh!!!!” He screamed, grabbing his overloading head with both hands. So many memories…!

Starting from a young age. His aunt, Queen Meetia who raised him. The death of his parents. Happy memories with his aunt. Her death at old age. Living with his new family in the palace. His cousin… Prince Lucien.

Memories assailed him of all his moments with his big cousin. All those times he followed his cousin like a tail wherever he’s going anywhere, especially during his sword-trainings. A time when he was young when he skinned his knee, his cousin kissed it and made it feel better.

Then, the night they were ambushed. Enslaved in Mombana. All the tortures they endured… All the tortures his brother endured for him… The nights he could not sleep, his brother talked to him and put him to sleep.

The memories of the day he was killed. Everything that happened on that day filled his head. The woman that killed him. The woman that saved him.

“Are you alright?”

“What is wrong with him…?”

“Pour him more water…!”

“The Princess will have us whipped if anything happens to him…!”

“What is happening…?”

The guards’ voices slowly dragged him back to consciousness.

Callan looked around to see the guards’ worried and relieved faces. They’ve soaked his clothing with water while trying to revive him.

“Are you alright?” One of them asked, looking so relieved that he’d come to.

“Yes. Yes, I am fine now.” Callan was able to reply, his voice hoarse.

“Thank goodness! Let the journey continue!” The rider announced.

As the journey continued…as they moved deeper into the Kingdom of Salem, Callan felt like a new man.

His memories have returned. All of them.

Oh, and his name is not Callan. He is Prince Declan.