Chapter 199: The Secret Marriage Alliance [Part 2]
"Lysandra finally got pregnant, but that was when the worst happened. She became weak, slowly rotting away into a corpse. The plan to further her bloodline failed." Richard’s eyes turned wistful with the memories of the past. "I was already burdened with such a secret, and yet she developed a life-threatening condition, endangering not just her but the baby too."
"Beloria might have been in a bad shape, but you had doctors. You’re the Archduke, and with a snap of your fingers, you could have all of them lined up for Lysandra’s sake."
"As I said earlier, our marriage was a secret. No one was meant to know. I couldn’t risk it or anyone else knowing the secret beneath the manor."
So he let her suffer alone?
I knew nothing of Lysandra, but I felt for her; she was entrusted with the future of her clan, sent away to live in a foreign country with people no less than hers, but she did it anyway for the sake of her people.
"What happened then? Did you leave her alone for months? Carrying a child, you did not know what the outcome would be? Knowing she was slowly dying because of it? Did you just stand there and watch?"
Richard’s lips pressed into a thin line. "I was asked to give her a child, and I did, fulfilling my end of the alliance. What happens next doesn’t concern me, but knowing the responsibility I bear to her, I had to be there only until she became a rotten corpse and the loud cries of a baby could be heard."
He may have had hatred for her kind, but still... this?
It was unacceptable. He offered no medical assistance when she carried his fucking child, and he watched as she suffered, slowly withering away.There has never been a hybrid before, and the snowbloods’ attempt to make one just ensured their survival was a great risk. I blame her clan, too, for putting her through that hell.
"The child had survived, I didn’t expect she would, given that Lysandra was already dead during the birthing process. I was in a tight corner, and more, the tides had flipped to the side of the Lycans, and it was only a matter of time before they set their eyes on us. I knew they wouldn’t spare mercy if they found out about the secret alliance I made with the snowbloods."
He pinned his unwavering eyes on me.
"So I made a choice. I sent a raven to the snowbloods that Lysandra died during childbirth, and the baby too. After that, I-I left her down in the chambers for a few days, hoping nature would take its course. Eloise may have been born a weak one, but she was hanging on to the little life she had, so I took her above. However, the grandfather of Lysandra, who was the last of the Winter, tried to lay siege after hearing the news. We had our walls, but I didn’t know how long they’d keep us safe."
I rested my hands on the table and pushed to my feet. I was quiet as I took everything in, and no amount of words could describe how I felt right now.
The only thing I could do at that moment was force myself to speak.
"The end of my alliance... kill the Lord that tried to lay siege on Beloria." Saying those words out loud made a feeling sink deep within me.
This insignificant creature had used me to get rid of Lysandra’s grandfather. It was all his plan to rid himself of any attachments he had with the snowbloods, and marrying Eloise to me was meant to ultimately seal her fate.
A mere human like him reduced the Winter clan to nothing. The snowblood may have been my enemy, but I pitied them for putting their future into the hands of this man.
"I did what I had to for my family, for my country!" He had no regret in his eyes. It looked like he would do it again if he had the chance.
I know nothing about humans, except Eloise, and she was by far the most flawed creature I ever met, but also the most flawless. She was a dim light where there was darkness, yet she burned brighter than the sun.
But this human in front of me was a monster in sheep’s clothing.
"I never thought the day would come when I would say this to anyone else. The only people who know this disgraceful secret are my council and now you." He closed his eyes as if burdened, but all I saw was a sorry excuse for a human being.
He may have done what he did for his people, but that was a lie. He played the game of politics and got what he wanted, and everything else was collateral damage.
"Say what you want about me, Monarch. I’m not the first man to make a necessary decision for his country; it was the time of war. Against my better judgment, I married a filthy creature and lay with it just to secure a future for us."
"Eloise was a child of your actions, but you did not take responsibility. You could have cared for her, but you didn’t. She became a whore’s daughter."
"That rumor was better than my people finding out the truth. My Agnes would have hated me, my people would have hated me! I wouldn’t throw it away for that thing."
Thing?
A dark look morphed against my face, the force of my alpha command taking over like a double-edged sword.
The chair toppled, and Richard was on his knees, holding his neck as he choked in his own blood.
I rounded the table calmly, to where he heaved for his disgusting life.
"Lysandra may have been a monster in your eyes, but she was still your wife... the mother of your child, and yet you left her to rot while carrying not just her future but yours."
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t form the words properly.
"Today, I shall be your retribution, your karma, and your god."