Page 57 of Demonchild

Wulfgang gave her hand a sickening squeeze.

“Fear not, my faithful wife. You are safe with me. I will protect you from the forces of evil.” He lowered his eyes to her belly. “And I will protect my heir, Wulfgang the Fifth. He will grow to be a great and powerful king, just like me.”

He let go of Malissa’s hand and grabbed his goblet off the table, sloshing out some wine in the process.

“A toast!” he roared. “To my obedient wife, and the heir she has given me!”

All throughout the hall, the men raised their cups in response.

The king brought his goblet to his lips and drained it in one gulp. Trickles of wine ran from the corners of his mouth like blood. Malissa had never seen him behave like this before. Something had changed within him. Whether it was the war or the fact that she was pregnant, she didn’t know, nor did she particularly care. After tonight, she would never have to see him again.

She lifted her own goblet and pretended to sip from it, though she let no wine actually pass her lips. Since the incident with the poison, this was the first meal she had not eaten in the kitchen, and she was trying to partake of the food and drink as little as possible.

The king noticed and frowned.

“Come now, Theresia,” he slurred. “You must drink more deeply than that!”

Theresia?Great hell, was the man so drunk he couldn’t even remember her name? Theresia had been his sixth wife. Or maybe his seventh. Malissa couldn’t remember. Apparently, neither could the king. She felt her blood boil at the thought of the twelve women who had perished in the king’s pursuit of anheir, but she kept the emotion off her face, and began to lift her goblet again.

“Your Highness,” Dr. Jaeger interrupted. “Perhaps it would be best ifMalissadid not imbibe too much in her condition.”

The king’s face darkened, and for a moment Malissa thought he was going to berate his advisor again. But then his color evened out, and he gave a thoughtful nod.

“Of course,” he said. “We must think of the child. Myheir.”

Malissa set her goblet down again. She didn’t know whether she should be grateful to Jaeger for the interruption or suspicious of his motives. Perhaps he was remembering that day several weeks before when he had offered his “services,” and he was hoping she wouldn’t mention anything about that to the king.

“Indeed,” Jaeger said. “We must think of your heir, Your Highness, and the hour is getting late. Perhaps it would be wise to let the queen retire for the evening.”

“Oh!” the king said, and he looked at Malissa again. “Are you tired, my dear Cathryn?”.

Malissa bowed her head slightly and faked a yawn.

“I am. Forgive me, husband, but the day has been so…overwhelming.”

“Of course,” the king said with a smile. “Joy can be exhausting.”

Indeed, Malissa thought,especially when it’s false joy

“Do you wish me to accompany you?” the king asked.

Malissa gave him the sweetest smile she could muster.

“Please, stay here with your men. They deserve your presence, and you deserve this celebration.”

***

An hour later, Malissa was finally alone.

It was an hour that had felt like an eternity. First, she’d had to endure being escorted to her bedchamber by two members of the royal guard, who had seemed to move at a snail’s pace. Then, she’d had to wait patiently while Droanna and the other handmaidens helped her prepare for bed, loosening her braids, brushing out her hair, helping her undress and put on her sleeping gown. She knew they meant well, and they were only doing their jobs, but it felt like a form of torture when all she really wanted was to be alone so she could prepare for her escape.

Malissa had to admit, she would miss Droanna. During the past several months, that woman’s cheerful kindness had been a bright point of an otherwise dreary time spent at Drachenval.

She would miss her.

When the last of her maidservants were gone, Malissa stood by the window and listened. She could hear the festivities still going on in the great hall below, and from the sound of things, the celebration would not be ending anytime soon.

That was good. It meant she would have an easier time slipping away.

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