Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Alexa felt her heart breaking when she heard the sounds that were coming from her husband’s room, a room which her had was on the door knob of and was about turning, a room which she had already made up her mind that she was going to seduce her husband in before giving him the perfect birthday present for him.

She listened to the muffled whimpers of pleasure and could not help but think of how Jared had once again not only made a fool of her but hurt her deeply. There was only on activity which would make a woman make noises like that and it certainly was not beating. When the woman gave a loud cry, Alexa tears fall just as she let her hand fall from the knob, she could not even find the strength to turn the knob and see who was with her husband. No, she was not even going to have the strength to stand every soon if she remained there as she listened to the sound of her husband pleasuring another woman.

She took to her heels, running and even when she heard Jared shout, she did not know if it was of anger or pleasure and her tears fell faster, when she was at the beginning of her wing, she slowed down and looked at the two guards who were there. She could not let Jared infidelity get out, just yet. Not when she did not know all the details herself.

“Leave.” The ordered the guards.

“Your highness…” One started to complain.

“I will not repeat my command.” Alexa stated and after the guards share a look, they turned and left. Alexa was there and waiting for the woman to pass, she thought that she would have to wait long but she did not. She saw as Arianna hurried from the path which she had just passed less than five minutes ago. When Arianna saw her, she froze, became even paler than she was before and then she bowed.

“How dare you?” Alexa asked, her tone was broken and the tears running down her face in streaks already formed matches the one on Arianna face. “I offered you my home to stay and decided to go after my husband and sleep with him. How dare you.” Alexa yelled, anger lighting up.

“I warned you away from him today, did I not?” Alexa asked as she advanced towards Arianna who shifted away from the anger princess in fright. And to think that she thought Jared was scary before.

“Please, let me explain…I am so sorry. I will stay away now.” Arianna started to say before Alexa swung out her palm and it fell on Arianna’s face. Arianna body flew to the side and she collapsed against the wall.

“I warned you.” Alexa said in a calm tone that made Arianna to shake, her ears were still ringing from the slap she had just received but there was no doubting the finality that Alexa’s tone carry. The princess was going to kill her.

“It is not my fault and you know it.” Arianna screamed at Alexa, lying just so she could escape the princess and the death she was seeing in her eyes. If she could leave the princess presence this minute, she was running away as fast and far as she could.

Alexa froze at those words because it was the truth. It took two persons to tango and Jared should have more reasons why he would not have done this to her but he still did it. Arianna was nothing but a woman who was after a man whom she loved. It was Jared who was married and desecrated his bed with another woman. This was partly Arianna’s fault yes but the bigger blame should be placed on the person who dishonor his vows.

“You are right.” Alexa sighed. “This is not your fault. This is his fault for dishonoring me and our marriage vows.” Alexa said as she let go of Arianna and with tears falling heavily, turned and walked out of her wing, away from Jared before she would change her mind and run him through with his birthday present.

Arianna picked herself up and ran to her room to pack. She had to leave that night before Jared could tell Alexa’s the truth, she barely escaped with her life the first time, she was certain that she would not be that lucky on the second time and so there should not be a second time.

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Jared woke up with the same feeling of dread he slept with, his sleep was not peaceful but he knew he needed to sleep the drink off before he attempted to face his wife and tell her that he cheated. How did he even get into this clusterfuck of a situation?

Jared was not looking forward to facing Alexa but he had no choice, he needed to tell her before she knew about it from other sources because he did not know who else saw Arianna leave their ward.

Why did it have to be Arianna, if it was someone else, maybe the possibility that he could reason with her would be there but there was none at all. Arianna was the one person which Alexa would not believe it was a mistake and that was why he was so frustrated.

It was later in the day when he did not see either Alexa or Arianna anywhere that he slowly started to believe the worst had happened. Alexa already knew somehow and had decided to make Arianna pay.

“Betty.” Jared stopped Alexa’s maid who he had seen up to five time in less than three hours. “Where is your mistress?”

“I have no idea your highness, maybe her husband annoy her enough that she chose to stay away from everybody including me.” Betty snapped at Jared. “She has a list of things to complete and she is nowhere to be found.”

“She could not have been kidnapped right?” Jared asked worried but Betty snorted.

“People had already learned a long time ago that it was better to kidnap the captain of the guards than the princess. The last time a group was stupid enough to do that, they returned her and confessed their crimes and that was when she was a teenager.” Betty said.

Jared sighed as he did realized that his last hope that she did not know what happened had vanished. “I guess you are right Betty, her husband did something stupid enough to make her exclude herself from everybody.”

“What did you do?” Betty asked as Jared sighed.

“When did she go missing? I would assume that since you have not seen her today that it must be sometime yesterday?”

“I do not know because I was not around, I went to town.” Betty blushed and Jared knew it must not have been an official reason or she was not given leave to do so. Jared did not say anything about that, he still had a lot to face on his part. He would tell Alexa about her maid’s activities when Alexa was no longer angry with him because as of right now, he did not have the right to and Alexa will inform him of that as she tries to stick a sword in him.

“Then I guess, we should continue our search.” Jared replied and just then, a maid ran to him.

“Your highness, the princess just came back from a horse ride, she is in the stables.” The maid informed as Jared eyes widened, wondering if Alexa went to bury the body of Arianna.

He ran to the stable where he saw Alexa grooming her horse and when Alexa faced him, he saw the shutter in her eyes and knew that she was aware of what happened the night before.

“Alexa… I am sorry.” Jared started, no willing to even play the game of acting like nothing was wrong when it was clear that things were not right. “So sorry, I can explain what happened?”

Alexa advanced towards him and that was when Jared noticed the mud on her shoes. “Please tell me that Arianna is safe.”

Jared knew it was the total wrong thing to say after the words already left his mouth as he watched as Alexa’s body jerked in surprised.

“No.” Jared denied, backtracking so fast but it did not change his words. “I did not mean my words that way, you know that I did not.”

As soon as Alexa got within reach of him, she slapped him across the face and gasps sounded around the room.

“Stay far away from me, I want nothing to do with you and forever will be too short of a time until I see your annoying face again. You are nothing but a cheating, lying bastard.” Alexa yelled and Jared watched helplessly as tears ran down Alexa’s face, her eyes looking red and swollen. This was a woman who did not sleep last night after learning of her husband infidelity.

“Please, let me explain.” Jared muttered but Alexa glared at him and went into the castle with Betty trailing after her in shock.

Jared sighed. That scene went better than the one he had in his head. Maybe in a few days she would calm down enough to listen to him.

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They were not given a few days to calm down. It was that same afternoon that the queen called her daughter and her husband into her solar. When the two was present and Alexa was standing as far away from Jared as possible that the queen started to speak.

“What was this I heard about the very public nature of your marital affairs?” The queen asked.

“Oh, if you are referring to this morning then you need not be worried about this. Last night own was even more public and scandal worthy than today’s own.” Alexa said angrily as her mother sighed.

Something terrible must have happened because Alexa still looked like she would kill her husband, the queen just hoped that Jared did not rape his wife all because he wanted to fill her wishes then again, if they had already consummated their wedding of over two months then there was no need for rape.

“I cannot understand my daughter words when she is like this. Tell me what is going on?” The queen asked Jared.

Jared eyes were also red to the queen assessment and there was guilt written all over Jared’s frame as he raised his head to her and with sad eyes reported himself. “This discord is my fault, I am responsible for my ill actions, Alexa was holding back earlier because she was in public and for that I am grateful. If there is any way in which I can atone for my sins believe me when I say I would do anything to atone for them…”

“Nothing but a god damned liar.” Alexa yelled at Jared as the queen jumped in shock, she turned to her daughter to control her but she saw her daughter crying and looking like she was on the verge of breaking down, something which was frightening because her daughter was not the kind of person who broke down or looked so defeated.

“What happened… What did you do to my child Jared?” The queen commanded her daughter husband who looked like he had lost weight and was plagued just like her daughter.

“I cheated on her.” Jared swallowed and when the queen eyes widened in shock. He rushed to add. “It was a mistake and I was drunk, I swear that I would not have touched any woman under any other circumstances.”

“But it was not just any woman, it was Arianna, the only woman to have your heart.” Alexa chimed as Jared lowered his eyes, unable to deny it while Alexa gave a hollow laugh. “As if that was not enough, you then had the audacity to ask me about her this morning, not asking if I was fine but no, a question about your ex-lover.”

The queen watched as Alexa’s face went red.

“Jared, get out. I will have a talk with you later.” The queen stated and when Jared tried to talk to Alexa, the queen was the one to shout. “Get out!”

Jared was shocked but he quickly left the room for the queen and Alexa albeit defeated. It was after he left that the queen stretched out her hands for her daughter and Alexa ran into her mother’s embrace and started crying loudly, not keeping the tears in any longer. Jared stood outside the closed door, tears running down from his face as he listened to his wife break down over a mistake he had caused.