Chapter 7

• I slowly blinked my eyes open to see King Archer sitting on the blue couch, angrily staring at me, with his other wives by his side, all looking at me with regret. I wondered why they were giving me such a look, one that made my chest feel heavy.
• My eyes drifted to the doctor standing to my left, wearing his beaked mask, leather gloves, and long coat. What was the need for calling a doctor for a mere situation like this?
• “What’s going on?” I finally found my voice as my eyes landed on the King, who was burning with fury. I wanted to know the cause of his anger, the curse that had made his expression so dark.
• “My Queen, you are one month pregnant,” the doctor said, making me nearly choke as I let out a small giggle. That was just so funny to me, because it simply was not possible.
• “You’re joking with me now, right? You better stop the joke and be serious, because it isn’t funny,” I snarled as I sat up on the bed.
• “My Queen, this isn’t a joke at all.”
• “Pearl, will you be serious and explain how you got pregnant?” the King yelled, making me cringe in fear. What was I supposed to say? I was very sure it wasn’t possible, except if it was some kind of magic.
• “I always knew right from when she stepped into this castle that she would bring shame to this family. Such a whore!” Zinnia cursed, as tears streamed down my eyes. I could see how serious the issue was, which made me realize that it was true. But how?
• The thought of me dying was not child’s play. The King was surely going to kill me if this was really true.
• “It can’t be true, my King. One month ago, I was still in a coma, fighting for my life,” I cried as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
• “So what are you trying to say? That the Holy Spirit slept with you? Maybe you’re the Mary of our time. Or maybe Zeus slept with you,” the King yelled in disgust. I could see his burning anger. He would tear me apart if care was not taken.
• ***
• King Archer couldn’t imagine losing Pearl like that. He had planned to break her virginity that night. He was so happy that he would be her first, as she was his only innocent wife.
• He hated her for being pregnant, and he would definitely kill her, because he couldn’t watch her flaunting another man’s child in his castle. He couldn’t train another man’s child. He didn’t even need a child yet.
• He was still full of life. He had planned on exploring Pearl’s body until he got tired of her, but here she was, sitting on her bed, crying foolishly.
• He thought she was fresh blood from what he had heard from her parents, and her attitude made him feel so. He never knew she was wild, yet she was pretending not to know about her pregnancy.
• “She isn’t a whore or anything of that nature. You slept with her and got her pregnant, Archer. Quit calling her names,” Prince Ray said, walking toward them as they all stared at him in confusion.
• “Ray, stop joking around. This is a serious issue!” King Archer yelled angrily as Ray clicked his tongue.
• “Don’t you remember? That night you and Dad went to a mask party, and you got drunk?” Ray pointed out as he crossed his legs.
• “And what does that have to do with Pearl being pregnant for a bastard?” King Archer stamped his foot angrily.
• “Just try to remember. You need to calm down and use your brain.”
• FLASHBACK
• Right before their father fell ill, he had plotted with one of the guards to make sure that King Archer got drunk to stupor. He was served numerous liquors while the ladies wiggled their waists to the rhythm of the song, making King Archer happy as he drank more.
• His father never supported Archer being a ruthless womanizer. He wanted his son to have an heir. He couldn’t watch the throne be given to another family, making them commoners.
• He had worked so hard for the kingdom over the years, and it would be a shame to lose the throne because of his second son, Archer.
• Originally, Ray would have been crowned King, but Ray was never the type that chased the throne or was ready to rule. Ray was only concerned about his family and his profession as a chemist.
• The King, not liking any of Archer’s wives because of their reputations and the reasons they were married, decided to use his son’s betrothed as bait to give his son a child.
• He knew that Pearl was in a coma and unconscious. He knew that it would be wrong to take advantage of her state, but still, he had to do what he needed to do to keep his lineage in power.
• King Archer was taken out of the party by the guards as they all rode on the chariot to the house of the physician who treated Pearl.
• One of the guards knocked on the crooked, weak door gently, a door that just a push could break open. You could even say that the thatched cottage could fall apart at any moment.
• “Welcome, Your Highness and his noble guards. What have I done to deserve this visit?” the old lady said with a bow as the King walked forward, forcing a smile.
• “I have come personally to thank you for your good work in treating my son’s future wife. I want to give you some sweets made from the palace,” the King said, snapping his fingers as one of the guards handed him a beautifully wrapped sweet.
• Ray, as a chemist, had made the sweet and added some sleeping chemicals.
• “I would love to taste a sweet made from the royal kitchen. Please come in, my King,” she said happily, unwrapping the sweet.
• The King whispered something into one of the guards’ ears as he entered with the rest of the guards.
• The King grew impatient as the lady hadn’t slept yet and kept saying things he didn’t care to hear. He never wanted to go the hard way because of his reputation, so he kept calm, nodding to everything she said.
• Soon, the old lady dozed off, making the King smile mischievously as his deed was about to be done.
• He looked over to the innocent Pearl, who was lying unconscious on the bed, looking dead with pale white skin.
• “I just have to do this,” he thought as he snapped at the guards, who helped the drunk Archer inside as he babbled nonsense and laughed to himself.
• He was taken into the room where Pearl lay as the door was closed, leaving them both alone together.
• FLASHBACK ENDS
• “No! Father didn’t do this! Why?” King Archer yelled in fury as the memory returned to him.
• The thought of him sleeping with an unconscious woman wasn’t his problem at all. He was mad that all of this had been kept away from him until this day.
• He was furious at Ray for knowing and not telling him. All he wanted to do was flay Ray’s skin to his satisfaction, but Ray was his elder brother, and he couldn’t do that to him.
• He angrily sat on the black armchair as his veins popped with anger and his teeth clamped together tightly.
• That was the last thing he expected. A whole month of pregnancy was too much and would not be advisable to abort.
• King Archer turned to the shocked Pearl, who couldn’t believe that she had been raped in a coma. Not only that, but King Archer was cruel. His family members were also hostile.
• Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably as the reality of being pregnant struck her mind. She wished she had died instead of being pregnant for the ruthless King.
• She was sure that the King would kill her for defiling his rule, but still, she wasn’t at fault. She never knew she was pregnant. She thought she was still the virgin she had always been.
• “I will be leaving now,” the doctor said, receiving no response as he bowed and exited.
• “As we all know, the King doesn’t need a child yet, so we either kill Pearl or abort the child,” Zinnia said with her arms crossed against her chest, while the rest of the Queens nodded in agreement.
• Pearl didn’t want anyone at all. She might not be happy being pregnant, but she couldn’t see herself being a murderer. She would never wish to kill her baby, and neither did she want to die.
• She was speechless the entire time. She couldn’t find her voice as tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, leaving her eyes swollen and red.
• King Archer sat silently in the armchair, staring into space while thinking of the next action to take. He wasn’t the perfect father any child could have. He was the worst.
• He still had long years ahead of him to explore women of different races. Having a child meant responsibility, and he couldn’t see himself doing that.
• “Archer, I don’t think you should harm her. She didn’t get herself pregnant. You did, so accept her at once,” Prince Ray said softly as King Archer ran his fingers through his hair in confusion.
• “There is no way that is happening, Ray. Stay out of this. Pearl can’t give birth to that child!” Zinnia shouted as the King raised his head, staring deep into Pearl’s eyes with no expression on his face.
• “We are keeping the baby.”
• @pop precious