by Heiress
“It is an honor to do anything for you my Queen. If I die, I die with honor.” He nodded.
I smiled when given the respect of a Queen when I didn’t feel like it. I’m nothing without a King by my side.
“Are you sure about this, Bella? We can always just tell my brother about this. About all of this. Maybe he will understand and-”
“Zara, I married his enemy, shot him, and then had his leg cut off. This will only make things worse. I must do this with secrecy. I just have to.”
“Well what do you think it could be?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. I never caught a disease before. I just know that something is wrong and as many women as Enzo has been with, I’m sure it has to be bad. I just pray it’s something I can get rid of. If not, I will be forced to tell Adonis,” I realized.
About a month or so ago, I started having pain in my abdominal area. At first, I thought I could be pregnant, but I came on my period. Though it was shorter than usual, it was still a period. I then broke out with a rash. I just knew Enzo gave me something.
I wanted to tell Estella about it, but she and Adonis had gotten close. I was afraid she would tell him. Then I thought I could tell Twan and Leah, but I was too embarrassed. Yes, they’re my best friends, but it was still embarrassing if I indeed did catch something from Enzo. So, I went to the next best thing, Zara. She was mutual when it came down to family and friends. Her bond wasn’t so close to Adonis to tell him my secret and she wasn’t so close to me to where I would feel embarrassed. Plus, she had all the right information and means to help me.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I just need to know. How was it being with King Enzo? Was it as bad as the rumors?” she quizzed.
Just thinking about what happened to me while in the care of Enzo, enraged me. For the past three weeks, I had been having nightmares of the things he did to me. I bathed myself for hours the night Adonis came for me. I washed my skin so hard that it bruised. I bathed myself so long that I was pruned by the time I got out. Even after all that, I still couldn’t get his stench off of me.
“It was like living in your own horror movie but with sex toys.” That was the best way I could describe it to her.
“Sex toys? So, he really was into that sort of thing?”
“That and then some. That man made me do things that I wouldn’t even dare tell God even though he was a witness. It didn’t get bad until he made them watch.” My voice cracked as I thought about the times, he exploited me. “And they all sat there and watched as he did those things to me. No matter how hard I screamed or how much agony I had written on my face, they watched. They thought it was all a part of an act to stroke his ego, but it wasn’t. That pain was real.”
Zara scooted closer to me and rubbed my back. Her consoling was so genuine. Over the course of the three weeks I’ve been back in Drago, she had been so nice to me. I don’t know why I thought she was going to be just another stuck-up, bitchy princess. I mean, she was, but she never acted that way towards me.
“Soon it will all be over. You will get your revenge and you can finally put this nightmare behind you. I’m going to make sure of it,” she assured me.
“Thank you, Zara.”
After about an hour of driving, we finally arrived to the doctor’s house. Zara had told me she had been coming to this woman for years. She was the only confidential doctor in Drago. That meant not even the King or Council could make her talk about her patients’ illnesses. It was a bond between her, the patient, and God. She was the perfect person for the job.
“Thank you, Tibby. Just wait here and we will be out shortly. It shouldn’t take us very long,” Zara threw over her shoulder as we exited the car.
“Will do, Princess,” he responded.
Once we got to the door, we knocked on it and waited. Seconds later, it opened and behind it was a beautiful elderly woman. “Princess Zara! How good it is to see you again.” She opened her arms and wrapped them around Zara tightly.
“It’s good to see you too, Doctor Olly. This is, Bella; the new Queen of Drago. She needs a checkup and the results need to stay hidden from my brother. Could you assist us?”
“I sure can. Come on in and let’s get started,” she invited. We followed her to her in-home exam room and before I knew it, I was naked from the waist down laying on the table. “So, you say you’re having abdominal pain? Have you come on your women’s cycle yet?” she asked.
“Yes. It was only for a few days, but it definitely came. I felt the harsh cramps and everything,” I expressed.
“Okay, well I guess we can rule out pregnancy.” She laughed. “I’ll go take these samples to the lab and get the results. You ladies just hold tight.” She smiled before getting up and walking out the room.
“You seem nervous, Bella. Don’t be. I’m sure whatever it is, it’s curable. She can probably give you a shot for it today and you’ll be cleared up in no time.” Zara stayed positive.
“Yea, girl I hope so. I have been extremely horny lately and I want nothing more than to have sex with you brother, but I can’t. Not only may I have something, he’s pissed off about the leg. I don’t know if he thinks I won’t love him the same, but I will. To be honest, the one leg thing kind of turns me on,” I said, and she burst out laughing. Though I was serious, I could see why she found humor in what I said.
After about thirty minutes of waiting, the doctor finally came back with my results. The minute I saw her face, I could tell it was bad.
“What? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked scared of what it was.
“Just give me a minute dear.” She held up her finger. She lifted up my shirt and squirted cold gel over my stomach. She then moved an object around it. A black and white picture popped up on the screen, but it didn’t look like anything to me. The doctor’s mouth dropped.
“Doctor if you don’t start talking right now, on God I’m going to snap!” I told her, sitting up.
Slowly she turned to me and opened her mouth to speak. “I have good news and bad news, Queen. The good news is, I know what’s wrong with you. The bad news is, I know what’s wrong with you,” she repeated. My heart sank in my chest. Whatever she was about to tell me, couldn’t be good.
King Adonis
“You enjoying being my replacement little nigga,” I taunted Amir as he sat across from me. He was keeping me company since Estella was telling everybody I was depressed and shit. Every day, I got visits from everybody. I tried kicking their asses out, but they refused. Shit was annoying for the first two weeks. I fought this shit every day but no matter what I said, these niggas kept coming back. After a month, I just stopped fighting the shit.
“Let’s just say, I don’t know how you do it, brother. Our people are needy as shit. If it’s not one thing it’s another. They never happy or satisfied. Just some begging lazy asses,” he cursed, shaking his head.
I chuckled watching him so stressed out. He hadn’t even scratched the surface of the stress. “Now you know why I’m the way I am. Now you know why this shit ain’t easy and I’m so dedicated to it. Now you know why I can’t do this shit with one fucking leg. Your ass can barely do it with two. This shit is beyond me bro.”
“Beyond you? This shit beyond me too. I’m ready to say fuck this shit and become a peasant,” he joked. I knew he was trying to direct the conversation elsewhere because I mentioned my leg.
Every time someone came in, they talked about everything and anything except my leg. I don’t know if they were trying to make it easy to not think about it, but they didn’t. Me not having a fucking leg was never going to leave my mind. I could see and feel that shit. Nothing was going to make me not think about it.
“I don’t know why you all keep coming in here if we not gone address my leg,” I spoke up.
“Listen, the doctor and Estella thought it would be best if we didn’t say anything or take notice of it,” he admitted.
“I don’t have
a fucking leg!” I shouted, pulling the covers back. “How could you not notice it? Is it because it’s not fucking there? The shit is gone, so we gone have to talk about this shit!” I barked, throwing my food tray that was on my lap across the room.
Just then the door opened. “Aye, I can come back if you on some food fight type shit. I ain’t trying to get no food thrown at me,” Twan said with his hands up in surrender.
“You came just in time. I’m leaving. I got King shit to do since the old one acting like a straight bi-”
“Nigga you bet not,” I warned before he could finish.
“That’s because you knew what I was about to say,” he threw over his shoulder before he left out. I put my head in my hand because I knew I was wrong. I had been taking my anger out on everybody when it wasn’t their fault. The person whose fault it was, was the only person I wanted and needed, but was too prideful to call.
“You done having a tantrum baby Don?” Twan spat, taking a seat next to me.
“How’s Bella?” I asked, ignoring him.
“You would know if you let her ass come visit you. It’s been a month now and you’ve had her on banned from coming to your room. I shouldn’t even have to tell you how she is. You should know. She’s Bella. She’s been locked in her room too and the only person she lets come in there is Zara. They’re like besties now.” He shrugged with an expression that seemed like he was jealous.
“Seems like you got a problem with that,” I noticed.
“I mean not really. I just be wanting some pussy and she be-”
“Shut the fuck up, Twan. I don’t want to hear that shit about my little sister,” I snapped.
“I’m just saying, they spend so much time together that I think they the ones in a relationship. The servants be talking about them sneaking out at night together and they not coming back to the palace until morning. Girl talk don’t take that long,” he confessed.
“You know where they be going?” I quizzed.
“If I did, do you think I would be sitting here babysitting you? I would be wherever they are, asking questions. Whatever it is, it must be illegal for them to do it at night when we all sleep,” he added.
My mind wondered on what it could be. Bella was never secretive with me, so it had to be something big. Even if she was mad at me, she would have told me by now. The more I thought about it, the more I tried to recover the events from the night I saved her.
“What happened that night? I can’t remember shit about it.”
“What you mean what happened? We almost died, that’s what happened. That nigga Enzo had guards on deck. We almost ain’t make it out, but luckily our people came just in time. That fight should have been recorded. After you were shot, our army swarmed in and fucked Enzo’s peoples up. Shit was crazy,” he explained to me.
“What happened before the fight?”
He glanced up at me with a dumb look on his face. “Uh, I don’t think you want to recall those events Don. Shit might piss you off even more.” I wanted to know what happened but at the same time, I was already full of rage. Anymore anger and I was afraid that I might kill someone.
“What happened after the fight?” I asked another question.
“Well we won that bitch if that’s what you asking.” He laughed but then read my face and cleared his throat. “After the fight, Enzo ran off and we all made our way back to the boat.”
“Where was, Bella?”
His brows frowned as he looked like he was in deep thought. “To be honest, I don’t know. After we got on the boat, I didn’t see her for the rest of that night. She had been through a lot that night so I’m sure she was sleep or something.” He shrugged. Just when I was about to ask my next question, the door came bursting open.
“Look what was sent to us,” Amir said, throwing me a box. I cautiously opened it and when I saw what was in it, I picked it up.
“Whose tongue is this?” I asked.
“UGH!” Twan cringed. “Is that a fucking tongue? That shit nasty as hell, Don and you just gone pick it up with your fingers. At least get some wet wipes or some shit. Damn!” he spat.
“Twan shut the fuck up. It’s just a tongue,” I said, throwing it back in the box. “Whose is it?” I asked again.
“A note came with it. Stating that it was King Enzo’s tongue and that he was dead. They said they won’t be sending his body and want us to declare him deceased. We tested the blood and it’s indeed that nigga’s tongue. You want me to declare it? That’s one less nigga we have to worry about,” he added.
Something wasn’t right about this. Whoever did this didn’t want us to have his body for a reason. Either they fucked it up bad and it was pointless in finding it, or he was still alive. He came up missing right around the time Twan said he didn’t see Bella on the boat. Shit wasn’t adding up. At the same time, I wanted to put this Enzo shit behind me.
“Declare it,” I ordered, though I knew that there had to be something else going on. I had a feeling either he was still alive, but I needed solid evidence to prove it.
Amir simply nodded, grabbed the box, and then left out of my room.
“Twan, I need to see my Queen. Bring her ass to me, now,” I demanded.
“See, I would but she nursing right now and not with a pump. They on the titty. I can’t just disturb their eating time. I can’t just pop the titty out they mouth like that. It’s rude,” he rambled.
“Who gives a fuck? I need to see her,” I spat.
“Don, you that angry that you’re willing to let your heirs starve? I mean damn. You had your dinner, yet you threw that shit on the floor. Let them eat,” he shot back, pissing me off even more.
I had to speak to Bella now while the information was fresh on my brain. “Nigga help me in this wheelchair. I’ll go to her ass then,” I told him, throwing the covers off my body.
“You sure you want to-”
“Twan shut the fuck up and help me in this damn wheel chair!”
“Okay, nigga damn! You a grumpy ass King,” he mumbled. He got the wheelchair and placed it by my bed. He held the chair while I got in it myself. I then told him he could leave and go get on someone else’s nerves. I rolled the wheels with my hand and made my way to the nursery. This was the first time I had been out of my bed since I woke up. I was that eager to speak with Bella.
When I got to the nursery, I saw her sitting in the chair, nursing my two sons. The sight would have made even the toughest man smile. I wanted to hold back but I couldn’t help it. She looked so motherly in this moment. It was beautiful. While I was admiring her, she happened to look up.
“Adonis!” She seemed shocked. “What are you-”
“We need to talk,” I interrupted her, rolling into the room. I shut the door behind me and locked it.
“About what?” she asked.
“Today I received the tongue of King Enzo. The person wrote in the letter that he was dead and not to look for a body. Now, I’ve been King for a long time, so I can smell the bullshit from miles away. And this shit, stinks.” My hands clasped together on my lap as I intensely stared at her.
“Well to me it sounds like a blessing. That man deserved to die!” she spat.
“Hell yes, he did, but by whose hands? If, he’s even dead.” I tilted my head. I could see her growing nervous. She was starting to fidget and sweat. “There is something you’re not telling me Bella and as your King and your husband, I demand you tell me what the fuck is going on. Now!” I shouted.
Bella
I hated that I was a horrible liar. It was so obvious that I was hiding something, and I knew Adonis saw that. I told myself I would never tell him what I was doing and what I had done. It was going to be my secret to keep and take to my grave. I just knew he wasn’t going to go for me not telling him. I had to tell him something.
Slowly, I put both my sons inside their cribs. “Oh, so now you’re talking to me? After an entire month, you want to roll in here and start barking orders. Demanding that I be
real with you and tell you the truth. Ha! You lost that privilege when you shut me out of your life,” I bickered. I thought that maybe if I started an argument, he would forget about why he approached me in the first place.
“You cut off my fucking leg, Bella. It is hard for me to see past that and go straight into forgiveness. You need to give me time.”
“I gave you time! I gave you an entire month, Adonis! That’s enough time to realize that what I did was for the best. I was trying to save your life!”
“No! You took the easy way out, that’s what you did!” he countered back.
My eyes widened when I heard him say that. My hand flew to my chest as I stood there both appalled and hurt. “I took the easy way out?” I quizzed.
“Yes, you did. You were supposed to fight to me, Bella. You are my strength. You were supposed to be strong for me and have hope. You should had done everything you could to save my leg, but you didn’t do that. I felt cheated. I risk my life and my crown to save you. I fought to get you back to me and I didn’t feel like you did the same in return for me,” he expressed.
My heart sank into my chest. His words not only angered me, but they saddened me too. To know that he thought that I didn’t fight for him. To know that he thought this was easy for me. I understood where he was coming from, but the words still hurt me. The way of thinking he had was that of a mentally and physically scared man. I tried not to act off emotion but that was all I could do because slapping the shit out of him would be too harsh.
“You think that the decision I had to make was easy? Yes, I made the decision quickly because it was a no brainer. I was not risking your life for a leg. I understand that you feel less than a man, but you wouldn’t feel shit at all if you were dead. That’s exactly what would’ve been if I would have chosen to try and save your leg. It’s a leg, Adonis!”
“It’s my fucking leg, Bella!”
“Yes, I get that, but you were not in the position to make that call, so I had to do it for you. I had to do it, Adonis. I had to choose whether you lived or died. That was the decision. It wasn’t whether or not to keep your leg, it was whether or not you were going to live or die. I chose to keep you alive. That should show you how much I love you and how strong I think you are.”