The Blood King's Bride
BONUS CHAPTER: ELENA’S STEP-MOTHER

"Honey, what do you think about this?" Navina came over to his seat, gently caressing

his shoulders. The king of Pres looked over at his wife and smiled.

"I think you look lovely." He said. Navina chuckled lightly. Her voice was like chiming

glass.

"No honey. I'm talking about the plan I just told you. You have defeated your enemies,

yet you still argue with some people who are against your rule. I can take care of that for you." "Whatever you say, honey." The king replied. Navina smiled. The king loved her now.

She knew it with every fibre of her being. Even if she had to take control of his mind, he loved her now. She praised herself for a job well-done as she slowly left the room she shared with her husband. She had made the right choice. The so-called woman he married was the one clouding his brain. She is the best for him. She knew it the first time she saw him.

He was not like the other men in her town. She was never bent on getting married. But

just the sight of the king of Pres unlocked doors she never knew already existed in her mind. She had never been denied anything, so you could understand why she was hurt when he denied her over and over again using the stupid excuse that he was married. And to top it all off, he thought her a small girl!

As she walked down the hallway to her room, she paused and decided to make a stop at his wife's room. They were not yet married formally, but that would change as soon as she carried out her plans. But she couldn't deny herself the joy of running his wife down.

She walked down the empty halls of her wing. Since the queen brought her to the castle, she has been properly taken care of like she was the queen, though many of his people were against it. She didn't blame them. They don't know what they want. She would solve that for them when she takes control of their minds.

The walls looked like they hadn't been attended to for years. Where there was once light

and happiness, an overwhelming sense of sorrow and misery clouded the whole area. She couldn't believe she used to be jealous of the weak woman. Navina chuckled to herself. At least

she had been put in her place. That should warn her never to face off with her.

She slowly walked to the door and gave a mocking knock, opening it without even waiting for her to reply.

The queen sat on a stool, a canvas in her front and a brush in her hand. She turned over to look at who had entered her room and wasn't a bit surprised to see it was Navina.

"How may I help you?" she asked, carefully placing the brush beside the canvas on a

brush plate. Navina had never liked her for one thing. She believed she was beautiful, far more beautiful than any other female in her lifetime, but something about this woman always ticked her off.

Perhaps it was her fair skin, or her hair that shone golden when in the sun. Perhaps it was her hidden wit covered by a layer of naivety. Perhaps it was her warm and encouraging smile.

All these were things Navina didn't see in herself, and she hated the woman in front of her for it.

She walked to the canvas smugly, wanting to see what was drawn on it.

She was a bit surprised and angered to see the picture of the king on it; one of his youth,

another reason why she hated the woman.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Your painting my husband? Who do you think you

are?" Navina said, trying hard not to let her feelings explode in anger. The queen simply looked back at her, no iota of emotion crossing her face.

"He is my husband."

"Shut up!" Navina screamed. Then she took a deep breath and released it, forcing herself

to smile.

"You know what, I'm not going to react to you. I bet it's burning your skin isn't it?

Seeing another woman spending the night with your husband night after night? It would only get

worse, trust me. I would make your life a living hell. You haven't seen anything yet."

The queen remained silent, simply studying Navina.

"What has my husband done to deserve this kind of hatred from you?"

"Hatred?" the Navina sputtered. "You think I hate the only love of my life? And he is

MY husband. I fell in love with him the first day he met me, and I know the same went for him as well."

"We both know that is not true."

Navina felt her heart stop.

"What do you mean?"

The queen slowly stood from where she stood. "You did something to my husband. I don't know what, but I'm a hundred per cent sure that you did something to him. My husband promised me with his life, that he would rather die than take another. He is dead now, dead of the mind, for the mind in control is not his own. You are responsible, I am very sure of that and I swear to you, even if it's the last thing I do, I would make sure that you are thrown out of this castle."

Enraged, Navina walked up to the canvas and began to tear at it vengefully. The queen simply remained where she stood, watching her. Navina hated her regal demeanour. She hated it with the core of her being. When she was done taking out her anger on the portrait, she turned back to face the queen, her chest heaving.

"You would throw me out of the castle? Ha. We would see who wins at the end. But I

can promise you this, as from today, your life would be a living hell. I would make sure of it."

She kicked the stool that was by the canvas, and walked away from the queen's room, while the queen watched her from behind with cold, angry eyes.

Dedication