Hidden place
Jürgen left the palace in the morning, accompanied by Josephine, Archibald and 4 other knights. They went to his favorite tea house, where the knights could only escort him to the door of his private room.
In the company of Josephine, he entered the room with an ornate carved table and a velvet sofa. The smell of incense was already felt in the hallway.
Jürgen visited here once a week, which is why he bought this room for himself so that no one else could ever use it. Of course, he didn't just come here because of the great teas. There was a huge mirror on the wall of his room, which was actually a glass door to a secret room.
There was waiting for him the two mercenaries in the company of the maid. While Josephine took a seat to have the drink and cakes served instead of her master, Jürgen entered the "interrogation" room to talk to Kathy a little.
"Lord Jürgen?"
The trembling girl was surprised as the canvas bag was removed off her head. Her hands and ankles were tied together, so she knelt in front of the man.
"Kathy, isn't it? It looks like, unlike your mistress, you know my face… "
He smiled.
"I, I did not steal, Lord! I got the jewelry from the queen! I swear!"
She apologized, unable to think of anything other than the earrings Ariana had given her last month.
"That's not why you're here."
"Then… I didn't gossip about you! The others were… I never claimed that… "
"What?"
The man laughed, but it also fell to Kathy that, if she finished the sentence her position would only get worse, so she would rather be silent.
"Kathy… you know I could wipe you and every member of your family off the face of the earth in one go… and I would not even be questioned by anyone…"
He looked arrogantly at the seal ring on his hand.
"Sir… I…"
"Of course… on the other hand, I could even arrange for your family to not to have any more misery… your father can't stand the field work for a long time, and since your family has 3 smaller siblings and a sick mother living mainly on your earnings…"
She began to cry for her life as Jürgen listed her loved ones.
"Please, sir, have mercy!"
"Don't worry, child, I have no reason to put out a useful life like yours for no reason."
Smiling, he squatted in front of her.
"I… could never hurt the Queen."
She looked aside, for Ariana was so good to them — she wouldn't hurt her even at the cost of her life.
"I don't expect that from you - I just need a helpful subject who can be my ear in the Queen's palace."
He grabbed her face and looked into her eyes.
"You want me… to be a spy?"
"Of course… only if you don't want me to execute you and your whole family on treason."
Jürgen sat back in the chair confidently. He could see on her pale face that, she was slowly understanding too, the man's offer undeniable.
"So… then start telling me nicely… how long has the queen's body looked like she was beaten to death?"
"The queen is an infinitely kind and good person… she would never stand in your way, she will only remain as the king's wife until the heir to the throne is born… I swear she has no ill intentions!"
She tried to protect her mistress.
"This was not the question."
"Well… whats… the king… ever since the queen moved in… every night when he's not away from the palace he shows up… and doesn't leave the room until my mistress can't move…"
She said out of fear.
"So, you're saying… almost every night he is fucking that weak creature until she faints?"
The man leaned forward. He guessed that Jerome hadn't treated Ariana this way only once, but he hadn't even expected this.
"Actually… it doesn't always last until dawn, when he misses a few days, the mistress only gets into this state… if she constantly satisfies the king's desires, she can be released after 4-5 hours."
"She can be released? Hahaha! "
He laughed in pain.
'Yet what is that monster doing to her ?! '
"Why hasn't Ariana gotten pregnant yet, if she sleeps with the king every day?"
He finally asked her.
"Maybe barren?"
"No! That is excluded… the day she arrived at the palace, the doctor examined her. "
"Hm… then?"
"Unfortunately I don't know the answer, but she is still young…"
"Find out."
"How?"
Jürgen threw a sacket of gold before the girl.
"You get 1 week. Give your report to Josephine. "
With that, he left the room, and the girl was thrown to the street at another door by the mercenaries.
Jürgen could barely control himself whenever, he tought of Jerome his hand was clenched into a fist. He wanted to see Ariana, he couldn't think of anything else… he just wanted to hold the girl in his arms, he wanted to protect her from the beast that would take her down every night.
"Yet how could I have been deceived by that animal… after all… he said well… he didn't want to spoil me, to dirty me… instead he rapes that angel every night ..."
He threw a vase against the wall. He blamed himself… Jerome used Ariana to satisfy all his sexual needs even though it would have been his job to provide it…
"How can you treat that wonderful creature like a piece of meat ?!"
Unfortunately, he couldn't even stop the king from visiting the queen's palace that night, because he had an appearance at a ball on one of the marquis's estates.
It was midnight by the time he got back to the palace.
"The king?"
He asked the guard as he reached the door of the resident wing.
"After dinner, he retreated to his room and asked to not let anyone bother him, Your Majesty."
The knight replied.
"I see."
Jürgen nodded, then entered his own room. He didn't let go of the thought, that maybe Ariana was crying for him at that very moment… maybe she was still sobbing in the monster's hand… waiting for him to save her.
As he got back to his senses, he was already standing in the king's room, at the entrance to the secret tunnel, but then he realized.
"If I intervene now… I will surely got myself killed myself… I am helpless… until there is an heir who comes from the royal bloodline… I can do nothing… Damn it! Argh!"
He angrily grabbed a huge velvet decorative fabric, and tore it off the wall.
"What the…?"
The red velvet… that had covered a huge wall all this time revealed its secret.
"Isn't this…?"
Hidden was a wall painting, about a beautiful black-haired girl who smiles while sitting among flowers… in a white dress… by a lake…
"Hah… haha… hahaha"
Jürgen laughed crying…
"This crazy… obsessed bastard!"