Chapter 4
I wasn't lying.
In this ruthless court, this child was the only reason I had left to live.
Edward was stunned into silence.
He studied me with a complex, unreadable expression, then released my wrist and stormed out.
From that day on, the aloofness remained, but he never spoke harshly to me again.
Instead, Edward doubled the guard watching over me, keeping me under constant surveillance.
I was nothing more than a caged bird, stripped of all freedom.
Meanwhile, word arrived from the borderland: Victoria had given birth to a son.
Henry was overjoyed, naming the boy Vicaryn.
It was a name meaning someone who eternally yearned for Victoria, a constant testament to his devotion to her.
The irony was bitter enough to choke me.
Edward received the news while we were at dinner.
His fingers tightened briefly around his fork before he forced them to relax.
Calm as ever, he sliced a piece of sea bass, removed every bone with meticulous precision, and placed it on my plate.
"Eat up. It's good for the baby," he said.
His voice remained gentle, but I saw a flash of cold, murderous intent in his eyes.
It wasn't meant for me. It was meant for Henry, and for the infant hundreds of miles away.
My heart plummeted.
At that moment, I understood. This child wasn't just a pawn.
He was a weapon in Edward's war against his brother.
Edward intended to pit my son against Vicaryn from the moment they drew breath.
My child would be born into rivalry, forced to fight for a crown he never asked for.
A wave of icy dread washed over me, paralyzing me from my extremities to my core.
I would not let my baby become a tool for his revenge. Never.
As the months bled on, my belly swelled.
Edward's "care" grew more suffocating.
He even began sleeping in my chambers, claiming it was to watch over me.
Yet the air between us remained frozen.
He didn't look at me as a wife, but as a vessel carrying his heir.
There was no love, only scrutiny and control.
Letters from Victoria arrived regularly.
No longer did she boast of love; now, she bragged of her son.
She wrote of Vicaryn's resemblance to Henry, his cleverness and cuteness, how Henry was already teaching him letters and numbers.
She promised that when they returned, Nathan would be the rightful heir to the throne after his father.
Every line was her bragging about the future and contempt toward me.
She was certain I would bear a daughter or a son too weak to rival hers.
I burned every letter, never letting Edward see a word.
I would not provoke him.
The goal was simply to carry the child to term in safety and then find a way out of this court with him.
*****
One month before my due date, my maternal grandmother arrived at the palace.
She took my hands, gazing at my heavy belly, tears streaming down her wrinkled face. "My poor child, you have suffered so. I know your heart aches.
"But remember: you are a member of the Wynn family, my granddaughter. Your honor binds us all.
"You must bear this child safely. A grandson will make us the strongest supporters of his throne."
I stared into her eager eyes, my heart turning to ash.
Always family. Always supporters.
No one cared if I lived or suffered; what I could give them was their only concern.
I bowed my head, hiding my scorn, and replied softly, "Grandma, I understand."
Satisfied, she pulled a small lace pouch from her sleeve and pressed it into my palm.
"This is a protective sachet for safe childbirth. Keep it close. It will guard you and the child."
The pouch was warm, carrying a faint herbal scent.
"Thank you, Grandma," I said.
Once she left, I opened the lace bag.
Inside lay no charms, no blessed herbs, only several dark red pills.
I tipped them into my palm and breathed in gently.
A familiar, sharp scent flooded my nose.
My face blanched white as chalk.
It was pennyroyal.
A herb known throughout the realm for ending pregnancies.
My own grandmother wanted to kill my child. Why?
She had begged me to bear him safely only moments before.
Why would she want to hurt me so suddenly?
A horrifying truth crashed into me.
They had found a better heir.
They believed my child would never sit on the throne.
They meant to destroy him, clearing the way for the true heir they favored.
And that true heir was Victoria's son, Vicaryn.
My grandparents had sided with Henry from the very start.
Every assumption I had made was wrong.
Edward had not asked me to send peaceful letters to win my family over.
He had been testing them because he knew they were disloyal all along.
He only wanted to see how far they would go.
My child and I had been nothing but bait.
Cold, suffocating despair wrapped around me.
What had Edward ever seen me as but a tool to be sacrificed?
Just then, the sharp call of a servant cut through the chamber. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrives!"
Edward stepped inside.
His eyes fell immediately to the pills in my palm.
His face darkened, stormy and murderous.
"What is this?" His voice was low, heavy with impending wrath.
I clenched my fist so tight my nails dug into my flesh.
I lifted my chin, staring straight into his eyes, each word sharp and broken. "You knew, didn't you?
"You knew Grandma would give me this. You knew they wanted to kill our child!
"You used him as bait to test my family. Edward, have you no heart at all?"
I screamed the words, all the grief, rage, and hopelessness bursting free at last.
Without saying anything, Edward merely held my gaze, his gaze impenetrable.
His silence was answer enough.
Inside, my heart turned to ash.
I let out a wild, broken laugh, tears streaming down my face. "I was such a fool... I actually dared to believe..."
I believed he harbored some small love for his child.
I believed he felt something for me, his wife.
It turned out that it was all just me fooling myself.
To him, we were nothing but pawns to be discarded.
"Edward! I hate you!" Summoning every ounce of strength, I hurled the pills at his face.
He didn't flinch. The pills struck his face and tumbled to the floor.
His expression remained cold, though a fleeting, unrecognizable emotion crossed his eyes.
Was it pain? Regret? I didn't want to dwell on it.
I felt nothing anymore.
Cradling my heavy belly, I retreated until my spine pressed against the cold stone wall. "Get out. I never want to see you again."
Edward's lips parted as if to speak, but no sound emerged.
He held my gaze for a long moment before turning on his heel and walking away.