Chapter 223

Carol’s POV

I had no idea where I was or how long I had been here for. I was in a small room, lying on a bed that I did not fall asleep in. I felt groggy like I was coming out of a long sleep, but I had been awake for what felt like several hours. I screamed until my voice was hoarse, but nobody came to the door. The room was basic, like a guest bedroom that hadn’t been used in years. There was a window on the far side of the room, but it was too dark outside to actually see and from what I could gather, there weren’t any stars or moon lighting up anyway.

There was a dim light on in the room, so I could at least see my surroundings. I was handcuffed to the bed so I couldn’t actually walk around. I was no longer wearing the clothes I wore yesterday; instead, I was naked with nothing but a hospital gown to cover my body.

The moment I woke, and saw that I was no longer in the infirmary, panic rose inside of me, and I couldn’t seem to stop screaming and begging for someone to help me. I screamed for Aiden to find me, but my screams all went unanswered. I was completely alone, and I had no idea how long I had been like this.

I looked down at my protruding belly; it was larger than it was when I initially fell asleep. I don’t even remember falling asleep in the first place. How did I move to a new location and not wake up once?

Realization struck me all at once and my heart sank.

I must have been drugged.

But who would do such a thing knowing that I was pregnant?

It seemed like even more hours had gone by before I heard the latching of the door lock and my heart quickened its pace, beating against my ribcage. When the door opened, I sucked in a sharp breath and my face quickly went pale when a woman walked into the room. I didn’t recognize her; she was middle-aged and had long blonde hair that was braided down her back and a figure that only a model could have. She was beautiful and wore an elegant gown with jewels decorating the stitches along her waistline. She also wore a ton of jewelry of different colors.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” she said in an accent I couldn’t quite distinguish. “And it seems your pregnancy is coming along nicely. If it continues, you’ll be giving birth in a few days.”

My heart fell deep into my stomach from her words. A few days? How long had I been out for? I was only a month or so pregnant. Giving birth right now wasn’t possible!

“How is that possible?” I asked, my voice was raspy from screaming for so long.

“I had given you a serum to quicken your pregnancy,” she explained.

“What?” I gasped. “Why would you do that?”

It terrified me that a serum like that even existed, but why would it be given to me? I was so confused, and I had a strange urge to just go back to bed and wake up again tomorrow. Maybe this was all just a terrible dream.

“Because your baby is very powerful,” she explained. “He has a protective shield around you, and it makes it difficult for the queen to do what she wants. If she wants to kill you, the baby needs to come out of you. Then, she will kill the baby.”

My mouth hung open at this woman’s bluntness.

That wasn’t news to me honestly; I knew she didn’t like me, and she wanted me out of the way. But would she really stoop this low? Was she really planning on killing my baby boy? My chest tightened at the very thought, and I suddenly felt incredibly nauseous Seeing the green look on my face, the woman grabbed a bucket off the ground and handed it to me.

“I’d rather you didn’t puke on this bed,” she murmured. “I just cleaned the sheets.”

I grabbed the bucket from her and placed it on the bed beside me. I didn’t need it right now, but I probably would soon enough.

“I don’t understand…” I said faintly. “What is the queen doing this?”

“Alana, you are dismissed,” a stern female voice said from the doorway. I didn’t need to look to see who it was; I recognized the voice immediately.

Alana stepped away from the bed and turned to face the Queen who stood before us, her aura shining brightly, making me resist the urge to bow to her. Alana bowed gracefully, lifting her gaze slightly so she could peek up at the Queens’ alluring features.

“Is there anything more you need, Your Highness?”

“That’ll be all for now,” she said, dismissively. “I’ll fetch you if I change my mind.”

Alana nodded and then quickly departed from the room, leaving me alone with Queen Elizabeth.

“You are a difficult one to capture,” the queen said as she shut the door behind her. “Luckily the opportunity fell into my lap with your mate and the healer left with the king.”

My stomach twisted at the mention of Aiden.

“Where did they go?” I asked, my tone still raspy sounding.

“Something about finding the King’s other daughter,” the queen said, waving her hand dismissively.

“Raelyn?” I asked, disbelief consuming me. “They went to find her?”

How did they even find out about her? I tried to remember what I could from my last encounter with Aiden, but my mind was aching, and I eventually gave up.

“They won’t,” the Queen said darkly. “She’s not in the dungeon anymore. I moved her.”

“Y… you moved her?” I asked, my eyes growing large.

A grin spread across her lips.

“By the time they reached the dungeon, I had already taken her out of her cell. She was being bathed and dressed to look exactly like you.”

My heart sank in my chest when I realized what she was saying.

“They will never believe she is me,” I said through my teeth, rattling the cuffs on my wrist in an attempt to break myself free. The attempt was futile, and I felt more helpless than ever.

She smirked at my words and my failed attempt to break free.

“You can’t escape, Carol. I would stop trying while you still can,” she said, a bitter laugh escaping her voice. “Your suffering will soon be over; you just need ot rest and be patient.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked her, my eyes narrowed. “What are you planning?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She asked, raising her perfectly formed brows. “Once you are dead, your powers will be transported into your twin sister. She will have both her and your abilities and become the strongest and most powerful high priestess known to man. She will be my ultimate weapon and I’ll be able to take over much more than just the King’s Empire. I’ll be able to take over everything.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“However, I need that thing out of your body before I do anything,” she said, pointing at my belly. Her face twisted in disgust.

I wanted to put my hand on my belly protectively, but I couldn’t because they were cuffed to the bedpost.

“P…please. Don’t hurt my baby. He’s just an innocent baby!” I pleaded.

She scoffed.

“If I don’t kill him, he will inherit your abilities automatically because he comes from your blood,” she seethed. “He needs to die in order for your powers to be given to your twin.”

“You’re a monster…” I said as tears welled up in my eyes.

She let out another bitter laugh as she grabbed my face, digging her nails into my flesh, and forcing me to look at her. I could see the darkness and evil in her eyes and it made me shudder.

“You’ll eat those words,” she hissed. “I’ve been training her for a long time. As of now, she’s undefeatable. She’s strong and can easily take over the empire without your powers. But with your powers, she can take over the nation and destroy everyone in her path.”

“Is that all she is to you?” I asked, trying to shake her hand off my face. “A weapon? You raised her. Don’t you care about her at all?”

She laughed and finally released her hold on my face, stepping away from my bed.

“Care about her?” She asked, still laughing and shaking her head. “She is nothing but a tool that I need to get what I want.”

My heart sank.

“That’s it?” I asked, my voice coming out breathy.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

“What do you expect?” She asked. “I’m the rightful ruler of this nation and she’s going to get me what I want.”

“What about Jenna?” I asked, shaking my head. “Your other daughter?”

She rolled her eyes.

“She failed in her efforts. Jenna is no longer my daughter. I have no child.”