Chapter 483

483 Dark Rewards

***WARNING: LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, AND DISTURBING CONTENT***

Karen screamed and cursed as Draco and two other guards dragged her from the throne room. The nobles gathered directly outside gasped when they saw her crazed state. A mix of pity and mocking swirled around her as Karena clung to anyone who was within grabbing distance.

She cried and begged them to come to her rescue, and stop the injustice being done to her. Karena had been in Alcon longer than her home kingdom, but all of her so-called friends turned their noses up at her, and averted their eyes. The king had made his decision, and they weren’t about to risk their livelihoods by speaking out on her behalf.

Karena had abused her power for the last time, and the further away from the nobles she got, the more cheering she heard. The merchants, servants, guards, and other dignitaries she had berated and abused all clapped and praised the king for his ‘righteous and overdue judgment’. As Karena sobbed and screamed back at them, Draco leaned down..

“Calm yourself, My Queen. I have a message from your husband.. You will Not be going back to Meccano. I’ll tell you the rest when it’s safe..”

Karena slowed, then stopped her tears, and stood straight up. Her entire countenance changed, prompting the spectators to slow in their taunts. She grinned at them as she looked around, then said; “I’ll remember this, and when I return: you will all pay..”

Most around her laughed, then continued to insult her as the guards escorted her down the hall, and to her quarters. As they entered her room, Karena was surrounded by older servant women, stripped, then bathed. She was a princess regardless of her crimes, and Magnus wanted her returned to her brother in good condition.

After they had cleaned and dressed her, Karena was offered a plate of her favorite foods. Filet mignon with sautéed onions and truffles, duchess potato swirls, and squash compote with dates, and lemon. She washed it all down with her favorite merlot, then directed her servants on which things she would be taking with her, and what she’d leave behind ‘for now’.

As the servants rushed about, Karena told the other two guards to wait outside. They looked to Draco for confirmation that it was alright, then left when he nodded his approval. As the door latched shut, Karena semi-quietly snapped at Draco..

.....

“Where the Fuck is Marco?! How could he not be here for my trial?! Does he have Any idea how humiliating that was?! I Swear I’ll scratch his eyes out the next time I see him! When are you taking me to him?”

Draco put his finger up to his lips; “You must keep quiet, My Queen. No one can know that our king has no intention of letting you return to your brother. However, if the servants hear, then gossip will spread. King Marco doesn’t want to give his father any reason to consider Tidas for the throne, and going against his orders to send you home will give the prince a chance, understand?”

Karena scoffed; “Marco will be the next King, and I Will be the Queen.. Tidas isn’t the problem, it’s Skye. She’s the real threat. I want her killed as soon as possible, do You understand?”

“...The King has plans for Princess Skye and her powers, but it’s nothing that concerns you. Just focus on the task at hand for now-”

“Do Not give Me orders, Draco. I am your superior, not the other way around despite these circumstances. And don’t think for a second that I forgot how roughly you handled me at my initial arrest. You will be punished for that,” Karena snipped, cutting off Draco mid-sentence.

She thought that he’d make the same sour face that he always made whenever she told him that he’d be getting punished. But Karena could tell that Draco was forcing a smile down instead. She was about to snap at him again, but one of the servants told her that she was all packed up, and ready to go.

With her usual haughty attitude, Karena told them to; “Stop standing around, and load up her things.”

Afterwards she went to the door, and barked at the other guards to come help. As she was insulting them, the older maid leaned toward Draco, and whispered; “Ye said ta clean it all out, correct my lord?”

Draco smirked; “Aye. Take it all: anything you want that’s not claimed. The only thing you need to leave are the jewels, the vanity, and that single dress. The rest can go. Enjoy your well-deserved spoils, Edna..”

The old, cranky-looking woman flashed him a toothy grin as she replied; “Oh Aye.. And you as well, me lord.”

A dark smile stretched across Draco’s face for a split second, then he went to help Karena direct the guards. It didn’t take long to get her packed up, and put into the stagecoach. She complained the entire time about the trial, her treatment, and the extended travel to ‘reach her brother’.

Every time she grinned at Draco, he grinned back, but it wasn’t like his usual one. The happiness on his face was genuine, which made him seem even more handsome than usual. As the stagecoach unceremoniously exited the palace gates, Karena smiled at Draco..

“How long until we reach my husband?”

Draco’s brow creased with thought; “It should only take a few hours to reach the outskirts of Dragonhorn. That’s where he currently is.”

Karena’s smile turned seductive; “Since it’s such a long ride, how about you start making up for how roughly you had handled me when I was arrested?”

Draco grinned at her; “Not yet.. After we clear the city, and stop to change stagecoaches. Then, I can fully enjoy you..”

Karena chuckled; “I like the sound of that, but not you telling me what to do. Now get over here before I increase your actual punishment later.”

A dark grin overtook Draco’s features as he said; “I’ll accept that. We can’t risk anyone seeing through our plan. I’ve worked too hard to lose the reward promised to me by the king. I will restrain myself, and follow his orders.”

Karena huffed with annoyance; “Fine, have it your way. But don’t get upset when there’s blood later..”

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It took everything Draco had not to laugh out loud as he replied; “I promise I won’t get upset, My Queen..”

************

The ride out of the city was comfortable, thanks to a small increase in the temperature. It was usually colder right before the harvest, but today was beautiful and warm compared to the rest of the week. The sun shined down, making the golden color of the wheat field they were passing shimmer with different hues.

They traveled a good half an hour or so after they had exited the city’s main gate. As they came to the lining of a small patch of forest, the stagecoach came to stop. Karena and Draco exited and saw another stagecoach off to the side.

As Karena was looking over the oddly-shaped coach, she heard Draco speaking to one of the guards..

“The trunks are yours, just like we agreed. Those dresses should fetch a fine price, and here are the few jewels that we agreed to as well..”

“What the Hell are you doing?! Those are mine! How dare-”

Karena had been instantly cut off by Draco’s hand slapping her across the face hard enough to knock her to the ground. She cried out with the sting of it, then glared at Draco as she screamed; “What the Fuck do you think you’re doing?! I Am Your QUEEN!”

Draco glared right back at her with utter hatred in his eyes as he yelled; “Shut your mouth, you stupid little bitch! Or I’ll hit you harder, understand?! I’m talking..”

Karena was shocked into silence at first, then snapped; “How DARE You! I am the Crowned Princess of Alcon! I am the Future Queen! You can’t treat me like this! When Marco hears about this, he’ll have you drawn and quartered!”

Draco ignored her until he had finished talking over the details with the other guards. Once they were mounting the original stagecoach again, Draco grabbed Karena by her hair, and dragged her over to the new stagecoach. She kicked and screamed for the other guards to help her, but they ignored her completely.

Draco had been very careful in choosing who the servants were that helped with her final preparations. The older servants that had packed her things, and the two guards that had helped escort her were all frequent victims of Karena’s cruelty. They were the ones that had been constantly insulted, beaten, and had their wages reduced any time they had so much as looked at her the wrong way.

Of course Karena didn’t recognize them. She had been raised to not see servants as people, and hadn’t changed her views throughout her adult life. Even after practically being raised and kept company by servants her entire life, she still treated them as less than people. Karena was the epitome of arrogant, entitled royalty, and had burned away any sympathy anyone might’ve held for her long ago.

The two guards shared a smile between themselves as they took the original stagecoach, and headed in the direction that they were supposed to be going in. It was only to keep up the appearance that Karena was returninto Meccano. Once they had passed the final southeastern boarder town, then the two could abandon and tear up the stagecoach.

They were to take the horses, and ride to Dragonhorn after selling the dresses in town. As long as it was reported that the stagecoach was seen passing through, no one would question whether Karena had really gone home or not. The guards were also ordered to remove their armor before selling the dresses, so no one could connect them.

If it were discovered that Karena never made it to Meccano, then they could claim that they had been ambushed. The dresses sold in town by unfamiliar men in regular clothes would support the idea that the stagecoach was robbed, and that Karena and the guards had disappeared. Draco wouldn’t return to the capital until the second part of Marco’s plan was implemented, so he didn’t need to worry about being seen.

Both him and the other two guards would remain outside of Dragonhorn until Marco sent word for them to start the second phase.. ‘That won’t start until a couple of months after Tidas and Skye leave for Sai.. At least I’ll have plenty of time to enjoy my prize until the real work starts..’

After flinging the coach door open, Draco yanked Karena up by her hair, then threw her into the coach. He had Norvis make a few alterations to the inside, which was why it looked so strange from the outside. The walls were triple insulated, and one of the seat benches had been replaced with chains attached to the wall.

Karena flipped out the second she saw them, and tried to claw her was out of the stagecoach, but Draco wasn’t about to let that happen. He slapped her several times until her ears were ringing so bad that she couldn’t focus. As the last shackle snapped in place around her wrist, Draco grinned evilly as he spoke in a dark tone; “Now: let’s get your punishment started.. You told me before not to complain about blood being spilled.. I hope you follow your own advice..”

As the door shut and the stagecoach began to move, Karena’s screams echoed throughout the countryside into nothingness..