I Am The Tyrant’s Wife

"What will you do to her?" Meredith hesitantly asked as silence filled the room after Theodore left. She may not have liked Lady Carmille—at all, but hearing what he said, would it have gone too far? After all, she was still a young girl. The same age as Meredith, but she didn't know all the right and wrongs. Meredith, too, pushed her buttons.

Krillien raised an eyebrow. "Punishment for attacking a member of the royal family." He said matter-of-factly.

Meredith furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head, confused as to what he meant. "We are still not married, Your Majesty."

"And what of it? You will marry me, will you not?" His eyebrows knitted then he smirked. "Or do you plan to runaway before we do? I hope you're not forgetting that you told me I needed you. A man needs a wife, does he not?" He recalled, remembering how much it amused him.

Meredith shrunk in her bed, her cheeks flushing. She had no idea whether or not he was teasing her, and whether or not he was, it was still embarrassing for her. She sighed.

"And what punishment would that be?"

He shrugged. "It's none of your concern."

Meredith turned her head towards the window to roll her eyes, hoping Krillien wouldn't see. He let out a breathy laugh making Meredith furrow her eyebrows, thinking whether she heard that right. Him? Laughing? He was starting to become more and more unusual. Honestly, from the moment she stepped foot in the palace to ask him to marry her. Perhaps he was always unusual. Well, what could she expect from this man who massacred his whole family?

What will she do now that she is a part of the "family"? Will he not hesitate to kill her, too? Just like the royal family he once had? She shivered.

Krillien cleared his throat, noticing her clenched grip on her blanket.

"Fiona said you had something to ask. Regarding the catering for the wedding. Is the food here not to your taste?" He asked, Meredith turned her head back, remembering the other thing she had asked of Fiona yesterday.

"Ah, yes." She nodded. "I wanted to ask what food you like?"

Krillien blinked. "What?" His tone sounding surprised.

"Uhm," Meredith cleared her throat to compose herself, hoping she did not offend him. "What food do you like? To be served at the wedding. Only the food I like will be served as of now."

Krillien nodded, understanding her concern. "Beef stew," he said. "The chefs know how I like it."

"Alright then." Meredith nodded, taking a mental note on the list. She felt relieved finally being able to complete her tasks. Meredith was about to get married.

_________________

It was late in the evening, everyone in the palace was already sound asleep, no one had been awake. Aside from the guardsmen patrolling the palace and the others who were guarding the cells beneath it.

Krillien was wide awake, strolling down the hall and into the stairs leading him down towards the cells where a woman was chained up, legs tied to the wall, a pool of blood beneath her. The clear absence of her hands were obvious as the cloth that wrapped around them stained with blood, dripping onto the floor.

"It appears you haven't died." Krillien said coldy, "losing this much blood should have killed you by now."

No response.

Krillien could tell from how Lady Carmille's chest continued to rise and fall; she was still alive. He couldn't say whether or not it was a good thing.

"Very well, having you alive is far better. Hopefully this would teach you a lesson to not touch anyone from the royal family. Especially, your lady Meredith." He eyed her as she raised her head, her eyes red from crying, dirt and sweat all over her face and her once tied hair now tangled and everywhere.

"Have you forgotten that you were hired to be the future Empress's lady-in-waiting?" He asked again, getting irritated from her silence. Was this how a person who did something wrong act? Or was this just the attitude of a person who thinks they were right?

"Aurelius," Krillien called. Aurelius stepped out from the side, revealing himself from the darkness of the dimly lit corridors of the cells. "Stuff her mouth. We don't want anyone to wake up from her screams."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Aurelius stepped forward, unlocking the cell with a key. He kneeled next to her, a cloth in his hand and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Mmmph!!" She screamed, feeling the rough texture of the cloth as it dried her mouth. Aurelius kept stuffing until Krillien told him to stop.

It was time for her punishment. Cutting off her hands was only the beginning. Who would dare to hurt his wife?

Teaching this woman a lesson would become a sign—a warning that to harm a member of the royal family will not be taken lightly. For they will receive a punishment far worse than dying that they would wish they were dead. To the point of begging for death.

It was a warning not to harm the future Empress.

After a few hours, Lady Carmille died from the loss of blood.

And lack of limbs.