The Alpha King's Bride novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: The Queen Answers

The chamber was fuller than the day before, and nobody spoke when I walked in.

Aldric sat at the head of the table, and he did not look at me, as I had asked.

Judith stood in her cardigan beside the front bench with her hands folded.

"The council is ready to rule on the motion," said the eldest lord.

"Before it does," I said, "I would like to answer it myself."

A murmur went through the benches.

The eldest lord looked at the King.

"The Queen may speak," said Aldric.

I put Judith's green ledger on the table and opened it.

"My foster mother says I'm ill and confused," I said. "I've been drinking her tea every morning since I turned eighteen. This book is in her handwriting, and it was taken from the locked drawer in her study."

Judith's eyes went to the ledger, and her mouth thinned for the first time.

"That is a forgery," she said. "Somebody has copied my hand."

"Herbalist," I read aloud. "The first of every month, for four years."

"Every household has an herbalist."

"Beside every line there's a red seal with a hound's head."

I held the page up so the lords could see it.

"The Lowe house paid for my tea."

All the heads turned toward Jasper.

He had gone white.

"Tonic for the girl," I read. "Lowe to pay. Heir to be promised the Beta seat when the girl is placed."

"I never read that," Jasper said quickly. "My father arranged the payments. I didn't know what they were for."

"The tonic had your hair in it," said Aldric, flatly.

Jasper stopped.

"A sandy strand, steeped in honey. The Crown physician has it in a glass tube and will swear to it before this council."

← Chapter 10 · All chapters · Chapter 12 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend