As Belladonna had suggested, Eli had tried to to talk to a handful of people but he could not really say if the conversation had the desired results. Most of the village Heads he had spoken to were too afraid to give a clear reply once he lingered past the normal pleasantries of asking how their villages were.
It was obvious that they were petrified of him.
As he had said earlier, nothing would really change until the Red Moon.
Tired of working on something that was bound to fail because of its weak foundation, Eli sought Belladonna in the crowd. It was easy to find her, whenever he turned, his gaze always somehow landed on her, as if some part of him always knew where she was.
She had been talking to her family. He wondered why she would still even calmly exchange pleasantries with people like that. If he had a choice, he would have let his dragon set them ablaze a long time ago.
He was only a couple of steps from then when he heard the stupid words that slip out of golden boy's mouth. His fists had clenched and unclenched, as he forced himself to remain calm, he didn't want to do anything harsh, he was trying to create a good image in front of his people as his Donna had suggested. Yet the more he spoke, the more he got angry but soon enough, the sound of a slap put him at ease and he suppressed a smile at the scene that played in front of him.
The slap had been unexpected and somehow the hall had been thrown into a moment of silence before everything around them picked right back up, like nothing happened.
Lytio moved his head, like he was trying to adjust it back to the position it used to be, the sheer force from the hit he had just received, disorienting his hearing.
When he turned back to say something to her though, still determined on his cause to rescue her, he found someone behind her, slipping his hand around her waist, the mask on his face, making him take a forced step back.
"Village Head of Inaymi," the King said, "my condolences."
Lytio blinked, his lips parted but the words failing him, his wife's reply to the King an echo to him, as the hidden meaning behind those words hit him.
That was a threat.
The King was telling him that if he continued any further down the line he had chosen to risk his head upon, that word would not be said to him again but to the people around him, concerning him.
The rest was almost a blur to him.
The way the King had stayed and played with Arlo when he was in Belladonna's arms, the way Arlo had tried to reach for the King's mask and how the people around him had shared a simple polite laughter.
It was all a blur to him till he recovered from his shock, of the fact, that he wasn't dead yet.
If the King had heard all the words that he had said against him, then he should he dead right now, but he wasn't.
It only made him more confused and scared for his life. Maybe he would eventually kill him, but he was trying to be good because he was in public or because he was in front of Belladonna?
Whichever way, Lytio was too terrified to wait behind and find out.
With an excuse that he wasn't even sure he had processed in his mind, spoken out with a voice that stuttered at every pause, he excused himself along with his little family.
Moments after they left, Eli turned Belladonna around in his arms so that she was facing him.
"How many children do you want to have?"
Belladonna's eyes widened slightly. Eli's futuristic plans with her got bolder and bolder every day.
"Don't start having crazy thoughts, got Majesty. I don't feel like talking about children."
"How about eleven?"
Belladonna scoffed. "How about a whole village of them, Eli?"
"Hmmm. Are you certain? I am not of the opinion that will leave your body in a good state but if that is what you desire--"
"Four! By Ignas, four, should be the highest number there is to this."
"There it is, the amount we should aim for. I do like the number four too."
Belladonna paused, a slow smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"You tricked me."
"Now why would you accuse me of that. Mischief is not a strong suit of mine." He placed a finger underneath her chin, making her look right up at him. "Pass the night in my chambers after dinner."
"And do what in your chambers?"
"Assist me in making those four babies we plan to have."
"Eli---"
"By Ignas, do you not wish the Red Moon was tonight?"
They had other things to talk about after that, a couple of introductions too where Belladonna did most of the talking, and soon enough it was time for dinner, the last event of tonight before the ceremony would be brought to an end with a toast.
As they walked down to the dinning hall, Lady Kestra had met them along the way drawing Belladonna aside to discuss 'their' next revenge plan against her family, claiming that the first step of them seeing her had been successful.
"I noticed they have a little one amongst them, attacking the weakest link brings the best result. Let us make that our target."
Belladonna was quick to turn down her offer. Honestly, she didn't have any plans from the start to go out of her way to hurt her family as a pay back for what they had done to her and spending time with Arlo made her feel no need for revenge.
Whatever she would do, might affect the young one in future and he didn't deserve that.
Lady Kestra had not been so pleased with her idea at just doing nothing while she had the opportunity to do everything and get away with it.
"Now, don't be such a child." Lady Kestra had said with a degrading scoff, like what she had said was the most ridiculous thing anyone had ever said to her.
"What?" Belladonna had been offended by her comment and the features on her face had sharply turned into a glare.
Lady Kestra offered her a comforting smile. "I am just really telling you not to be silly. You actually have to do something to make them suffer. You can't just let them live their lives while they ruined yours."
"Ruined mine?"
What was she saying?
"My life isn't ruined. Their intentions were terrible but I think the biggest revenge is, as you have said earlier, them seeing that their plans have failed. I don't feel like doing anything else. I understand that you are only looking out for me but this is what I want and I will need you to respect that."
Belladonna ended on that note, then started making her way to the dinning hall before she paused and turned back.
"Thank you for the scales, the King really likes it."
Kestra grinned, hiding her shock.
"Of course, he does. We are really close, you know. I know many things about him, even the littlest things he likes."
Belladonna shrugged, whatever effect Lady Kestra was aiming for, completely missing the mark by her nonchalant reaction.
"As it is expected of a Right hand woman."