Chapter 60 LOSING INFLUENCE
"What did she sacrifice for me?"
Selene could say no more.
Athalia’s lips curved faintly, and bitterly as she felt Selene close to exposing the truth only she and Lira knew.
“I have sacrificed myself for this kingdom's prosperity and your child.” Athalia lied, hiding the real sacrifice she bore.
Adrian flinched, but no words came. He could not explain. His shame roared louder than his love, louder than his desire to comfort her.
Servants and guards whispered in the corridors, the rumor of the Queen’s condition circulating in hushed tones, yet none dared to ask openly. King Adrian had given instructions: no one could see her, no one could question and no one could challenge his authority in this matter.
Selene stayed near the bed, her mind racing. She had helped deliver the child and she had stood beside Athalia in a birth that bent the earth and awoke forces older than kingdoms. Yet now, all of it, including Athalia's influence was diminished because of King Adrian’s fear.
The next morning, Adrian emerged from his private chambers with a stiff face. He was pale, the lines of anxiety and shame deeper than ever. He went to the guards outside the Queen’s room.
A young officer hesitated. “Your Majesty, the people”
“They will see her when I allow it,” Adrian interrupted, voice low but absolute. “Until then, she remains my secret. Do not fail me.”
He turned sharply, striding back down the corridor, leaving the soldiers uneasy and whispering among themselves. Selene followed silently, lips pressed into a thin line. She knew that secrecy could not protect Athalia forever.
Inside the chamber, Athalia sat up slightly. The child stirred in the cradle nearby, small fingers curling and uncurling. His eyes glowed faintly with an awareness far beyond his weeks of life.
“You hide me,” Athalia whispered. “Because I carried him.”
Selene nodded slowly. “We don't know what he is yet. It's best we listen to the King.”
Outside the chamber, Adrian paused at the balcony, staring out across the city. He had grown distant, a man divided by love and shame.
Selene approached him quietly. “Your majesty, we cannot hide her forever, the people need to know their queen is unwell from bearing a child.” she said softly.
Adrian turned, eyes hollow. “I am… I am trying to protect her. To protect us.”
Selene’s gaze hardened. “From what? The truth or from your own fear? She gave you an heir. And now, you imprison her with shame that belongs to no one but yourself.”
"She bore a demon." King Adrain thundered. "It drains her and what if it does that to anyone else soon."
"But...your majesty"
"I wish to hear no more." He said firmly. "I'll inform the people the queen is sick from childbirth. But she remains here with that monster of a child."
Selene stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Adrian’s shoulder. “Please, talk to her, your majesty.”
When Adrian got to the room, he looked at Athalia, who looked frail and beautiful in a way the world would never understand, and then at the child, sleeping peacefully yet aware, holding the power that had shaken the very earth.
Adrian’s lips pressed together. “I came… to see you,” he said softly.
Athalia’s eyes glimmered with relief and exhaustion. “And I'm sorry,” she whispered.
The infant’s eyes opened again, focused, aware, not on his mother or father, but toward the horizon.
Adrian saw it, instinctively, and shivered.
Selene whispered under her breath: “What does he keep looking at?.”
And outside the castle walls, the ground trembled faintly.
“Your Majesty, you cannot continue like this.”
Queen Mother Elizabeth’s voice was firm, yet gentle, as she stood beside the chamber window, the morning sunlight spilling across the frail figure of her daughter-in-law. She had come to visit her at the tower and the guards could not stop her from entry.
Athalia lay back against the pillows, pale and exhausted, her dark hair tangled, her cheeks hollow from sleepless nights. The child she had borne slept quietly in a cradle nearby, his tiny chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that seemed impossibly serene compared to the chaos surrounding the mother.
Athalia turned her head slowly, eyes heavy. “Mother…I…”
“No,” the Queen Mother interrupted, her hand resting lightly on Athalia’s arm. “Not now. You must listen to me.”
Athalia’s lips trembled faintly. “They… they are speaking, right?. The courtiers, and the people. Rumors… of why I haven’t returned and why Adrian hasn’t come back to the throne.”
Queen Elizabeth’s eyes darkened. “And you think that truth will help? You have endured more than any Queen should and have given life to an heir in circumstances no one could have foreseen. But that alone requires rest.”
Athalia tried to speak but was cut off.
“The kingdom will wait until you’re recovered. They just know you’re unwell and need rest. Stay here and get that, please”
Athalia sat up slightly, the effort pulling a sharp line of pain across her abdomen. “But if I do not return, the people… Adrian… won’t they think me or the kingdom as weak?”
“Not if I am here,” Elizabeth replied firmly. “You are not weak and is recovering. That is strength enough for now.”
Selene, standing near the foot of the bed, clenched her hands into fists. She had seen the toll the child’s supernatural birth had taken on Athalia.
But everyday since had left the Queen frail, and drained of the vibrant power that once seemed almost immortal. And still, Athalia worried about perception, about duty to the kingdom.
“I am supposed to rule,” Athalia whispered. “Adrian… he—he cannot manage the kingdom alone.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “He can. He has been doing that since you were brought here for birth and he will continue. The kingdom will not falter because its Queen rests to regain her strength.”
”You are no longer the only one who carries responsibility. There are advisors, regents, and yes, even Adrian himself. But you…” She placed both hands on Athalia’s frail shoulders. “You are not in a condition to rule. You cannot make decisions that affect thousands when every moment drains you further.”
Athalia’s eyes filled with tears. “But my child… my heir, what if something happens?”
Elizabeth’s expression softened, but her tone remained firm. “Nothing will happen. The child is under my protection, and under Selene’s watch. You have done your duty. Now, you must allow yourself to recover before you can give the kingdom what it deserves.”
”If it makes you happy, we can put someone in your stead till you recover.”
"What do you mean by someone? Do you want to replace me?"