~{LAUREN'S POV}~
*
She punched me
She actually punched me
She raised her fist at me
She really did that
It felt like everywhere blurred slightly as I tried to process what just happened while staring at her with my other eye.
She was as perplexed as I was as she stared at her hand before looking at me in fear.
"I… I di- didn't mean to do that I ju- my hand simply moved out of reflex." She tried to explain but all I did was stare.
It actually hurt and I tried to understand how she had so much strength to give me a punch and still remain ok. She didn't wince in pain or scream or even get her knuckles hurt.
She looked alright. How?
A woman couldn't pull such a thing unless she was being trained. So how come?
Was she trained by someone while I was away?
My hand slipped from my face and fell to the side and I heard her take a sharp inhale as she cringed slightly with her hands half covering her mouth.
"Oh my goodness." She blurted out in disbelief while staring at the eye she had punched and it made me realize it must have left a red patch.
But not once did she apologize.
"Who trained you to do that?" I curiously asked.
"No one." She said while watching me closely.
When I took a step closer while watching her body language, I noticed how she became alert. Her shoulders straightened and so did her position in alert as if ready to fight.
Strange.
I recognized that from my practices and in battle. Which only meant that she must have been trained.
In a swift and controlled movement, I moved at her to see what she would do and as expected, she tried to throw another punch to which I quickly dodged and closed in on her.
Her eyes widened at how fast I got close to her and I quickly caught both her hands and locked them behind her and glared down at her.
She struggled as she breathed heavily while watching me with fierce eyes.
"Where did you learn that from?" I demanded again.
"No one," she answered but I wasn't buying it.
She landed a perfect blow and had the perfect stance to fight. So she couldn't tell me it was gotten on a whim.
My hold tightened on her wrists which were trapped behind her with my firm hold and she winced slightly but stubbornly glared back at me.
"Where did you learn that from, Deborah?"
"Unhand me this instant, Lauren," she hissed at me and I could sense the tension rising.
She didn't look scared anymore, rather she looked ready to take up that mistake again of punching me in the face.
"Answer me!"
"I already answered you, Lauren! What more do you want? Do you want to hear me say I learnt it from another man? Is that it?" She yelled at me and my eyes widened slightly.
Did a man teach her that?
A MAN?
Was she seeing another man?
Was this why she was giving me such an attitude?
Because of a man?
"Unhand me now!" She hissed again.
"Or what?" I dared her.
However, instead of answering, she jumped and bumped her head into mine, causing me to loosen my hold on her slightly as I groaned in slight pain.
I was caught off guard again and my eyes widened in disbelief.
When I looked at her, she looked fierce without any sign of pain.
I KNEW IT!
SHE WAS BEING TRAINED!
Despite that, I had to blink rapidly when the pain in my forehead seared.
"Unhand me!" She warned again but I didn't let go.
"Are you seeing someone?" I demanded in all seriousness.
"YES!" She shouted and a cool feeling washed over me.
Did she just boldly say that to me? A king! And not just any king but her husband.
"Are you happy now?" She asked and smirked to back up her current mood.
At this point I didn't even know her anymore.
Who exactly was this woman I got married to?
Had I been tricked by the other kingdom into believing I was marrying a gentle woman?
*********************
~{DEBORAH'S POV}~
I was still trying to recover from the things I did to him.
Punching and headbutting him. What next could I possibly do if I can do that without feeling pain.
As for his silly enquiry, I purposely lied about seeing someone just to see what he would do and the reaction was instant. It clearly affected him.
Well, how could it not affect his ego when I was his wife?
I just wanted to give him a piece of his own medicine and he was clearly hurt by my words.
So this is what I should have said all along because he suddenly let me go and took a few steps backward while watching me in confusion, like I was another case to be solved.
"Now that you know, kindly allow me to leave this kingdom. I never loved you and so did you, so it is even." I further lied just to hurt him.
"I will get to the bottom of this, Deborah. Whoever he is, I will find him and have him impaled." He dangerously declared before turning and storming out of there.
I was left speechless with my eyes wide open because I wasn't expecting that at all.
Why was he so worked up by it when he doesn't love me?
Why go through all that stress?
Wasn't that a bit too extra?
"Why are you so confusing, Lauren?" I absently mumbled to myself.
When I noticed I was still staring at him, I suddenly shook my head and went back to my chair but suddenly winced when I felt a sharp pain in my forehead due to the heavy headbut I had given him.
Do you really have to hurt now?
Regardless, I returned to sipping and having my breakfast like nothing happened. In fact I was overjoyed.
"Maybe I should make it believeable. Should I perhaps meet up with that sturdy male servant who had helped me up when I fell? After all, he is a fine man."
I deviously said to myself and giggled in happiness.
Come to think of it, I was enjoying myself more than I had imagined and this was only the beginning.
************************
~{LAUREN'S POV}~
"In the past two months who has the queen acquainted herself with?" I demanded from the housekeeper as I walked back to the palace with the others following behind. Peculiar was back in her room so I wasn't bothered by that for now.
"No one outside the kingdom, just her ladies in waiting, Fredrick and I."
"Fredrick." I slowly repeated the name in realization as it left a sour taste in my mouth.
She had gone to him when she wanted to escape my kingdom and he had given her a local horse to aid her in her plan instead of her own horse.
Were they in this together?
Just as my brain asked that question was how I quickly remembered when he caught her in his arms as she was about to come down her horse after our race.
At that jarring realization, I came to a standstill as my eyes hardened in rage.