**
Chapter 32.
~Fortuna~
I left the room in anger. It was disappointing to see that the king took her side. He was still mad at me and failed to see the game Katrina was playing.
She was smarter than I thought. I was going to teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget. But not now. I had to win back the king's trust first.
I sat on my bed, replaying our conversation in my mind. When I spoke about secrets, I noticed she went pale. It was obvious she had one. But what could it be?
Would the king and the queen mother hate her if they found out? I was desperate to know, no matter what it would cost me.
A knock came at the door. I called for the person to come in.
For a moment, I thought it was the king, but it wasn't him.
His sister, Rosalind, walked in with a smile. She wore a blue dress with gold accessories.
Beauty surely ran in their blood. Like her other siblings, Rosalind looked like an angel. She was the king's favorite—and mine too.
"Fortuna," she said, walking faster toward me.
I got up from the bed and hugged her.
"I am so happy to see you. How are you?" she asked.
I knew she was my only way to disturb the king's night.
"Do I look fine?" I asked, trying to fake tears. They weren't coming, but I didn't give up. "Your brother has been humiliating me ever since the new concubine arrived."
"The girl from Everia?" Rosalind's brows furrowed in confusion. She hadn't expected that at all.
I nodded as she covered her lips in disbelief. "Are you serious, sister-in-law?"
"Would I joke or lie about my husband?" I asked as a single tear finally rolled down my cheek. I wished more would come. "Don't forget he is the king. I would never lie against him."
Rosalind believed me at last. She helped me sit and asked, "So what did this debtor's daughter do?"
I tried to speak, but more tears rolled down my cheeks. Rosalind handed me her handkerchief and wiped them away.
"What happened while we were away?"
"Your brother has changed. He let that small girl humiliate me in public, and then he rewarded her. Can you believe he gifted her a horse?"
"A horse?" Her eyes widened in shock. Even she didn't own one, let alone a concubine. "You're lying, right? My brother would never do that."
When Rosalind saw I wasn't smiling, she believed me and urged me to continue. I told her everything, twisting the story to favor me.
She was disappointed in her brother and wanted to go to him immediately.
"He's in her room. He's always with her these days," I said.
"Then I shall go meet him there," she declared, standing from her seat and heading toward Katrina's room.
I followed behind, eager to enjoy the drama. This was going to be fun.
**
~Katrina~
There was a minute of silence. Our lips never spoke, but our eyes said it all. I was eager to hear him say why I meant so much to him.
"I care about you, Katrina," he said, holding my hand. He kissed my knuckles, sending cold shivers down my spine.
That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear.
But what was I thinking? That the king would love me? A man who couldn't even love his wife… someone who had never loved before—how could I expect him to love me?
Don't be stupid, Katrina. He can never love you… never, ever.
"I promise no one will hurt you again like Fortuna did today," King Karl interrupted my thoughts.
I looked at him and nodded. I was disappointed with his answer, but at least he cared about me. That was enough for now.
"What do you want me to do to help you get well soon?" he asked.
I wanted him to bring Fortuna to her knees, but that seemed impossible. She was his queen—a woman who had stood by his side for years.
"Tell me… whatever you want, my sweetheart," he insisted.
I thought about something incredible. I wanted the complex that was meant for Fortuna. The king had already asked if I wanted it, but I hadn't given him a reply because I felt it would be unfair to his wife.
But after what she did to me, it didn't matter anymore.
"I-I want the…" I started to say, but a knock on the door interrupted me.
We both wondered who it was. I was too weak to reply.
"Were you expecting someone?" the king asked.
"Not at all," I said, resting my head on his chest. It felt warm. I wished I had kept it there all along.
I felt his hand trail slowly down my back, his touch sending shivers through me. His piercing gaze locked onto mine, making me crave the feel of his lips against mine. My mind raced back to that passionate moment we shared under the oak tree, the way his hands had claimed me, the way his lips had left me breathless.
King Karl leaned in, his breath warm against my lips. A sly smile curved at the corners of his mouth. "You are going to be the destruction of me," he whispered.
Destruction? I didn't understand what he meant, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to taste those sinful lips again, to drown in the fire we had started.
Just as our lips were about to meet, an insistent knock shattered the moment.
The king clenched his jaw, irritation flashing in his eyes. Whoever was at the door wasn't giving up. With a frustrated sigh, he turned toward the entrance.
"Come in," he commanded, his voice sharp.
The door swung open immediately, as if the visitor had been waiting for permission with bated breath. A young girl, no older than sixteen, stepped inside. She wore an elegant blue robe, her hair tied with a matching ribbon. Gold jewelry shimmered against her skin, a clear sign of status.
I stiffened, my heart pounding.
Then the king spoke her name.
"Rosalind."
At once, he pulled his hand away from mine and stood up, putting distance between us.
Jealousy burned through me as I watched them. He didn't want her to see us together. Who was she to him?
Another concubine?