The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

King Nyxen stepped into the dim, damp cell where Victoria was held. Dressed in a plain white shift, stripped of her royal title and finery, she sat upon the cold floor.

”Why is His Majesty here? Did you come to gloat over destroying my life?” Victoria’s eyes burned with fierce, bitter anger as she looked up. ”I gave you the best years of my life and loved you with all I had. And this is how you repay me?”

”I made my feelings clear to you last night, did I not?” Nyxen replied. ”You were never meant to be my wife, yet fate allowed you to wear the crown. I respected you and held your position sacred all these years. But you murdered the woman I loved. You could have left her in peace and retained your throne, your status, and my respect. It was your own jealousy that destroyed you, not mine.”

Victoria sneered, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. ”You destroyed everything, Nyxen. Yes, I was jealous of your mistress. But you were the reason for it. Blame yourself, not me. If you wish to hand down a sentence of death, then grant it. I will not beg for mercy.”

Nyxen observed her in cold silence, seeing clearly that not an ounce of remorse remained in her heart. Recognizing that further words were entirely wasted upon her, he turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon, leaving her to the darkness.

As he returned to the palace, he found Ciaran and Sylvian waiting for him in his chamber. Neither of them looked well, their weary expressions bearing the heavy toll of the day’s revelations.

”Father, we have always given you our respect and loved you. We still do,” Ciaran began, rising to his feet alongside Sylvian, though keeping his head low. ”Yet do you not see that whatever befell August’s mother happened because of your actions? Had you not betrayed our mother, she would never have resorted to such a heinous deed.”

”The two of you should leave. I have nothing to explain to you,” Nyxen stated coldly.

”Father, we are not going anywhere until we receive our answers,” Sylvian declared, stepping forward to stand his ground.

”Can the two of you even handle the truth?” Nyxen’s voice rose, cutting sharply through the tense room. ”If I tell you, do not dare complain about what you hear.”

”What truth, Father?” Ciaran asked, his voice strained. ”So much has shattered in such a short span of time. What could one more revelation possibly change now? Nothing can justify your betrayal of our mother. You are the King. If you believe we have crossed the line by standing here, then punish us.”

”I want to be alone. Leave my chamber right away,” Nyxen ordered.

He turned toward the bedchamber doors, but as his fingers brushed the gilded handles, Sylvian spoke up. ”If not today, you will have to answer us tomorrow, Father.”

Nyxen’s hands froze. A heavy silence fell over the room before he slowly turned back to face his sons.

”Then listen carefully to what I am about to say,” Nyxen asserted. ”I never wished to bring this up, but it seems I must make my stance clear to you both. Your mother was never meant to be my wife. Our union was forced upon me by your grandfather. I was already in love with August’s mother long before that wedding took place, but because she was of low birth, I could not bring her to court. Victoria knew this from the very beginning. She swore to grant me a freedom once your grandfather passed away, yet she went back on her word and trapped me in a loveless marriage instead.”

He took a step toward them, his tone sharp with years of resentment. ”Even so, I kept my end of the bargain. I honored her as my Queen for all these years, and I named you, Ciaran, as the Crown Prince. I never stripped away any of your rights or privileges. Yet your mother murdered the woman I loved. Now, go to your respective chambers tonight and weigh for yourselves whether I was right or wrong.”

With that, the King turned on his heel, walked into his bedchamber, and shut the doors firmly behind him.

Both Ciaran and Sylvian stood frozen, shocked by the sudden revelation about their parents’ marriage.

Sylvian glanced at his elder brother, who remained entirely silent, his eyes fixed on the closed doors as if struggling to process the heavy truth.

”So, our mother was never meant to be...” Sylvian trailed off, the words dying in his throat, unable to bring himself to speak them aloud.

”She trapped Father,” Ciaran mumbled softly, the realization settling like lead in his chest. He took a steadying breath before looking at Sylvian. ”We need to see our mother. Let’s go.”

Both princes descended into the dark, damp dungeons where their mother was held.

”Ciaran! Sylvian!” Victoria stood up immediately as the heavy iron gate groaned open. ”You two failed to save me!”

”Mother, you were never meant to be the King’s wife, were you?” Ciaran asked, his tone devoid of warmth.

”What?” Victoria stared at him in utter shock.

”Father told us the truth,” Sylvian stated, standing beside his brother. ”We did not save you because you were in the wrong.”

”I did everything for the two of you!” Victoria hissed, stepping closer to the bars. ”Your father is still madly in love with that woman. Can you not see? Given the chance, he would have placed August on the throne!”

”August was banished, Mother,” Ciaran reminded her coldly. ”Father has never delivered injustice to anyone. August made a mistake and bore the punishment for it. You knew Father’s heart before you ever married him. Who is truly to blame here? It is no longer possible to defend you. We came here only to know one thing: are you apologetic for what you have done?”

”No. Why would I be apologetic?” Victoria chuckled.