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[color=DDB775]Time:[/color] 10am
[color=a187be]Location:[/color] Small drawing room on second floor
[color=DDB775]Mention:[/color] [@Helo] Callum [@Silverpaw] Wulfric[/color]
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But the man sitting in the room now was a shadow of the king in the painting. King Edin Danrose slumped in a grand armchair, his broad shoulders hunched and his once sharp eyes dulled by a fog of intoxication. His golden crown sat crooked on his head, and the royal attire he wore was disheveled. His face, weathered, was flushed red, either from the brandy he clutched in his trembling hand or the mounting weight of secrets. 

He took a long, slow sip of brandy, the glass in his hand shaking slightly. The room, despite its grandeur, felt suffocatingly small to him. His father’s voice rang in his ears, mocking him from the shadows, always demanding more, more, more.

The door creaked open behind him, and Edin barely lifted his head. The faint rustle of fabric and the soft clink of elegant heels announced Queen Alibeth’s arrival. Her long chestnut hair cascaded down her back, topped with a tiara of diamonds. Her enchanting features reflected her cool composure. But beneath her beauty was the unshakable presence of a woman who was never easily fooled. Her sharp, amber eyes locked onto Edin’s figure, her lips pressed into a thin line, betraying the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind. She stepped further into the room, the gentle rustle of her gown the only sound for a moment.

[color=a187be]“Edin,”[/color] she spoke softly, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. [color=a187be]“We need to talk.”[/color]

Edin raised his head slowly, his bleary eyes fixing on her with irritation and weariness. He downed the rest of his brandy, grimacing as it burned its way down his throat. [color=DDB775]“Not now, Alibeth,”[/color] he spat, his voice dripping with impatience. [color=DDB775]“I’m busy waiting for my consorts, and I certainly don’t need you hovering around, nagging like you do. Your place is to keep quiet, not to meddle in men’s affairs.”[/color] His eyes, bloodshot, flicked over to the door as if expecting his “entertainment” to walk through any moment.

Alibeth’s lips twitched in a faint, cold smile. [color=a187be]“How utterly predictable,”[/color] she mused softly, taking a few measured steps closer. [color=a187be]“But as your queen—your wife—I’d say this matter takes precedence over your usual indulgences.”[/color]

Edin’s irritation flared. [color=DDB775]“You women always think you can fix everything with your little schemes. But you don’t understand what’s going on—Wulfric is handling things. Everything is under control.”[/color] He struggled to stand, eager to get away, [color=DDB775]“You wouldn’t understand these matters, Alibeth."[/color]

[color=a187be]“Is that what you tell yourself?”[/color] Alibeth asked coolly, her eyes narrowing slightly. [color=a187be]“That Wulfric will solve everything? Because from where I stand, you’ve abandoned your responsibilities and left the weight of the kingdom entirely on his shoulders.”[/color]

Edin shot her a glare, his jaw tightening. [color=DDB775]“Wulfric is the heir, Alibeth. He has to learn how to handle these matters. It’s his duty. You women would never understand the pressure of ruling—leave it to the men, as it should be.”[/color]

After only a moment, Edin spoke again before Alibeth could,  [color=DDB775]“With that topic in mind, you are to halt your meetings with my sons without my presence. Yes, I know your secret, so don't try to lie!"[/color]

Alibeth’s eyes darkened, [color=a187be]“Speaking of secrets, Wulfric has told me quite a bit about your conversation yesterday,”[/color] she began, [color=a187be]“He told me how you advised him to stay away from Marek Delronzo. How Marek and his Black Rose are behind forced fighting rings, drug trafficking, abductions, enslavement—all of it.”[/color] Her voice dropped to a dangerously soft tone. [color=a187be]“He said you find Marek… [i]useful[/i], helpful even.”[/color]

Edin froze in place, his face hardening, though a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. [color=DDB775]“It’s not that simple,”[/color] he muttered, looking away. [color=DDB775]“Marek… he has his uses. Keeping him on our side is smarter than making an enemy of him. These are the types of decisions you wouldn’t be able to comprehend.”[/color]

Alibeth’s lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. [color=a187be]“Is that what you believe? That by allying with criminals, by letting your kingdom be tainted by the filth of men like Marek, you’re protecting us?”[/color] Her voice cut through the room like a blade. [color=a187be]“Wulfric was right to laugh at the absurdity of it. You’ve sunk so low, Edin, that you’ve convinced yourself that a man who runs forced fights and drug rings is an asset to the crown.”[/color]

Edin’s face flushed with anger, but he faltered. [color=DDB775]“You wouldn’t understand. Marek is more dangerous than you realize. If we cut ties, he’ll turn against us.”[/color] He glanced toward the door, his paranoia bubbling up.

Alibeth stepped even closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. [color=a187be]“And whose fault is that, Edin? Who let this monster into our midst? Who gave him the power to blackmail you, to turn you into his puppet?”[/color] She tilted her head, her gaze piercing. [color=a187be]“This is all your doing. You’ve let yourself become weak, and now you’ve dragged the rest of us down with you.”[/color]

Edin turned away from her, his fingers gripping the back of his chair tightly. [color=DDB775]“You wouldn’t understand the sacrifices I’ve made to keep this kingdom safe. [i]A woman like you[/i] wouldn’t know what it means to carry the weight of a crown.”[/color]

Alibeth let out a low, bitter laugh, her amber eyes gleaming with barely contained contempt. [color=a187be]“Sacrifices? Don’t make me laugh. You’ve sacrificed nothing but your dignity. All you've done is clutch at power while others clean up after you.”[/color] She crossed her arms, her tone growing colder. [color=a187be]“Marek has you in his grasp because you were too arrogant, too foolish to see the danger until it was too late.”[/color]

Edin stiffened, his voice dropping to a growl. [color=DDB775]“It’s not too late.”[/color]

Alibeth’s eyes glinted. [color=a187be]“Then prove it.”[/color] Her words were a challenge. [color=a187be]“Let Wulfric and me handle Marek. You’ve made a mess of this, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the Danrose name.”[/color]

She paused, her voice growing colder, [color=a187be]“And speaking of messes, what happened to Alden? [i]Your trusted advisor?[/i] He’s missing and there was blood in his chamber. Did Marek have something to do with that too?”[/color]

Edin flinched, his eyes narrowing as he waved a dismissive hand, trying to brush off the subject. [color=DDB775]“Alden was a fool. He’s gone, and that’s all there is to it. You don’t need to know more. Leave it.”[/color]

But Alibeth wasn’t easily deterred. [color=a187be]“Gone? You expect me to believe that’s all? No, Edin, there’s more to this.”[/color] She knelt down and met him eye to eye.

For a long moment, Edin remained silent, his face pale and drawn. Finally, he muttered, [color=DDB775]“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”[/color]  Even through his severe intoxication, Edin was confused. He had always believed Alibeth to be predictable—soft, malleable, even if at times annoyingly sharp in her own way. But this…this was different. His eyes darted toward her, narrowing, suspicion rising in his mind.

[color=DDB775]“Why are you acting like this, Alibeth?”[/color] he demanded, his tone sharper now. [color=DDB775]“Usually, you stand there, all sweet words and sympathy, telling me how things will be alright. But today…”[/color] He shook his head, trying to make sense of the cold, calculating energy radiating from his queen. [color=DDB775]“You’re different. [b]What is this?[/b]”[/color]

Alibeth’s sharp gaze softened, but only slightly, like a mother masking her disappointment with a thin veil of understanding.[color=a187be]“Why, Edin, because I see you slipping,”[/color] she murmured softly as she brushed some damp hair from his forehead, her tone laced with something far deeper than the usual warmth she used to soothe him. [color=a187be]“I’ve spent years at your side, watching, supporting, and cleaning up behind the scenes while you indulged yourself with your pleasures, your consorts, your power.”[/color] Her voice dropped to an almost predatory softness. [color=a187be]“But now, [i]you are faltering[/i].”[/color]

The silence stretched between them, the tension in the room thick enough to cut. Edin’s gaze flickered, his grip tightening around the glass he still held. He looked away, trying to maintain the facade of indifference, but Alibeth could see the cracks. [color=a187be]“I won’t let you endanger my children. That man's already hurt Anastasia and Callum once...”[/color] Alibeth’s voice cut through the thick silence.  [color=a187be]“I won’t let you endanger Wulfric by leaving him in the clutches of that vile man and having to clean your mess.”[/color]

[color=DDB775]“...You think you know what’s going on? You don't. [i]So shut your mouth, Alibeth![/i] "[/color] Edin looked upon his wife with rage, [i][b][color=DDB775]"...Before I shut it for good.”[/color][/b][/i]

Her gaze didn’t waver. [color=a187be]“I know more than you think, Edin. Wulfric told me enough and I've suspected enough for some time.”[/color] She leaned in slightly, her eyes burning into his. [color=a187be]“But I want to hear it from you. What does this Marek have on you? [i]On us?[/i]”[/color]

For a moment, Edin said nothing, his eyes darkening.[color=DDB775]“...Things you can’t understand. Things you don’t need to know.”[/color] He waved his hand dismissively again, trying to push the topic away.

But Alibeth didn’t relent.  [color=a187be]“You owe it to Wulfric, to Auguste, to Callum and Anastasia... You owe it to this kingdom to tell me.”[/color]

Edin’s hand twitched, and for a brief moment. There was something in his eyes—fear, shame, something deeper. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. He straightened up fully out of the seat and stood before her, his face hardening once more. [color=DDB775]“We're done here Alibeth... As the [b]King[/b], I command you to leave."[/color]

Alibeth’s smile returned, soft but her voice a deadly calm. [color=a187be]“Of course, Edin. You are [i]the King,[/i]”[/color] she said smoothly, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of his sleeve. 

For a moment, Edin was silent, staring at her as if he didn’t recognize the woman standing before him. 

She turned gracefully, beginning to leave the room. She paused to linger in the doorway with a narrowed, firey gaze, as she reminded him coolly. [color=a187be]“But even kings fall.”[/color]

The words hung in the air like a guillotine, poised to strike. Edin's lips parted—How dare she—but the words died on his lips.. His fury choked in his throat as the door opened fully, revealing a crowd of beautiful, laughing women waiting to attend to him, their giggles jarringly out of place in the tension-filled room.

Alibeth offered one final glance before she disappeared into the corridor, leaving Edin surrounded by the hollow echoes of their laughter. [color=a187be][i]Certainly won't be the last time you get fucked, you imbecile.[/i][/color][/color]