Netori SSS-Emperor: All Queens Shall Be Mine!-Chapter 71: An Upset Mother And A Widow

Locking her son inside his room with a holy spell, Astoria struggled to get out as her heart now weighed a ton. Watching him squirm in the burning shackles of light, she felt a sense of shame and guilt befall her. It was her fault things have to this, she thought. And to a certain degree, she was right. Unlike Wolf, who was self-sufficient, William was and always had been a difficult child. Had she, perhaps, given him more attention, more love, instead of focusing so much on their military expansion, things could've been different, but they weren't right now.

Locking herself in her room as well, she cried herself to sleep, and even after waking up in the middle of the night, her crying continued–that is, until Wolf decided to show up. Sitting by her on the bed, he wrapped his hands around her body. Holding her blanketed in his warmth, the king pressed her head against his heart and to the sound of his heartbeat, the queen eventually calmed.

"I'm sorry, I just–"

"I get it, he's your son and my brother. I get it..." Cutting into her apology, Wolf finally let go of her. Looking into her eyes, he nodded lightly and whispered. "As the king, I'll allow you to set his punishment as you see fit. And for now, that magic prison seems appropriate."

His assurance felt like a soothing balm, and giving into it, Astoria wrapped her hands around him yet again. Holding him tight in bed, she cried some more until she could no longer do so. Growing too tired to even hold her eyes open, she fell asleep in Wolf's arms, and Wolf followed her into sleep not long after.

A difficult day was over, but come morning, things were bound to get more tense. For how long could they keep William trapped before someone demanded a verdict? Neither of them knew, but obviously, he couldn't be kept locked up forever. Then came another worry of the queen's heart. Her secret for adopting Wolf, she was holding it tight–tighter than anything else as the weight of their kingdom and more, was resting on that choice.

However, it wasn't just the two who'd been affected by the ordeal. As Robert's wife, who'd been barred from seeing her husband one last time, was out in the streets and gathered support in a pseudo rebellion against the monarchy. Backed by the bay masters and the high society, she was provided a stage in the middle of the bazaar street. And even there, she wasn't alone, as the servants of the same oligarchs supporting her were trying to amp the crowd just as much as her.

"THESE MONSTERS TOOK MY HUSBAND FROM ME!" Unaware that she was being used as a political pawn, the curly-haired brunette screamed at the crowd. The women listened to her pleas in horror and so did the children, but the men–their eyes were solely focused on her breasts swaying in her lecherous red gown. "THAT MONSTER TOOK MY HUSBAND, THAT DAMNED KING!"

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Fed lies about the king framing William as the culprit, she believed every word for it, for an answer from the oligarchs was more than what she'd received from the royalty.

"DO WE REALLY NEED A MONSTER LIKE HIM RULING OVER US!?" Looking around frantically, her hefty jewellery jingling with her every moment, she drew the horrors of the women and the children, and for the men, a show of her breasts swaying side to side.

Her gown cut through the cleavage down until her belly button showed all that she had to show, even the golden piercing pierced to her stomach. Knowing full well that she could garner the support of the woman with fear and that of the men with her beauty, Layla continued to rile them up with both speech and body.

A widow in dire need of justice, of course, the men would flock to her. Aiming for that result even when her speech was over, she advised everyone to come to her tent so she could talk to them further about what had happened or for them to list their complaints about the monarchy as well. The tent itself was hosted by the oligarchs, and although Layla knew they were being suspiciously generous, she did believe the lies that William would never kill his own master.

Having no clue about their turbulent relationship behind closed doors, even Robert's wife thought that the two must've gotten along quite well. But that assumption couldn't have been any further from the truth.

'I'm gonna destroy you, just you wait, you monsters!' Her teeth gritted shut as she sat on a table from where she would talk to everyone else. Layla wanted to scream some more, even hurl insults at the scribe sitting next to her.

"You better write every complaint with a bloody feather on that parchment. I want those monsters blamed for everything these idiots have to say..." Growling at the woman through gritted teeth, she threatened her even though there was no need. Already on the team of the oligarchs, the scribe was fully intent on over-selling the struggles of the people as they revealed them to her.

Glancing around at the other servant of coin, Layla honed in on the curtain behind which she'd kept the burnt remains of her husband. Turning back to one of the servants, she daggers at her before asking.

"You have the rubber gloves stocked under the desk, right?" And to her unusual question, she nodded.

'I can't believe that I'm doing this...' Shaking her head, she turned to the front of the tent. Soon enough, numerous families and groups would be allowed in through those curtains. With a smile, she was meant to greet them, and upon spotting able-bodied men, a trip to her husband's remains was to take place. Swaying her hips in that lecherous dress, she would guide them in and show them exactly what they were meant to see. 'A desperate widow. I still don't believe it, but I have to–otherwise, who will help me get justice?'

Being a woman of little knowledge, Layla did as she was told by the oligarchs. Even if she knew she was being used as a pawn, she probably wouldn't have cared. After all, willing to offer her body to bring her husband's murderer to justice, what limits would such a woman have? None, absolutely nothing and as the night went on and the families arrived, Layla proved just that by breaking countless men with a pair of rubbered hands.