Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 222: Monster (3)

"I don’t want my father to die. I never asked you to kill him. You must spare him," Freya demanded.

"I don’t have a use for your father, but I am not the one planning to kill him. Your brother is the one who needs him out of the way, and considering your father abandoned you, I thought you would come to your senses. Do not be dramatic," Sebastian said, making himself comfortable on the bed.

"Dramatic? You think being concerned about my father would be dramatic? Yes, my father turned his back on me," Freya admitted to what Lilith knew. "But I still care for him. He raised me the best that he could, and spoiled me. He cannot be punished for my actions."

"My father has been loyal to your father for as long as I have been alive. This is how you intend to repay him? By pushing away our family when you finally get what you want?" Freya asked, once again seeing Sebastian as a monster.

"Weren’t you listening, Freya? He is not pushing away the Valthorns. He simply sees more use in having the support of your brother than your father. You must listen to understand instead of to argue. The prince cannot always explain his plans. You must use your head," said Lilith.

Lilith faced Sebastian and said, "This is why you must leave Freya’s training to me. I will turn her into a fine lady by the time you are crowned king. She shall be obedient."

"Do as you wish," Sebastian allowed Lilith. "Don’t bring your troubles to me if it doesn’t go well. I shall go see if your brother’s letter is on the way."

Freya moved to Sebastian’s side as he stood up from her bed, but Lilith came to stand between them. "You must stop my brother from harming my father. Bella and I have already lost our mother. We won’t be able to bear the loss of our father."

"I am about to lose my father, and it doesn’t hurt. You will get through it by enjoying the life granted to you by the palace. This is what you wanted," Sebastian reminded Freya.

"No, it isn’t. I wanted to be queen!" Freya exclaimed.

Freya didn’t sign up to be a mistress or have her father killed.

Had Freya known this was what awaited her, she would have set her sights away from Sebastian and rejected the proposal to wed his brother. She would have returned home with her family, where her word was law, and she could do as she wanted.

Sebastian walked to the door, leaving Lilith to take care of Freya. "Lilith, I want her to be obedient. Do what you must, but don’t hurt her face. I should keep her face pretty so Nigel doesn’t get upset."

Lilith watched as Sebastian left the chamber, and her ladies entered after him.

"You intentionally entered the bed of the man who is helping to kill your father. I don’t know how you’ll sleep at night knowing you have allowed such a man to touch your body. I would be disgusted and want to kill myself. The window is right there," Lilith said and pointed.

Lilith inspected Freya as she circled her. "Such an unfortunate end for a pretty woman. I could be thinking of you as my sister if you had stayed engaged to his brother. Then again, he intends to kill his bastard siblings, so you would have ended up a widow."

"Leave me alone before I hit you," Freya warned Lilith.

Lilith tilted her face and tapped her cheek with her finger, showing Freya where to hit her. "Go and do it. I have been waiting for it. You don’t realise why Sebastian and I get along so well. Why has he already shared his plans to kill the king and your father with me?"

Lilith stepped toward Freya and held her hand so Freya could not get away. "I can be just as cruel as he is, if not worse. I don’t like ambitious, foolish women like you who get in my way. I suggest you listen unless you want to know what it feels like to be beaten."

"Now," Lilith released Freya and clapped her hands. "Let the lessons begin. Ladies, gather around Freya."

Freya backed away from Lilith, not wanting to be alone with Lilith anymore. She wanted to speak to Sebastian again about her father. She couldn’t lose her father.

"Oh, dear. She’s crying!" Lilith exclaimed, her voice lacking warmth. "Come see."

Freya wiped her eyes, not wanting to look weak before Lilith and her peers, but the tears would not stop. She desperately wanted to leave and go back to her father, but she was stuck hearing Lilith’s laughter.

The palace life continued to be hell for Freya.

***

Hours later in the Hastings’ Castle, Alistair arrived for his meeting with Lord Hastings. It was an unexpected invitation, but he welcomed it.

Alistair tied his coat as he walked behind a maid.

It had been years since Alistair was welcomed to the castle.

Victoria had turned Dante against him, but just as Alistair said years ago, Dante would eventually come crawling back.

’It’s too late,’ Alistair thought.

Alistair already picked his side. He stood with the Valthorns and the palace, but he came to the Hastings’ castle in search of news to send back to his allies.

What was the big secret the king believed was hidden here?

Alistair grinned as he thought of asking Joel to let him have the castle instead of leaving it vacant when all the Hastings were dead.

"One moment," the maid said to Alistair.

Alistair ignored the maid and continued looking around the castle, making a map in his mind.

"You may enter. They await you."

Alistair frowned, puzzled by what the maid meant by ’they’. Alistair was only coming to see Dante.

Still, Alistair entered the drawing room. He got his answer when he found Ophelia and Victoria sitting alone with Dante nowhere in sight.

"Lady Hastings, it seems that I was escorted to the wrong room. I was to be escorted to speak with your husband. The servants never get it right. Victoria," Alistair greeted his niece.

"You were placed where you belong. My husband will be joining us shortly, but before that happens, I wanted to speak to you. I never got a proper chance to speak to you in the capital. Please, sit," Ophelia said, pointing to Alistair’s chair.

Alistair didn’t want to speak to either lady, but he decided to hear them out. He guessed Victoria had convinced Ophelia to speak about the mansion. "This is a surprise, but I do want to speak to you as well."

"Oh, what about? Is it about your plans to kidnap me?" Ophelia inquired.