King Henry

Chapter 32 - Betraying an Old Friend

In one swift motion Duke Montelbane drew the dagger out and lunged forward, plunging it straight into the center of Lord Viscount's chest.

His eyes widened in shock as he looked down at the knife buried in his chest and back up at the Duke.

"I'm so sorry old friend. You didn't leave me much choice," he said softly.

The Viscount coughed and blood splurted out and ran down the side of his mouth before his legs gave out and he dropped, falling to his knees before collapsing face first onto the floor with a pool of blood forming around him. His eyes became unfocused as the life inside him slipped away and his mouth fell open.

The Duke stood there stunned, with his hands trembling and his heart racing, feeling like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He looked down at his hand that still held the bloody knife and he felt like he was going to be sick. His grip on it loosened and it dropped to the floor with a clang as he stepped backwards in disbelief.

He felt like a monster, but Lord Viscount had left him with no choice. If he had let him live, he would have told Henry about their plan to have Eleanor killed and then he and the dowager Queen would have been hung or had their heads cut off in a guillotine.

He had to tell the Queen immediately so they could stop the wedding. He'd have to clean up the blood and hide the body later because there was no time to waste. He rushed out of his room and ran down the hall towards the Dowager Queen's private chambers, bumping into people as he went, shoving them to the side. Nothing mattered but stopping that wedding.

**** A Few Minutes Later ****

The Duke knocked three times and when the Dowager Queen finally opened the door he rushed inside and locked it behind him with a trembling hand.

"I'm sorry to rush in but it's an emergency your highness," he panted, out of breath from running all the way there.

"What is it? Tell me," she ordered impatiently.

"Henry arranged the meeting with the Privy Council to ask for their blessing to marry Eleanor," he said breathlessly. "Apparently the Royal lawbook states that the King can marry a commoner and she can be Queen and their children can rule if they get the council's blessing first."

The Queen's face suddenly turned pale and she looked like she had seen a ghost. "I had hoped Henry would never find out about that," she said, letting out an exhale and shaking her head.

"You knew?" he asked with scrunched brows, feeling shocked.

"Of course I knew. Haven't you figured out yet that I know everything that goes on around here," she scoffed. "I kept it from Henry on purpose so he wouldn't be tempted to marry someone like Eleanor. We don't have to worry though. There's no way the Privy council would ever approve of him marrying her. He couldn't have found a more unsuitable woman if he tried."

The Duke shook his head. "I would have thought so too your highness, but the Council did approve their marriage," he said, watching her eyes widen in horror. "Lord Viscount said they rushed off right after the meeting and they could be getting married as we speak. We have to stop them."

Without hesitation the prior Queen walked over and flung open her door yelling, "GUARDS!" so loud that it echoed through the hallways.

A few knights came running in immediately in their clanging armor.

"Yes your highness. How can we serve you?" one of them asked.

"King Henry is under the spell of a very powerful witch. She's trying to force him into a marriage that would ruin him and bring this country down with him. I want you to find them and stop their wedding! Do you understand me?"