The Debt Of Fate-Chapter 278: Drunk

As the evening deepened, the royal celebration came to an end.

"Remember to be careful. Serve the king well. Your first goal should be to get pregnant for the king," Duchess Anita reminded her daughter as she prepared to leave.

She believed that the reason Princess Karen was so well protected was because she carried a royal heir. After all, the king shared a good relationship with his brother.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, then allowed the maids to lead her to the royal chamber to await the king.

The scent of jasmine and rosewater hung thick in the air. Queen Elizabeth’s maids helped her change into a silken nightgown of pale gold, and her hair was unbound, tumbling in soft curls over her shoulders. The chamber had been prepared to perfection—candles glimmered in crystal holders, and a fire burned low in the hearth.

Elizabeth could hear her own heartbeat pounding like a drum. She anticipated the night with the king—something Anastasia had failed to enjoy in all her years of marriage to him. As she waited, her nerves began to twist with panic at the thought that the king might not come. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

But then the doors opened, and King Edward entered. His robe was dark, his expression unreadable. He paused at the threshold for a moment, his eyes sweeping over her and the lavishly adorned room before settling on her face.

"Your Majesty," Elizabeth said softly, rising to greet him. Her tone was carefully sweet, yet her smile betrayed a trace of smug satisfaction.

Edward did not return it. "Sit down," he said quietly.

Startled, Elizabeth obeyed, her smile faltering. The king walked closer, his footsteps slow and deliberate.

"You embarrassed me today," he began, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through the silence. "I warned you to watch your tongue before the court, yet you mocked your sister and provoked a princess before nobles from three kingdoms."

Elizabeth lowered her gaze, the sting of his words pricking at her pride. "I only spoke the truth, Your Majesty. She is no longer my sister, and Princess Karen had no right—"

"The truth? What truth?" Edward interrupted sharply. "Do you take me for a fool? You deliberately wanted to humiliate your sister. I do not care what petty tricks you used to play before, but you carry the crown now, Elizabeth. Every word you utter weighs more than gold or steel. You will learn that restraint."

Elizabeth clenched her hands in her lap. "I was only defending myself."

"Then learn to do so with grace," he said coldly. "A queen does not defend herself with petty words. She commands respect through silence and wisdom."

He turned away, removing the heavy chain from his neck and setting it upon the table. "You have already drawn attention to the matter I wished forgotten. If rumors spread again because of your ignorance, I will not protect you from their sting."

Her breath hitched. She wondered why the king could not see that she was the victim here. But remembering her mother’s words, she realized she could not argue with him on their wedding night.

"Your Majesty..." she began, rising from her seat, but he did not turn back.

"I do not wish to speak further tonight," Edward said, his tone final. "Rest."

She froze, watching as he walked to the door instead of the bed. The candles flickered against the tension that filled the room.

"You are not staying?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He paused by the door, his profile lit by the fire’s glow. "Not tonight."

Then he left, the door closing behind him with a heavy thud that echoed in the silence that followed.

Elizabeth sank onto the edge of the bed, her pride burning beneath her humiliation. The night that was meant to mark the beginning of her reign as queen had instead left her cold and alone. In anger, she swept the ornaments from the dressing table, the clatter echoing through the chamber.

---

Meanwhile, in another wing of the palace, Edward strode through the dim corridors, his guards following at a distance. He entered his private study, where two of his most trusted men awaited him. They bowed deeply as he entered.

"Your Majesty," one of them said, stepping forward. "A message has arrived—from the spies you placed in General Ernest’s mansion."

Edward’s gaze hardened. "Speak."

"Your Majesty, there is nothing of great importance to report. Only..." The man hesitated, looking uneasy.

"Speak," King Edward commanded, irritation flickering in his tone.

"Her Majesty, the queen, went to visit Lady Anastasia the day after her wedding to the general. It was revealed that the queen mother’s plan failed because someone intervened," he said.

Edward frowned. He had always found the circumstances suspicious. The woman who should have been on that bed that day was Anastasia. Now, hearing those words, he cursed himself for not investigating further.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

The steward handed him the letter that had arrived. Inside, the king read the details of Elizabeth’s visit and General Ernest’s decision to help cover the scandal so as not to disturb the fragile peace in the kingdom.

"Send a message to the queen mother," Edward said after a long pause. "This must be properly investigated." He added coldly, "Do it quietly. Now that Elizabeth wears the crown, anything that touches her could touch the palace as well."

---

Elsewhere, in a small inn far from the palace, a drunken man shouted over the laughter of the crowd.

"Let me tell you a secret, my dear friends! Once, I almost lay with the former queen!" he boasted.

The hall burst into laughter. No one believed him. After all, he was drunk, poor, and spent most nights drinking in that very spot.

"Come on, tell a believable story!" someone mocked. "You’re always here, drunk and broke. Why would the former queen even look at you?"

"What do you know?" the man retorted, slamming his cup on the table. "Someone paid me to meet her. I’m quite handsome myself!"

More laughter followed.

"If you’re so handsome, tell us how you missed the former queen!" another jeered.

"I’m not telling! I promised not to tell anyone," the man said stubbornly, then drained another cup.

After a few more drinks, his tongue loosened. "Never mind—I’ll tell you..." he began.

The crowd laughed but leaned closer.

"That day, I got drunk and entered the wrong carriage," he said proudly, sending the room into another round of laughter.

The man didn’t care. He only grinned and continued to drink. In a quiet Conner of the hall two men meeting secretly heard those words, unlike other they did not think the man was drunk and talking nonsense.