Survive As The Brute’s Wife - Chapter 117

Alexandra was amused by the attitude of the captain as she stood in front of her with his haughty smirk. Right in the hallways where his Emperor resides, he dares to use that tone with her with impunity.

[Ah… poor distant Princess from a defeated country… She would have no support… Isn’t this what these people think? And he has the power of the Dowager to back him and he thinks he has the right to act this way with me…]

All of those things are true and she does have no support except for Maximus here. Even if she suffers grievances here, Deberia is not going to come to her aid. They won’t even send a strongly worded letter in case she died here falling victim to an obvious plot.

Unfortunately for her enemies and fortunately for her, she is not of this world and she doesn’t care about the support from humans. She never had to rely on it.

Alexandra looked at the captain with her best smile. “Then allow my guards to search you lot first!” she pointed at them. “Then you can search my room all you want.”

“Wha-” the captain of the redcoats was stunned by this insolent request.

“What?” Alexandra took a step closer and her personal little paladin stood in front of her with his mighty sword unsheathed. “It is obvious we cannot oppose the orders of the Dowager. But… What if you leave the thing you find? I can’t be too careful in this place…” she shrugged. “Guard, strip them, and search every inch of their body before letting them in…” she turned with her silk skirt fluttering. “I won’t watch the unsightly scene. I’ll wait inside.”

The captain stood frozen for a moment before gaining his composure back murmuring swears under his breath. No one can ask him to strip. Certainly not this foreigner who might be the destroyer of their fine Empire.

With his back straight he cleared his throat. “Step aside! We have the orders of the Dowager Empress! You will let us pass!” he proclaimed waving the scroll and cocked his head at this man to follow him.

“Tell you, good sir,” Alexandra’s lips curved up sarcastically. “Does the Dowager own this place?” she asked. “Forgive my folly, for I was under the impression that this place belonged to the Emperor – my husband!”

“Th-that…” the Captain searched for words to say. “A life has been lost and justice has to be served, Your ladyship!” he cleared his throat. “I pray you would cooperate to  make our jobs easy.”

His tone had lowered to that of a pleading. He was given a task and he should do it or he will lose his head. He would do anything to not part with his head this soon.

“My heart goes for the dead. I never said I am against you searching my room for whatever reason. However, I refuse to be naïve in this place,” Alexandra too spoke in a sincere tone and walked inside.

“Marcus, make sure they are getting checked properly before entering the private bedroom of a woman,” she said as she stepped inside her room.

“It’s Her Royal Highness, The Dowager Empress’ order!” the captain shouted.

He needs to settle the talisman he has inside that woman’s bedroom for his family to be spared.

“And I,” Alexandra raised her voice and the pillars on the hallway vibrated unable to bear the intensity of the shout.

“I am the Brute’s wife!” she stared at the men.

Her fair hair fluttered with the strong gust of wind encircled her as her loud shout passed as a tornado through the halls. One by one the decorative vases kept on the sides of the hallway burst and the fresh flowers all fell on the wet floor.

And thus, with the mighty authority she had over her enemies, and with the trust she had over the love her husband has for her, she loudly proclaimed the truth that was etched in their hearts with the magical stone that united them for everyone in this wretched place to hear.

The men all stood perplexed. Men on both sides couldn’t understand what has happened. They all heard from their peers that their Emperor is fancying this woman with no backing and of no admirable quality.

But why is she fear-inducing contradicting her divine appearance?

As if it was not bothering her and as if it was not her doing, Alexandra with a swift turn, went inside the room and Flavia closed the door behind her.

“The cheek!” Flavia glared at the walls as if her stare would reach them passing through the stone walls.

“I haven’t been here even a day, Flavia,” Alexandra has ost her stern appearance and followed her child-like behavior around Flavia.

“But you, lady,” Flavia chuckled fruitily, “have caused quite a stir in the palace!”

“Ugh!” Alexandra let out an exasperated sigh. “Is this how my life is going to be every single day?” she plopped on a cushioned chair. “But Flavia, who died and how?” she asked.

“I’ll… try and find out soon,” Flavia smiled.

Alexandra nodded. She wondered who killed that woman and why. She wanted to know if the enemies she had gained here with no provocation on her part, are willing to kill a woman just to frame her. She wanted to know how far the people here will go to keep their position.

—–

Maximus looked around and Lord Trifer was having a stiff expression. Julius was already in his crisis management mode and was trying to observe the sentiments of the Ministers around them.

“Am I going to get interrogated?” he asked.

They are standing here surrounding him. He looked around to see the couple of spies of his mother who would usually tail him being not here. Not to mention the ministers seem to be stalling for time. He could sense that something is going wrong.

“That woman didn’t suit the taste of the Great King. What can I say?” he shrugged with an evil smirk ruling his face. “Maybe the next one will. My dear mother spoke of the name of a lady… Send her to me next…” he smirked and tried to walk past the ministers but as if they have al planned, they all kneeled in front of him and blocked his way.

Lord Trifer with his loud wail that mimicked an owl, howled in utter despair. “Your Majesty, please be gracious and allow-”

‘I am the Brute’s Wife!’

A powerful voice overpowered the exaggerated wail and the crocodile tears of the ministers around.

«Alexandra!»

“My-Oh-My!” Maximus placed his hands over his cheek. “Here I thought my ministers wanted my audience to talk about the welfare of the people. But they just wanted to stall me so that they can show the might of their treacherous land to the flower that bloomed in my heart!”

Saying this he let out a chuckle. The hallway they were standing in started to go chilly as Maximus’ countenance changed. Ribbons of right flashes bolted out of Maximus’ dark body and the ministers who were already on their knees started to tremble. They were awestruck for they have never seen his countenance in this form. They wanted to look at him but they kept their head down.

“Tomorrow, the harem should be cleared. Those who stay here willingly or unwillingly will be thrown into the pigsty!” he roared. His face that was flashing white ominously by the flashes around him then ended on Lord Zoros.

“Oh, I hope to heavens that your son is smart enough to not let a man enter my wife’s private boudoir!”

He said and expecting no reply, he snapped his finger, and then he disappeared.

“I told her this wouldn’t work…” Lord Zoros mumbled.

Theodora has gone completely mad and in her extreme desire to hurt the Princss of the foreign land, did an imprudent mistake.

“What should we do, Lord Zoros?” Lord Rutilus asked.

He trusted the Dowager when she said that using the death of Lady Trifer, they can send that rotten apple out of the orchard. But now it is the good apples getting thrown out.

“No one is going to do anything about the Emperor killing his wife?” another minister asked and no one even bothered to look at him. Everyone was sad that their chance of ruling the great nation as the father-in-law of the Brute has gotten thwarted by the hasty decision of the Dowager.

“Sir Julius!” they turned at him. “Stop the Emperor from doing this abhorrent thing,” they pleaded. “They are his woman. They are not the leftover food from yesterday’s dinner. They cannot be thrown out like trash!”

“The Emperor needs to command the loyalittty of the nobles. We cannot support him if we are treated as pests,” another one said.

Julius let out a sigh. It is going to be a long night for him.

—–

Maximus appeared in the hallway in front of Alexandra’s room and was stunned to see half-naked men standing there, stripping further. Marcus was standing at the far end supervising.

The sudden flash of light made everyone turn at Maximus.

The captain of Alexandra’s guards explained the situation to Maximus.

“Now I am curious. What have you found on them till now?” Maximus asked.

His lips curved to a proud smirk as his wife stands undefeated in front of his mother.