Liam knew something was going on with Beth, he just needed to find out what and if it would help him or expose his plan. He needed to get to the bottom of it, ensure that his plan worked, that he would be able to get rid of her. He needed her to leave the court, he’d thought the harsh treatments, glares and cruel words would have been enough to break her, send her home. He thought on more than one occasion that she would rid the world of her, rid his life of the stain that was her, but he had never been lucky enough to see her gone.
Her ‘relationship’ was becoming more and more problematic as the days passed. It seemed every spare moment Bastien had he spent it with Beth. Liam started seething, he had kept her around for one thing, something she now refused him and yet she was giving it to someone common like the head of the royal guard. How could she have ever thought she was worthy of him, his love, the title, if she couldn’t see that settling with a common guard was beneath anyone who wished to be queen? He chuckled at the absurdity that anyone thought she would have been a good queen. He was desperate to separate her from her common boyfriend, and to rid her from his life once and for all. He just had to bide his time, plant the seeds of doubt.
The thought of telling Liam about the baby terrified Beth more than anything, his hardened looks of hatred were enough to send her into a pit of despair. She didn’t know who was the father and with the way Liam was treating her lately how would he react? She tried to connect with the baby, but all she felt was a fear in the pit of her stomach that she would be forever reminded of that night. She tried to believe Bastien’s words, that the baby was hers and only hers and therefore worthy of love. She couldn’t shake the feeling, the fear that she’d be staring back at Tariq’s features, a permanent reminder of how he’d destroyed her, of the life he took from her.
Bastien had been spending more time with Beth, staying in her cabin at night at her insistence, merely holding her. Night after night he would hold her as she cried, trying to come to terms with what had become of her life. He just held her, stroked her hair, or rubbed her back as he whispered soothing, calming words in her ear. He knew she was struggling to make a connection with the life she was carrying, he wished there was someway he could help.
The tears came more frequently, harder as she realized she needed to come clean with Liam, soon. She needed to talk to him before she started showing, and he knew this filled her with dread. He wished he could take away all of her pain, make everything better, he couldn’t stand to see her in such pain. He had meant it when he said he’d be by her side when she told Liam if she wanted. He was more than willing to give her and this child the best life he could offer, all she had to do was ask.
Beth found something in Bastien that she needed now more than ever, comfort, safety, someone she could trust, could rely on. It scared her how much she needed him as of late, how she’d beg him to just hold her all night. He had been worried about how it would look, him staying the night, Beth assured him that she no longer cared; they would whisper what they wanted no matter what, she just needed to feel safe.
Bastien would have be lying if he had said he wasn’t happy to be the one who made Beth feel safe and secure. He wanted to be there for her in any way that she could want or need, but he could be patient. He didn’t want to ever make her feel she had no say in her life, enough choices had been taken away from her already. He would not add to her pain, not when all he wanted was to bring her joy.
The king had started treating him with the same cold indifference he had been showing Beth. Bastien started to worry, to question what was going on with his king that would make him treat him in such a manner. He had already been concerned when Liam had started treating Beth in such a manner, she was the woman whom he had wished to marry, wasn’t she? How could he treat the woman he loved with such cold indifference?
Bastien started to worry about Liam’s reaction when Beth told him about the baby. He worried that Liam would assume it was Tariq’s and treat her even worse than he already was. What was going on with his king? This was not the boy he had watched grow up, this was not the man he had watched learn the ways of courtly politics and running a country with such regality, strength and grace. This man was cold and hard, someone he did not recognize, he wondered what could have caused him to change into this man with a cold hard exterior. Liam had believed Bastien when he told him the truth behind the photographs, that Tariq had forced himself on her, hadn’t he?
It felt wrong, like a betrayal, but he needed to find out what was going on with the king, his employer. He needed to know why he was treating Beth with such cold indifference. He needed to know what had earned him the same treatment from the man he had watched grow up. He needed to know what had changed, what was going on, he needed to protect Beth. Protect Beth, that realization stunned him, why did he think he needed to protect Beth from the man who loved her, wanted to marry her? His heart ached every time Bastien thought about what clearing her name and finding the monster behind the attack would mean for Beth, for them. But there wasn’t a them, not really, though he wanted it more than anything, but she was the king’s, Liam’s. He had no right thinking of he like that, longing to feel her smooth pale skin against his own darker complexion. He wanted nothing more than to explore her body, learn what made her moan, how to make her cum harder than she eve had before. Beth wasn’t his, she never was, never would be, never could be. His thoughts and fantasies were something he’d have to push away, down, never to think about again, he couldn’t allow himself to go there if he was going to find the truth, keep her safe. He would do anything for her, anything to keep her from being hurt ever again. He couldn’t believe he was even thinking that he had to check into him, the one person it wasn’t, couldn’t be, it wasn’t him, right?
***
One night as he held her, her crying having finally settled, his resolve broke to speak to her about the one thing he wished more than anything he didn’t have to, “Beth, you need to tell him.” Bastien said carefully, not wanting to upset her.
“I know Bas, it’s just—what if—what if he just starts treating me worse? What if he believes it’s Tariq’s when it could be his? What if he tells me I have to get rid of it, if I want to be his? I can’t do that Bas, I may not want this, fear they’ll be a permanent reminder of what Tariq did, but I just couldn’t ever end it. It’s not the baby’s fault what happened, they didn’t have a choice in who their father was. I couldn’t end it, not even if that was the only way to keep Liam. I’d rather lose him than hurt this baby.” She replied, silent tears streaming down her face, her hand moving to rest on her stomach.
Bastien tightened his hold on her small frame, he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces at her confession, her fears and feelings, her strength. She didn’t see it, but he did, she was the strongest woman he met, being able to deal with the hatred and gossip of the court, her instinct to protect a child she didn’t feel an immediate connection to.
“Beth, you don’t need to talk to him alone, I told you that before, I still mean it.” He said softly as he smoothed back her raven hair.
She looked up at him with a tear stained face, “I can’t ask that of you Bas.” She replied.
“You’re not asking, I’m offering.” He responded, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.
“Bas—” Beth protested.
“No Beth, you need the support, I’m not letting you go alone, not when—” Bastien said cutting her off, only to trail off himself.
“Not when we don’t know how he’ll react since he’s been so cold and distant.” Beth finished for him, tears welling up in her eyes once more.
She couldn’t decide which would be worse, the father being a monster who took what he wanted by force or a man who she thought loved her but pushed her away so easily. Either way her child was hers, and she was trying to love it, she refused to give up on it just because their father wasn’t a man worth emulating. But Liam needed to know, there was a possibility she was carrying his heir, but he was treating her so coldly would it even matter?
Beth fought back a sob as she laid her head on Bastien’s chest. He gently rubbed her back to calm her, like he did every night since she told him she was pregnant and he told her he loves her. She felt so lost and conflicted, she felt so safe and cared for with him, but she was so scared to let anyone else in. She didn’t think he’d ever hurt her, not with how gentle and careful he was with her, but she thought Liam had loved her that she would be his queen, that he wanted to find out the bastard behind the pictures and clear her name so they could be together and yet, he was pushing her away. Bastien was ready and willing to be there for her with everything, she just had to let him. She would take it one step at a time, starting with him going with her to tell Liam, tomorrow.
