Chapter 561 : ERIK’S LOSS
Uther stormed out of the throne room
An irritated Erik followed him out of the room.
He considered speaking to Xaden about Uther.
But he didn’t have any proof.
Xaden might know something was off about Uther, but not enough to suspect him in anything serious.
After all, Erik reporting to Xaden because Uther was caught in a chair?
Sounded like a petty crime.
He watched as Uther marched off and then from nowhere Fiona emerged and crashed right into Uther.
“Oooof!”
She fell to the ground alongside Uther.
“Watch the fuck where you’re going. Whore!” Uther said disrespectfully as he angrily got up to his feet.
“Rude much?” An annoyed Fiona responded back.
But Uther was already up on his feet and marching off.
Erik was by her side in a split second.
“Are you okay?” He asked her as he offered a hand.
She ignored him and tried to get up on her own but failed.
She tried again and still failed.
She looked at him to see his offered hand still looking at her.
For a second seemed hesitant.
Eventually she gave in.
He helped her rise up from the floor.
“What’s his problem?” She asked .
“Things aren’t really going his way so he is throwing a tantrum.” Erik replied.
Fiona snorted in disgust and then looked at the floor.
“Goddess! Look what the bastard did!” She scowled.
Scattered on the floor were petals of white lilies Erik was just noticing for the first time.
“Next time I’ll claw your eyes out!” Fiona shouted at Uther but he was already gone.
She hissed and bent down to the floor to pick up pieces of the flower petals.
“Someone got you flowers?” Erik asked unable to hide the jealousy that grew within him.
“No.” Fiona mumbled in annoyance. “I got them for-
And then she flashed her eyes up at him. “And how is any of that your business?”
He gave a slight shrug. “I was just asking.”
She gave him a glare and then continued picking up the stems of the flower.
“It doesn’t concern you.” She said. “But it’s for Jasmine’s daughter’s grave. Now I have to get a new set.”
He felt a twist in his gut.
Guilt.
He still didn’t know where the grave was.
“I see.” He nodded. “I could help you get some new ones if you need any-
“I don’t need your help.” Fiona shot back. “Never needed it.”
Erik could tell she was still angry with him.
Whether it was about how he had hidden the fact that Anna was his mate or that he had played a devil’s advocate in Jasmine’s arrest.
Or perhaps it was both.
He had no idea.
He nodded. “I understand.”
She started to walk away and then stopped.
“You know what?” And then she returned back to where he stood. “You don’t understand. You don’t understand anything.”
“This changes nothing. After all the terrible things you’ve done.” She began as she pointed an accusatory dead flower at him.
“I know you’re unhappy about everything that happened with Anna. I’m going to reject her.” He started to explain but she cut him off right there.
“Reject her? You think this is just because Anna was your mate?” She demanded. “It’s everything Erik. It’s everything! It’s because you hid it from me. I loved you and yet you kept something as important as this from me .”
“She threatened me.” Erik explained. “She said if I did go along with it, she was going to tell Xaden we were having an affair.”
Fiona was quiet.
“I did it to protect Jasmine. He is crazy about Jasmine. He doesn’t like to admit it, but he is. A rumor about Jasmine and I, he would have been filled with doubts.” He continued and shook his head.
The worst part was that he knew why exactly Xaden wasn’t going to really believe him.
The madness was slowly creeping into him.
And it seemed Jasmine was a main trigger for him.
So he preferred to avoid infuriating him.
“Anna is the devil and I want nothing to do with her.”
“Well we all know Anna is the devil. We also know that she had a hand in Jasmine being set up. We know how much of a monster she is. We all do!” Fiona yelled at him.
Then she took in a deep breath and was quiet for a few seconds before she gently spoke again.
“The problem here is you didn’t tell me. You didn’t think to tell me. And I had to find out in the worst way ever. I had to watch her gloat about it. Have you ever considered how that makes me feel? Considering that I loved you and the goddess still gave you a monster like Anna to be your mate?”
“Fiona I…..” he started to speak.
But he wasn’t sure of what to say.
So many things he wished he could go back to fix.
So many.
“We can still fix it. I’m sorry.” He apologized. “I’ll never hide anything from you again. I swear it.”
He reached out to touch her, but she moved away.
“You love.” He reaffirmed.
“I loved you.” Fiona said.
Those words burned him.
What did she mean…. Loved?
“Fiona…”
“I did love you Erik.” Tears were in her eyes and she choked on her words.
He felt his heart grow heavy.
“I truly did. But not anymore.” She wiped her tears.
“Fiona please I’m begging you.” He said going on his knees and holding her hands. “You’re the only one I want. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted since I lost my wife. Please don’t do this.”
Fiona was now crying.
She took in another deep breath. “I didn’t do anything Erik. You did.”
And then she pulled her hand free of his grasp and walked around him.
“Fiona!”
But she was already walking away.
She didn’t look back and he knew that she was gone and never coming back.