Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 125: Ezekiel

Chapter 125: Ezekiel

"Oh my! I heard you saved an entire village from a wicked village head, but I had no idea you returned with something as well!" Mia exclaimed, rushing to meet Belle the moment she heard the news. Now standing before her, she eyed the bundle in Belle’s arms with curiosity.

"It is not as though I did it alone. Quinn and his men bore the greater share of the work," Belle replied, swaying gently as the baby nestled against her.

"Hmm! That may be, but if not for you, none of it would have come to pass. I am so proud of you, Belle," Mia said, offering the praise she knew was well deserved. Watching Belle grow from someone who once struggled to protect herself to one who now shielded others filled her heart with pride. If her mother had lived to see this day, she would have been overjoyed.

"Thank you," Belle murmured, a rosy blush tinting her cheeks as she giggled, her gaze drifting down to the peacefully sleeping child.

"Ah, have you decided how you shall feed him with... you know?" Mia asked, raising her brows in suggestion.

"Oh, yes! As fortune would have it, one of the villagers who arrived but days ago is a nursing mother. She hurried after us before our departure and gifted me some bottles to sustain him for a while. Let us hope he does not eat too much," Belle said, suddenly understanding Mia’s meaning.

Mia sighed in relief. "Good. At least that is one less worry."

"So, what name shall we give him?" She inquired, watching as Belle continued to cradle the child with care.

"Ezekiel. I have long wished to name my son that, but now that I shall never have the chance, I shall give the name to him," Belle said, smiling softly at the baby.

"But what of your child with the king?" Mia asked, her brow furrowing. "Are you no longer to bear the heir to the throne?"

"You know I have no right to that. It is the king’s duty to name his heir," Belle answered, causing Mia to mutter a quiet "Oh." She had quite forgotten that ridiculous tradition that had become a steadfast custom.

"Always seeking attention, are we?" A sudden voice cut through the moment, laced with venom. "Let us see how long you can maintain this pretense of kindness. Foolish wench."

Belle and Mia turned at once, though neither was surprised to see Michelle standing there, her arms crossed, her lips curled in disdain.

"Coming from one so desperate to be loved, I wonder who among us truly seeks attention," Mia retorted smoothly, folding her arms. "Whore." She mocked.

"How dare you, you worthless maid?!" Michelle hissed, clenching her fists, her teeth grinding in fury.

"For your information, I was adopted by the king and am now of royal blood," Mia scoffed. "You would do well to mind your tongue unless you wish to suffer the consequences."

"You can never change your past," Michelle sneered. "Do not deceive yourself into feeling special. You will always be her maid."

Belle, who had thus far held her silence, frowned. She had intended to let Mia handle the matter, knowing full well that she was capable of defending herself, but she could not stand idly by while Michelle spat such contemptuous words.

Just as Belle was about to speak, Mia suddenly strode up to Michelle, seized a handful of her hair, and yanked it so harshly that Michelle let out a piercing scream.

"Ahhh!! You wretch!!" She shrieked, retaliating by grabbing Mia’s hair in turn, and soon, the two were locked in a fierce struggle, tugging and yanking at each other’s hair.

Belle moved to intervene, but just then, Ezekiel awoke from the commotion and began wailing, forcing her to sway gently in an attempt to soothe him. As the cries of the baby rose alongside the girls’ shrieks, the entire scene descended into chaos.

Their escalating fight began drawing attention, but none of the guards dared to intervene, hesitant to lay hands upon either woman. Uncertain of how to proceed, they exchanged nervous glances.

"I shall fetch Commander Ray," one finally declared before rushing off to the tent where Ray and Quinn resided.

"What?!" Kay exclaimed in disbelief upon hearing that Mia and Michelle were engaged in a brawl.

Before anyone could utter another word, Ray emerged from the tent, drawing an amused smile from Quinn.

Upon reaching the scene, Ray wasted no time in prying Michelle away from Mia, firmly gripping her arms to halt the fight.

Mia, her hair disheveled and chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, stood glaring daggers at Michelle, who, much to her disgust, began shedding crocodile tears.

"Are you alright?" Ray asked Michelle, his voice calm yet detached.

At once, she sniffled and whimpered. "No! She attacked me for no reason! I did nothing to provoke her!" She sobbed, playing the victim with effortless ease.

Mia scoffed in disbelief. That wench had truly mastered the art of manipulation. If only she had slapped her a few times instead of merely pulling her hair.

"What?" Mia spat, fists clenched in fury. "You did nothing? You are as pathetic as ever, always hiding behind men. How pitiful."

"Let’s go," Ray said, steering Michelle away without so much as a glance in Mia’s direction.

Mia scoffed again, though whether it was out of irritation or something deeper, she could not quite say.

"Did you two fight?" Belle asked, now standing beside her, having observed the exchange.

"We are not close enough to fight. Why would we?" Mia replied curtly, running her fingers through her tousled hair to restore order to it.

"But you could barely stop crying when he was poisoned the other day. Or was I mistaken?" Belle mused aloud, puzzled. Had she only imagined Mia’s concern? Or was something truly amiss? She had long suspected they were mates, yet they behaved as though they were nothing to each other now. Why?

"You were mistaken," Mia said swiftly. And before Belle could press further, she turned on her heel and walked away.

If only she had punched Michelle squarely in the face instead of merely yanking her hair. She had wasted a perfect opportunity to knock the audacity out of that wretch.

"Are you okay?" She muttered under her breath, mimicking Ray’s earlier words with a look of utter distaste. One might almost believe he was truly a caring man, the way he played the role so convincingly.

"Two deceivers. A perfect match," she scoffed, kicking a nearby rock in frustration—only to have miscalculated the force.

With a yelp, she stumbled and fell, clutching her aching foot.

"Stupid rock! Stupid all of you!!" She cried out in exasperation.

Just then, a hand landed on her leg, and she raised her head to see who it belonged to.