"Ah... Ah... Ah... Ah," Alina screamed in agony.

"Push, push, push... come on, push," the kingdom doctor urged.

"Ah... Ah... Ah," Alina screamed loudly.

Then she heard a baby cry, and tears of joy streamed down her face.

The king entered, and everyone rose in respect. He went straight to the baby, seemingly oblivious to anyone else.

He grew furious upon realizing it was a girl.

"You claim to have a God, yet he didn't grant you a boy. Things will continue as they were before. In other words, forget you have a husband," Michael declared.

Everyone present understood his message and felt sympathy for the queen. Michael stormed out angrily.

Alina fought back tears, trying to appear strong despite her public presence as the queen.

*

Four Months Later

"Queen Alina! Queen Alina," a servant called.

"What is it, Lili?" Alina asked tersely.

Alina had become cold in the past few months, defensive, exuding an icy demeanor that intimidated others.

"The king requests your presence," Lili replied timidly, aware of the queen's changed demeanor and the king's harsh treatment towards her.

Alina handed her baby to Lili and adorned herself in a knee-length white gown, slightly off-shoulder but elegant, paired with gold high-heeled slippers.

As she entered the room, all eyes were drawn to her beauty—her fair skin, long legs, luscious lashes, and silver hair styled to perfection. She was undeniably stunning.

"My King, Grand Queen, Respected Elders, Grand Prime Minister, and Grand TrustMan, I greet you all," she curtseyed respectfully but with a noticeable coldness in her voice.

"How dare you speak to me in such a cold manner? Are you mad?" the king advanced as if to strike her, despite her polite greeting.

"Do not lay a hand on her, especially in public," the Elders intervened, preventing the king from striking Alina.

"My son, refrain from striking this woman, even if she deserves it. We are in public," the Grand Queen of Emerald Kingdom, Roselle Turner, affirmed. "We are all affected by recent events, but control your temper," she added.

Roselle then turned her anger towards Alina.

"As for you, Alina, we've summoned you to invite you to the king's wedding. I advise you not to disrupt this wedding, or I will personally ensure your downfall," Roselle warned sternly. "You can come out now, Linda," she added with a smile, gesturing to the corner.

A tall, dark-skinned woman emerged—slim, with a striking presence, though not conventionally beautiful. Linda wore an elaborate pink dress that Alina found distasteful, with two high slits revealing much of her legs.

"Darling," Michael rushed to Linda's side.

"Michael," Linda embraced him.

"My Queen..." Linda paused, eyeing Alina with disdain. "I apologize, but I couldn't help but be surprised to see this woman here. Shy Queen," she scoffed, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Unfazed, Alina decided to speak her mind and depart.

"I suppose this was a waste of time then. Enjoy your wedding, Linda, the Queen-to-be," Alina remarked with a cold smile before promptly leaving.

"Is she attending the wedding?" Linda inquired, indifferent to Alina's departure.

"Yes, why?" Roselle inquired.

"No reason. I simply wanted to embarrass her," Linda replied, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Good idea, Linda," the Grand Prime Minister chimed in.

As they plotted, William pondered how to aid Alina, knowing she was in trouble.

'I must assist Alina,' William resolved.

"What are you thinking, Will?" Gamma Jordan Job sarcastically interjected.

Jordan and William had never seen eye-to-eye, Jordan's jealousy evident as William garnered attention and held prestigious positions.

"Perhaps he's contemplating marriage," Michael exclaimed excitedly, prompting laughter from the crowd.

Throughout, Linda remained silent, fixated on William.

After their discussion, Linda sought out William in his room. Despite his cold demeanor, she attempted to charm him.

"Linda, what brings you here?" William asked, his tone frosty.

"Don't be so cold. Am I not lovely? Or is it because someone else holds your heart—Alina, perhaps? Though, she's rather... unappealing," Linda insinuated. "Look at me, I'm far superior," she declared, failing to sway William, who grew incensed and pushed her slightly.

"Leave, Linda. And let me be clear, you are too repulsive for my affections," William retorted, glaring at her. "Perhaps the king is blind to true beauty if he considers you worthy. He made a mistake," he added, his anger evident.

"This is a warning. Should you return, I'll take drastic measures. NOW LEAVE!" William exclaimed, startling Linda.

'How could he call me ugly? He must be playing hard to get,' Linda rationalized, chuckling at his apparent act.

THE WEDDING DAY

People sang hymns as the bride, escorted by her father, walked down the aisle to the king. After exchanging vows, the priest posed the final question.

"Will you take Linda to be your wife?" the priest asked.

"Yes, I certainly will," Michael replied sheepishly.

The same question was posed to Linda, who affirmed her consent.

The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief, glad to avoid another Shy Queen.

Linda was so excited to be a Queen, it was literally shown on her face. She smiled as she walked on the stage were the priest and her King stood.

"It's time for the vows," the priest announced.

"Repeat after me, inserting your name when prompted. I..."

"I, Linda Moris," Linda repeated.

"Pledge never to harm this Kingdom intentionally," the priest continued.

"I, Linda Moris, pledge never to harm this Kingdom intentionally," she echoed.

"I pledge to remain faithful to the Emerald Kingdom through sickness, weakness, old age, even unto death," the priest continued.

"I, Linda Moris, pledge to remain faithful to the Emerald Kingdom through sickness, old age, even unto death," Linda affirmed.

"And so it shall be," the priest concluded.

As Michael crowned her and handed her the staff, the announcer proclaimed, "All hail King Michael and Queen Linda! May God protect them."

"Let the celebration continue!" the host declared.

"Let's welcome our esteemed Shy Queen Alina to deliver a speech for the King and Queen," the host announced after the celebration died down.

Silence greeted Alina as she took the stage.

Alina began confidently but faltered, realizing she couldn't fulfill her role as queen or wife and felt like an embarrassment to the kingdom.

'You've been set up. They expect you to fail in front of the crowd,' the Holy Spirit reminded her.

'Grant me the grace not to falter. I need your help, Lord,' Alina prayed silently.

Thinking Alina had lost her voice, Linda motioned for an usher to escort her offstage. However, Alina found her resolve and spoke from her heart.

"As I was saying, King Michael loves Queen Linda, and I'm confident they'll make a wonderful family. Linda is truly a beautiful person," Alina emphasized, knowing that Linda's appearance didn't match the praise. "And I believe everyone here can appreciate the beauty in front of us. God has truly blessed her, and I pray that her children will be a blessing to the world. That is my hope. Let us gather to celebrate with the Queen, and with God's help, we will ensure she feels welcomed. Today is a joyous occasion for the King and Queen, and their happiness brings us all joy. Let's cherish this remarkable day as we continue with the wedding festivities. Thank you, and may God bless you all," Alina concluded, leaving the hall in stunned silence.

Surprisingly, she had done it. Alina had delivered the entire speech, and the hall fell silent in astonishment. With a bold smirk, she silently thanked God for her achievement.

Breaking the silence, William began clapping, and soon everyone joined in. Linda and the others looked disappointed. When Linda noticed William clapping, her anger towards Alina intensified.

"I AM GOING TO DESTROY HER!" Linda exclaimed angrily, catching Michael's attention. He observed her jealousy towards William, which in turn made him jealous of another man capturing his wife's attention. Nevertheless, he agreed to Linda's plan, albeit for his own reasons.

"Then let's proceed," Michael consented, as Linda looked at him with a smile and a muttered thank you.

'THEN I WILL HAVE TO KILL WILL TO GET MY WIFE'S ATTENTION BACK,' Michael thought to himself, smirking silently.

THE KING'S PALACE

Linda entered the palace first, placing poison in Alina's room before screaming for help, falsely accusing Alina of attempting to harm her husband.

"Ah... Alina wants to kill my husband!" Linda cried out, feigning distress.

As everyone turned their attention to Alina, William, recalling the conversation he overheard between Michael and Linda, found it hard to believe the accusation. Despite his efforts to defend Alina, he was unable to sway the others. But how could she poison Michael when she had no access to his food, nor the intention to do so?

"She will be punished tonight before she does anything foolish, and her child will suffer hunger," King Michael declared before dismissing everyone.

William informed Alina of their plan, and they decided to escape together with her child under the cover of night. As they fled, William handed Alina a gold necklace and a silver wristband.

Alina ran with her child, and William followed, knowing the king would seek retribution. They parted ways to divert the guards' attention, but suddenly Alina sensed danger and sprinted for her life.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

*Squeals in excitement.*

Alina was in dire trouble. What should she do—fight, surrender, or place her faith in God? Perhaps her faith would lead to salvation.

How would Alina escape the dire fate planned for her? Even if she managed to escape, what awaited her? And how would she care for her child without resources?

Let's wait and see what tomorrow holds for Alina.

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