Part 3, Chapter 36

Merun’s revenge

Ch 36

It was still dark outside. A single lamp had been left lit in the baby’s room and her wet nurse drowsed on a cot in the corner. 

Her wet nurse. That b***h had lied.There was no son of the Merfolk to take over the land. To bring his family fame and honor. Only a mewling little girl child. Useless. Nothing. A welp like that didn’t deserve to live after being such a disappointment. 

It seemed like every second of her approach to the crib took hours and every detail of each moment embedded itself in her mind. The hilt of the knife felt sweaty in her hand, the leather binding sticky while the enameled silver felt slick and the carpet was soft under her bare feet. It was only in that moment she realized she had forgotten to put her slippers on. Her nightdress was thin and clung to her back and sides, she had forgotten her robe as well. It didn’t matter. 

 Her heart and breath sounded slightly ragged in her ears, in contrast to the slow steady breathing of the sleeping wet nurse. The light from the lamp flickered ever so slightly, as if whoever had created it hadn’t been paying enough attention. That didn’t matter either, it was dim and shadowed in the cradle where the child lay. The worthless, waste of a child. 

All the plans. All the years of waiting. They had finally come to fruition. Her father would take over guardianship of the boy who would be Emperor. He wouldn’t grow up worthless like Jiangou. He would grow up to be strong and ruthless like her father and brothers. That wasn’t right. Her brother had betrayed them too. It never would have happened if the child had been a boy. 

Anger felt like knives in her windpipe. She moved closer. This creature who had ruined everything had to die. She would have vengeance. She raise the knife, it was dull silver in the dim light. The thought sprang into her mind that the blade should flash dramatically as she lifted it into the air, but she pushed it away. She brought the knife down.

“NO!!!!” The voice and the movement were so sudden that Merun jerked back, startled. 

The wet nurse wasn’t a wet nurse at all, instead it was that lying b***h Namu! Merun’s fury intensified. Her hyper awareness of the world around her dropped away and she screamed, resuming her interrupted thrust. The knife slid into Namu’s back where she had flung herself over her child. Merun tried to pull it free, but it seemed to be stuck on something. Namu twisted away, taking the knife with her. 

“I can still kill the child!” Merun screamed at the dying woman, reaching into the cradle to strangle the babe. 

She tried to reach into the cradle. Strong arms pulled her back, restraining her. Binding her. Merun howled her hate to the world, but even that was silenced by a rough gag forced into her mouth. 

“The Lady, see to the Lady,” a voice cried. 

It was too late for her, Merun knew. A slight twinge of satisfaction coursed through her. At least she would have some revenge after all.