《Married to the arrogant king》 Chapter 1 ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°You¡¯ll have to marry king carl,¡± dad said, and I looked at him like he had gone nuts. ¡± Dad you are are joking right, why would I marry king carl?¡± King Carl was our enemy, ad he was very dangerous and ruthless. I¡¯ve never seen him, but I¡¯ve heard stories about him. ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t marry carl, not now not ever.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice, my decision is final. I¡¯m not asking you, I¡¯m giving you an order.¡± ¡°But dad, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re willing to sacrifice me to that monster, how could you? I¡¯m your daughter why are you treating me this way.¡± ¡°This is not about you Zara, it is about our nation Azrael, and our people. If it means I have to sacrifice one person, for the good of others, I will do it, even if that person is my daughter.¡± But dad¡­.. ¡°You¡¯re a princess Zara, you should know that you have a duty to your people even if it¡¯s hard, That¡¯s the price royalties have to pay. we don¡¯t live for ourselves but for our people, so I beg you to please understand that right now, your nation and your people need you.¡± I thought about what he said, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ll have to marry that ruthless king. Why, why do I have to be a princess? I wish I was just an ordinary person, maybe that way, I¡¯ll get to live my life the way I want. ¡°I need some time to think about this,¡± I said walking out. ¡°It needs to be quick Zara, there is no time and king Carl will not spare us if we don¡¯t ally,¡± dad yelled after me. I used to think that my case will be different, that I¡¯ll marry for love and not a marriage of convenience. But I guess it was just a dream. I was just lying to myself, I¡¯m a princess after all, I should have known better. I walked into my room and closed the door behind me. My heart was broken, but I wouldn¡¯t cry. What¡¯s the point when my tears would change nothing. I sat down on my bed thinking. I have to leave my home, my people, my family, and everyone I loved. If I was getting married to someone I loved, I wouldn¡¯t mind. But that was not the case. I guess this is my destiny, and fate has yed a cruel game on me. I sighed, standing up from my bed. If this will be myst day here, I might at least have fun. I can¡¯t just sit here, thinking about my ill fate. Lia, I called walking out of my room. Lia was my personal maid and my best friend and we¡¯ve been friends ever since we were Little. ¡°Come, Lia, we are going out,¡± ¡°but your highness¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t call me that Lia, we¡¯re best friends.¡± ¡°Okay princess, are you okay?¡± she asked, I guess she was concerned because she found out about my marriage. ¡°I¡¯m fine Lia, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. Nowe let¡¯s go have fun, I said dragging her.¡± ¡°You know, you are strange princess, if it were other girls in your ce, they will be crying and worried, but you just want to have fun.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I¡¯m not other girls Lia, why should I worry and cry, when it would change nothing. Instead of worrying about what I can¡¯t change, I rather just go have fun and eat lots of food.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy princess,¡± she muttered, and Iughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a horse,¡± I said running, and Lia ran after me. ¡°Zara, you need to stop running or you¡¯ll get into trouble, Zara, she called and kept on chasing. I rode my horse fast into the woods, loving the feeling of the wind on my face. Earlier I sneaked out of the pce with Lia. I knew my parents would be worried but I didn¡¯t care, I needed to make the most of this day. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here, we need to go back,¡± Lia said trying to convince me. but I didn¡¯t listen to her. ¡°I¡¯m going to be married soon and maybe I won¡¯t be able to do this again, just stay quiet ande with me.¡± Seeing that I was not going to listen, she gave up and decided to go with me, after all, once my mind was set on something there is no way to convince me otherwise. We rode to a stream and I quickly jumped down from my horse, running towards it. ¡°You¡¯re such a tomboy, Lia yelled, and I chuckled. It¡¯s was said that women are not supposed to use a sword or any other weapon. But I would always hide and practices, I would even go hunting and the king would be so angry. He got tired of me and let me continue since it was in secret. I took off my clothes diving into the water, Loving the way the water felt against my skin. ¡°How can you swim naked? You¡¯re a princess what if someone sees you? you¡¯re just so crazy, and I¡¯ve never met anyone as crazy as you princess.¡± ¡°Come on Lia, don¡¯t be a spoilt sport. juste into the water, I yelled. Lia looked around to make sure no one was there before taking off her clothes and jumping into the water. We swimmed for a long time, and it was dark when we got back to the pce. We sneaked in through the back like thieves and both ran to my chambers. Immediately we walked in, we saw the queen and flinched. What is she doing here? I thought. mother neveres to my chambers she always sends for me. is it something urgent? I thought. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Mother asked in a stern voice. I racked her brain for what to say. I can¡¯t tell her I sneaked out to have fun. I turned to Lia for help but it looked like she was also out of excuse. ¡°I know you sneaked out again. How could you be so careless? What if something happens to you, what if you got captured by the enemy? And you, she said pointing at Lia. you suppose to stop the princess from sneaking out how could you encourage her behavior.¡± I could see the queen was furious and I immediately stepped in to defend Lia. ¡°It¡¯s not her fault, it¡¯s mine. I was the one who forced her, even though she was against it, she didn¡¯t have a choice. The queen sighed, knowing who I was, she knew no one could talk me out of it. ¡°You¡¯re so reckless she muttered pulling my ears yfully, she just couldn¡¯t stay angry at me. NEXT DAY The king summoned me and my heart was raising. ¡°Zara, have you thought about it, did you make your decision?¡± he asked, immediately I entered his chambers. ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision dad, I will marry king carl.¡± He looked at me, giving me a sad smile. ¡± I¡¯m sorry Zara, I have to choose the people over you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine dad, you are a king and you need to make hard decisions sometimes, You don¡¯t have to feel guilty, I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you, he muttered, patting my hair.¡± ¡°You should get ready Zara, you have to leave the day after tomorrow.¡± Chapter 2 ZARA¡¯S POV Its was morning already, I got upzily from my bed. Today I had to prepare all my stuff and say goodbye to my friends. It was too soon for me but dad said we didn¡¯t have time. I took my bath and dressed up in a simple gown. I looked just like an ordinary person and I loved it. The maids helped to pack my things, and I just sat down thinking about what fun thing I should do before I left. Princess, Lia called running into my room. ¡± Lia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I found something fun for you to do before you left, Lia muttered. ¡± What¡¯s that?¡± I asked. ¡°There is a horse outside that needs taming, it refuses to allow anyone to ride it, I just thought that maybe, it will let you. I smiled, running outside, I saw a white Bnbeautiful horse and a man was trying to get on it but it wouldn¡¯t let him. ¡°Zara, that¡¯s the horse,¡± Lia said from behind me. I already liked the horse from looking at it, and since I didn¡¯t have a horse of my own, I will have this one. I ran towards the horse, not caring if people were watching. The man trying to ride the horse before has already given up, so I saw it as an opportunity. ¡°Zara, what are you doing?¡± My mom yelled from the balcony, but I didn¡¯t even answer her. All that was in my mind was how to tame the beautiful beast. ¡°Princess, you should not even try or you¡¯ll get bruises on your beautiful face,¡± the man trying to ride the horse before said, but ignored him. Nothing can stop me now. I rushed to the horse, climbing its back, but it threw me off and everyone around startedughing. But that was not enough to make me back down. ¡°Zara, stop it, you are embarrassing yourself,e here now,¡± mom yelled. ¡°You should let her do what she wants, besides you know she¡¯s not going to listen to you,¡± my father muttered. They all stood by watching me, as I tried to tame the horse. I got on it the second and a third time and it threw me off again. ¡°Princess, maybe you should just give up and let it be,¡± Lia muttered ¡°You should know by now, that I don¡¯t give up on something, once I¡¯ve started, I must end it.¡± ¡°But princess, you¡­ I didn¡¯t let her finish her statement, I ran to the horse again, jumping onto its back, it tried to throw me off, but I held on to it tightly. It twirled and stood on its two feet, but I still held onto It. ¡°You may be stubborn, but you are no match for me,¡± I told the horse. After much twirling, it finally let me ride it. ¡°Good girl,¡± I said patting its head. Everyone around was now pping, and I raised my head in pride. ¡°Hail the princess, Hail the princess,¡± they cheered, and I smiled, waving at them. What do I call my beautiful horse? I thought, getting down from my horse. ¡°Princess, you were incredible,¡± Lia said, running toward me. ¡°I know right,¡± I replied, putting my hand on my waist and giving her a pose. ¡°What are you going to call her?¡± she askedExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll call her fury because she¡¯s fierce.¡± ¡°My fury,¡± I mumbled with a smile. ¡°You tomboy,¡± mom said from behind. She dashed forward, pulling my ear hard ¡°Mom it hurts,¡± I said trying to get her hand off me but she held it tightly. ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt when the horse was throwing you off its back, what if you broke your bones, or your face got bruised. you¡¯re leaving tomorrow, you should leave with a beautiful face, not a bruised face, what will king carl say if you go there with a bruised face,¡± mom scolded. ¡°Mom, Look my face is not bruised at all, even if my arm was, and I don¡¯t care what king Carl thinks about me.¡± She let go of my ears, looking into my eyes. ¡°I know you¡¯re not happy about getting married to king Carl, but honey you have to bear with it for the sake of your people.¡± ¡°I know mom, you don¡¯t have to worry, I already epted it as my fate.¡± She patted my hair, smiling sadly. ¡°Come, we prepared a goodbye party for you,¡± she said walking away. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I muttered holding Lia¡¯s, while we followed mom. It¡¯s was a grand celebration with a lot of people, a lot of food and drinks, I was also given lots of gifts and blessings. Some gave me a look of pity, while others looked at me with admiration. ¡°Zara, why are you so happy even when you¡¯re going to marry the devil,¡± my aunt Anna asked. Aunt Anna is my father¡¯s younger sister. ¡°Aunt because being sad won¡¯t change a thing,¡± ¡°I really admire you, she muttered,¡± with a sad smile. ¡°Aunt, you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m a strong girl, after all, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± We celebrated till it was dark, and mom asked me to go sleep early since my journey was going to be a long one. ***** I opened my eyes, and it was morning already. Is the universe conspiring against me, how can it be morning so soon. I was still feeling very sleepy, but I had to drag myself from bed. I took my bath and dressed up as a boy, I was going in disguise because my journey was going to be a dangerous one. My things were set already, looking at my room onest time, I walked out. ¡°Good morning dad and mom,¡± I greeted hugging them. They will not be traveling with me, but they will being to my wedding. My wedding was going to take ce a week from one. ¡°Why are you dressed as a boy Zara?¡± Mom asked looking at my outfit.¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s going to be a long and dangerous journey, so I need to go in disguise.¡± I had breakfast with my family, and it was time for me to say goodbye. I hugged my family and said goodbye. Even if I¡¯ll be seeing them again, I felt sad. I climbed onto my horse, Lia was at my side on another horse, At least, Lia wasing with me, I wouldn¡¯t be alone. There were at least, a hundred soldiers to apany us. I had told dad, that they were too much, but he didn¡¯t listen. I looked at my home for onest time, I felt tears in my eyes, but I held them in. ¡°Goodbye Azrael,¡± I muttered, before riding away. The Journey ZARA¡¯S POV It¡¯s been two days since I left home, and we stopped at an inn to rest for a day before we continued our journey. King Carl¡¯s nation, Everton was a three days journey and by tomorrow, we¡¯ll be there. ¡°Princess, I mean Zara¡­ ¡°Lia don¡¯t call me that, remember I¡¯m in disguise.¡± ¡°What should I call you then,¡± Lia questioned ¡°You should call me captain, after all, I¡¯m the leader of one hundred men.¡± Okay, captain, she muttered, giggling. ¡°Are you going in disguise all the way to Everton, or you will change when we get close?¡± Lia asked and I thought for a while.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Hmm, why don¡¯t I just y a prank on King Carl.¡± ¡°What do you mean prin¡­, I mean Captain?¡± ¡°I mean, I will go in disguise and ask someone else to act as the princess.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that risky, what if the king gets upset.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for long, I just need him to think that the other person is the princess before I introduce myself.¡± ¡°You are something else Captain,¡± Lia muttered and I chuckled. I stuff food into my mouth like someone who has not eaten for days. I¡¯m sure no one will believe that a princess would be eating like a glutton, but I didn¡¯t care. It¡¯s was just me and Lia in the restaurant, while the soldiers were outside. ¡°Captain, you should take it easy, or you might choke. how can a princess eat like that?¡± Lia muttered ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that for now, I¡¯m a captain, not a princess, so I can eat however I want.¡± She sighed, shaking her head, and I chuckled. After resting for a day, we continued our journey. ¡°Princess, watch out Lia yelled but it was toote, I fell into the trap. we were in the middle of a forest, and the ce looks like where someone could easily be ambushed. ¡°Protect the princess,¡± Jamie, the leader of the soldiers yelleding to my side. ¡°You should not call me that, or I will be in bigger trouble if the enemy finds out.¡± ¡°You should call me Captain until we get to Everton.¡± ¡°Protect the captain,¡± he yelled, and some group of soldiers immediately came to free me from the trap. They rounded me, forming a shield to protect me. A group of bandits came out and began fighting our soldiers. They were more in number than we were. This was the reason, my father sent a lot of men with me, but I told him they were too much. ¡°Zara, we need to go now. we are outnumbered, and if we don¡¯t leave, they will capture us,¡± Lia muttered. ¡°Captain, she is right. you need to leave, I will fight along side the other, to buy you more time,¡± Jamie said. ¡°I should also fight with you, after all my fighting skills are not bad,¡± I muttered. ¡°No Zara, the fate of Azrael is in your hands, and if anything happens to you, it will be a disaster,¡± Lia muttered. ¡°She¡¯s right, leave now before it¡¯s toote,¡± Jamie muttered. I climbed my horse and Lia also did the same. ¡°Go fast fury, I yelled and she rode fast through the forest. It didn¡¯t take long before the enemy started chasing us. ¡°Lia, stay beside me,¡± I yelled. They chased us and even fired arrows at us. Fury was riding really fast, leaving Lia behind. ¡°Lia, hurry, Lia,¡± I yelled but she fell from her horse. ¡°Leave Zara, just go,¡± she shouted, but I was not going to leave her behind no matter what. Fury, let¡¯s go back.¡± I rode back to where Lia was, in an attempt to carry her, but I waste. we were surrounded by the bandit. I could fight them if they were small in number, but they were like twenty men. They looked dangerous and some even had tattoos and piercing on their noses. They looked like savages. ¡°Look who we have here, a pretty boy and a prettydy, we must be so lucky today,¡± one of the men yelled and they all cheered. Lia held on to me tightly, and she was shivering. ¡°But, isn¡¯t this one too pretty to be a boy,¡± another man said and the first man scanned me. ¡°Yes, he is. Look at his smooth face, look at those pretty eyes, they look so fierce.¡± He came towards me, grabbing my hands roughly. ¡°Ahhh, so soft, he must be from a wealthy family, we are very lucky, if we sell him, we will definitely get a huge amount of money,¡± The man said and they cheered. It looked like the first man was their leader, he had more piercings and tattoos. ¡°Take them and the other men we captured,¡± he ordered and they tied us dragging us with them. CARL, S POV ¡°My king, our spy confirms that princess Zara was on her way but got captured, should we send me to go rescue her?¡± Jeffrey asked. Jeffrey was my right-hand man. He was my most trusted person and friend. ¡°And why should we. They could have sent enough men to protect her.¡± ¡°But my king, she is going to be your wife and the queen of Everton, I think you should send some men to rescue her.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t send any men to rescue her. They should figure it out by themselves. How many men did they send with her?¡± ¡°One hundred.¡± ¡°One hundred, and they couldn¡¯t protect her, They must be ipetent.¡± ¡°My king, they were ambushed by bandits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse and stop taking their side.¡± But my king, you¡­ ¡°Just keep quiet. This will be their challenge, if they can save themselves and bring the Princess to Everton, it will prove that Azrael is a strong nation, but if they are unable to save the princess, I won¡¯t spare Azrael.¡± ¡°But my king, the bandits who kidnapped the princess are one of the most dangerous. they sell women for very.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Even better. Ask the spy to keep an eye on them, if they¡¯re going to sell the princess, then he should buy her. ¡°My king, no one knows what the princess looks like.¡± Locked up ZARA¡¯S POV They took us to a ce, which looked like their base. there were a lot of bandits there and also a lot of hostages. They were locked in cages like animals. The soldiers who were sent to apany me, were also captured. Just about thirty of them, the rest were killed. They took Lia to the cage where they kept women and took me to the cage, where they kept men. I wanted to scream at them to take me to where they keep women because I¡¯m a woman but I decided against it. I sat in the cage, along with my remaining soldiers and other men. ¡°Your high¡­ I mean Captain, I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t protect you,¡± Jamie apologized, and I was d he was still alive. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we just need to figure out to get out of this ce.¡± ¡°But prin¡­, I mean Captain, that seems nearly impossible, this ce is heavily guarded. ¡°Even so, we still have to get out of here.¡± I looked around and saw that most of the men were alive, but they look dead. Probably because they were tortured. ¡°If you are thinking of escaping, you should just remove the thought from your mind, because if you get caught, they will kill you immediately,¡± a man said, he looked worn out and a little thin. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked. He was quiet for some minutes, before answering. ¡°My name is Theon?¡± I thought he was going to ask me my name, but he didn¡¯t and I was d because I didn¡¯t know which name to tell him. ¡°Theon, why are these men like this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see, we were tortured, and we worked all day and also get Little food. They all lost the hope of living because it was either we were killed, or sold. But we mostly get killed only women get sold, but if you are lucky, they could sell you.¡± I sighed, this was not going to be easy as I thought. Lia, oh my God Lia, I just hope they don¡¯t sell her. Now I wished we were in the same cell. I¡¯m sure she would be really scared. I need to think of a way to get us out of here. I felt someone sniffing me, and I turned around. It wasTheon, he was sniffing me like a dog. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked ¡°You smell nice, and you have a pretty face, too pretty to be a boy, you must be from a wealthy family, You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m sure they will sell you,¡± Theon muttered with a sad smile. He looked at Jamie and sighed. ¡°Sorry man, I¡¯m sure they will make you work with us with those muscles of yours, and in just a few days your muscles will disappear.¡± ¡°Theon, you are not like the others,¡± I mumbled. How? He asked ¡°At least, you¡¯re still talking to us.¡± ¡°That because unlike them, I will always hold on to my hope, until the day I die, or if I¡¯m ever going to get out of here alive,¡± he replied. I smiled, I already like him and if we make it out of here alive, I¡¯m going to ask him to be one of my soldiers. ¡°I like you Theon,¡± I blurted out, smiling at him. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be liked by such a pretty boy, you are even more pretty than all the girls I¡¯ve seen my entire life, Theon said, and Jamie cleared his throat. ¡°He has a wife,¡± Jamie muttered and I chuckled.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Your wife must be lucky then.¡± He faced Jamie, eyeing him from head to toe. ¡°You know I used to be like you, Theon muttered moving closer to Jamie. Jamie eyed him, then he chuckled. How so? Jamie asked ¡°I used to have muscles like you and I was also the Captain of a gang, who used to guard a rich merchant, but we were ambushed, and they fled leaving me behind. So now you understand, when I tell you that soon, all your muscles will be gone, and you will look thin like a stick.¡± Theon was a lively person, I was really d that even with everything that had happened to him, he still didn¡¯t give up. I sighed, thinking of a n that will get us out of here. ¡°Theon, do you know how many bandits are here?¡± I asked. ¡°I think close to five hundred or more than.¡± ¡°And how many hostages are here?¡± ¡°A thousand or more.¡± We are more than them, I thought, there is still hope after all. ¡°Jamie, Theon, I have a n¡± My soldiers surrounded me while I sat in their center. ¡°Theon, when do they take the men out for work?¡± ¡°Usually in the morning,¡± he replied. ¡°Then, we have to fight them,¡± ¡°And how do we do that? they usually chain our hands,¡± Theon muttered. ¡°But do they chain them when you work?¡± ¡°No, they take off¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s when we strike?¡± ¡°How many men and how many women are here?¡± ¡°Three hundred men, and at least seven to eight hundred women, but with you and these soldiers, it should be Three hundred and thirty-one men. More women and fewer men is a disadvantage, but we can work with that. ¡°Captain, how do we carry on with your n, when they¡¯ve all lost hope,¡± Jamie questioned and the soldiers nodded in agreement. ¡°Then, we just have to give them that hope again.¡± I stood up, looking at the men lying on the floor. ¡°If you are going to die, why don¡¯t you die fighting, at least you can fight to survive, don¡¯t just give up without even trying?¡± By now, almost all the men were standing up, and I smiled, looks like I was getting to them. ¡°Don¡¯t be cowards, we are more than them, if we stand together, I¡¯m sure we can be free from these monsters. All of them were now standing up, they no longer looked dead, but have hope in their eyes, perfect. ¡± I think maybe you were captured for a reason, and that reason was to save us,¡± Theon muttered and they all nodded in agreement. ¡°Now tell us the n pretty boy,¡± Theon said ¡°We wait till mourning when they bring us out to work and after that, one of us has to go free the women, so they can join us in the fight. I know it¡¯s easier said than done, but we have to try it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, we just have to risk it,¡± Jamie muttered. That night, they brought us food and threw it into the cage-like we were dogs. The food was small and barely enough to feed us all. So I told my soldiers to just let the men eat since we ate something before we were captured. Hopefully, we could have something, in the mourning, that¡¯s if they give breakfast. We all slept immediately after eating, we needed the strength, because tomorrow was going to be a tough day. We woke up to loud noises, the bandit was hitting the gates, telling us to wake up. I stretched my body, still feeling sleepy, it was as if the night was just a minute. I sighed, rubbing my eyes. I was surprised to see that the bandits, were giving us breakfast, and it was more thanst night¡¯s dinner. It was enough for all of us. ¡°Theon, howe they give a lot of food in the mourning,¡± I asked. ¡°Because we have to work, they want us to have a lot of strength. but don¡¯t expect lunch and dinner are usually very small.¡± We all dug into the food, eating like hungry lions, and when we were done eating, they took us to where we were going to work. Some were asked to make swords, while others were asked to dig wells and break stones. I turned and signaled the men that it was time. Escaped ZARA¡¯S POV We grabbed our weapons, fighting the men who were close by and before you know it there was chaos. Everyone was fighting one man or the other even the women had been released and some already fled running for their lives. By the time the fight was over, most of the men are women were dead including the bandits, some were dead, while some fled. There were just about a hundred and fifty men and like three hundred women. Even my soldiers were just a few now like seven men remaining. ¡°Captain, someone called, and I turned around to see Jamie and Theon walking toward me. I was so happy that they were alive, and I ran towards them, hugging them. Jamie cleared his throat and I chuckled. ¡± Where is Lia? I suddenly remembered. I twirled, looking around toward where the women were. Lia, I yelled. ¡°Jamie, you have to find Lia.¡± ¡°Lia, is that your wife?¡± Theon asked and I could help butugh. Y¡­ yes, I shuttered. I wanted to tell him, that I was a woman, but I decided to leave it until I get to Everton. ¡°Princess, someone yelled and I turned to see Lia running towards me.¡± ¡°Princess? Theon asked with a suspicious look. ¡°Why did she call you that?¡± he asked, and I thought of a lie to tell him. ¡°She is a little mentally unstable and sometimes says nonsense,¡± I muttered with an awkward smile. ¡°Honey are you okay,¡± I asked winking at her so she would y along. ¡°Honey? Prin¡­ I mean Captain, what is wrong with your eyes why are you winking at me?¡± Lia asked. ¡°Lia honey, remember we are married, you are my wife.¡± ¡°Married, wife, what are you talking about, How can we be married, Are you okay?¡± Lia blurted out and I almost had a heart attack. I hugged her, whispering into her ears. ¡°Lia, he thinks I¡¯m a boy and that you are my wife, so you have to y along.¡± ¡°Oh, I should y along,¡± she said loudly and I immediately covered her mouth. I nced up and saw Theonughing, but he immediately kept a straight face when he saw me looking at him. Lia, you fool I thought. It was time to go to Everton and Theon agreed toe with me along with some other men and women, so we were forty altogether. Thirty men and ten women. We took some horses, riding towards Everton. I guessed the horses belong to the pirates. I was also lucky that no one took fury. She probably didn¡¯t let anyone ride her, or they would have surely taken her because she was a beauty. When we were just a few miles away from Everton, I asked one of the women to disguise as the princess. CARL¡¯S POV I was in my chambers with Gwen, having fun. Gwen is my childhood friend and we grew up together. We were not just friends, but friends with benefits. I was riding her fast and hard when someone barged into my chambers. Your high¡­ The person¡¯s voice immediately trailed off upon seeing what was in front of him. I didn¡¯t stop but kept on fucking her. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside,¡± ¡°Just speak,¡± I said without looking at him. ¡°Princess Zara is close to Everton,¡± he mumbled and I immediately came all over Gwen. I cleaned myself and put on a robe. ¡°She escaped? I must say I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°Yes my king, it was a day and she handled the bandits, she must be really brave,¡± Jeffrey muttered with a smile. ¡°You shoulde and wee her, she will be here any minute.¡± ¡°Why should I? I¡¯ll be in the throne room, send her there, along with whoever she came with.¡± ¡°But my king, it may seem rude if you don¡¯t go and wee her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll wee her in the throne room,¡± Jeffrey left and I sighed. ¡°He seems to already like the princess,¡± Gwen muttered and I scoffed. I took a bath putting on my clothes. I walked into the throne room, and I sat on my throne with my legs crossed. My council members were standing on both sides, while I asked some to wee the Princess. ¡°Your majesty, the princess of Azrael, the herald announced, and I waited eagerly to see her. A woman walked in wearing a royal robe with other people behind her. She brought a lot of people, I thought. She walked toward me in a slow stride. The throne room was big and before she reached my side it took about ten minutes. The princess was now standing in front of me. But she was not what I expected. In fact, to say I was disappointed was an understatement. Like what the fuck. I¡¯ve heard stories about how beautiful and enchanting she was, but the woman standing in front of me waspletely opposite from that description. I could also see the confused look on my council member¡¯s face, while Gwen who was also standing among the council members had a smirk. The woman standing in front of me was chubby. What the hell? I thought they said she was slim and slender. She even had a mole on her nose and when she smiled at me, I almost puked. She had a huge gap tooth and looked like a clown. Can someone put her out of my misery? I thought. It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t go out to wee her. ¡°Greetings your highest,¡± she said, and I almost died. Her voice was deep like a man¡¯s voice. So much for an angelic voice. Who the hell gave that description of her, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill them if I find them. My eyes caught with another beautiful ocean blue ones, and I was lost staring that them. I scanned the face of the person, and it was so beautiful, like the most beautiful face, I¡¯ve ever seen. The face was so small that it could fit into my palm.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She was dressed like a boy, but I knew she was a girl. She had a smirk on her face as she looked at me. What, is she alsoughing at my misery, I thought and scoff. Why can¡¯t she be the princess? I thought, sighing at how unfortunate I am. There is no way I was marrying that ugly princess. ¡°Greetings your Majesty,¡± I heard the most angelic voice, I¡¯ve ever heard said, and I nced up to see the same beautiful face staring at me. ¡°I¡¯m princess Zara of Azrael,¡± she announced, and everyone gasped. She鈥檚 the princess CARL¡¯S POV What did she just say, she¡¯s the princess? ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked to be sure ¡°I am princess Zara of Azrael.¡± ¡°But you are a man,¡± one of the council members blurted out and I red at him. Is he so foolish that he can not see that the person in front of him was a woman? ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she muttered removing the boy¡¯s wig she was wearing, letting her long dark hair fall freely. How beautiful, I thought, letting out a breath of relief and the council members also did the same. Oh, I didn¡¯t they were also scared of having an ugly queen. ¡°Then why is this woman dressed as the princess, and you¡¯re dressed as a man,¡± Jeffrey asked. ¡°I was embarking on a dangerous journey, so I needed to protect myself,¡± she replied. That doesn¡¯t change the fact that she fooled me into thinking that the ugly woman was the princess. She could have easily changed when she got to Everton, but she choose to fool me, for that I would make her life miserable. ZARA¡¯S POV When I entered Everton, it was different from what I expected. It was not creepy at all. It was very big, five times bigger than Azrael and it was very beautiful and magical. I was thinking it was going to be dark and creepy and look like the devil¡¯s home, but I was wrong. We arrived at the pce, and I saw the people who came to wee us. ¡°The King is not there,¡± Lia muttered, and I looked around to see if I would see him but I didn¡¯t. How rude, I¡¯ve heard he was really arrogant, now I know, the rumors were true. We were greeted by an elderly woman, she wore a royal robe and I guessed she was the Queen mother. ¡°I¡¯m princess Zara,¡± I told her since her arrogant son was not there, I won¡¯t hide it from her. ¡°So beautiful,¡± she muttered, hugging me and I smiled. she seemed like a nice person. I¡¯m Catherine, mother of King Carl, she muttered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my son¡¯s rudeness,¡± she said and I smiled. After greeting the queen and the council members outside, we were directed to the throne room. ¡°Your majesty the princess of Azrael,¡± the herald announced, and we walked in. Evelyn, the woman I disguised as the princess was walking in front, while I walked beside her. Immediately we reached the king¡¯s ce we stood in front of him. He sat down on his throne and crossed his legs and everything about him screamed arrogance. I wouldn¡¯t deny he was really handsome and his face looked like an angel, He also had beautiful hazel eyes. This is why they say don¡¯t let look deceive you. I could see the disappointed look on his face as he looked at Evelyn. I was so happy. This was payback for being rude. And back when we were captured, he could have sent some soldiers to help if he wanted to but he didn¡¯t. I was enjoying the look on his face, and I almost startedughing but stopped myself. ¡°Greetings your majesty,¡± she said in her deep voice and I could see the look of disgust On his face. Wow, I¡¯m really enjoying this.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He looked at me and our eyes met. His eye held mine for a second and I smirked. I wanted to show him how much, I enjoyed his displeasure. As much as I enjoyed seeing him suffer, I had to step in. ¡°Greetings your majesty,¡± I¡¯m princess Zara of Azrael, I said and everyone grasped. I guess they were surprised. ¡°What did you say?¡± king Carl asked, and I almost chuckled. I¡¯m princess Zara of Azrael.¡± ¡°But you are a man,¡± one of the council members mumbled, and I turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I said removing the boy¡¯s wig from my head, letting my long hair fall. ¡°Then why is this woman dressed as the princess, and you¡¯re dressed as a man,¡± a guy asked. ¡°I was embarking on a dangerous journey, so I needed to protect myself,¡± I replied, and I could see the relief on everyone¡¯s faces. My eyes caught a particrdy and she was ring at me with scorn. She stood among the council members and I wondered who she was. She looked at me with hatred in her eyes. I scoffed, it¡¯s not like I knew her, or did anything to make her hate me. ¡°Wee to my nation princess Zara,¡± Carl said with a smirk, and I wondered what was going on in his mind. I also found myself smirking back. ¡°A feast will be held to wee princess Zara to Everton,¡± Carl announced, walking away. ¡°Princess Zara, hmmm, I thought you said you were a man,¡± Theon teased with a yful look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Theon, I didn¡¯t want to tell you because I was trying to protect myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I understand. I already knew you were a girl when Lia called you princess before.¡± Theon teased. Lia, that fool. If Theon was not a good guy she would have gotten us killed. The feast was held in the evening, and there were lots of people and music. ¡°Princess, I have to admit King Carl is so handsome,¡± Lia whispered, giggling and I scoffed. He¡¯s handsome but the devil, I replied with an eye roll and Lia chuckled. Carl sat on the throne with a drink in his hands, with a bored look. he seems not a little bit interested in the party. I was also not interested, but I had no choice. ¡°Princess Zara,¡± someone said from behind, and I turned to see the same girl, who was ring at me in the throne room before. She walked up to me with an air of arrogance around her. ¡°I¡¯m Gwen and I¡¯m also the daughter of the king¡¯s advisor,¡± she said with pride. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Gwen,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I would say the same, she muttered silently. I guess she didn¡¯t think I would hear it, but I did. I wonder what her problem was. ¡°I¡¯m also the king¡¯s best friend and his most favorite person, if you need to know anything about the king just ask me because I know it all,¡± she muttered with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m sure the princess will have enough time to get to know the king by herself you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Lia muttered rudely. ¡°Ooh sure, suit yourself, but if you change your mind, I¡¯ll be right here,¡± Gwen said with a fake smile, walking away. ¡°She¡¯s such a bitch, I already hate her,¡± Lia muttered and I chuckled. ¡°You only just meet her, how could you hate her?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know princess, but I get a bad vibe from her, and besides you also don¡¯t know king Carl, but you hate him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different, I¡¯ve heard a lot about him and I know he¡¯s the devil.¡± ¡°Are you talking about my brother,¡± a tiny voice said from behind. Feast ZARA¡¯S POV Lia and I turned to see a cute Little boy who looked like Carl. He was so cute with chubby cheeks and I couldn¡¯t help but pulled them. ¡°Uhh, what a cute little kid,¡± Lia said also pulling his cheek, and he pouted his mouth angrily. ¡°Youdy¡¯s have no respect, how dare you pull the cheeks of a man,¡± he muttered, making Lia and Iugh. ¡°What¡¯s your name, and how old are you?¡± I asked the kid with a smile. ¡°My name is Prince Aiden, and I¡¯m five years old. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Aiden,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°The pleasure is mine,¡± he replied raising his shoulder. He looks arrogant and adorable. What do you expect, he is the devil¡¯s brother. ¡°I heard you will be marrying my brother, does that mean, I¡¯ll be marrying that littledy with you?¡± Aiden muttered, pointing at Lia and I chuckled. ¡°Look here kid, I¡¯m not Little, and I¡¯m way older than you, so there is no way I¡¯m marrying you,¡± Lia muttered.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, I¡¯m handsome and hot, many girls are dying to be with me, so why are you rejecting me?¡± Aiden asked pouting his mouth. Iughed really hard, how can a five-year-old talk like this? ¡°It¡¯s because you are a kid and you¡¯re also not my type,¡± Lia muttered, with an eye roll. ¡°Oh, I see you are ying hard to get, but I¡¯m not a man of patience, so you should think wisely, and don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll surely take good care of you if we get married. Make the decision quick before other girls take me away.¡± ¡°My Decision would not change, you are a kid, you should not be thinking about marriage,¡± Lia replied, feeling frustrated. I wasughing hard, as I watched the two of them argue. He was really cute. ¡°I will take my leave nowdy¡¯s and you shouldn¡¯t call my brother a devil because if he hears you, it will be really bad for you,¡± Aiden muttered. He grab my hand and kissed it, doing the same to Lia, then he winked, walking away, and I chuckled. Lia scoffed, pouting her mouth. ¡°Princess, that kid called me a littledy, I would have pulled his ears if he weren¡¯t a prince, how can he think of marriage when he¡¯s so little.¡± Lia and I looked smallpared to our age, no one would even believe we were twenty-one. ¡°Lia, he¡¯s just a kid, an adorable kid, so stop thinking of pulling his ears.¡± The feaststed for and long time and by the time it was over, I was exhausted. I had to greet a lot of people and they even made me drink wine so I was feeling tipsy. Zara, Carl¡¯s mom Catherine called, walking towards me and I was seeing her double. ¡°You must be tired? I would ask a servant to show you to your room. Carl and you will be sharing the same room, as you two would soon be married,¡± Catherine said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my son left you and went to bed already he was supposed to be the one to take you, but the fool just left,¡± Catherine muttered, patting my head. I could not process what she was saying, because I was drunk. I just smiled at her, nodding my head in agreement. Shortly after a servant came leading me to God knows where. Lia and I were singing at the top of our voices like fools. She was also very drunk, even more drunk than me. Weughed and sang until we got a door. ¡°Princess, it¡¯s a door, a golden door,¡± Lia muttered,ughing like a crazy woman and I joined her. ¡°Your highest, this is the king¡¯s room and also your room,¡± the servant said pointing at the golden door ¡°I will take your friend and show her to her room.¡± ¡°Okay, bye Lia, I muttered, opening the door with force. I staggered into the room and saw four-figure, no, they were two on the bed, but I was seeing them double. A man and a woman. they were naked on the bed, but I didn¡¯t care, I guess it was the effect of the alcohol. I looked at the man smiling, he was ring angrily at me. ¡°You, look like that arrogant king, I muttered pointing at him.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything but just kept ring at me. I scoffed, ignoring the both of them, I walked to the bed, throwing myself on it and I slept off. CARL, S POV I was so tired of the so-called feast and needed something fun to do. I looked around and my eyes caught the princess. She was chatting andughing with other people. How rude, she didn¡¯t even bother about me. I scoffed, thinking of a way to punish her, after all, she¡¯s my enemy. I took my gaze from her, looking elsewhere. I needed to get away from this feast, it was bing suffocating. I nced up again and saw Gwen walking toward me with a seductive look and I smiled, just what I needed.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I dragged Gwen to my chamber, kissing her hungrily. I rip off her clothes leaving her naked in front of me. She also did the same, tearing my clothes while kissing me hungrily. I sucked on her nipples, and she moan, I pushed her to the bed, going on top of her. just when things were about to get heated up, someone barged into the room. What the fuck? I nced up angrily, ready to kill whoever the person was when Zara walked in. She looked drunk as she staggered into the room. She nced up looking at Gwen and me, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. She looked at me smiling, but I red at her angrily. ¡°You look like that arrogant king,¡± she muttered, pointing at me. What the hell, I think she has a death wish. First, she barged into my room, interrupting my fun and she also dared to call me arrogant. I watched her as she walked towards the bed, ignoring the both of us, then she got on the bed and sleep off. Gwen and I watched her as she slept on the other side of the bed away from us. the bed was big enough for even five people to sleep on it. Gwen looked at her, feeling frustrated. ¡°If she was not a princess, I wouldn¡¯t spare,¡± she muttered angrily. By now I was no longer in the mood to have fun anymore. I sent Gwen away even if she didn¡¯t want to go. I picked up my clothes, putting them on. I looked at Zara who was sleeping. She even dared to sleep peacefully after what she did, I¡¯m not going to spare her. Waking up in a balcony CATHERINE¡¯S POV I purposely sent Zara to the king¡¯s room, because I knew he was with that witch Gwen. I really didn¡¯t like her. Carl was my son and I didn¡¯t want that woman to trap him. She may pretend in front of everyone but I knew she was a corning woman. I watched as Zara staggered into the room. She was drunk and it makes my n even more perfect. I smiled when Zara walked into the room, I could just imagine the look on both Carl and Gwen¡¯s faces. I walked closer to eavesdrop on their conversation. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Someone said from behind, making me jump in fear. I turned to see Aiden staring at me. ¡°You scared me,¡± I said holding my chest. ¡°Mom are you eavesdropping on Carl,¡± Aiden muttered with his eyebrow raised. ¡°Of course not,¡± I replied, with an awkward smile. He looked at me suspiciously, before he walked away. For a five years old, he acts like an adult. I looked at the door onest time before walking away, I didn¡¯t want anyone else to catch me eavesdropping. ZARA¡¯S POV I woke up with a startling headache. Looking around I found myself on the floor on a balcony. What the hell! How did I get here? I was so drunkst night that I didn¡¯t remember a single thing that happened. Was I so drunk that I ended up sleeping on a balcony? Even if I didn¡¯t remember a thing, I¡¯m sure a servant would have shown me to my room. I tried remembering what happened, but I couldn¡¯t, so decided to forget it. I stood up with my legs shaking. My body aches a lot because I slept on a hard floor. ¡°Princess, Lia yelled, running towards me. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you, I even asked the servant where you were, and they said you were in the king¡¯s room, but I didn¡¯t find you there,¡± Lia muttered breathlessly. Wait, did she just say the king¡¯s room. ¡°Lia, what was I doing in the king¡¯s room?¡± I questioned, curiously. ¡°A servant told me that he took you to the king¡¯s room yesterday as per the Queen Mother¡¯s orders, he said the king and you will be sharing a room,¡± Lia muttered, with a smirk. If they took me to the king¡¯s room, then how did end up on the balcony. ¡°Princess, are you okay?¡± Lia asked, looking worried. What are you doing on a balcony, when you should be in the king¡¯s room?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t know, can you get me something to stop my headache.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lia replied walking away. I stood there for a minute, before walking in the direction, where Lia went to. ¡°Your Highness,¡± the Servants greeted when they saw me. ¡°Please can you tell me where my things are,¡± I asked a servant, and she looked shocked, Maybe it¡¯s because I use the word, please. I always used please whenever I was asking for something. I may be a princess, but I still considered everyone an equal. ¡°It¡¯s in the king¡¯s room your Highness,¡± she muttered still bowing. ¡°You should stop bowing, just look at me when you talk.¡± ¡°We are sorry your Highness, we won¡¯t be able to do that, you are a princess and we are just servants,¡± the girl replied. ¡°You may be servants, but you are still humans just like me. I would like you to treat me as not only your future queen, but also as a friend,¡± I muttered, and they all looked at me with shock and I smiled. ¡°So can you please show me to the king¡¯s room?¡± I asked the same girl, and she nodded. ¡°This way your Highness,¡± she muttered walking away. ¡°What¡¯s your name? I asked her.¡± ¡°Carmen, my name is Carmen, your highness,¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°It¡¯s nice meeting you Carmen,¡± I said with a smile. I began processing all they have told me. I can¡¯t believe I will be staying in the devil¡¯s room. I mean, there is no way, that will work. who even knows, maybe he was the one who kept me on the balcony. ¡°Princess,¡± Carmen called and I looked at her. ¡°You are different from all the other royals. we thought you were going to be rude and wicked, but you are not like that at all,¡± Carmen said, and I chuckled. ¡°This is the King¡¯s room,¡± she said pointing at a golden door, and immediately I remembereding here yesterday.¡± I didn¡¯t bother knocking or waiting for the guards to announce me, I just barged into his room. Carl was standing there with just a towel wrapped around his waist with water dripping from his body. He had tattoos on his body and looked hot as hell. For a second I was lost staring at him before I snapped out of it. Zara, he¡¯s the devil you can¡¯t fall for his charms I told myself. I nced up to see him smirking at me, and immediately memories ofst night came flooding back. How I walked into the room, and everything that happened. So I was right, it was this arrogant king that kept me on the balcony. Even if I didn¡¯t have proof because I was sleeping by then. I red angrily at him, wishing I could punch his face and wipe the smirk off it. CARL¡¯S POV I decided to pay her back for interrupting my fun. I gently carried her from the bed, walking out of my room. I took her to the balcony down the hall. I wondered how someone could sleep, so deep without even knowing what was happening. Maybe because she was drunk. I dropped her gently on the floor, looking at her for a while. She looked so small. I stood there for a while, staring at her before walking away. **** I walked out of the bath, with just a towel wrapped around my waist when someone barged in. It was Zara, she seems to have a thing for barging into the room. She looked lost for a second before she regained herself and started ring angrily at me. I didn¡¯t care, I just kept on smirking. ¡°Did you sleep well, Princess?¡± I asked with a smirk. The dungeon ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°Did you sleep well, Princess?¡± The arrogant jerk asked with a smirk, and I suppressed the urge to scoff. I put on the fakest smile anyone had ever seen, showing him my teeth. ¡°I slept well Carl,¡± I Muttered, calling him by his name, and I saw his eyes turn dark. He didn¡¯t expect that I would call him by his name. ¡°How did you sleep, Carl?¡± I asked, emphasizing the Carl with a smirk. ¡°You should address me as your Majesty,¡± he said angrily, and I scoff. ¡°But that¡¯s not your name is it,¡± I questioned, trying to get on his nerves. He looked at me like he was going to kill me. I¡¯m the one who is supposed to be angry after he kept me on the balcony. Stupid jerk, I just hate him. ¡°So, what if it¡¯s my name, you have no right to call me by my name,¡± he muttered, walking closer to me. I looked at him, anger evident in his eyes, but I didn¡¯t back down, I met his gaze head-on. ¡°Okay, your Majesty,¡± I said in a mock tone. The way he was looking at me, if looks could kill, I¡¯ll be six feet below the ground. He was so tall, while I looked like a kid in front of him. We were both ring at each other when someone knocked on the door. Lia, walked in with a bowl of soup in her hands. she was trembling as she looked at Carl. ¡°G¡­ Greetings King Carl, I mean your Majesty,¡± she said with a bow. ¡°I brought you soup, she muttered giving the soup to Carl, Instead of me, and he raised his brow in question.¡± ¡°The soup is for me not him,¡± I muttered eying him. ¡°Sorry princess,¡± Lia said giving me the soup, before walking away in a hurry, like someone was chasing her and I chuckled. I walked to the bed, and sat down, crossing my legs, while siping my soup. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Carl asked angrily, and I raised my brow in question. ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m sitting, while drinking soup,¡± I replied. By now, his eye was, even more, darker than before, making me scared. Have I woken up the beast in him? He looked like the devil, a handsome devil. ¡°Guards,¡± he yelled, and the guards outside came running. ¡°I want you to take the princess and locked her up in the dungeon.¡± What, did he just say dungeon, how can he be so cruel? ¡°What are you doing? I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I yelled and he scoffed. ¡°That was for disrespecting the king, guards take her away.¡± The guards grabbed me, taking me away. ¡°You arrogant jerk,¡± I yelled before I could stop myself. ¡°Lock her up for two days without food and water, until she repents,¡± he said turning away, and I kept cursing him in my mind. Thank God I drank all the soup before they dragged me away so I was not feeling hungry. They took me to the dungeon, it looks a little dark and it was cold. I sat on the floor, feeling very angry. I curse you, Carl, I curse you. Bastard, Arrogant jerk, devils in form of a man. I hate him so much. ***** I was there for two days without food and water. No one came to see me, even Lia who tried was dragged away by the guards. I was feeling really weak, hungry, and tasty. Someone walked into the dungeon and I nced up to see Carl with a smirk on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good princess, are you hungry, do you want water? He asked in a mock tone and I red angrily at him. ¡± if you want to get out of here, it¡¯s easy, all you need to do is apologize,¡± he said with a smirk. But I didn¡¯t answer him, he¡¯s not going to break me or see me beg, never. ¡°You are not going to say anything, I think you like it here, so I¡¯ll just live you here for another day,¡± Carl muttered, walking away. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn¡¯t let them out. King Carl, you wicked man, you will surely suffer. ***** I stayed in the dungeon, for another day without food. I couldn¡¯t even move my body anymore because I was so weak. Carl, you bastard, I¡¯ll definitely get back at you for this. How could he treat me like this? Princess, Lia yelled, running into the dungeon and I was surprised the guards let her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry princess, I¡¯m sorry you have to go through this,¡± Lia muttered with so much pain in her eyes. I was really lucky to have a best friend like her. ¡°Lia, how did you get here, if the king knows, you might be in trouble,¡± Thest thing I want was for Lia to get into trouble with the devil. ¡°Princess, I came to take you from here, the king has agreed to your release. He¡¯s so cruel to lock you up without food and water, I had to go beg Catherine, Carl¡¯s mother to help us talk to him, he is really so cruel,¡± Lia muttered, angrily. He surely is cruel, I¡¯m sure his heart is as ck as charcoal, I thought but I didn¡¯t voice it out. I let Lia help me out of the dungeon, I couldn¡¯t walk because my legs felt numb. Immediately I got to the hall, I had to close my eyes because it¡¯s been three days I saw so much light. The servant immediately came to my side helping me. ¡°Your highest, I will prepare a bath for you,¡± one of the servants said, but right now I didn¡¯t care much about having my bath, all I wanted to do was eat and drink. ¡°Lia, can I get some food,¡± I mumbled and she immediately left to get it. I sat down in the dining hall waiting for Lia and once she brought the food, I dug in eating like a hungry lion. I stuff food in my face like someone who had never seen food before. There was a lot of food on the table and I didn¡¯t just eat from one, I ate from all of them. If anyone should see me now, they will never believe am a princess. ¡°Go easy princess, or you will choke,¡± Lia warned, but I was too hungry to care about choking. ¡°Oh my God, I heard shouted from behind but I didn¡¯t care. The person came in front of me and it was prince Aiden, the devil¡¯s brother. He looked at me with curiosity, and I could clearly see the amused look in his eyes. He was just five years old, but I felt my cheek redden from embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be disrespectful, but Are you human or an Alien, how could you eat like that?¡± Prince Aiden said in his tiny voice. me your arrogant jerk of a brother for that, I wanted to say, but I kept quiet. I stared at Aiden for a minute before going back to my food.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Why should I even feel ashamed in front of a kid? King Carl this is all your fault, I will make sure I get back at you for this. Pay back ZARA¡¯S POV After eating, I went straight to take my bath because I stink. I sat in the bath, with my eyes closed, loving the feeling of the warm water on my skin, Lia also sat beside me helping me to bathe. Zara, Someone yelled and I opened my eyes to see Catherine. She walked towards me with an apologetic look, I guess she feel guilty for what her evil son did to me. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m sorry for how my son treated you, I can¡¯t believe that stupid son of mine would lock you up in a dungeon, I only got to know about it a while ago,¡± Catherine said.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± She smiled, patting my head then she walked away. I walked into the devil¡¯s room after my bath, to put on my clothes. It was a good thing that he was not in the room, because maybe apart from being evil and arrogant, he may also be a pervert. I thought about leaving the room to find another room for myself, but I changed my mind. I grinned evilly, as I thought about what to do to Carl. **** It was night already and the arrogant jerk was still nowhere to be seen. Even though I was feeling sleepy, I still waited. After a short while, I could hear footsteps and I immediately put the nket over my body and pretended to be sleeping. Someone walked into the room, and I could tell it was Carl. I opened one of my eyes to take a peek at him. He walked into the closet and then came out with a changed cloth, then he walked toward the bedying beside me and my breath hitched. I was not used to sleeping on the same bed with someone else, but I didn¡¯t have a choice, or I did but didn¡¯t want to take it. I waited until it was midnight when I knew he would be asleep, then I climbed down from the bed, tiptoeing to the closet, then I came out with a set of makeup. Tiptoeing to Carl¡¯s ce, I snap my finger at his face to make sure he was still sleeping. Then I began my work on his face. The arrogant jerk thinks he could make me sleep on a balcony and also lock me up, and go scot-free. I put lipstick on his lips and also drew his brows. I made sure I was gentle so I would not wake him up. After applying makeup on his face. He looked really cute like a girl. But I wanted him to look ugly, so I drew things on his face making him look like a clown. I nced at my handy work still not satisfied. He deserves much more than this, but I didn¡¯t have a choice but to just leave it at that. ncing at him onest time, I tiptoed back to the closet and kept my makeup things before going to bed. I woke up and didn¡¯t find the jerk on the bed. Where could he be, has he seen his face? Climbing down from the bed, I didn¡¯t wait for the servants to help me, I just rushed and took my bath. After bathing, I put on my clothes and shoes and rushed out of the room. ¡°Good morning princess, the servant greeted with their heads down and I replied with a smile. ¡°Where is the king?¡± I asked one of the servants. ¡°The King is in the throne room, the servant said, and I rushed toward the throne room. I hid behind arge pir and watched the king, he was sitting on the throne with his legs crossed and he still had the makeup on his face. I was trying so had to hold back my urge tough. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t look at the mirror, or have a bath after waking up. The council members who stood before the king also had an amused look on their faces. I wonder why none of them dared to tell the king anything. Suddenly, someone walked up to him and whispered something in his ears and his look turned dark. Did, they finally tell him that he looked stupid? I couldn¡¯t hold the urge tough anymore, so I held my mouth,ughing so hard. I was so happy, that I made him look ridiculous in front of all his council members. ¡± princess, what are you doing?¡± Lia asked, and I nced up to look at her. She was staring curiously at me. ¡°Princess did you see the king this morning, he looked like a clown, with make-up all over his face,¡± Lia said and burst intoughter and I joined her. Suddenly, she stopughing and looked behind me, before bringing her eyes to me. Her eyes and mouth were wide open in shock. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t tell me you did that to the king,¡± ¡°And what makes you think I did? I asked Lia with a mischievous smile. ¡°Because he locked you up and that mischievous smile on your face tells me you did it¡± Lia replied. ¡°Okay I did it, I wanted to pay him back for what he did to me¡± I replied. ¡°But princess, the king will be so mad and I¡¯m sure he is not going to let this slide,¡± Lia said, looking worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lia, I will be fi¡­ I was cut off by Carl¡¯s voice. He was standing and he looked really angrily. ¡°Get the princess now,¡± he growled angrily walking away from the throne room, and I shivered. ¡°Princess, the King looked really pissed off, what are you going to do,¡± Lia muttered, sweating profusely. She was shaking as if she was the one in trouble. ¡°I smirked, thinking of a n, I couldn¡¯t let the king find me, or else I would be doomed. ¡°Lia, I will need to find a ce to hide from the king, I muttered walking away with Lia following behind me. ¡°Look who we have,¡± someone said, and I turn to see Gwen, the king¡¯s so-called best friend walking toward me with a smirk. ¡°You really manage to piss off the king, don¡¯t you?¡± Gwen muttered, still smirking. I was not going to just be quiet today, I needed to put her in her ce. ¡°What can I do he is going to be my husband after all, so If I don¡¯t taunt him who will,¡± I replied her with a smirk, and her gaze turned dark. She looked angry and also jealous. ¡°Do you think because you are marrying the king, that makes him yours? he is never going to love you,¡± Gwen blurted out and scoffed. ¡°And do you think because you sleep with the king, that makes him love you? You are just a nobody and someone who throws herself at the king,¡± I replied. You, she said trying to p me, but I caught her hand and flung it, walking away. I didn¡¯t have her time because I was in a hurry, I needed to get away from the king as soon as possible. Hiding ZARA¡¯S POV Lia and I sneaked around in the pce like thieves. We hid behind pirs and furniture. But that was enough. I was sure that if we didn¡¯t leave the pce soon, Carl would find us. ¡°Princess I have an idea,¡± Lia whispered. ¡°What idea?¡± I asked, also in a whisper. ¡°I think we should ask queen Catherine for help, even if she is Carl¡¯s mother, she likes you a lot and I¡¯m sure if we ask her she would help,¡± Lia said. ¡°But how are we going to go to queen Catherine¡¯s rooms, there are guards everywhere,¡± I replied. ¡°You are right princess, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± ¡°Ladies,¡± a tiny voice said, startling me and Lia. We both twirled in the direction to see prince Aiden looking at us. ¡°Aiden, what are you doing here,¡± I questioned, and he rolled his little eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a prince, and this is my pce, I could go wherever I want,¡± he replied, and I realized my question was actually foolish. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to ask what you are doing sneaking around like thieves?¡± Aiden asked. ¡°We are looking for the Princess¡¯s earring,¡± Lia lied and Aiden scoffed. ¡°I know you are lying, so you think you could deceive me because I¡¯m five years old,¡± Aiden muttered, rolling his eyes, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I looked at prince Aiden and an idea came to my mind, maybe he could help us hide somewhere. I didn¡¯t care if he was little, because right now I didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Aiden, I need your help, can you help me and Lia to hide from the king, please, I pleaded, making puppy eyes at him. He looked like he was thinking about it while using his tiny hands to stroke his invincible beard. ¡°I would help you, but what do I get in return,¡± Aiden asked, and I looked at him surprised. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to help you without getting anything in return, nothing in this world is free,¡± Aiden muttered. I didn¡¯t even know what to say. How can a little boy think like this? I found it amusing though. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked him because right now I didn¡¯t have a choice, he was my only option. ¡°I want two pieces of gold,¡± he replied. ¡°What will a little boy like you use gold for?¡± Lia asked. ¡°I won¡¯t remain little forever, so I need to start nning for my future now,¡± Aiden said. Gosh, he¡¯s so cute, I can¡¯t believe how smart a five-year-old is. ¡°Okay Aiden, I¡¯ll give you the gold, just help us hide first,¡± I told him, and he scoffed.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°You have to pay me first, who knows maybe after I help you out, you may decide to go back on your word and not give me my gold,¡± he said. ¡°You are such a cunning boy,¡± Lia muttered. It¡¯s okay Lia, let him be, I told to her. I removed my gold ne and a gold bangle, and gave it to Aiden, he scanned it before smiling at me. ¡°Come with me, he mumbled, walking away and Lia and I followed him, looking around us. He walked fast, avoiding the servants or guards. He took us to his room, walking to a portrait hanging on the wall, the moved it and touched something behind it and a door opened. you wouldn¡¯t even know it was there cause it looked like a wall. ¡°You should follow, this secret passage, it will take you outside the pce,¡± Aiden said, and Lia and I were so happy. ¡°When do you intend toe back?¡± he questioned. ¡°Tomorrow, at noon,¡± I replied. ¡°Okay, juste through the passage early noon, and I will open the door for you,¡± he said, and I pecked his chubby cheek happily. ¡°Thank you, Aiden,¡± I muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, you paid me after all, now go before someone finds you, and you will also need a fire touch because it¡¯s dark,¡± he said. We walked through the secret passage, silently, it was dark, but with the help of the fire touch, we could see where we were going. In no time, we were outside and we jumped up and down, happy that we made it out. ¡°Princess look, Lia said, pointing towards a direction, and I twirled, to look at what she was pointing at. It looked like the road to a market. I didn¡¯t waste time and started running in that direction, and Lia followed behind Lia, we should have fun before we go back to the pce, I yelled. ¡°Princess, you need to change your clothes, so no one will know you are a princess, Lia yelled after me. She was right, what I was wearing looked like what only a royal, or ady of high status would wear. I was wearing a white y gown, with golden embroidery. **** Lia and I changed into normal clothes. I had to sell my remaining gold bangles, so we could buy clothes, and food, and also rent a ce to stay for the night. ¡°Princess, what¡¯s the point of hiding, don¡¯t you think the king will still punish you if you go back to the pce?¡± Lia asked, and I sighed. ¡°It was best to hide now that he¡¯s angry like a beast, because by tomorrow, his anger would have subsided, even if it¡¯s just a little bit,¡± I replied, and she nodded her head. ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you stop worrying, and let¡¯s look for something fun to do, my escape from the pce would not be in vain,¡± I muttered, making Lia roll her eyes. ¡°Princess I can¡¯t believe that you are in trouble, and the only thing you could think about is fun,¡± Lia said, making me chuckle. ¡°Life is short, so I have to make the most of it whenever I can, and you don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to leave the pce again,¡± I muttered. ¡°Come on Lia let¡¯s go,¡± I said, pulling her hands, and walking outside. ¡°Look it¡¯s the princess, someone yelled, making my heart skip. Searching for the princess CARL¡¯S POV I walked into my chambers, feeling tired after the stressful day I had. I saw that annoying princess lying on the bed, but I was too tired to care, so I left her. I walked into my closet, changing into something else, before going to bed. Immediately my head touched the pillow, I slept off. You won¡¯t me me, it¡¯s not easy being the king. I have been working for two days without rest. **** I woke up, still feeling sleepy, but I had to get up early to discuss important matters with my council members. I took a nce at my side to see the annoying princess still sleeping peacefully and I scoffed, climbing down from my bed. I didn¡¯t like the annoying princess staying in my room, butst night I was so tired. once I¡¯m done with the council meeting, I will throw her out of my room. I didn¡¯t bother to have a bath or change my clothes, I just went straight to the throne room. When I walked past some servants, they greeted me and looked at me strangely before immediately bowing their heads in fear. I walked into the throne room, and the council members were already standing and waiting for me. That was one of my rules, all the council members must be present before the king. They all looked strangely at me, before bowing their heads to greet me. Throughout the meeting, I noticed them giving me strange looks, some looked like they were trying hard not tough. What¡¯s wrong? I wondered. It was not like I was saying anything funny. Jeffrey, my right-hand man walked into the throne room, He looked at me stunned, he was also trying not tough, and I started thinking if they¡¯ve all gone mad. Jeffrey walked toward me and bent down to whisper something in my ear, and I let him because I knew it must be something important that only I needed to know. ¡°My king, you look like a clown,¡± Jeffrey whispered, and I red at him. ¡°Did you just insult your king, or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been too lenient with you, that¡¯s why you dare to say such a thing,¡± I blurted out angrily.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. If he was not my right-hand man, and one of my best friends, I would have cut off his tongue immediately. ¡°Sorry my king I didn¡¯t mean it that way, I meant your face has makeup and it made you look like a clown,¡± Jeffrey said in a whisper. What does he mean by makeup? ¡°Jeffrey get me a mirror, I whispered gritting my teeth. If truly I had makeup on my face, I knew it would be that annoying princess, because no one would dare do such a thing. After all, they are all afraid of me. But the princess on the other hand seems not to care. She was fearless and stubborn, which I hated. Jeffrey came back with a mirror in his hands, and I looked at my reflection. I had make-up on, not just make-up, ugly makeup. I was so angry, that I could feel my blood boiling. How dare she? Zara, I wouldn¡¯t spare you. she dared to make a mockery of me in front of my entire council members and even my servants. This time, her punishment would be worse than the first one and no one can save her from me. I stood up angrily, making all my council members tremble in fear. ¡°Get the Princess now,¡± I growled, walking away. All I could think of was punishing Zara. I¡¯m going to make her life miserable. I walked into my Chambers angrily, scanning the room, if she was still on the bed sleeping, but she was not there. I walked into the closet and she was also not there. Where could she be? I thought I couldn¡¯t look for her anymore, I had to take a bath and remove the makeup from my face, then, I will deal with her. After bathing, I put on my royal robe and crown, walking out of my room. I was still furious. ¡°Did you find her?¡± I yelled once I got to the hall. ¡°No, your Majesty. We searched everywhere but we couldn¡¯t find princess Zara,¡± a guard reported. Where could she be, Is she hiding because she knew what she did? ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find,¡± I yelled, making the guards tremble. ¡°Did you search every inch of this pce?¡± ¡°We did my king,¡± the guard replied. If they search everywhere, and she was not there, where did she go then? It¡¯s not like she knew anywhere in this pce. she has only been here for a few days and she didn¡¯t even receive a tour around the pce yet. I thought for a while, did she run away? If she did then someone must have helped her, or there was no way she would leave the pce with no one seeing her. Could it be that mother helped her? because she seemed to like Zara a lot. ¡°Did you search my mother¡¯s Chambers?¡± I asked. ¡°No my king, we won¡¯t dare to search the queen mother¡¯s chambers.¡± The guard was right, no one was allowed to search my mother¡¯s Chambers unless it was a matter of life and death. I walked at a quick pace, to my mother¡¯s room. Zara must have known that the guards won¡¯t look for her there. The guards in front of my mother¡¯s chambers announced me, immediately I arrived. ¡°His royal highness, King Carl,¡± he yelled. ¡°Let him in, mother said from inside, and I walked in, scanning the room for any sign of Zara, but found none. ¡°Catherine, where did you hide the princess?¡± I questioned. I call my mother by her name because she prefers it that way. ording to her, it makes her feel young. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She asked, turning around so I could see her face. She had make-up in her hands, painting her face, and I scoffed. It only made me remember what that princess did to me. ¡°What did you do to that lovely princess, how could you be so cruel Carl?¡± mother muttered, dramatically and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Why do you think I did something, you should be asking me what she did to me, mom¡± ¡°What did she do to you?¡± mother asked, with interest, her eyes lighting up as she looked at me waiting for my answer. If there is one thing mother loves a lot, it was gossip. ¡°That Annoying Princess made me look like an idiot in front of the entire council members, could you believe she put ugly makeup on my face, making me look like a clown.¡± Mother looked at me for a while before bursting intoughter. ¡°She did that, I wish I was there to see your face, oh, how I would have loved seeing you as a clown,¡± mother muttered, pointing at me andughing hard. The woman sure knows how to get on my nerves. ¡°She¡¯s not here clown, I mean Carl, for some reason your name seems to sound like clown,¡± mother said holding her stomach whileughing hard. If she was not my mother, and I didn¡¯t love her so much, I would have removed her tongue. My mother was one of those people who liked getting on my nerves. ¡°If she¡¯s not here, then where is she?¡± I asked again. ¡°How would I know,¡± mother said with an eye roll. ¡°I know where she is?¡± I heard a tiny voice say, turning back I saw Aiden standing there with a smirk on his little face. Another person who gets on my nerves. ¡°Where is she?¡± I asked. Archery CARL¡¯S POV ¡°Where is she, I asked Aiden curiously. ¡± you don¡¯t expect me to just tell you without getting anything in return,¡± Aiden muttered, smirking. I can¡¯t believe he wants something in return for giving me information. I¡¯m not surprised though, because that¡¯s what he always does. ¡°What do you want,¡± I asked him, getting impatient. ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave mother¡¯s chamber first, then we can talk man to man,¡± Aiden said, making scoff. Man to man, he¡¯s just five years old, I wonder what makes him think that he¡¯s a man. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go,¡± I told him, walking out. ¡°Bye kids,¡± mother yelled, after us and I rolled my eyes. ¡°I want three pieces of gold,¡± Aiden, blurted out, immediately we left mother¡¯s chamber and I scoffed. ¡°And what do you intend to do with it?¡± I questioned. ¡°If you really want information, you won¡¯t be asking me questions,¡± Aiden retorted, and I felt like spanking him on his little butt. I looked at the little man in front of me, his face held mischief, and I began to wonder whether he hid the princess in his room. ¡°Aiden did you hide the princess in your room?¡± ¡°And why would I do that?¡± he asked, staring at his nails with a bored look. Signing I decided to just give in to his demands. I gave him the three pieces of gold that he asked for, after all that was nothing to me.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Now tell me,¡± I muttered, staring at him. ¡°I changed my mind,¡± Aiden blurted out, making me re angrily at him. ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked, to be sure I was not hearing things. ¡°I said, I changed my mind. If you had given me the gold immediately I asked for it, I would have given you the information you wanted, but you wasted time, asking questions, so I won¡¯t tell you anything,¡± Aiden mumbled, and I felt like strangling his little neck. I¡¯m so foolish for listening to him, maybe he didn¡¯t even know where the princess was. I sighed, ruffling my hair in frustration. Everyone seemed to be getting on my nerve today. First, it was that annoying princess, then my mother, and now Aiden. ¡°Aiden, can I have my gold back, after all, you¡¯re not telling me where the princess is hiding,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy brother, you already gave me the gold so why take it back, after all, three pieces of gold is nothing to you,¡± Aiden muttered, running away, and I stood there speechless. I just got duped by a kid. ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°Look it¡¯s the Princess,¡± someone yelled, making my heart skip. I was too afraid to look at the person, could it be that the king¡¯s men found me already? ¡°Princess, it¡¯s Theon and Jamie,¡± Lia said, and I immediately turned to see Theon and Jamie walking toward me. ¡°Your highness,¡± they greeted, with a bow. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw them. After the feast held to wee us, I had not seen either of them or even the other soldiers I came with. ¡°Your highness, what are you doing outside the pce,¡± Jamie asked. ¡°I came out for a walk,¡± I lied¡± ¡°Without any guards,¡± Theon blurted out, looking at me with suspicion. ¡°Well, I have Lia with me,¡± I said, pulling Lia to me. ¡°Your highness, Lia is your personal maid, not a guard, if something bad happens to you, I¡¯m sure the king won¡¯t like it,¡± Jamie muttered, and I scoffed. I¡¯m safer outside than in the pce, I thought, but didn¡¯t say it out. Jamie was still looking worried, and suspicious. In all my father¡¯s army, Jamie was the one I was closer to, maybe because he was a general and the head of the personal soldiers assign to me by my father. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry Jamie, no one will even know I¡¯m the princess. He sighed, looking like he wanted saying something, but kept quiet. ¡± I think it¡¯s best if we both guard the princess Theon,¡± mumbled and Jamie agreed. ¡°What brings you two outside the pce,¡± Lia asked, and I also became curious. ¡°We just wanted to take a tour around Everton,¡± Jamie replied, and we also heard that there will be an archerypetition in the market square,¡± Theon added. My eyes lit up, immediately I heard the word archerypetition. At least I found something to do. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I will also participate,¡± I muttered, excited. ¡°Sorry, princess, only men can take part in thepetition,¡± Theon said. What do they mean by only men can take part, why do they think those kinds of things are not meant for women, I was really angry thinking about it. ¡°The princess can take part in thepetition, but she will have to be in disguise,¡± Lia said, and my anger vanished. she was right, I could disguise myself as a man, why didn¡¯t I think of that. but I was still a little mad because women didn¡¯t get to take part in such things. **** All the men who took part in thepetition, looked big, and some even looked scary, I was the only one who looked different, small and girly looking. Thepetition started, and each person wouldpete with another until there were only two people left. The prize for winning was twenty-piece of gold, ten-piece of bronze, and a bag of salt. Salt was very expensive and valuable in all the nations. I wasn¡¯tpeting for the price, but for fun. Jamie and Theon didn¡¯t take part anymore because I waspeting, Even though I tried persuading them to. After along a while ofpeting, all the other opponents had been eliminated leaving me and a scary-looking man. He pulled out his arrow, firing shot after shot, and each hit the target. I also did the same and did not miss my target. I was thinking about just letting him win, when he started blurting out rubbish. ¡°Girly-looking boy thinks he could win against a strong man like me. You should not try such things, it¡¯s meant for people like us. What he said made me really angry. I hated men like him who look down on people. We kept shooting arrows, with none of us missing the target, if there was anything I was good at, it was archery. I practiced from when I was a kid. It was getting dark, and the weather looked like it was about to rain, but I was not willing to let the man win. I needed to put him in his ce. I nced over to where Lia, Jamie, and Theon stood watching, and they had a worried expression on their faces, but they knew I was not going to back out until I won. My opponent was getting angry and impatient, not liking the fact that I didn¡¯t lose or back out. It was his turn to take a shot and this time, he didn¡¯t aim at the target but aimed at me instead. Back in the palace ZARA¡¯S POV He aimed the arrow at me, it was so sudden, that I didn¡¯t have time to react. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, shivering in fear. His eyes were dark and I knew he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot the arrow at me. ¡°Princ¡­ Lia yelled but was immediately cut off by Jamie. He use his hand to cover her mouth stopping her from exposing my identity. Theon and Jamie stood helplessly, watching. They couldn¡¯te close because it might just make the man angrier and he would decide to shoot me. Why did I even leave the pce in the first ce? I could have just stayed there and faced the arrogant king, Instead, I choose to leave, and now I¡¯m in trouble. Mustering up the courage, I decided to ask him what he wanted. ¡°what do you want?¡± I asked boldly, but deep down I was scared. I won¡¯t give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared. ¡°You seem bold for someone, who has an arrow pointed at him, you ask me what I want, you should have just backed down earlier and chose to lose like the others did, but no, you decided to challenge me instead, now it¡¯s toote, I need to put you in your ce. Now I know why the other men lost so quickly, it was because they were afraid of him. Before I could say another word, he shot the arrow at me. I tried dodging, but the arrow still hit me on my chest. Lia immediately rushed to my side, while Jamie and Theon, fought the man. Lia held me, as I moan in pain. I felt a lot of pain, where his arrow pierced me, and felt my eyelid closing. **** I woke up, with a stinging pain, and shrieked. I found myself in a familiar ce that looked like the pce. wait, was I in the pce. I was in the king¡¯s room. I touched where the arrow had pierced me earlier, and it had been removed and wrapped with a cloth. I twired my head to look around the room and found the king sitting on a stool, and staring angrily at me, making me jump in fear. ¡± I see you are awake, runaway princess,¡± he muttered, angrily. Can¡¯t he be a little nice to me seeing my condition? He stood up, taking a slow stride to the bed. Crouching down to my level, he gripped my chin very hard, making me wince. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you are safe because you were shot by an arrow, instead you just got yourself in more trouble with not just me, but also the council members,¡± Carl muttered. How can he be so heartless, I was going to be his wife, so he should at least show a little concern, but no, he looked like he was enjoying seeing me in pain. ¡°And you didn¡¯t only get yourself in trouble, but your guard¡¯s also,¡± he said, standing up, and I looked at him. What did he mean by that?Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°What do you mean by that, where is Lia, Jamie, and Theon, what did you do to them?¡± I asked worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re still alive, but locked up in the dungeon, they helped you escape from the pce and also failed to protect you, so they will also be punished,¡± Carl said, giving me a devilish smile. ¡°Why are you doing this, they didn¡¯t do anything, it¡¯s all my fault, I forced them to go with me, so you should punish me instead,¡± I murmured. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them in. I won¡¯t let him see me cry. ¡°Let them go please, I will dly take any punishment you give me,¡± I pleaded, I really didn¡¯t want my friends to be in trouble. Lia was my best friend, and I also saw Jamie and Theon as friends. Even if Jamie and Theon could take staying in the dungeon, I knew Lia couldn¡¯t, she was not used to such hardships. ¡°You know, you are very reckless, princess. you may look smart, but you are not, you do things without thinking. Do you think if anything happen to you, I would care? no I won¡¯t, and I would also cut off my alliance with Azrael and take over it or better still let the enemy take over it,¡± Carl muttered, without emotions. He doesn¡¯t have a heart, just like they say. I can¡¯t believe I would marry a man like him, I really have bad luck. ¡°I¡¯m only doing Azrael a favor by forming an alliance, so don¡¯t think otherwise. once your wound is healed, you will face punishment,¡± Carl muttered, walking out. I watched his retreating figure and sighed. He¡¯s so bad, heartless man. I needed to look for a way to save my friends, I thought. But first I needed to see Carl¡¯s mother maybe she would help. I tried standing up from the bed but winced when I felt pain in my chest. Iid back on the bed, feeling frustrated. Carl was right, I act with thinking, now I put my friends in trouble. I let the tears I was holding fall, but immediately wiped them when someone walked in. It was Gwen, she had a smirk on her face, as she walked to my side. ¡°I wish you had died instead, but I¡¯m still happy seeing you in pain, I can¡¯t wait for you to be punished, I hope they behead you,¡± Gwen muttered, but I did answer her. I couldn¡¯t waste my voice for some like her. Lia was right, after all. the woman was no good. She kept on bbering nonsense, and I got tired. ¡°Guards, guards,¡± I yelled, and two guards came rushing into the Chambers. ¡°Take her away,¡± I ordered, and Gwen looked shocked, she probably didn¡¯t expect I would do something like that. The guards came to Gwen¡¯s side, pulling her along. ¡®You bitch, you act all high and might, just because you are getting married to the king, how dare you call the guards on me, let go, do you know who I am,¡± Gwen kept yelling as they dragged her away. ¡°What do you think you are doing? Carl¡¯s angry voice thundered. Facing judgment ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Carl growled. The guards holding Gwen immediately let her go, trembling in fear.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Carl, I was just trying to be nice to the princess, by asking how she was, but instead, she treated me badly, and even called the guards to drag me away,¡± Gwen said, running to Carl¡¯s side. He held Gwen¡¯s hand, staring angrily at me. I didn¡¯t bother exining myself, because he probably wouldn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Gwen is my friend and is very special to me, you treating her badly is the same thing as treating me badly. You seem to always get on my nerves princess Zara, and I don¡¯t like it,¡± Carl blurted out angrily. He was so stupid, he didn¡¯t even bother to know if she was telling the truth, he just assumed that I was the one at fault. I didn¡¯t say anything, I just stared at the both of them with bored expression, suddenly remembering that I saw the both of them naked on the bed, the day I got drunk. yuck, so gross and shameless. He was getting married to me, yet he¡¯s still sleeping with another woman. ¡°Why are you quiet, did cat cut your tongue?¡± Carl muttered. ¡°We can just say, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk to you, or give you an exnation,¡± I retorted, and Carl looked like he was going to kill me. ¡°How can she talk to you like that, you are the king. Carl, you should not spare her, you should give her a severe punishment,¡± Gwen muttered, angrily. ¡°Gwen, you should leave,¡± Carl mumbled, and Gwen looked shocked. I was also shocked and didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly send her away. What is he nning to do to me? Does he want to silently kill me and bury my body where no one will find it. The thought made me shiver, and I stared curious at him, watching his every move. Gwen was reluctant to leave at first, but she still did. He moved closer to me, in slow stride, his eyes not leaving my mine. He crouched down, until his was in the same level as me, then he grabbed my chin tightly, I struggled to get away from him, but his grip only grew tighter. ¡°You should stop getting on my nerve Princess, because my patience may run out, and I may decide to snap you neck, and bury you right here,¡± he muttered, with gritted teeth. Bury me right here, and my ghost won¡¯t let you live in peace, you heartless king, I muttered In my mind, but didn¡¯t dare to say it out, before he might just decide to end my life for real. **** It¡¯s been two days since I¡¯ve been in my room. I was really worried about Lia, Jamie and Theon. My wound was now a little better, and I decided that I had to do something to get them out of the dungeon. I have not seen the arrogant king for two days now and I was happy. I didn¡¯t want to see his face, who knows maybe his face gave me bad luck. Today was the day I was going to face the council members, and I really hoped it goes well. I wanted my friends to be free from the dungeon today. Sighing, I walked into the throne room. The council members looked at me like I was a criminal, whomitted a big crime. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so bad about women participating in archery or martial arts. I walked gracefully, with my head held high, not minding the stares of the council members. The arrogant king sat on his throne, a smirk ying at the corner of his lip. I also saw Gwen, among the council members, she had a big smile on her face. I guess she was happy about my predicament. But I was not in the slightest afraid. I was also prepared for them. I stood in front of the crowd, like a criminal, awaiting Judgement. ¡°Princess Zara, you are here today to face a fair trial, for breaking thew and participating in apetition meant for men. you are going to be the future queen of Everton and mother to the people, you should uphold your dignity and be a good example to women, but instead, you break the rule. What do expect the women to learn from you?¡± One of the council member¡¯s blurted out. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right,¡± another agreed. If the women start¡¯s to follow in the princess¡¯s footsteps, they may even start to challenge the men.¡± The council members all seemed to have what to say about me and my behavior. The hall soon became noisy with everyone was talking at the same time. Gwen still had a big smile on her face, while the king just watched quietly without any expression on his face. I didn¡¯t say anything, I just stood there watching, and listening to them. Silence, the kings voice roared and everywhere became quiet. ¡°We are not in a market ce, how dare you turn the throne room into a market square, I might just decide to cut off all your tongues,¡± Carl yelled, angrily and immediately the council members fell on their kneel¡¯s in fear. ¡°Forgive us your majesty, it won¡¯t happen again,¡± they chorused, and Carl scoffed. ¡°It had better not happen again,¡± he muttered, and the council members stood up. ¡°Now, you start with introducing yourself, before you say anything else, and don¡¯t speak unless you are asked to,¡± Carl said. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯m Lord Narciss, the Lord in charge of martial arts. May I speak,¡± lord Narciss inquired. ¡°You may speak Lord Narciss,¡± Carl approved. ¡°Princess Zara, you went against thew of martial arts, which says a woman should not take part in any activity involving martial arts, do you have anything to say,¡± lord Narciss questioned. Sighing, I raised my head to look at the people in front me, it¡¯s time to give them my opinion about what I thought about their dumb rule of women not participate in martial art. ¡°I princess Zara of Azrael and future queen of Everton, thinks that thew is stupid,¡± I blurted out, and everyone gasped. The council鈥檚 support ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°I princess Zara of Azrael and future queen of Everton, think thew is stupid,¡± I blurted out, and everyone gasped. They all stared at me in horror, like I had said the most forbidding thing ever. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯mdy Gwen, thedy in charge of women¡¯s affairs may I speak?¡± Gwen asked. ¡°You may speakdy Gwen,¡± the king ordered. ¡°I think princess Zara holds little regard for thew. She was not brought up well by her parents, she should be punished severely for her reckless art,¡± Gwen spoke, with a smirk. I was not going to let what she said slide. ¡°Lady Gwen, what gives you the right to talk about my upbringing. You have no right to talk about my parents with that disgusting mouth of yours. If we should talk about upbringing, why don¡¯t we talk about yours,¡± I muttered, giving her a smirk. Her face turned pale in horror, as she understood what I meant. I could tell the council about her affair with the king. Yes, the king is allowed to have affairs with other women, but only if the woman was his concubine, and the king is allowed to have a concubine after marriage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for speaking rudely about your upbringing princess Zara, I spoke without thinking,¡± Gwen added, immediately. I guess she was scared of me exposing her affair. I didn¡¯t answer her but turned to face the council. ¡°Can any of you tell me why it¡¯s so bad for women to take part in martial arts?¡± I questioned. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯m Lord Charles, Lord of household affairs. May I speak? ¡°You may speak Lord Charles,¡± ¡°If the women start to take part in what is meant for men, it is possible that they will start to challenge men and see us as their equal instead of their superior,¡± Lord Charles, muttered. I hated men who look down on women and think that women are inferior to them. ¡°Lord Charles, women are not inferior to you, but your equal. If I may ask you Lord Charles who brought you into this world,¡± I questioned. ¡°A woman,¡± he retorted. ¡°A woman, that means you won¡¯t be standing here if it wasn¡¯t for a woman. women help give life and bring people into the world, which is the most precious thing. Then how could you stand there and call a woman inferior,¡± I blurted out, in confidence. my voice rang throughout the entire hall. Lord Charles head was down as he seemed to be short of words. I intend to put every one of them in their ce. Lord Narciss, you say martial arts are meant for women. I just want to ask you this. ¡°You have a wife and a daughter right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do, princess,¡± he replied.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°What if they got into trouble, and it was a matter of life and death, and you were not there to save them, due to your absence, they lost their lives because they didn¡¯t know how to fight and defend themselves. How would you feel?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself for failing to protect them,¡± Lord Narciss answered. ¡°And how would you feel if your wife and daughter were able to protect themselves in your absence or maybe one day you were too weak or injured and could not fight, and your wife was there to help you, wouldn¡¯t that make you feel good,¡± I asked. ¡°It will, Princess.¡± ¡°You all know that sometimes you will be away from your wives and daughter, you should let them learn martial arts, so in your absence they would defend themselves and not cower in fear, waiting for you toe save them.¡± ¡°I agree with your opinion, princess,¡± Lord Narcissmended. ¡°Lord Charles, I¡¯m sure you learned the personality of your wife before you married her, and I¡¯m sure you brought your daughter or daughters If you have any in a good way. you should learn to trust them more. I also think that not all women are interested in martial arts, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°All those in favor of princess Zara, could you raise your hands,¡± the king ordered, and almost everyone raised their hands except for a few. ¡°Princess Zara, since most of the council members agree with you, I will change thew, and make a decree that women can participate in martial arts,¡± the king announced, and I felt really happy. ¡°And what about my friends locked up in the dungeon,¡± I questioned. ¡°That will be for you and me to discuss,¡± he replied with a smirk, making me wonder what he was up to. Carl stood up, walking majestically out of the throne room, and I followed behind. why did he not discuss it in front of the council? We arrived in a room that looked like Carl¡¯s office. He sat down crossing his leg while staring at me. He still had a smirk ying at the corner of his lip, and I knew, he was up to no good. ¡°Why did we have toe in here to talk about the release of my friends, when we could just sort it out with council? I questioned. ¡°Well, because the council might go easy on you and decide to release your friends, just like the way they agreed with you just now. I didn¡¯t want that to happen, I wanted you to suffer a little,¡± Carl retorted. ¡°You are so heartless, my friends didn¡¯t do anything to you, why are you still keeping them in the dungeon? you have no right, after all, they work for me not you,¡± I muttered, angrily. He was getting on my nerves, and I felt like pulling his eyes out. ¡°You should watch what you say princess or I might decide to make your friend¡¯s life harder,¡± Carl growled. I was angry at not only Carl but myself, if only I didn¡¯t decide to have fun and took part in the archerypetition, they won¡¯t be in trouble. ¡°What do you want Carl, What should I do for you to release my friends?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re talking Princess,¡± Carl muttered, walking toward me. He stalked me like I was his prey, looking into my eyes with a smirk. I moved away until my back touched the wall. he put his hands on both sides, making it hard for me to escape. ¡°Princess Zara, do you know what I want,¡± he asked, using his hand to trail my lips. The king鈥檚 illness ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°Princess Zara, do you know what I want?¡± He asked, using his hands to trail my lips. I didn¡¯t give him an answer, I just stared at him, hoping that what he was going to ask for was not beyond what I could do. He stood there staring at me, and not saying a word, his silence was making me more curious. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked, getting impatient. ¡°Why are you in a hurry to know what I want, you shouldn¡¯t be so impatient,¡± Carl muttered, with a smirk. I was clenching my fist hard, to stop myself from punching his face. He was enjoying that I was suffering by keeping me in suspense. ¡°I want you to be my personal maid, for a week,¡± he mumbled, smiling mischievously. He looked like an angel when he smiled, that you wouldn¡¯t know he was the devil. He wants me to be his personal maid, is he crazy or what? I saw myself already smacking his head in my imagination. ¡°Why would I do that? you have thousand of maids in this Pce, why should I also be one.¡± I was burning with anger, knowing that I could not do anything to him. I wish I could p him so hard on the face. He was treating me badly, even though, I was going to be his wife. ¡°You have to do it if you want your friends released. I will give you time to think about it, but you should know that the more time you waste, the more time your friends spend in the dungeon,¡± Carl muttered, walking away. I have to do what he wants at least, just until he releases my friends. ¡°I will do it,¡± I yelled, making him stop on his track. ¡°Good, you chose wisely Princess, but I don¡¯t trust you to not go back on your words, so you will have to sign on this royal decree,¡± he muttered, with a smile. I signed on the royal decree like he wanted, but I also had my ns, King Carl, just wait and watch, I will make you pay for this. ¡°Good now that you have signed this, your friends will be released immediately,¡± Carl said, walking out. I smiled, nning my next move. For everything you do to me Carl, I¡¯ll make sure I give you double. **** It¡¯s been two days now, and that arrogant king, kept his word, by releasing my friends. I walked to the chamber with a jar of wine in my hands. I¡¯ve been going on errands for that arrogant king. He has been making me work non-stop, and I intend to pay him back. ¡°Princess, what do you n to do to the king, I hope you¡¯re not nning to poison him?¡± Lia asked. ¡°Lia, I¡¯m not that evil to poison the king, I may not like him, but I don¡¯t wish him dead either. besides if I poison the king, I¡¯ll be hanged, and Azrael will suffer.¡± ¡°So what do you intend to do Princess?¡± ¡°Lia, just wait and watch,¡± I muttered, with a smirk. ¡°Princess, I hope whatever you do will not get you into trouble with the king,¡± Lia muttered. ¡°I am going to need your help Lia, I need to look for the degree I signed, it will help me with my n.¡± ¡°But princess, how are you going to do that, I¡¯m really scared. What if the king finds out, what do we do then?¡± ¡°Lia, we have to wait until the king is out before searching.¡± **** Lia and I searched every from the king¡¯s chambers to his office. The guards only let me in because I told them I was preparing a surprise for the king. I had almost given up when I found the decree lying on the fall close to his shelf. How could he keep it carelessly, maybe he didn¡¯t think, I would search for it. I immediately took the decree, running out of the king¡¯s chambers. Lia who was waiting for me in the hall immediately came to meet me. I asked her to spy in case the arrogant king wasing. ¡°Princess, did you get it?¡± Lia questioned, and I nodded. ¡°Lia, I need you to go get Catherine, ande to the council room immediately.¡± ¡°Yes princess,¡± Lia replied, walking away. I turned toward the direction of the throne room, I need to get there before the meeting was over. I walked into the council room, with a smile on my face. The council members looked confused to see me, as I never attended any of their meetings, except the day I was judged. Carl on the other hand red at me like he would murder me. In a short while, Lia walked in with Catherine, making the council even more confused. They must be wondering what the queen mother was also doing there. ¡°Princess Zara, you sent for me, it must be something important,¡± Catherine muttered. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s something important. it¡¯s about your son, the king,¡± I blurted out, going to stand in front of the council. I gave Carl a smirk and he knew that I had something off my sleeve. ¡°What about my son, tell me, and don¡¯t be scared Zara,¡± Catherine said. I put on my best-acting face to get the sympathy of all the council, giving each of them the puppy eye, the only person who looked indifferent was Gwen, who kept rolling her eyes, but I didn¡¯t care, after all, she was not the one I was there for.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ever since I got here, your son has always been treating me badly, he always finds a way to pick on me. remember he sent me to the dungeon before, then my friends, he even made me work as a servant before he released my friends.¡± ¡°She is lying, the king wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, she is just looking for a way to get attention,¡± Gwen blurted out. ¡°Keep quietdy Gwen, no one asked for your opinion, how dare you speak about the princess that way, you should know your ce,¡± Catherine yelled, and I gave Gwen a smirk. ¡°Mother, you know I¡¯ll never lie about something like this, I won¡¯t dare try to implicate the king. look I even have proof, this is the royal decree, he made me sign, which says I¡¯ll be his servant for a week. mother I¡¯m not asking for much all I want is for him to treat me better, after all, I¡¯m going to be his wife.¡± I muttered, shedding fake tears. I nced toward Carl, he had a murderous look in his eyes, but that didn¡¯t stop me from winking at him. ¡°King Carl, how dare you bully my child, you good for nothing, I won¡¯t spare you,¡± Catherine yelled, dashing toward Carl, but I immediately stopped her. ¡°No mother, you should forgive him. I think the king has an illness, that¡¯s why he always treats me badly. there was once a man in Azrael, who always treated his wife badly, weter found out he had an illness,¡± I blurted out, and they all gave Carl strange looks. ¡°Is he really sick, maybe that¡¯s why he was always so grumpy,¡± they whisper among themselves. ¡°Princess Zara, we had no idea the king was not treating you well, we apologize, Princess,¡± one of the council members said. ¡°We apologize, Princess,¡± they chorused. ¡°I will make sure the royal physician checks the king,¡± Catherine muttered, patting my hair. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be checked by any royal physician, because I¡¯m not ill,¡± Carl yelled, making everyone shiver. They all bowed their heads in fear, afraid of what he might do to them. Carl walked toward me in a quick stride, he looked directly into my eyes, before pulling me away. Annoying princess ZARA¡¯S POV Carl pulled me roughly toward the chambers. He opened the door pushing me inside before mming it, making me shiver. He started stalking me like I was his prey. I backed away, trying to get away from him, but he immediately pulled me back, mming my body into his. He had a murderous look in his eyes as he stared down at me. This time, I think I¡¯ve really pissed off the devil. I was looking so small in front of him, that I was sure he could just murder me in one go. I gulped down nothing, thinking about this. ¡°Wow princess, I have to say I underestimate you. who would have known you were so cunning,¡± Carl muttered. I swallowed my fears, smiling at him. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say, this is my payback for what you did to my friends and me. How was my acting? You must be impressed,¡± I muttered. He didn¡¯t say anything, he just kept staring at me. ¡°How about I pay you back too, after all, you are not the only one who knows how to y tricks,¡± Carl muttered, with a smirk. What is he up to? Oh God helps me. My heart was beating loud and fast. But suddenly there was a knock on the door, and I was so happy. ¡°Come in,¡± I yelled, and a man in his early forties walked in. He bowed when he saw the king and me. ¡°If you are busy my king, I¡¯ll go back,¡± the man said. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m Eric, the royal physician, the queen mother asked me toe check on the king. ¡°Get out,¡± the king yelled making me finch. The royal physician didn¡¯t waste any time but ran away in fear. He twired, facing me again. ¡°Princess Zara I¡¯ll make¡­ He didn¡¯t finish his statement but was interrupted by Catherine. ¡± What do you want?¡± Carl questioned, grumpily. ¡°Is that the way to talk to your mother, the royal physician, told me you sent him away. Carl, you should take your health seriously,¡± Catherine muttered, and I chuckle silently. They all believed that the king had an illness when he clearly doesn¡¯t. I just made that up to get back at him. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m not sick, I don¡¯t have any illness, I¡¯m sure this annoying princess made it up,¡± Carl muttered, ring at me. ¡°How could you call her annoying? She is going to be your wife, you should treat her better from now on. My beautiful daughter is such a sweet child, she doesn¡¯t deserve such treatment,¡± Catherine said. ¡°Thank you so much mother,¡± I muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry my dear, as long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let my son mistreat you,¡± Catherine muttered, stroking my cheeks with affection. Carl scoffed, looking at the both of us acting all lovey-dovey like real mother and daughter. ¡°I¡¯m your son, you should be on my side, but instead you take this annoying woman¡¯s side, you even let her call you mother, but never allow me to do that, I think she bewitched you,¡± Carl blurted out. ¡°I let her call me mother because she is so younger-looking,pare to an old man like you, people will think I¡¯m really old. Just imagine if I get a suitor, he might run away seeing that I have such an old son. ¡± Mom, they all know that I am your son, so what are you saying, and besides I¡¯m not old, I¡¯m only twenty-five. ¡°Old man,¡± I blurted out, bursting intoughter, and Catherine chipped in. Carl looked like he was about to strangle the both of us, he opened his mouth to say something but remained quiet. Carl walked out of the room angrily, leaving just Catherine and I. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry I lied about Carl being sick, I just want to get back at him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay Zara, I already know my son is not sick, did you see his face when you said that, he looked like he was about to murder you right there and then,¡± Catherine replied, and we bothughed. CARL¡¯S POV I angrily walked out of the room, leaving the two annoying women. I felt like strangling that princess, but I stopped myself. She was always getting on my nerve, she always finds a way to humiliate me in front of my council. Everyone thinks I have an illness because of her. They are so dumb, how can they believe such nonsense. Princess Zara, I¡¯ve been going too easy on you. ¡°My king, you¡¯re needed urgently in the throne room,¡± Jeffrey muttered. He walked alongside me, giving me side nces, like he wanted to say something, but was restraining himself. ¡°Speak Jeffrey,¡± I muttered. ¡°My king, I¡¯m sorry about your illness. I am your friend, but I failed to notice, thank God for the princess, who noticed on time,¡± Jeffrey said. I red at him, making him gulp in fear.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Jeffrey you seem rather bold these days, and always on the princess¡¯s side, how about I cut off that tongue of yours so you can stop blurting out nonsense. why can¡¯t you all see that I¡¯m not ill, it¡¯s just the scheme of that annoying princess.¡± Jeffrey looked at the king and almost burst outughing. Indeed, the king has met his match, someone who Isn¡¯t afraid of him. He suddenly remembered when the king had makeup on and looked ridiculous, he could help but chuckle. ¡± what¡¯s so funny?¡± I asked Jeffrey, who seem to be finding my situation funny. If only he was not my right-hand man and friend, he would be dead by now. IN THE THRONE The council members all gave Carl a strange look, Is he really sick? They couldn¡¯t get over what the princess told them. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m Lord Philip, Lord in charge of Alliance¡¯s, may I speak?¡± ¡°You may speak, Lord Philip.¡± ¡°Your majesty, I hope you are fine, your illness isn¡¯t too severe?¡± Lord Philip, muttered and I red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any illness, the princess made it up,¡± I blurted out. They were starting to get on my nerves. The council members sighed in relief, they wouldn¡¯t like it if the king was sick, because it will be a huge setback to Everton. ¡°My king, your wedding with Princess Zara, should not be dyed any longer. Your alliance with Azrael should be formed immediately. The enemy now know, you want to form an alliance with Azrael, they will try everything in their power to stop the alliance. I think you should just hold a small wedding, in other not to attract the enemy.¡± I chuckled, a small wedding, that will never happen. I¡¯m the most powerful king in all the seven kingdoms, if I hold a small wedding, the enemy will think I fear them. ¡°I Carl, King of Everton, will have a grand wedding that will be heard of in all the seven nations. I will not hold a small wedding, I will let them know who Carl is. I want you to invite all the Kings to my wedding, including my enemies,¡± I muttered. Wedding preparation In Everton, the wedding preparation of King Carl and Princess Zara was going on. Invitations were sent to every king in the seven nations. ANOTHER NATION (somewhere in Neptune) King Arthur sat on his throne and attended to matters concerning his nation. King Arthur and Carl were mortal enemies. Carl¡¯s parents were killed by Arthur¡¯s parents, in a battle long ago between Everton and Neptune, and Arthurs parents wereter killed by Carl after he seeded the throne. ¡°Your majesty, King Carl¡¯s wedding to princess Zara of Azrael will take ce soon, he even sent you an invitation.¡± He looked at the invitation in his hand, Carl you dare to invite me to your wedding. He felt his blood boiling, no matter how hard he tried, Carl was always ahead of him. But this time, he won¡¯t let him win. He wants to get married to the princess of Azrael, I will never let that happen, I won¡¯t let him form an alliance with Azrael, Arthur thought. ¡°Your majesty, are you going to ept his invitation?¡± Arnold, his right-hand man asked. Arthur smirked evilly, he had heard tales of how beautiful the princess of Azrael was. ¡°Of course, I should ept his invitation, since he was so kind enough to invite me, I will surely grace him with my presence. I will also make sure not to leave empty-handed because the princess of Azrael will being back with me, she will be my bride instead,¡± Arthur muttered,ughing evilly. Carl wouldn¡¯t know what hit him, Arthur thought. For a very long time, Arthur has been nning against Carl, it seems like he found a perfect opportunity to execute his n. ZARA¡¯S POV Everyone has been so busy with the preparation for the wedding. I sat in my chambers, which was also the king¡¯s Chambers, I tried many times to get another room, but queen Catherine always refuses. It has been a while, since Ist saw the arrogant king, and I was so happy. At least I have the bed to myself and I also didn¡¯t have to deal with his arrogance. ¡°Princess,¡± Lia yelled running into the room. ¡°Guess what,¡± she mumbled, in excitement. ¡°King Carl fell on his face while addressing his council,¡± I replied, and Lia chuckled. ¡°No your parents are here in Everton, they also brought you aunt anna and cousin with them.¡± What! My parents were in Everton, they didn¡¯t even send me a letter to tell me they wereing. I knew they would be here for the wedding, but I didn¡¯t know they will here this early. ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°In the throne room with king Carl,¡± Lia blurted out I ran out of my chambers, with Lia trailing after me. I¡¯ve really missed my parents, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see them. I got to the throne room, where Carl weed my parents. ¡°Father, mother,¡± I called, rushing toward them. I threw myself on their body almost bringing them down. Zara, mother called with tears in her eyes, hugging me tight, that I almost couldn¡¯t breath. ¡°My sweet child, I¡¯ve missed you, how have you been?¡± mother asked, scanning me. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine, see,¡± I muttered, twirling, and she chuckled. I nced over at father, before going to hug him. Father gained weight a little and also looked less stressed. ¡°Father,¡± I called, hugging him. ¡°My child,¡± he said with a smile, patting my head. ¡°Father, you¡¯ve gained weight, what has mother been giving you?¡± I teased. ¡°What can I say, I don¡¯t have you around to trouble me any more, so maybe thats why I gained weight,¡± he replied, and I rolled my eyes. ¡°You forgot about me Zara,¡± Eric my little cousin mumbled, with an eye roll. He was the same age as prince Aiden, and also very mischievous. He always likes to y tricks. ¡°Eric,¡± I called, with a smile, crunching down to his level. He rolled his little eyes again pouting his mouth. ¡°You forgot all about me because of that bad man,¡± he blurted out, pointing at Carl. Carl rolled his eyes, mumbling some words incoherently under his breath. ¡°Of course not Eric, how can I ever forget my little prince.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t send any letters,¡± Eric retorted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Eric, I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡± I turned towards my aunt Anna only to see her looking dreamily at Carl. Aunt anna, was my father¡¯s younger sister, who lost her husband, she was also Eric¡¯s mother. ¡°Aunt, I called, but she didn¡¯t answer. Aunt, I called again this time louder, she immediately snapped out of her dreamnd, turning towards me. Zara, she squealed, pulling me away to a corner. Did I mention my aunt was a drama queen. ¡°Oh my goodness! she yelled, once we were out of site, fanning herself with her hands. ¡°The king is so hot and dreamy, oh my God! Zara is he human. I¡¯ve heard stories of how ruthless and arrogant he was, but they failed to mention that he looked like a Greek god. I thought he was ugly, only to find out now that he¡¯s was so handsome,¡± She muttered, breathlessly. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t let looks deceive you. He¡¯s the devil and he¡¯s very arrogant.¡± ¡°Forget that Zara, as long as he¡¯s this handsome. If only I was your age I would marry him instead of you. Zara tell me now how is he in bed? My goodness, I¡¯m sure his a beast in bed,¡± aunt squealed, and I immediately covered her mouth before someone heard our conversation. ¡°Aunt, stopped asking, I don¡¯t know, we haven¡¯t had sex yet.¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t done anything yet? Goodness, Zara, I¡¯m disappointed in you, you mean all that hotness I just saw in there is wasting right now, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s also has a big one down there¡± aunt yelled. Goodness, she needs to stop yelling before someone hears us. ¡°Aunt, you need to keep it down. I¡¯m not in any hurry to have sex with the king, after all I¡¯m getting married to him, so we have all our lives.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Oh Lord! all your lives,¡± aunt squealed, Oh my God Zara, I¡¯m so jealous. ¡°Okay aunt let¡¯s go now, I¡¯m sure they must be looking for us,¡± I said, walking away. I knew if I don¡¯t leave there now, she would keep going on and on about it. ¡°Zara, you need to listen,¡± she called after me, but I didn¡¯t listen, instead I increased my pace in other to get away from her. A feast was held at the dinning hall, to wee my parents. I sat very far away from my aunt to avoid her conversation about sex, but that didn¡¯t stop her at all, because immediately after the feast, she kept following me around. ¡°Zara, you can¡¯t avoid this, I¡¯m telling you, do not keep the king waiting, give him your body, seduced him, make him mad about you, before someone else takes him away. ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t want to seduce anyone, and it¡¯s not as if the king likes me.¡± ¡°Forget that Zara, you must seduced the king, he¡¯s a man after all and you are very beautiful and also have the body of a goddess. so what¡¯s stopping you.¡± ¡°Aunt, but love is also important.¡± ¡°Zara, seduction is also important, if you don¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll keep bothering you about it.¡± I was so tired of aunt anna¡¯s bbering, I knew if I didn¡¯t agree with her she wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Aunt, enough, I will seduced the king,¡± I yelled. ¡°And how do you intend on doing that,¡± someone said from behind, startling me. Banquet ZARA¡¯S POV And how do you intend on doing that?¡± someone said from behind, startling me. I immediately turn in the direction, to see Carl with a smirk on his face. I was sure my cheek was red from embarrassment. Oh God, I wish the ground would just open, so I could enter. This is all aunt¡¯s fault, if only she didn¡¯t keep pestering me. I nced up to see Carl still smirking, I¡¯m sure he was enjoying this situation. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s n.. not what you think,¡± I stuttered. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two now,¡± aunt muttered, with a big smile, before walking away. Great, she just left me after putting me in this situation. ¡°But I heard everything, you just said. you will seduce the king, and I am the king. I get it you can¡¯t resist my charms.¡± Gosh, he¡¯s so full of himself. If not for the fact I was so embarrassed right now. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you are not the only king. There are many others, I could have been talking about one of them,¡± I blurted out in my defense. His gaze immediately darken, he grabbed my hands, pulling me closer. He held my chin ring at me. ¡°You won¡¯t dare Princess,¡± he growled. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± I teased, and he scoffed. ¡°Jealous, I¡¯m not jealous princess, I just don¡¯t like to share my things,¡± he replied, before walking away. I felt like punching his arrogant face. he dare called me a thing. The wedding preparation took at least a week. All the kings from the seven kingdoms were present, even king Arthur and king Darian, Carl¡¯s enemy. They all came to witness the wedding of King Carl. Although King Arthur and Darian were there for their own motives. King Arthur sat in his chambers in Everton with king Darian. ¡°What do you n on doing, king Arthur?¡± Darian inquired. Although Arthur and Darian were both kings, Darian respected and feared him a lot. After all, Arthur¡¯s nation, Neptune was far more bigger and powerful than his nation crystal-vile. And he also hated Carl, so it was only right that he joined forces with Arthur. ¡°I n to sabotage, King Carl¡¯s wedding. We can¡¯t let him ally with Azrael. His nation is already powerful and Undefeatable as it is. We must stop his wedding at all cost.¡± ¡°But how do you intend to do that King Arthur. I¡¯m sure Carl will be alert at all times. Seeing that he invited us, do you think he would let his guard down. ¡°I know he would be alert at all times, that is why I nned this carefully. I will make sure nothing goes wrong.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so confident King Arthur, I¡¯ll trust you.¡± After their discussion, king Arthur sat in his chambers. He couldn¡¯t wait for his n to seed. He nned not only to stop Carl¡¯s wedding, but also to marry the princess, and take over Azrael. ¡°Soon I¡¯ll be the most powerful king,¡± Arthur thought,ughing like a maniac.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Someone knocked on his door, causing him to frown. Arnold, his right-hand man walked into the chambers, bowing his head. ¡°King Carl has invited you to a banquet,¡± Arnold announced. The frown on Arthur¡¯s face increased. Thest thing he wanted was to sit in the same ce with his enemy. As if reading his mind, Arnold added ¡°All the other kings would be present too and also the princess of Azrael.¡± On hearing that Arthur¡¯s mood lightens up, at least he would get a chance to see the princess. Minutester, Arthur walked into the banquet, he looked around, to see if he would see the princess, but there was no sign of her. There were other guests there too like Kings and their queens, the princesses and princes, and people of noble status. King Carl, sat on his throne looking all arrogant. He had a bored look on his face, as he sighed continuously. He seemed less interested in the banquet. It was all his mother¡¯s idea to wee the guest. Carl didn¡¯t care what the guest thought, after all he didn¡¯t force them toe. King Arthur saw Carl on his throne, and his anger increased. He could feel his blood boiling as he watched his enemy. Arthur walked toward Carl in a bold stride. King Carl, Arthur called in a mock tone immediately he stood in front of Carl. ¡°It¡¯s such a pleasure to see you,¡± Arthur muttered with a fake smile. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say the same about you¡± Carl, retorted, with a smirk. Arthur clenched his fist, to suppress his anger. ¡°You are still as arrogant as ever Carl¡± ¡°What can I say, Arthur, I can¡¯t do without the arrogance, I love it.¡± Arthur scoffed, ring at Carl, and Carl on the other hand was wearing a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t see the princess anywhere,¡± Arthur muttered. ¡°Why are you so eager to see her, she¡¯s going to be my bride, not yours.¡± Arthur snorted, wanting to say something but was stopped by the Herald¡¯s announcement. ¡°Princess Zara of Azrael¡± the Herald announced. Zara¡¯ walked into the banquet, looking as beautiful as a goddess, in her off-shoulder, white floral gown, and golden crown. She looked like an angel. Everyone who saw her were stunned. The guest began whispering to themselves about how beautiful she was. Zara walked so elegantly with grace and a smile on her face. King Arthur was also stunned. How can she be so beautiful? She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The way her face was small and her long hair were so dark, and her small pouted lips. She looked like a little girl. Although he knew she was twenty-one because of the rumors he heard about her. Arthurs, heart melted immediately at the sight of her. Now more than ever the urge to steal her from Carl was stronger. He was going to do anything to make the princess his. Zara walked toward Carl, who was also stunned, giving king Arthur a slight bow in respect before turning to Carl. ¡°Like what you see?¡± Zara crouched, whispering in Carl¡¯s ears. Been possessed ZARA¡¯S POV Like what you see? I crouched, whispering in Carl¡¯s ears. He scoffed, rolling his eye. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, I¡¯ve seen better,¡± he retorted. I nced over at the man standing next to Carl. He had an evil glint in his eye but smiled immediately I looked at him. He was also handsome and well-built, but not as handsome as Carl. ¡°I¡¯m Zara, princess of Azrael, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I greeted with a slight bow. ¡°King Arthur of Neptune, the pleasure is mine,¡± he replied. Taking my right hand, he ced a kiss on it. Carl, immediately took my hand, wiping off, where Arthur had just kissed, and I chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when someone else touches what is mine,¡± Carl muttered, ring at Arthur. Arthur sneered, looking at Carl with a scorn. Soon she will no longer be yours, he thought, before giving Carl a fake smile. He nced at princess Zara, his gaze filled with admiration. Carl notice the spark in Arthur¡¯s eyes, and pulled Zara closer to him, making her sit on hisp. Carl suddenly yanked me, making me sit on hisp. I jerked, trying to get away, but his stronghold around my waist made it impossible. I took a quick nce at the crowd, and there was a sudden uproar from them, as they cheered, finding both Carl and I amusing. I flushed in embarrassment, hiding my face in the arrogant King¡¯s chest, and heard him cackle. ¡­ Arthur¡¯s was burning with rage, as he watched how Carl pulled Zara to him. He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and angrily walked away. The guest saw how Zara was sitting on Carl¡¯sp and found them amusing. They didn¡¯t know the princess and Carl were that close. ¡°King Carl and Princess Zara, look so perfect together. He made the right decision by choosing her. she will make a fine queen. I heard she is very intelligent, and knows martial art. she also made king Carl and his council approve of women learning martial arts. Theyplimented Zara non-stop. Gwen who was among the guest, couldn¡¯t help but get jealous. She was burning with rage. the hatred she felt for Zara, doubled instantly. Gwen never believed that Carl would let Zara get so close to him. He even went as far as making her sit on hisp in front of everyone. ¡°If this continues, I¡¯m going to lose Carl. Carl is mine, and I will never let this witch take my ce. I should be the one sitting on hisp, not her. I need to get rid of the witch as soon as possible,¡± Gwen thought. Gwen angrily walked out of the banquet. She couldn¡¯t stand seeing Carl with Zara. ¡­ After the banquet, I sat on the balcony with Lia, who was unable to stop grinning. ¡°Princess, I have to admit that you look so good with the king,¡± Lia squealed. She kept on teasing me non-stop, and as if that were not enough, aunt Anna came too. ¡°Zara, Aunt squealed. Oh my God Zara, I never knew you had it in you, I really underestimate you. you acted as if you didn¡¯t want the king, yet you listened to my advice and started seducing him, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s not what you think, Carl was¡­ ¡°Oh Zara, you don¡¯t have to exin. I saw it all. how you whispered in his ears, how you sat on hisp and even buried your face in his chest.¡± ¡°But Aunt¡­ ¡°No buts Zara, just keep it up. who knows maybe next time would be more intimate, and by intimate, I mean kissing, blowjobs, and¡­ ¡± Aunt, I yelled, cutting her off.¡± ¡°I need to go now, my wedding is tomorrow, and I need a lot of rest,¡± I muttered, walking away. Gosh, how can she say all those things so loud? Lia trailed after me,ughing hard, and I rolled my eyes. ¡°You can run away now, but you can¡¯t run away from your wedding night,¡± Aunt Anna yelled after me, and I increased my pace. ¡°Princess, your aunt is right, what will you do on your wedding night?¡± ¡°Lia, whose side are you on? Just keep quiet, and stop sounding like aunt,¡± I retorted, feigning annoyance. ¡°I want you to abduct the Princess tonight, make no mistakes and do it discreetly,¡± Arthur gave orders to his men. ¡°I will distract king Carl in the meantime. So, no one will be able to stop you. If anyone tries, kill them.¡± Arthur¡¯s men left immediately, after receiving his orders, wearing a disguise and ck masks over their heads. CARL¡¯S POV I sat in my chamber after the banquet, while thinking of that annoying princess. I didn¡¯t know why I suddenly became possessive over her. Could it be that I didn¡¯t want Arthur looking at her with his evil eye? King Arthur was my enemy and I have a feeling, he has an ulterior motive. The way he looked at the princess, made me feel like pulling out his eyes. I remembered how I let Zara sit on myp in front of everyone, what was I thinking? It¡¯s not like, I liked her. I mean, she was annoying and gets on my nerves all the time. She even find ways to humiliate me, so why was I possessive? She must have bewitched me because that was the only logical exnation for my behavior. Someone knocked on my door, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°My king, it¡¯s Jerald, may Ie in?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± Jerald walked in, a mischievous smile ying on his lips.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°My king, I have to say you really surprised me. The way you and the princess¡­ ¡°Did youe here to talk about that, or you came here for something reasonable?¡± I questioned, cutting him off. He¡¯s so grumpy, Jerald thought. He may be Carl¡¯s friend, but Carl never gave him special treatment. But he was happy, the king and princess Zara were getting closer. ¡°Sorry, your majesty, King Arthur wants to meet you. Jerald Why does he want to see me? I thought. it was not like we were both on good terms. Thest thing I want is to see my enemy. ¡°My king, you could reject his request, if you don¡¯t want to see him,¡± Jerald suggested. I thought for a while, before agreeing to the request. I knew Arthur must be up to something but still decided to meet him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I will meet him. I want you to ask our most elite warriors to keep an eye on the princess, I have a feeling Arthur will do something,¡± I ordered, before leaving. Arthur was restless while he waited for Carl. Is the bastard noting, did he not get my message? Carl kept him waiting for a long time before finally showing up. He smiled inwardly after seeing Carl. He was able to draw Carl away, it was now left to his men to carry out the rest of the n. ¡°You must have missed me, that¡¯s why you sent for me,¡± Carl muttered, with a smirk. ¡°You guessed right Carl. I thought, why don¡¯t I see the face of my enemy, so I can know how to kill him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so dumb Arthur. Seeing my face, would not give you a n. Instead, you should use your time for more important things, than wasting both our time. If I didn¡¯t know your history with women, I would think that, maybe you were into men,¡± Carl teased. Carl could see the rage in Arthur¡¯s eyes after he called him dumb and smiled inwardly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a drink, while we chat,¡± Arthur muttered. ¡°Why would I do that? I don¡¯t drink with the enemy. who knows, you might poison me,¡± Carl retorted. Arthur scoffed. ¡°Are you scared Carl?¡± ¡°I can never be scared of you Arthur. I just thought, why give you the honor of drinking with me, seeing that you¡¯re not in my league.¡± Arthur clenched his fist, his anger swelling. he hated Carl to the core, and if not for his n, he would never be sitting with him. He knew by now Carl might have suspected he was up to something, but he didn¡¯t care, as long as he achieved his goal. Jerald ran to king Carl, knowing full well that Carl would not like the news he was about to give him, but he didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°My king, princess Zara, has gone missing. The princess is missing ¡°My king, princess Zara, has gone missing,¡± Jerald announced. I looked at him like he had gone nuts. How can that annoying princess go missing? Did she run away? ¡°What do you mean Jerald, how could the princess go missing? Jerald immediately fell to his knees. ¡°My king, I¡¯m sorry, I assigned our most elite warriors to guard the princess at all times, but they were killed. I think some of our guards betrayed us and let the enemy into the pce.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. I asked you to protect her, how could you let this happen?¡± I roared. ¡°You all are useless. just pray I find the princess, or else, I won¡¯t spare any of you,¡± I yelled, walking away. ¡­ Jerald could tell that Carl was angry, and when he was angry, he was extremely dangerous. So he trailed after him slowly. he knew Carl was going to unleash hell on them for failing to protect the princess. King Arthur was gobsmacked after what he just heard. he had indeed sent men to abduct the princess, but they were not real assassins. Although he made ns to abduct princess Zara, he knew it was impossible, because Carl¡¯s nation was guarded by the most dangerous and well-trained guards. Their defense could hardly be broken. No one could infiltrate it unless you had a death wish. so he only hired people who worked in the pce to act as fake assassins to y a trick on Carl and ridicule him in front of everyone. He did that to put doubts in the minds of people. He wanted them to start doubting the strength of Carl and his nation. He wanted people to think that, if Everton could easily be infiltrated, then Carl was not as capable and ruthless, as they thought. Furthermore, he was sure there was no way those fake assassins would have been able to abduct the princess, or could it be someone else? It had to be someone else. whoever it was that made Carl¡¯s guards betray him, should also be powerful, seeing that he went against Carl. But who could it be? He was d the person made his job easy. He was going to abduct the princess, but only when Carl was busy sorting out the doubts, he nted in everyone¡¯s minds. Arnold, Arthur Called. ¡°I want you to spread the news that princess Zara has gone missing, to everyone in all the seven kingdoms,¡± Arthur ordered. Now everyone will doubt you, Carl, Arthur thought, with an evil smirk. ¡°Arnold, I also want you to send some men, to find out who adducted the princess and what happened to the men I sent.¡± ¡°Yes, my king¡± Arnold muttered. He bowed his head in respect, before leaving. Arthur waited impatiently in his chambers, for news of the princess and his men. ¡°Your majesty, King Darian is here to see you,¡± his guards announced. ¡°Let him in.¡± King Darian walked in hastily. ¡°King Arthur, I have to admit, I didn¡¯t think you could pull this off, but you did. How did you manage to abduct the princess so easily?¡± Darian was shocked when he heard the news of Zara¡¯s abduction. How did King Arthur manage to pull that off? He thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t, someone else did,¡± Arthur retorted. Darian¡¯s eye widened in shock. ¡°Who could it be? Darian knew they were the only ones against Carl? Azrael who was against him, were now nning to form an alliance.¡± ¡°Who could it be?¡± Darian questioned. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to find out. I also want to know who is against Carl.¡± we need to find him and make him our ally¡± Darian muttered, and Arthur nodded in agreement. The news of the princess¡¯s abduction has spread like wildfire. Everyone in Everton, and other nations, couldn¡¯t believe it. How can a powerful king like Carl allow such a thing to happen? I thought no one could infiltrate his pce, but I was wrong. Everyone was throwing differentments at Carl for his ipetence. Arthur and Darian were very pleased with whatever was going on with Carl. Carl could even have more enemies, due to this incident. All his hidden enemies may start to surface, once they heard of this. Some nations supported Carl because they could not afford to go against him. But with this incident, they may start to challenge Carl. ZARA¡¯S POV I woke up, to find myself in a chamber, different from mine. It was well arranged and had an antic design. Where am I? I thought, looking around. I was the only one in the room and no one else. Who could have abducted me? I still remember how they broke into the king¡¯s chambers, and took me. Although I had fought them as best as I could, they outnumbered me. I sighed, confused. How was that even possible, how could someone break into the pce and into the king¡¯s chambers? I racked my brain, thinking about it. The only way they could infiltrate the pce was if Carl¡¯s guards had betrayed him. I clearly remembered that his guards also fought with me. Could they be the traitors? Who would be brave enough to go against Carl? Will that arrogant king even care that I was abducted, after all, he hated me. I ruffle my hair in annoyance. Why do I always have bad luck? Tomorrow was my wedding and I was abducted the day before. I rushed toward the door to see if it was open, but it was locked. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± I yelled, banging on the door. ¡°Get me out of here. I won¡¯t spare you once I get you. Who are you, what do you want from me?¡± I screamed, but there was no reply. I sighed in frustration, before going back to sit on the bed. I have to get out of here, and I need a n. I was deep in thoughts when the door clicked open. ¡°A female servant walked in, with a tray of food and a jar of wine. ¡°Who are you, Where am I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Giselle, your highness, and you¡¯re in Nival.¡± In another nation I¡¯m Giselle your highness, and you¡¯re in Nival.¡± Nival? did she say Nival. ¡°What are did you say?¡± I asked to be sure. ¡°I said, you are in Nival, your highness. and this is for you,¡± she replied, putting the food on a table. To say I was confused, was an understatement. How can I be in Nival? Nival was a nation not far from Everton, and they shared a good rtionship. How could they have abducted me? They had no reason to¡­ Could it be that they went against Everton? What could have happened between these two nations? ¡°Giselle, can I see the king?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry your highness, you¡¯ll have to wait for a day to see him because King Alfred is currently in Everton.¡± He is in Everton. What the hell is going on here. The more I thought of it, the more confused I get. ¡°I will take my leave for now, Enjoy your meal, your highness.¡± After Giselle left, I nced at the food on the table, my stomach grumbling at the sight. I sat down and began munching on the food. If I wanted to escape, I needed my strength. Throughout that day, I did nothing but sat in the chamber idle. I paced around wondering what to do. I was feeling bored and I missed my parents, aunt Anna, and Lia. How are they, they must be worried about me? I imagined how restless they would be. At night, Giselle came in again. ¡°Your highness, it¡¯s time for your bath,¡± she announced. I stared at her for a minute, realizing she was beautiful, with long blond hair and brown eye, which I failed to notice earlier because I was thinking about something else. I followed Giselle, as she lead me silently to the bath. I got into the water,ying inside, and loved the way the warm water felt against my skin. For a moment, I forgot about my problems, but once out I was of the bath, they came back. Giselle helped me dry my body and dressed up, before taking me back to the chamber. That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep but kept tossing on the bed. Would the arrogant kinge for me? Carl, pleasee save me. I never knew a day woulde when I would be praying to see that arrogant king. It was almost dawn when I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, it was noon. I stood up, walking to the door, and it was open, and I almost jumped in joy. ¡°Your highness,¡± Giselle called, walking towards me. ¡°The prince would like to see you,¡± she announced. ¡°I was happy because I was finally going to get answers on why I was in Nival.¡± Giselle led me to arge dining room, before leaving. ¡°Princess Zara,¡± a man called, startling me. ¡°Who are you? What do you want from me? I questioned. He was handsome, with brown hair and brown eyes. ¡°I¡¯m prince Kieran, of Nival, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he muttered, cing a kiss on my hand. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say the same Prince Kieran. Tell me why you abducted me, why am I here? ¡°You are here because of that asshole Carl. I wanted to sabotage his wedding that¡¯s why I abducted you,¡± Kieran replied. Is he crazy, he abducted me to sabotage my wedding. If I don¡¯t get married to Carl, Azrael will be in danger. I didn¡¯t think twice, before pouncing on him, hitting him wherever I could. ¡°You better take me back to Everton, or else I won¡¯t spare you. I will make sure, I cut off your balls, you jerk. How could you sabotage my wedding, how dare you abduct me? ¡­ Prince Kieran sighed in frustration. He tried getting Zara to stop beating the hell out of him, but it was impossible.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. I¡¯m so dead. Carl, this is all your fault. Although Kieran has never met Zara, he heard stories of how fierce she was. ¡± princess Zara, I can exin, you have¡­ ¡°Exin what? Zara yelled, pulling Kieran¡¯s hair. She punched him in the nose, breaking his nose. Kieran shrieked, staring at Zara in horror. ¡°Goodness, she¡¯s a beast,¡± Kieran thought. ¡°Help, somebody help, Kieran yelled.¡± He knew he couldn¡¯t handle Zara alone. before she kills him, he should ask for help. The guard came running. They gasp in horror when they saw the state prince Kieran was in. His hair was dispersed, his nose broken, and one of his eyes swollen. ¡°Your highness, they yelled.¡± The guard immediately snatched him out of Zara¡¯s grip. ¡­ After the guards pulled Kieran out of my grip, I realized what I had done. What if they torture me because of this. So far, they¡¯ve been nothing but nice to me. But I couldn¡¯t control my anger when he told me, he wanted to sabotage my wedding. I thought of how it could affect Azrael negatively. I red at the guards, making them back away like I was some kind of monster. ¡°Princess Zara, I will talk to you when you are no longer upset,¡± Kieran blurted out, taking to hill. ¡­ What a vile woman! Kieran eximed, without looking back. He wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if they didn¡¯t abduct the princess. But there was no going back now. How would I handle that rogue princess, Kieran thought? ¡­ I returned to my chambers, pacing around. Giselle walked into the chamber not long after, Holding a tray of food. They were still treating me nicely, even though I had assaulted their prince. Or could it be poison, I thought. ¡°Princess Zara, prince Kieran is not a bad person, you shouldn¡¯t be too hard on him,¡± Giselle recounted. ¡°But he abducted me.¡± ¡°Your highness, sometimes what you believe might not be true. You should be friends with Prince Kieran. He is going to be the next king of Nival, and you never know, you might need his help someday.¡± I looked at Giselle for a while wondering what she meant by, what you believe might not be true. ¡°Princess, you should not think too much, just eat and rx, you have a wedding tomorrow,¡± Giselle mumbled, walking away. What! wedding, what did she mean by a wedding, who am I getting married to? The plot In Everton, things didn¡¯t cool down, rather it got worse. ¡°Your majesty, I fail to understand how the princess could get abducted in a pce that is heavily guarded and defended by well-trained and dangerous guards.¡± ¡°Yes your majesty, I find it strange, that they could easily infiltrate the pce. Although they had the support of those traitors, who betrayed Everton, it can¡¯t be that easy.¡± ¡°How is it possible that they escaped Everton? Someone of high status must have helped them, not just the guards. There must be a traitor among us. ¡°Yes I agree, who do you think is capable of breaking into the pce.¡± We have the best defense in all the seven nations, and from this incident, everyone is beginning to doubt that.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You must do something, King Carl, we must get the princess at all cost, or else Everton will be theughing stock of all the other nations. Carl sat down, silently watching his council as they kept bbing. ¡°My king, you should say something, not just your council and Everton want answers, but all the other nations. ¡°And who told you that the princess got abducted? Carl questioned. ¡°What do you mean your Majesty? The guards and some servants clearly saw the princess getting abducted. ¡°And what if I tell you, that Princess Zara wasn¡¯t abducted,¡± Carl announced. The council members looked at Carl stunned, how could he say the princess wasn¡¯t abducted when everyone knew what happened. Do you think the shock of princess Zara¡¯s abduction affected the king, what is he saying? ¡°My king, it seems like you¡¯re greatly disturbed, why don¡¯t we cease this meeting, until you feel better. But in the meantime, Lord Richards, Lord in charge of defense, will handle the matter of Princess Zara. Carl didn¡¯t say anything but just went along with his council. He left the throne room and went back to his chambers. CARL¡¯S POV ¡°Your Majesty, King n, and Queen Lyarra of Azrael are here to see you, should I let them in?¡± Jerald inquiries. I knew Zara¡¯s parents woulde to see me, I also knew what they were here for even without them telling me. Ever since the news of Zara¡¯s abduction, things have been hectic. I have to admit, it was not the same without her. There was no one to taunt and annoy me anymore, and I also didn¡¯t have to see her annoying face anymore. I should be happy, but for some reason, I was not. Since Zara¡¯s absence, her parents have been restless. They refused to eat or drink anything, and I feel bad for them. Have I suddenly turned soft? Before I didn¡¯t care when people were passing through a hard time. but now, I care more than I should. It must be that annoying princess, she must be a witch and has bewitched me by making me turn soft. ¡°Let them in,¡± I told Jerald. King n walked in with Queen Lyarra, who looked just like Zara, but an older version. They looked distressed like they didn¡¯t have any sleep. ¡°King Carl, where is my Zara? bring back my Zara,¡± Queen Lyarra cried. ¡°King Carl, I made an agreement with you, to form an alliance with Azrael and protect its people. I gave you my daughter, even though back then, we had bad blood, I trusted you. I believed you were capable enough and Zara would be protected. How could you let my daughter get abducted,¡± king n let out. I sat down quietly, without saying a word, I could understand the pain they were going through, But I couldn¡¯t tell them, what was really going on. ¡°Who knows what condition, Zara is in right now,¡± Queen Lyarra added while sobbing. She suddenly came at me, grabbing onto my cloth. ¡°King Carl, you need to bring my daughter back. You must save her, I won¡¯t forgive you if anything happens to my Zara.¡± She screamed, wriggling me. I kept staring at Lyarra. If it were someone else, I would have cut off their hands for grabbing me that way. I didn¡¯t like how I was feeling. I didn¡¯t want to feel bad for anyone. If the enemy gets even the slightest clue that I cared about someone, they could use them against me. ¡°King n, Queen Lyarra I give you my word, that I will get Zara back, and my wedding with Zara will surely take ce,¡± I assured. ¡°King Carl, Since you have given us your word we will trust you,¡± king n, muttered. I could still see the doubt in their eyes but ignored it. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave now, King Carl,¡± king n, said, walking away with queen Lyarra. Jerald walked in immediately. ¡°My king, did something happen, do you want to postpone your wedding to Princess Zara?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Why would I do that Jerald? I won¡¯t postpone my wedding, because I will be getting married to Zara tomorrow,¡± I muttered, with a smirk. ¡°I want you to call back the one thousand soldiers I dispatched to find Princess Zara?¡± ¡°But won¡¯t that arouse the people¡¯s suspicions,¡± Jerald questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t care, Jerald, just do it. Somewhere in Everton Gwen paced around in her chambers, with thought on how to seduce king Carl, while princess Zara was absent. Her father, Lord Francis, who was the king¡¯s advisor, was also in her chamber. ¡°Father, is there any news on that princess?¡± Gwen questioned. ¡°Not yet Gwen. no one knows the whereabouts of the princess and who abducted her. It¡¯s like whoever abducted her, disappeared from the surface of the earth.¡± Gwen smirked, happy that Zara had been abducted, and there was no news of her. It was now the perfect opportunity to seduce Carl and make him hers. ¡°But I find it strange, that someone could infiltrate the pce and the king¡¯s chamber. Something must be going on,¡± Lord Francis let out. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t care about all that. I only care that she¡¯s no longer here to stand between Carl and I. Now, I just have to get pregnant for Carl, I don¡¯t care what the council thinks, or if it¡¯s against thew. I know Carl will surely protect me, once I be pregnant, with his child, Gwen muttered with a smirk. ¡°Gwen, you know the council, will not support your rtionship with the king.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have to help me, father. You need to get the council on our side. I hope that witch Zara dies, that way, I won¡¯t have any obstacles in my path. Lord Francis grinned. he also liked the idea of Gwen bing the Queen. That way, he will not only be the king¡¯s advisor but also his father-inw. ¡°I support you Gwen, but I can¡¯t help, but have a strange feeling. Why didn¡¯t Carl postpone his wedding until princess Zara was found? He only postponed it for a day. Don¡¯t you find it strange? It¡¯s like he¡¯s so sure, he would find the princess. ¡°Stop reading too much to it dad, I¡¯m sure he did that not to stir up more rumors.¡± Gwen reasoned. Lord Francis sighed. Maybe Gwen was right, he might be reading too much to it. Gwen didn¡¯t care, if Carl had to face many criticisms due to Zara¡¯s abduction. she knew he was strong and would get past it. ¡°What if the King finds Princess Zara, what will happen then, What if he decides to still marry Princess Zara? Lord Francis, questioned. ¡°Father, I doubt the king will be able to find her. You just told me that no one knew her whereabouts or who abducted her. You don¡¯t have to worry, before Carl finds Zara, I will make sure I be pregnant with his child, that way, even if he still wants to marry that witch, I¡¯d already have his child,¡± Gwen replied I am going to be the next queen of Everton, and I will do whatever it takes just for that title, she thought. Rogue princess Gwen walked into Carl¡¯s chamber with one purpose in mind, seducing him. where could he be? she thought as she couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°Carl,¡± she called. ¡°Lady Gwen, King Carl is out of the pce,¡± one of the guards reported. ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Lady Gwen, he didn¡¯t say where he was going, but my guess is that he went to find princess Zara.¡± Gwen clenched her fist, her rage swelling. How could he go out to find that princess, Is it that Carl has feelings for her? No that can¡¯t be possible. ¡°I know where my brother is,¡± Prince Adrian cut in, with Eric, Zara¡¯s little nephew. They had been ying around close to Gwen¡¯s chambers and overheard her conversation with her father. Eric and Adrian had be best friends since Eric came to Everton. ¡°Who is that woman? Eric questioned. ¡°My brother¡¯s mistress. Adrian may be five years old, but he knew everything that was going on between Carl and Gwen. ¡°I don¡¯t like her. she wants my aunt Zara dead, so she could snatch the king away. She must be a very bad woman,¡± Eric muttered. ¡°I also don¡¯t like her. She acts all good in front of my brother, but I know she¡¯s a bad woman, who only wants power,¡± Adrian confessed. ¡°Adrian, I think we should teach that bad woman a lesson,¡± Eric mumbled, smiling mischievously. ¡°What do you suggest we do?¡± Adrian asked. Eric told Adrian his n, and the two followed Gwen secretly. ¡°What do you know about the king¡¯s whereabouts? tell me.¡± ¡°Lady Gwen, you don¡¯t expect us to just give you information, without you giving us something in return.¡± Gwen scoffed, getting impatient. ¡°And how do I know you are telling me the truth about knowing the king¡¯s whereabouts?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe us. We overheard him talking to Jerald about going somewhere. We can tell you, but if you don¡¯t want the information, just forget it,¡± Adrian muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Eric.¡± Both Adrian and Eric turned around to leave, sad that their n didn¡¯t work. ¡°Stop,¡± Gwen yelled. The two immediately stopped on their track. ¡°It seems like the cat took the bait,¡± Eric whispered, and they both grinned. ¡°I will give you what you want just tell me,¡± Gwen said. ¡°We want two pieces of gold each.¡± Gwen red at the two and immediately gave the two of them the gold, desperate about getting information. She needed to know where Carl was, so she could go to him. ¡°My brother is on his way to Nival.¡± ¡°Nival, what is he going to do in Nival?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t knowdy Gwen, I only know he¡¯s going to Nival.¡± What could he be going to do in Nival? Gwen thought. ¡°Lady Gwen, you don¡¯t have to go all the way to Nival to meet him. I know you like my brother, and if you want to win his heart, I could teach you how.¡± Gwen nced at Adrian, shocked that he knew about her feelings for the king. But what could a little boy like him possibly teach her about winning Carl¡¯s heart, after all, she grew up with Carl and she knew everything about him. ¡°Lady Gwen, I know you think you know everything about my brother, but are you sure you do? Adrian asked. Gwen who was confident that she knew everything about Carl, began to doubt herself. Lately, Carl has been acting strange. he stopped giving her attention ever since Zara showed up. Instead, he was getting closer to Zara. ¡°So what more can you teach me about Carl?¡± Gwen probed. ¡°I can¡¯t teach you everything in one day, it will take days.¡± Gwen thought for a while, if she should ept the offer, what does this child know that she doesn¡¯t, after all, she was older and he was just five. ¡°Can he really help her? She nced at prince Adrian and then prince Eric. ¡°I ept. Teach me everything, I need to know, about getting Carl.¡± Gwen didn¡¯t mind how long it took or if he was just a child, as long as she could get close to Carl, and be the next queen. And through this, she could also get closer to Adrian. Immediately Gwen left, Adrian and Eric, squealed. ¡°Eric, our n is working, we are one step closer to making that bad woman¡¯s life miserable.¡± ¡°Yes, and by the time we are through with her, she will no longer be able to marry the king,¡± Eric replied. Aunt Zara, I will surely remove that bad woman from your path, Eric thought with a smirk. CARL¡¯S POV After my conversation with Jerald, I decided to go to Nival. It¡¯s time I clear things up and also a chance to meet the annoying princess, and exin things to her. I ordered Jerald to stay back and keep me informed on what was going on in Everton, while I took a few guards with me. It took one and half hours, to get to Nival. I was a little nervous, thinking about how I was going to face the annoying princess. I walked into the throne room to see prince Kieran waiting for me. Kieran was my best friend and also my cousin. ¡°Carl you asshole,¡± Kieran yelled immediately he saw me. He looked like he was beaten up by someone. he¡¯s eyes were swollen, and his nose was broken. ¡°Carl, I thought we were friends, how could you do this to me.¡± ¡°Kieran, what happened?¡± Kieran scoffed, rolling his eyes. ¡°How can you pretend like you don¡¯t know what happened,¡± he whined. ¡°Stop beating around the bush Kieran, I really don¡¯t have time for your whining,¡± I blurted out. ¡°Look what your rogue princess did to me. I wanted exining things to her, but she pounced on me. She¡¯s such a vile woman, a brute.¡± Kieran shrieked, remembering how Zara had beaten him up. The thought made him shiver. ¡°Carl, look what she did to my handsome face, now all the women, refuse to look at me. I even thought when princess Zara saw me, she would get lost, looking at my handsome face, instead, she destroyed it.¡± I was trying so hard not tough, Zara did that to him. It seems like she had a thing for annoying people and causing trouble wherever she goes. ¡°She almost killed me, Carl.¡± ¡°Kieran, you should hide your face in shame. What sort of man gets beaten by a woman.¡± ¡°Carl, how could you say that. You should apologize to me because this is all your fault. if only you didn¡¯t abduct the rogue princess, I would still have my pretty face.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop whining Kieran, and take me to Zara. Failed plan ZARA¡¯S POV I paced around the room, thinking about what Giselle told me. I was getting married, but to whom. It can¡¯t be Carl, after all, I was abducted. who could it be? Is it prince Kieran? Uhhhh! I ruffled my hair in frustration. Maybe I should have just let prince Kieran exin himself instead of beating him up. What do I do now, how do I escape if he intends to marry me? Think Zara, think. There was no way I could fight my way out of this because I would be outnumbered. Carl, you idiot, annoying fool. What is taking you so long toe rescue me? If you don¡¯te now I won¡¯t spare you. Why should I even wait for him toe save me, I should save myself. I ran toward the door, twisting the doorknob, and thankfully it was open. Two guards were standing outside the chamber, and immediately turn to look at me. ¡°Your highness,¡± they greeted with a bow. ¡°Take me to see prince Kieran,¡± I ordered. ¡°Your highness, prince Kieran does not want to see you. I knew he was still angry at me for beating him up, but I needed answers. ¡°Tell him that I¡¯m ready to listen to him, and there will be no violence involved. One of the guards left to deliver my message, and I immediately knock out the other guard. I dragged him into my room, took off his clothes, and wore It. It was a little big, and heavy, but I didn¡¯t care. After that, I wore the guard my clothes, tieing him to the bed, before leaving the chamber. I didn¡¯t want to wait for prince Kieran¡¯s exnation anymore. For all I know, he could be a bad man. I took the opposite direction, to avoid meeting with the other guard, or even prince Kieran. How do I get out of the pce? I don¡¯t even know my way around. I wanted asking for directions but figured out, they might find me strange and alert the prince. I kept walking, making sure to avoid the guards and servants. I was lucky, I also wore a helmet, that way they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize me. After walking for what felt like hours, I finally found a door leading outside. I wanted doing a victory dance but couldn¡¯t, because I was so tired, due to the big and heavy uniform I was wearing. I strolled toward the direction of the door and was almost outside when I heard the sounding rm bell. ¡°Close all the exits,¡± some guards yelleding toward me, and I froze. ¡­Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Prince Kieran and Carl were almost at Zara¡¯s chamber when a guard came running. He was the guard Zara had sent to deliver her message to prince Kieran. ¡°Prince Kieran, the princess wants to see you¡± the guard announced. She also said no violence involved.¡± Kieran shuddered, thinking about why Zara would want to see him. He turned to Carl, with a smirk. ¡°Maybe by the time she¡¯s done with you, I wouldn¡¯t be the only one with a ck eye and broken nose,¡± Kieran muttered. Carl stood in front of the chambers, with Prince Kieran hiding behind him. ¡°Carl, I will wait outside, while you go in,¡± Kieran dered. With what he went through at the hands of Zara, he was scared of going close to her even if she clearly stated that there will be no violence. Carl knocked on the Chamber door but got no reply. He knocked twice again and still no reply. Is she sleeping, why is she not answering. ¡°Are you sure, princess Zara is inside her chamber?¡± Carl asked the guard with a frown. ¡°Yes king Carl, she was inside her chamber just now,¡± the guard replied. ¡°She might be waiting behind the door, with a dagger in her hand, ready to strike,¡± Kieran whispered. He imagined different scenery in his head. How Carl entered the chamber and got stabbed in the chest by Zara. Kieran also imagine Zara cutting off Carl¡¯s ball, and fluttered at the thought. ¡°Be careful Carl,¡± he whispered again. Carl shrugged, opening the door to Zara¡¯s chamber, but gasped in horror at the sight in front of him. He saw the other guard, dressed in Zara¡¯s clothes, and tied to the bed. Prince Kieran also decided to take a peek inside the room and also gasped. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Carl questioned the guard who was tied to the bed, and was now awake. Princes Kieran on the other hand looked around in fear. ¡°Princess Zara knocked me out,¡± he answered. Carl scoffed, roiling his eyes at the guard. ¡°How can a woman knock you out?¡± Carl sneered, ring at the guard. He looked ridiculous in Zara clothes. ¡°It was unexpected king Carl,¡± the guard replied. ¡°Be easy on him man, your woman has the strength of a tiger,¡± Kieran stated. He was beginning to doubt if Zara was really a woman. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have gone far. my guess is that she is still inside the pce. Kieran order your guards to lock all exits. we have to find Zara before someone else does. Carl looked calm but was panicking inside. He prayed silently that Zara was still in the pce. Prince Kieran immediately gave the order to his guards. ¡°Lockdown all exits, and find princess Zara.¡± ¡­ I was panicking as the guards ran toward me. Before I could react, they already locked the gate. How will I escape now? I¡¯m sure they already know I was no longer in my chamber and must have figured that I was nning to escape. ¡°What do I do now?¡± ¡°You, someone yelled, startling me.¡± I twirled, to see two guards walking toward me. I could hear my heart beating loud and fast in my chest. Should I run? If I do, that would make them even more suspicious. They were now standing in front of me, with their eyes scanning me. ¡°Who are you, I¡¯ve never seen you around,¡± one of the guards questioned. ¡°Look at his uniform, it¡¯s oversized, what kind of guard is he. I find him strange and suspicious,¡± the other guard added. ¡°I¡¯m a new guard, newly assigned to the pce,¡± I lied. They looked at each other then back at me. ¡°You are lying, no new guard has been assigned to the pcetely. who are you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably a spy. Take off your helmet now.¡± I was now sweating profusely, my body tensed, and I was afraid. I stood still not knowing how to react. ¡°Take it off now, or we will slit your throat.¡± Reunion I froze immediately I heard the guards say slit my throat. How do I escape this, should I fight them? But if I do that will only alert more guards and the prince. ¡°Inform prince Kieran, that there is an intruder in the pce,¡± one of the guards yelled. A guard immediately left to call prince Kieran. ¡­ ¡°Prince Kieran, we have an intruder in the pce,¡± a guard announced. Kieran nced at Carl, ¡± who could the intruder be?¡± ¡°I think I know who,¡± Carl replied. They both followed the guard to where the intruder was standing. Both Carl and Kieran watched how the intruder was surrounded by a group of guards. The intruder¡¯s head was down and he looked so small and frightened, standing amidst the guard. ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡± Kieran yelled. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on here,¡± prince Kieran yelled, and I shivered slightly. I felt a bead of sweat forming on my forehead, feeling slightly afraid to look at him. If it were under normal circumstances, I would have beaten the hell out of him, as I did before. ¡°Your highness, we caught this intruder roaming around the pce,¡± one of the guards told. I closed my eyes, wishing I could punch the guard¡¯s face. ¡°Who are you,¡± Prince Kieran muttered, striding toward me. I sighed. There was no reason to hide my identity anymore, I¡¯ve already been caught. Prince Kieran was now standing in front of me and we were just a breath away. I removed the helmet, raising my head to re at him. P¡­ prin¡­ cess Zara, Kieran stuttered. ¡°Hello prince Kieran! I let out with a smirk. Prince Kieran backed away from me immediately, peering at me like he just saw a ghost. Zara! Someone called. Why did the voice sound so familiar? It sounded like Carl¡¯s voice. I snap my head in his direction, to meet his hazel eyes staring at me. My heart started to beat fast. Carl can¡¯t be here, right? It¡¯s either I was dreaming, or I was seeing things. Maybe because I badly wanted him toe save me. I didn¡¯t care if it was a dream or if people were watching. I ran toward him, throwing myself on his body. Carl stumbled backward due to the force but steadied himself immediately. I wrapped my legs around his waist, while he held my waist. I¡¯ve never been so happy to see someone before. I also didn¡¯t think a day woulde when I would be so happy to see the arrogant king. Carl? I called, climbing down from his body. He gaped at me in disbelief. I held his face, gazing into his eyes. What if it¡¯s just a dream? There was only one way to find out. I kicked him hard on the groin, then pped his face. After that, I pinched myself. Everyone gasped, peering at me in horror, while Carl screeched, holding his balls. I gasp, realizing he was real. ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming,¡± I screamed, and Carl red at me like he wanted to kill me. I was happy but also found it strange. how did he find me, and howe he looks so calm? I mean he should be fighting with Kieran for abducting me. I nced from Carl to Kieran, in confusion. CARL¡¯S POV I was stunned when she took off the helmet. I was seeing her again after two days, but it felt like it¡¯s been years. For some reason, I felt happy. My heart was pounding hard and fast against my chest. Although I got angry when she humiliates and taunt me, I had to admit, that it was not the same without her. I got used to having her around, even if she annoys me. Zara! I called. She whirled and her brown eyes meets with my hazel ones. I was breathless while staring at her beautiful small face. She looked astounded, as if not believing her eyes. I didn¡¯t expect what she did next. She ran towards me and flung herself on me. She wrap her legs around my waist, while I held her tiny waist. My breath hitched. What! Is she hugging me right now? to say I was shocked was an understatement. no, it must be a fugitive of my imagination. I couldn¡¯t believe it. My whole body froze at our closeness. She felt so small against me, and her waist was tiny. I couldn¡¯t help the feeling building up inside me. It was nice and I felt happy and also strange at the same time. She climbed down from my body, holding my face in her little hands while staring at me. Carl! she called, although it was not the first time she said my name, I couldn¡¯t help but feel it sounded nice this time. ¡°Carl, what are you thinking, You don¡¯t like her right? she¡¯s the annoying princess,e back to your senses.¡± my mind was telling me. I was now convinced she has bewitched me. I needed to see a magician real soon to remove whatever spell she cast on me. I was still lost staring at her, when she kicked me hard on the groin, and also pped me. Groaning, I held my balls, writhing in pain Shit! It hurts. ¡­ Prince Kieran stood, watching the show with his guards. How Zara hugged Carl with her legs around his waist. Uhhh! How sweet, he thought, whipping invincible tears from his eyes. So the rogue princess had a soft side. She looked adorable, he thought. He thought she would be giving Carl the beating of his life. Although she broke his one of his eye and nose, he was beginning to change his opinion about her. Maybe because she misunderstood me, that¡¯s why she was harsh. The guards standing around also thought princess Zara and king Carl looked good together, what a lovely sight. Prince Kieran was also blushing hard like he was the one in Carl¡¯s ce. ¡°I didn¡¯t know my friend would like a woman someday.¡± Suddenly, Zara kicked Carl on his balls, and pped him. they all gasped, holding their breath. Uhhh! Prince Kieran shrieked, as he stared in horror. I seem to have spoken too soon. She¡¯s not adorable, she¡¯s a savage. Goodness, he prayed Carl would be able to have children after such a brutal kick from Princess Zara.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The fear he had for her instantly doubled. He vowed that he would never do anything to anger her. The guards were still in shock, as they stared on. Sweat dripping from their foreheads. We dared to threaten a princess who could p and kick Carl in the groin. Lord save us all. ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming¡± Zara yelled, and I red at her. She almost destroyed an entire generation because she thought she was dreaming. What a woman! She¡¯s so annoying. And here I was, happy that she hugged me. I forget who she was, an annoying person, a barbarian. Zara suddenly looked from me to Kieran, as if struck by a realization. I could see the confusion writhing in her eyes, and I could also guess what she was thinking. She was probably wondering how I found her, and why I was so calm since she was abducted by Kieran. How do I begin to exin that the whole thing was nned by me? Seeing that she already kicked me in the balls, what else will she do when I tell her. Played ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°Carl, can you tell me what¡¯s going on. why do you look so calm. why does it look like you knew I was here already?¡± Tell me what¡¯s going on. Carl stared at me for a while, as if not knowing what to say. ¡°Your abduction was nned by me, it was me who asked Kieran to abduct you.¡± What! did he just say he was the one who ordered my abduction? I stared at him, gobsmacked. Why would he even do that, what was his reason? ¡°Exin why you abducted me, why would you even do a thing like that?¡± I was eager to hear an exnation, but Carl on the other hand, stayed quiet staring at me. ¡­ Prince Kieran nced at Carl, and could tell he was nervous. If someone told him that a woman would make Carl nervous, he would never had believed it. Princess Zara, just who was this woman? Carl has finally met his match, Kieran thought. He immediately dismissed his guards, even though they were reluctant, and wanted to watch the whole thing, they still had to obey their prince¡¯s order. ¡­ ¡°King Carl am waiting I said in a stern tone. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been worried for nothing.¡± Carl sighed, his face void of any emotion. ¡°I abducted you in other to protect you from my enemies.¡± CARL¡¯S POV When King Arthur epted my invitation and came to Everton, I knew he was up to something. There was no way he would just ept my invitation, considering the fact that we were enemies. I had my spy watch his every move and I got to know that he was nning a fake attack. He knew he wouldn¡¯t seed if he attempted to abduct Zara, so he sent fake assassins. The fake assassin he sent, were men from my pce, who betrayed me. he wanted to nt a seed of doubts in people¡¯s mind. He wanted me to be aughing stock. I allow everything to go ording to his n. At that time Prince Kieran had juste to Everton so I asked him to help.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. We made a n to abduct Zara for real. That way, they will think I have a new enemy. I did it in a way to make everyone believe it was real. When king Arthur sent for me, I ept his offer, and when Jerald came to me that the princess was abducted, I pretended to be surprise, and furious. Apart from Kieran and me, No one knew about my ns, not even Jerald. Everything was going ording to n, king Arthur was taking the bait. He even started to spread the news of Zara¡¯s abduction. I let him because I had another n. At the wedding tomorrow when Zara shows up king Arthur will be ridiculed for spreading force information. I exined everything to Zara, an her mouth formed an ¡°O¡±. ¡°So prince Kieran is your friend? I thought he was a bad man, that¡¯s why I had beaten him up.¡± ¡­ Prince Kieran rolled his eyes. ¡°If only you allowed me to exin before pouncing on me,¡± he muttered under his breathe. ¡­ Zara turn to Kieran looking guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, prince Kieran, but you should me Carl. if only he told me about his n, i would have understood. But instead, he kept me in dark. Carl is to me for the misconception.¡± I was stunned at how she put the me on me. Why couldn¡¯t she just admit that she acted rashly? I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Prince Kieran, Zara proceeded in a pitiful tone walking toward him. I stared at her, wondering what she was up too. ¡°I never behave so Irrational, but ever since I met this arrogant king Carl, it¡¯s like I¡¯m slowly forgetting my morals. you are his friend, you know how he is.¡± Prince kieran nodded his head in agreement. Carl also losses his temper easily and sometimes, he tends to act rashly just like Zara did. Maybe his friend was truly the one corrupting Zara¡¯s manners. ¡°Princess Zara, I understand what you are saying, and I agree with you. I forgive you for my broken nose and eye,¡± Kieran mumbled. I stared in disbelief¡­ How could this annoying princess say I¡¯m behind her actions? And my fool of a friend just stood there agreeing to whatever she says. Could she have casted a spell on him? Before I didn¡¯t believe in spells, but now, with the way I acted when she hugged me, and the way Kieran was acting, maybe spell casting was real after all. ¡­ Zara and I went back to Everton with prince Kieran. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know that Zara was in Everton, so I asked the guards to take her through the secret passage, while I went through the main gate. Only the men I went with to Nival, were aware of this. ¡°Jerald, I want you to make the preparation for my wedding, inform everyone. ¡°But my king, princess Zara has not been found.¡± ¡°Just do as I say.¡± Jerald looked at Carl with suspicion. Why is he going on with the wedding, Does he know where Zara is? Remembering how Zara was abducted so easily, his suspicion grew even more. A gave Carl onest look, before walking out. ¡­ King Arthur and king Darian sat together enjoying themselves. So far, everything has been going in their favor. Arnold knocked on the door, ¡°Your majesty, may Ie in,¡± he asked. ¡°You maye in,¡± Arthur replied. Arthur had sent Arnold to keep a close watch on Carl and inform him if Carl made any suspicious move. ¡°Your Majesty, King Carl left the pce awhile ago and he¡¯s back. He has asked his right hand man to announce that, his wedding will be taking ce tomorrow.¡± Both Arthur and Darian turned to Arnold, confused. ¡°Where did he go when he left the pce?¡± Arthur inquiried. ¡°I don¡¯t know, my king. I couldn¡¯t follow him because his right hand man was keeping a close watch on me.¡± ¡°Do you think he has found princess Zara?¡± King Darian reasoned. ¡°I don¡¯t know king Darian, there was no sign of the princess. And if he found her, why would he keep it a secret,¡± Arnold retorted. King Arthur was deep in thoughts. What are you nning Carl? there was no way he would announced his wedding, if he didn¡¯t find the princess, or perhaps know where she was. Now that he thought of it, Zara¡¯s abduction was suspicious, why didn¡¯t he think of that. In a nation such as Everton, someone could break into the pce and into Carls chamber. It was to good to be true. Perhaps Carl was behind everything. ¡°If my intuitions are true, that means Carl yed me, and I fell right into his trap.¡± Wedding Both people from Everton and other nations came to witness Carl¡¯s wedding. They were all awestruck when Carl announced his wedding. It even led to different questions¡­ ¡°Did king Carl find princess Zara, why didn¡¯t he announce it? If he didn¡¯t find princess Zara, who then, is he getting married to¡­ could it be someone else? A smirk yed at the corner of Carl¡¯s lip as he stood majestically in his wedding attire. He couldn¡¯t wait to see the reaction of everyone, when they find out, that Zara didn¡¯t get abducted. Particrly King Arthur. Carl was anxious to see the look on his face when he gets to know, that he was yed. The whole crowd was in a state of distress and their anxiety grew even more as Zara still didn¡¯t show up and they¡¯ve been waiting for quite a while. ¡°Did King Carl bring us here to ridicule us?¡± the other Kings murmured amongst themselves. A few minutester, Zara showed up in her beautiful dress. She looked out of this world. She looked like a beauty goddess. She was wearing a silver-colored attire, adorned with diamonds, which glittered due to the reflection of the sun. She also wore a silver crown and shoes go. The crowd gasped. Words couldn¡¯t describe the shock they felt. They were astounded and amazed at the same time. ¡°Princess Zara is here, why didn¡¯t Carl say anything. When did he find her, who abducted her? Zara¡¯s parents and queen Catherine gave Carl questioning looks. Although they were happy, that Zara had been found, they still wanted answers. ¡°King Carl, what¡¯s going on?¡± King Ragnar of Greenville nation asked. ¡°What could be going on besides my wedding,¡± Carl answered arrogantly, rolling his eyes. King Ragnar was slightly embarrassed. Although he was upset by Carl¡¯s reply, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°King Carl, we all know princess Zara was abducted, why didn¡¯t you tell us, that you found her?¡± ¡°I never told you princess Zara was abducted, it was you who decided that she was,¡± Carl muttered. The crowd stared at him in confusion¡­ ¡°But what about the rumors, and princess Zara¡¯s disappearance?¡± ¡°It was you who chose to believe the rumors and as for Zara¡¯s disappearance, it was my idea. I thought, it would be nice for her to have some time alone before the wedding.¡± ¡°King Carl, you should¡¯ve exined things to us, why did you let us carry on with the idea that the princess was abducted?¡± ¡°Why should I, you wouldn¡¯t have believed it anyway,¡± Carl retorted, groaning in annoyance. He was getting tired of their endless questions. For Godsakes, it¡¯s his wedding, not some questioning event. The members of Carl¡¯s council who were among the crowd bowed their heads in shame. They vividly remember Carl telling them, that Zara didn¡¯t get abducted, but they did not believe him. ¡°It was king Arthur¡¯s men who spread the rumor,¡± someone yelled from the crowd. ¡°Yes, it was his right-hand man who told me about princess Zara¡¯s abduction,¡± another person added. The whole audience started to point fingers at King Arthur¡­ ¡°I thought he came here to attend the wedding, but clearly, he didn¡¯t. What kind of King allows his subjects to spread false rumors, maybe he did it because he¡¯s ipetent, and can never bepared to Carl in anyway. Why did king Carl even send an invitation to such a shallow-minded king?¡± King Arthur bowed his head in shame. He gnashed his teeth, and clenched his fist. His rage threatening to consume him and his blood was boiling. The humiliation was too much. He couldn¡¯t even defend himself. King Darian on the other hand gave Arthur an apologetic look, he couldn¡¯t do anything to help. he didn¡¯t want the crowd to also turn on him. ¡°Enough¡± Carl growled. The whole crowd became mute, no one dared to alter a word. ¡°It¡¯s my wedding, not some bbering show. so could you honor it?¡± The crowd kneeled before Carl as a sign of their apology, and the wedding began. ¡­ ¡°King Carl of Everton do you take Princess of Azrael as your wife and queen?¡± Carl sighed, thinking. I can¡¯t believe, I¡¯m marrying this annoying Princess. After a few seconds, he replied ¡°I do¡± Zara scoffed. What took him so long to reply. She should be the one thinking. After all she was the one marrying such an arrogant person. ¡°Princess Zara of Azrael do you take king Carl of Everton as your husband and king.¡± Zara rolled her eyes. ¡°I do¡± ¡°I now pronounced you husband and wife, and also king and queen. You may now kiss the bride.¡± Carl nced at Zara with a smirk. He finally got a chance to have a taste of her lips. ¡°What is this arrogant king thinking, why is he staring at me like that? I hope he¡¯s not nning to kiss me, I won¡¯t spare him if he tries¡± Zara thought. Carl ignored the warning stare Zara was giving him and went ahead to kiss her. Zara gasped, and Carl took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. He sucked her tongue, then her lower lip.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The priest saw how Carl was ravishing Zara¡¯s lip and immediately made the sign of the cross. Clearing his throat he said. ¡°King Carl, I think you should take this to somewhere private. I mean your chamber.¡± Carl pulled away staring at Zara who looked flushed from the kiss. ¡°All hail king Carl, and queen Zara,¡± the crowd cheered. Hail king Carl, hail queen Zara. ¡­ Gwen who also watched everything unfold was filled with rage. Carl did not even tell her about his ns. How could he change so drastically? This was all Zara¡¯s fault, she thought. Before Zara came to Everton, he was close to her. He shared things with her¡­ When Carl kissed Zara passionately, she felt like stabbing Zara repeatedly until she died. Every inch of her, from her body to her soul burned with Jealously and hatred. ¡°It should be me, I should be his wife, I should be the queen,¡± Gwen said to herself, clenching her fist. She angrily left the venue. There was still hope as long as she was alive. She could still be Carl¡¯s wife and queen. She reassured herself, not caring if he was married. ¡­ King Arthur did not waste any more time in Everton. Immediately after the wedding, he took his men and left Everton. The humiliation he received was too much. He could not even hold his head high as he was leaving. Everyone pointed fingers at him. He was angry, not only at Carl, but also at himself. He couldn¡¯t believe he was so foolish to fall into Carl¡¯s trap. Never in his life, has he been humiliated the way he was today. ¡°Carl you will surely pay for this. you didn¡¯t just humiliate in front of just Everton, but the entire seven-nation¡­ ¡°I promise to make you feel double of what I felt. I will always remember this humiliation and let it add to the fuel, that fires my fury¡­ until I take my revenge.¡± Wedding night ZARA¡¯S POV After the wedding, a banquet was held to celebrate my wedding to Carl, and also the alliance between Everton, and Azrael. ¡°Princess,¡± Lia yelled, running toward me. She threw herself on me, hugging me tight, that I almost couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Lia I can¡¯t breathe,¡± I choked out. ¡°Sorry, princess. I was just so excited to see you. do you know how worried I was? we all thought you were abducted for real. Oh, Princess, I¡¯m so happy,¡± Lia let out, with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here now Lia,¡± I said, exining everything that had happened. My parents and queen Catherine also came to hug me. They were so happy that I was back in Everton. While aunt Anna, on the other hand, was a different case. ¡°Zara, so tell me what happened between you and Carl. Did you leave because you wanted to be alone and seduce the king?¡± Aunt Anna bbered. ¡°Aunt it¡¯s not what you think, Carl was not even with me, remember. He was in Everton, while I was in Nival,¡± I reasoned. ¡°But he still went to Nival yesterday.¡± ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s just one day.¡± ¡°A lot of things could happen in one day. you know what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Aunt countered, a mischievous smile ying on her lips. I looked at her gobsmacked. She was something else¡­ After the banquet, I went back to the chamber without Carl. I didn¡¯t care about the wedding, night. I was so tired after everything that happened today. Iy on the bed about to close my eyes, when Carl stormed in. Ahhh! I grunt. What an annoying man, couldn¡¯t he just walk in gently. ¡°King Carl, do you have to be arrogant all the time. why did you have to barge in like that? It¡¯s not like someone was chasing you.¡± Carl turned to look at me, rolling his eyes. ¡°This is MY CHAMBER, and I can do as I please,¡± he retorted, emphasizing on my chamber. ¡°Oh, and if you don¡¯t like it, you can go find another chamber,¡± he added. I sneered. ¡°This is also my chamber, why don¡¯t you go find another one.¡± ¡°Why should I, it was mine even before you came to Everton. Besides I¡¯m the king, I can have whatever I want.¡± I kept quiet, not saying anything. An evil grin formed on my lips as I thought about something. I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson. Carl walked into the closet, while I pretended to fall asleep. Minutester I heard his footsteps trailing lightly toward the bed. He got on top of the bed, lying beside me. Carl, you are doomed. I waited until he fell asleep, then I punched him in the face. I immediately turned to the other side pretending to still be asleep. Carl jerked up immediately. ¡°What the hell!¡± He yelled. I felt his piercing gaze on me but ignored it. after a while, he went back to sleep. I turned over,nding a punch on his stomach, then kicked him hard, that he fell to the ground with a thud. ¡°Stupid fool¡± he barked in annoyance and I smiled inwardly. He muttered some incoherent words under his breath, before walking out of the room. My eyes snapped open, as stared at the closed door, before going to sleep. I didn¡¯t even fall asleep when the door opened again. I thought about opening my eye to see what was going on but decided against it. I could hear light footsteps striding towards the bed. ¡°How can this annoying princess still be sleeping after everything,¡± Carl muttered, then I felt something wet spattering on my face. what! I gasped. Did he just pour a bucket of water on my face? Carl, how dare you? I pretended not to know he was the one. I jerked up,unching towards him. ¡°Assassin¡± I yelled, hitting him wherever my hands could reach. ¡°Stupid woman,¡± it not an assassin, he wailed. ¡°Oh! sorry, Carl, I was dreaming that an assassin attacked me and poured a bucket of water on me,¡± I blurted out. ¡°You are a fool with no brains. What kind of assassin would attack you by pouring water on you,¡± he growled. I sneered inwardly but smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, I had such a dream,¡± I retorted. He scoffed. ¡°Whatever! I never knew you were a terrible sleeper. How could you sleep like a beast?¡± ¡°I already said sorry, King Carl,¡± I muttered with an eye roll. He sneered, going to lie on the bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± ¡°If you sleep on that side of the bed, where do I sleep? Besides, you were the one who poured water on my side of the bed.¡± ¡°You can sleep on the floor,¡± he repliedzily. I gritted my teeth, ring at him. He had a little bruise from where I punched him. How could he be so arrogant? I am his wife, he should treat me nicely. But thinking about it, I was the one who bullied him. I snorted, going to lie in the small space beside him. we were just a breath away, and I put my head on his chest, then wrapped my arms around him. ¡°What are you doing? I see you are trying to seduce me,¡± Carl mumbled, with a hint of amusement. ¡°Just shut up and sleep, king Carl, you sound like my aunt.¡± ¡­ The next morning I woke up, patting the side of the bed, to check if Carl was still there, but he wasn¡¯t.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. I climbed down from the bed, going outside the chamber. I strolled toward the bathing chamber to clean up. Iyed inside the water, closing my eyes, but opened them when I felt something moving inside of it. Fear engulfed me, and I shivered. What could be inside the water? The only people allowed to use this bath were Carl, and myself. I felt a sudden pull and was enveloped in someone¡¯s body. My face was buried in the person¡¯s chest, while his hands circled my waist. Ahhhh! I screamed, but the person immediately use one of his hands to cover my mouth. Ummm! I grunt, struggling to getaway. ¡­ Gwen sat in chambers, a smile ying on her lips. when she saw Carl this morning with a slight bruise on his face, she felt so angry. What did that witch do to him? Did they fight? She suddenly felt relieved. If they fought, that means they didn¡¯t have sex. A big smile appeared on her face as she thought of this. ¡°If they are not in good terms, I must do something to further drive them apart.¡± She immediately called in one of her loyal men. Who carries out her dirty work. ¡°I want you to sneak into the king¡¯s bathing chamber and wait for queen Zara. when shees, you will go into the bath with her. I will tell Morgana(Gwen¡¯s personal servant) to keep a close watch and inform me when things are going ording to n. I just need the king to see you and Zara together.¡± ¡°Butdy Gwen, that¡¯s like walking straight into my death.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry Draco. The king will not have you killed immediately. Instead, he would lock you up in a dungeon to face trial. And when that happens, I would immediately sneak in, and free you. If the n goes smoothly, I will give you five hundred pieces of gold, fifty bags of salt, and a plot ofnd.¡± ¡°Ok,dy Gwen, I will do as you say.¡± Gwen grinned evilly. ¡°Finally that witch will be out of the picture and I will be the new queen.¡± The Bath Gwen walked out of her chamber, going to look for Carl. ¡°I need to find him soon, or my efforts will be wasted,¡± she thought. She walked into his office, and he was not there. she also went to the throne room, but could not find him. Where could he be? She thought. ¡°Guards, have you seen the king?¡± ¡°No Mdy.¡± After looking around for minutes, she still couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°Did he go back to his chamber?¡± Gwen panicked. She thought of the possibility of Carl and Zara being together. ¡°What if my n fails?¡± ¡°Mdy, you have toe quickly, Draco has carried out your order and is now in the bath with queen Zara.¡± Morgana revealed. Gwen squealed, her n was going smoothly. But she still hasn¡¯t found Carl. ¡°what do I do?¡± She worried. She suddenly caught glimpse of Queen Catherine, walking alongside queen Lyarra(Zara¡¯s mom) and Zara¡¯s aunt, Anna. Perfect! Even if I can¡¯t find Carl, Queen Catherine is fine. ¡°Queen Catherine, I need you toe with me,¡± she blurted out, immediately she got to queen Catherine. Catherine gave Gwen a suspicious look. ¡°What could this woman be up to?¡± Gwen saw that Catherine didn¡¯t want to go with her, so she said, ¡°it¡¯s about Zara.¡± Zara? Catherine, Lyarra, and Anna threw a questioning nce at Gwen. ¡°Yes, Queen mother, Zara. and it¡¯s important.¡± When they heard that, they immediately followed Gwen.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Queen Catherine, Queen Lyarra, and Lady Anna grew closer these past few days. The trio dined and gossiped together. When they saw Gwen heading toward the king and queen¡¯s bathing chamber, they whispered among themselves. ¡°Why is she taking us there? I thought no one besides the king, queen, and the servants who clean the bath is allowed in there. Queen Catherine, was also allowed to go there, but she rarely does. ¡± Gwen, why are you taking us there? What are you up to?¡± Catherine questioned with a frown. ¡°Queen mother, please don¡¯t ask questions. I wouldn¡¯t go in there if it wasn¡¯t something important.¡± Catherine kept quiet and trailed after Gwen. When they enter the bathing chamber, they all gasp at the scene in front of them. Zara! Catherine screamed. When she saw a man holding Zara. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, so they couldn¡¯t see his face. Gwen smirked. Her heart was dancing in joy. Goodness! Queen Lyarra and Lady Anna eximed. ¡°Queen mother, you can now see for yourself the kind of woman your son married, a cheat, an infidel woman.¡± The three women stared at Gwen in shock. ¡°How dare you Gwen, how dare you call the Queen infidel. What¡¯s wrong with her having a bath with her husband?¡± Catherine growled. Gwen whose back was turned toward Zara didn¡¯t see that the man in the bath was Carl, and tried to argue. ¡°Queen mother, that man is not Carl, but someone else. Catherine immediatelynded a hard p on Gwen¡¯s face. Queen Lyarra and Lady Anna, also gave Gwen angry stares. ¡°You wrench, can¡¯t you see? That¡¯s my son.¡± Gwen held her cheek, turning over to see what Catherine was talking about. The man was indeed Carl. His arms were wrapped around Zara¡¯s waist, while Zara buried her face in his chest. What! How is this possible? Why is Carl here and not Draco? Catherine immediately dragged Gwen by the hair. e with me,¡± she rasped. Gwen trembled in fear, knowing that she justnded herself in trouble. ZARA¡¯S POV Carl, I mumbled when I saw the face of the man. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I shrieked. ¡°I should be asking you that,¡± he countered. ¡°Carl, you pervert,¡± I yelled, trying to get away, But he wrapped his arms around my waist. ¡°I know what you are up to, princess,¡± he whispered into my ears, his voice sending a tingling sensation down my spine. We were both naked, and I could feel his hard dick poking my stomach. I shivered slightly, my heart thundering loud against my chest. ¡°Wh¡­ wh¡­ what do you mean?¡± I stuttered. ¡°You know what I mean Princess. You knew I was in here but still came in. Are you trying to seduce me?¡± ¡°Wh¡­ why wo¡­ uld I do that,¡± I faltered, my cheeks heating up, as I tried my best to avoid his piercing gaze. ¡°What are you thinking about huh, your cheeks are shining red princess,¡± he grunts, cing a light kiss on my neck. A gasp escaped my lips, and my eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Carl, what are you doing?¡± I let out in a hoarse voice. ¡°What do you think?¡± He groaned. Zara! someone yelled, and I raised my head to see Catherine, Mother, Aunt, and also Gwen. I gasped, burying my face in Carl¡¯s chest, and I heard him chuckle. Why are they here? I thought, wishing I could disappear. Oh, Lord! I knew they would never let me hear the end of this. ¡°What will they think, Carl¡¯s head was still buried in my neck. A gasp escaped my lips Gwen made a statement about me being a cheat and infidel. What did she mean by that? I was d queen Catherine stood up for me. What did she mean by another man? I nced up to meet Carl¡¯s eye. It was filled with rage. I don¡¯t know why Gwen would make such an usation. I get it, she hates me but I didn¡¯t know she could go this far. Catherine suddenly pped Gwen, and she held her cheek, turning over. There was a surprised look on her face as if she was expecting someone else inside the bath with me and not Carl. The thought made me suspicious. Catherine dragged Gwen by the hair. e with me,¡± she rasped, walking away, with mom and aunt, trailing behind. After they left, Carl let go of me,ing out of the bath. I felt my cheek hit up immediately as he stood naked in front of me. I gulped down nothing, as my eye trailed from his chest to his manhood. God, it¡¯s so huge. ¡°Like what you see?¡± Carl mumbled, huskily and I closed my eyes immediately embarrassed that he caught me staring. Carl put on a robe, walking out of the bathing chamber, and I did the same. I didn¡¯t want to stay there without Carl, fearing that someone mighte in. For some reason, I find what happened earlier strange. Interrogation Gwen knelt before queen Catherine, whose gaze burnt holes through her. ¡°How did you know Zara was in the bathing chamber? Why did you go there, and what was your motive? Speak Gwen,¡± Catherine screeched. Gwen was sweating profusely, as she picked on her nails. She rack her brain for a lie to tell Catherine, but she couldn¡¯t think of any. ¡°Tell me, Lady Gwen, why did you use the queen Zara of such a dispeakable thing. you sounded like you were sure the Zara would be in there with a man, unfortunately for you, that man was my son,¡± Catherine has always seen through Gwen. She knew Gwen was an ambitious, selfish, and conniving woman. She knew that Gwen must have tried to do something, but fortunately, it failed. Gwen thought of something and said, ¡°Qu¡­ queen mother, It was a servant who told me that she saw Zara with another man.¡± Gwen was not willing to go down the drain. After all, if her servant Morgana, had not given her false information, she wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. ¡°It¡¯s Morgana¡¯s fault, so I would pin everything on her. She would be the one to take the fall for this,¡± Gwen thought. ¡°Which Servant?¡± Catherine polled. Gwen bit her bottom lip, ¡°What if things don¡¯t go as nned? What if Catherine doesn¡¯t believe me? but there is no other way out, I have to take the risk. ¡°It¡¯s Morgana,¡± Gwen revealed. ¡°But isn¡¯t she your servant?¡± Catherine countered, giving Gwen a suspicious look. ¡°Yes, she is. But queen mother, I promise I didn¡¯t know that she was spying on Zara, until she came to me, telling me that Zara was in the bath with another man. you know how much I care about Carl, that¡¯s why I quickly rushed to tell you.¡± Catherine gave Gwen a scorn. ¡°I find it hard to believe what you say,dy, Gwen. Your servant has no reason to spy on Zara. but you, on the other hand, have a reason. And oh! It¡¯s Queen Zara and king Carl to you, never address them as Carl and Zara again.¡± ¡°Sorry queen mother,¡± Gwen apologized. I would never try to use the queen like that.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°If you say so, why not call the servant in here, to tell us if she acted on her own ord, or someone else¡¯s,¡± Catherine muttered. Fear engulfed Gwen, as she thought of the possibility of the Morgana exposing her. What do I do now? ¡°Queen mother, you should just lock her up in the dungeon, and let the guards question her because if you do, she might not tell you the truth,¡± Gwen suggested. ¡°Oh! So that means there is a possibility that you lied. Maybe I should have just locked you up instead of questioning you myself,¡± Catherine retorted with a smirk. ¡°Queen Mother, that¡¯s not what¡­ ¡°Guards,¡± Catherine yelled, and two guards came into the chamber. ¡°I want you to bring Morgana,dy Gwen¡¯s servant to me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes your highness,¡± the guards replied, and walked away. Gwen prayed silently after the guards left. ¡°Maybe I should ask Carl for help, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t turn me down.¡± She suddenly remembered the look on his face when she used Zara. He looked upset, even though he didn¡¯t say a single word. ¡°Is he angry at me? After all, he didn¡¯t stop his mother from dragging me away. but maybe if I lie to him about what happened, he would believe and help me,¡± she reckoned. ¡°Queen mother, can I see Carl, I mean king Carl?¡± She requested. Catherine nced at Gwen and immediately guessed with she was up to. She knew that, since Gwen and Carl are quite close, he might want to help her out of this situation. ¡°No, you can¡¯t Gwen. Carl is probably still busy with his wife, so you should let him be,¡± Catherine replied. Gwen scowled. The thought of Carl still being with Zara made her heartburn. She also despised Catherine for refusing her and cursed her inwardly. ¡°Catherine, just wait and see. If by any chance I be the queen, I will surely get rid of you.¡± Shortly after, the guards return with Morgana, who looked pale. Morgana who was sent to spy on Zara hid and waited for Zara in the bathing Chamber. When Zara enter the bath and a man suddenly enveloped her in his body, Morgana thought that it was Draco, since she didn¡¯t see his face. She was also eager to leave the chamber, to avoid getting caught. Catherine stared at the pale Morgana, who looked frightened, she doubted that someone like her would have the guts to spy on the king. Gwen also gave Morgana an angry stare. If it wasn¡¯t for her, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡°Even if she says it was me, I would just deny it, it¡¯s not like she has proof anyway.¡± Morgana nced from Catherine to Gwen, she was even more Scared of what Gwen would do to her,pared to Catherine. When Gwen had asked her to spy on the Zara, she was so scared, but she knew she couldn¡¯t refuse her, after all, she was just a servant, and Gwen, was ady of high status. ¡°Morgana,dy Gwen says, it was you who gave her false information about Zara being with another man, tell me is that true?¡± Catherine inquired. Morgana was quiet. yes she spy on the Queen and she even gave false information, but it¡¯s not like she meant to do it, she was just following orders. She raised her eyes to meet Gwen¡¯s own, Gwen was giving her a murderous look. Morgana immediately took her eyes away. ¡°Maybe I should just tell the truth, but if I do,dy Gwen will not spare me.¡± Morgana was having an inner battle with herself, and Catherine saw this. She saw that Morgana was reluctant to speak. She also saw the fear in her eyes. ¡°Morgana, you don¡¯t need to be afraid, I give you my word as the King¡¯s mother that I would protect you, just tell me the truth,¡± Catherine guaranteed. Morgana could hear the sincerity in Catherine¡¯s words, maybe I should just say the truth, besides the Queen mother is more powerful thandy Gwen. ¡°Queen mother, yes I admit that I spied on queen Zara, but I swear, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°So why did you do it?¡± ¡°It was¡­¡± Passing a verdict ¡°It was the devil,¡± Morgana babbled. ¡°The devil? Catherine asked in disbelief. ¡°Yes, queen mother. I was passing near the king and queen¡¯s bathing chamber and was so curious to see what it looked like since I¡¯ve never been in there, that was when I saw queen Zara and a man. His back was turned to me, so I didn¡¯t know he was the king. I don¡¯t know what made me assume it was another man, and I ran and tolddy Gwen about it. I¡¯m really sorry queen mother.¡± Catherine was speechless. Although she didn¡¯t believe a word Morgana said, she just kept mum. Gwen on the other hand was so happy. ¡°I¡¯m d this lowlife servant didn¡¯t expose me. It¡¯s a good thing she didn¡¯t think queen Catherine could protect her or she would just be fooling herself and digging her own grave.¡± Morgana saw the smile on Gwen¡¯s face and almost scoffed. All high-ss people are the same. Gwen had put all the me on her because she was a servant and would never be able to defend herself. Although she had wanted to expose Gwen, she decided against it. Yes, queen Catherine¡¯s word of assurance was tempting, but she couldn¡¯t risk it. Catherine thought about what to do to the two women. She just didn¡¯t want to talk more about the issue because she didn¡¯t have proof. But it didn¡¯t mean that she was willing to let them go without punishment. ¡°Lady Gwen, for using queen Zara of such a crime, you will have to clean the horse¡¯s stable for seven days.¡± What! Gwen shrieked, her eyes almost bulging out of the socket. Ady of her status, cleaning the stable. ¡°Queen mother isn¡¯t your punishment too harsh, it wasn¡¯t my fault, Morgana just confirmed it,¡± Gwen ty to reason. ¡°I know she did, but I¡¯m letting you off the hook so easily. You should be happy I¡¯m this lenient, or do you want me to take this matter to the council?¡± Fear gripped Gwen at the mention of the council. She knew that if Catherine took the matter to the council, she would be in trouble. They would have investigated it and found out about her involvement. ¡°No queen mother, I¡¯ll clean the stable.¡± ¡°Morgana as from now, you are no longerdy Gwen¡¯s servant, but my servant. And for your punishment, you will work at the mine for seven days.¡± ¡°But queen mother, Morgana is my servant,¡± Gwenined. ¡°Not anymore. I¡¯ll assign someone else to you. Now leave my presence.¡± Gwen stormed off angrily. The nerve of that woman. How could she make me clean the stable and also take away my servant? Gwen was sure that Catherine was still suspicious. ¡°What if she questions her behind my back,¡± Gwen worried. She couldn¡¯t get rid of Morgana because that would make things worse. Catherine will surely know that she was behind it. ¡°Morgana, you too should leave my presence, you have work to do.¡± Morgana bows her head in respect before walking out. She was grateful, that she would no longer have to work for Gwen. ¡­ CARL¡¯S POV When Gwen used Zara, I felt rage building up inside me. I didn¡¯t expect that from her. I felt the urge to punish her for speaking ill of Zara. Why would she do such a thing? I paced around in the chamber, and shortly after Zara came in. She stared at me for a while, before trailing towards me. Why do I feel attracted to her? Even when we were in the bath together, I felt something, that I¡¯ve never felt. I wanted to be close to her. I wanted to do many dirty things to her. ¡°King Carl, let¡¯s go hunting,¡± she mumbled, smiling sweetly. My breath hitched, and my heart thundered loud against my chest. What is wrong with me? ¡°King Carl¡­¡± Zara singsonged, and I red at her, moving away slightly. ¡°Why would I go hunting with you?¡± ¡°So you would get your mind off some things,¡± she answered. ¡°Then, why would I go with you, a woman, when I could just go with men instead?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so wrong in going with a woman? Are you trying to say women are weak?¡± Zara said, frowning. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that Princess.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s clearly what you meant?¡± I sighed, not knowing what to say. Lately, this woman has been rendering me speechless. ¡°You can prove to me that you don¡¯t see women as weak, only if you go hunting with me,¡± Zara muttered. She always knows how to get what she wants. She knew I wouldn¡¯t refuse her if she puts it that way. ¡°Fine Princess, I agree to go hunting with you, but only after, we¡¯ve bid our guest goodbye.¡± ¡°Okay King Carl, just make sure you keep your word,¡± Zara said. Rolling my eyes, I replied. ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word princess.¡± She nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go horse riding for now?¡± She mumbled, giving me a hopeful look. I stared at her in disbelief. She just asked if we could go hunting, and now horse riding, what is she up to? ¡°I¡¯m bored King Carl, please. We don¡¯t have to go outside the pce, it will just be within the pce. Please Carl, please.¡± I didn¡¯t have a choice but to agree to her demands. ¡°Okay, princess, let¡¯s go.¡± Zara squealed like a little girl, sping my hand, and together, we made our way to the stable. ¡­ Gwen was cleaning the stable when she heard Carl¡¯s voice. She twirled in his direction, to see both him and Zara walking toward the stable, holding his hands. Gwen scowled, clenching her fist, if only her n was sessful, Zara would be out of the way already. She quickly hid behind a white horse to avoid being seen by Carl. As it is, she was already embarrassed, she didn¡¯t want him to see her looking like a servant, because she was dirty and covered in horse dung. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t want her enemy and rival, Zara to see her, or she might justugh at her. She crunched down, taking an asional peek at Carl and Zara. Little did Gwen know that she was hiding behind Fury(Zara¡¯s horse). Fury squealed, excreting on Gwen¡¯s head, then raised its legs and kicked her away. The impact of the kick, sent Gwen flying, and she facended in another horse¡¯s dung. Gwen didn¡¯t even know whether tough or cry. She looked ridiculous, like a servant, or even worse than a Servant. Zara ran to her horse, patting its face, while Carl stood beside her watching. She nced over and saw someone lying on the floor covered in feces. ¡°Are you alright,¡± she asked, not recognizing Gwen. Gwen sneered, cursing Zara inwardly, but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zara asked again, looking concerned. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gwen replied, in a high-pitched voice. ¡°My king,¡± Jerald yelled, running toward Carl and Zara. ¡°Queen Zara¡¯s parents said they would like to return to Azrael as soon as possible, to tend to an urgent matter,¡± Jerald announced. Carl and Zara both turn to each other, before exiting the stable. ¡­ ¡°Do you think we should tell King Carl and Zara about it?¡± Queen Lyarra questioned. ¡°No Lyarra, we can¡¯t do that. they have only recently gotten married, it won¡¯t be right to bother them with our problem. It¡¯s Azrael¡¯s problem, we need to solve it ourselves, without Zara or Carl finding out,¡± king n reasoned. ¡°Father, mother,¡± Zara called, walking toward her parent, with Carl trailing along.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why do you want to leave all of a sudden,¡± Zara questioned, worriedly. Carl who was standing beside them also gave them, a questioning look. ¡°Zara, your mother and I have to go back now, it¡¯s not right for us to stay here, leaving Azrael without a ruler and open to treat,¡± king n answered. ¡°But, why so urgent King n?¡± Carl asked. ¡°My kingsmen in Azrael sent me a message, that there¡¯s been a dispute among some of my people, regarding a matter, it¡¯s only right I go back and solve it,¡± king n lied. Carl gave him a suspicious look. something is not right, he thought but didn¡¯t voice it out. He suspected that there was more to what Zara¡¯s dad was let on. ¡°Okay King n, if you insist,¡± Carl muttered. ¡­ King n and queen Lyarra left immediately after saying their goodbyes. Lady Anna had wanted to go with them, but they had refused, saying, it would be best if she stayed back, for the time being, that way queen Catherine and little prince Aiden wouldn¡¯t be lonely. It took days before they finally reached Azrael. IN AZRAEL ¡°Your highness, the situation is really bad. Some of the towns near the border, have been destroyed, and about fifty people dead, and twenty injured.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty, the constant attack is rming, and we need to do something about it before it gets out of hand. As it is, the people are already panicking.¡± King n listened to each of his council members as theyined. He was still in Everton when he received the message about the attack. He had to lie to both Zara and Carl in other to stop them from worrying. ¡°Do you have any idea, who is behind the attack?¡± King n inquired. ¡°Your majesty, we think the one behind it, is¡­ They want an heir ¡°We think the one behind it is king Arthur of Neptune.¡± ¡°Why would he want to attack us?¡± King n asked. ¡°Your majesty, I think it¡¯s because we allied with Everton.¡± ¡°Yes, that could be true, because as far as we know, we haven¡¯t provoked king Arthur in any way, our alliance with Everton could only be the reason.¡± ¡°Your majesty, I think we should ask King Carl for help. You know Neptune is far stronger and has a lot more soldiers than we do. there is no way we could face them if they decide to go to war.¡± King n remained mute, thinking of what to do. He knew his council members were right, Azrael could not afford to go to war with Neptune. the oue would be very bad. ¡°Your majesty, say something,¡± his council members urged. ¡°We can¡¯t ask king Carl for help,¡± King n voiced out. ¡°But why your majesty?¡± Why can we not ask him for help, after all, that¡¯s the reason Azrael allied with Everton, so they can help us in times like this,¡± one of the council members reasoned. He seemed to have triggered everyone because they all started to murmur among themselves. ¡°Silence,¡± king n yelled, and they all went, mum. ¡°The reason we can¡¯t ask King Carl for help is that he recently got married, we should at least consider that and let him focus on his marriage for the time being. We have to find a way, to somehow handle this situation ourselves.¡± The council remained quiet, thinking about what king n had just said, some of them agreed and some were still keen on asking Carl for help. IN NEPTUNE After Arthur returned to Neptune, he was restless. he reminisced the event that had happened in Everton. ¡°Carl,¡± he mumbled, clenching his fist. ¡°Your Majesty, you need to calm down, or you might get a high blood pressure,¡± Arnold muttered, feeling concerned for his king. Ever since they returned from Everton, Arthur has been like that. Every little thing angers him, and he takes it out on his council members and those around him. ¡°How can I calm down? didn¡¯t you see how Carl humiliated me? he yelled. Until I get my revenge, there is no way I would be at peace.¡± ¡°But my king¡­¡± ¡°Save it, Arnold,¡± Arthur shrieked, cutting him off. Unless you have a way I can get back at Carl, I don¡¯t want to hear another word.¡± Arnold nodded but suddenly remember something. ¡°My king, this is urgent. An anonymous person sent you this message,¡± he revealed, handing a scroll to Arthur. Arthur eyed the scroll, before receiving it from him. Arthur opened the scroll, scanning its content, and his gaze gleamed. Whatever the content of the scroll was, seemed to have lightened his mood. Arnold stared, at Arthur, wondering what the content of the scroll was. ¡°Arnold,¡± Arthur dubbed. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°Do you think, Carl would care if there was an attack on Azrael?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Of course, my king. He is now married to Azrael¡¯s princess, and Everton is aligned with Azrael, so he has to care. It¡¯s not an option anymore, it¡¯s an obligation,¡± Arnold responded. Arthur¡¯s lip curved into a smile. ¡°Arnold, I want you to arrange five hundred men, and ordered them to raid the town¡¯s on Azrael¡¯s border.¡± TWO DAY¡¯S LATER CARL¡¯S POV All the guests had finally left Everton. I was now sitting on the throne, with Zara beside me, as we address the issue concerning Everton. ¡°Your majesty, thisst matter concerns you and queen Zara,¡± lord George(Lord in charge of alliance) announced. Zara and I turned to each other, before turning to look at him. ¡°About us?¡± I repeated. ¡°Yes, my king,¡± he replied. ¡°What about us?¡± I blurted out. ¡°My king, since you and queen Zara are finally married, we think It is now time for the both of you to consider giving Everton an heir, ¡°Lord George dered. ¡°Yes, your majesty, Everton need¡¯s an heir,¡± the council members chorused. I stared at them, gobsmacked. I didn¡¯t even know what to say, we just got married a few days back, and now they want an heir? I turned to Zara to see her looking equally stunned. I smirked, as an idea came to my head. ¡°My dear council members, I guess the decision is up to queen Zara. This issue should be addressed to her instead,¡± I announced. I could feel Zara burning holes through me, but Ipletely ignored her, keeping a straight face.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do you say, queen Zara,¡± lord George redirected. ¡°Uh.. uhmm¡± Zara stuttered, and I almost burst intoughter. I guess this issue has rendered the bbermouth princess, speechless. ¡°I¡­ I would work on it with the king,¡± Zara blurted out, her cheek as red as a tomato. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Queen Zara, we hope that in nine months, you would give birth to a set of triplets,¡± lord George mumbled, and the rest of the council agreed. ¡°But, I thought, you just said an heir, that means one,¡± Zara shrieked, looking frightening. ¡°Yes, Queen Zara, but we wouldn¡¯t mind if you could have triplets, right my king?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± I blurted out, smiling mischievously. ¡­ Somewhere in Everton ¡°Gwen, you need to act fast, the council has already started to pressure queen Zara to have a baby,¡± Lord Francis(Gwen¡¯s father) let out. ¡°Father, it¡¯s not as easy as you think. Whenever I n something against Zara, it always seems to backfire. And worst of all is that Carl is now closer to her. I think he likes her,¡± Gwen retorted. ¡°But you and Carl grew up together, I¡¯m sure you still have a ce in his heart.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know father.tely, he¡¯s been distant. we barely talk or even spend time together. what do I do father?¡± Lord Francis thought for a while. He was really looking forward to being the king¡¯s father-inw and if his daughter, could not make that happen, he needs to find a way. ¡°Gwen, I think I have a n,¡± he blurted out. Gwen snaps her attention to her father, giving him a curious look. ¡°Tell me, father.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the king out for a stroll or a pic. I will give you a portion to put in his drink, then you willy with him and be pregnant,¡± Lord Francis advised. The corner of Gwen¡¯s lips twitched evilly. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? She thought. ¡°Father, this is a great n, I¡¯ll surely do as you say. This night, the king and I will surely get intimate,¡± Gwen muttered,ughing evilly. ¡­ That night, Zara decided to spend time with Catherine, her aunt Anna and Lia. While Carl was in his office, reading some scrolls. ¡°Your majesty,dy Gwen would like to see you, should I let her in?¡± his guard¡¯s announced. Carl frowned slightly, remembering what she said about Zara. But he still agreed to see her. ¡°Let her in,¡± he ordered. Gwen walked into the office, her gaze narrowing slightly, to take a quick nce around. Carl nced up to look at her, a look of Irritation, shed across his gaze, before it was reced with an expressionless one. ¡°What do you want Gwen?¡± He snapped. Gwen flinched, looking hurt. ¡°Carl,¡± she called, trailing closer toward him. ¡°I know, you are still angry at me, for what I said about Zara. I just wanted to say that, I¡¯m sorry. I would even apologize to her if you want me to, But please forgive me. I want us to go back to being the best friends we once were. Please, Carl, it¡¯s been long, since we spent time together, Is our friendship no longer important, do I not matter to you anymore?¡± Gwen muttered, schooling her face perfectly into a pitiful expression. Carl tilted his gaze to meet hers. When he saw the hurt expression on her face, he suddenly felt guilty. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m at fault. I forget about my friend once I got married, he thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I neglected you, Gwen, how do I make it up to you?¡± he asked, more calmly this time. Gwen squealed inwardly, she was happy that her n, was slowly walking out. ¡°I want us to have a pic,¡± she muttered. ¡°But it¡¯s night Gwen, you should sleep,¡± Carl urged. Gwen frowned but quickly reced it with a smile when Carl looked at her. ¡°Please Carl, we might not get another chance,¡± she said, giving him a hopeful look. Carl sighed, ncing at the scroll in front of him, then at Gwen. ¡°Okay Gwen, let¡¯s go,¡± he muttered, walking out with Gwen. Intoxicated Gwen and Carl were having their pic in the pce garden. ¡°Remember, when we were little Carl, and I would always hideaway in this garden,¡± Gwen conversed, giving Carl a side nce.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Carl smiled, looking at her ¡°Of course I do Gwen. you were so tiny and it was usually very hard to find you in this garden,¡± he replied. ¡°Here Carl, have this drink to our friendship and your new married life,¡± Gwen muttered, giving Carl a cup of wine, which she spiked. Before Gwen asked Carl out for a pic, she already set up everything, including adding the portion that her father had given to her into Carl¡¯s drink. Carl epted the cup of wine, chugging it down in one go. Gwen grinned, watching as he chugged yet another cup of wine. She had spiked the entire wine including the one she was drinking, but in her case, she had the antidote. ¡°Drink more Carl,¡± she urged, smiling sweetly. ¡°Everything is finally falling into ce,¡± she thought. Little did she know that Prince Aiden and Eric hid in a corner watching the whole scene¡­ ¡°Aiden¡± Eric called. ¡°What do you think that bad woman is up to. I mean the king is married right, why is she getting so close to him?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re just having a pic,¡± Aiden replied. ¡°A pic, in the night, without aunt Zara, I think something is fishy. That bad woman must have something off her sleeve,¡± Eric countered. Aiden tilts his gaze back to Gwen and Carl, observing them. Gwen seem to be trying to get close to Carl, and he was not stopping her. ¡°Hey Aiden, why is your arrogant brother acting strange? he also looks weak,¡± Eric blurted out. ¡°Eric, I think he¡¯s drunk. stay here and keep an eye on them, while I go find aunt Zara,¡± Aiden ordered, running off. Eric stood there, pouting his mouth, and kept watching the scene angrily. A few minutester, Gwen helps a drunk Carl up, taking him to the direction of her chamber. ¡°Where could she be taking him?¡± Eric thought, trailing secretly behind Gwen¡­ ¡°Gwen, where are you taking me? this is not the direction of my chamber¡± Carl mumbled weakly. ¡°Yes, it is Carl. you are just confused because you¡¯re intoxicated,¡± Gwen told him, smiling evilly. Meanwhile, Aiden ran to his brother¡¯s chamber to find Zara. ¡°Guards, announced me, tell queen Zara that I¡¯m here to see her, it¡¯s urgent,¡± Aiden ordered the guards in front of the king¡¯s chamber. ¡°Little Prince, Queen Zara is not here,¡± one of the guards replied. ¡°Where is she then?¡± he inquired, looking impatient. ¡°She is in queen Catherine¡¯s chambers as we speak.¡± Aiden nodded his head. He twirled, running toward Catherine¡¯s chamber. ¡­ Zara drinks more,¡± Catherine, Lady Anna, and Lia yelled, urging her to take more wine. They all seem to be drunk, judging by the way they wereughing like mad women. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m already wasted, I don¡¯t think I can handle another cup,¡± Zara yelled, staggering from one direction to another, almost bumping her head into a wall. ¡°J¡­ ust one,¡± Catherine singed, and both Anna and Lia chipped in. ¡°One Zara, just one,¡± they chorused. ¡®Okay,¡± Zara squealed, raising her hands in the air. ¡°Yeiiii,¡± they cheered, as they watched Zara gulp down the wine. ¡°Mother, Aunt, Lia,¡± I need to go back to my chamber now, Zara announced, staggering. ¡°Ohhhhh!¡± Her chamber, with the king,¡± Lia squealed, pping her hands, and they all burst intoughter. ¡°Zara tell me now, how was your wedding night? I saw bruises on the king¡¯s face, I bet your lovemaking was a fierce one, caveman style. Oh, king Carl, how big and handsome,¡± Anna yelled, swinging her both hands in the air. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s my son,¡± Catherine announced. ¡°Uhh! The King is your son? Oh my goodness,¡± Anna bbered, looking surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. It seems like you women are drunk,¡± Zara muttered, stumbling away. ¡°Queen mother, how can she call us drunk? she is the drunk one,¡± Lia reported, pointing towards the closed door. ¡°Leave it, Lia, she¡¯s a crazy woman,¡± Catherine consoled¡­ Zara could barely walk, as she kept staggering. ¡°Queen Zara,¡± Jerald called. ¡°Who is this queen you speak of?¡± Zara blurted out, giggling. Jerald, was in the hallway when he caught a glimpse of Zara stumbling to God knows where. He quickly, rushed to her aid, before anyone else would see her in her drunken state, which would lead to gossip and criticism. He ignored her outburst, proceeding to help her. ¡°Queen Zara, let me help,¡± he offered, putting his hands around her shoulder. he leads her slowly toward the king and her chamber when he bumped into Prince Aiden. ¡°Prince Aiden, why are you awake at such a time?¡± He questioned ¡°Forget about why I¡¯m awake. Just bring queen Zara to the garden it¡¯s urgent,¡± Aiden replied, walking away. ¡°Just bring queen Zara to the garden,¡± Jerald mimicked, but still followed the order. ¡°Hurry up, we don¡¯t have time,¡± Aiden rasped. Jerald scoffed. ¡°He is just like his brother.¡± So arrogant. ¡°My prince, Queen Zara is drunk, it is not easy to help a drunk person walk,¡± he reasoned. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not drunk, I just had a little to drink, I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± Zara yelled. Both Aiden and Jerald, stop for a while to look at her before they continue walking. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, grown-ups, why do they see the need to drink? it¡¯s not like it¡¯s adding anything positive to their lives. Instead of wasting their precious time drinking, why don¡¯t they use it to think of ways to make money,¡± Aiden thought. He was getting impatient, because of how slow they were walking, so he yelled at Jerald ¡°Can you just carry aunt Zara, instead of helping her walk, it¡¯s wasting my precious time.¡± Jerald looked at Aiden, gobsmacked. Did this little prince think, it¡¯s that easy to carry a person and besides, he¡¯s so little, what could he possibly want to do with his time? Jerald huffed, carrying Zara up. after all, he was already used to one brother¡¯s arrogance how hard could it be to get used to the other. When they reached the garden, princes Aiden searched the garden, but couldn¡¯t find Carl, Gwen, or even Eric anywhere. Where could they be? He thought. ¡­ Meanwhile, Prince Eric hid, watching how Gwen dragged Carl into her chamber. ¡°Hurry up Aiden, before that bad woman does something to the king,¡± he whispered to himself, getting impatient. He was tired of hiding and was now feeling sleepy. He yawned, leaning his small head on the pir, which he hid behind. ¡°Should I do something, But what should I do? It¡¯s not like I can just barge in there and say,dy Gwen let the king go now. so it¡¯s best I wait for Aiden to turn up with aunt Zara,¡± Eric reckoned, before dozing off¡­ Inside Gwen¡¯s chamber, she took off both her clothes and Carl¡¯s. then she kissed him hungrily, trailing her fingers, from his chest, down to his manhood. Carl groaned, kissing her back with the same hunger. He was already so hard and turned on due to the effect of the portion, Gwen added to his wine. ¡°I¡¯ve missed this Carl,¡± Gwen whispered, grinding her hips against his¡­ Getting intimate ¡°I¡¯ve missed this Carl,¡± Gwen whispered, grinding her hips against his. She pushed him to the bed, climbing onto him. Her pussy directly on his cock, as she moved her hips back and forth, trailing kisses from his neck, down to his chest. ¡°Zara,¡± Carl groaned holding Gwen¡¯s hips like his life depended on it. Gwen tore her lips away in anger. ¡°How could he mention that witch¡¯s name when he¡¯s with me?¡± She rasped, now convinced that Carl has really fallen for Zara. ¡°All I have to do is get pregnant then he¡¯ll love me instead.¡± Gwen decided to ignore Carl¡¯s outburst and carry on with her n. She lean forward to kiss him again, when someone knocked on her door. ¡°Who could that be? She thought. It¡¯s the middle of the night already, who would be awake by now?¡± Gwen wanted to ignore it, but the knock came again, this time more persistent and harsh. The person was pounding on her door, with so much force that fear gripped her. ¡°Wh¡­ who is it?¡± She stuttered, but got no reply. Carl who was impatient flipped Gwen over and resumed kissing her. He was intoxicated and turned on to care about the person pounding on the door. Gwen on the other hand could not ignore it. ¡°Carl, please stop,¡± I need to check who¡¯s at the door before we carry on,¡± she whispered, but he ignored her. With force, Gwen shoved Carl aside, picking up her robe, to wrap around her body, before going to open the door. She tilts her head, from one side to the other, but there was no one. instead, she was met with a dark hallway. ¡°But, I heard someone knocking just now,¡± Gwen mumbled,ing out of her chamber, and into the hallway, when she was suddenly pulled away by someone. ¡°Carl?¡± she called, as it was dark, and she couldn¡¯t see his face. He didn¡¯t answer her but leaned forward to capture her mouth, kissing her like his life depends on it. ¡°Hmm,¡± she moaned against his lip, wrapping her legs around his hips, as he picks her up, taking her into the dark chamber. ¡­ Carl was impatient as hiszy eyes trailed after Gwen, leaving the chamber. Zara, he called, staggering out of the bed to meet her. The hallway was dark, so he couldn¡¯t see, but he caught a glimpse of a woman standing in the hallway. He sauntered toward her, grabbing her thin waist, as he found her lips, kissing her hungrily. ¡°Carl,¡± she dubbed, kissing him back. The way she said his name, only turned him on the more as he picked her up, ambling back into the chamber. In the blink of an eye, they were both on the bed with him on top of her. His eyes were filled with pure lust and desire, as he leaned forward taking her hard nipple in his mouth. ¡°Carl,¡± she moaned, digging her finger into his hair to pull him closer, her body trembling as an electric feeling coursed through her. He groaned, pulling away, to stare at her, hiszy eye roaming over her body. ¡°What are you doing to me Zara,¡± he said huskily, stroking her wet pussy with his dick. Ahh, she whimpered, parting her legs more to give him more ess. He hissed, grabbing her hip and without warning, thrust deep into her. ¡°You¡¯re so tight Zara,¡± he groaned as his pace became more powerful and desperate. ¡­ ZARA¡¯S POV I woke up with a throbbing headache, my whole body was aching. It was as if someone used a nk to hit me over and over again. I threw the bed cover off my body, trying to get off the bed, but it seemed impossible. my legs were numb, and my v-area felt sore.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°What the hell happened to me?¡± I thought. Suddenly, a cold breeze hit my body, and I looked down only to realize, that I was naked, and there were traces of blood on the bedsheet. I also noticed that I was not in my chamber but someone else¡¯s. I gasped, whirling my head to the side, to see a man lying beside me, with his back turned to me. Ahhh! I yelled at the top of my lung, ignoring my pain. ¡°What the hell!¡± the man beside me groaned, and I gasped. ¡°Carl,¡± I shrieked, staring at him in disbelief. ¡°Woman, could you keep it down, I¡¯m trying to get some sleep,¡± he snorts, ignoring me. Picking up a pillow, I smacked him hard on the head. ¡°What did you do to me, you arrogant king?¡± I screamed. He twirled, ring at me. ¡°What do you mean by what did I do to you, what could I possibly do to you?¡± I sneered, smacking his head again ¡°How dare you pretend like you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, tell me what you did to me,¡± I yelled. He sat up immediately. What the hell! he shrieked, scowling at me. Suddenly, he seem to realize that we were in a strange room because he tilt his gaze to look around, before bringing them back to me. ¡°Why am I here?¡± He questioned, then looked down at his naked body. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock. ¡°What the hell did you do to me, princess? Oh, I see, you took advantage of mest night. tell me why you did that? I would have dly given it to you if you asked,¡± he said, smiling mischievously. I scoffed. ¡°I think it¡¯s the other way around, it¡¯s you who took advantage of me.¡± Carl burst intoughter like I just said the most absurd thing ever. ¡°Look princess, I¡¯m the one with the great body, so I¡¯m sure you probably couldn¡¯t resist anymore. you don¡¯t have to be shy, I¡¯m your husband after all, so I understand.¡± It was now my turn tough. ¡°You call that a great body, have you seen yourself?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that suppose to mean? I don¡¯t need to see¡­ Suddenly someone barged into the chamber, cutting Carl off. Surprised At that moment, someone barged into the room cutting Carl off. We both snapped our heads in the direction to see Gwen standing in the doorway, a shocked expression stered on her face. Both Carl and I gave Gwen a questioning look. ¡°Za¡­ zara you are here,¡± she stuttered. I raised my eyebrow, not giving her any reply. I was too confused at the moment to even think of any. ¡­ Gwen woke up with a smile on her face. She finally achieved her goal. Last night was the best night of my life, she thought. ¡°Carl,¡± she whispered, looking down at the hand wrapped around her waist. An even bigger smile formed on her lips, remembering the way they had sexst night, and how he couldn¡¯t get enough of her. ¡°Maybe he still likes me after all,¡± she thought, turning over to get a glimpse of a face. It was then she realized it was someone else, it was her guard. She jerked up immediately, looking at the man in horror. ¡°he¡¯s not Carl, oh God he¡¯s not Carl, she thought, looking around to get a proper look at the chamber. Gwen gasped, not knowing how to react. She didn¡¯t just sleep with another man, but with her guard. She, ady of high statusid with a guard. Gwen look down at the guard, who was still sleeping, her eyes filled with rage. The thought of killing the guard crossed her mind, but she decided to leave it for another day. A thought crossed her mind, ¡°If I¡¯m here in this chamber, maybe Carl would still be in my chamber.¡± She hastily got out of the bed, putting on her robe before she dashed toward the door. she flung it open, running back to her chamber. ¡°If Carl is still in my chamber and still asleep, I wouldy beside him and pretend that something happened between us,¡± she thought. Getting to her chamber, she slung the door open and her eyes snapped to Carl and Zara on the bed. Gwen¡¯s breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock. ¡°what! how is this possible? How is Zara here?¡± Za¡­ Zara, you are here, she stuttered but kept when she saw how Carl and Zara were both giving her a questioning look. she knew that if she didn¡¯te up with something, they might be suspicious of her. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re still here, I thought the both of you would have gone back to your chamber,¡± she exined. ¡°What do you mean Gwen, tell us how we are here and not our chamber,¡± Carl polled. Gwen shivered slightly, thinking about what to say. ¡°Uhmm, the both of you were drunkst night, and I didn¡¯t want anyone else to see you, so I brought you to my chamber because it¡¯s the closest to the garden,¡± she lied. Both Carl and Zara turn to each other, then Gwen. Even though they were suspicious, they didn¡¯t say anything. Gwen stumbled out of the room angrily, why does my n always fail, she thought. EARLIER Eric was sleeping when he felt someone tapping him, ¡°Wake up Eric,¡± Aiden whispered. ¡°Aiden?¡± Eric calledzily, rubbing his sleepy eyes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Look I brought aunt Zara and extra with me,¡± he muttered pointing to Jerald and Zara. Jerald couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Did this little prince, just call him extra. If his so arrogant, now that he¡¯s only five, how arrogant will he be when he grows up? Eric stood up, pouting his mouth he said, ¡°I almost thought you were noting back, I waited for ages.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Eric, I couldn¡¯t find aunt Zara, that¡¯s why I dyed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. anyway, how did you find me?¡± Eric inquired. ¡°When I didn¡¯t see you in the garden, I thought Where could you be? Diddy Gwen leave with Carl, if she did, they certainly didn¡¯t go to his chamber, considering the fact that we just came from there. So I figured out, they probably went to her chamber,¡± Aiden exined. ¡°So what do we do now? the bad woman is already in there with the king,¡± Eric asked. Jerald stared at the two boys, curiously. ¡°which bad woman could they be talking about, and did they just mention the king. ¡°What about the king?¡± Jerald asked. ¡°He is indy Gwen¡¯s room and he¡¯s drunk. we need to do something before she does something to him,¡± Aiden exined. Jerald tilt his gaze to Gwen¡¯s door, what could she be nning? If the king was drunk, why didn¡¯t she take him to his chambers? instead, she took him to hers? He immediately put the pieces together, figuring out what she was up to. Jerald put Zara down. ¡°Prince Aiden, could either of you get me water? we need to make queen Zara feel a little bit better.¡± Aiden left immediately returning a few minutester with the water. Jerald took the water from him, pouring it on Zara¡¯s head. Zara who was half asleep jerked up immediately, even though she was still intoxicated. ¡°Jerald, what do we do now? Eric and Aiden asked, giving him a curious look. ¡°We need to find a way to getdy Gwen out of her chamber, and queen Zara into it,¡± he answered. ¡°I have a n,¡± Eric announced, and both Aiden and Jerald snapped their head toward him. ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Aiden inquired. ¡°We knock on the door, and oncedy Gwenes out, we hand her over to a guard, and then, we push aunt Zara into the room,¡± he suggested. ¡°But what if your n, fails?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know unless we try,¡± Eric replied. After paying a guard, and giving him instructions. They turned off the lights in the hallway, using a fire touch, to go knock on Gwen¡¯s door. They waited for a minute, but there was no reply, so they knocked again, before going to hide behind a pir.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. A few secondster Gwen opened the door, standing in the hallway and the guard took her away. Then they left drunk Zara, who could barely hold herself in the hallway, in front of Gwen¡¯s chamber. They were very happy when everything went ording to n, and Jerald could not help but admire the intelligence of the two children. ¡­ LATER THAT DAY CARL¡¯S POV After the incident, Zara has been avoiding me like a gue, but I couldn¡¯t help but find it cute. I remember the look on her face this morning and burst into a peal ofughter. ¡°Your majesty, are you okay?¡± Jerald who has been standing here the whole time asked. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± I replied, ncing up to meet his gaze. A thought suddenly crossed my mind, and I asked. ¡°Jerald, what happenedst night?¡± For some reason, I didn¡¯t believe what Gwen told me, I felt like she was hiding something. Jerald giggled, averting his gaze from mine. A mischievous grin yed on his lips. ¡°Your majesty, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, I remember being with Gwenst night, but when I woke up this morning, it was Zara beside me, and we were both in Gwen¡¯s chamber. so do you have any idea what happened?¡± I inquired. Jerald smiled, recalling what had happenedst night. ¡°My king, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t, but I¡¯d like to advise you to beware of Lady Gwen, she might not be who she pretends to be,¡± he replied. I gave him a suspicious look, raising my brow. What did he mean by Gwen might not be who she pretends to be? I have a feeling that there is something, he¡¯s not telling me, but before I could ask, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Who is it,¡± I polled ¡°Your majesty, It¡¯s Rick, may Ie in?¡¯ ¡°Come in.¡± Rick walked into the office, bowing his head in respect. He was one of my loyal guards. ¡°Your majesty, I was sent to deliver, this to you, it¡¯s from Azrael,¡± he said, handing me a scroll. I immediately removed the seal, reading the content of the scroll and my mood darkened immediately. ¡°Arthur, how dare you,¡± I rasped, clenching my fist. Asking for help IN AZRAEL ¡°Your majesty, this is now beyond our power. More citizens are getting killed each day, and even the troops sent to subdue the attack on the border were all ughtered. what do we do now?¡± King n sighs, looking distressed. He was worried that if he didn¡¯t find a solution to the problem, more of his people would die. He felt bad that as a king, he couldn¡¯t protect his people in times of trouble. What could King Arthur want? they already allied with Everton, so even if he keeps attacking them, there was no going back. ¡°Your Majesty, this is the reason I suggested we ask king Carl for help. If you had listened to me back then, things would not have escted to this point.¡± ¡°Yes he¡¯s right, things would have been resolved if we just asked Carl for help.¡± ¡°Can you just shut your mouth? If we have to ask Carl for every little thing what does that make us. Carl has a nation of his own, that also needs protecting, we can¡¯t just turn to him every time we¡¯re in trouble.¡± Soon the throne room was in chaos, as the council members started arguing amongst themselves. ¡°Silence,¡± king n yelled. This is not the time to fight, amongst ourselves. We need to be United more than ever. That¡¯s why I have decided to go to Neptune and meet king Arthur. The members of the council were gobsmacked, they all looked at the king like he had gone nuts. ¡°Your majesty, I don¡¯t think that is a Good Idea. King Arthur is not to be trusted, and if you go to him, there is a possibility that you won¡¯te back alive.¡± ¡°Your majesty, Why do you want to go to Neptune?¡± ¡°I need to know why king Arthur¡¯s soldiers have been attacking our border towns. I need to know if it can be resolved, so the killing can stop,¡± King n replied. ¡°But, your Majesty, I also don¡¯t think this is a good decision, even if you go to Neptune, I¡¯m sure King Arthur would want something first before he stops the attack. And what if that something, is what you can¡¯t give?¡± King n thought about what each of his council members had said. Yes, they were right about King Arthur being dangerous, but he couldn¡¯t just sit on his hands, why more of his people die. ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision. I¡¯ll be leaving for Neptune, at dawn.¡± ¡°But my king, you can¡¯t leave Azrael without a monarch, why don¡¯t you send king Arthur a letter, or maybe send someone else to Neptune instead.¡± ¡°Arthur is a king, it will not be right to send someone else if we want him to take us seriously.¡± All the council members did not agree with King n¡¯s decision, even those who supported him before when he decided not to ask Carl for help, were against his decision this time. so after the meeting, they secretly went to meet queen Lyarra. ¡°Queen Lyarra, we came to you because we think, King n is making the wrong choice. What do you propose we do at a time like this?¡± Queen Lyarra knew her husband refused to ask Carl for help and is now going to Neptune to negotiate with Arthur. ¡°That man is such a fool. if he thinks I¡¯ll let him go to Neptune, he lies. I¡¯m not ready to be a widow,¡± she thought. ¡°My dear council members, you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m the Queen, so it¡¯s my duty to step in when the king is making a wrong choice. I will make sure he doesn¡¯t go to Neptune, but first, we need to send a letter to King Carl. ¡­ IN EVERTON ¡°My king is everything alright,¡± Jerald asked, seeing that the once happy Carl was now in a bad mood. Carl scanned through the scroll again. The scroll was from Azrael and Queen Lyarra to be precise. ¡°Read this, what does it say,¡± he ordered, giving Jerald the scroll. ¡°It says that Azrael is in distress, due to the constant attacks on their border town by King Arthur¡¯s men,¡± Jerald reads out. Carl scoffed, clenching his fist.¡± I know why that bastard is doing this,¡± he muttered. Jerald tilts his gaze to meet Carls.¡±My king, what are you going to do? are you going to send soldiers to fight off Arthur¡¯s men,¡± he inquired. ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Carl replied. ¡°What do you mean, no you won¡¯t? are you going to leave Azrael like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean Jerald. I mean, I won¡¯t send soldiers to fight off Arthur¡¯s soldiers, because that would only lead to more innocent people getting killed. but I¡¯m going to do the same thing he did to Azrael,¡± Carl exined. Jerald¡¯s mouth formed an ¡°O¡± and he said, ¡°sorry I misunderstood you.¡± Carl rolled his eyes, then he collected the scroll back from Jerald. ¡°I want you to send one hundred men to Neptune, tell them to kill the soldier defending the border, and burn all the houses too. They must do it in a way that no innocent person is harmed,¡± Carl ordered, an evil glint shing in his eyes. ¡°Yes, my king,¡± Jerald answered, still giving Carl a questioning look. ¡°What?¡± Carl rasped, seeing that Jerald was not leaving. ¡°My king, are you going to tell queen Zara about this?¡± Carl sighed, then he replied, ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I don¡¯t want her to worry.¡± Jerald smiled at Carl¡¯s answer. ¡°My king, you seem to care a lot about queen Zara,¡± he teased, and Carl red at him making him keep quiet. ¡°I will leave now,¡± Jerald muttered, walking out of the office. ZARA¡¯S POV I strolled happily through the beautiful garden, humming a song, with Lia trailing beside me. I didn¡¯t know why I was happy, but I was. ¡°My queen, you seem to be very happy, what or who is the reason behind your happiness?¡± Lia taunts, winking at me.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. I scoffed, rolling my eyes.¡±No one,¡± I replied. ¡°Could it be king Carl, I heard the both of you spent the night in Lady Gwen¡¯s room, and you were also drunk, do you think something happened?¡± Lia whispered, moving closer to me. I suddenly remembered what happened between Carl and I, and blushed really hard. ¡°Oh my God princess, you are blushing, that means something happened, tell me please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but you must promise not to tell anyone,¡± I whispered, pulling her even closer. ¡°I promise,¡± She replied, giving me an impatient look. I narrated everything, that I remembered happened between Carl and I, and Lia squealed. ¡°Oh my God! Zara, you and the king¡­ ¡°Keep it down Lia,¡± I yelled, cutting her off. ¡°But Zara, I find it strange. I mean, waking up indy Gwen¡¯s room,¡± Lia inferred. ¡°I know Lia, I also find it strange, that we woke up in her room,¡± I muttered, remembering the incident at the bath. Lady Gwen is truly strange. ¡°My queen, you should be careful around her, I don¡¯t trust her one bit,¡± Lia advised, and I nodded, giving her a light smile. We continued admiring the variety of beautiful flowers but suddenly heard a twitch, inside them. ¡°My queen, did you hear that?¡± Lia asked, taking a step back. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I replied, striding forward to take a look. ¡°Zara, you should be careful, it could be a snake or something dangerous,¡± Lia warned, hiding behind me. I nodded, taking another step forward to check between the flower, only to see that it wasn¡¯t a snake, or anything dangerous, but a girl. A girl who looks like she was the same age or a little older than me and Lia. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, giving her a curious look. She trembles, looking frightened, then she did something I didn¡¯t expect. Pregnant Then she did something I didn¡¯t expect, she suddenly, jumped on me. Ahhh¡­ Lia screamed, taking a step back. While the strange girl wrapped her arms, around my neck, and her legs around my waist, making us both fall to the ground, she still didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Get off her,¡± Lia yelled, trying to get her away from me. ¡°Help me,¡± the strange girl whispered before someone(Lia) pulled her away. ¡°Help me, they want to kill me, please,¡± she yelled, grasping my arm, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°My queen, she¡¯s a stranger and could be dangerous, you can¡¯t trust her,¡± Lia advised. I looked at the strange girl, who was giving me a helpless look, then at Lia. ¡°Lia, I know she¡¯s a stranger, but she¡¯s helpless, and if I don¡¯t help her, there¡¯s no way I would be at peace, so let me talk to her,¡± I reasoned. Lia sighed, nodding her head in agreement, and I gave her a light smile before turning back to the stranger. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked. ¡°My name is M,¡± she whispered. ¡°M, you don¡¯t have to be afraid, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you,¡± I reassured, patting her shoulder lightly. ¡°You mean, you would protect me from the bad people who want to hurt me, ¡°M asked, looking unsure. ¡± Yes I will, I promise.¡± I didn¡¯t want to ask her more questions until she wasfortable, so I ask Lia to help give her a bath and fresh clothes. ¡­ IN NEPTUNE ¡°Your majesty, our troops in Azrael, said there has been no more retaliation from Azrael after the first one,¡± Arnold reported. Arthur scoffed, clenching his fist, ¡°I thought they would ask, Carl for help, what¡¯s taking them so long.¡± He thought by now, Carl or king n, would have sent him a message, asking him to stop the attack in return they would give him whatever he wanted, but that was not the case. ¡°My king, it could be that they n to sort it out themselves and not ask Carl for help.¡± Arthur sneered. ¡°Why would they do that, it¡¯s not like they have enough men, or the power to stop me. I think they are taking this lightly. Arnold, I want you to send more men to Azrael, this time tell them to destroy everything, I mean the whole town in the border area, and everyone who lives there, both men, women, and children, including their horses, and cattle. ¡°My king, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too cruel. why don¡¯t you leave the people out of this?¡± Arnold reasoned. Although he supported Arthur in most things, he didn¡¯t want innocent people to be dragged into his quest for revenge. ¡°Just keep quiet, and do as I say. I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion,¡± Arthur yelled, ring at Arnold. Arnold trembled slightly, before bowing his head in respect, and leaving the room. It didn¡¯t take up to a minute, before Arnold showed up again, in a panicked state.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°What!¡± Arthur shrieked. ¡°Your Majesty, there is chaos,¡± Arnold yelled, wheezing. ¡°What do you mean by chaos?¡± Arthur asked, also looking panicked. ¡°Your majesty, one of the soldiers guarding the border, just reported that all the towns on the border, have been destroyed and even the soldiers were killed.¡± Arthur screeched, looking horrified. ¡°Did they say who was behind the attack?¡± he asked, even though he knew who was behind it. ¡°He said it was soldiers from Everton and they didn¡¯t kill the citizens, just the soldiers,¡± Arnold replied. Arthur¡¯s hands balled in a fist. He thought Carl would send his soldiers to Azrael once he found out about his attack, he never imagined that Carl would retaliate instead. ¡°My king, what should we do?¡± Arnold inquired, giving Arthur a curious look. Arthur tilt his head to meet Arnold¡¯s gaze, and sighed, he was speechless and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°My king, if we don¡¯t do something now, the people might start rallying against us,¡± Arnold reasoned. ¡°Arnold, I want you to send a message to our troops in Azrael, tell them to stop the attack and return home,¡± Arthur ordered. ¡± Yes, your Majesty.¡± ¡°Carl, it seems like whatever I do, I can¡¯t win against you why, why is it so hard to defeat you?¡±Arthur thought, gnashing his teeth. The reason he called back his soldiers, was to settle things in Neptune first, before thinking of another ways to get back at Carl¡­ IN AZRAEL King n was happy that the attack on his border has stopped and Arthur¡¯s troops left. Although he found it confusing, that they would just leave. it¡¯s not like he went to Neptune to negotiate, because when he was supposed to leave, he suddenly felt dizzy and passed out and when he woke up, they told him that he didn¡¯t have to go anymore. Queen Lyarra and the council on the other hand were aware, that the attack only stopped because of Carl, although, they didn¡¯t know what he did. ¡°Your highness, should we tell the king that it was Carl who stopped the attack?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll tell him, but not now, ¡°queen Lyarra replied. ¡­ TWO WEEKS LATER Gwen decided to approach Prince Aiden for help since all her ns has been failing and he once offered to help her with getting Carl. ¡°Lady Gwen, what do you want?¡± Aiden asked, raising his brow. ¡°Aiden, I want to ask for¡­ ¡°It¡¯s prince Aiden to you,¡± Aiden muttered with an eye roll, turning his gaze to Eric who was stuffing his face with food. Gwen sneered inwardly but smiled at Aiden. ¡°Okay pince Aiden, I want to ask you for a small favor,¡± she muttered. ¡°And what could I possibly have to give you?¡± Aiden countered, giving Gwen a bored look. Gwen gritted her teeth, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that all her ns has been failing, there is no way she would ask a child for help. ¡°Uhmm, remember you said you would help in winning Carl¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°Yes, I did, but you undermined my ability. now, how has that worked out for you?¡±Aiden retorted, and Eric giggle, using his tiny hands to wipe off invincible tears. Gwen nced at both of them and almost choked out blood. These little kids just ridiculed her. If they weren¡¯t princes, she would have spanked them hard on the butt. But instead, she smiled. as long as they would tell her, how she could win Carl¡¯s heart, she didn¡¯t care. As if realizing something she asked, ¡°Prince Eric, why would you want to help me, when you are Zara¡¯s nephew and also prince Aiden, you seem to like Zara, so why do you want to help me?¡± Prince Eric coughed, almost choking on his food, but he quickly recovered and gave Gwen a sweet smile, before answering. ¡°It¡¯s Because of gold, and I don¡¯t like the arrogant king. I want my aunt Zara to leave him ande back to us in Azrael,¡± he lied. ¡°Yes and if aunt Zara leaves, I want someone I know to be the next queen because not everyone is as nice as her,¡± Aiden added. The corner of Gwen¡¯s lips twitched in a sadistic smile. ¡°These little princes are so naive,¡± she thought. ¡°Okay, will you help me?¡± She begged. ¡°We will, but not for free,¡± they both answered. ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Gwen replied. Aiden and Eric both turned to each other and smiled. ¡°Lady Gwen, for your first lesson, you¡¯ll have to take care of the both of us, if Carl sees that you care so much about us, I¡¯m sure a part of him would melt,¡± Aiden instructed and Gwen smiled. Aiden just gave her a great idea, she would not only take care of the both of them but other orphans. ¡­ ZARA POV ¡°My queen, are you alright?¡± Lia asked, looking concerned. This is the second time, I¡¯ve thrown up this morning, after having breakfast. ¡°Should I call the royal physician,¡± M asked, also looking worried, and I smiled. Lately, M has be very close to Lia and I. She told us how her father wanted to marry her off to an old and wealthy merchant because he needed money, so she had to run away, but almost got killed in the process. ¡°My queen, you look pale, I think it¡¯s best to call the physician,¡± M muttered, turning to Lia who nodded in agreement. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I just need rest, that¡¯s all,¡± I retorted. ¡°Zara, it¡¯s the King,¡± Lia whispered, winking at me, and I twirled to see Carl, walking toward us. ¡°Your majesty, the queen is sick,¡± M blurted out, immediately. M! I whispered, ring at her and she gave me an innocent smile. Carl stood in front of me, scanning me for a while, before picking me up gently. ¡°Call the physician,¡± he ordered, before walking away. Carl took me to the chamber, and shortly after the physician arrived. Your Majesty¡¯s,¡± he greeted with a smile. ¡°Sir Thomas(Royal physician), the queen is ill, can you check to see what¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Carl asked, giving me a worried look. Awwn! Who would have thought the arrogant king would be worried about me? ¡°King Carl, you seem to care a lot about me,¡± I teased. He rolled his eyes, beforeing to sit beside me. ¡°Of course, I care about you. after all, you¡¯re my wife and I¡­ Just forget it, let the physician check you,¡± he muttered. The physician first checked my pulse, then my eyes, before cing his hands on my stomach. ¡°What wrong?¡± asked, getting impatient. The physician smiled at me then at Carl. ¡°My king, nothing is wrong with the queen, she pregnant.¡± Pregnant 2 Carl and I looked at each other, then the physician. ¡°Pregnant!¡± We both yelled. ¡°Yes, pregnant. The queen is pregnant,¡± he repeated, smiling widely. What! How can I be pregnant, we only had sex once? I thought, blinking repeatedly. ¡°Are you sure? Maybe she just ate too much, you know she¡¯s a glutton,¡± Carl blurted out, pointing at my belly. ¡°What¡¯s that suppose to mean?¡± I yelled, ring at him. ¡°Your majesty, my queen, there is no need to argue. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask another physician to check the queen, I¡¯m sure they will say the same thing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ve known you for years, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d make a mistake over something like that,¡± Carl muttered. ¡°Thank you! your majesty. I¡¯d advise the Queen not to do any strenuous activities. She needs a lot of rest, and also has to eat mostly fruits and vegetables,¡± the physician cautioned. ¡°Thank you! sir Thomas,¡± Carluded, giving him a small smile, and he nodded, returning the smile. ¡°Congrattions your Majesty, and congrattions queen Zara. This is good news for Both Everton and Azrael. ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± Carl replied. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± The physician said, before leaving. After he left, the room became tense. Carl looked like he wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t know how to. ¡± You can tell me,¡± I urged, trying to ease the tension. ¡°Do you want anything?¡± He asked, looking nervous and I almost startedughing. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± I teased, knowing fully well that he was. ¡°No, I am not,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s just that, I don¡¯t know anything about being a father,¡± he added, and I patted his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. ¡°I also don¡¯t know anything about being a mother, so we¡¯ll figure it out together and I¡¯m sure Catherine and others will help,¡± I encouraged and he smiled. This was the first time I ever saw him smile, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice how handsome he was when he smiled. for some reason, it felt good, and warmed me inside. ¡°You should smile more often,¡± I told him, and he tilt his gaze to meet mine, then pecked my cheek, taking me by surprise. I gasped, my eyes and mouth wide open, and I heard him chuckle. ¡°You should close your mouth, before a fly enters,¡± he muttered, bursting into a fit ofughter. Hmm, arrogant jerk, I thought with an eye roll. ¡°Do you want to give the news to everyone?¡± Carl asked and I nodded in agreement. ¡­ Everyone in the pce awaited Carl and Zara eagerly in the throne room. ¡°Why do you think the king called us? has something happened? they murmured. ¡°Aiden, what do you think your arrogant brother wants to talk about?¡± Eric asked, getting impatient. He was hungry, and his stomach was already starting to grumble. ¡°I don¡¯t know Eric,¡± Aiden answered. Shortly after, Carl arrived with Zara by his side, and everyone went mum. ¡°The reason I¡¯ve called you here is to make an important announcement,¡± Carl said in an audible voice.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Once again, there were whispers amidst the crowd. Gwen wished deep in her heart that Carl would say he wanted to divorce Zara. ¡°Just two weeks ago, you all asked for an heir, and right now, I¡¯m standing here to tell you that you will soon get an heir because the Queen is pregnant,¡± Carl announced, and everyone gasped. Almost everyone was happy about the news, Especially Queen Catherine and Lady Anna. Gwen, on the other hand, almost died of a heart attack. ¡°What! How can she be pregnant, no it¡¯s not possible,¡± Gwen thought, clutching her chest. She had to work so hard to be pregnant for Carl, but Zara didn¡¯t even have to do anything. ¡°Congrattions king Carl, congrattions queen Zara,¡± the crowd hailed. ¡°There shall be a feast to celebrate theing of the heir to Everton,¡± Carl informed, and the crowd cheered again In no time, the news of Zara¡¯s pregnancy had reached everywhere. ¡­ A FARAWAY LAND ¡°Your Majesty, our spies in Everton, just informed us that Queen Zara is pregnant.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Hmm, he scoffed, Clenching his fist. He has stayed away for years even though he was alive, only to raise an army strong enough to defeat Carl. He even sent someone to infiltrate the pce and keep him informed on whatever was going on. ¡°I can¡¯t let Carl have an heir,¡± he thought. ¡°I want you to send a message to our spy, tell her to poison Zara,¡± he ordered. ¡°Yes, my king. should we inform King Arthur?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, I¡¯m sure he already knows about it. besides, he¡¯s too weak to fight against Carl, that¡¯s why I had to form an army,¡± he answered. Soon he would match with his army to Everton and im the throne. IN NEPTUNE ¡°My king, Queen Zara is pregnant,¡± Arnold announced. What! Arthur shrieked almost choking on his wine. ¡°Arnold, who told you that?¡± He inquired, wishing it would be a lie. ¡°Your majesty, the news is everywhere, and our spies in Everton confirmed it.¡± ¡°Damn you, Carl!¡± Arthur roared. Why do all the good things keep happening to him? First, he married the beautiful princess Zara, now she¡¯s pregnant for him, that bastard must be really lucky, no lucky is an understatement,¡± Arthur grumbled, throwing his cup to the ground. ¡°Your majesty, you¡¯ll have to calm down. You can also get married, and also have a child,¡± Arnold soothed. ¡°Get married to who?¡± Arthur yelled, ring at Arnold. ¡°To a woman,¡± Arnold replied, giving Arthur the are you serious look. Who would he get married to, if not a woman? ¡°What woman? I want Zara, only she is perfect for me, that bastard doesn¡¯t deserve her,¡± Arthur rasped. ¡°My king, Zara is already married. you can always find another woman, or princess who is willing to marry you,¡± Arnold reasoned, and Arthur scoffed, he didn¡¯t want another woman, only Zara. ¡°Arnold, what should we do about queen Zara¡¯s pregnancy?¡± Arthur asked. Arnold thought for a while before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t know my king, the child is innocent, your fight is against Carl.¡± Arthur scoffed. Yes, his fight was against Carl, and he knew if he hurts Carl¡¯s baby, he would be broken. Maybe this is the only way to get back at Carl, he thought, smirking. ¡°Arnold, send someone to infiltrate the pce and terminate Zara¡¯s pregnancy,¡± Arthur ordered. The spy ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°Zara, tell us how it happened,¡± Queen Catherine, Aunt Anna, and some servants gathered around me, giving me a curious look. ¡°Tell you, how what happened?¡± I repeated feigning ignorance. I knew what they were talking about, but pretended not to. ¡°I mean, the sex between you and the king,¡± aunt blurted out, and I felt my cheek heating up. Even though I can¡¯t remember how it all happened, I still feel shy thinking about it. ¡°Aunt, why should I discuss, such a sensitive matter with you all,¡± I replied, trying to avoid the topic. ¡°Okay fine, don¡¯t tell us,¡± Queen Catherine said, and they all sighed, giving me a disappointed look. I know aunt would not leave the matter, so I suggested we had fun. ¡°Anyone who can catch me will be allowed to name my baby,¡± I yelled, running away. It¡¯s been a long time since I had fun, I guess being a queen, took all the fun.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. CARL¡¯S POV I stood on the balcony, a huge smile on my face as I watch Zaraugh and y with Catherine,dy Anna, and some servants. Herughter, which echoed all over the hall, sounded like music to my ears and gave me a warm feeling inside. I also loved the way her ck wavy hair swayed as she jumped up and down. ¡°When are you going to tell her?¡± A tiny voice sounded from behind, and I twirled to see Zara¡¯s little nephew(Eric) walking toward me. ¡°Tell her what?¡± I asked, and he rolled his little eyes and sighed. ¡°King Carl, don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± he blurted out, and I smiled. for some reason seeing this child made me envision, what my child would be like. Will he or she be as bold as this little kid standing in front of me? I reckoned, crouching to his size. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± I retorted, and he rolled his eyes again, putting his hand on his waist. ¡°I mean, when are you going to tell her about how you feel?¡± He muttered. ¡°And how do you know what I feel?¡± I asked, raising my brow. ¡°It¡¯s because the way you look at her, is the same way I look at the spicy chicken, mother makes. And you know, I love spicy chicken a lot, it¡¯s my favorite,¡± he exined, and I burst into a fit ofughter. Wow, this little kid is something else, I thought. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He asked, pouting his little mouth. ¡°Your exnation is funny, but I¡¯ll listen to your advice,¡± I told him, patting his head, and he smiled. ¡°You can ask me for advice on how to express, your feelings if you don¡¯t know how to,¡± Eric offered, and I chuckled. ¡°Really, you want to give me advice on how to express my feeling,¡± I repeated, not believing my ears. ¡°Yes, of course. There¡¯s nothing wrong about me giving you advice if I¡¯m more experienced.¡± ¡°Wow prince Eric, how are you more experienced? tell me, have you ever expressed your feelings to someone before?¡± ¡°Yes, I have. I once expressed my feelings to a girl, but she turned me down, saying I was too chubby and eat a lot,¡± he replied, pouting his mouth and I almost died ofughter. ¡°Okay prince Eric, tell me how I should express my feelings to your aunt?¡± I inquired. ¡°King Carl, first you take her out on a boat ride, then a romantic moonlight pic, girls love these kinds of things. To say I was stunned is an understatement how can a child know all these things? ¡± how old are you again?¡± I asked to be sure because this child in front of me behaved and talked like an adult. ¡°I¡¯m the same age as Aiden,¡± he replied. It was then I noticed, that Aiden was no was to be seen. ¡°Where¡¯s Aiden?¡± I asked, looking around. ¡°He¡¯s ying in the garden,¡± Eric answered. ¡°And why are you not with him?¡± ¡°I was, but had to leave to get something from my chamber, that was when I saw you. But now I¡¯ll take my leave, I wish you the best,¡± he muttered, walking away. I watched him until he was out of sight. He¡¯s just like Aiden, or a little different. I realized that seeing and talking to him, made me want a child more than ever, and I also couldn¡¯t wait to express my feelings to Zara, so I called Jerald to arrange a boat and also the garden. UNKNOWN POV So King Carl wants to express his feeling to his queen, how sweet. I hid behind a pir as I watched him and the child. I¡¯d have to admit that the child is really smart for his age. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. I was sent by my king, to spy on king Carl and queen Zara¡¯s every move. I¡¯m also here to bring sadness into their happy lives, and I¡¯m sure that will happen pretty soon. Once I poison queen Zara, all their happiness will be taken away. My king also instructed me to look for an ally and a scapegoat. So far, the only person who hates Zara isdy Gwen, and she would make a perfect ally. After spying on Carl for some time, I left to think about how I would carry out my n. Since king, Carl is nning a boat ride, and a pic, I would use that to my advantage. ¡­ Gwen sat in her chamber, drinking wine and drowning in her sorrow, while her father tried to console her. ¡°Gwen, you should give it up. Queen Zara, is already pregnant, you should forget about the king and move on. I¡¯m sure there are other men out there who would want you¡± Lord Francis advised. ¡°Father what are you saying? you were the one who told me to pursue Carl, remember.¡± ¡°That was then when queen Zara was not yet pregnant, but now she is, I want you to stop pursuing him.¡± ¡°No Father, I won¡¯t stop, even if Zara is pregnant, I can also be pregnant,¡± Gwen said angrily, she couldn¡¯t believe her father was telling her to stay away from Carl. ¡°Father, I thought you wanted Carl to be your son-inw, what happened?¡± ¡°Gwen that was then, but now I realized it was selfish and wrong of me. I should never have urged you to pursue Carl, that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to make amends, and asking you to do the same before it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already started father, I won¡¯t stop now,¡± Gwen answered. Lord Francis, looked at his daughter in disbelief. Somehow, he med himself for not being a good father to her. ¡°Gwen, they say a person, who ys with fire gets burnt. I warn you to stop being selfish,¡± He yelled, walking out of the chamber. Gwen looked at the closed door and scoffed. ¡°I would be a fool to listen to him,¡± she thought and continued drinking her wine when someone knocked on her door. At first, Gwen thought it was her father, who came back so she yelled, ¡°Go away father, I don¡¯t want your advice.¡± But the person opened the door and walked in. ¡°Father, I said¡­¡± Gwen blurted out but was cut off by the person. ¡°I can help you be the Queen,¡± she said, and Gwen turned over to look at her. ¡°You,¡± Gwen yelled, gobsmacked. ¡°Yes me, I¡¯m the only one who can help you now, so let¡¯s be allies.¡± Boat ride ¡°Allies? why should I trust someone like you?¡± Gwen asked? ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me, just work with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I already have the help of someone else,¡± Gwen replied, tantly. ¡°Do you mean the children? you¡¯d be a fool if you reject my offer because of those little children. I¡¯d advise you to pick your allies well. what could mere children, help you with?¡± Gwen looked at her and thought about what she said. Right now, she seems to be on the losing side because Zara was pregnant. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and get back to you,¡± Gwen told her. ¡°You¡¯d have to think fast, I don¡¯t have all the time, in the world,¡± she said, walking out of Gwen¡¯s chamber. ZARA¡¯S POV ¡°Zara, did you notice, the king was staring at you from the balcony?¡± Aunt Anna asked, and I blushed. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°Well, he was. can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Go ahead, Aunt.¡± ¡°Are you in love with the king?¡± She asked, giving me a curious look. ¡°I don¡¯t know aunt,¡± I replied truthfully. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? How do you feel when he¡¯s around you?¡± ¡°My heart starts to beat fast, and I feel butterflies in my belly. I also feel happy when he¡¯s around, and empty when he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Goodness Zara, that means you are in love with the king,¡± Aunt muttered, pping her hands happily. ¡°You should tell him,¡± she said. What! I shrieked. Even if I just discovered I am in love with Carl, I didn¡¯t know how to tell him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Zara?¡± Aunt asked, giving me a questioning look. ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t know how to tell him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry Zara, I¡¯m sure the right moment woulde, and you won¡¯t even know when you tell him,¡± Aunt assured me, and I smiled. ¡­ It was almost sunset when Carl asked me out for a boat ride and I smile, wondering what he wanted to tell me. Queen Zara, the king has asked me to escort you to thekeside for a boat ride,¡± Jerald informed Why a boat rides all of a sudden, I thought, but still followed him, as he lead the way. When we arrived at thekeside, Carl already stood there waiting, with a nervous look on his face, and I wondered what could be making him nervous. ¡°Carl,¡± I called, with a bright smile on my face, and he tilt his gaze to my mine, returning the smile. ¡°Zara,¡± he dubbed, stretching out his hand, and I took it. ¡­ The boat ride was refreshing and I liked how the wind felt on my face, but at the same time, I was nervous, my heart was pounding fast against my chest as I sat facing Carl on the boat. I suddenly remembered what aunt Anna and I had discussed. ¡°Should I tell him how I feel?¡± I asked myself, ncing up to meet his gaze. I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it. Maybe it¡¯s not the right time.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You are beautiful,¡± Carl said all of a sudden, and I blinked repeatedly, twirling to see if there was anyone else on the boat, but it was just the two of us. I stared at him, stunned, wondering if he was the same arrogant king I knew, or someone else? The Carl I knew, never told me I was beautiful. So I raised my hand, using it to check his pulse if he was okay, and he chuckled. Unlike before, there was no air of arrogance around him, and also no hint of anger in his eyes. Now he¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration and other emotions, I couldn¡¯t read. ¡°Zara,¡± he dubbed inching closer, and I felt my breath hitch. He looked at me like he was about to say something, but didn¡¯t know how to. Soon, we were back on thekeside and I stared at him, expecting him to say something, but he didn¡¯t. Lia had told me that anyone who takes his wife for a boat ride, wants to express his feelings, I guess she was wrong. With a disappointed look, I made my way out of the boat, leaving Carl behind. ¡°Zara,¡± he called,ing after me and I stop abruptly, turning to look at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him, you love him, instead of waiting for him to say something,¡± my mind told me, but I ignored it. I didn¡¯t know how to, or perhaps I was shy or even scared that he may not feel the same way. Carl stood in front of me and took my hands in his, and I nced up to look at him. ¡°I love you, Zara, I love you so much,¡± Carl blurted out, staring deep into my eyes, that I almost copsed. The way he looked at me, with an emotion so intense that it was about to consume me whole. His eyes were filled, with so much admiration, desire, and love, that made my heart dance against my chest. Oh my God! he feels the same way, I screamed inside my head, opening my mouth to tell him that I also love him, but the words wouldn¡¯te out. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened Zara, but I know, that whenever I¡¯m close to you, I feel very happy, and It¡¯s like time stops, everything stops, even my breath stop, the only thing that doesn¡¯t stop is my heart because it beats for you. I understand if you don¡¯t love me back because I was mean to you. but I promise to wait, no matter how long it takes,¡± he told me. I stared at him with my eyes wide open, not knowing how to react or what to say. My heart was telling me to open up, but my mouth was doing something else. ¡°Zara, are you okay,¡± Carl asked, staring at me, and I nodded, leaning forward to peck his cheek because that was the only thing I could think of. but he pulled me closer, kissing me like his life depended on it. ¡­ Someone(the spy) stood watching the couple from afar with a deep scowl on her face. Things seem to be going well between the king and queen, or did he finally express his feelings? she thought, remembering his conversation with the child. ¡°Enjoy it while itst, because soon it will all be over,¡± she mumbled to herself, looking at the poisonous arrow. She had thought about poisoning the food which Zara and Carl were going to eat at the pic, but couldn¡¯t because there were guards. So she decided to use a poisonous arrow, that way, no one would see her, and she could easily kill Zara. From where she hid behind a tree, she aimed at Zara, even though it was a little far, after all, she was very good at archery and has been killing people from a far distance from when she was a child. ¡°Nothing would save you now,¡± she whispered, after making sure that her aim was on Zara, then released the arrow. Shot by an arrow CARL¡¯S POV Now that I¡¯ve expressed my feelings, I feel like a weight has been lifted off me and I feel happy. Although I was a little disappointed, that she didn¡¯t reciprocate my feelings. but as I said, I was going to wait for her. I know Zara was also attracted to me or even felt something for me, but I wanted her to say it. When I kissed her, it felt so good, like a fire ignited in my body and soul, like there was a powerful current flowing through my blood and veins and I wanted more. I wanted to rip off her dress and have my way with her right there, but I couldn¡¯t because I had a feeling that we were being watched. I pulled away from to kiss, staring at her and I smiled when I saw how flushed her cheek was. ¡°Zara,¡± I called, taking her hands in mine. ¡°we have to go back to the pce,¡± I told her, but before we could leave, an arrow out of nowhere, flew toward Zara, and I immediately pulled her away. Zara gasped, looking horrified, her body trembling in fear. I didn¡¯t waste any more time, but pulled her along, running towards the pce. My priority now was to take her to a safe ce, instead of going after whoever attacked us. As soon as we got to the pce, I ordered some soldiers to go check where Zara and I had been attacked. I knew by now the person must have left the scene, but there might still be some clues left. I sighed, looking at Zara who was lost in thoughts. ¡°Are you okay,¡± I asked, but she didn¡¯t answer, instead she hugged me.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, you are safe now,¡± I assured, patting her back. Minutester, the soldiers returned with an arrow. ¡°Your majesty, we found this at the scene,¡± they reported, and I took it from them, scanning it. I¡¯ve seen something like this, I knew what it is. It was a type of poisonous arrow, that kills someone on the spot. I was horrified and for the first time scared. I thought about how I would have lost both Zara and my baby, and my heart tightened against my chest. Who could be behind this? the only person who could dare target Zara was that bastard Arthur, or maybe another enemy, I was not aware of. ZARA¡¯S POV When Carl asked me if I was okay, all I could do was hug him, I didn¡¯t know how to reply, my mind was in a state of distraught. The thought that I almost died, that I almost lost my baby, made me shiver. Who would want me dead, it¡¯s not like I offended anyone? Is it because Carl expressed his feeling for me, but no one knew, it was just the two of us on the boat and on theke. ¡°Carl, I would like to be alone for a while,¡± I whispered but was sure he heard me. He looked at me for a while before nodding in disagreement. ¡°Zara, I can¡¯t let you be alone at a time like this, not when someone is trying to kill you,¡± he muttered, and I let out a light smile. I was happy that he loves and cared about me, and the thought made me feel safe. ¡°From now on Zara, you won¡¯t leave my sight, wherever you go, I go,¡± Carl said, cing a light kiss on my lips. ¡°Will you go with me, even when I want to have a bath?¡± I asked, and he smiled mischievously, before answering. ¡°Especially when you want to have a bath,¡± and I felt my cheek heating up. ¡°You perverted king,¡± I squealed, but I was also perverted because there were lots of images forming in my head, about Carl and me doing dirty things in the bath and he chuckled. ¡°Queen Zara, what are you thinking about? your cheeks are as red as tomatoes,¡± he mocked, and I immediately stood up, trying to get away from him, but he pulled me back to him. ¡­ True to his word, Carl followed Zara where ever she went for a week, and this brought them, even more, closer and also, there were no more attacks on Zara. Today Gwen was passing through the hallway when she saw both Zara and Carl talking andughing happily. She felt a stab of jealousy and rage. Not only Gwen was filled with rage. The spy who has been watching them throughout the week was also angry. But in her case, she was angry because her attack did nothing to scare them instead it brought them closer. Clenching her fist, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to wait for another opportunity.¡± Then she turned around to leave but sighted Gwen who was also watching them with anger evident on her face and she smirked. ¡°This fool, if only she had agreed to join me, things would have been a lot easier,¡± she thought, before walking away. At that moment, Gwen decided to carry out her first n. She immediately sent her servant outside the pce to bring some orphan children into the pce. Now she would show Carl that she¡¯s more passionate and caring about his people than Zara. Some minutester, Gwen¡¯s servant returned with the orphans like Gwen had asked. ¡°Mdy, these are the orphan children, you asked for,¡± the servant said, and Gwen nced up to look at them. She immediately wrinkled her face in disgust, seeing that the orphan was looking dirty and tattered. ¡°Lady Gwen,¡± the children greeted, bowing their heads in respect, and Gwen smiled. she envisioned how great it would be if all of Everton were bowing at her feet. A little girl who was among the orphan was so excited because this was her first timeing to the pce, so she decided to go hug Gwen for making it possible, but Gwen shrieked, backing away quickly. ¡°While you are here, none of you should try getting close to me, or even think of touching me,¡± she warned, eying the little girl, whose eyes were now filled with tears and they all nodded. ¡°Nowe along,¡± she ordered, leading them to the hallway where Zara and Carl were sitting. Orphan鈥檚 and allies Gwen took the orphan¡¯s right to where Carl and Zara sat. ¡°Children, this is King Carl and queen Zara,¡± Gwen introduced and the children were so happy since it was their first time meeting the king and queen. They immediately ran past Gwen to meet Zara and Carl. Although the children wanted to hug them, they were scared that Zara and Carl would be mean just like Gwen. ¡°Hello children,¡± Zara said, smiling brightly. She opened her arm to the children and they ran into her embrace. ¡°You are not as mean as Lady Gwen,¡± the little girl who had wanted to hug Gwen earlier blurted out, pouting her mouth, and Zara smiled, while Gwen gasped, ring at the little girl. She has just ruined her ns by calling her mean in front of both Zara and Carl. ¡°What is your name?¡±Zara asked the little girl. ¡°My name is Ryn¡± she answered. ¡°Ryn, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m four years old.¡± Zara looked at the children and she felt sorry for them because, at such tender age, they didn¡¯t have parents. Carl also talked and yed with the children. He would asionally throw a nce at Zara and smile when he saw how she adored the kids, and they adored her. Gwen on the other hand felt like killing both Zara and the children. It was her idea to bring them into the pce, but they abandoned her and went to Zara instead. Once again, her n has failed. Carl whom she had wanted to impress, was not even looking at her, instead, he was looking at Zara, with eyes full of love. At that moment, Gwen decided to forget about Aiden and Eric¡¯s help. She was impatient, and she wanted quick results. The spy was right, what could mere children help her with? she thought, taking onest nce at Carl, Zara, and the children. ¡°The deities must really be on your side, Zara,¡± she mumbled to herself before leaving angrily. ZARA¡¯S POV I was happy with the children around and especially Ryn. She¡¯s so adorable and I couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with her. Carl, can I talk to you? I whispered, moving closer to him. He tilt his head to look at me and then smiled. ¡°Of course my queen, you can talk to me whenever you want. ¡°Can Ryn stay in the pce?¡± I asked since she was the youngest amongst the children. Carl turned toward Ryn, who gave him a toothy grin. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, it¡¯s fine,¡± he answered, and I smiled, giving him a light kiss on the lips and the children cheered. ¡°Hey, you shouldn¡¯t be watching what adults do¡± Aiden muttered, walking towards us with Eric trailing beside him. They scowled at Carl and I, before turning back to the children with an excited look on their faces. I guess they were both happy because it was the first time they were seeing lots of children since they barely left the pce. ¡°Aiden, Eric, you are going to have a new ymate,¡± I announced and their mood brighten even more. ¡°Aunt Zara, tell us who,¡± Eric squealed, and Aiden nodded in agreement. ¡°She right there,¡± I said, pointing at Ryn, who blinked repeatedly, looking shy. ¡°It¡¯s a girl?¡± Aiden muttered, raising his brow. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a girl, are you not happy?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course I am. It¡¯s just that I now have a responsibility, I will have to look after her because girls are fragile,¡± he replied and I smiled. ¡°Aiden you don¡¯t have to worry, I will take care of her myself, after all, she¡¯s my second love,¡± Eric let out, smiling mischievously and both Carl and I turned to each and burst intoughter. ¡°Who is the first love, Eric?¡± I asked, teasingly. ¡°Her name is Elsa, and she broke my heart. That¡¯s all I can tell you, I already told king Carl the rest,¡± Eric replied. ¡°How can she be your second love, you only just met her,¡± Aiden asked. ¡°Aiden, haven¡¯t you heard about love at first sight,¡± Eric countered, rolling his eyes, and both Carl and Zara almost died ofughter. ¡°Ryn, you have to say your goodbyes now, you¡¯ll be staying with us now,¡± Zara told her, crouching to her size. ¡°Really, I will be staying with you and the king?¡± Ryn yelled in her tiny voice, her eyes wide open. ¡°Yes, you will.¡± ¡°What about my friends?¡± Ryn asked, and both Zara and Carl couldn¡¯t help but admire how a small child like her would be so caring and not selfish. She didn¡¯t forget her friends when things became good for her. ¡°She such a sweet child,¡± Zara muttered, giving Ryn an affectionate look and Carl nodded in agreement. ¡°The queen and I will build a home for your friends, and they will have a lot of people taking care of them and you can also visit whenever you want,¡± Carl told Ryn, and her eyes lighten up immediately after hearing that. ¡°Thank you, your ma¡­ magesty,¡± Ryn said, pronouncing the majesty wrongly. ¡°It¡¯s majesty,¡± Aiden corrected, making a hand gesture and Eric scoffed, before saying, ¡°She¡¯s just a child Aiden.¡± ¡­ After Ryn said goodbye to her friends, Carl immediately ordered, Jerald to find men who would build a home for the orphans and other poor children on the streets. He didn¡¯t just send them away but asked the servants to bathe them, clothe them, and also feed them. The children were all so happy, especially Ryn, who was now going to be living in a pce like she have always dreamed of. She was even happier knowing that Prince Aiden and Eric, were going to be her friends. ¡­ Meanwhile, Gwen and the spy, sat in her chambers, having a discussion. ¡°So tell me, Gwen, why have you asked to see me?¡± ¡°Because, I thought about what you said, and I agree to be your ally.¡± The spy smiled inwardly. ¡°I¡¯m d you finally realized that I¡¯d make the perfect ally, and made the right decision.¡± ¡°It not like I had a choice,¡± Gwen replied, sneering. ¡°We always have a choice Gwen, and you made the right one. my king would be please to know that you¡¯ve agreed to join us,¡± The spy muttered, with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m only doing this just to be Carl¡¯s wife and the queen of Everton.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And you will be Gwen. You¡¯ll just have to do as I say.¡± ¡°What do I have to do? I hope it doesn¡¯t involve killing someone?¡± Gwen asked, giving her a curious look. ¡°If you want to seed in life, you must be willing to do anything, and that includes killing Lady Gwen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone,¡± Gwen replied. ¡°Gwen, there¡¯s something you fail to understand, and that is if you want to be the Queen, you have to make a lot of sacrifices.¡± ¡°But Zara didn¡¯t make any, she just became the queen.¡± ¡°You are not Zara, Gwen. Zara was a Princess, and you are just a Lady of a noble family that¡¯s all.¡± Gwen became angry after hearing that. Was Zara better than her just because she was a princess, or is it because the fates seem to be on her side? After considering what the spy has said Gwen, tilts her gaze to meet the spy. ¡°Tell me, what do I have to do?¡± Poisoned ¡°You¡±ll have to put this in Zara¡¯s drink at the banquet,¡± the spy said, handing Gwen a bottle. Gwen looked at it curiously before asking, ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°Stop asking so many questions Gwen, just do as I say,¡± the spy answered looking slightly annoyed, and Gwen nodded. ZARA¡¯S POV I sat in front of the mirror, and Carl helped me style my hair. I had asked Lia to do it but Carl insisted that he wanted to do it himself. He even applied makeup to my face and I was amazed at how perfectly he could do it. ¡°This is how you put make-up on someone,¡± Carl said in a mock tone, and I smiled, knowing he was talking about the day I put make-up on him. ¡°You are the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Carlplimented, and I blushed. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because I am your wife,¡± I replied and he chuckled. ¡°Zara, even before you became my wife, from the first time I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± When he said that, I felt my heart throb in joy. My cheek also heated up, and I was smiling like someone who won a trophy. ¡°But you were very mean to me when we first met, howe you thought I was beautiful?¡± ¡°I know I was mean, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were and is still beautiful. Now forget all that, ande with me,¡± Carl said, stretching out his hand and I took it. he ced a light kiss, on my hand, before leading me to the banquet.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡­ Many people came to the banquet to celebrate theing of the heir to the throne of Everton. And each of them, both rich and poor, came with a gift, some of great value, and some, of little value, which they handed to Zara, wholeheartedly. ¡°My dear, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, words can¡¯t express how grateful I am that you are here today to celebrate and share in my moment of happiness, to celebrate the greatest gift life has given to both me and Everton. Words can¡¯t express the joy I feel, knowing that soon, I¡¯ll be a father,¡± Carl let out, a bright smile on his face. He tilts his gaze to meet mine, ¡°I¡¯m going to make a toast. To my queen and the heir of Everton,¡± Carl yelled, raising his cup of wine in the air. ¡°To queen Zara and the heir of Everton,¡± The crowd, chorused and I smiled, also drinking the from my cup. But in my case, the wine was reced with milk, because I couldn¡¯t have wine. ¡°Queen Zara, this is for you,¡± a servant said, handing me another drink. ¡°What is this I asked?¡± Looking at the drink. ¡°Your majesty, it¡¯s something that will help both you and your baby,¡± The servant said, smiling at me. ¡°My queen, I¡¯ll taste it to make sure it¡¯s safe,¡± M who stood beside me muttered, taking the drink from my hand. She took a sip, before passing it back to me. ¡°My queen, you can have it, it¡¯s not poisoned,¡± M muttered, giving me back the drink, which I collected and drank. ¡°Do you want toe with me to the garden?¡± Carl asked, leaning closer to me. ¡°Of course,¡± I replied, taking his hands in mine. ¡­ Carl and I walked out of the banquet, holding hands and I felt a slight ache in my stomach, but I ignored it. The reason I agreed to go to the garden was so I could be alone with him, and finally express my feelings. I want to tell him that I love him. Because for some reason, I was feeling uneasiness. My heart was telling me to confess already. ¡°Carl,¡± I called, once we got to the garden. I held his hand, looking right into his eyes, which were filled with nothing but love and admiration. ¡°I want to say something,¡± I muttered, taking a deep breath. How hard can it be to confess my feelings, I told myself. ¡°Carl I just wanted to tell¡­¡± I said but was cut off by an ache, this time more intense than the first one and I groaned, holding my stomach. ¡°Zara, are you alright?¡± Carl asked, wearing a concerned look and I sighed, nodding my head, that I was. But it felt like my breath would seize at any moment. ¡°Carl, I love you,¡± I blurted out. I felt like I needed to tell him before it was toote. The look on his face was priceless, he looked shocked, happy, and at the same time worried. ¡°I love you, Carl. I wanted to tell you that day on the boat, I wanted to reciprocate your feelings, but I didn¡¯t know how to,¡± I told him, my breath,ing out hard. Carl grinned. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m so happy to know, you feel the same way, but I want you to tell me again after you feel better because right now, you don¡¯t look so well,¡± Carl muttered, putting his arms around my waist to support me. Argh! I yelled when the pain increased. This time bing unbearable. It felt like there was something inside my stomach, squeezing my organs. Argh! I yelled again. ¡°Carl help me, help me, it hurts, please help me,¡± I cried, holding my stomach. Carl immediately lifted me in his arms, taking me back inside the pce. ¡°Carl, our baby, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to our baby,¡± I let out in a low voice when I felt something dripping from my legs. I couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore, I felt my eyelid, closing on their own, even though I tried so hard to stay awake. I wanted to know what was happening to me, I wanted to know if my baby was safe. ¡°Carl, please hurry,¡± I whispered, before finally sumbing to sleep. CARL¡¯S POV When Zara screamed in pain, I wanted to lose my mind. My heart was in a state of turmoil, it was pounding so fast against my chest, and I was finding it hard to breathe. ¡°Zara,¡± I called when she didn¡¯t say anything again. ¡°Zara, say something,¡± I yelled, but she didn¡¯t reply. instead, I felt her body be stiff against mine and I almost stop breathing too. I felt fear, a fear that I never knew I had, and it was threatening to consume, me whole. ¡°Zara,¡± I called again, but this time, in a whisper, running toward our chamber. Guards, I yelled and two guards came running. ¡°I want you to get the royal physician immediately,¡± I yelled, sweat dripping down my forehead. ¡°Zara, please say something,¡± I pleaded. ¡­ Soon the physician came running alongside Catherine and the others. They all had worried expressions on their faces. ¡°Carl, what happened?¡± Catherine asked, and they all turned, giving me a curious look. ¡°I don¡¯t know Catherine, that¡¯s what I want the physician to tell me¡­ The physician examined Zara for a while, checking her pulse, and her mouth, then he turn to me. I could tell by the expression on his face, that all was not well. ¡± Tell me, tell me what¡¯s wrong with my queen,¡± I rasped, getting impatient. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯m afraid to say this,¡± he muttered, looking hesitant. ¡°Just tell me,¡± I growled, and he trembled. ¡°Your majesty, it seems the queen was poisoned,¡± he blurted out, making everyone in the room gasp. ¡°What do you mean, she was poisoned? no, she can¡¯t be, no one would dare,¡± I yelled, wheezing, my heart aching. I didn¡¯t want to believe what he just said. ¡°My king, you have to listen. Queen Zara was poisoned, and the poison used is a rear kind, called the purple Vine. The reason I even know it is because I¡¯ve seen someone with a simr case and she didn¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that sir Thomas, don¡¯t tell me that. I know my Zara is going to live, she will.¡± The physician sighed. ¡°My king, there is only one way the Queen will survive this and that is if you get the purple lotus.¡± ¡°Then what are you waiting for send someone to go get it.¡± ¡°Your majesty, it¡¯s not that easy to find because we don¡¯t have it here in Everton and I don¡¯t know if any of the other kingdoms have it. The only one I¡¯m aware of is Neptune, you can find the purple lotus in Neptune.¡± Poisoned 2 CARL¡¯S POV ¡°The purple lotus can be found in Neptune, but as it is, Neptune and Everton, are at war, there¡¯s no way King Arthur, would agree to give it to us, and even if he does, it will be at a great price. All I can do for the queen now is give her a concoction that will subdue the poison, and keep her alive for at least a week, that¡¯s all. you also have to know that the baby, will not survive¡­ I sighed, pacing around, it¡¯s like fate has decided to y a cruel joke on me. Just when everything was going well, just when we were happy. And now again, the lotus for saving Zara can only be found in Neptune, an enemy nation.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Carl, everything will be alright, you just have to believe that the fates will set it right,¡± Catherine consoled, patting my shoulder, and I turned to her. ¡°The fates? I scoffed. Why should I believe in the fates? Why should I? it is the same fate that put me in such a dilemma, it is the same fate that gave me happiness and still took it away. No Catherine, I don¡¯t believe in the fates, I only believe in me, I know that no matter what it takes, I will do it to save my queen, even if I have to go against fate.¡± ¡°King Carl, you¡¯re right, we still have a week. You heard the physician, he said, he¡¯s not aware if the other nations have the purple lotus, except Neptune, he didn¡¯t say, that they don¡¯t have it. I think we should send a message to the other nations to ask about the lotus,¡± Lady Anna suggested. ¡°Yes your majesty, thedy is right. I¡¯m aware that Neptune has it because it¡¯smon there. But as for the other nations, I¡¯ve never heard of purple lotus growing there,¡± the physician added, and everyone nodded. ¡°Lady Anna, you are from Azrael, do you know if the purple lotus grows there?¡± I asked. ¡°No king Carl, I¡¯m not aware. I only just heard of the purple lotus, but I¡¯ll send a message immediately to ask.¡± ¡°My king, shouldn¡¯t we also talk about, who poisoned my dear Zara,¡± Lia who has been sitting beside Zara, and crying silently, asked. It¡¯s like what she said ignited a fire inside of me, a fire of rage. I immediately stormed out of the chamber, going into the hall. ¡°Guards, I want you to summon every servant in the pce, whoever served Zara food or something to drink, must be brought before me,¡± I yelled, and they scurried away. ¡­ Earlier(Before the banquet) Gwen, poured the portion, into a drink, ¡°you,e here,¡± she said, pointing to a servant girl. The girl hastily went to Gwen, with her head down. ¡°Lady Gwen,¡± she greeted. ¡°I want you to take this drink to queen Zara, it¡¯s a concoction, which will help both her and the baby,¡± Gwen muttered, and the girl eyed the drink, before epting it from Gwen. ¡°Okay,dy Gwen,¡± she answered, turning away, but Gwen pulled her back. ¡°Don¡¯t tell queen Zara that it¡¯s from me, you know she doesn¡¯t like me, even if I mean well,¡± Gwen muttered, and the servant nodded, before leaving. Immediately she left, Gwen smiled. I wonder what type of portion this is? it even has a nice smell, Gwen thought, sniffing the portion. She walked out of the kitchen but halted. She gasped as if she was suddenly hit by a realization. Oh my God, could it be that this is poison? she asked herself. She suddenly remembered what the spy had told her, about being able to do anything, even kill if she wanted to be the Queen. Gwen panicked. ¡°How could I be so stupid? what else would be in such a bottle if not poison?¡± she mulled. She was so desperate to be the Queen, that she didn¡¯t stop to think before acting. ¡°I need to go find her(The spy)¡± Gwen mumbled, going to search for the spy. ¡­ Gwen looked everywhere, but couldn¡¯t find her. She didn¡¯t even bother about going to the banquet, because to her, that was no longer important. ¡°Where could she be? Oh God, did she run away? Gwen pondered. If the spy did run away, she would be the one to take the fall. Gwen panicked, looking around, what do I do now? she asked herself. She was still lost in thought when she saw some guards, running around looking unnerved. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She asked one of the guards, and he answered ¡°Queen Zara was poisoned,¡± then he left. Gwen stumbled backward, so it really is poison? She was supposed to feel happy but for some reason, she wasn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t be happy because, at the moment, she was in a state of unrest. If Carl finds out, that she was behind Zara¡¯s poisoning, she will surely be hanged, and if not hanged, punished severely. ¡­ All the servants in the pce were brought before Carl, including the one who gave Zara the poisoned drink. She trembled in fear, as she stood before Carl. ¡°Did Lady Gwen poison the drink?¡± She mulled, remembering Gwen told her not to tell Zara it was from her¡­ The tension in the air made everyone shiver. They could feel the rage emitting from Carl. He was like a wounded lion, who would snap at even the slightest movement. Carl tilts his gaze to the servants, burning holes through them. He gnashed his teeth and clenched his fist. He wanted to punish each one of them, as presently, he saw them like the enemy, he couldn¡¯t trust any of them, after all, it was one of them, who poisoned, Zara. ¡°Your majesty,¡± The physician called, walking to him. ¡°Do you know what queen Zara ate or drank a few hours ago?¡± he asked, and Carl gave a curious look before inquiring. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± The physician sighed, then answered. ¡°Your majesty, it is because whatever queen Zarast ate or drank, should be the cause of her present predicament. I mean, the purple vine only affects a person after some minutes of taking it. Carl, clenched his fist, trying to remember what Zara had eaten throughout the day, from dawn till now. He vividly remembers that Zara didn¡¯t eat much, she only ate some fruits and it was hours before the banquet, and like the physician said the purple vine(poison) takes effect on a person after some minutes of taking it, so It had to be what she had at the banquet. What did she have? He mulled, then he remembered that she only drank, a cup of milk and the concoction the servant girl had given her. Immediately he snapped his head to the direction of the servants again, scanning them, when his eyesnded on the servant girl, who gave Zara the concoction. ¡°Guards, arrest that servant,¡± he growled Servant girl ¡°Guards arrest that servant,¡± Carl growled, pointing at the girl servant. The guards immediately came and seized her and the servant girl trembled in fear. Carl stood up, walking to her. ¡°You,¡± he growled, you were the one who gave my queen that concoction, tell me why you poisoned her¡­ The servant girl shivered at Carl¡¯s tone of voice, she nced up, to take a peek at him, but immediately regretted it. The look in his eyes screamed murder and he looked like a beast, ready to attack its prey. ¡°Should I tell king Carl that it wasdy Gwen, who gave me the drink? Would he believe me? After all, Lady Gwen belongs to a noble family, and is also a close friend of the king,¡± she pondered.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yo¡­ your majesty, I didn¡¯t poison the queen please you have to believe me,¡± she cried, giving Carl a pleading look. Carl scoffed, clenching his fist. His blood was boiling, and he was running out of patience. all he wanted to do now was kill her, but he still wanted to know why she poisoned Zara¡­ ¡°They all say the same thing, even when they¡¯ve been cut red-handed,¡± he said calmly in a mock tone, gripping her neck tightly, but not enough to kill her, then he said, ¡°I won¡¯t ask you again, so you should tell me now that I¡¯m being nice, maybe I might give you an easy death. but if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure I torture you in the worst ways possible, by first peeling off your skin, then removing parts of your body, little by little, until you die.¡± The servant shuddered. Although Carl spoke so calmly, she knew that he meant every word he said. ¡°Your majesty, I swear, it wasn¡¯t me,¡± she choked out, now finding it hard to breathe, because Carl¡¯s grip on her neck, was getting stronger and tighter. ¡°Yo¡­ your majesty, pl¡­ please, I didn¡¯t do it, I swear by the gods, please don¡¯t kill me,¡± she let out in a low voice, but he could hear her. Carl scoffed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t kill you?¡± He repeated, flinging her to the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t want to die, but you have the guts to poison someone else, I¡¯m going to teach you a very good lesson. Guards, take her to the dungeon, I¡¯m sure by the time I¡¯m done with her, she will be willing to talk.¡± ¡­ Queen Catherine,dy Anna, and Lia watched everything that was going on. Lia suddenly gasped, when she remembered something. She remembered that not only Zara took the concoction, but M also and right now, M was nowhere to be seen. Did something happen to her? She pondered, looking around. She didn¡¯t want to bother queen Catherine or Lady Anna because, as it is, they were already worried about Zara, so she sneaked away, going in search of M. M, she called, going from one chamber to the next. ¡°Guards, have you seen M, queen Zara¡¯s other maid?¡± She asked, but they said no. After searching for a long time, Lia was about to give up, when she sighted someone lying behind a flower vase. Is that M, she pondered, running towards her. My unconscious on the floor, and no one noticed her, even if they did they didn¡¯t care because, at the moment they were more worried about their queen, more than anything else. ¡°M,¡± Lia yelled, but there was no reply. The poison must have also affected her, Lia guessed, trying to help M up. ¡­ The physician gave the concoction to both Zara and M. ¡°My king, the poison, has subsided, for now. But you know what happens if we don¡¯t get the antidote,¡± the physician reminded, and Carl nodded. ¡°I know sir Thomas, I will get the antidote, I¡¯ve already sent the message to the other nations, asking for the lotus, all we have to do now is wait and pray, but for now, I have somewhere to be,¡± he muttered, walking out of the chamber. Carl¡¯s mind was upied with thoughts of the servant girl. what he was going to do to her, how he was going to torture her, into telling him the truth. He knew that the servant girl, wouldn¡¯t act on her own, so he wanted to know who she was working for. ¡­ Meanwhile, Gwen heard that the servant girl she sent to give Zara a drink at the banquet has been arrested. ¡°Oh, God! What do I do now? she panicked. Could the servant have already spilled the bean, telling Carl that I was behind the whole thing? Will Carl believe her? Gwen pondered shivering slightly. She knew she was not just going to get into trouble with just Carl, but the whole of Everton, and even Azrael, After all, not only Zara was involved, but her baby, who was supposed to be the heir to the throne. Gwen thought of what to do, to get out of her situation. If she knew things would turn out this way, she wouldn¡¯t have be allies, with the spy, and for the first time in her life, she wished she had listened to her father. She thought about asking him for help, but she remembered what he told her thest time they met. After thinking over it for a while, Gwen concluded, that she had alreadye too far to turn back now. ¡°she is right, if I want something, I have to go the extra mile for it, I should be willing to sacrifice, and right now, I just sacrifice Zara, and her baby,¡± Gwen thought with a smirk. She decided that she wouldn¡¯t let the servant girl, rat her out, even if she had to kill her. ¡­ Meanwhile, Carl walked into the dungeon, to question the servant. He felt like it was best to do it himself since he couldn¡¯t trust anyone. When he entered the servant girl¡¯s cell, it was dark and he couldn¡¯t see. So he lit a fire touch to get a better view, but what he saw left him speechless. Anonymous person What Carl saw, left him speechless. The girl was lying on the floor, with foaming out of her mouth and she look as pale as a ghost. What happened? Carl shrieked. It was just a while ago, he asked the guards to arrest her, and now she¡¯s dead. No, she was poisoned. Carl clenched his fist, staring at the servant in anger. He was not angry that she died, he was angry that he didn¡¯t get answers to his question, that he didn¡¯t get to punish and inflict pain on her¡­ He growled, ncing around the cell when his gaze caught something on the floor. It was a piece of torn cloth, with something written on it. The note was written in blood and Carl guessed that it must be from the servant. He immediately picked the piece of cloth, reading the content. In the note, the servant had written that she¡¯d rather die than be tortured into spilling the name of her master¡­ After reading it, Carl burst into a fit ofughter, but hisughter was not due to amusement, it was out of anger. ¡°So they think they could fool me by leaving a suicide note,¡± he mumbled inwardly, gnashing his teeth. ¡°Guards,¡± he yelled, and the guards came running. ¡°What happened here?¡± Carl growled, causing them to shiver in fear. ¡°Your Majesty, we don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Carl looked at both the guards in anger. ¡°What happened to the prisoner?¡± he asked, pointing to the servant girl, and they both tilt their gaze toward her, and after seeing the state she was in, they were gobsmacked, and frightened, at the same time. They knew how much Carl wanted to get answers out of her, so they were scared that he would have them killed or punished severely, for their ipetence. ¡°Your majesty, sorry we fail to keep the prisoner alive. Although we have just reced the previous guard and started our shifts a few minutes ago, it¡¯s still not an excuse for our ineptitude. We should have checked on the prisoner but we didn¡¯t, forgive us, your grace.¡± Carl sighed, ring at the guards. Although he was angry at them for their ipetence, he was pleased with their honesty, and from the look of things, it seems the servant girl, died more than a few minutes ago. ¡°I want you to go call the guards on duty before you rece them,¡± Carl ordered, and one of the guards hastily left to carry out his order. Earlier Gwen, walked into the dungeon, her gaze going to the guards on duty. ¡°I want to see the servant girl, who poisoned queen Zara,¡± she told them. ¡°Lady Gwen, that will not be possible. The King is not going to like it if he finds out that we let someone into the prison,¡± they answered, and Gwen sneered inwardly, putting on a fake smile. ¡°I understand what you mean, but can I talk to you for a minute,¡± Gwen said softly, giving the guards a seductive look, and one of the guards immediately agreed to talk to her, seeing that she was being seductive. ¡°Stay here and guard the prisoner, while I talk to Lady Gwen,¡± he told the other guard, before, going with her. Once they were out of sight, Gwen kissed him, trailing her hands, from his chest to his manhood. Gwen knew that she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to see the prisoner, so before she walked into the dungeon, she thought of ways to get through the guards, ways to get them to do her bidding, and the only way she could think of was to seduce them. Gwen pulled away from the kiss, still stroking the guard¡¯s hard dick through his pants¡­ A groan escaped his lips, as he closed his eyes, enjoying whatever dirty thing Gwen was doing to him. He couldn¡¯t wait to tell his friends and brag about how a mere guard like him, did it with ady from a noble family. ¡°I can give you more of this, and also change your life if you help me do my bidding,¡± Gwen whispered, leaning closer to him. ¡°Lady Gwen, I would do whatever you want, even if it involves killing the king,¡± he mumbled, his breathing out hard. Gwen chuckled, ¡°I like the sound of that, but it¡¯s not the king I want dead, it¡¯s the servant girl.¡± The guard pulled away staring at Gwen. ¡°But mdy, that would not be easy at all, if the king finds out, we¡¯re both good as dead,¡± he reasoned, looking frightened, and Gwen scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She asked the guard. ¡°Bradley,¡± mdy. ¡°Bradley, if you can do this little thing for me, I will not only give you Gold and a piece ofnd, but I will also give you my body,¡± Gwen said seductively, with an evil grin, and he thought about what she said. He would no longer be a guard, but a rich owner of a piece ofnd. ¡± ¡°Mdy, the king would get to know that someone killed her ande for that person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have to make it look like shemit suicide,¡± Gwen exined, she also told him other things to do and agreed to distract the other guard. ¡­ Carl waited for the guard he sent toe back with the others, but when the guard returned, he didn¡¯te back with anyone, instead, he came with a frightened look on his face. ¡°Where are they?¡± Carl asked immediately, giving the guard a curious look¡­ The guard sighed, looking for how to break the news to Carl. ¡°Your majesty, they were found dead, in their chamber,¡± he reported, and Carl was gobsmacked, not knowing what to say. He walked out of the dungeon silently, not sparing the guards a nce. His intuition told him that the other guards(Bradley and co) must have helped the culprit kill the servant girl, and they also got killed after.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. True to Carl¡¯s intuition, Gwen had asked one of her trusted men, to kill Bradley and the other guard who was with him, after he helped her kill the servant. ¡­ Neptune King Arthur celebrated the news of Zara¡¯s poisoning. He was so happy, that he finally got his revenge. ¡°Your majesty, our spy sent a message, saying that he was not behind Zara¡¯s poisoning, but someone else. He also said that King Carl would not be able to save queen Zara because the lotus for curing her only grows here in Neptune. Arthur nced up at Arnold, before asking ¡°what do you mean by someone else, and what lotus? ¡°My king, it means that king Carl has another enemy. Also, the poison used on queen Zara was the purple vine and only purple lotus can cure it.¡± ¡°So what you are saying is that no other nation has it except Neptune?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not certain. I heard king Carl sent a message to the other nations asking them for it.¡± A grin made its way to Arthur¡¯s lips when he heard that. ¡°Arnold, it seems the fates are now on my side. I pray the other nations won¡¯t have the purple lotus, that way poor queen Zara would die, or I¡¯ll just ask Carl to give her to me, in order to save her.¡± ¡°My king, you know King Carl would never agree to that, but I have another suggestion. ¡°Recently, the same anonymous person from before sent another scroll. He said it would be best to attack Carl, now that he¡¯s Vulnerable, And I suggest we listen to him. King Carl would be upied with thoughts of getting the purple lotus, to cure queen Zara that he won¡¯t see the attacking. My king, let¡¯s attack Everton. Attacked Four dayster Carl sat beside Zara, staring at her beautiful pale face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my queen. sorry that I failed to protect both you and our child and I also failed to give you the Justice you deserve, because I didn¡¯t find whoever was responsible for your condition,¡± Carl said, kissing Zara¡¯s forehead.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Recently, he received replies from three out of the four nations (Azrael, Nival, Greenville) he had sent a message to, asking for the purple lotus, and they all said the same thing. That they didn¡¯t have the purple lotus. Now he hoped and prayed that thest nation(Nedal), a very small nation, far from Everton would give him a positive reply. ¡­ ¡°Jerald, did king Neil (king of Nedal kingdom) send a reply yet?¡± Carl asked, giving Jerald a hopeful look. ¡°Not yet, my king,¡± Jerald answered, giving Carl a sad look. Not only Carl was affected by Zara¡¯s condition, but the whole of Everton. Also, the pce was not as lively as it used to be before. ¡°My king, what are we going to do, if Nedal doesn¡¯t have the purple lotus, are you going to ask king Arthur, or king Darian (rulers of Neptune and Crystal-vile, and Carl¡¯s enemies). ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯te to that,¡± Carl replied. ¡°Jerald, I want you to continue investigating Zara¡¯s case, make sure you find out who is behind her poisoning, and do it discreetly. Also, I want you to send a message to the minister of defense, telling him that I would like to see him.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, King Arthur agreed to both Arnold¡¯s and the mystery person¡¯s suggestion, and decide to attack Everton. He also sent a message to king Darian, of the Crystal-vile nation, asking him for reinforcement, in addition to the two thousand(soldier), he intended to use in attacking Everton. ¡°Your majesty, King Darian sent you a scroll.¡± ¡°Read it, Arnold.¡± ¡°It says that he agrees to send the reinforcement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, now we match to Everton¡­ Arthur and his army, marched for a day and half before they finally got to Everton¡­ When they arrived, it was noon, so they decided to wait until it was nightfall before they attacked. ¡­ Nightfall, In Everton ¡°Your majesty, we are under attack,¡± Jerald yelled in panic, and Carl smirked, not looking the least bit worried. It was like he already knew they would attack. ¡°My king, what¡¯s wrong? you don¡¯t look bothered by the news,¡± Jerald asked,¡± seeing that Carl was looking unfazed. ¡°Jerald, a king should always be prepared for the unexpected. Remember the other day, when I asked you to call the minister of defense?¡± Carl asked, and Jerald nodded. ¡°It was because of situations like this. I knew my enemies would want to attack at a time like this when they knew I was vulnerable, that¡¯s why I asked the minister of defense to ready our army, in case of unexpected attacks,¡± Carl exined, and Jerald gave him a look of admiration. Even when he was going through so much, he didn¡¯t fail to protect his nation. Although he couldn¡¯t take part in the war, because it was the sixth day and the king of Nedal was yet to send a reply, also Zara had a day left. So he asked the minister of defense to handle it¡­ Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Arthur was rapidly losing the battle. His men were getting killed, and even the reinforcement couldn¡¯t help. They also met the same fate as Arthur¡¯s men. It was like they had walked right into a trap when they attacked Everton. Carl¡¯s army had ambushed them, surrounding them from all sides, and even with Arthur¡¯srge Army, and the reinforcement, they couldn¡¯t do anything. Carl¡¯s army had skillfully and bravely tackled them. ¡°Retreat,¡± Arthur yelled, seeing that they had lost the battle, and only a few men from his army and the reinforcement were left. They immediately fell back, taking to heels as Carl¡¯s army chased them. ¡­ ¡°Your majesty, we seeded in defeating king Arthur¡¯s troops,¡± the minister of defense reported, with a huge smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Carl simply said, not looking interested or happy about the news. He had something else on his mind which bothered him more than the oue of the war, and it was Zara. He was worried and also scared because he still didn¡¯t get the lotus, and he was about to lose his queen and the love of his life. The minister of defense saw that Carl was absent-minded and didn¡¯t care about what he was saying, and he immediately understood that Carl must be thinking about Zara, and he felt sorry. Unlike Carl, Zara was just their queen and the mother of their nation. But to Carl, she was not just his queen, she was something more. He opened his mouth to say something to Carl, but the words were stuck. He wanted to console him but he didn¡¯t know how to. ¡°Sir William(the minister of defense) what would you do if you were in my shoes? Carl asked. Sir William looked at Carl, and he didn¡¯t know how to answer. Just like Carl, he didn¡¯t know what he would do. ¡°Your majesty, even I wouldn¡¯t know what to do,¡± he replied truthfully. Carl nodded his head, then he said, ¡°I know what to do. I will have to ask King Arthur, for the lotus regardless of the cost.¡± Sir William was gobsmacked. ¡°My king, we just defeated King Arthur in a war, I¡¯m not sure he would want to give you the lotus, please reconsider.¡± Carl scoffed. ¡°Of course, I know that, but I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to save my queen, even if it includes kissing Arthur¡¯s feet.¡± Sir William shrieked at what Carl had just said. He couldn¡¯t imagine their king, bowing down to another king, and even kissing his feet. He couldn¡¯t even let it happen. Although he wasn¡¯t the King¡¯s advisor, he still had to stop the king from making the wrong choice. After all, Everton was their home. ¡°My king, remember king Neil is yet to send a reply, I suggest you wait,¡± Sir William reasoned. ¡°Wait? you suggest I wait. Sir William, do you know, my queen has just a day left, and you are saying I should wait. what if I wait and the queen ends up dying,¡± Carl yelled angrily, and Sir William shivered at his tone of voice. Yes, Zara was at great risk, but Carl is also Putting Everton at risk if he decides to ask Arthur for help. ¡°Your majesty, please reconsider,¡± he pleaded. ¡°My decision is final, I will ask king Arthur for the purple lotus.¡± The messenger A FARAWAY LAND ¡°Your majesty, King Arthur lost the war to Carl.¡± ¡°What do you mean, he lost the war?¡± ¡°Your majesty, it was like King Carl already knew, king Arthur would attack, and was very prepared. It didn¡¯t even take time for his troops to defeat Arthur¡¯s troops. The King Luther Scoffed. ¡°I never should have underestimated Carl,¡± he said. He had also thought Carl would be weak, due to the incident with Zara, but he was wrong. ¡°I have to admit king Carl is a true king, because only a true king, stays ready even amidst his own problems.¡± ¡°Your majesty, what will you do now that Arthur has failed?¡± ¡°It was my fault for overestimating him, I should have known that he was incapable, so now, I¡¯ll have to wait a little while, so Arthur can recuperate, from his defeat. Because I need him to be ready when the timees to attack Everton. ¡­ Meanwhile, it took Arthur half a day to get back to Neptune because he was no longer with arge troop, and he didn¡¯t stop to rest. Once again Carl has defeated him and hurt his ego. He knew that he was going to be theughing stock of other nations for a while. ¡°Arnold,¡± Arthur yelled angrily. Arnold had not gone with Arthur to the war because he was looking after Neptune. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Arnold greeted with a bow. ¡°You. If you and your mystery person, hadn¡¯t given me such bad advice, things wouldn¡¯t have gotten so bad. from now on, never give me any advice, ever,¡± Arthur yelled angrily. Although he couldn¡¯t me everything on Arnold, because he was also at fault for listening and he should have known that Carl couldn¡¯t easily be defeated. ¡°I apologize, my king. I should have known, it wasn¡¯t that easy, I should have let you carry on with your n,¡± Arnold apologized. ¡­ IN EVERTON ¡°My king, there is no need to send a message to King Arthur, because a messenger from Nedal is here,¡± Jerald told Carl. Carl immediately tilts his gaze to meet him, with a glint of hope in his eye. ¡°But are you sure he has the lotus?¡± Carl asked with a curious look. ¡°My king, I think he does, or else, why would hee all the way from Nedal instead of sending a message,¡± Jerald replied¡­ Carl¡¯s eyes shone with happiness immediately Jerald said that. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Carl asked. ¡°He¡¯s in the throne room with the council members, and queen Catherine,¡± Jerald replied with a small smile. He was happy to see the ray of happiness in Carl¡¯s eyes. ¡­ ¡°Greetings your grace,¡± The messenger, bowed in respect. ¡°Greetings to you too,¡± Carl replied, sitting on his throne. ¡°Can you tell me the reason you are here?¡± Carl asked even though he was aware of why the messenger was there. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯m here because king Neil has sent me to discuss the matter in regards to the purple lotus,¡± he answered. ¡°What matters? Do you have the lotus?¡± Carl asked eagerly. ¡°I do your grace, I have the purple lotus,¡± the messenger replied. ¡°Really?¡± Carl asked to be sure. ¡°Yes, your grace, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± Carl couldn¡¯t contain his happiness. The thought that he would soon be with his queen, that he will be able to hug and kiss her, brought a huge smile to his face. Not only Carl but everyone in the room was delighted by the news. Finally, their queen was going to be with them again and things would go back to normal. ¡°If you have it, then please hand it over and I¡¯llpensate King Neil with whatever he wants. Be it horses, salt, rice grains, gold, silk, or whatever,¡± Carl said, giving Jerald a signer to get the lotus from him. ¡°Your grace, gold, horses, or whatever you have just mentioned is not what king Neil want¡¯s in exchange for the purple lotus.¡± ¡°Then what does he want?¡± ¡°Your grace, King Neil wants you to get married to his daughter, princess Nadia in return for the purple lotus.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. What he said, left everyone present in the throne room gobsmacked. Did he just say that the king will have to marry the princess of Nedal? They whispered amongst themselves. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Carl asked. ¡°Your grace, King Neil, agrees to give you the purple lotus, but only if you agree to marry his daughter, the princess of Nedal,¡± The messenger exined. ¡°How could he ask that of my son, isn¡¯t he aware that he¡¯s already married to princess Zara of Azrael?¡± Catherine rasped, enraged that they would ask for such a thing in exchange for the lotus. ¡°King Neil is aware, but he wants to form an alliance with Everton.¡± Carl frowned, clenching his fist. He didn¡¯t know that they would be so selfish. He was willing to give them whatever they wanted, but it didn¡¯t mean he was ready to marry someone else, even if that person should look exactly like Zara. ¡°I will not marry your so-called princess,¡± Carl growled angrily. The messenger shivered slightly but stood his ground. ¡°Your Grace, you¡¯re aware that queen Zara would die if you don¡¯t ept the offer,¡± he said. ¡°And you are aware that I could kill you right here and have the lotus,¡± Carl countered, standing up from his throne, with anger visible in his eyes. he looked like he was about to remove the messenger¡¯s head¡­ Although the messenger was afraid and almost peed in his pants, he didn¡¯t let it show. But he swore in his heart that if he got out of this alive, he would never face king Carl again. ¡°Your grace, everyone know you to be an honest and just king, if you kill me here, what will people say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what people say, I just care about saving my queen.¡± ¡°Your majesty, he¡¯s right. If you kill him and take the lotus, it won¡¯t leave a good impression on people¡¯s minds. Not just Everton, but other nations will condemn you,¡± one of the council members reasoned. ¡°Yes, your majesty, you have to reconsider.¡± ¡°What do you mean, reconsider? are you trying to say our king should marry again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong. After all, he is the king and is allowed to have as many wives as he wants.¡± ¡°Only a womanizer like you would suggest such a thing. After all, you have three wives and still not satisfied.¡± ¡°Just shut your mouth. Who are you calling a womanizer? you ipetent fool.¡± ¡°How dare you call me an ipetent fool?¡± The whole hall was in chaos as the council started to quarrel amongst themselves. Some agreed that Carl should marry the princess to save Zara¡¯s life, while others did not. ¡°Carl, I think you should agree for the meantime, then after you save Zara, you would think of a way out,¡± Catherine reasoned. ¡°Yes, my king, your mother is right. If you want to save queen Zara, you have to agree, at least it¡¯s better than asking king Arthur for help,¡± Jerald also reasoned¡­ Carl closed his eyes and sighed, thinking about what they had both said, and they were right agreeing to King Neil¡¯s condition, was better than asking Arthur. Because he knew Arthur¡¯s condition would be far worse. But still, he didn¡¯t want to get married to anyone else. ¡°Silence,¡± he yelled after a while, putting an end to the quarrel amongst the council members. ¡°I have made a decision, and my decision is¡­ Killing two birds with one stone ¡°My decision is that I will get married to princess Nadia of Nedal, but only after queen Zara¡¯s recovery,¡± Carl announced, and everyone gasped. Like before some were pleased with his decision, while others were not. The messenger smiled, seeing that Carl has agreed to the proposal. ¡°Your grace, you made the right decision, but you have to put your royal seal on this, as a guarantee that you won¡¯t go back on your word,¡± he said, showing Carl a scroll, on which an agreement was written. ¡°Jerald, get my royal seal,¡± Carl ordered, ring at the messenger. Even a royal seal doesn¡¯t guarantee that he would marry their princess. ¡­ The messenger left immediately after, Carl had stamped the agreement, and he also gave the purple lotus. He was filled with so much happiness that finally, they were going to be aligned with such a great nation like Everton¡­ Meanwhile, the royal physician gave Zara and M the antidote. ¡°Your majesty, you¡¯ll have to wait a day, for queen Zara and the servant to recover.¡± The physician told Carl, giving him a small smile. ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t mind waiting for another day, knowing that Zara will be alright,¡± Carl replied, returning the smile. Although Carl was happy, he was still very much disturbed about his decision to marry the princess of Nedal. ¡°Your majesty, are you going to tell the queen, about your agreement to marry princess Nadia?¡± Carl sighed, before answering. ¡°It¡¯s best I tell her before she finds out from someone else. But I¡¯ll have to wait until she¡¯s better.¡± Carl was scared of how Zara would react if he told her that he was going to marry someone else, even though it was to save her. ¡­ The news that queen Zara has been given the antidote spread like wide fire. As the people of Everton rejoiced. ¡°Our queen escaped death and came back to us. Hail queen Zara,¡± they cheered. They didn¡¯t know what Carl had done in exchange for the purple lotus, and they didn¡¯t care. The only thing they care about was that Zara was going to be okay. On the other hand, Prince Aiden, Eric, and Ryn sat in their chamber, having a discussion. They look so serious and engrossed that one would wonder what kids like them could be discussing. ¡°Aiden, what do we do now? We didn¡¯t finish with that bad woman Gwen, and now, there is going to be another one,¡± Eric rasped. Earlier, they hid behind Carl¡¯s throne, listening to everything that was going on. Although Eric had wanted toe out of his hiding ce and pull out the messenger¡¯s eyes, Aiden and Ryn had calmed him down. ¡°Eric, don¡¯t say that, we don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a bad person until shees to Everton,¡± Aiden reasoned. ¡°Yes Eric, she might not be bad as you think, but if she is, we would teach her a lesson,¡± Ryn added. ¡°But I don¡¯t want Aunt Zara¡¯s husband to be taken away from her,¡± Eric pouted. ¡°Eric, we also don¡¯t want that, but as of now, we need to continue keeping an eye ondy Gwen, becausetely she¡¯s been acting strange,¡± Aiden muttered. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s the one who poisoned aunt Zara?¡± Ryn asked. Shhhh, Aiden hissed, covering her mouth. ¡°The walls have ears Ryn, we can¡¯t let anyone hear our conversation and we also can¡¯t say that she poisoned aunt Zara, just because she gave the servant a cup of concoction. You know sometimes, what you see is not always true. so until we have proof, we can¡¯t use her of something like that.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Eric and Ryn nodded their head. On the day of Zara¡¯s baby banquet, they had sneaked into the kitchen to steal some snacks, and they saw Gwen giving the servant girl a drink. They also overheard her saying that the servant girl shouldn¡¯t tell Zara it was from her. But that was all they heard. After that, they ran out of the kitchen to avoid getting caught, andter on, when they heard Zara was poisoned, and the same servant girl they saw with Gwen had gotten arrested, they suspected her. ¡°So what should we do now?¡± Ryn asked. Both Aiden and Eric had filled her up on information concerning Gwen and coupled with the fact that she didn¡¯t like her from the start, it was easy to convince Ryn to work with them, now that they were friends. ¡°We just need to keep pretending to side with aunt Gwen until we find out if she was responsible or not,¡± Aiden told them, and they nodded. ¡°And we can also kill two birds with one stone,¡± Eric added, smiling mischievously. ¡°What do you mean? Both Aiden and Ryn asked at the same time. ¡°You know Lady Gwen, likes your arrogant brother, so if she finds out that he¡¯s going to marry someone else, she wouldn¡¯t like it. So I think, we should usedy Gwen, to get rid of the Nedal princess,¡± Eric exined, and this time, they all smiled mischievously. In Gwen¡¯s chamber Gwen sat in her chambers, sipping her wine when a knock sounded on her door. ¡°Come in,¡± she said, tilting her gaze to the door. The trio(Aiden, Eric, and Ryn) walked into the room, majestically, their gaze narrowing slightly to take a nce around. ¡°What do you want?¡± Gwen asked, seeing that it was them. ¡°We have important information to give you,¡± Aiden replied, making Gwen tilt her gaze to meet theirs. ¡°what could be important? Did Zara finally die? she thought, an evil glint shing in her eyes. Lately, she rarely left her chamber, so she didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°Tell me,¡± she said, giving them a curious look. ¡°You know my brother is looking for the purple lotus to cure aunt Zara, right?¡± Aiden inquired. ¡°I know. did he find it?¡± Gwen asked getting impatient. She prayed that Carl wouldn¡¯t find it, and Zara would die. ¡°Did he?¡± She asked again. ¡°Yes he did,¡± Eric answered instead, going to stand in front of Gwen, a small smirk ying at the corner of his lips. ¡°After sending a message to four nations,(Nival, Azrael, Greenville, and Nedal) asking for the purple lotus, they all gave a negative reply, except for one,¡± Aiden exined, also going to stand in front of Gwen, with Ryn beside him. ¡°The one who gave a positive reply was the kingdom of Nedal, and they agreed to give the purple lotus, under one condition,¡± Ryn added, whispering thest part, but Gwen could still hear it. Seeing them act like that, Gwen¡¯s curiosity was getting the better of her. She was so eager to hear the condition. ¡°What condition?¡± She asked, with a raised eyebrow. ¡°The condition is that he married their Princess. Princess Nadia of Nedal.¡± Awake What! Gwen shrieked. ¡°How do I know you are not lying.¡± ¡°Why would we lie about something like that? If you don¡¯t believe us, then you can as well go ask king Carl yourself. for now, we wanted to let you know that he agreed to marry the princess¡­¡± Gwen looked at the trio and didn¡¯t know how to reply. To say she was stunned, was an understatement. She looked like she would pass out at any moment. She didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°No it¡¯s not possible,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Of course, it is,dy Gwen. Remember one can do strange things for the one they love,¡± Aiden muttered. Gwen gripped the cup in her hands tightly, gnashing her teeth. She was yet to finish with one rival, and there was going to be another. ¡°No, I can¡¯t let that happen, I won¡¯t let Carl get married to princess Nardin or Nadia, whatever they called her,¡± Gwen pondered. It was like every time things were going well for her, something else happens to spoil it. ¡°Lady Gwen, you are not going to let Carl get married to princess Nadia, are you?¡± Eric asked, with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Of course not,¡± Gwen shrieked, her mind wandering to how she would get rid of the Nedal princess. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, even if King Carl would have a second wife, we would want it to be you, someone we know,¡± they lied, giving Gwen a smile to reassure her. Gwen gave them a fake smile in return but didn¡¯t answer them. Her mind was somewhere else. Seeing that Gwen was all riled up, the trio saw that as a sign to leave. After all, their n was sessful. ¡°Lady Gwen, we¡¯ll take a leave now,¡± Aiden spoke on their behalf, and Gwen nodded her head, telling them to leave. The sooner they did, the more time she would have to n on how to get rid of the Nedal princess. ¡­ That night, Carl couldn¡¯t sleep as his mind kept wandering to how Zara would react, and how he would be able to stop the wedding from happening. Anyway, maybe I should leave the matter until Zara recovers, then we can figure it out together. Should I? but Zara needs a lot of rest, I can¡¯t burden her with such issues. Then how do I sort this matter? He battled with his thought. ¡°Why is the fate so unfair? Why is it that whenever things seem to fall into ce, they just fall apart again? It¡¯s like the fates are against us,¡± Carl thought. After a while of thinking, he suddenly fell asleep, going into a world of nightmares. In his dream, he saw Zara crying, asking him why he betrayed her. Her tear-stained eyes were filled with so much hatred and disgust. ¡°Zara, it¡¯s not what you think, I did it for you,¡± He tried exining, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°You liar, you did it for yourself. you did it because you were selfish, and because of your selfishness, I¡¯m going to leave you.¡± ¡°No Zara, please don¡¯t go,¡± he yelled, jerking up from his sleep. he looked around and saw it was morning already. ¡°Thank God it¡¯s just a dream,¡± he mumbled. Suddenly, he remembered that the physician had said, Zara would be awake by today. ¡°Zara,¡± he mouthed, jumping out of bed. He decided to go to the chamber where she was kept. Although he insisted that Zara remained in their chamber, the physician was against it, saying Zara should be given a special room, free from disturbance. Carl walked into the chamber, striding toward the bed where Zaray unconscious. He smiled when he saw that she was no longer pale and looked much better. ¡°Please Zara, you have to wake up. there¡¯s so much we need to talk about, and so much we have to do,¡± Carl said, holding her hand. Zara, who was now awake, but pretended to be asleep, listened to everything he was saying, and she felt bad. ¡°He must have been so worried about me,¡± she thought, deciding to put an end to his suffering. ¡°What do we have to talk about?¡± she muttered faintly. Carl snaps his head in her direction, to see Zara¡¯s weak eyes, staring at him. ¡°Zara,¡± he called out in astonishment, and Zara gave him a weak smile. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he said, happiness evident in his voice. He threw himself, engulfing her in a light embrace. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re awake, that I can hear your voice and see your beautiful smile again. I love you, my queen. ¡°I love you too my arrogant king,¡± Zara replied with a slight grin, which suddenly disappeared, at the remembrance of something. ¡°Carl,¡± she called, and he tilts his gaze to meet hers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong my queen?¡± Carl inquired, seeing the sad look on Zara¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to me, is our baby alright?¡± She asked, giving him a curious look. Carl bit his lips nervously and didn¡¯t know how to break the news to her. He didn¡¯t want to tell Zara that she was poisoned, and they lost their baby, seeing that she just woke up and is still weak. He didn¡¯t want anything that would affect her mental state. ¡°My queen, you have to rest, and regain your strength, once you¡¯ve fully recovered, I will tell you about the baby.¡± Zara gave him a suspicious look, she couldn¡¯t help but think something was wrong. ¡°Tell me Carl did something happen to our baby?¡± she panicked, breathing hard. ¡°Zara, you are not well yet, let me quickly go and call the physician,¡± Carl told her, hastily leaving the chamber. He puts his hand on his chest, his heart throbbing. He was in a state of unrest. First, he needed to figure out a way to tell Zara that they lost the baby, then about the Nedal princess. Carl ordered one of the guards to go call the physician, while he went to his mother¡¯s chamber¡­ ¡°Catherine, Zara is awake,¡± he gave her the good news. ¡°Really Carl, we need to givedy Anna and everyone else this news,¡± she squealed, her eye gleaming with happiness. She tilts her gaze to meet his but realized he didn¡¯t look as happy as he should. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Carl, did something happen?¡± She inquired. ¡°Catherine, what do I do? Zara wants to know what happened to her and the baby. you know I can¡¯t tell her until she recovers,¡± Carl let out, with a sigh. Catherine¡¯s happy face, was now reced with a worried one. ¡°You¡¯re right son, I think we should lie to her for the now until she feels better,¡± she suggested. ¡°No Catherine, that¡¯s not right. what if someone else, tells her what happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll tell everyone not to say anything to her.¡± ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to lie to her. it will break her heart when she finds out.¡± ¡°I know Carl, but we are doing it for her well-being¡­ Carl thought about it for a while and decided to do what his mother had said. Although he didn¡¯t like the idea, he had to go on with it. ¡­ Carl returned to Zara¡¯s chamber with Catherine,dy Anna, Lia, and the children, after announcing that no one should tell Zara that she lost the baby. ¡°Zara,¡± they called, running toward her. The children immediately climbed the bed, sitting beside her. ¡°Oh thank the heavens you¡¯re finally awake, you don¡¯t know how worried we were,¡± ¡°Yes Zara, we are so happy.¡± Zara cast a smile at them. Although everyone was telling her they were happy she was awake, she didn¡¯t know what happened to her. ¡°Aunt Anna, Catherine, Lia, what happened to me? Is my baby alright, you have to tell me please,¡± Zara begged, almost bursting into tears. She was so anxious to know about the baby.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. They all looked at each other and then turned to Carl who was standing behind them. No one was ready to say anything, as they didn¡¯t know how to lie to her. ¡°Zara uhmm,¡± Catherine stammered. ¡°the bab¡­ the baby is¡­ ¡°The baby is fine,¡± someone cuts her off. The physician who just walked into the room saw how they were battling to lie to her, so he did it. ¡°Queen Zara, the baby is fine, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you just say that? why does it look like you all are hiding something from me?¡± Zara said, giving them a suspicious look. ¡°Even when I asked Carl about it, he looked hesitant, like something was wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that Queen Zara. they probably didn¡¯t want to tell you because the baby is also slightly ill, but once you get better, everything will be fine,¡± the physician added. Zara was not convinced, but she decided to believe it. ¡°Why would a physician lie,¡± she thought, before taking her attention back to her family. ¡°Where is M? she asked when she didn¡¯t see her. Lies ¡°My queen, M went to the temple to pray for your recovery,¡± Lia lied. Zara gave them a small smile, then she said ¡°I must have made you all worried, for how long was I asleep?¡± Seve¡­ Aiden wanted to say, but Catherine immediately cut him off. ¡°Just two days Zara. You were asleep for only two days.¡± ¡°But what kind of sickness would make me sleep for two days?¡± ¡°You were pois¡­¡± Eric muttered but was immediately cut off by Catherine again. ¡°It¡¯s a sickness that urs when you¡¯re pregnant,¡± she said, with a ridiculousugh. Carl stood behind them, and couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Although he was not the one lying to Zara, he felt like he was. The physician decided to hastily examine Zara when the questions were getting too much, he also felt guilty for lying to his queen. ¡°Your majesty, the queen is a lot better but still needs to rest for a day, and if the fates allows, by tomorrow, she would bepletely fine and can go about her daily routine,¡± the physician said after examining her. Carl nodded and gave him a light smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, your grace, queen Zara¡± the physician added, bowing in respect, before exiting the chamber. ¡°Catherine, can you take the children out, so Zara can rest for today?¡± Carl beseeched. ¡°Okay son,¡± she replied. ¡­ Once they were outside the chamber, the trio turned on Catherine,dy Anna, and Lia. ¡°Mother, why did you lie to Aunt Zara?¡± Eric asked. ¡°Yes, you both have to tell us why you lied, when you know quite well that lying is bad,¡± Aiden added. Ryn nced from Eric to Aiden, then back at the three women. She didn¡¯t want to be left out so she added, ¡°you three are adults, but you don¡¯t know how to do the right thing.¡± The women(Catherine, Anna, and Lia) were gobsmacked, they couldn¡¯t believe they were been scolded by little kids. Crouching down to their size, Catherine said ¡°Yes lying to someone is bad, but if you do it for that person¡¯s wellbeing, it isn¡¯t considered a bad thing anymore.¡± ¡°Yes children, Catherine is right. We only lied for Zara¡¯s wellbeing,¡± Anna added, while Lia just nodded her head and agreed to what they said, even if she also thought it was wrong. The three children nodded their heads after hearing the exnation. Although Aiden was still not pleased. ¡°Mother, I still don¡¯t think it¡¯s right. Although you thought by lying to her, you were protecting her from getting hurt, I assure you that she will hurt more when she learns the truth, in the future,¡± Aiden muttered, before walking away with Eric and Ryn. The three women were too stunned to speak and could only watch them leave. ¡°Catherine, what Aiden says is truth, Zara will definitely be hurt when she finds out,¡± Anna muttered. ¡°Yes, but we can¡¯t go back in there and tell her we lied. You heard what the physician said, that she would be fine by tomorrow, then we¡¯ll break the news to her.¡± ¡°Queen Catherine, I think we should go check on M,¡± Lia suggested. ¡°Yes, after all, she risk her life to save Zara¡¯s even if she wasn¡¯t able to. ¡­ Meanwhile, Carl fed Zara some food, and after that, hey beside her, stroking her hair. ¡°Carl,¡± Zara called. ¡°Yes, my queen.¡± ¡°If we have a girl child, what would you call her?¡± Zara asked, making Carl¡¯s body go stiff. Once again he was consumed by guilt and wished they didn¡¯t lie to her. ¡°Tell me, Carl,¡± Zara urged when he didn¡¯t speak. Carl sighed. ¡°If it¡¯s a girl, I will call her Cara.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s a boy?¡± she asked again. Carl could hear the happiness in her weak voice, and it broke his heart. He knew that once he broke the news to her, there will no longer be happiness in her voice. ¡°I will call him Zane¡± he replied, suppressing the urge to cry. Zara¡¯s lip carved into a smile as she repeated the names.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Prince Zane and princess Cara,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I pray it would be a boy and a girl. She will look just like me, and also take after me, while he would look like you and take after you. They would both run around the pce, with Aiden, Eric, and Ryn, causing a lot of trouble.¡± A tear dropped from Carl¡¯s eyes. ¡°I promise you Zara when I find the person who did this, even death would be a small punishment for him,¡± he thought. After a while, Zara fell asleep in Carl¡¯s arms, and he ced a light kiss on her forehead, before walking out of the chamber. ¡­ When Gwen heard that Zara was awake, she was consumed by rage. ¡°I wish she died with her baby. She should have, that way, she would avoid the troubles that are yet toe,¡± Gwen pondered. She decided to leave her chamber since she was missing out on things, happening in the pce She was done with mourning her old self, which didn¡¯t have blood on her hands. Now she was the new Gwen who was willing to go to any extent and do anything to get what she wanted. ¡­ ¡°Lady Gwen, the king said no one should inform Zara that she lost her baby,¡± her servant told her. ¡°but I wasn¡¯t there when he said It right, so I can as well tell her,¡± Gwen mumbled to herself. She had asked her servant to keep her informed on everything that was going on in the pce, after the incident with the little kids, that was how she knew Zara was awake. ¡°What else did the king say we shouldn¡¯t tell his precious queen Zara?¡± ¡°He also said no one should tell her about his agreement to marry the princess of Nedal.¡± Gwen smirked evilly after hearing that.¡± This is a perfect opportunity for me to cause a rift between Carl and Zara. Since no one has told her about anything, I will tell her and make sure to twist it in my own way. Celebration ZARA¡¯S POV I woke up feeling much better than I felt yesterday. My limbs were no longer numb, and I felt more alive. Twirling to the side, my gazended on Carl who was sleeping peacefully beside me. He must have been exhausted from taking care of me and other matters. ¡°Apparently Carl had returned to the roomst night. He wanted to be the first Zara saw when she woke up.¡± My gaze snaps from his long eysh to his chiseled jaw, and then his pink lips. He looked like an angel. I must have done something good in my past life to have a husband like him. I remembered when father had first asked me to marry him, and I was pissed off, who would have thought things would turn out this way? Smiling, I lifted my hand to touch his face to remove a strand of hair, and he stirred, taking my hand in his. Again, I used my other hands to trail his sharp jaw, and this time, his eyes snaps open, casting me a gaze. ¡°Zara,¡± he called, jerking up instantly. ¡°Sorry I woke you up,¡± I apologized. ¡°No my queen, you shouldn¡¯t apologize, I should be the one apologizing for not being awake before you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay Carl,¡± I replied, pulling him into a hug. For some reason, it felt like it¡¯s been ages since Ist saw him. Pulling away, Carl¡¯s eyes roam over my body. ¡°Are you okay, does it hurt anywhere?¡± he asked, concern evident in his voice. ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯m sure the baby is also fine,¡± I replied, and I saw something akin to hurt sh across his face, or it could be I was imagining things. ¡°Carl, are you okay?¡± I asked, giving him a curious look. He sighs, looking like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. ¡°I¡¯ll have the servant prepare a bath,¡± he said instead. ¡­ After my bath, I put on a simple white gown, letting my hair fall loose. I didn¡¯t wear any jewelry, because I wanted to look normal and be free from the burden of it. ncing into the mirror, my lips curved into a smile when I saw my reflection and I couldn¡¯t help but caress my belly. The thought of my baby being safe, made my heart twitch in joy. Yesterday, I had being so scared that something happened to my baby, due to the way Carl and the others acted when I asked them about it¡­ Carl stood behind me, with eyes full of admiration and something akin to guilt, making me wonder if something was wrong. Is there something he was not telling me? I shrugged, discarding the thought. if there was something, I¡¯m sure he would tell me when he¡¯s ready. ¡°Come, Zara, it¡¯s time to meet the council and everyone else,¡± Carl muttered, taking my hand in his. ¡­ Carl and I made our way to the throne room, and when we got there, everyone gave me strange looks, like they were seeing me for the first time. Virtually, everyone who held a post in the kingdom was here. At that moment my gaze went to Catherine, Aunt Anna, Lia, and M who watched me with happy expressions on their faces, and I cast them a smile, waving my hand in the air. ¡°Queen Zara, it gives us great pleasure, to see you back on your feet, and in a healthy state,¡± one of the council members spoke. ¡°Yes queen Zara, we thank the deities for giving you back to us, now we can say with certainty that thing will go back to the way it was.¡± I smiled before replying ¡°I¡¯m so grateful to you all for caring so much about me, thank you.¡± However, I felt like something else happened to me? something more serious than what the physician said. I tilt my gaze to look at Carl, whose expression was filled with worry, but immediately disappeared when he felt my gaze on him. ¡°I want to appreciate you all for the prayers and support you gave to me and my queen in our time of need, I¡¯m really grateful,¡± Carl let out. ¡°Your majesty, it¡¯s not only the king and queen, that has a duty towards the people, but the people also. They have their own duties towards you and that is to support and pray for you.¡± ¡°Your majesty, I would like to suggest that we celebrate the queen¡¯s recovery.¡± ¡°Yes my king, we should lightmps, and give food to the poor and needy.¡± I smiled, seeing as they were taking my recovery so seriously, I was only asleep for two days, and they were making it look like it¡¯s been years. But I wouldn¡¯t deny that I loved the Idea, of feeding the needy. ¡°I agree with you all, but I will like the celebration to be held at the arena, so that all the people of Everton, will be present,¡± I dered openly. ¡°You heard the queen, the celebration should be held in the arena, with the people, so inform them,¡± Carl instructed. ¡­ The celebration was held at dawn, and the arena was crowded with thousands of people. I was so happy that finally, I got a chance to meet the people, as I walked around happily with Carl trailing beside me. Meanwhile, Gwen followed Zara secretly, waiting for the perfect opportunity, that is when she would be alone. She watched as Zaraughed and rted with the people, they all loved her. ¡°Yourughter will be reced with tears soon,¡± she thought. ¡°How have you beendy Gwen? I see you handled everything perfectly well,¡± someone said from behind Gwen and she twirled, staring at the person in shock. ¡°You,¡± Gwen rasped. ¡°How dare you show your face again after what you did?¡± ¡°And what did I dody Gwen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know. you were the one who gave me the purple vine to poison Zara, but disappeared after for me to take the me,¡± Gwen said in a whisper, but enough for the person(the spy) to hear. ¡°But you are still here Gwen. It means, you are slowly learning, that if you want something, you must be willing to sacrifice. Tell me, Gwen, how did you not get caught, what did you do?¡± Gwen scoffed, clenching her fist. ¡°First tell me, why you disappeared?¡± ¡°Forget about that Gwen,¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll make sure to expose you in front of everyone.¡± ¡°And how will you do that, who would believe you? Queen Zara and king Carl already trust me so much, do you think they will believe you. Besides what motive do I have to poison the queen, unlike you Gwen¡­ anyway, let bygones be bygones, and let¡¯s work together again. ¡°Just stay away from me, I no longer want to work with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t work with me Gwen, you work for me. so I¡¯ll suggest you do as I say, or I might decide to expose you, and you won¡¯t know how,¡± the spy told Gwen, before walking away. Gwen stared at her retreating figure, and a dangerous glint shed across her features. ¡°You don¡¯t know that I¡¯m no longer the old Gwen, just wait and see how I get rid of you, little spy. ¡­ ¡°Come let¡¯s dance,¡± Zara said happily to a group of women, and they were gobsmacked. ¡°Did the queen just ask us to dance with her?¡± They whispered amongst themselves. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. we might just be imagining things,¡± one responded. Zara saw that they were hesitant toe dance with her, so she went ahead to pull two of them, from the group, leading them to the dance floor. The crowd stared in shock, as Zara danced andughed happily with them and those who had a bad impression of her, quickly changed it. Some had thought that Zara, would be proud and boastful since she was a queen, but what they saw left them speechless. Zara didn¡¯t only just dance with them, she also ate with them and carried their children, both the poor and rich. She didn¡¯t care at all if her clothes would get dirty, or smell bad. After a while, Zara was tired of dancing, and decided to go meet with Carl. she noticed that he has been acting distant, and always seemed to be lost in thoughts. As she made her to where he was, Gwen came and stood in front of her. ¡°Queen Zara,¡± said in a mock tone. ¡°What do you want Gwen?¡± Zara asked, slightly upset that Gwen was blocking her path. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be rude to me, I only came here to tell you how happy I am to see you alive, although I can¡¯t say the same about your baby.¡± Zara was gobsmacked when Gwen said that. ¡°what did she mean by that? Maybe I should just ignore her,¡± she thought and decided to walk away. However, when Gwen saw that Zara ignored her she quickly added, ¡°King Carl didn¡¯t tell you that you were poisoned and lost your baby.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Zara stopped abruptly in her track, turning to Gwen. ¡°What do you mean Gwen?¡± She asked, giving Gwen a curious look. She immediately became scared. Seeing that Zara was riled up, Gwen¡¯s lips curved into a smirk then she said. ¡°Didn¡¯t Carl tell you? You were poisoned, and lost your baby.¡± ¡°You are lying Gwen, the physician himself told me that I didn¡¯t lose my baby. he said my baby was alright. Catherine also told me that I was asleep for two days, due to a sickness caused by pregnancy, So why are you saying I was poisoned? Gwen chuckled. She was enjoying the confused and restless look Zara had on her face. ¡°Who would have thought that you could easily be fooled, Zara? ¡°The truth is that you were unconscious for seven days, due to poisoning. Not only that, but you also lost your baby. And do you know who told them to lie to you, it was your husband, King Carl.¡± Zara gasped, shaking her head repeatedly. ¡°No it¡¯s not true, it¡¯s not true,¡± she mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s true Zara, and if you don¡¯t believe me, you can as well go ask Carl, but as of now, I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± Gwen said, triumphantly walking past a pale Zara who stood motionless. ¡°Oh, Zara, I forgot to tell you that Carl is getting married to someone else. She is the princess of Nedal and Carl seems to like her a lot.¡± Truth ZARA¡¯S POV My heart thundered hard and fast against my chest after Gwen told me all those things. I didn¡¯t want to believe it but seeing the way she sounded so sure and confident, I couldn¡¯t help but think she was telling the truth. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave Zara, but before I leave, I will like to advise you not to be too hard on Carl, he¡¯s a man after all and you know men, one woman can never be enough for them, just like I was close to him before you came,¡± Gwen said, before walking away. I stood motionless at that spot, not daring to move. Even though I wanted to, it was like my legs refuse to. ¡°They fooled you, Zara, they fooled you.¡± Gwen¡¯s words yed repeatedly in my head. How could I have been so foolish to not know that something was wrong? I chuckled, but not out of amusement, it was because that was the only thing I could do. I couldn¡¯t even cry. ¡°You were poisoned Zara, and you lost you, baby. you were asleep for seven days. carl is getting married to someone else and he seems to like her a lot. I held my chest. The pain I was feeling right now was the worst pain, anyone could ever feel. I lost my baby, my precious baby, no it can¡¯t be. I didn¡¯t even care about what Gwen said about Carl getting married, all I cared about was the fact that I lost my child. I was still lost in thought when I heard my name. ¡± Zara, Zara, are you okay?¡± Carl asked, with a voice full of concern, holding my face. I scoffed, shoving his hand away. ¡°Is it true?¡± I muttered. He looked at me in shock, and confusion, before saying, ¡°What do you mean? Zara¡± ¡°Is it true that I lost my baby?¡± I asked, calmly. He gasped, giving me a guilty look. ¡°Zara, listen, I wanted to¡­¡± ¡°You wanted to what?¡± I cut him off. ¡°I wanted to tell you Zara, but I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to get hurt, but I¡¯m hurt, Carl. I am hurt and do you know what hurts the most, it was the fact you all made me keep my hope alive, you all made me envision a life with my child when that was never going to happen. It hurts Carl, it hurts to the core,¡± I said, and the tear that refuse toe out earlier was now pouring out, profusely. ¡°You should have told me, Carl, that way, it would hurt but wouldn¡¯t hurt this much,¡± I added, wiping my tears and snot with the back of my hand. ¡°I wanted to Zara, but I didn¡¯t know how to break the news, because you had not fully recovered by then,¡± Carl said, attempting to hold me, but I step backward, avoiding his grasp. ¡°Zara please,¡± he pleaded, guilt and fear written all over his features, but my heart was too bitter to care. ¡°Who poisoned me?¡± I asked, clenching my fist. Right now with the anger, I felt inside, I was sure that I wouldn¡¯t spare whoever the person was if I know them. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t caught the person yet, but I promise that I will.¡± He didn¡¯t catch the person, which means who so ever killed my baby, was alive and roaming freely. The thought only added to my rage and sorrow. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m truly sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me, you didn¡¯t kill my baby after all, even though you failed to catch the person. ¡°Zara, it¡¯s also my baby, and just like you, it pains me to know that our child was killed, and I couldn¡¯t find the person.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how I feel Carl, you are not the one who was carrying the baby in your womb.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Zara? Please don¡¯t say that.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Forget what I said Carl, just find the person, who poisoned me, you have to find him/her,¡± I cried out. By now the people around were now giving us a curious look, and I didn¡¯t want the attention, I didn¡¯t want them to see me vulnerable, to pity me. I quickly turned around, trying to leave but Carl held me back. ¡°Don¡¯t just leave Zara, say something, anything,¡± he said, with a pleading look. I shrugged, before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say, Carl, I just want to be alone,¡± I retorted, before turning to leave. ¡°Zara, let mee with you, let me console you, let¡¯s console each other,¡± Carl said in a pained voice. I sighed, before replying ¡°I¡¯m sorry Carl, but I¡¯d like to be alone. I want to sort out my feelings. I want to digest the fact that my baby is no more, so please let me go,¡± I pleaded, before running out of the arena. Zara, I could hear Carl calling but I didn¡¯t look back. I ran all the to the chamber, not bothering to close the door. Immediately I was in there, I burst into tears. ¡°Why did you take away my baby, why did you let them kill my baby, oh Lord,¡± I cried, caressing my belly. It felt like my heart was about to explode like someone was squeezing the life out of me. I was wheezing and I felt dizzy. soon I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I tried to breathe, but I couldn¡¯t. slowly, I felt myself drifting into darkness. ¡­ The spy watched as Carl and Zara, quarreled and although she could make out the words, she could tell that it was something serious. When Zara left the arena, she thought about what could have happened between them that made Zara so upset. She decided to follow her hiding behind pirs to avoid getting caught. when Zara entered her room, she stood near the door and watched her. Taking an asional nce around to make sure there was no one in sight. Luckily enough for her, they were all in the arena, so it was just her and Zara. She watched as Zara cried andmented and she scoffed. ¡°You should be happy that you¡¯re still alive, instead of seating down here, sulking.¡± After watching Zara for a while, she notice that Zara was lying on the ground. What could be wrong with her? The spy looked around, before quietly entering the room. ¡°Queen Zara,¡± she called, but there was no reply. She inched closer, crouching down. ¡°Queen Zara, are you okay?¡± she asked, and when she got no reply, she touched Zara and saw that she was unconscious. An evil glint immediately shed across her features and she thought. ¡°Since I wasn¡¯t able to kill you before Zara, I might as well just kill you now.¡± Fire CARL POV After Zara left, I stood there motionless. I could feel my heart clench in pain, as her words reyed in my head. I could still see a clear picture of the pain in her tear-filled eyes. The way she looked at me, hurt, heartbroken. I was also heartbroken not because of what she said, but because I unintentionally hurt her. I hurt the woman I love, I made her cry. ¡°Your majesty, are you okay?¡± someone asked, giving me a concerned look. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine your majesty, if you have a problem, you can share it with me. You know they say a problem shared, is a problem half solved.¡± I tilt my gaze to meet the stranger in front of me. It was an old woman. Maybe she is right, I should talk about it, that way it will lessen my pain. ¡°Tell me, son, you may be the king, but I¡¯m still much older than you are. It means, I have seen more of the world and have more experience. It may also be that the Lord brought me here for a purpose, so tell me,¡± she urged, giving me a reassuring smile. I sighed, before saying, ¡°I lied to the queen in other to protect her because, at the time, she was ill. I was going to tell her the truth once she recovered, but that didn¡¯t happen, she found out through someone else and now she¡¯s hurt.¡± ¡°I understand you son. Sometimes we do things we think is right to protect the ones we love but then hurt them in the process. I¡¯m sure the Queen will understand, once she has calmed down, but for now, you must be strong and understanding, you should also keep a close watch on her, just in case, she tries to hurt herself.¡± After saying that the old woman patted my shoulder, before turning to leave. ¡°What is your name?¡± I inquired. ¡°There is no need to know my name because we may never cross paths again, but if by any chance we do, I¡¯ll tell you my name. Have faith king Carl, bad times don¡¯tst forever,¡± She muttered, before walking away. I watched her retreating figure, I wouldn¡¯t deny that I felt slightly better just by talking to her. Like the old woman said, I decided to go after Zara and keep an eye on her. I know she said she wanted to be alone, but I¡¯ll watch her from a distance. I made my way out of the arena, going toward the direction of the chamber, just because my intuition told me she was there. As I got near, I noticed something was off. The door to the chamber was open, and there was smokeing out of it. Someone would have noticed it, but it turns out that they were all in the arena, and the only people who weren¡¯t were the ones guarding the pce Gates and other ces outside the pce. I hasten my footsteps, my heart beating fast against my chest as I got near. ¡°Zara please be okay,¡± I mumbled. Once I got to the chamber, I was gobsmacked. No not gobsmacked, my soul almost left my body¡­This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. shback When the spy saw that Zara was not waking up, she saw that as a good opportunity to get rid of her for good, since no one was around. She tilts her gaze and sighted a burning candle on the table, and she smiled. Her lips curled up into a smirk, as an evil glint shed in her eyes. She immediately went to pick up the candle and set the curtains on fire. Then she moved to the bed and did the same. After she was sure that the fire she had set on, could cause a lot of damage, she immediately left the room, turning back to take onest look. ¡°Good bye Zara,¡± she mumbled, before walking away. End of shback. ¡­ The room was on fire, and I caught sight of an unconscious Zara, lying on the floor. ¡°Zara,¡± I yelled, trying to see whether she would wake up, but she didn¡¯t. By now the fire had now spread rapidly and was almost near where Zara was. I shrieked, racking my brain for a solution, I knew if I didn¡¯t do something, I would lose the love of my life. I almost lost her once, and now again. I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it if anything happens to her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself, for failing to protect her twice. My eyesnded on a Jar of water on a stool near the door, and I immediately grabbed it, pouring the entire content on my body, that way, the fire wouldn¡¯t easily catch my clothes, then I entered the chamber, making sure to avoid ces, where the fire was extreme. Soon, I was able to reach where Zara was. I shook her furiously, but she seem lifeless. I panicked, trembling as fear engulfed me. This is the second time I felt this type of fear, first, when Zara was poisoned, and now. I hastily picked her up, again making sure to avoid ces where the fire was extremely, as I jumped past the mes. After I sessfully save Zara, I sighed in relief. I was happy that I had listened to the old woman she was truly Godsent. If she hadn¡¯t advised me to keep an eye on Zara, I probably would have stayed away, respecting her decision of wanting to be alone. I carried Zara to the other chamber, cing her gently on the bed. Then I went to get a jar of water and inform the guards to go put off the fire before it spreads further. After informing the guards, I went back to the room where I kept Zara with the jar of water, I just hope that when I sprinkle some water on her, she would wake up. If not, I¡¯ll have to call the physician. I sprinkled the water on her, tapping her cheek lightly, but she didn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Zara please, I can¡¯t lose you too, please wake up,¡± I mumbled, with tears dripping from my eyes. ¡°Wake up Zara, you have to wake up. you can¡¯t leave me alone in this world, you¡¯re my only source of happiness, my reason to wake up each day, to keep going,¡± I added, cing my head on hers, then I heard. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would cry for me, you arrogant king.¡± Nedal princess ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would cry for me, you arrogant king,¡± Zara said, her weak gaze on me. I smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Zara thank God you¡¯re okay, do you know how worried I was,¡± I muttered. ¡°Sorry, if I made you worry,¡± she said, rising, to a sitting position. ¡°What happened, I only fainted so why do you look so worried?¡± I stared at her confused. ¡°Zara, did you faint before or after the fire?¡± I inquired. ¡°What fire?¡± She asked, giving me a confused look. I didn¡¯t want anything that would bother her. I feel there was more to what happened, maybe someone set the fire on purpose. I will have to tighten the security in other to avoid something like this from happening again in the future. Instead of answering Zara¡¯s question, I decided to change the topic. ¡°Zara, are you still mad at me?¡± She sighs, before saying, ¡°Being mad at you won¡¯t change anything. it won¡¯t change the fact that I was poisoned, or bring back my baby, so no, I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡± My heart leaped in joy as she said that. ¡°Thank you, Zara,¡± I said, pulling her into my embrace. ¡°Are you really going to marry, the nedal princess? Do you like her?¡± Zara asked, pulling away, as she gave a curious look. My smile disappeared immediately at the mention of the Nedal princess. I had to deal with the fact that someone here wants to harm Zara, how would I handle another issue. ¡°Do you like her?¡± Zara asked, again. ¡°Of course, not my queen, the only reason I agreed to marry her, was because king Neil requested I did so in exchange for the purple lotus, that was used to cure you, and nothing else. you are the only woman I want to be Zara, so you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll find a way to avoid getting married to her,¡± I exined, giving her a reassuring smile. Zara returned the smile, chewing on her lips, and my eyes snapped to her lips. the way she brought her tongue to lick her lips, sucking for a while. As I watched her, dirty thoughts ran through my mind, I thought of how her soft lips would taste, and how it will feel around my dick. ¡°Carl, are you listening to me?¡± Zara¡¯s voice rang out, snapping me out of my thought. ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked. ¡°I said, the Nedal princess will be arriving soon, and you know they would want you to get married to her right away,¡± she repeated, but all my attention was on the way her lips moved. Slowly, I leaned forward, capturing her lips in a slow and hungry kiss. I sucked on her lips, and tongue, savoring every taste I could get. my hand making its way to the back of her head, to pull her closer. Zara kissed me back with the same hunger, running her little fingers on my chest and I felt myself harden. I groaned into her mouth pulling away slightly to let her catch her breath before kissing again¡­ IN NEDAL News of Zara¡¯s recovery has reached Nedal. King Neil immediately ask princess Nadia to get ready it was time for them to journey to Everton. The soon they got there, the sooner her wedding to Carl.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Nadia hastily packed her things, she was so happy that she would be getting married to Carl the king of the biggest and strongest nation. She had also heard tales of how handsome and breathtaking he was. Nadia didn¡¯t care if Carl was married to Zara, all she Care about was being the Queen of Everton. That way her dream would be fulfilled. She also believed that she would be more beautiful than Zara and Carl would like her immediately he sets his eyes on her. After Nadia finished packing her things, King Neil ordered, about fifty soldiers to apany them to Everton. He was also going to Everton with his daughter, to see his daughter¡¯s wedding. He wouldn¡¯t even mind if his daughter gets married to Carl as soon as they arrived, that is how desperate he was. He was also d that Zara was poisoned, or he wouldn¡¯t have gotten such an opportunity. ¡°Nadia,¡± he called. ¡°once we reach Everton, you must do your possible best to win Carl over. You must make him fall in love with you, that way, you¡¯ll be able to control him, and get him to divorce queen Zara. Nadia nodded and smile at the thought. If really she was able to get Carl to fall in love with her, she would be the happiest woman. She couldn¡¯t also wait to control and use him. ¡­ It took two whole days before they could get to Everton. Immediately they arrived, their mouths snapped open, as they gawked at the huge pce in front of them. ¡°Goodness father, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to be the queen of such a beautiful nation, and also live in such a huge pce. I must be dreaming.¡± she squealed. ¡°This is not a dream Nadia, you had better start seeing it as a reality.¡± Meanwhile, Carl and Zara, walked hand in hand around the garden. Carl picked up a beautiful rose and put it on Zara¡¯s hair, then he ced a quick kiss on her lips. ¡°Beautiful,¡± hemended, looking at Zara with eyes full of admiration and she blushed. Just when she was about to say something, she was cut off by Jerald who came running towards them. ¡°Your majesty, King Neil and princess Nadia have arrived in Everton. Do you want to go wee them?¡± Carl scoffed, ¡°it didn¡¯t take them long enough to reach Everton, but took them long enough to reply when I asked for the purple lotus,¡± He mumbled under his breath. He could already see how selfish they were, although they are from a small nation, they were very ambitious. ¡°No, I will not. You wee them and direct them to the throne room,¡± Carl told Jerald, and he nodded. Jerald also like the fact that Carl didn¡¯t go out to wee them, he didn¡¯t like the idea of Carl marrying princess Nadia because he also thought they were selfish. They could have just given the purple lotus in exchange for something, but they choose to arrange a marriage instead. ¡°Carl, why didn¡¯t you go out to wee them,¡± Zara asked. ¡°My queen, I didn¡¯t wee you, so why should I wee them,¡± he replied. ¡°Yes, you were very arrogant back then,¡± Zara muttered feigning annoyance. ¡°I apologize for that my queen, if I knew I would one day fall in love with you, I would havee out to wee you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now king Carl, I forgive you.¡± Carl smiled, before holding Zara¡¯s hand in his. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Zara. you will sit beside me on the throne so that princess Nadia would know her ce¡­ When king Neil and princess Nadia reached the pce, they expected Carl to wee them, but they were disappointed. ¡°Wee to Everton king Neil, King Carl awaits your arrival in the throne room,¡± Jerald announced. Only Jerald and a few councilmen, were there to wee them. Jerald almostughed at the disappointed look on their faces, but he suppressed hisughter. Clearing his throat, he said ¡°this way please,¡± leading them, while they followed behind. When they reached the throne room, they saw Carl and Zara sitting down proudly and majestically on the throne. Princess Nadia scoffed. ¡°She not even as beautiful as me,¡± she mumbled, but deep down, she knew it was a lie and felt very Jealous of Zara. King Neil too thought the same. Once he saw Zara, he started to fear. He doubts if his daughter would stand a chance against Zara, but still, he chose to keep his hopes up. ¡°Greetings King Carl, Greetings queen Zara,¡± king Neil muttered. ¡°Wee to Everton King Neil, it is a pleasure to have you here, and once again, I would like to thank you for your help in saving my queen, and the love of my life,¡± Carl spoke boldly. He was making it obvious that Nadia didn¡¯t stand a chance, but king Neil and princess Nadia didn¡¯t understand him. Princess Nadia was busy making efforts for Carl to look at her but he just focus his attention on king Neil, like she doesn¡¯t exist. ¡°I¡¯m d that I was able to help you king Carl, it¡¯s an honor,¡± King Neil, said boastfully. Carl gave him a fake smile before saying, ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you arrived so soon.¡± King Neil understood what Carl was hinting at so he said, ¡°it¡¯s because we left Nedal four days ago.¡± Princess Nadia turned to her father confused, didn¡¯t they only leave two days ago, maybe he made a mistake, I should correct him. ¡°Father, we left two days ago, not four days ago,¡± she muttered, looking all proud. King Neil almost passed out. Why did she have to say that now Carl would know he was lying. So he immediately said, ¡°Did I four days I meant two days, I made a mistake King Carl sorry.¡± Carl scoffed then he said, ¡°Can you tell me why you arrived so early.¡± King Neilughed sarcastically. ¡°My king, we arrived early so we could see how queen Zara is fairing,¡± he lied. He didn¡¯t want Carl to know that he came for the wedding or Carl would see how selfish he was. He nned that after he stayed for two days, he would bring up the marriage issue, but meanwhile, during the two days, his daughter would still try working her charms on Carl. Princess Nadia on the other hand was too excited and just so Carl would notice her, she said, ¡°Not just that, we are here so we could proceed with the wedding as soon as possible.¡± Lovemaking Carl was not surprised when Nadia said that. he could already see through their facade. He cast a nce at Nadia, and a scowl appears on his face. He already hated her, and thought ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t married to Zara, I will never marry you.¡± Nadia on the other hand blushed when she saw Carl¡¯s gaze on her. ¡°Finally, he looked at me,¡± she thought. While King Neil sighed. he has always known, his daughter was foolish, but he didn¡¯t know she was this foolish. ¡°How can she just say that to Carl, now he would know how desperate we are.¡± He let out a burst of awkwardughter, ¡°Well King Carl, that will happen sooner orter, you know, but I¡¯ll much rather it happens sooner because, at the moment, Nedal is without a monarch and is unprotected,¡± he muttered. Carl rolled his eyes, then he said ¡°King Neil, I¡¯ll like us to discuss this some other time, for now, I and my queen will retire to our chamber, because at the moment, she is yet to recover fully, and besides, you just arrived after a long trip, you also need rest.¡± King Neil put on a fake smile and replied. ¡°Alright, King Carl. it¡¯s nice to see that you care so much about queen Zara, that way I know my daughter is in the right hands.¡± Carl scoffed. ¡°Yes, I care a lot about my queen, after all she¡¯s iparable with anyone.¡± Zara smiled at Carl¡¯sment, she knew what he was trying to do. he was trying to give them a hint, that he was not interested in princess Nadia, but they failed to notice. She also didn¡¯t like princess Nadia because she wanted to get married to her husband and the love of her life. Although she didn¡¯t hate her, she also didn¡¯t think they would get along, due to Nadia¡¯s personality, besides who would want their husband to marry someone else. Nadia was burning with so much jealousy. ¡°Ever since we got here, it has been his queen, his queen, he didn¡¯t even acknowledge me for once.¡± King Neil also noticed it but pretended not to. Besides, Carl can¡¯t go back on his words, right? Carl stood up, and Zara followed suit. ¡°King Neil, I¡¯ll hold a banquet to wee you, but unfortunately, I will not be there to join you,¡± Carl muttered, before holding Zara¡¯s hand, and walking away. King Neil and princess Nadia watched them with a scowl on their face. ¡°Very soon, you will be dancing to my daughter¡¯s tone,¡± king Neil pondered. While Nadia pouted and whispered, ¡°Father, I don¡¯t think he likes me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Nadia, when he marries you, he will. you¡¯ll use all your charms to draw him closer to you, and away from queen Zara. Immediately you get married, you must be pregnant with his child, I¡¯m sure if you do, he will give you more attention,¡± king Neil told his daughter in a whisper. ¡°Wow father, I must say you are a genius when ites to giving such good ideas,¡± Nadia replied, with a bright smile. She could already envision herself pregnant with Carl¡¯s baby and him dancing to her tones. Somewhere in Everton, two people threw things angrily in their chambers. One of which was Gwen, and the other, the spy. ¡°Why do you always escape death queen Zara, why? It¡¯s like you¡¯re immortal or something,¡± the spy yelled angrily. She had been so happy, thinking that the fire killed Zara, but Earlier today when she saw her sitting on the throne beside Carl, she could not believe her eyes. ¡°Why should I even bother, the Nedal princess will cause a rift between them,¡± she thought with a smirk. Gwen on the other hand, was angry because the Nedal princess showed up earlier than expected. ¡°So shameless, she didn¡¯t even hide the fact that she was desperate. There¡¯s no way I would let her get married to Carl. I let Zara do that and now I¡¯m paying the price, I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡± She hastily walked downstairs to see the so-called princess for herself because she had been in her chamber when her servant informed her that king Neil and princess Nadia arrived. Meanwhile, things were getting heated up between Zara and Carl. Carl¡¯s hands travel to the back of Zara¡¯s dress as he unzips it, letting it fall to the ground. ¡°Zara, I can stop if you are not ready,¡± he tells hers because he didn¡¯t want to take things too fast, knowing that she had just recovered. Zara nods her head in disagreement, urging him to continue. She stands on her tiptoe, cing a light kiss on his lips, as she circles her arms around his neck.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Carl groaned, pulling her into his arms in a possessive embrace as he takes over the kiss, moving his lips against hers in a hungry and passionate kiss. He continued kissing her a while until they were both out of breath, then pulled away, cing wet kisses on her neck, down to her breast, as he takes her left nipple into his mouth, nibbling and sucking on it, while he uses his other hand to fondle her right breast. Zara moaned, closing her eye as a wave of electric feeling flows through her vein going right to her pussy. Carl moved his mouth from her breast, all the way to her clits, licking and sucking like a starved man. ¡°Zara,¡± he groans, into her pussy, and the vibration and heat from his mouth almost has hering. She pushed her hips forward, digging her nails into his hair to pull him further into her, as he plunged his tongue into her pussy, teasing, caressing, and pleasing her. Ahh, she whimpered, biting her lower lips tightly, when a violent wave of pleasure mmed her body, and she cums right inside his mouth. Carl licks every ounce of her cum, before moving up to position his dick on her pussy, slowly thrusting into her¡­ Soon only their moans and pping of skin could be heard as they made love. ¡­ After their passionate lovemaking, Zaray beside Carl, with her head on his chest as she listen to the rhythm of his heartbeat. ¡°I love you, Carl,¡± she muttered. Carl¡¯s lip curved into a smile, and his heart skip a beat. he could feel butterflies dancing in his stomach, as her words resound in his head. He was happy that this time when she told him, she was in good shape. ¡°I love you, Zara,¡± he retorted, closing his eye to take a nap when they heard a resounding knock. Carl scowled, and gritted his teeth, he wondered who could be disturbing them at a time like this. Zara also had a scowl on her face as her weak gaze focused on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Carl growled. ¡°My king, it¡¯s Jerald. you need toe to the banquet, it¡¯s urgent.¡± Carl scoffed. He didn¡¯t want to go to the banquet because he didn¡¯t want to see king Neil or Princess Nadia, so he said, ¡°Whatever it is handle it.¡± ¡°My king, this is not something I can handle, it¡¯s aboutdy Gwen, and Princess Nadia, they are both fighting.¡± Fight Carl and Zara followed Jerald to the hall, where the banquet was been held, and their mouths snapped open immediately, as they saw the scene before them. They werepletely stunned, watching how Gwen and Nadia, were both entangled in a fight, pulling on each other¡¯s hair, and screaming like mad women. Even the men who tried to pull them apart in an attempt to stop the fight, couldn¡¯t. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Carl roared, walking fully into the hall, and everywhere became mum. Gwen and Nadia immediately pull away, both looking embarrassed. ¡°She started it,¡± they both yelled, pointing at each other. Silence,¡± Carl growled casting them an irritated and angry look, and they both trembled in fear. Zara stood beside Jerald, as the both of them tried hard not tough at the scene before them. Both Gwen and Nadia looked like crazy witches, with their hair and make-up dispersed. King Neil marched forward, looking somewhat angry. ¡°King Carl, I can¡¯t believe that one of your subjects would be so vile and behave so awful with my daughter, it¡¯s not fair. We only came here because you agreed to our marriage proposal, not to get insulted and embarrassed,¡± heined. Carl scoffed, wondering why he couldn¡¯t stop the fight between his daughter, and Gwen. ¡°From what I saw, your daughter also acted vile, and awful towarddy Gwen.¡± he pointed out. King Neil was gobsmacked, he had thought that Carl would take his side in the matter, after all, he saved Zara¡¯s life, but he was strong. ¡°King Carl, are you taking sides, because it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re supporting your subject.¡± Carl scoffed. He immediately read King Neil¡¯s expression and knew he was expecting him to take his side. But he wouldn¡¯t, not after what he did, asking him to marry his daughter in return for saving Zara¡¯s life. ¡°I¡¯m not taking sides, I was just stating the facts. Besides, you were here when the fight started, howe you couldn¡¯t stop it?¡± Carl inquired, throwing him a questioning look. King Neil¡¯s expression changed instantly, reced with an embarrassed one. Everyone in the banquet was now whispering and murmuring amongst themselves. ¡°King Carl is right. he is a king, he should have been able to stop themotion. Why would his daughter act so vile knowing that she is a princess? That¡¯s not how ady of her status should behave, she could have just walked away if Lady Gwen provoked her, instead of engaging in a fight. Besides, she only just got here, and she¡¯s already showing us her true colors. Lady Gwen also acted rash, she shouldn¡¯t have fought with the princess, even if she doesn¡¯t like her.¡± Nadia became embarrassed, if only this witch had not provoked her, she would not have been humiliated like that. She wished the ground would just open and swallow her.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now how am I going to win king Carl¡¯s heart, if he doesn¡¯t have a good first impression of me,¡± she thought. While Gwen smirked, seeing as Carl spoke in her favor, although he said he wasn¡¯t taking sides, she was still d. she cast a hateful re at Nadia, then said inwardly. ¡± You don¡¯t know who I am, that¡¯s why you mess with me. this was my n all along, to provoke you into fighting with me in front of everyone, so they¡¯ll have a bad impression of you.¡± shback Gwen walked into the banquet, her eyes scanning the hall until theynded on ady wearing a royal dress and a crown. Thedy stood beside a man who was also wearing a royal outfit, and crown. so she assumed, that thedy must be princess Nadia. Gwen scoffed in disappointment. She had expected that Nadia would be as beautiful as Zara, or even more beautiful, but no, Nadia was nowhere as beautiful, or even near Zara when ites to beauty. Even though she didn¡¯t like Zara, she had to admit that she was the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. It¡¯s no wonder Carl fell for her. She walked toward Nadia, in slow stride at first, before increasing her pace. She stops abruptly near her, picking up a drink, before walking toward her again. Gwen bumped into Nadia, purposely pouring her drink on her. Nadia shrieked, ring at Gwen in anger. ¡°How dare you?¡± she roared,nding a p on Gwen¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know who I am, you lowlife maid? I am the princess of Nedal, King Carl¡¯s soon-to-be wife. In other words, I am the future queen of Everton,¡± Nadia growled, raising her shoulder in pride. King Neil also nodded his head and supported his daughter. ¡°why would a low life like her, evene close to my daughter, although her dress signifies that, she¡¯s ady from a noble family, she¡¯s still nowhere near my daughter,¡± He thought and decided to leave his daughter to put Gwen in her ce. Gwen¡¯s lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s a proud one, and her father is just the same, perfect. I¡¯ll make sure to humiliate the both of you, and bring you down in front of everyone,¡± she mulled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Princess Nadia, I didn¡¯t see you, King Neil, help me apologize,¡± Gwen said, pretending to feel sorry. Nadia chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t see me, are you blind or what?¡± she yelled. ¡°I¡¯m not blind princess Nadia. I¡¯ve already apologized to you, what else do you want?¡± ¡°I want you to go down on your knees, kiss my feet, and tell me you are sorry,¡± Nadia blurted out. By now everyone had already gathered around and almost all of them had a look of displeasure on their face. they didn¡¯t like that Nadia was so arrogant, even those who wanted her to get married to Carl before changed their minds. ¡°Our king, cannot have such a vile and badly behaved wife,¡± they murmured amongst themselves, but Nadia failed to notice. she was too busy yelling at Gwen. Gwen scoffed. ¡°kiss her feet never.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that princess Nadia. How can you tell me to kiss your feet just because I mistakenly poured a drink on you?¡± ¡°Are you taking back at me, how dare you?¡± she yelled, pulling Gwen¡¯s hair. ¡°Nadia let go of my hair, let go,¡± Gwen screamed, but it only seems to make Nadia angrier, ¡°Did she just call me only Nadia?¡± she thought, as she yanked Gwen¡¯s hair, hard and tight. Gwen could not take it anymore. ¡°Enough is enough.¡± She too decided to fight back, also hitting and pulling Nadia¡¯s hair. When king Neil saw that Gwen decided to fight back, it was then, that he yelled for the crowd to stop them. End of shback. Carl put an end to the banquet, asking everyone to retire for the night. If he knew, something like that would happen, he would never have held a banquet for them. ¡°So your friend Gwen and Future wife, Nadia, are both fighters, you should build a fighting pit for them,¡± Zara teased, an amused look on her face. She clearly enjoyed watching both of them fight. Carl¡¯s lips also curved up into a smile, when he saw Zara¡¯s amused look. ¡°You found it funny didn¡¯t you?¡± He asked. ¡°Of course, I did. What could be more entertaining than your rivals fighting amongst themselves?¡± Zara replied, bursting into a fit ofughter. she already knew that Gwen also had feelings for Carl, since the time she told her about the poisoning, and just now when she saw her fighting with Nadia, she put the piece together. Why would Gwen tell her about the poisoning when Carl had said that no one should, if not to cause a rift between them? And who gains more once a rift is caused? Gwen. Also, why would she fight with Nadia, knowing that she could be at a disadvantage since Nadia was a princess¡­ Carl joined Zara and startedughing too. ¡°You know Zara, I also thought it was funny because they looked like mad women, but I had to keep a straight face and act as I should in that state, only because I am a king,¡± Carl said in betweenughter. Meanwhile, Aiden Eric and Ryn heard what happened between Nadia and Gwen, and celebrated amongst themselves. ¡°Great Aiden, our n worked. what should we do next?¡± Eric asked, taking a huge bite from the chickenp, in his hand. Aiden thought for a while then he said, ¡°I think we should go and see Princess Nadia. We should tell her aboutdy Gwen¡¯s feelings toward Carl, I¡¯m sure that will increase the already burning fire. Nadia and Gwen The trio marched to where King Neil and princess Nadia, were staying at the royal guest quarters. They immediately caught the attention of everyone who saw them, because they were all so cute and chubby.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Although they did not look alike, they stille across as triplets. ¡°Tell Princess Nadia, that prince Aiden of Everton, requests her audience,¡± Aiden told the guard standing in front of the royal guest quarters. The guards nced at each other, then the trio. Seeing that Aiden looked intimidating, they couldn¡¯t refuse. Although Eric and Ryn, did not have the intimidating aura, their eyes still held a lot of mischievous more than Aiden. One of the guards immediately went to inform Nadia of their presence, before returning to them. ¡°This way please,¡± he muttered, leading the trio to Nadia¡¯s chambers¡­ When Nadia saw them, she raised her brow in question and her mind wandered to why they could be there. ¡°Greetings Princess Nadia,¡± they chorused. ¡°What brings the three of you here? and which one of you is Prince Aiden?¡± Nadia inquired. ¡°I am Prince Aiden, King Carl¡¯s little brother, and this is Prince Eric, and Princess Ryn, my best friends,¡± Aiden replied. He didn¡¯t tell her, that Eric was rted to Zara, knowing that Princess Nadia might not like anyone close or rted to Zara. Nadia smiled. ¡°If I can win prince Aiden over, maybe he¡¯ll tell me, what I need to know about his brother Carl,¡± she pondered, smiling mischievously. ¡°Come, Prince Aiden,e sit,¡± Nadia said, gesturing to a stool, opposite her. Eric and Ryn turned to each other and pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not like we are invisible right, why is she offering a seat to Aiden alone?¡± Ryn whispered to Eric. Eric scoffed, then he said, ¡°it¡¯s because Aiden is Carl¡¯s brother, and her soon-to-be brother-inw, so I guess she wants to win him over. Ryn nodded her head after Eric¡¯s exnation, then she said, ¡°but we can¡¯t keep standing, right?¡± Eric nodded in agreement, tilting his gaze to Aiden. Aiden noticed the two were not happy when Nadia asked him to sit, so he refused her by saying, ¡± I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t ept your offer. if I must sit, my friends should too.¡± Nadia was surprised and slightly embarrassed, she wanted to win him over, but it seems like it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as she thought. ¡°Sorry about that prince Aiden, your friends can sit over there,¡± she muttered, pointing toward the stools by the fireside. Eric and Ryn immediately went and sat down, but not before casting Aiden a grateful look¡­ ¡°So tell me, Prince Aiden, what brings you to my chamber?¡± Nadia questioned. ¡°I¡¯m here, to discuss an important issue,¡± Aiden replied. Nadia raised her brow and mulled over what important issue a child, like him would want to discuss with her, but she decided to listen anyway. ¡°Tell me, Prince,¡± she urged. ¡°It¡¯s about Lady Gwen, the woman you fought with,¡± Aiden tells her. Nadia immediately became keen with interest when Aiden said that. She didn¡¯t get a chance to deal with Gwen back then, due to Carl¡¯s interference, but she didn¡¯t forget about the issue. ¡°Tell me, prince Aiden, what about her?¡± Nadia asked. ¡°Do you know the reason she fought with you?¡± Aiden let out. ¡°Of course, I do. It¡¯s because I scolded her in front of everyone, for spilling her drink on me. The nerve of that woman, I will surely teach her a lesson,¡± Nadia rasped. Aiden chuckled. ¡°Princess Nadia, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not the reason she fought with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Nadia inquired, with raised eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s because, she also has eyes for king Carl, and wants to be the next queen,¡± Aiden informed. Nadia¡¯s eyes widen in surprise, then she said, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course, I am. I wouldn¡¯t be here if I wasn¡¯t,¡± Aiden answered. Nadia clenched her fist in anger. ¡°That low-life whore, she dares to think of the king in that way, I¡¯ll be sure to put her in her ce. Aiden¡¯s lips curved up into a smirk when he saw the look on Nadia¡¯s face. ¡°Princess Nadia, we¡¯ll take a leave now,¡± Aiden tells her, gesturing to Eric and Ryn toe along. Nadia nodded, absent-minded. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Gwen. ¡°I need to tell father about this. He will help me deal with the witch Gwen, while I focus on King Carl. Nadia immediately went to her father¡¯s chamber and narrated everything that Aiden, told her. King Neil¡¯s face darkened instantly, as he remember the way he was humiliated, because of Gwen. ¡°Nadia, you don¡¯t have to worry, just focus on King Carl, I¡¯ll deal with Lady Gwen.¡± ¡°Father, what would you do to her? will you kill her?¡± Nadia inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet Nadia, I need to find a way to get my hands on her first, before deciding on what to do,¡± King Neil replied, an evil glint shing across his features¡­ Meanwhile, Gwen was happy that her first n worked, as she celebrated in her chamber. ¡°Mdy, I must admit that you are very wise when ites to this sort of thing,¡± Roxanne, Gwen¡¯s maidplimented. Gwen smiled, then she said, ¡°I know Roxanne, that¡¯s why I need to think of something else to finish the Nedal princess once and for all. ¡°What will you do mdy? Do you intend to kill her?¡± Roxanne inquired. Gwen smirked. ¡°I won¡¯t kill her Roxanne, but by the time I¡¯m through with her, she would wish, that she¡¯s dead¡­ IN CARL¡¯S OFFICE Jerald found some information about Zara¡¯s poisoning, after investigating for a while. ¡°Your Majesty, I found some information, regarding queen Zara¡¯s poisoning,¡± he tells Carl. A dangerous glint appeared in Carl¡¯s eyes when he heard that. ¡°Tell me, Jerald, what did you find?¡± Carl inquired, his brow raised in question. Jerald sighed, then he said, ¡°My king, I don¡¯t know if what I found would be relevant but¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me, Jerald. whether it¡¯s relevant or not, I want every piece of information,¡± Carl rasped, cutting him off. He flinched slightly at Carl¡¯s tone of voice, then he said, ¡°Your majesty, I questioned all the servants who worked in the kitchen on the day of queen Zara¡¯s baby banquet, and none of them knew anything, except one.¡± ¡°Who is the servant, where is the servant?¡± ¡°She¡¯s here my king,¡± Jerald answered. ¡°Lilith, you cane in,¡± Jerald yelled, and a frightened servant girl walked in. Carl snapped his gaze from Jerald to the servant girl. ¡°Lilith, you don¡¯t have to be Scared, tell the king what you know,¡± Jerald urged. Lilith trembled slightly, picking on her nails. ¡°Yo¡­ your majesty,¡± she stuttered. Carl¡¯s gaze was focused on her all the while, watching her every movement. He was getting impatient and wanted to yell at her to speak up but he didn¡¯t want to scare her. ¡°Lilith, you can speak up. I won¡¯t hurt you, I give you my word,¡± he reassured. Lilith nced up to meet Carl¡¯s eyes and saw the reassurance in them, so she said, ¡°Your majesty, on the day of the banquet when queen Zara got poisoned, I was in the kitchen and I saw a Lady giving the servant whom you arrested a concoction to give queen Zara, I also overheard her saying that the servant shouldn¡¯t tell queen Zara it was from her,¡± Lilith narrated. ¡°Who is this Lady?¡± Carl asked, with keen interest. Lilith hesitated for a while, then she said, ¡°your majesty, she is¡­¡± I like her ¡°Your majesty, she¡¯s unknown. what I mean is, she had her back to me, and I couldn¡¯t see her face. Carl stood up from his seat, mming the table in anger, making Jerald and Lilith, flinch, backing away slightly. ¡°Lilith can you describe exactly what you saw, I mean, do you think, it¡¯s a young or an olddy, how did her voice sound?¡± Jerald inquired, seeing that Carl was riled up. Lilith nodded, then she said, ¡°From the way the way she spoke, and the way she dressed, I presume she¡¯s a youngdy from a noble family.¡± ¡°Youngdy from a noble family?¡± Carl and Jerald repeated at the same time, ncing at each other. They both thought of whichdy from a noble family, would have a grudge against Zara. Jerald¡¯s mind immediately went to Gwen, she is the only one he knew of that has a grudge against Zara, considering the past events. He nced at Carl who was deep in thought. ¡°My king, do you know of any nobledy that has a grudge against queen Zara?¡± Carl sighed, before replying, ¡°None that I know of.¡± ¡°What aboutdy Gwen?¡± Jerald implied. he knew Carl and Gwen were very close, and Carl might not like anyone ndering Gwen¡¯s name, but he had to bring it up because Zara¡¯s life was at stake. Carl looked at Jerald in disbelief. ¡°Why would you even bring Gwen into this, you know she¡¯s not that kind of person, no, she would never do a thing like that.¡± Jerald nodded, but he was still not convinced. He turned to Lilith and said, ¡°Would you recognize the person¡¯s voice if you were to hear it again?¡±. Lilith thought for a while, then it dawned on her that the voice did sound like Gwen¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh my God, what if it truly wasdy Gwen? I would be in trouble, if she were to find out that, I told the king about it,¡± Lilith thought, then she said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, I¡¯m not sure I would recognize it anymore.¡± Jerald gave her a suspicious look, before dismissing her. Although he still had thoughts of questioning her. ¡°Your majesty, you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯d keep investigating it,¡± he reassured, and Carl nodded, not saying a word. Jerald decided that he still had to bring Gwen¡¯s matter up, although in a way that won¡¯t look like he was using her. ¡°My king, what ifdy Gwen had something to do with it, just what if?¡± he muttered.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Even though he did not say it directly, Carl still understood the meaning behind his question. And he wondered why Jerald was suspicious of Gwen and kept hinting that she was the one. However, knowing who Jerald was, Carl knew that he would never say something without reason, so he said, ¡°If that be the case, I won¡¯t show her any mercy, regardless of whether she¡¯s my friend, or not¡­ TWO DAYS LATER ZARA¡¯S POV I paced around on the balcony, worriedly. ¡± Zara, you have to calm down,¡± Lia tried to persuade me, but my mind was in a state of unrest. Carl just announced in front of everyone, that he¡¯s going to wed Princess Nadia a day after tomorrow, so I have to be worried. ¡°Lia, I can¡¯t calm down. what if Carl meant what he said about marrying Nadia, how do you expect me to watch the man I love marry someone else,¡± I muttered, still pacing around. ¡°Queen Zara, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that bad. Besides he¡¯s only marrying her because he made a deal with King Neil,¡± M reasoned, and I saw something akin to happiness, flicker across her gaze, or maybe I¡¯m seeing things. ¡°M, you are not helping matters, just keep quiet,¡± Lia scolded. I Ignore their outburst and decided to go in search of Carl. ¡°Zara, where are you going?¡± Lia yelled after me. ¡°In search of Carl,¡± I yelled back. ¡­ After searching for some minutes, I finally found him in the garden with Nadia, and what I saw almost reaped my heart out. Staggering backward, I tried to catch my breath, as I watched Nadia and Carl kiss. ¡°Goodness, what is going on here,¡± I heard someone say, but I ignored the person. ¡°If I say something now, they would say I talk too much, but I¡¯ll say it anyway,''¡± Gwen muttered,ing to stand in front of me. ¡°They are not even married, but yet, they are getting intimate. first, it¡¯s a kiss, next, only the Lord knows,¡± Gwen blurted out, making my mind wander to Carl and Nadia, doing other things. I quickly removed the thought from my mind and I felt a drop of tears trickling down my face, as I tilt my head to look at Carl and Nadia again. ¡°Zara, there¡¯s no point in crying, you should think of how to cope if supposedly, Nadia were to rece you in Carl¡¯s heart, just like you did me,¡± Gwen advised, before walking away. I cleaned my tears, taking one look at Nadia and Carl, before walking back to the chamber. ¡°What you see might not always be true,¡± I told myself, but I was finding it hard to believe as the image of Nadia and Carl keeps reying in my head¡­ Meanwhile, Gwen pretended to be strong and not affected by the matter in front of Zara, but when she reached her chamber, she screamed and broke things in anger. ¡°Princess Nadia, I think I need to speed up my ns for you because you seem to keep getting bold.¡± ¡°Roxanne,¡± she called her servant, and Roxanne, walked into the chamber, taking a quick nce around, before taking her gaze back to Gwen. ¡°Mdy, what happened here?¡± She inquired. Gwen scoffed. ¡°Roxanne, forget about what happened, it¡¯s time to make my final move. one that would destroy Nadia.¡± Roxanne nodded, then she said, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± An evil glint appears in Gwen¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want you to go to Draco, tell him I said it¡¯s time, he¡¯d understand. And after that, you are to take princess Nadia to meet him at dawn, by theke.¡± ¡­ Back to Zara¡¯s pov I sat on the bed, pondering on what I saw. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t let it bother me. I¡¯m sure there is an exnation. Yes, there must be an exnation. With that in mind, I decided to stay in the chamber and wait for Carl, so he could tell me what happened. Momentster, he walked into the room. ¡°Carl,¡± I called, hastily walking toward him. He turned to look at me, but he avoided my gaze. ¡°Is something wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?¡± I asked, now standing before him. He sighs, still avoiding my gaze. ¡°Zara, I¡­ I,¡± he stuttered and did not say anything else ¡°You what?¡± I asked, urging him to continue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Zara,¡± he said instead. ¡°Sorry, for what Carl?¡± I inquired. He shut his eyes tightly as if battling with himself, like what he was about to say would hurt me. ¡°You can tell me, Carl,¡± I said, getting slightly impatient. I wanted him to juste clean and tell me why he kissed Nadia, but he was hesitant, making me more restless. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m going to marry Princess Nadia,¡± he tells me. I was stunned and stared at him in disbelief. ¡°No, you are not Carl. Remember you told me that, you would y along in the meantime, until you find a solution, right?¡± I muttered, searching for answers in his eyes. He sighs again, before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not that Zara.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°I changed my mind and decided to marry her for real. it will benefit both me and Everton,¡± he replied. My heart started to beat fast against my chest, and I became scared. I prayed inwardly that he was ying some kind of trick on me, and refused to believe what he was telling me. ¡°No Carl, I don¡¯t believe you, tell me the truth, why are you doing this?¡± I questioned. He stared at me with a face void of emotion, and said, ¡°I already told you, Zara, it will benefit both me and Everton.¡± ¡°Does that mean, the kiss was real?¡± I asked, taking him by surprise and I saw something akin to guilt sh across his gaze before they were reced with the same void ones. ¡°Answer me,¡± I screamed when I saw that he was hesitant. ¡°Yes yes, it was real. I kissed her because, I wanted to because I like her, Zara, I like her.¡± Setup ZARA¡¯S POV My heart was beating fast against my chest, as I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s not true Zara, it¡¯s not true,¡± I kept repeating in my head. But when I opened my mouth to say those same words to him, it was like the words were stuck in my throat, and wouldn¡¯t out. ¡°Zara,¡± he called, trying to touch me, but I took a step back. ¡°Yes yes, it was real. I kissed her because, I wanted to, because I like her, Zara, I like her.¡± His words kept reying in my head. but my heart was too stubborn, not ready to believe it. I sighed, ncing up to meet his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, Carl, please just tell me the truth. Is something wrong, did something happen?¡± I asked, all at once. He stared right back at me, before averting his gaze. ¡°Zara, It¡¯s like I told you before, I like her, and I want to form an alliance, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that,¡± he retorted, with an unreadable expression. I scoffed, before saying, ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you, how can you just like someone all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me, and whether you do, or not, won¡¯t change anything,¡± he replied, walking out of the chamber. I was glued to my spot, as I watched him leave. Although I wanted to go after him, pressure him into telling me the truth, the real reason why he was doing this, but I decided to let him be for now. I understand that being a king is not an easy thing, and sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. however, this is different, there is no way Carl would want to marry princess Nadia, there must be something going on, and I would have to find out what. Meanwhile, Roxanne left to carry out the task assigned to her by Gwen. ¡°Draco Lady Gwen asked me to tell you, that it¡¯s time.¡± A deadly grin, appeared on Draco¡¯s (Gwen¡¯s man) face, one that could make one weak in the knee. Roxanne was also scared when she saw the grin on his ugly face but decided to stay calm since she knew, he wouldn¡¯t hurt her. ¡°I will bring princess Nadia to thekeside,¡± Roxanne tells him, before leaving in a haste. ¡­ Nadia took a stroll around the pce when Roxanne approached her. ¡°Princess Nadia, King Carl has requested your audience and is waiting for you by thekeside,¡± Roxanne told her. Nadia smiled. ¡°Carl wants to see me?¡± She repeated, and Roxanne nodded. ¡°And he also said, it should be you alone, and no one else,¡± Roxanne added. Nadia couldn¡¯t contain her happiness, as she squealed, twirling around. ¡°First, it was a kiss, and now, he wants to meet me alone at thekeside, I guess, he might have fallen for me already,¡± she thought. ¡°Take me to him,¡± she said, oblivious to the evil glint in Roxanne¡¯s eyes. ¡°Such a fool, she didn¡¯t stop to think for a while, anyway, I¡¯m d things are going ording to n,¡± Roxanne mumbled inwardly, leading Nadia to thekeside. ¡­ On the other hand, Gwen left her chamber immediately after Roxanne, going in search of Carl, however, she encountered king Neil. ¡°Lady Gwen, it¡¯s nice to meet you once again,¡± king Neil muttered, a smirk ying at the corner of his lips. Gwen gave him a fake smile and intended to leave, but he pulled her back.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Lady Gwen, it¡¯s rude of you to try and walk out on me. I spoke to you nicely, you should at least do the same, I mean return my greeting. ¡°King Neil, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do that, I have somewhere else to be,¡± Gwen replied, walking away. King Neil scowled. ¡°How insolent!¡± ¡°Lady Gwen, I know you have feelings for king Carl,¡± he yelled after her, and Gwen stopped abruptly, turning back to meet his gaze. ¡°King Neil, you should stop poking your nose in other people¡¯s business. Instead of worrying about my feelings for Carl, you should worry more about your daughter,¡± Gwen retorted, turning around to leave. King Neil watched her retreating figure, wondering what she meant. he could swear that he saw an evil glint in her eyes as she spoke.dy Gwen, what are you up to? Raven, Talon, go after the Lady Gwen and abduct her, make sure you do it discreetly,¡± king Neil ordered his men. After that, he quickly went in search of Nadia¡­ Nadia trailed after Roxanne, as they made their way to theke. Once they got there, Roxanne turned to Nadia ¡°your highness, I¡¯ll leave you here,¡± she said, turning around to leave. Nadia looked around in confusion. ¡°The maid said Carl would be waiting here, but I don¡¯t see him,¡± she thought. ¡°Stop their servant girl. I thought you said the king would be waiting here, where is he?¡± Roxanne twirled to look at her, then she pointed behind Nadia and said, ¡°He is right behind you,¡± before running away. Nadia whirled over ¡°Carl¡­¡± she called, but instead of Carl, a huge and ugly man stood before her, staring down at her. Nadia shivered, as it dawned on her that it was a setup. ¡°Wh¡­ who are you? wha¡­ what do you want?¡± she stuttered. Draco roared into a fit ofughter. ¡°Princess Nadia, you shouldn¡¯t be worried about who I am, but about what I¡¯m going to do to you,¡± he muttered. Nadia gulped, taking her eyes up to meet his dark ones. Beads of sweat immediately formed on her forehead once she did so, while Draco shed her a toothy grin, showing her his brown and rotten teeth. Nadia unintentionally wrinkled her face in disgust. ¡°How can someone be so ugly,¡± she thought, taking a step backward. Draco saw her reaction, and let out a scoff. ¡°Princess Nadia, you shouldn¡¯t be the one disappointed, I should be. I thought you were going to be as beautiful as my queen Zara, but I must say, I¡¯m disappointed that you are nowhere near her,¡± he tells Nadia. Draco has been obsessed with Zara, ever since he saw her at the bathing chamber. He was supposed to have his way with her, but Carl had toe and ruin everything. When Nadia heard that, she immediately became angry. ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± she yelled. Draco chuckled in disbelief. ¡°At this moment, you shouldn¡¯t care about what I say, because you might not be alive after now. first, I will have my way with you, then I will kill you.¡± Once Nadia heard that, her eyes almost popped out of their socket. ¡°Help,¡± she yelled, trying to run away, but was yanked back by Draco. ¡°Not so fast princess. Be a good girl and stop trying to run away. I might be gentle with you.¡± with that said, Draco tore her dress, pushing her to the ground. ¡°Ahh,¡± Nadia yelled, trying to push him away, but her attempt was futile, as Draco¡¯s movement grew more powerful and desperate than before. He used one of his hands to pin both her hands to the ground, while the other parted her legs. ¡°Wait, please wait. Nadia cried out, and Draco stopped for a while. ¡°What now princess?¡± ¡°I¡­ I will pay you double what whoever sent you paid. Is it gold, salt,nd, or a title? I will give you more,¡± Nadia begged. Draco scoffed. ¡°My loyalty cannot be bought.¡± Nadia almost passed out when he said that. Is all hope lost, what do I do now? She pondered, racking her brain, for what she could give to make him stop. Once Draco saw that she was quiet, he thrust into her with full force, earning a scream from her. ¡°Princess Nadia, although you are not a virgin, you still taste so good,¡± Draco groaned, pounding into her. Nadia cried in pain, as she felt her virgin stretch, due to his massive size. ¡°Stop, stop, I will give you whatever you want, power, status, queen Zara,¡± Nadia yelled, and this time, Draco stopped. Draco Draco paused for a second before he continued to thrust in and out of her. Nadia kept crying and yelling for him to stop, but it seemed like the more she tried, the more powerful his thrust became. Finally, Nadia couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore and passed out, but that did not stop Draco either¡­ after what felt like hours, he released inside her¡­ Meanwhile, Gwen noticed that she was been followed, and she increased her pace. Since it was night, not many people could be seen around, making Gwen panic even more. ¡°Who could it be?¡± She thought, taking asionally nces around when she bumped into someone. Before she could nce up to register who it was, she was knocked out, by the person. ¡­ An hourter, Gwen woke up to find herself tied to a chair in an unknown room. she wanted to scream and ask where she was, and who brought her there, but it was impossible because her mouth was covered with a cloth. Gwen became scared, as she racked her brain for who could do such a thing to her. Uhhh! she gasped as if hit by a realization. ¡°Could it be king Neil?¡± she clearly remembered, that he was one of the people she had a conflict with, aside from Zara, and she knew Zara was incapable of something like that, she was just too kind. Minutester someone walked in. ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± Gwen said inwardly, shivering slightly. King Neil walked into the room, a smirk ying at the corner of his lips. ¡°Lady Gwen, it¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± he said in a mock tone. Gwen clenched her fist, struggling to break free from the ropes, but her effort was futile. King Neil chuckled, when he saw her attempt, then he said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother Lady Gwen, you won¡¯t be able to break free. Now I will ask you a question, and you¡¯ll have to answer me.¡± Gwen groaned, trying to speak, but the cloth in her mouth was preventing her from doing so. King Neil saw that she wanted to say something and quickly removed the cloth. ¡°Where am I? why did you abduct me?¡± She questioned immediately. King Neil scoffed. ¡°Lady Gwen, you don¡¯t get to ask the questions, I do. and as for where you are, you are in an abandoned cottage, outside the pce, no one will find you here.¡± Gwen trembled in fear, although she didn¡¯t know much about king Neil, she knew there was more to him than meet the eyes. ¡°King Neil, let me go this instant. if Carl should find out about this, you¡¯ll be a dead man,¡± she yelled. King Neilnded a p on her face out of anger. ¡°What did I say about being the only one allowed to speak? nowdy Gwen, I will ask you a question, and you must answer at once. Where is Nadia?¡± Earlier King Neil had gone in search of Nadia, but couldn¡¯t find her. so he assumed, Gwen must have done something since she said earlier that he should worry more about his daughter. ¡°How should I know that? I don¡¯t follow your daughter wherever she goes, do I?¡± King Neilnded another p on her face, then he said, ¡°Don¡¯t act smart with medy Gwen, tell me where Nadia is.¡± Gwen scoffed, spitting out the blood in her mouth, before ncing up to meet his gaze. ¡°I just told you, I know nothing of your daughter¡¯s whereabouts.¡± An evil glint shed across king Neil¡¯s features, then he said ¡°Lady Gwen, I¡¯ll leave you for now, because I have to return to the pce, but once I return tomorrow, I promise, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± With that said, King Neil left the cottage, leaving two of his men behind to guard it. ¡­ Meanwhile, Nadia returned to the pce, with Draco, after making a deal, that he would spare her life and work for her, in exchange, she will give him status and also Zara¡­ ZARA¡¯S POV I woke up in the middle of the night, and could not find Carl in the chamber ¡°where could he be?¡± I thought, putting on a robe. Ever since our argument, he has been avoiding me. I guess he didn¡¯t want me to ask about why he wanted to marry Nadia. I walked out of the chamber, going in search of him. I knew he was either in his bureau or the other chamber. Walking into the hallway, I caught sight of two people, sneaking into the pce. ¡°Who are they?¡± I pondered, taking slow steps toward them, to get a better view. ¡°Nadia,¡± I called, when I saw, she was one. I nced from her to the scary-looking man beside her. For some reason, I felt chills run down my spine as I nced up to meet his dark gaze, which was full of lust, as he stared back at me, making me take a step backward, to keep a distance. I knew the man in front of me was someone dangerous. someone, who I should avoid at all costs, due to the dark and dangerous aura that emitted from him. Nadia on the other hand gaped at me with eyes surprised full of surprise and something akin to fear, but she quickly reced them with an expressionless one. ¡°Zara, why are you still awake by this time of the night?¡± I scoffed, raising my brow in question. ¡°I should be the one, asking that question,¡± I retorted. Nadia rolled her eyes, then she said, ¡°it shouldn¡¯t be your concern.¡± I nodded, giving her a fake smile, before walking past her. I suspect she has something off her sleeve, but I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around what it could be. When I walked past the scary man, I could feel his piercing gaze, burning a hole through my body. It suddenly dawned on me, that it was my first time, seeing him. ¡°Who is he? I mulled, but I didn¡¯t dare to ask Nadia. my instincts were telling me to leave their presence as soon as I can, and that was what I did. I quickened my pace, heading straight to the bureau, where I believed Carl was¡­ ¡°Carl,¡± I called, once I stepped into the office. He was fast asleep, with his head on the table, and scrolls spewed all over. I walked over to him, Crouching down to remove a strand of hair on his handsome face. ¡°You¡¯d rather sleep like this, in difort, just to avoid my questions. if that is the case, I promise not to ask about your decision to marry Nadia, Instead, I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready to tell me,¡± I whispered, dropping to a sitting position. I gently ced my head on his thigh, before drifting off to sleep. ¡­ Meanwhile, after searching for Gwen all over the pce, Roxanne decided to just sit back and wait for her return. but now she was beginning to panic since it was almost dawn, and Gwen was yet to return. ¡°Did she go somewhere? did something happen to her? I guess I should just wait a while, if she doesn¡¯t return, I¡¯ll have to inform the king. ¡­ At that moment, king Neil also returned to the pce, going straight to Nadia¡¯s room. ¡°Nadia?¡± He called when he saw her sitting on a stool, with a strange man(Draco) opposite her.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Father,¡± Nadia dubbed, running into her father¡¯s arms. Once she was in his embrace, she burst into tears. ¡°Father, you¡¯ll have to make Gwen pay, you have to make her pay for what she did to me.¡± King Neil pulled away from the embrace, and stared at his daughter in both confusion, and worry. ¡°What happened Nadia? tell me.¡± Nadia sniffed, narrating everything that happened to her, to her father. King Neil, nced up, to meet Draco¡¯s gaze. ¡°You,¡± he yelled in anger, ambling towards Draco, with the intention of striking him, but Nadia pulled him back, nodding her head in disapproval. Draco seemed unfazed, as he watched the father-daughter duo in amusement. The only reason he agreed to betray Gwen, was just so he could have Zara, if Gwen had promised him that part, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have betrayed her. Nadia pulled her father outside the chamber. ¡°Father, I know you¡¯re angry, I am too, but for now, you¡¯ll have to remain calm, until after I exact my revenge on Gwen. I need that man to do exactly what he did to me to that witch, Gwen, and after that, I¡¯ll get rid of the both of them.¡± Revenge THE NEXT DAY Gwen was fast asleep, when she felt something wet, dripping down her forehead. She immediately snapped her eyes open, ncing up to see Nadia standing in front of her with a jar of water in her hand. Gwen gasped, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Howe she¡¯s still alive? did Roxanne fail to deliver my message to Draco?¡± She pondered, in confusion. Nadia saw her confused look and smirked. ¡°Lady Gwen, you must be wondering, how I¡¯m still alive, you don¡¯t have to worry, soon you¡¯ll have all your answers,¡± Nadia tells Gwen. ¡°Draco,¡± she called, and he walked into the cottage with a smug look on his face. ¡°Lady Gwen,¡± he greeted, bowing slightly. Gwen stared at him in disbelief. ¡°what happened here?¡± She mulled, ncing from Draco, to Nadia. ¡°Draco, I¡¯ll leave you two, make sure you do to her, exactly what you did to me, and after that, give her to the men outside, they¡¯ll finish the task,¡± Nadia instructed him, then she turned to Gwen and said, ¡°I would love to stay and witness the way they torture and have their way with you, but I have to go prepare for my wedding.¡± with that said, she walked away, but not before giving Gwen onest look. ¡°one enemy down, one to go,¡± Nadia muttered under her breath¡­ Gwen didn¡¯t care about what Nadia said about her wedding, all she cared about now, was saving herself from the man in front of her. ¡°Draco, how could you betray me? I thought you were a man of honor, someone whose loyalty cannot be bought, what happened now?¡± she inquired. Draco let out a burst of amusedughter, then he said, ¡°Lady Gwen, I thought you were smart, but it turns out, you¡¯re not. A man¡¯s loyalty cannot be bought only when he has no heart desires, however, I do have a heart desire and you want to know what it is?¡± Gwen scoffed, raising her brow in question. ¡°Let me guess, power, status¡­¡± ¡°Nody Gwen, it¡¯s queen Zara, the beautiful queen Zara,¡± Draco told her. It was now Gwen¡¯s turn tough. ¡°Queen Zara! you must be out of your mind to think that you can have her. Is that what princess Nadia promised you? you must be a fool if you think she would fulfill that promise.¡± Draco scowled, his eyes darkening in rage. ¡°Lady Gwen, I¡¯m only going easy on you, because I once served you, but don¡¯t think for once that I will take your insults. you¡¯re at my mercy now, so watch what you say,¡± he rasped. Gwen shivered slightly at his tone of voice, beads of sweat, dripping down her forehead. Although she didn¡¯t look scared on the outside, her heart was beating fast in fear. She has known Draco for many years, and by now she knew that he was very dangerous and ruthless. If she knew that he had feelings or was obsessed with Zara, she would have promised him the same, even if she knew it wasn¡¯t possible, just to avoid a situation like this. ¡°Draco, you are making a big mistake, you think Princess Nadia, is going to help you get queen Zara, but it¡¯s a lie. You know who Carl is, and you know he loves Zara, there¡¯s no way, he would let you have her,¡± Gwen reasoned. ¡°I don¡¯t caredy Gwen if I have to kill him, just so I could get her, that¡¯s what I would do, but for nowdy Gwen, I¡¯ll have my way with you. who would have thought that a day woulde, where I¡¯d taste your pussy,¡± Draco said, with an evil grin. Gwen shrieked, wrinkling her face in disgust. ¡°Draco, please, you have to reconsider, princess Nadia is using you, and once she¡¯s through with you, she¡¯d probably kill or thrust you aside.¡± ¡°Lady Gwen, it¡¯s all the same for people with high status, you all use people, and you Lady Gwen, is no different,¡± Draco muttered, taking slow strides towards Gwen. ¡°Sorry, mdy, but you can¡¯t save yourself.¡± After saying that, Draco tore her dress, and have his way with her¡­ ¡­ ZARA¡¯S POV When I woke up, I found myself in the chamber, instead of the bureau with Carl, he must have brought me here. but where is he? I thought, ncing around. when I didn¡¯t see him, I decided to go out of the chamber to go find him. How long does he intend to avoid me? I can¡¯t take it anymore. When I walked out of the chamber, into the hallway, I saw the servants busy with some kind of preparation. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? I asked one of the servants. ¡°Your Grace, the king has asked us to make preparation for his wedding to princess Nadia,¡± the servant said before walking away. It was like I was struck by lightning and my heart clenched tightly against my chest ¡°Queen Zara,¡± someone called, and I twirled to see Nadia sauntering toward me. I wanted to walk away, and avoid talking or listening to any of her tantrums, but she stood in my path, preventing me from doing so. ¡°Zara, you don¡¯t have to be so arrogant, you should at least be nice to me. after all, we are going to have the same husband, or are you jealous?¡­ yes, that must be the case or why would you be in such a bad mood. lighten up Zara, cause no matter what you do, you won¡¯t be able to stop the wedding. You know Zara, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d be so ungrateful, if it were others in your ce, they wouldn¡¯t have more gratitude, knowing that I saved their life, but you¡­ you¡¯re ungrateful and selfish. you want the power and everything all to yourself,¡± Nadia muttered, with her lips curved into a smirk. I gave her a fake smile, striding closer to her. ¡°Nadia, I might be selfish, but I¡¯m selfish for love, not power. I won¡¯t share the love of my husband with anyone, especially someone like you, who take advantage of someone¡¯s weakness,¡± I told her, before turning around to leave. I could feel her burning gaze on me, but I ignored it. Right now, my priority is to find Carl, nothing else. ¡­ I walked into the throne room, where I was told that Carl was, addressing some issues with the council. Once he was done and walking out of the throne room, I approached him. ¡°Carl,¡± I dubbed, sping his arm. He turned to look at me, his gaze void of any emotion. Although I promised not to ask him about his marriage to Nadia, I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Carl, tell me what¡¯s going on, please tell me,¡± I pleaded. He sighed. ¡°What should I tell you, Zara?¡­ I have nothing to tell,¡± he retorted. ¡°Not even why you are going ahead with the wedding?¡± ¡°I already told you why Zara, and I¡¯m not going to do it again.¡± I clenched my fist, to suppress my pain and anger. It hurts that I hoped and kept believing that he would do something to stop the wedding, or at least he would exin the reason why he¡¯s going ahead with it, but he just shattered that hope, that belief. ¡°Do you still love me, Carl?¡± I asked, my heart beating fast in both fear and anticipation. He sighed, taking his gaze away from mine. ¡°Zara, I¡­ I have to go prepare for my wedding,¡± he said, attempting to leave, but I prevented him from doing so, by standing in front of him. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I promise that I won¡¯t talk to you, or evene close to you,¡± I threatened, praying that it would make him talk, but instead, he said, ¡°you can do as you please Zara,¡± then he walked away. I watched his retreating figure, heartbroken. ¡°Why are you treating me this way?¡± I mumbled under my breath, with tears trickling down my eyes. ¡°Zara,¡± someone called from behind me, and I turn to see Catherine and aunt Anna, heading toward me. ¡°Zara, I know that this is hard, but please you have to be patient. Although even I don¡¯t know why Carl chose to carry on with the wedding, even though he has the power to stop it, but I hope that you would at least trust him,¡± Catherine said. It seems like she already knew what was bothering me. I hugged her, shutting my eyes tightly to suppress my tears. ¡°I¡¯m trying mother, but it¡¯s just so hard, especially since he keeps telling me the same thing, that he likes her and wants to form an alliance. what should I do mother? what if he really does like her?¡± Catherine remained silent, lightly patting my back, before she sighed and said, ¡°Zara, I don¡¯t know the answer to that, because when I asked him, he said the same thing, and worst of it all is that, I couldn¡¯t read his emotions.¡± I nodded, pulling away from her embrace. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told her, but it was obliviously a lie. Aunt Anna, who has been silent all the while, patted my shoulder and said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to act strong Zara, we all know how difficult it is to see the man you love marrying someone else, so you can talk to us if you need to, we¡¯re here for you.¡± I nodded and gave her a light smile. ¡°Thank you, aunt, thank you mother, but for now, I¡¯d like to be alone,¡± I said, before turning around to leave. ¡­This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Roxanne looked for Gwen once again, around the pce, asking everyone she came across if they saw her, but to no avail, they all gave her a negative reply. She wanted to approach Carl, and tell him about Gwen¡¯s disappearance, but changed her mind and went to lord Francis(Gwen¡¯s father)instead. ¡°Lord Francis, I¡¯m here because Lady Gwen disappeared, and I haven¡¯t seen her since dusk,¡± she exined. Lord Francis raised his brow in question, then he said, ¡°Did you look everywhere in the pce?¡± ¡°Yes, I did, I also asked around, but they said they didn¡¯t see her leave the pce,¡± Roxanne replied. Lord Francis sighed, although he looked unfazed on the outside, inside he was worried, after all, Gwen was his only daughter. ¡°There is no need to panic Roxanne, I¡¯m sure Gwen might have gone outside the pce, for something urgent but still, I¡¯ll send some men to find her, and if after today, she is not found, and doesn¡¯t return, we¡¯ll have to inform the king,¡± he tells her, and Roxanne nodded, before leaving his chamber¡­ ¡­ Gwen was molested and raped, by both Draco, and two of Nadia¡¯s men. After that, they stabbed her, and throw her body in the forest, for wolves and other creatures to devour, then they returned to Nadia, to report the news. ¡°Princess Nadia, I kept my end of the bargain, that is sparing your life, and giving you revenge, now it¡¯s your turn to uphold your part of the bargain,¡± Draco tells her. Nadiaughed, then she said, ¡°I¡¯m a woman of my word Draco, after my wedding to Carl, I¡¯ll deliver queen Zara to you, it¡¯s a promise.¡± A beast THE NEXT DAY The wedding between Carl and Nadia took ce, with only a few people in attendance, because most people were against their Union, considering the fact that, king Neil took advantage of the situation, that Zara was poisoned, to form an alliance. They hated the fact that he was selfish, and his daughter Nadia was arrogant. Carl didn¡¯t seem to care that his people were absent. If it were up to him, it would have been just him, Nadia, and the priest. however, Nadia was not pleased with the fact that the wedding, was low-key. she wanted it to be grand, just like Carl¡¯s wedding with Zara. Zara witnessed the wedding from afar, with a broken heart, she knew that things would not be the same, that Carl and Nadia¡¯s union, would surely take a toll on their rtionship. However, her love for him still remained the same, if not stronger. Catherine, Lady Anna, and the children(Aiden, Eric, and Ryn) also witness the wedding, with great sadness in their hearts. ¡°Aiden, it seems our n failed. In the end, Carl still got married to Nadia,¡± Eric muttered, sadly. Aiden sighed, then he said, ¡°Eric, everything happens for a reason, and we don¡¯t always get what we want.¡± ¡­ After the wedding, Carl didn¡¯t bother to hold a banquet, he just asked king Neil to return to the royal guest-chamber, and Nadia to the new chamber prepared for her, while he retired to his chamber with Zara. Nadia scowled. ¡°What about our wedding night? shouldn¡¯t we be together tonight, and consummate our marriage?¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Carl let out a peal of amusedughter, then he said, ¡°Nadia, you are my wife in name only, and as long as I live, I will never fulfill the duties of a husband, my duty will only be to your nation, nothing more.¡± Nadia clenched her fist and gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°I thought, you liked me? the other day when we spent time together in the garden, we kissed remember,¡± she blurted out. Carl scoffed. ¡°That was just for show Nadia. The only woman I¡¯d ever like, or love, is Zara, don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± he said, and without waiting for her reply, he turned around and left. ¡­ ZARA¡¯S POV I watched Carl¡¯s and Nadia¡¯s wedding with a broke heart, praying and wishing that it would be some kind of dream, and when I woke up, everything will be back to normal. But unfortunately, it¡¯s not a dream, it happened for real, they really got married. I sniffed, wiping the tears that were constantly dripping down my face. I keep telling myself, that, my tears won¡¯t change anything, it won¡¯t change the fact that Carl married Nadia, and instead of Crying, I should ept it because life doesn¡¯t always go the way we want¡­ I was still drowning myself in my sorrow when Carl walked. I nced up to look at him, before taking my eyes away. ¡°Zara, can we talk?¡± he said, strolling toward me. I let out a sadugh, before tilting my gaze to meet his. Did I just hear him say he wants to talk? I scoffed, ignoring him. ¡°Please Zara, we need to talk,¡± he muttered, now standing in front of me. I gritted my teeth, standing up from the bed. ¡°Oh, so now you want to talk? Did you forget the times when I wanted to talk, but you just kept avoiding me,¡± I rasped, inching closer, so I could poke his chest. He sighed, his eyes filled with guilt. ¡°It was never my intention to hurt you, Zara, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I chuckled sadly, before saying, ¡°It was never your intention, but you still hurt me. why, why did you hurt me? tell me, Carl.¡± He closed his eyes briefly, before opening them. His eyes twinkled with some emotion, so intense, it was about to consume me whole. At that moment, I almost forgot that I was angry, and pulled him in my embrace. ¡°Zara, I wish I could tell you why, but I can¡¯t, at least not yet,¡± Carl replied. I scoffed. ¡°Then what do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Zara, I wanted to apologize to you, and to let you know that I love you, I always will,¡± he retorted. If it were before, I would have been happy to hear him say that, but right now, I was angry and in pain. ¡°I want to be alone Carl, besides shouldn¡¯t you be with your new wife?¡± I blurted out. ¡°Zara, you know, I¡¯ll never be with anyone but you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already with someone else, Nadia!¡± I retorted, trying to leave, but he pulled me back and before I could react, crashed his lips on mine. I struggled against him, trying to push him away, but he held onto me, kissing me senselessly, that soon I forgot about my anger. I reached out, and flung my arms around his neck, returning his kiss, and soon, we were entangled on the bed, totally intoxicated and enraptured with each, as we made passionate love throughout the night. ¡­ It was dawn already, and Nadia paced around her room, in rage. The thought that Carl spent the night with Zara instead of her, filled her inside with so much hatred for Zara. ¡°He chose to abandon me on our wedding night, just to be with Zara. What does Zara have that I don¡¯t? She let out an evilugh. ¡°Carl, soon your queen Zara will no longer be with you and who will you turn to by then, it will be me.¡± She immediately sent a message to Draco, seeking his audience¡­ Draco arrived after some minutes. ¡°Princess Nadia, oh sorry, it¡¯s now queen Nadia, why do you seek my presence, so early in the morning?¡± he inquired. Nadia smiled, taking a slow stride toward Draco. ¡°You want queen Zara right? I think I¡¯ve found a way that you can get her.¡± Draco¡¯s eyes flickered with joy. ¡°Tell me how.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll send her a message, telling her that her father is very ill, make sure it looks like the message is really from Azrael, so Zara would believe it,¡± Nadia exined. Draco nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a great n Nadia, soon, I¡¯ll have queen Zara,¡± he muttered,ughing like a maniac. Nadia watched him as heughed, with an evil glint in her eyes. ¡°Once, you abduct queen Zara, I¡¯ll kill the both of you,¡± she said, inwardly. Meanwhile, the men that Lord Francis, sent in search of Gwen returned, with a gloomy expression on their faces. ¡°Lord Francis, we searched everywhere fordy Gwen, and we couldn¡¯t find her. but we found this, in the forest,¡± one of the men reported, giving Lord Francis, a pair of shoe, and a golden ne. Lord Francis received them, ncing at the pair of shoes and ne in his hand. ¡°No it can¡¯t be,¡± he mumbled, tears threatening to fall out of his eyes. ¡°This is the ne, which I gave Gwen, and it¡¯s a rare design, specifically made for her, how can you say you found it in the forest?¡± ¡°My Lord, it¡¯s true, we found it in the forest and we also saw some traces of blood, and some human parts along with it, so we thinkdy Gwen, was killed by a beast.¡± Gwen is missing Lord Francis did not know how to take the news. ¡°No! it can¡¯t be, Gwen can¡¯t be dead. I want you to still go out there, and search the entire Nook and Cranny of Everton. Take as many men as you want, and find my daughter,¡± Lord Francis ordered, and his men quickly obliged. After his men left, Lord Francis immediately set out to inform Carl, knowing that he would send more men in search of Gwen, and it would make things easier. CARL¡¯S POV I stared at Zara¡¯s beautiful face, as she slept peacefully beside me. It pains me to know that I had to hurt the woman I love in order to protect her. Although it wasn¡¯t intentional, still I hurt her. I could still remember the pain in her voice when asked if I was really going to marry Nadia, if I loved her. It took everything in me not to pull her in my embrace,fort, and kiss her pain away. I wanted to tell her that, I love her and only her, and the reason I was marrying Nadia, was because I was threatened by an anonymous person(the spy) to do so, or she would die. Although I intended to ignore the person and reject Nadia, it was impossible, because whoever the anonymous person is, is not someone I should take lightly. The fact that he even know¡¯s everything, and every move I make is rming. That¡¯s why I had to treat her badly, to protect her from the enemy, who is still within the pce and watching our every move. I have a feeling that it¡¯s someone close to us, someone, that we least suspect. however, I can¡¯t pinpoint exactly who the person is. The fact that no one acts or looks suspicious makes things harder. ¡°Zara, please be patient with me, once I sort everything out, I would tell you the reason behind my actions, and would give you all the answers you seek. Although I¡¯m tempted to tell you now, I don¡¯t want you to worry, I don¡¯t want anything that would bother you, my love. But I¡¯ll make you this promise, once I get that anonymous person, I will end my marriage with Nadia, no matter how hard, it may be.¡± ¡­ ¡°Your majesty, Lord Francis request your audience urgently,¡± Jerald announced. I hastily put on my robe and crown, making my way outside the chamber, but not before giving Zara onest look. She must be exhausted, due tost night¡¯s event. ¡°Where is he?¡± I asked Jerald immediately, I came out of the chamber. ¡°Your majesty, he is in the throne room,¡± Jerald replied¡­ Once I arrived in the throne room, I found lord Francis pacing around with a worried expression on his face. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡± I thought, taking quick steps towards him. ¡°Your majesty,¡± he called, immediately his gazended on me. ¡°Lord Francis, you look troubled, tell me, what¡¯s wrong,¡± I urged him. Lord Francis has always been like a father to me, besides the fact that he is Gwen¡¯s father, and seeing him worried, made me worried too. Lord Francis nodded, then he said, ¡°Your majesty, it¡¯s Gwen, she¡¯s missing.¡± I was gobsmacked. ¡°What do you mean, Gwen is missing?¡± I asked, giving him a confused look. ¡°Your majesty, Gwen has been missing for the past two days. I even send some men to search for her but they returned earlier, and they came along with Gwen¡¯s ne and pair of shoes, they also said that she was eaten by a beast.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. how can he tell me that Gwen has been missing for the past two days, and he didn¡¯t tell me anything? ¡°Lord Francis, why are you only telling me this now? why didn¡¯t you inform me the moment you found out that she was missing?¡± ¡°My king, I thought that, maybe she just went out of the pce for something urgent, and that she would be back, I didn¡¯t know that things would get thisplicated.¡± I nodded, not wanting to question him more, seeing that he¡¯s already tense. ¡°There¡¯s no need to panic, Lord Francis, I¡¯ll send out some of the best soldiers to find Gwen, after all, she is not just your daughter, is also my friend, and ady of Everton,¡± I reassured him. He lighten up a bit, but he still had that worried expression on his face. I understand how he feels. Gwen is his only child, and it¡¯s natural for him to be like this, especially since he doesn¡¯t know whether she¡¯s alive or not. I was also worried about Gwen, because she¡¯s one of my closest friends, and no matter her ws, I wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to her. I immediately asked Jerald to organize a search party, consisting of the best and strongest of Everton¡¯s soldiers to go search for Gwen. I just pray that she¡¯s still alive, or it would be a great loss to both me, Everton, and especially lord Francis. ¡­This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Nadia was informed that Carl had sent men out in search of Gwen, and she burst into a fit ofughter. ¡°Why are they searching for someone already dead, are they nning on finding her ghost? Oh poor Gwen, if you didn¡¯t mess with me, you would still be alive by now.¡± She suddenly stopsughing and nced up to look at her servant, ¡°Tell Draco to send the letter to queen Zara, now that Carl is preupied with finding Gwen.¡± The servant immediately oblige and went in search of Draco. ¡°Soon Carl, you¡¯ll not just be looking for Gwen alone, but also your queen Zara,¡± Nadia thought, letting out an evilugh. AT NOON ZARA¡¯S POV When I woke up, it felt like I did something strenuous. my whole body was sore and weak. I sluggishly made my way out of bed, putting on my robe, asst night¡¯s incident reyed in my mind. I felt my cheek, redden and my lips curled into a smile. ¡°No matter how hard I try to stay mad at you, I just can¡¯t.¡± I was still lost in thoughts when someone knocked on my door. ¡°Who is it?¡± I inquired. ¡°My queen, it¡¯s me, Lia,¡± she responded. I hastily went to the door and opened it. ¡°Lia,e in,¡± I urged, and she walked in, giving me a curious look. ¡°What happened Zara?¡± She questioned, a mischievous smile ying at the corner of her lips. I chuckled. ¡°What do you mean by what happened?¡± I repeated, rolling my eyes. ¡°I mean what happened between you and the king, did he tell you why he decided to go ahead and marry Nadia?¡± I sighed, before nodding my head. ¡°No Lia, he didn¡¯t. But I know, he¡¯s keeping something from me, but I can¡¯t wrap my head around it.¡± ¡°Zara, although I don¡¯t know why Carl did that, I¡¯m sure he still loves you, or why would he spend the night with you?¡± My cheek heated up immediately and I said, ¡°how did you know that he spent the night with me?¡± Lia chuckled, ncing elsewhere to avoid my gaze. ¡°Lia, answer me.¡± ¡°Sorry Zara, we were kind of spying on him. I mean, I, Catherine and Lady Anna,¡± she answered, and I pinched her cheek. ¡°You little¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Zara! Before I forget, I have a letter for you from Azrael,¡± Lia said cutting me off. She handed me a letter, which I received from her. opening the letter, my eyes scanned the content and I froze immediately, my heart fast against my chest. ¡°Zara, what does it say?¡± Lia asked, giving me a questioning look. I nced up to meet her gaze. ¡°Lia, it says, my father is very ill and on the brink of dying.¡± Lia also tensed up, her gaze reced with a worried one. ¡°What are you going to do Zara? Are you going to Everton?¡± I sighed. ¡°Lia, if my father is really sick, I will have to leave for Azrael immediately.¡± Sneaking out ZARA¡¯S POV Lia and I made our way to the throne room, to meet Carl. I couldn¡¯t waste any more time in Everton, knowing that my father was close to dying. When I got to the throne room, I saw lord Francis and Carl pacing around with worried expressions on their faces. ¡®What could be going on?¡± I thought, taking quick strides towards Carl. ¡°Carl,¡± I called, and he twirled, bringing his gaze to meet mine. ¡°Zara,¡± he dubbed, closing the little gap between us. Although I was a little angry with him, I still can¡¯t leave Everton, without letting him know, and I couldn¡¯t just ignore the worried look on his face. ¡°Greetings queen Zara,¡± lord Francis muttered, bowing his head slightly in respect. I nced at him, and nodded my head, before taking my gaze back to Carl, who gave me a small smile, while I rolled my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, why do you look so worried?¡± I asked. Carl¡¯s face lit up instantly and his worried expression was reced with a smile. ¡°I thought you were angry and didn¡¯t care about me?¡± he retorted, and I scoffed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m angry with you, but it doesn¡¯t mean I stopped caring about you,¡± I answered. He pulled me into a warm embrace, circling his arms around my waist. ¡°Thank you, Zara. I promise to make everything right,¡± he whispered. I pulled away from the hug, and nodded, then I said, ¡°Tell me why you look worried.¡± I wanted to know if it had anything to do with my father¡¯s illness. Carl sighed. ¡°It¡¯sdy Gwen, she¡¯s missing.¡± My eyes widen in disbelief, how can Gwen be missing? It doesn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°What do you mean Carl? when did she go missing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Zara, Lord Francis reported her missing, and apparently no one saw her leaving the pce, or evening back,¡± Carl replied. I sighed, ncing at Lia who stood quietly beside us, making eye signals with her, to meet me upstairs, but Lia just stood like a statue looking at me. Now that Carl has something else on his te, it¡¯s not right for me to bother him with the news of my father¡¯s illness and add to his worries. ¡°Carl, I know you¡¯re worried, but you need to trust in the fates, I¡¯m sure they will protect Gwen and bring her back to the pce in good shape,¡± I consoled. Carl nodded, cing a light kiss on my lips, while Someone cleared their throat. we both turned to see lord Francis, staring at the both of us in amusement. ¡°Queen Zara, I¡¯m grateful for your prayers,¡± lord Francis said, and I shed him a small smile. Although Gwen and I have bad blood, it doesn¡¯t mean I want something bad to happen to her. ¡°Carl, Lord Francis, I¡¯ll take my leave now, I hope you find Gwen,¡± I told them, and with that, I turn around to leave, pulling Lia along. ¡°Zara, why didn¡¯t you tell the king about your father¡¯s illness?¡± Lia whispered as we walked away. ¡°Lia, Carl has something else to worry about, and that is Gwen. I don¡¯t want him to have something else to worry about,¡± I exined, and Lia nodded then she said, ¡°So what are we going to do now?¡± ¡°Lia, the only option now, is to leave Everton without Carl or anyone¡¯s knowledge,¡± I replied. ¡°But Zara, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, what if something happens to you on the way? you know the journey to Azrael is dangerous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lia, I won¡¯t be going alone. I¡¯ll take you, Jamie, and Theon(Zara¡¯s men) along and we¡¯ll all go in disguise.¡± ¡°Still, Zara, I¡¯m scared.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, you can stay in Everton, I¡¯ll go with Jamie and Theon.¡± ¡°No Zara, you know, I won¡¯t let you go on your own, I¡¯ll surely go with you.¡± ¡°Good Lia! we leave immediately, go change and inform Jamie and Theon about this. Remember the secret passage in prince Aiden¡¯s room, I will use it, you have to wait for me at the entrance,¡± I told her, before turning around to leave. ¡°Be careful Zara,¡± she yelled after me, and I smiled. ¡­ Minutester, I was done preparing, I didn¡¯t carry anything apart from a pulse of gold, that would be enough for my journey to Azrael, to avoid suspicion. When I came out of the chamber, I nced around to see if Carl was anywhere in sight, luckily he wasn¡¯t, only the guards were, and they gave me weird looks. They must be wondering why I was dressed, like a boy. I gave them a forced smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that, the king already knows, that I¡¯ll be going outside the pce,¡± I lied. ¡°But your grace, allow us toe with you, for your protection,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°No don¡¯t. I mean, you don¡¯t have to do that, the king already arranged a few guards for me¡± I blurted out, walking away before they could say anything else. I could hear them mumbling something amongst themselves, but I didn¡¯t care. I walked toward Aiden¡¯s chamber, making sure to avoid the guards or whoever would recognize me. Once I got there, I could hear the tiny voices of Aiden, Eric, and Ryn, I wonder what they could be talking about¡­ I knocked on the door and didn¡¯t bother waiting for their answer, I just walked into the room. The trio snapped their curious gaze to me immediately. ¡°Who are you, and what do you want with us? Also, why do you look like my aunt Zara?¡± Eric yelled, ambling towards me with a spoon. ¡°Eric, you¡¯re so dumb, don¡¯t you see that¡¯s aunt Zara,¡± Aiden chipped in and Eric stopped abruptly, blinking repeatedly before smiling at me. ¡°Aunt Zara, why are you dressed like that, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you,¡± Eric squealed. I crouched to his size, ruffling his hair, then I said, ¡°I¡¯m going outside the pce for some work, and I don¡¯t want Carl to know, so you three, will have to keep a secret for me, okay.¡± Eric and Ryn nodded, but Aiden didn¡¯t look convinced, as he kept giving me a suspicious look. ¡°Aunt Zara, why don¡¯t you want my brother to know?¡± Aiden asked, raising his brow in question. I sighed. I guess it¡¯s not that easy to fool this child, after all, he¡¯s Carl¡¯s brother. ¡°The king and I had a fight that¡¯s why,¡± I retorted, although it wasn¡¯tpletely true. ¡°Is it because of princess Nadia?¡± Ryn questioned, her eyes wide in anticipation. I decided to just go along with it, or else, they would keep questioning me, and I¡¯m not ready for any questions. ¡°Yes Ryn, it¡¯s because of Princess Nadia, but I will tell you the rest when Ie back, for now, I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± I muttered, before ambling toward the direction where the secret passage was. ¡­. When I arrived outside the pce, luckily Lia, Theon, and Jamie were waiting for me all in their disguise, and with horses. ¡°Jamie, Theon, I apologize for the short notice, it¡¯s just that something urgent came and I couldn¡¯t inform you earlier, I¡¯m sure Lia filled you in on the rest¡± I muttered. Jamie and Theon gave me a light smile, before Jamie said, ¡°Queen Zara, you don¡¯t have to exin to us, we are always there whenever you call, regardless of where and when.¡± I nodded, shing each of them a smile of gratitude. ¡°Come, we need to leave now, before someone spots us,¡± I said to them, and Theon handed me a ck horse. ¡°Sorry your grace, we couldn¡¯t get any horses from the royal stable to avoid suspicion.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind Theon, I¡¯ll use this horse. Now let¡¯s ride to Azrael. Zara left the palace When Zara left, Aiden, Eric, and Ryn turned to themselves. ¡°Eric, I think there¡¯s more to what aunt Zara told us,¡± Aiden muttered, then twirled in the direction of the secret passage. Eric pouted his mouth, then he said. ¡°So are you saying aunt Zara lied to us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Eric, but she looked suspicious, like she was hiding something,¡± Aiden added. Ryn sighed. ¡°Then I think we should go inform King Carl about it.¡± ¡°No Ryn, if aunt Zara didn¡¯t tell Carl, she must have a good reason. I think we should wait until Carl asks, if he doesn¡¯t, then maybe he really did fight with aunt Zara, because of Nadia,¡± Aiden reasoned, and both Eric and Ryn nodded. Meanwhile, Nadia and Draco were in her chambers, as Draco paced around impatiently. ¡°Queen Nadia, I don¡¯t think your n worked, why has queen Zara not left the pce yet, even though I stated in the letter that her father is on the brink of dying,¡± Draco rasped. Nadia scoffed. ¡°Draco, you have to calm down. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s is a reason why Zara, hasn¡¯t left yet, maybe it¡¯s because of Gwen¡¯s issue. Besides, if she decides to leave the pce, Ariel will inform us, I¡¯ve asked her to watch Zara¡¯s every move. ¡°Fine Nadia, I just hope you¡¯re right,¡± Draco mumbled, looking annoyed. AN HOUR LATER Ariel(Nadia¡¯s servant) walked into the chamber, and immediately she did, both Draco and Nadia bombarded her with questions. ¡°Ariel, what happened? did Zara leave Everton?¡± Nadia inquired. While Draco came to stand in front of Ariel, giving her a questioning look. Ariel sighed, then she said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure queen Nadia, I don¡¯t think she left.¡± Nadia sneered. ¡°What do you mean by you¡¯re not sure I specifically asked you to monitor Zara¡¯s every move,¡± she rasped. Ariel shivered slightly at Nadia¡¯s tone of voice, and from the angry stare Draco was giving her, then she quickly added, ¡°What I mean to say is that Zara entered someone¡¯s chambers, and since then, she hasn¡¯te out.¡± Nadia and Draco turned to themselves, then back at Ariel. ¡°Whose chamber did she enter?¡± Draco asked in his deep baritone voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know sir Draco, but I think it¡¯s either queen Catherine¡¯s or prince Aiden¡¯s,¡± Ariel replied. ¡°Ariel, you need to keep an eye on that chamber, while I go to Carl, and console him for his lost friend, Gwen,¡± Nadia ordered, and with a smile on her face, she left her chamber, going to the throne room to meet Carl. ¡­ The soldiers and men sent by Carl and lord Francis had now returned without Gwen. ¡°Your majesty, our search fordy Gwen was futile. we searched everywhere fordy Gwen, but to no avail, we didn¡¯t find her. Carl turned to lord Francis who was looking as pale as a ghost. ¡°Lord Francis, please calm down, I promise to send soldiers in search of Gwen, every day if I have to.¡± ¡°No my king, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s need for that, I just have to ept the fact that my daughter is gone, and that there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. If Gwen were alive, she would have already returned to the pce,¡± lord Francis muttered. Carl sighed, and wanted to say something, but decided against it. He couldn¡¯t just ept the fact that his childhood and one of his best friends are gone. No, he just couldn¡¯t ept it, and although he look alright on the outside, he was greatly disturbed inside and prayed that a miracle would happen, and Gwen would show up. At that moment, Nadia showed up, a smirk ying at the corner of her lips because she overheard their discussion. ¡°Carl,¡± she called, sounding pitiful and her eyes full of crocodile tears. Carl twirled, and when he met Nadia¡¯s gaze, he scoffed, turning back to Lord Francis. Nadia saw his actions and clenched her fist in anger, but the fake tears remained in her eyes, and since Carl ignored her, she went to lord Francis instead. ¡°Lord Francis, I overheard what the soldiers said about Gwen, and I¡¯m sorry for your loss. Although Gwen and I didn¡¯t start well, I never wish ill for her,¡± Nadia mumbled. Lord Francis took his gaze to Nadia, then back to Carl. For some reason, he didn¡¯t like Nadia. He was suspicious of her, but still, he nodded his head and thanked her, then he said, ¡°My king, please can you investigate the matter? I mean there¡¯s no way Gwen would leave the pce without telling anyone.¡± Carl nodded, finding sense in what lord Francis said. ¡°Lord Francis, I¡¯ll do as you say and if Gwen¡¯s disappearance is because of someone in this pce, then I won¡¯t spare the person once I get them,¡± Carl muttered. Nadia went pale immediately. ¡°What if he finds out that I was responsible for Gwen¡¯s disappearance, oh God! he won¡¯t spare me,¡± Nadia pondered. ¡°Uhm, Lord Francis, Carl, I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± Nadia announced walking away hastily. Lord Francis observed her reaction, and he was now convinced that she had something to do with it. That was the main reason he suggested that Carl investigated the matter, was to see Nadia¡¯s reaction. Once Nadia left, Lord Francis turn to Carl, then he said, ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯ll also like to take my leave.¡± Carl nodded, and allow him to leave, then he went in search of Zara, while Lord Francis went in search of Roxanne. ¡­ Lord Francis walked into Gwen¡¯s chamber, to find Roxanne pacing around worriedly. ¡°My Lord, did you finddy Gwen?¡± She asked immediately she saw him. ¡°No Roxanne, but I need you to answer my questions. Do you know if Queen Nadia is responsible for Gwen¡¯s disappearance?¡± Roxanne was taken aback by his question. But her mind instantly wandered to Nadia. She recalled every that happen on the day Gwen disappeared, how Gwen had ordered the molestation and killing of Nadia, but instead, Nadia came back alive, the Gwen went missing, and apart from that, she noticed that Draco, was now working with Nadia. ¡°Answer me, Roxanne,¡± lord Francis yelled, getting impatient. Roxanne shivered slightly. Although she wanted to lie about everything, she thought against it and decided to tell the truth instead, since Gwen¡¯s life was at stake, and her father was the one asking. she narrated everything that happened that day to Lord Francis, leaving no secret. Lord Francis sighed, and a drop of tear fell from his eyes. ¡°I warned you, Gwen. I told you that if you yed with fire, you¡¯ll get burnt, but you didn¡¯t listen, now look what has happened to you,¡± hemented. ¡°My lord, do you think queen Nadia killed Gwen?¡± Roxanne asked, panicking. Lord Francis scoffed. ¡°Of course, she did. she even came to me and apologize for my loss, which means she didn¡¯t overhear the soldiers, she knew already that Gwen is dead.¡± Roxanne fell to her knees, crying. ¡°My lord, we need to tell the king, so that Nadia would be punished.¡± Lord Francis chuckled, but not of amusement, then he said, ¡°And tell him what? that Gwen ordered the execution of Nadia and got executed instead, no we can¡¯t tell him that, but I¡¯m surely going to take revenge for my daughter, whether she¡¯s at fault or not.¡± CARL¡¯S POVThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I went back to my chamber with a broken heart. I was feeling sad and guilty at the same time. sad because I lost a friend, and guilty because I failed to protect her. Lately, it seems like I can¡¯t protect the people I love. First Zara, and now Gwen. I walked into the chamber expecting to see Zara, but she was nowhere in sight, maybe she might be with Catherine and Lady Anna, or the children. I walked out of the chamber in search of Zara. Right now, I need her. I needed to talk to someone, and that person was Zara. I first went to Catherine¡¯s chamber, and she said she didn¡¯t see Zara, then I went to the children¡¯s chamber. I knocked on the door, and I heard Aiden¡¯s tiny voice telling me to in. I walked in, taking a quick nce around to see if Zara was there, but she wasn¡¯t. ¡°Are you looking for my aunt Zara?¡± Eric asked as if reading my mind. ¡°Yes child, do you know where she is?¡± I asked, giving him a questioning look. ¡°My aunt Zara left the pce, she said you two fought.¡± What! did he just say Zara left the pce, howe I didn¡¯t know? and what did she mean by we fought, I thought we were fine? ¡°Eric, what else did Zara say?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything much, just that she fought with you, and it was because of princess Nadia,¡± Eric exined. I sighed. I guess she¡¯s still angry with me for marrying Nadia, and I understand her. I gave the children onest look, before turning around to leave, but Aiden stood in my path. ¡°Brother, I think sister-inw Zara, is hiding something, when she left, she looked suspicious, and she even followed the secret passage in my room and was disguised as a boy,¡± Aiden told me. I was speechless, digesting everything he said. Why else would Zara leave the pce without telling me, and even leave through the secret passage, something doesn¡¯t seem right. ¡°Aiden, did Zara take any bag or anything with her?¡± ¡°No brother, she didn¡¯t.¡± I nodded and thanked them before leaving. I have to question the guards in front of our chamber if they know something about this. When I got to the chamber, I gave the guards a questioning look. ¡°Did you see queen Zara, disguised in a boy¡¯s outfit, and did she say anything?¡± They both turn to look at themselves, before bringing their gaze back to me. ¡°Yes, your majesty! we saw the queen in disguise, we also offered to go with her outside the pce for her protection, but she said you knew, and you already assigned some guards to her.¡± I was gobsmacked and scared at the same time. Many thoughts started running through my mind at that moment. ¡°What if she left me? what if she¡¯s in danger?¡± I hoped and prayed that won¡¯t be the case. I immediately sent for Jerald and asked him to organize a search party, this time, I¡¯ll be leading them myself to search for Zara. Azrael Everyone in the pce heard that Zara left the pce, and they all jumped to the conclusion that she left because Carl married Nadia and she couldn¡¯t bear it. Almost everyone med Nadia and king Neil for the loss of their queen. ¡°It¡¯s all the Nedal king and princess¡¯s fault, if they didn¡¯t false marriage and alignment on king Carl, things would¡¯ve been fine. We would still have our queen, and king Carl would still have his love.¡± Meanwhile, Carl and his soldier search every nook and cranny of Everton but didn¡¯t find Zara, so they had to return to the pce. ¡­ On the other hand, Nadia and Draco reprimand Ariel for her ipetence. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform us that Zara left the pce?¡± Nadia barked at Ariel. ¡°Your Grace, I didn¡¯t know, not even king Carl knew, which means she secretly left the pce,¡± Ariel retorted. ¡°Just keep quiet, you low-life servant, don¡¯t try to justify yourself with such excuse. you were given strict orders to watch Zara¡¯s every move, but you failed and she slipped right out of your hands,¡± Draco scolded. Ariel bent her head in fear and guilt. ¡°Queen Nadia, Sir Draco, I apologize for my failure.¡± Nadia scoffed, then she said, ¡°Draco, you should leave for Azrael at once, I think that¡¯s where Zara went.¡± Draco nodded and exited the room. He immediately organized twenty strong and capable men, and together, they left for Azrael. ZARA¡¯S POV On our way to Azrael, I started to feel guilty. Guilty that I left without telling anyone, especially Carl. ¡°How would he react when he finds out? ¡°Zara, you¡¯re awfully quiet, is something wrong?¡± Lia asked, giving me a curious look. ¡°I¡¯m fine Lia. it¡¯s just that I¡¯m worried about what Carl would think, I hope he doesn¡¯t worry about me?¡± ¡°Zara! Carl is your husband, and if he loves you, he¡¯ll be worried. Not just him, everyone else.¡± ¡°Lia, did you tell M about our journey? maybe she¡¯d inform Carl.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t Zara. By the time I entered our chamber, she was absent. These days, she¡¯s been acting strange. It¡¯s like there¡¯s something wrong with her.¡± What could be wrong with M? I pondered. Lately, I have been so worried about myself, that I didn¡¯t see that one of my friends was going through something. Once I go back to Everton, I¡¯ll set everything right. We still had a long way to go before we get to Azrael, and I decided that we should rest a while, before proceeding with our journey. TWO DAY LATER I arrived in Azrael, my mind in a state of panic for what might have happened to my father, but when I saw him, he was not sick at all, in fact, he was looking healthy as always. Both my father and mother were in the throne room, addressing some issues with the council. And when they saw me, they all gave me a surprised and confused look, like they didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯ll be Azrael. ¡°Zara?¡± Mother called, giving me a questioning look. She stood up from where she sat beside father, taking slow steps toward me. ¡°Mother!¡± I muttered, running into her embrace. ¡°Zara! It¡¯s really you. you didn¡¯t tell us you wereing I¡¯m sure you wanted to surprise us,¡± Mother said happily. I wanted to tell her that I came because I received a letter, that father was ill, but I decided to leave it forter. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m so happy to see you. How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been good Zara, but you know it¡¯s not the same without you and your aunt Anna,¡± she replied. I tilt my gaze to my father. Although I was happy that he was not ill like the letter said he was, I also found it strange. ¡°Father,¡± I dubbed, running to him. By now he was up from his throne and walking toward mother and I. I threw myself on his body, wrapping my arm around his neck, and I heard him chuckle. ¡°Although you are married Zara, you didn¡¯t change. You are still as enthusiastic as before,¡± Father said, hugging me back. I chuckled, before climbing down from his body. ¡°Father, I¡¯m happy to see that you¡¯re in a good health.¡± ¡°We are also happy to see you in good health Zara. Although we couldn¡¯t be there for you when you needed us, when you were poisoned, however, we¡¯re grateful to the Lord for keeping you alive, healthy, and safe¡­¡± The council members were also happy to see me, as they weed me with smiles. ¡­ Later that day, Father held a banquet to wee me home, and I was happy to see my people again. However, I wasn¡¯t focused on the banquet, as my mind was somewhere else, in Everton. I wondered what was going on there. ¡°Zara,¡± Lia called, snapping me out of my thought. I tilt my gaze to meet hers, as she gave me a questioning look. ¡°What!¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Zara, your father is not sick, that means whoever sent you that letter, obviously lied to you,¡± Lia muttered. ¡°Lia, I thought about it too. I think it¡¯s best I ask my father and mother,¡± I replied, and Lia nodded in agreement. I made my way to where father sat with mother, crouching down beside them. ¡°Father, mother, I need to ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it, Zara?¡± Father asked with a curious look. ¡°Father! while I was in Everton, I received a letter saying that you were ill and on the brink of dying. Did any of you send that letter?¡± Father and Mother, turned to each other, then back at me. ¡°What are you talking about, Zara? No one sent you such a letter.¡± Lia and I nced at each other, then Lia said, ¡°Your majesty, are you sure no one did? because Zara did receive a letter from Azrael, and that¡¯s the main reason we¡¯re here, without anyone knowing, not even king Carl.¡± ¡°What!¡± Father and mother both yelled. ¡°What do you mean, you came here without anyone knowing? Zara tell us, is Lia saying the truth?¡± Mother rasped. Oh no! Lia just had to open her big mouth. I sighed, knowing I could no longer lie to them. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s truth. No one knows that I¡¯m in Azrael or even about the letter sent by that anonymous person,¡± I told them. ¡°Zara, this is not good. You¡¯ll have to go back to Everton. You know Carl recently got married to the Nedal princess, people might think you left because of that, and start spreading rumors,¡± Mother muttered. ¡­ True to king n and queen Lyarra¡¯s word, rumors that Zara left the pce have circted not just in the pce, but all-around Everton. The worst part is that, people were saying she left because Carl married Nadia, and that she might nevere back.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. They even gathered outside the pce, to protest, that Carl should throw the gold digger, Nadia, and her father, King Neil from the pce, out of Everton, since they were responsible for it. ¡­ On the other hand, King Neil and Nadia hid in their chamber, scared that even the people inside the pce mighte after them. ¡°If I had known things would go wrong, I would never have asked Draco to send her that letter, worst of it all is that Zara might not show up anytime soon because Draco might abduct her on her way back to Everton. In fact, she might nevere back. What do I do father?¡± Nadia inquired sweating profusely. ¡°I don¡¯t know Nadia. You should have thought about the repercussion before you acted, now we¡¯re about to be thrown out of Everton, and all our hard work would be in vain, because of your stupidity,¡± King Neil, fired in anger. ¡°Why are you scolding me? It was you who said I should get rid of Zara,¡± Nadia retorted. King Neil scoffed, then he said. ¡°Nadia, I told you to make Carl fall in love with you, so he will get rid of Zara himself, I never asked you to do it.¡± ¡°Your majesty, Queen Nadia, this is not the time to argue, rather you should think of a way to get out of this situation, I think we should tell king Carl that Zara went to Azrael,¡± Ariel who was also in the chamber suggested. King Neil, rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that would raise more questions? People will start to ask how we know she went to Azrael. And by now, I¡¯m sure Carl already knows this.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Carl was restless and in a state of unrest. The fact that people were spreading rumors that Zara left him didn¡¯t help matters at all. Because he also started to believe it. Although he didn¡¯t want to, the thought was embedded in his mind. Also, the past three days have been hell for everyone in the pce, because Carl was always gloomy and every little thing provoked him. ¡°Your majesty, you have to calm down, I¡¯m sure queen Zara will return soon,¡± Jerald consoled. Carl scoffed. ¡°she will return! you have been saying that since the day she left, and now it¡¯s the third day,¡± he yelled, making Jerald, and the rest of the council trembled in fear. ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down, I¡¯ve sent a message to Azrael, like you asked, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d get a reply soon. Carl nodded, praying that Azrael would reply to the letter and that Zara would be there. ¡°If she¡¯s there, I¡¯ll surely go all the way to Azrael to bring her back.¡± THE NEXT DAY Zara left for Everton as early as possible, after saying her goodbyes. Although her parent had insisted that she took more men for her protection, Zara refused it saying that she loved to travel with small peers, as it would attract less attention. Meanwhile, the letter from Everton arrived immediately after. King n read through the scroll in his hand. ¡°Lyarra, it¡¯s a message from Everton, asking if Zara is in Azrael, do you think we should reply since Zara is already on her way to Everton?¡± Queen Lyarra sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s need for that. As you said Zara is already on her way back to Everton.¡± King n nodded and decided to listen to his wife¡¯s advice¡­ NEAR AZRAEL¡¯S BORDER Draco and his menid an ambush, waiting for Zara. He had already nned that once she passed through the border, they would abduct her. He even sent one of his men to confirm if Zara was really in Azrael, and the man returned after to tell him that she is. Earlier¡­ when Draco arrived in Everton, it was the same day Zara did, but he arrivedte at night. And instead of going into Azrael, he decided that it was best to camp near the borders, where he knew Zara would surely pass through when she was leaving Azrael. He didn¡¯t care whether it would take a month, or even a year, he just didn¡¯t want to miss the only chance he might have to abduct Zara. Soon, Zara and herpanions reached the border, making Draco smirk in excitement. ¡°Finally, Queen Zara, you are mine¡­¡± Ambushed ZARA¡¯S POV As we rode past Azrael¡¯s border, I started to feel uneasy, like something was not right, like something bad was about to happen. ¡°Lia, do you sense something? I mean do you feel uneasy?¡± I asked her. Lia chuckled, then she said, ¡°Why would I feel uneasy Zara? The only feeling I have right now is that of happiness. I feel happy that we are returning to Everton, even if we¡¯re going to face Carl and the council.¡± I nodded my head, not saying anything after that. Maybe my uneasy feeling, was because after I get to Everton, I¡¯ll surely answer a lot of questions, not just from Carl, but the council as well. Now that I think about it, I never should have left Everton without telling Carl. ¡°Zara,¡± Lia called, and I turn to her. ¡°You should rx, I¡¯m sure Carl will understand once you exin things to him,¡± she muttered. I sighed, praying that he does. I was still lost in thoughts, when I heard, ¡°Queen Zara, watch out!¡± And before I could process what was happening, I was pushed to the ground andnded with a thud. I felt a heavy weight on me like someone was shielding me, and I tilt my gaze to see who it was. ¡°Jamie!¡± I mumbled when I saw he was the one. He tilts his gaze to meet mine, then he whispered, ¡°Your grace, we are under attack. I think we¡¯ve been ambushed.¡± When he said that, It felt like I was hit on the head with a nk. ¡°We were ambushed.¡± ¡°Queen Zara, you have already been surrounded, tell your men toy down their weapons and surrender, or they will be killed,¡± someone warned in a deep baritone voice. Jamie and I straightened, and he stood in front of me, protecting me from the enemy. I tilt my gaze from Jamie to Lia who hid behind Theon, then to the men who attacked us. They were at least twenty in number, more or less. if my guess was correct. And we were just four. Oh, God! How I wish I listened to father and had taken more men. Now see where my stubbornness hasnded us. ¡°How did they even know that it was me and I would pass through this route? This doesn¡¯t make sense unless, oh my God! unless the one who ambushed us was the anonymous person who sent me that letter. But who could it be? ¡°Zara! it¡¯s you I want. If you don¡¯t want to see your friends die before your eyes, tell them toy down their weapons, and leave quietly,¡± the same person with the baritone voice spoke again. I guess he was their leader. Instead of hiding behind Jamie, I choose toe out to see the man behind the attack. ¡°My queen, you don¡¯t have to do what he says, Theon and I will deal with them, why you and Lia return to Everton,¡± Jamie advised. ¡°Jamie! you know, I won¡¯t leave you two behind. Besides, I was the one who got us into this mess,¡± I muttered, tilting my gaze to Theon and Lia to give them an apologetic look. Theon shook his head in disapproval. ¡°Your grace, Jamie is right. leave with Lia now, we¡¯ll take care of them. we don¡¯t mind giving our lives for you, queen Zara.¡± I gave him a sad smile, before turning my gaze to the men in front of me. As much as I wanted to run away, I couldn¡¯t just leave them behind. No, I won¡¯t. I nced up to look at the leader of the men, and when my eyes caught his, I gasped in shock, seeing the familiar face in front of me. Hold on! isn¡¯t it the same man I saw at the Pce the other day? the scary-looking man with Nadia, does that mean Nadia is behind this? ¡°You!¡± I mumbled, pointing at him. ¡°Queen Zara, I¡¯m happy to know you remember me, it makes my heart twinkle in joy.¡± I scoffed, ring angrily at the man in from of me. ¡°Who are you? why are you doing this? did Nadia send you?¡± I asked, all at once. A burst of resoundingughter echoed from the man, then he said. ¡°Queen Zara, that¡¯s too many questions, but I¡¯ll answer them since it¡¯s you. I¡¯m Draco and I¡¯m doing this for myself. As for thest question, I¡¯ll give you the answerter. I digested everything he said. His name is Draco, and what did he mean by he¡¯s doing it for himself? I pondered. Although he didn¡¯t tell me if it was Nadia that sent him, I already know she did. ¡°Draco, how much did Nadia pay you? I promise to give you double of what she did, if you let us go,¡± I tried negotiating with him. He chuckled. ¡°Queen Zara, unfortunately, the price Nadia gave me cannot be negotiated, it¡¯s something I want badly, that is, you.¡± I look at the man in disbelief. He must be sick in the head for saying he wants me. I wanted to speak up and put him in his ce, but Jamie beat me to it. ¡°Shut up! you scoundrel. She is the queen and the wife of King Carl, how can a low life like you open your disgusting mouth to say you want her. Do you want to die?¡± Jamie rasped. The amusement in Draco¡¯s eyes was now reced with a dangerous glint. ¡°Queen Zara, I won¡¯t ask again. You can eithere with me of your own ord or forcefully.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Draco, I would rather die than go with you,¡± I yelled. He chuckled, then said, ¡°Queen Zara, since you want it the hard way, the hard way it is. ATTACK! But make sure queen Zara is brought to me alive, you can kill the rest,¡± Draco yelled.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ayaai¡± Draco¡¯s men chanted, ambling towards us. ¡°Your grace, please stay behind,¡± Jamie yelled, pulling out his sword, and Theon followed suit. I also drew my sword, but it was to protect Lia, as she stood rooted in her to her spot shivering in fear. ¡­ Soon the clinging of swords could be heard as the men attacked us. Jamie and Theon fought bravely, with grace. Countering each of their moves. I also decided to join in the fight, as I couldn¡¯t just stand there watching. ¡°Zara, be careful,¡± Lia yelled, and I nodded. Momentster, we had killed about eight of their men, but that didn¡¯t stop them from attacking. instead, their attack became more ferocious. ¡°Queen Zara, how long do you want to resist me? you know that there¡¯s no way four of you can defeat all of us, so just give up ande to me,¡± Draco yelled, a smirk ying at the corner of his lips. I ignored him, swinging my sword to cut off the head of the man, who was ambling toward me, and I sessfully cut off his head but didn¡¯t notice the man behind me. ¡°Zara, behind you,¡± Lia yelled, diving in front of me to prevent the man from reaching me, but unfortunately, she was knocked out by his blow. ¡°Lia,¡± I screamed, putting my hands out, to prevent her from falling. My scream seemed to have distracted Jamie and Theon, as they both turned toward us, and were also knocked out ¡°Surrender queen Zara, your men have been defeated,¡± Draco yelled, in a mock tone, climbing down his horse. ¡°Surrender or they die,¡± he added, now walking toward me. I nced around, to see Draco¡¯s men holding their swords to Jamie and Theon¡¯s necks. Seems like I have no other choice. I stood up, tilting my gaze to meet Draco, who was now standing just a few steps away from me. ¡°I surrender, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Marry me or watch them die CARL¡¯S POV I paced around the balcony, my fist and jaw clenched in anger. ¡°Why is it taking so long for Azrael to reply to my letter?¡± The feeling of not knowing where Zara is, or if she¡¯s in good health, is frustrating. When Jerald walked in, I was expecting to hear good news. instead, he just stood there staring at me. ¡°What!¡± I rasped, giving him a questioning look. ¡°My king, the search parties have returned, and there¡¯s still no news of queen Zara. Evendy Gwen¡¯s case which you asked me to investigate, was futile. your majesty, Gwen¡¯s case is a mystery, that would be hard to solve, as no one saw her leaving the pce,¡± Jerald narrated.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How is it even possible that no one saw her leaving the pce? the guards ought to have seen her. I want you to question every one of them on duty, the day Gwen went missing, even Gwen¡¯s servant.¡± ¡°Yes, my king¡­ It may also be possible thatdy Gwen left through a secret passage like queen Zara,¡± He reasoned. I sighed, closing my eyes to think for a minute. ¡°That could be possible Jerald,¡± I answered. Why is this happening to me? First Gwen disappeared, and now, Zara. After I met with the council, I still sent soldiers, in search of Zara, but now they returned without her. I already lost one of my best friends, I¡¯m not ready to lose the woman I love. ¡°Your Majesty, also the people protesting outside the pce have increased in number. They are chanting, that they rather not have a queen, if it¡¯s not Zara. They want you to oust king Neil and Nadia from Everton. what are you going to do?¡± Jerald inquired, giving me a questioning look. I chuckled in amusement. Isn¡¯t it funny how fate ys with us? First, it found a way to bring Nadia into my life, and then took Gwen and Zara away. Now again it found a way for me to get rid of Nadia. And that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do. ¡°Jerald,e with me. I want to address the people and tell them what I have decided.¡± ¡°Yes, my king, Jerald replied, following suit. As soon as I got near the terrace, I could hear the chanting of the crowd in the Pce Square. And once they saw me, they all became mum. Standing on the terrace, I waved my hand at them. ¡°Good people of Everton, it is with great sadness that I¡¯m speaking to you today. First I want to apologize for failing to protect my queen and yours, and to let you know that I understand how you feel, believe me, I do and I also feel the same way if not worse. Also, I want to thank you for the support you¡¯re showing for queen Zara. Seeing you like this proves how much you all care about her and I promise you this¡­ if Zara doesn¡¯t return, or if I don¡¯t find her within two days, I will end my marriage with Nadia, and send both her and her father back to Nedal.¡± Once I said that the whole crowd began to cheer and gave a round of apuse. I wave at them again, before turning around to leave. ¡°Jerald, I want you to leave for Azrael immediately, I can no longer wait for their reply,¡± I ordered. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Ariel ran to King Neil and Nadia, to inform them about what Carl had said. She barged into the chamber, breathing hard and it startled King Neil and Nadia. ¡°Tell us, Ariel, why did you barge in like that? Are the people of the pceing for us? quick, lock the door,¡± Nadia muttered all at once, trembling slightly. ¡°No, your grace! they are not, but I¡¯m pretty sure soon, they will,¡± Ariel replied. King Neil and Nadia gave her a confused look, then they said, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your majesty, Queen Nadia, King Carl just announce that he will end his marriage to you, then send you back to Nedal, if he doesn¡¯t find queen Zara, or if she doesn¡¯t return,¡± Ariel exined. King Neil and Nadia gasped. ¡°Father what should we do?¡± Nadia cried out. King Neil scoffed. ¡°Nadia, this is your problem. you must think of a way to bring queen Zara back to the pce. I can¡¯t lose Everton because of your stupidity.¡± Nadia pouted, then she said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to find Draco and give my message to him.¡± ¡­ On the other hand, Lord Francis discussed happily with Roxanne as they walked around the pce. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m happy that Carl is going to send that witch Nadia back to Nedal,¡± Roxanne muttered. Lord Francis chuckled. ¡°Roxanne, we shouldn¡¯t count our eggs before they hatch. Queen Zara might show up before two days and then Carl would no longer send Nadia away.¡± ¡°Then I pray queen Zara doesn¡¯t return until Nadia is sent away,¡± Roxanne admitted. Lord Francis nodded in agreement, then he said, ¡°I pray so too.¡± THE OUT-SKETCH NIVAL(ANOTHER KINGDOM) Jamie and Theon were tied, to a tree, as Draco¡¯s men beat and torture them. Meanwhile, Zara and Lia were locked up in the same room, due to Zara¡¯s persistence that she remained with her. Although she had insisted that Jamie and Theon also stayed with her, Draco tantly refused, saying she can only be with Lia. ¡°Queen Zara, oh no! I will no longer call you that, instead I¡¯ll call you my goddess because that¡¯s what you are, now that you¡¯re finally mine,¡± Draco muttered, earning a scowl from Zara. ¡°I will never be yours Draco, not in this lifetime or the next,¡± Zara retorted. While Lia snuggled more into her. Draco burst into a fit ofughter, then he said, ¡°Zara, you¡¯re feisty, and that¡¯s what makes me want you more. you should ept the fact that you are mine because at noon tomorrow, you be my wife, and we¡¯ll get intimate too.¡± Zara and Lia both wrinkled their face in disgust. ¡°L¡­ leave Zara alone. she already belongs to one man, and that is king Carl,¡± Lia stuttered. Draco scoffed. ¡°You should keep your mouth shut, servant girl else I¡¯ll give you to my men,¡± he yelled at her. Lia gasped, trembling in fear, while Zara red angrily at Draco. ¡°It¡¯s you who should keep quiet. She is right, I will never be yours and one more thing, she¡¯s not a servant, she¡¯s my friend,¡± Zara scolded. A scowl appeared on Draco¡¯s face, as he red at the two women. ¡°Wait and see Zara, you¡¯ll have no choice but toe to me, because if you don¡¯t, your men will die in the worst way possible And as for your dear friend Lia, I would give her to my men, I¡¯m sure they would want to know what she tastes like.¡± Zara and Lia both gasped, then Zara said, ¡°you¡¯re so evil Draco. how can you do something like this, and still sleep at night? you¡¯re heartless.¡± Draco bent down to clutch Zara¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not heartless Zara. Feel this! do you feel how it¡¯s beating fast? If I don¡¯t have a heart, it wouldn¡¯t beat, and I wouldn¡¯t love you, my goddess,¡± he muttered, trailing his fingers on Zara¡¯s face. ¡°Get your dirty hands off me,¡± Zara squealed, tilting her head away from his reach. Draco chuckled. ¡°I will give you just tonight to decide. will you marry me willing, and save your friends from painful death and rape, or forcefully. Mind you, it will all happen in front of you. The murder and rape of your friends will happen in front of you,¡± He told her, before standing up to leave the room. Once he was gone, Lia turn to Zara. ¡°What are we going to do Zara, what should we do?¡± Zara sighed. Although she was also scared, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Lia, I don¡¯t know what we should do, but I know one thing for sure, I will do whatever I can to save you all.¡± Lia gasped. ¡°That means, you¡¯re going to marry Draco?¡± ¡°Lia, I¡­¡± I鈥檒l marry you ¡°Lia, I won¡¯t marry Draco. But I¡¯ll have to agree to his wedding proposal, just to keep the three of you safe,¡± Zara answered. ¡°But Zara, isn¡¯t that too risky? After you agree to his marriage proposal, what happens next?¡± Lia asked. ¡°Then we think of a way to escape. I¡¯m thinking of making a deal with him, in exchange for marrying him. And if it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll try something else like, getting them drunk. Although I don¡¯t know if it will work, we have to at least try,¡± Zara muttered. Lia nodded, then she said, ¡°You¡¯re right Zara, that¡¯s the only option we have now.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Jerald took two men with him, as they rode fast to Azrael. They barely stopped to rest, only when it was really necessary, like when they had to feed themselves, and their horses. Or when they had to ease themselves. IN AZRAEL Jerald and his men arrived in Azrael at dawn, and they were ushered in by two guards, who lead them to the throne room. ¡°Wait here, while I summon the King and Queen,¡± one of the guards said, walking away. Soon he arrived with King n and Queen Lyarra, who gave Jerald a surprised look, since they had been to Everton once before, and they recognise him. ¡°Sir Jerald, what brings you to Azrael, hope all is well?¡± King n inquired. Jerald bowed his head in respect, then he said, ¡°Greetings King n, and queen Lyarra. I wish, I could say that all is well, but it isn¡¯t.¡± King n and Queen Lyarra gave Jerald a questioning look. ¡°What do you mean Jerald? Did something happen?¡± they asked, at once. ¡°What I mean is, Queen Zara left Everton, without our knowledge, and she did not return or send a letter, telling us where she is. And since you didn¡¯t reply to King Carl¡¯s letter either, he sent me here to inquire if she is in Azrael,¡± Jerald exined. King n and Queen Lyarra were gobsmacked. They couldn¡¯t believe what they had just heard. ¡°Sir Jerald, we don¡¯t understand. Did Zara not return to Everton? I mean, she was here due to some misunderstanding, but she left for Everton at Dawn yesterday, she should be in Everton,¡± king n retorted. It was now Jerald¡¯s turn to look confused. ¡°If queen Zara, did leave for Everton at dawn yesterday, she is supposed to be in Everton by now, even though Azrael is quite far from Everton. unless she stopped on the way to rest,¡± he pondered. Then he said, ¡°King n, I¡¯ll have to return to Everton at once. And if queen Zara, is yet to return, then we¡¯ll send you a letter.¡± King n scoffed.¡±I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t sit and wait for a reply, I¡¯ll have toe with you.¡± Jerald was taken aback. ¡°But King n, who will take care of Azrael if youe with me?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Azrael in the hands of my wife, Queen Lyarra. She will rule until I return.¡± Queen Lyarra did not object because she was extremely worried about her daughter. ¡°Zara, I hope you¡¯re safe? may the Lord protect you¡­¡± OUTSKETCH OF NIVAL Draco was up early just to get an answer from Zara. Although he didn¡¯t need her answer, he still wanted to have the pleasure of hearing her say yes to him. He walked into the room, where Zara and Lia were kept¡­ Seeing Draco, Zara and Lia straightened, taking hold of each other. ¡°He¡¯s so ugly,¡± Lia whispered into Zara¡¯s ear, earning a giggle from her. Draco watched them and wondered what Lia might have said, to enable such a reaction from her. And had to admit that Zara looks beautiful when she smiles. (How can one be this beautiful, it¡¯s no wonder king Carl fell for her. And I¡¯m sure there are other men out there who also want her. Too bad, I have her already, and I won¡¯t let anyone take her away,¡± he pondered. Zara¡¯s smile was reced with a scowl when she saw Draco staring at her in admiration. ¡°Such a vile man,¡± she muttered, under her breath. Draco was suddenly brought back to the reality of why he was there. ¡°My Goddess, I¡¯m pretty sure you know why I¡¯m here, and I hope that you¡¯ve made up your mind. Zara scoffed, rolling her eyes. She wished she could scream no to him, but right now, their safetyes first. ¡°Draco, I¡¯ve decided that¡­ I will marry you,¡± Zara muttered, and Draco was taken aback at first and was not sure if he heard it well. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked. Zara gritted her teeth and answered again. ¡°I will marry you Draco.¡± Draco chuckled. ¡°Finally! I knew you would agree. Now you¡¯d be mine forever.¡± ¡± it will be under one condition, Draco,¡± Zara added. She decided to try and see whether Draco would release her friends. Draco frowned slightly. ¡°What condition?¡± Zara sighed, then she said, ¡°The condition that you let my friends go.¡± Draco burst intoughter. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not possible. The moment I let your friends go, you¡¯d refuse to marry me. I¡¯m no fool, Zara. But maybe after the wedding, and the consummation, I¡¯ll let them go.¡± Zara scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you Draco. how I¡¯m I sure that you¡¯d let my friends go after the marriage?¡± ¡°I give you my word Zara, and I won¡¯t go back on it,¡± Draco retorted. ¡°Your words mean nothing to me Draco, but your actions will,¡± Zara blurted out angrily. She had hoped that her n would work, but it didn¡¯t. What should I do now?¡± she thought, forgetting her n of getting them drunk until Lia spoke up. ¡°You should at least do something for queen Zara. Like releasing her men, and organizing a small celebration before the wedding.¡± Zara tilt her gaze to Lia, and Lia signaled her to convince him. ¡°Yes Draco, shouldn¡¯t we at least eat and drink?¡± Zara added immediately. Draco gave the two women a suspicious look. ¡°what are they up to?¡± he pondered, but shrugged. It¡¯s just drinking anyway, nothing harmful. ¡°Fine! I will release your men, and we¡¯ll have a small feast,¡± Draco muttered. A smile instantly appeared on Zara and Lia¡¯s faces. Yes, it¡¯s working. ¡­ Jamie and Theon were treated and clothed, before the feast¡­ At the feast, Draco and his men ate and drank, while Zara and her friends only ate, since they were hungry and needed the strength to escape. ZARA¡¯S POV I was sitting beside Draco as I watched him and his men drink andugh like madmen. . ¡°Finally, the n is working. But there were some things, I had to know before we escaped. ¡°Draco,¡± I called, inching a little bit closer. Draco giggled.¡±Zara, my goddess, you know I like it when you said my name.¡± I wrinkled my face in disgust, before saying, ¡°Draco, did Nadia ask you to abduct me?¡± Draco nodded, tilting his gaze to meet mine. I could tell he was drunk by the way his eyes were slightly closed, and the constant nodding of his head. ¡°Zara, Nadia made a deal with me, and she used you as my price,¡± he blurted out. ¡°What deal is he talking about?¡± I turn to Lia, who also had a curious look on her face. ¡°Zara, ask him what deal he made,¡± she muttered and I nodded. ¡°Draco, what deal did you make?¡± Draco chuckled, then he said, ¡°Zara, in other to stop me from killing her and to take revenge ondy Gwen, she gave you to me. Why do you thinkdy Gwen disappeared? Its because she was abducted from the pce by King Neil¡¯s men. And then given to me and two other men to rape and kill. Gwen is dead, Zara, She¡¯s dead.¡± I shivered slightly after hearing what he said. ¡°So King Neil and Nadia could do something so despicable. What else have they done that we don¡¯t know about? ¡°Draco, did you send me that letter? The one which states that my father was ill?¡± ¡°Of course, Queen Zara. It was all Nadia¡¯s n to help me abduct you, and it worked.¡± That means my intuition was right. I will have to go back to Everton immediately to expose Nadia. God knows what else she could be nning. ¡°Zara, I can¡¯t believe Nadia is so bad. What are you going to do when you go back to Everton? Are you going to tell Carl about this? what if he doesn¡¯t believe, and say, you¡¯re only using Nadia because you¡¯re jealous of her?¡± Lia muttered all at once. ¡°Then we¡¯ll support her majesty, backing up her im against Nadia. If everyone sees that, not just Queen Zara, but the three of us are using Nadia, they are bound to believe us,¡± Jamie chipped in. I nodded, hoping that will be the case. ¡°Jamie, Theon, Lia, we first have to escape,¡± I told them, and they nodded in agreement¡­ By now Draco and his men were already wasted. They were even asleep, and we saw that as a sign to escape. We immediately stood up from the table, sneaking toward the door. ¡°My queen, I don¡¯t know why but this doesn¡¯t seem right. I mean, how can we escape so easily?¡± Theon said, a suspicious look stered on his face. I also started to feel uneasy, when he said that. He¡¯s right! this is too easy. But what other options, do we have. ¡°Theon, I know that, but right now, we don¡¯t have a choice,¡± I said and he sighed, turning to give Draco and his men onest look¡­ ¡°okay, Queen Zara, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ When we stepped outside the house, nothing looked suspicious, everywhere was quiet with no one in sight. ¡°Zara, we did it. We escaped,¡± Lia said happily. I chuckled. ¡°Lia, don¡¯t celebrate yet. we haven¡¯t escaped,¡± I told her. She nodded, but there was still this happy glint in her eyes, making me smile. And now more than ever, the zeal to escape became stronger. ¡°My queen, wait here, I¡¯ll go get us horses,¡± Theon said, going to the back of the house¡­ We waited for some minutes, and when Theon didn¡¯t return, my heart started to beat in fear that something might have happened to him. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he back yet,¡± Lia mumbled, stamping her feet impatiently. ¡°Queen Zara, I¡¯ll go check on him,¡± Jamie announced, walking away hastily. ¡°Be careful Jamie,¡± I yelled after him, as he disappeared to the back of the house. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m starting to get scared,¡± Lia whispered, inching closer to me, and I held her hand, ncing around¡­ Lia shrieked after we heard a twig, in the bushes. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lia yelled, twirling, and before I could say something, I heard¡­Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Queen Zara, why did you choose the hard way.¡± Oh God is that¡­ Why did the voice sound so familiar? I thought, looking around. ¡°Zara, stop looking around, I¡¯m right here,¡± the person said,ing from the back of the house. Lia and I gasped in horror. ¡°Draco¡­.¡± Avenging angel Lia and I gasped in horror. ¡°Draco!¡± we screamed when he came from back of the house. ¡°How is he here? I thought he was drunk to a stupor.¡± Draco let out a peal of amusedughter, a dangerous glint shing across his gaze. Then he said, ¡°Yes Zara, it¡¯s me. Your Draco, your Love. And I brought you a gift.¡± ¡°Zara, I thought he was drunk, howe he¡¯s here? What should we do now?¡± Lia said, and I could hear the panic in her voice, as she gripped my hand tightly. I sighed, tilting my gaze to meet her teary ones, and I felt a stab in my heart when I saw the fear, anguish, and helplessness in them. Right now even I don¡¯t know what to do. I was still in a state of shock and surprise, making it impossible for me to think. Draco walked towards us, with his hands behind him.¡±Don¡¯t you want to know what it is?¡± he asked, with an evil grin. Lia and I moved back slightly, our eyes fixed on his every move, and we heard him chuckle. ¡°Zara, there¡¯s nowhere to go, my men have already surrounded the whole ce, you can¡¯t run from me,¡± Draco muttered. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words wouldn¡¯te out. ¡°Zara, I don¡¯t see Jamie and Theon,¡± Lia whispered, trembling, and I nced up to meet Draco¡¯s gaze, mustering a little courage that I didn¡¯t know I have. ¡°Draco, where are my men? Jamie and Theon.¡± Draco chuckled. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask. Theon is right here,¡± he announced, raising a human head, with blood trickling from it. I gasped in recognition. ¡°Theon!¡± he killed Theon, I screamed inside, staring in disbelief. how could he? Lia could not take the shock, as she passed out. ¡°Lia!¡± I screamed, catching her before she could fall. Carefully, I set her down on the floor, twirling to see Draco just breaths away. Before I could move away, he stretched out his hands and grabbed me. ¡°Let me go Draco,¡± I yelled, raising my leg to kick him, but it was like he anticipated my move, and caught my leg mid-way. ¡°Zara, why do you want it the hard way?¡­ I won¡¯t go easy on you anymore, seeing that are so defiant,¡± Draco growled, making me scoff. ¡°I don¡¯t care, you evil man, you killed my men, you killed, Theon and Jamie,¡± I screamed. Draco chuckled, then he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill two of them Zara, I killed only Theon. Jamie is still alive but will soon be dead, just like your friend Lia over there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch Lia or even Jamie, or I won¡¯t spare you, Draco.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Zara, I won¡¯t touch Lia, it¡¯s you I¡¯ll touch. Lia belongs to my men¡­ they¡¯ll take care of her. For now, the both of us will consummate our marriage even before we get married, ¡°Draco retorted, making my heart clench in fear. No, no I can¡¯t let that happen. ¡°Draco let me go!¡± I screamed, struggling and kicking as he picked me up. He ignored me, ambling toward the house. I felt fear like I had never before. The fear of being raped, the fear of my friends being raped and killed. And although I don¡¯t believe in miracles, I prayed to the Lord, that one should happen right now. He should send someone who would save us from these terrible men. Draco dropped me harshly on the bed, climbing on top of me. ¡°Zara, you know why you can¡¯t outsmart me?¡­ It¡¯s because I¡¯ve dealt with all kinds of people, and I know when they are up to something. I knew you and Lia were up to something when you suggested, that I released your men and hold a small feast. So I decided to y along. I also asked my men to do the same and together, we were able to fool you, by pretending to be drunk. I knew you¡¯d try to escape, and true to my intuition, you did,¡± Draco narrated as he tied my hands, while I struggled against him. ¡°Draco let me go! Where is Lia and Jamie? please let them go. I¡¯ll do what you want,¡± I cried out, but he ignored me. ¡°It¡¯s toote Zara. If you had listened to me when I said you should, this wouldn¡¯t be happening. I would have taken things easy with you,¡± Draco growled, tearing his clothes and my clothes, ¡°No please,¡± I begged, tears trickling down my eyes, while Draco leaned forward, licking my tears. No! this can¡¯t be happening to me, Lord do something, Carl save me! I cried Inwardly. By now, I stark naked in front of Draco, and a guilt feeling washed over me. I was naked in front of another, what will Carl think of me now? how will he feel when he gets to know? I also felt guilty, knowing that Lia and Jamie would be subjected to such violence, if not more. And it¡¯s all because of me. ¡°Queen Zara, your body is a beautiful sight to behold. No, not beautiful¡­ something out of this world, something extraordinary. You¡¯ve got the body of a goddess,¡± Draco said, his eyes, taking in every part of me. I struggled, trying to cover myself, as shame washed over me. But I couldn¡¯t, due to his stronghold. If I should survive this, I won¡¯t spare either one of them. Not Draco, not Nadia or even king Neil. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard someone screaming, and my anxiety increased. ¡°Lia,¡± I screamed. ¡°You should forget about her Zara,¡± Draco groaned cing wet kisses on my neck, and I closed my eyes and legs tightly in disgust, as I felt his hard dick poking me. Soon, there was another scream, and this time it didn¡¯t sound like a girl. It sounded like, men. not just one man, but many, and also the clinging of sword. Draco stood up momentarily, ncing toward the door. He looked like he was contemting whether to finish with me or go out to see what was going on, and he chose to finish with me instead. He brought his mouth to my lips, and I quickly, folded my lips, to prevent him from doing so. ¡°Stop being defiant,¡± he growled,nding a p on my cheek, and I groaned in pain, but still didn¡¯t give in. Instead, I bit my lips tightly, till I tasted my blood. Draco groaned, ignoring me, as he nibbled on my neck. By now the clinging of swords and screaming men were louder than before. It sounded like a fight had broken out. Oh lord please let it be what I¡¯m thinking¡­ Even in the midst of what was happening, Draco didn¡¯t seem to care as he trailed kisses from my neck to my breast, taking my nipple in his mouth.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. I struggled, screaming, and twisting until the door burst open and both Draco and I snapped our gaze in the direction. Behold! a knight stood in all ck and a mask over his face. Maybe I must be dreaming, or maybe because I wanted someone toe save us badly, that¡¯s why I started to imagine it in my head. ¡°Step away from her Draco,¡± the knight yelled¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened next, all I saw was Draco lying on my body, with blood dripping from his neck, and footsteps,ing toward me. The knight, removed Draco from my body, cutting off his head, then he turned to me. ¡°Sorry, I arrivedte queen Zara.¡± To say I was shocked is an understatement. How did he know my name? ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked as he picked me up wrapping his Cape around me. He looked at me and said, ¡°Queen Zara, I am your avenging angel.¡± I鈥檓 alive ¡°Queen Zara, I am your avenging angel.¡± I was gobsmacked. ¡®What does he mean by my avenging angel?¡¯ I nced up to look at the strange knight, before asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡± He was quiet for a while, then he said, ¡°What I mean by I¡¯m your avenging angel is that: I¡¯ll help you take revenge on all your enemies, every single one of them. And aside from being your avenging angel, I¡¯ll also be your protective shield. And the reason is that I owe you something that can never be returned, but in this way, I can make up for it.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that. ¡®Why did he say that he owes me? I don¡¯t even know him.¡¯ I wanted to ask what he meant but decided against it. Right now I¡¯m more worried about Lia and Jamie than about knowing the knight. As if reading my mind, he said, ¡°Queen Zara, your friends are alright, nothing happened to them.¡± I sighed in relief, happy that Lia and Jamie were safe, but a sudden reminder of Theon made my heart clench in sadness. Although this may sound like I¡¯m being ungrateful, I wish the knight had just shown up early, so that Theon didn¡¯t have to die. But as they say, things don¡¯t always go the way we want them to. ¡°Good Knight, words can¡¯t express how thankful I am, that you saved both me and my friends, thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Queen Zara. Like I said before, I¡¯m doing this to make up for my mistakes. And my name is Gage.¡± I gave him a grateful smile, before proceeding to leave the room. ¡°Queen Zara, you should wait here while I go get you some clothes, you can go out there with just my cape wrapped around you,¡± Gage said, stopping me from leaving. He walked out of the house, and returned minutester, with a man¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry queen Zara, you¡¯ll have to manage this, it¡¯s what I could find,¡± he told me, handing the clothes to me. I thank him and epted it¡­ Gage excused himself, giving me the privacy to dress. He¡¯s such a gentleman, and for some reason, I feel like I know him. After dressing, I walked out of the house to meet Lia and Jamie. Once they saw me, they ran toward me. ¡°Zara, I was so scared. Those men were going to take turns raping both Jamie and me. I was scared Zara, ¡± Lia announced, hugging me tightly. My heart clenched as a guilty feeling washed over me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lia, sorry Jamie. If I didn¡¯t take you with me to Azrael, all this wouldn¡¯t have happened. I¡¯m truly sorry,¡± I said to them. ¡°My queen, you don¡¯t have to apologize. Everything happens for a reason. Are you alright my queen, did that horrible man hurt you in any way?¡± Jamie asked, scanning my body¡­ I smiled. Even after everything that happened, he still cares about my well-being. ¡°Jamie, you don¡¯t have to worry about me, I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied. ¡°No Zara, you¡¯re not, look at the finger imprint on your cheek, did Draco do something to you?¡± Lia asked, frowning. I suddenly recalled what Draco did to me, and I clenched my fist in anger. Although I was not able to kill Draco with my own hands, I hope, that I¡¯ll be able to do it when ites to king Neil and Nadia. ¡°Lia! I promise that I¡¯m fine. And besides, Draco is dead, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± I muttered. Lia nodded, before saying, ¡°We were waiting for you, so we could bury Theon together¡­¡± After burying Theon, Gage, the knight told us that we were in the out sketch of Nival, which is not very far from Everton, and that we should rest for a day before returning to Everton. Although I was Eager to return immediately, I reasoned that I was not alone, and the people with me needed rest, so I agreed. CARL¡¯S POV I¡¯ve had sleepless nights this past few days, due to Zara¡¯s and also because everything I close my eyes, an image of Zara, crying for help shes. ¡®Zara, where are you? I hope you¡¯re okay, and that you return to Everton with Jerald¡­Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Minutester, I heard a resounding knock on my chamber, and before I could ask who it was, the person spoke up. ¡°Your majesty, Jerald has returned from Azrael, he¡¯s in the throne room.¡± Immediately I heard that I walked out of my chamber hastily, going down to the throne room, with my heart beating fast. When I got there, I expected to see, Zara with Jerald, but instead it was king n with him. ¡®Where the hell is Zara?¡¯ ¡°Greetings your majesty, Greetings King Carl,¡± Jerald and king n said at the same time. I ignored their greeting. ¡°Where is Zara?¡± I asked, praying that she came with them and was hiding somewhere. Jerald and King n gave me a shocked look, then king n said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Zara, arrive in Everton?¡± I was gobsmacked. ¡®What does he mean?¡¯ ¡°King n, what do you mean? Zara is not in Everton.¡± He gasped, and a worried look appeared on his face, then he said, ¡°King Carl, Zara was in Azrael, because she got a letter from an anonymous person, saying, I was ill, but we sent her back the next day, since she told us, that no one in Everton knew about it. That¡¯s the main reason I didn¡¯t reply to your letter because she was already on her way to Everton when your letter arrived.¡± I was thunderstruck, and my heart clenched in fear. If Zara was supposed to be in Everton, and she¡¯s not, that means something bad must have happened to her. No, please! Nothing can happen to you Zara, or I won¡¯t be able to take it. ¡°Jerald, I want you to organize one thousand soldiers, we¡¯ll have to go find Zara.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, the men Nadia sent in search of Draco, returned to Everton. ¡°Queen Nadia, we searched for Draco and Queen Zara, but we could find them.¡± Nadia and king Neil almost copsed after hearing that. The past few days without Zara have been hell for them, as they were not able toe out of Nadia¡¯s chamber for fear of being killed. And on top of that, they looked like mad people, with their hair dispersed, and their bodies, pale and smelling from hunger andck of a bath. Although the servants constantly prepare a bath and different delicacies, they were scared that it could be poisoned, seeing that no one liked them, and Ariel who was their servant refused tasting the food, for the same reason as Nadia and king Neil. A FAR AWAY LAND The spy, who was sent by king Luther decides to leave Everton, seeing that her work was done¡­ Zara was no more in the pce, and Everton was disheveled. ¡°Greetings your majesty,¡± she said, bowing in respect. King Luther smiled, raising from his throne and walking toward her. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve returned my child. Sorry I had to send you to Everton as a spy when you should have been beside me, sorry for not being a good father to you M.¡± M chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, father. I didn¡¯t suffer at all in Everton, thanks to foolish queen Zara. Although I feel a little bad, that I killed her baby, she¡¯s the enemy right.¡± King Lutherughed and nodded. ¡°Yes M, she¡¯s the enemy as long as she¡¯s married to King Carl of Everton,¡± he retorted. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll have to admit that queen Zara, is very beautiful and kind. It was her kindness, that I took advantage of. Her kindness killed her baby,¡± M muttered with an evil glint in her eyes. ¡°I hope that one day, I¡¯ll get to meet the beautiful queen Zara, that everyone is talking about. I hope I¡¯d be impressed,¡± King Luther joked. M nodded, then she said, ¡°You¡¯ll be father. But for now, I think the time hase for us to attack Everton. Now that she¡¯s in chaos.¡± King Luther bobbed. ¡°We¡¯ll first have to send a letter, to your brother Arthur. he has to know that I am alive, and back to im the seven kingdoms.¡± It鈥檚 queen Zara Carl, King n, and Jerald left Everton, going in search of Zara, and they all took different routes to enable fast and better results¡­ Nadia and king Neil argued amongst themselves, due to fear of leaving Everton. ¡°Nadia, you should pray that Carl finds Zara, else, I¡¯ll make you get married to Lord Brad,¡± King Neil rasped. Nadia stared at her father in disbelief. ¡°Father I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying that! You know Lord Brad is old and has up to five wives, how can you get me married to him?¡± King Neil scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for acting rashly.¡± ¡°Father, you should also pray for Zara¡¯s return, instead of thinking about getting me married to old Lord Brad,¡± Nadia said, frowning in annoyance. ¡­ Meanwhile, Carl made his way back to Everton with a heavy heart, after failing to find Zara. He felt ashamed and hated himself for not being able to find her. ¡®Where on earth could she be?¡¯ He pondered. Although he didn¡¯t find her, he still had ns of going to the other nations in search of her. he knew that if the other kings knew anything about Zara¡¯s whereabouts, they would have informed him, except king Arthur and king Darian who were his enemy. It can even be possible that they abducted Zara and kept her as a hostage, but he didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusion. Now that he was returning to Everton, it was only to know if king n and Jerald have any good news, or if they found her. but if they didn¡¯t, he would emback on a journey to Neptune and Crystal Ville, the enemy nation. The people of Everton stood in front of the pce awaiting Carl¡¯s return, and also anticipating the return of their queen. And if by any chance, Carl did not return with her, he would have to divorce and oust Nadia and king Neil there and then. King n was the first to return to Everton after his failed attempt, with Jerald following suit and then Carl. ¡°The King is back!¡± they chanted, when they saw Carl and his troops. But it soon died down once they didn¡¯t see any sign of Zara. ¡°Your majesty!¡± Jerald called, walking to him, with King n trailing beside him. ¡°We didn¡¯t find queen Zara, our search was futile,¡± he told Carl. Carl sighed, a sad expression stered on his face, then he said, ¡°I also didn¡¯t find her.¡± Once the people heard that, they broke into a state of uproar. ¡°The king did not find Queen Zara, could it be that she¡¯s dead? could it be she left the seven kingdoms going across the sea to a farawaynd? Carl¡¯s heart clenched in fear when he heard what the people were saying. ¡®No, she can¡¯t be dead, and she won¡¯t go to a farawaynd. She has to be in one of these nations, but where?¡¯ Carl raised his hand, silencing his people, then he said, ¡°Queen Zara, is not dead, and I¡¯ll make sure I find her wherever she is, and bring her back. I will leave Everton now, and would not return until I find her.¡± The people were bbergasted. There was no way they would allow their king to leave them. What if something were to happen, or the enemy attacks during his absence? ¡°No, your majesty! You should send the troops in search of the queen. You can¡¯t leave us without a monarch,¡± Someone spoke, making the crowd continue their uproar. Although he understands where they wereing from. And it was for the same reason he didn¡¯t leave Everton to go search for Zara all this while. It was the fear of leaving his people without a monarch, and open to enemy threats. As a king, it was his duty to protect his people even if it meant, sacrificing his love. Just like now, he was torn between, choosing his people, or his love. ¡°Your majesty, what will you do now? You can¡¯t provoke the people just to go in search of the queen, or they¡¯ll turn against you,¡± Jerald reasoned.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s right King Carl. In my case, the reason I was able to leave Azrael, was because my queen was there to rule in my stead, unlike you. I would have suggested that you leave queen Nadia in charge, but as we all know, the people do not like her,¡± king n chipped in. Carl sighed, thinking of a way that he would go search for Zara without his people knowing, and after a while, his lip twitched into a mischievous smile, then he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I will not leave Everton, I will send the troops instead. It was then the people rxed. Jerald tilts his gaze to meet Carl. He could tell by the smile ying at the corner of Carl¡¯s lips that he was up to something. And he hoped that it was not what he was thinking. He hope that Carl was not nning to leave the pce in disguise, and his intuition was right, Carl was nning to sneak out of Everton in disguise. ¡­ Meanwhile, Zara rode to Everton, with Lia, Jamie, Gage the knight, and his men who offered to go with Zara to Everton, after pledging their allegiance to her. Although Zara had tantly refused him, he kept begging and even said, there was nothing to live for, if she didn¡¯t ept him as her knight. The fact that Gage saved her, made it hard for Zara to refuse him, so she decided to give him a chance, even though she was suspicious of his persistence. And also because Lia and Jamie interceded on his behalf¡­ Once they got near the gate, Zara started to panic. she could see that many people were gathered outside the gate. ¡®What could be going on?¡¯ she thought. ¡°Zara, look there are many people outside the pce, what do we do now?¡­ they would want to know why you went missing, and everything that happened,¡± Lia muttered. Zara nodded, then she said, ¡°Then we have to tell them everything that happened. How I was sent a fake letter, and how we were abducted.¡± When Zara got to where the people were, it was then she noticed that Carl and her father, were also amongst them, more like in front of them. ¡®Could it be that this uproar is because of me?¡¯ She pondered, somehow feeling guilty that she made them worry¡­ On the other hand, Carl was about to make his way back inside the pce, when someone amongst the crowd noticed Zara¡¯s presence. ¡°It¡¯s queen Zara,¡± the person yelled, pointing toward her direction, and everyone gasped. Zara is back ¡°It¡¯s queen Zara,¡± the person yelled, pointing toward her direction, and everyone gasped, twirling in the direction the person pointed. They were all gobsmacked. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. ¡°Is it an imagination or is queen Zara right in front of us?¡± ¡°Zara!¡± Carl and king n called at the same time, striding toward her. ¡°Father, Carl,¡± Zara also called, climbing down from her horse to go meet them. Once they got to where she is, King n embraced his daughter, with teary eyes. ¡°Zara, where were you? we all taught something happened to you,¡± king n said. Zara pulled away from the hug, giving her father a sad smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made you all worry, but I swear that it wasn¡¯t intentional,¡± Zara replied. King n nodded. He wanted to ask Zara her reason for going missing for several days, but he decided against it, once he saw the impatient look Carl was giving him. He decided to give the husband and wife time to talk. King n stepped aside, leaving the way for Carl. Carl took a step toward her, closing the gap between them. ¡°Zara, are you okay? Did anything happen to you? Why did you stay away for days?¡± He asked all at once, with his brow raised in question. ¡°Yes, Queen Zara, we need answers. why did you leave Everton? Was it because of the king¡¯s marriage to the Nedal Princess,¡± someone from the crowd inquired, starring an uproar from the people. ¡°Yes, Queen Zara, tell us, tell us!¡± They chanted. Zara took a breath, ncing up to meet Carl¡¯s gaze, before twirling to look at the people. She exined what happened to her. From when she was sent a fake letter, to the part where she was abducted and almost raped, and also how she was saved by a knight. but she didn¡¯t tell them that it was Nadia who was behind it because She wanted to handle Nadia and king Neil in her own way. Carl was heartbroken. All these bad things happened to his wife, and he couldn¡¯t do anything to help her. Once again, he felt like a failure, like he was worthless. He thought that If he couldn¡¯t protect the woman he loved, how was he going to protect his people? ncing at Zara, he gave her a sad and guilty smile. ¡°Sorry, I failed you,¡± he whispered, hugging her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re not to be med, if only I didn¡¯t act rashly, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so bad,¡± Zara retorted, patting his back. The people were also sad that their queen suffered so much. Although the happiness they felt that she survived and is back in Everton, was more than the sadness. ¡°Queen Zara, where is the brave knight who saved you? He should be rewarded greatly by the king.¡± Zara smiled, leaving Carl to go meet Gage. Then she held his hands bringing him, in front of everyone. ¡°This is the brave Knight. He appeared out of nowhere like an angel, saving me from that evil man. He did not only save me, he also clothed, fed, and looked after me. He even went as far as bing my sworn knight and bringing me to Everton. He is my saving grace, my protective shield, and above all, my avenging angel. His name is Gage. Gage the knight,¡± Zara announced, giving Gage a look of admiration and love. ¡°All hail. Gage the knight. The savior and protector of our queen,¡± the people cheered, giving him a round of apuse. Carl was also grateful that the knight had saved Zara, but he was jealous. He was not jealous that the people were praising Gage, no! He was jealous of the admiration and love in Zara¡¯s eyes when she spoke about Gage. He was also scared, that Zara had started to develop feelings for her savior. Although Zara¡¯s love and admiration for Gage were a different kind than what Carl thought. Her love and admiration for Gage were the type one feels for the person that saved them, and nothing more. Lia and Jamie also came to stand beside Zara, and together, they all stared at Gage like he was an angel that fell from the sky. Although he was wearing a mask, and no one could see his face, that didn¡¯t change anything. Carl scoffed. ¡®She has not seen me for some days, and she didn¡¯t miss me? I mean, now that she¡¯s back, she should be with me, instead of standing there gawking at another man, with eyes filled with love and admiration. Isn¡¯t that suppose to be for me. I know I didn¡¯t save her, but I¡¯m her husband! She shouldn¡¯t be looking at another man like that,¡¯ Carl pondered. Whoever this Gage the knight was, he was surely not in Carl¡¯s good books, and he already hated his guts. Carl was about to go back into the pce when someone grabbed his arm. He turned to see Zara staring at him with a confused look. ¡°Are you angry with me?¡± She asked. Zara thought that Carl was angry with her due to her reckless actions but unknown to her, that was far from the case. Carl sighed, then he said, ¡°You suddenly remembered you have a husband, I thought you would stand there all day gawking at your savior.¡± Zara could not believe her ears. ¡°Are you Jealous?¡± she teased. Carl scoffed. ¡°Which husband wouldn¡¯t be Jealous, if his wife looks at another man like that?¡± he retorted. Zara chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carl. It¡¯s just that when I was in danger, I prayed so hard for a miracle, I didn¡¯t expect that Gage would be that miracle.¡± Carl rolled his eyes. ¡°There she goes again with Gage the knight,¡± he mumbled under his breath, walking away, and Zara followed suit. ¡°Carl, do you think that behind that mask is a handsome man? I¡¯m sure Gage is handsome,¡± Zara blurted out, yfully swinging Carl¡¯s hand. Carl ignored her. ¡®I pray the man behind the mask is very ugly,¡¯ he said inwardly. ¡­Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Ariel, ran back to announce the good news to king Neil and Nadia. By the time she got there, they were lying on the floor, looking like the living dead. ¡°Your majesty, your grace! Queen Zara is back, she is back safe and sound,¡± Ariel squealed. Her news seemed to have given them life because they were up in a jiffy. ¡°You mean Zara is back? Are you sure?¡± Nadia asked weakly. ¡°Yes, your grace, I saw her with my very own eyes.¡± Nadia and king Neil were happy. They¡¯ve never felt this happy in their entire lives, not even when Carl had epted their proposal. ¡°Ariel, quick get us some food and drinks. Also, ask the servants to prepare the bath. Because now that Zara is back, everyone will be so happy and they wouldn¡¯t want to poison us,¡± king Neil announced, smiling widely. IN NEPTUNE King Arthur received a letter from his father king Luther, and to say he was shocked was an understatement. How can his father still be alive when he died many years ago, in a war. It¡¯s either, someone was pretending to be his father, or he misread the letter. Scanning through the letter, Arthur¡¯s eyes caught thest part where it reads, ¡°I know you won¡¯t believe it, but right now I¡¯m on my way to Neptune with thousands of men, I¡¯m sure once you see me, you¡¯ll believe then. For now, you¡¯ll have to ready your army, and also tell king Darian of crystal-Ville to ready his army, because once I arrive, we¡¯ll unleash hell on Carl and everyone who supports him.¡± Pregnant again ONE WEEK LATER The past week has been peaceful for Carl and Zara as Nadia¡¯s endless schemes and plots to separate them always fail. Although her ns fail, Nadia didn¡¯t stop scheming and attacking. instead, she became more violent and frequent with her attacks, but somehow Gage always anticipated her movements and stopped them from happening. On the other hand, King n and King Neil returned to their Nations after Zara¡¯s return, making Nadia feel alone and insecure. She felt like someone was watching her every movement but she couldn¡¯t wrap her head around who it was. Also because bad things have been happening to her. Like finding snakes or insects in her room, and also seeing Gwen¡¯s ghost. People were starting to think that she was going insane and was unfit to be a queen. Meanwhile, Zara and Lia couldn¡¯t solve the mystery of M¡¯s sudden disappearance. They were extremely worried that something might have happened to her. Zara even insisted that Carl send some soldiers in search of her, but all their efforts seemed futile as they were unable to find her. ZARA¡¯S POV Carl and Iy in bed after our passionate lovemaking session. This week has been a lot more peaceful than others, making me wonder if it¡¯s the calm before the storm. For some reason, I felt like something was about to happen. And not only that. I¡¯ve been feeling dizzy and tiredtely. Maybe I might be sick or pregnant like queen Catherine said, but I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up and also didn¡¯t tell Carl for that same reason. Although I nned to visit the royal physician during the day to find out if I was really pregnant, or if it was some kind of illness. ¡­ After Carl left the chamber, to attend to some urgent matter, I dressed up in simple attire, going to the physician¡¯s quarter with Lia and Aunt Anna. ¡°Greeting your grace, Lady Anna, and Lia,¡± the physician greeted bowing his head slightly. I gave him a light smile and nodded in return, before going to sit on a stool, beside the firece and aunt Anna and Lia did the same. ¡°What brings you here queen Zara? you could have just sent for me, instead ofing all the way here,¡± the physician told me. I smiled. ¡°No sir Thomas! I didn¡¯t want to alert anyone. I wanted my meeting with you to be a secret,¡± I said truthfully. If truly I was pregnant, I don¡¯t want to lose my baby like I didn¡¯t before. That is, the fewer people who knew, the better, as we still haven¡¯t found the person responsible for the death of my first baby. ¡°Tell me, queen Zara, what should I do for you?¡± The physician inquired. ¡°Sir Thomas, I have been feeling dizzy and tired for some days now, and queen Catherine thinks, I¡¯m pregnant. I want you to confirm if her intuition is true,¡± I exined. Sir Thomas smiled, then he said, ¡°I pray that is the case, queen Zara because right now Everton needs an heir.¡± I nodded, also hoping that I was pregnant. The royal physician examined me for a while, checking my pulse and my stomach. ¡°Queen Zara, you¡¯re indeed pregnant, but there is a problem,¡± he announced. It was like I was hit by lightning. No! Please, nothing should be wrong. ¡°Tell me, sir Thomas, what is the problem?¡± Sir Thomas sighed. ¡°Your grace, you are at very high risk if you keep this baby. you might die.¡± I gasped, and I could also hear Lia and aunt Anna do the same. ¡°No, it can be. Is there no solution?¡± Aunt Anna chipped in,ing to stand beside me. ¡°There¡¯s nonedy Anna, only a miracle can save the queen if she chooses to keep the baby,¡± Sir Thomas answered. I sighed, feeling my heart clench in pain. It¡¯s like I was not destined for happiness. The gods must have cursed me. ¡°Zara, what are you going to do?¡± Lia asked, giving me a sad look. I thought for a while. Even if I had to die, I will surely bring my baby into this world. ¡°Lia, I¡¯ve decided to keep this baby. I don¡¯t mind if I lose my life,¡± I answered. ¡°But Zara¡­¡± ¡°No but¡¯s aunt, I will keep this baby, and none of you must tell Carl or anyone about this,¡± I said, cutting aunt Anna off. They all gave me a confused look, then the physician said, ¡°Your grace, isn¡¯t the king supposed to know about this?¡± I shook my head in disagreement. ¡°Carl must not know. Because he if does, he would want to save me instead of the baby. so please, none of you should say anything, I¡¯ll tell him when the time is right.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. They sighed, with looks of disapproval on their faces, but they agreed anyway. ¡°Okay, Zara! We¡¯ll keep your secret until you¡¯re ready to reveal it.¡± ¡­ The council members stood before Carl in the throne room, as they address an important issue. ¡°Your majesty, our spies in Neptune and Crystal-Ville, have recently informed us that thousands of soldiers were seen recently marching to Neptune, and also king Darian of Crystal-Ville is readying his army, I think they are nning something.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty! Not one but all of our spies said the same thing. I think they want to start a war. But with whom?¡± Carl sighed, deep in thoughts. If Arthur and Darian are nning a war, it has to be against Everton and no one else. ¡°Lord William, and Lord Sirius(Minister of defense, and minister of war) I want you both to ready our troops. Those who would stay behind to defend Everton, and those who would fight on the battlefield,¡± Carl ordered. ¡°Lord Gayle(The treasurer) Do we have enough gold to fund the war?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty! More than enough.¡± ¡°Good, I want you to take out Gold that will be enough for the war.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°Sir Maddox(The cksmith)!¡± ¡°Your majesty!¡± ¡°Make sure there¡¯s enough weapon for everyone in Everton, both soldiers, and civilians.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Carl was making sure everyone had a weapon because he felt like this war was going to be one like never before.¡± IN NEPTUNE Arthur stared at his father king Luther in shock. All these years, he thought his father was dead, but now, here he was standing in front of him, healthy and strong. ¡°Son, I know you must be wondering why I stayed away! It is because I was building us an army. An army strong enough to Conquer not just Everton, but the entire seven kingdoms. We are going to kill and get revenge against king Carl. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ll always wanted?¡± Arthur sighed. Yes, he wanted to take revenge on Carl because Carl¡¯s father killed his. but now that his father was standing in front of him, he didn¡¯t have any idea what to do. King Luther saw that Arthur was having doubts, so he said, ¡°Son, remember I may be alive, but your mother is dead, and it¡¯s all thanks to King Carlos(Carl¡¯s father). Although he may be dead, his son and wife are still alive.¡± Arthur nodded. His father was right. If he wanted revenge against Carl and wanted people to acknowledge him as a true king, he would have to defeat Carl. ¡°Alright, father! I would fight alongside you,¡± Arthur replied. King Luther¡¯s lips twitched into an evil smirk. ¡®Soon I¡¯ll be the king of seven kingdoms,¡¯ he said inwardly and suddenly his smirk was reced with a scowl at the realization that he was still standing, while Arthur was sitting on the throne. In anger he said. ¡°Arthur, now that I¡¯m back, I will take the throne from you, until I conquer the other nations.¡± Arthur was taken aback and stared at his father in disbelief. Yes, his father was supposed to be the king instead of him, but he was gone for many years, so there was no way, he would step down. Arthur scoffed, then he said, ¡°Father, your reign was over, ever since you disappeared, I¡¯m not stepping down from the throne.¡± King Luther was shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe Arthur had refused him. That too in front of everyone. Although Arthur was his son, he couldn¡¯t let him humiliate him. ¡®When the timees, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson Arthur,¡¯ King Luther mulled, recing his shocked look, with an unreadable one. M who has been quiet since they arrived decided to speak. She hated that Arthur dared to refuse their father. ¡°Arthur, how can you refuse father?¡± She rasped, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to her. Arthur was surprised. ¡®Did she just call me by my name, and also called my father hers?¡¯ he pondered, looking at M curiously. ¡°Who are you? And how dare you speak to the king like that?¡± one of Arthur¡¯s council members spoke before he could. M rolled her eyes, then she said, ¡°I am princess M, daughter of King Luther, and step-sister to King Arthur, Who are you to speak to me in that tone of voice?¡± Everyone gasped. ¡°So king Luther remarried after losing his wife in a war. But where is his other wife? I don¡¯t see her,¡± the council members murmured amongst themselves. Arthur also gave his father a questioning look but said nothing. ¡°I married again, and she died during childbirth,¡± king Luther answered putting an end to their questions. IN EVERTON Ariel informed Nadia that she saw Zara going to the physician¡¯s quarter. ¡°Do you have any idea why she was there?¡± Nadia inquired, her brow raised in question. ¡°I have no idea, my queen. I only know she visited the physician,¡± Ariel answered. Nadia nodded, an evil glint shing across her features. ¡°Ariel, keep an eye on Zara, I hope it¡¯s not what I suspect. I hope she¡¯s not pregnant because if she is, history would repeat itself. ¡­ Meanwhile, after Carl¡¯s council meeting, Jerald summoned him to his office. ¡°Jerald, why did you call me to my office?¡± Carl asked. Jerald sighed, then he said, ¡°Your majesty, remember queen Zara¡¯s poisoning? _ I have been investigating it and I think I found out who was behind Zara¡¯s poisoning.¡± Carl¡¯s mind was keen with interest once he heard that. ¡°Tell me who it was Jerald. Who is that person?¡± ¡°My king, it¡¯s¡­¡± War strategy CARL¡¯S POV ¡°My king, it¡¯sdy Gwen,¡± Jerald answered, and I looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked, to be sure I wasn¡¯t hearing things. Jerald sighed. ¡°Your Majesty, you might find it hard to believe. But the person behind queen Zara¡¯s poisoning is Lady Gwen,¡± he muttered. I was gobsmacked. No, I didn¡¯t even want to believe it. There¡¯s no way Gwen would do such a thing. Seeing my doubtful expression, Jerald said, ¡°Your majesty, I investigated this matter thoroughly, because even I didn¡¯t believe. The first time when we interrogated Lilith, I suspected that she was hiding something, so I interrogated her again. At first, she was reluctant to tell me because she was scared. but after much persuasion and assurance that I¡¯d protect her, she opened up. She told me that the voice of the person who gave the servant girl the concoction sounded like Gwen. She also said, thedy(Gwen) gave the servant strict instructions not to tell Zara it was from her, knowing that Zara would ept it. After interrogating Lilith, I went to Lady Gwen¡¯s room to search for clues, and I found this¡­ The purple vine poison, which was used in poisoning Zara. Although it took a long time to find it because it was well hidden but I found it behind a portrait hanging on the wall,¡± Jerald exined. Looking at the bottle of poison in Jerald¡¯s hand, I didn¡¯t know what to do or say. ¡®Gwen was the one who poisoned Zara.¡¯ How could she? I trusted her¡­ For God¡¯s sake she is my best friend, how could she betray me? I was hurt and heartbroken. If my best friend could betray me, it means I can¡¯t trust anyone. I mean if you have such a friend, you don¡¯t need enemies. With a heavy heart and sad expression, I left the office, going in search of Zara. I think it¡¯s best to tell her before she finds out on her own. ¡°Your majesty, are you alright?¡± Jerald yelled after me, and I ignored him. How can I be alright when I just found out, that my best friend, someone I loved and cared for betrayed me. She killed my baby and almost killed my wife. No! I can never forgive her. I wish she didn¡¯t die, so I could punish her in my own way. Walking into the chamber, I couldn¡¯t find Zara there and I wondered where she could be. Although I didn¡¯t know how I was going to face her. How do I tell her that my close friend killed our baby?¡­ the worst part, is I couldn¡¯t give her or our baby Justice. I was about to leave the chamber when I bumped into Zara. I could feel my heart beating hard and fast against my chest, and I was scared she could hear it. I was filled with guilt. Although I didn¡¯t poison her, I felt like I did. Like it was all my fault. ¡°Carl, Carl¡± Zara called, snapping me out of my thoughts. I tilt my gaze to hers, but took away immediately, looking elsewhere. ¡°Are you alright Carl?¡± She asked with a voice, filled with concern, and that only made me feel worse. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied¡­ Now that she was standing in front of me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her. I couldn¡¯t tell her that Gwen was responsible for the loss of our baby. Although sooner orter, I would have to tell her¡­ It has to beter. Zara closed the gap between us, engulfing me in a hug. ¡°If something is bothering you, you can tell me?¡± she whispered, but I could still hear her. I sighed. ¡°Zara, I¡¯m worried because soon, there would be a war. And right now, we need to be prepared in every way possible. We can¡¯t have the enemy take us by surprise,¡± I told her instead. Zara pulled away from me. ¡°What do you mean by a war?¡± She asked, and I could hear the panic in her voice. ¡°Zara! Neptune and Crystal-Ville are readying their troops. And soon, they will start to match toward Everton.¡± Zara sighed. ¡°I already have something else to worry about, and now I have to worry about a war too,¡± she murmured, with a sad expression. I don¡¯t know why but for some reason, I felt like there was something she was not telling me. Like she was also keeping something from me like I was doing. ¡°Zara, are you alright? Is there something you want to tell me?¡± Zara sighed, and I saw something akin to guilt and hurt sh across her features. Something is definitely wrong. And it seems like she was not ready to tell me. That makes the two of us. Although I was curious to know what was in her mind, I didn¡¯t want to pressure her, because I was also keeping something from her. ¡°Zara, you don¡¯t have to tell me now, you can take your time. Tell me when you¡¯re ready.¡± She nodded and gave me a light smile, which I returned. ¡°Come, Carl, we have a war to prepare for,¡± she said, pulling me along. IN NEPTUNE King Arthur and his father king Luther discussed the war strategy amongst themselves. That is their army generals and king Darian of Crystal-Ville. King Luther_ ¡°We¡¯ll attack both Azrael and Everton. But we have to first attack Azrael, that way, Carl¡¯s attention will be divided. He¡¯ll be torn between going to Azrael, or staying in Everton.¡± Arthur_ ¡°Father, that¡¯s a great n, but Carl is no fool, he would know we¡¯re trying to divert his attention.¡± ¡°Yes father, I agree with Arthur on this one. I¡¯ve been with King Carl long enough to know he¡¯s smart. I¡¯m sure by now he even knows that we¡¯re nning an attack, so I suggest that when king Darian attacks Azrael, Arthur should also attack Everton,¡± M suggested, and everyone agreed with her. ¡°King Darian, you¡¯ll march with your soldier secretly and give Azrael a surprise attack. You¡¯ll attack them at dusk. While Arthur will attack Carl,¡± king Luther said. ¡°Father! I¡¯ll go back to Everton since no one knows, I¡¯m a spy and the princess of Neptune. I would look for the secret passage and let our men into the pce,¡± M chipped in, an evil smile ying at the corner of her lips. ¡®Everton won¡¯t know what hit them.¡¯ King Luther smiled, giving his daughter a look of admiration. ¡®I taught her well,¡¯ he mulled, nodding his head in satisfaction. Arthur could see the look of admiration and pride for M in his father¡¯s eyes. He knew that if his father were to choose between the two of them, he would choose M instead. After all, she was the one who grew up with him and obeyed his everymand. Arthur sneered inwardly, seeing the two act like they were the wisest in the room then, he said, ¡°While Darian and I are busy fighting the war, what will you and your troops do, Father?¡± King Luther turn to Arthur and said, ¡°Carl doesn¡¯t know, that I¡¯m alive. So he wouldn¡¯t expect me. So when M goes back to Everton, she will open the secret passage for my men and I to take over the pce, and once Carl sees that he would surrender¡­¡± THE NEXT DAY EVERTONN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Carl, Zara, Queen Catherine, Lady Anna, and their councilmen and generals, also discuss their war strategy. Lord Sirius(Minister of war)_ ¡°Your majesty, do you think we should ask the other nations for reinforcement?¡± Carl_ ¡°I¡¯m thinking about that. but for now, we don¡¯t know how many men Arthur and Darian have in their army. So we¡¯ll have to work with what we have. Besides, other nations would not want to send us their troops, for fear that they might also get attacked. Jerald_ ¡°so what should we do my king?¡± Carl_ ¡°We have fifty thousand soldiers altogether, but we can¡¯t take them all to war and leave Everton unprotected. So I would take Thirty thousand to the battlefield, Lord William(Minister of defense) will take ten thousand and defend the border, while Jerald will stay in the pce with queen Zara, and defend it alongside the remaining ten thousand men.¡± Zara_ ¡°But we¡¯ll have to know how many men king Arthur and Darian has with them.¡± Carl_ ¡°your right Zara, we¡¯ll immediately send a letter to our spies in Neptune and Crystal-ville, so they will find out¡­¡± As they were discussing, Lia walked in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your discussion, but I want to speak to queen Zara,¡± Lia muttered. Zara excused herself and followed Lia. Once they were out of sight she turned to Lia. ¡°What is it?¡± Lia sighed, then she said, ¡°Zara, M has returned.¡± Don鈥檛 trust Myla ZARA¡¯S POV I gasped, giving Lia a surprised look. ¡°I wonder where she has been all this while!¡± I muttered, and Lia nodded. ¡°I also wonder the same. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s suspicious,¡± Lia retorted and I chuckled. ¡°Lia you always find everyone suspicious. Remember, M is our friend, so we shouldn¡¯t jump to a conclusion and start suspecting her.¡± ¡°If you say so Zara,¡± Lia said with an eye roll. ¡°Take me to M,¡± I said, and followed her as she lead the way. When we got to the hallway, I spotted M standing by a pir, ncing around curiously. When her gazended on me, she smiled. ¡°Queen Zara!¡± She called, running toward me. ¡°Where have you been M?¡± I asked immediately she got to where I was. ¡°Zara, I was so scared when you and Lia disappeared from the pce, so I also left going in search of you. I recently found out that you¡¯ve returned, so I came back,¡± M exined. I smiled, giving her a light knock on her head. ¡°Silly girl, why would you go out to look for us, you could have just remained in the pce. After all, Carl sent some men in search of me.¡± ¡°I know Zara, but still. The pce was not the same without you and Lia. I was lonely. And when Carl and his men went on the first search, they didn¡¯t find you, that¡¯s why I went on my own search,¡± M said, scanning my body. ¡°Are you okay, My queen!¡± she added. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine M, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the reason you left the pce, or for something else?¡± Lia chipped in, eying M. ¡°Lia, stop it¡± I reprimanded, tapping her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, Zara. Where did she go? Have you forgotten that Carl sent some men in search of her, but they couldn¡¯t find her,¡± Liained, looking somewhat annoyed. ¡°I know Lia. But don¡¯t be so hard on her.¡± M sniffed, drying the tears that were now pouring out. ¡°Zara I swear that I went out in search of you, but couldn¡¯t find you. I also saw Carl¡¯s men, when they were patrolling the area, but I thought they were looking for you, I didn¡¯t know it was me,¡± M exined. I wiped her tears, giving her a reassuring smile. ¡°M! it¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to cry, I understand. Besides you were not the only one who was worried, everyone was. So stop crying.¡± M nodded, then she said, ¡°Okay! Queen Zara, I¡¯ll stop now.¡± Lia rolled her eyes, mumbling some incoherent words under her breath. And I chuckled. Lia can get annoyed over the most little thing. She¡¯s just like a child. ¡°Lia, take M to the chamber and give her some food.¡± Lia scoffed. ¡°Zara, she¡¯s not new in the pce. she can do that herself.¡± ¡°Lia, please. just get her something to eat. You know she just arrived.¡± ¡°Okay, Zara! It¡¯s because of you,¡± Lia mumbled. I smiled, as I watch her walk away with M. I wonder why she suddenly started to suspect M. I was still lost in thoughts when Gage stood in front of me. ¡°Your majesty,¡± he dubbed, bowing his head in respect. ¡°Gage, what brings you here?¡± Is something wrong?¡± I asked. Gage nodded his head. ¡°No, Queen Zara! but I happen to overhear your conversation with Lia and M¡­ Your majesty, I don¡¯t mean to intrude, but Lia is right. you should beware of M, she is not who you think she is. Please beware,¡± Gage said, and after that, he walked away. I watched his retreating figure, wondering what he meant by that. No one can understand Gage. He seems to know more about us than we do about him. It¡¯s like he has been in the pce before. And the most suspicious thing about him is that he refused to take off his mask. Although he says it¡¯s because of the scar on his face, I still think there¡¯s more to it. I watched Gage until he was out of sight. The fact that both him and Lia were against M, made me think I need to beware of her¡­ Meanwhile, Roxanne tries to persuade Lord Francis to take action against Nadia. ¡°My lord! Why are you doing nothing about Nadia? Remember we didn¡¯t act, and King Neil left Everton. So we should take revenge on his daughter,¡± Roxanne suggested, looking somewhat annoyed. She has been waiting for Lord Francis to take revenge on Nadia, for Gwen¡¯s death, but instead, he just sat and watch like he forgot about the matter. ¡°Roxanne, I didn¡¯t forget about revenge. it¡¯s just that now is not the time to act. We need to wait for an opportunity to arise. Besides, there is a war around the corner, we should worry more about that,¡± Lord Francis replied. Roxanne did not look satisfied as a scowl suddenly appeared on her face. She had thought that Carl would throw Nadia out of the pce, but that didn¡¯t happen because Zara showed up. She was not ready to let her mistress¡¯s death be in vain. Although Gwen was mean to everyone else, she was nice to Roxanne and treated her well. she also helped Roxanne to save her family from very in Crystal-Ville. Roxanne sighed. ¡®If Lord Francis was not ready to take revenge for his daughter, she would do it in his stead. Walking out of the chamber, Roxanne made her way to Nadia¡¯s chamber. ¡®Since everyone thinks you¡¯re mad, I¡¯ll give them proof of your madness.¡¯ Roxanne didn¡¯t get to Nadia¡¯s chamber before she was pulled away by Gage. ¡°Get your hands off me,¡± Roxanne screamed, wriggling in Gage¡¯s arms. Gage sets Roxanne free, cing his hand over his ears. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you, Roxanne. I just came to tell you not to do anything stupid. Don¡¯t try to take revenge fordy Gwen because you might get hurt doing so. Just leave it to me, I promise to take revenge for Gwen,¡± Gage muttered. Roxanne gave him a shocked and suspicious look. ¡°How did you know, that I was going to take revenge fordy Gwen? who are you?¡± ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is the promise I made to you. During the war that is going to take ce soon, I¡¯ll kill Nadia.¡± Roxanne was gobsmacked. She didn¡¯t know whether to trust the unknown knight or to go ahead with her n. ¡°I know you don¡¯t trust me, and I understand. if I don¡¯t keep my promise, you can go ahead and do whatever you like to Nadia,¡± Gage told her. ¡°What is your reason for doing this? Do you know Gwen? Why do you want to help me take revenge?¡±Roxanne asked all at once. Gage rolled his eyes. ¡®So many questions,¡¯ he mumbled inwardly, before answering her. ¡± Yes, I know Gwen and I owe her a favor because she helped me once. And the reason I want to kill Nadia is that I have a grudge against her and her father. That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡± Roxanne sighed. Although she didn¡¯t want to agree with him, it seems like he was her best option now. ¡°Alright? I¡¯ll take this risk and give you chance. But you better keep your word,¡± Roxanne retorted, reluctantly going back to her chamber. Gage watched her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. ¡®Who would have thought she¡¯s a feisty one.¡¯ ¡­ Nadia heard about the war, and panicked. ¡°Ariel, we can¡¯t stay in Everton, during the war, I think we should go back to Nedal, until after the war.¡± ¡°My queen, everyone would know it¡¯s because of the war, you ran away. And sorry to say, almost everyone in Everton hates you. Now is a good to gain their favor. You¡¯ll have to pretend to support them, then when the war breaks out, we¡¯ll sneak to Nedal,¡± Ariel replied. Nadia smiled, then she said, ¡°That¡¯s a good Idea, Ariel. But how do we sneak away during the war?¡± ¡°My queen! From what I observed, I think there¡¯s a secret passage in prince Aiden¡¯s room. That¡¯s how Zara was able to leave the pce unnoticed the other time. We¡¯ll use that same passage, to sneak out¡­¡± IN NEDAL ¡°Your Majesty, Neptune, and Crystal-Ville are nning a war against Everton, are you going to send reinforcements, now that we¡¯re aligned?¡± King Neil¡¯s right-hand man asked. King Neil scoffed. ¡°We need to think before acting. I can¡¯t just send reinforcement to Everton, what if they lose the war?¡­ King Arthur woulde after me if that happens. So I¡¯ll wait to see the winning side. If king Carl is winning, I¡¯ll join him, but if he¡¯s losing, I¡¯ll join King Arthur and Darian.¡± The right-hand man nodded, then he said, ¡°My king, I think we should join King Arthur and Darian. Our sources say, there¡¯s another king in alignment with them. And he has about fifty thousand men. if they are joined with Arthur¡¯s and Darian¡¯s men, only God knows the number of men they will have.¡± King Neil was gobsmacked. Fifty thousand men! ¡°Still, we can¡¯t underestimate King Carl. Have you forgotten he¡¯s married to princess Zara of Azrael? And not only that¡­ King Alfred of Nival is his uncle. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have the support of those two nations. So like I said before, I¡¯ll wait to see the winning side, before deciding who to join. ¡­ King Darian of Crystal-Ville secretly marched to Azrael with his troop of thirty thousand men. And it took at least two days to get there.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. They camped in a forest near Azrael¡¯s border, to avoid suspicion and someone noticing them. Once it was midnight when they know everyone was probably sleeping, King Darian and his men attacked. ¡­ The sound of the rm bell woke king n and queen Lyarra. They quickly stood up from bed, going out of the chamber to see what was happening. As they came out, they saw that the pce was in a state of uproar, and the guards were running toward the gate holding their weapons. ¡°What is going on?¡± King n asked. ¡°Your majesty, we are under attack!¡± War ¡°Your majesty, we are under attack,¡± a guard yelled, making King n¡¯s eyes widen in shock. Although he wasn¡¯t scared for himself, he was scared for his nation and the people. ¡°Lyarra, I need you to take all the old men, women, and children, to the secret room,¡± he tells queen Lyarra. She nodded in disagreement. ¡°No n, I want to stay and fight alongside you.¡± King n sighed. ¡°Lyarra, I know you want to fight, but right now, the safety of the women and children is more important. And It is your duty to protect them.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that. But please be safe,¡± queen Lyarra replied. King n nodded, before turning around to leave. Although they were taken by surprise, he was not going to let them win. King n put on his battle armor, taking his weapon. The good thing was that king Darian and his men had not bridged Azrael¡¯s wall. Due to their strong defense. Azrael was always defended by special night guards, in case of a surprise attack like this one. But their defense was almost broken, as King Darian had more men, while the special night guard were five hundred in number. King n immediately organized his troops and generals. And altogether, they were about twenty- Five thousand men. King n_ ¡°Lord Tyson(Minister of defense ), and General Ryder, you¡¯ll defend the gate with one thousand men¡­ Position some of the men by the wall, and make use of fire and arrows to stop the enemy from bridging the wall. Lord Tormund(Minister of war) and General Odin you will take Ten thousand men and attack the enemy up front, while I take the remaining nine thousand, through the secret tunnel and attack from behind, giving them a surprise attack as they did to us.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± King n nced at his men who were low-spirited, as they weren¡¯t except a war to break out. Sighing, he said, ¡°The enemy may be more or less in number, they might have taken us by surprise, but this is our nation, our home, we can¡¯t just sit and watch the enemy take what is ours. Besides, our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and children are counting on us. They want us to protect and save them. And if we fail them today, then why do we call ourselves King and soldiers. We¡¯ll have to defend Azrael with our lives, even if it¡¯s thest thing we do.¡± ¡°We will defend Azrael, we will defend Azrael, with our tears and blood, even if it¡¯s thest thing we do,¡± the men chanted. King n smiled when he saw that their spirit was lifted, and now more than ever, they look ready to fight. Meanwhile, King Darian and his men have seeded in breaking Azrael¡¯s special defense. They were now heading to the wall to destroy it, when the Azrael¡¯s soldiers defending the wall on the inside opened fire¡­ The gate of Azrael was opened for Lord Tormund and General Odin to lead their troop of ten thousand men for an upfront attack. While king n led his men through a secret tunnel. ¡­ On the other hand, King Luther secretly moved his men, and they camped on a mountain near Everton, waiting for the right time to invade the pce¡­ Once the war between Arthur and Carl breaks out, King Luther and his men would strike. ¡­ Arthur matched with his men to the battleground, not far from Everton¡¯s border, as they await Carl¡¯s arrival. Meanwhile, Everton¡¯s spies in Neptune and Crystal-Ville reported the number of men in Arthur¡¯s and Darian¡¯s army. They had thought that Arthur and Darian had thirty thousand men each. little did they know that there were more men. That is king Luther¡¯s men. ¡­ Old people, women, and children were led to the secret room, with all the necessary things they might need as no one knew how long the war wouldst. Carl and Zara were clothed in their war armor, as Carl was ready to leave for battle. ¡°Zara! As I¡¯m leaving for war, I can¡¯t promise you that I¡¯lle back alive. but I want you to be strong, and remain safe. You have to promise me, that you will be safe,¡± Carl muttered. ¡°I promise to be safe, but you also have to be safe. You have toe back alive because I have something important to tell you,¡± Zara replied. ¡®Or should I tell him now? maybe that will motivate him to do whatever it takes toe back alive,¡¯ Zara pondered. ¡°Zara¡­¡± ¡°Carl! I think I¡¯ll tell you now. I don¡¯t think I can wait anymore,¡± Zara said, cutting him off. Carl gave her a curious look. ¡°Tell me, Zara!¡± She sighed, then she said, ¡°Carl I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Your majesty, it¡¯s time to leave. The battle has already begun,¡± a guard announced, also cutting Zara off. Carl gave her an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, Zara! I have to go. Always remember that I will love you in this lifetime, as well as every lifetime toe.¡± After that, he kissed her, before turning around to leave. Zara watched his retreating figure, as tears welled up in her eyes. For some reason, she felt like it was thest time she was going to see him. Like something was going to happen and they would be separated. She wished, she had told him, about her pregnancy. But it¡¯s toote now. She just had to pray that her intuition was wrong. When Carl left, Queen Catherine, Lady Anna, Lia, and the three children walked into the chamber. ¡°Zara, we have to go. it¡¯s time!¡± Zara sighed. ¡°Please you all have to be safe no matter what,¡± she tells them, and they nodded giving her a sad smile. ¡­ They walked into the hall where Jerald and Gage stood waiting for them. ¡°Jerald, where is M?¡± Lia asked, ncing around curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen her¡­ I think she might have joined the women and children in the secret room alongside Nadia and her maid,¡± Jerald answered. Little did they know that M had sneaked out through Aiden¡¯s room, to bring king Luther and his men in. While Nadia and her maid were packing the things they needed for their escape to Nedal. Zara scoffed. She didn¡¯t forget what Nadia had done to her and Gwen. It¡¯s just that, now she had more important things to think of, rather than her revenge against Nadia. ¡°Mother, Aunt, Lia, you¡¯d also have to take the children and go to the secret room, it¡¯s not safe for you out here,¡± Zara told them. ¡°Zara, you shoulde with us. You can¡¯t fight in your condition. you¡¯re pregnant,¡± Lady Anna reasoned. Jerald, Catherine, and Gage gasped, giving Zara a stunned look. Catherine_ ¡°Zara! so I was right. you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Jerald_ ¡°Your grace, you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Gage_ ¡°Queen Zara! if you¡¯re pregnant, then Lady Anna is right. You can¡¯t fight in your condition.¡± Zara sighed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pregnant, but I¡¯m a queen. My duty is not only to the baby in my womb, but to everyone in Everton. I am not just a mother to my baby, but to everyone in Everton¡­ I will fight and protect my people from the enemy just like a mother would protect her children,¡± She retorted. They stare at her in admiration. ¡°Is it just me, or she looked badass when she said that,¡± Lady Anna whispered to Queen Catherine¡­ Seeing that they couldn¡¯t convince Zara, they listened to her and went to the secret room. ¡­ Zara sat on her horse(Fury) with Jerald and Gage beside her, addressing the ten thousand men in front of her with confidence and boldness. ¡°My Fathers and Brothers, I stand before you, not as your queen, but as your daughter, your sister, and above all your fellow soldier. I stand here as someone, ready to fight and die alongside you. To protect our mothers, children, and everyone we hold dear in the name of Everton¡­ Many of us might die today, but we die as soldiers, we die as heroes fighting for our home¡­ Standing here today, I promise to spill the blood of the enemy, the enemy who hase to take away our peace, our home, and our lives. And what makes me more proud is the honor of fighting alongside you, my brave and loyal soldiers of Everton.¡± Soldiers_ ¡°Hail queen Zara!¡± Zara_ ¡°In the name of Everton!¡± Soldiers_ ¡°Hail Queen Zara!¡± Zara_ ¡°In the name of our mothers, children, and Everyone we hold dear!¡± ¡°Hail Queen Zara!¡± Zara_ ¡°Today we spill the enemies blood. Not because we want to, but because they made us to¡­ We¡¯re not fighting for pleasure, we¡¯re fighting for survival. I hope after this battle, I will see you all again. That after this, you¡¯ll smile and tell me, we did it, queen Zara, we won. However, if luck is not on our side, I¡¯ll see you again in the next life.¡± Soldiers_ ¡°Hail, Hail, Hail.¡± Jerald and Gage watched Zara with a glint of pride and admiration in their eyes. ¡®King Carl was lucky to have a beautiful and brave woman as his wife and queen.¡¯ They thought. And now more than ever, their respect for her had reached an increasingly high level¡­ Seeing her stand strong and confident amongst ten thousand men, was a sight to behold. ¡®I hope I¡¯d live to tell the tale,¡¯ Jerald said inwardly. While Gage¡¯s glint of admiration was now reced with regret. ¡®I hope I¡¯m able to make up for my mistake,¡¯ he thought. ON THE BATTLEFIELDContent ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Carl and his thirty thousand men stood against Arthur and his thirty thousand men as they charged at each other. ¡°We meet again Carl¡­ But this time, one of us must die before the battle ends,¡± Arthur yelled, loud enough for Carl to hear. Carl scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s you, Arthur,¡± he yelled back in a mock tone, and his soldiers cheered. There was no aura of fear or doubt emitting from them. It was all confidence and the zeal to fight and win. On the other hand, Arthur¡¯s men had doubts. After all, Carl¡¯s army has never been defeated in a war and even they could testify¡­ Arthur was outraged. ¡°You dare mock me, Carl. we¡¯ll see who¡¯d have thestugh,¡± He whispered, and without further ado, ordered his men to attack. ¡°Attack,¡± he yelled, ambling toward Carl. Carl smirked. ¡°Hold position!¡­ Archers forward! Aim¡­ Hold¡­ release,¡± Carl yelled, and his men did as he said, repeating the same act thrice. And before Arthur and his men could reach where Carl was, about one hundred of his men were dead. ¡°Attack,¡± Carl yelled, as the battle began. War 2 As the battle went on, M and king Luther made their way to Everton. King Luther left twenty thousand men, to battle Carl¡¯s men at the border, taking the remaining thirty thousand as they headed to the pce. As they reached Everton, the rm bell sounded, alerting Zara that the enemy was at their doorstep. ¡°My queen! You¡¯re with child, please be careful,¡± Jerald warned, and Zara gave a light smile, before saying, ¡°I will.¡± ¡­ King Luther and M made ns to distract Zara. ¡°M, you¡¯ll take ten thousand men through the secret passage, while I use the remaining twenty thousand to attack queen Zara.¡± M nodded. ¡°Alright, father!¡± Soon the war started and King Luther¡¯s men fought Zara¡¯s men¡­ king Luther had to admit that Zara was the most beautiful and courageous woman he had ever seen. The way she fought with so much grace and confidence, amongst men, ying the enemy that came her way¡­ ¡­ ¡°My queen, the war has begun, it¡¯s time to leave,¡± Ariel muttered, and Nadia nodded, before leaving the chamber, while Ariel followed suit. Nadia and Ariel snuck around the pce, ncing around like criminals. They could hear the war cry of the men, and the clinging of swords, but that didn¡¯t matter to them, only their escape did. As they rounded a corner, heading towards Aiden¡¯s room, someone called Nadia, making her stop abruptly. Gage secretly left the battle, going in search of Nadia¡­ He went to the secret room¡­ although it was sealed, there were still about ten soldiers guarding it just in case. They told Gage that they didn¡¯t see Nadia or her maid when the others were going in. So Gage decided to go to her chamber instead. Praying that Nadia would still be there. As he got there, he could hear Nadia and Ariel discussing, even though he couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. Then once he heard footsteps, he hid behind a pir nearby and secretly followed Nadia and Ariel. Gage saw that Nadia was going toward Aiden¡¯s room, so he put the piece together. ¡®She¡¯s probably nning to escape, but that¡¯s not going to happen under my watch¡­¡¯ ¡°Nadia, I¡¯m not surprised to see you escaping,¡± Gage said in a mock tone, striding toward Nadia. Nadia and Ariel both turned to look at him. ¡°Are you not Zara¡¯s guard? How dare you call me by my name? Besides, what are you doing here, instead of fighting alongside Zara?¡± Nadia rasped, in anger. Gage scoffed. ¡°I should be saying that¡­ you¡¯re are a queen shouldn¡¯t you be fighting alongside queen Zara to protect your people?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth! And mind your business, you low lifeguard. I¡¯m still the Queen. Now scurry on out of here,¡± Nadia yelled, turning around to leave. ¡°Stop right there Nadia. I won¡¯t be letting you leave. At least not alive,¡± Gage yelled, removing his mask. Nadia and Ariel twirled, and when their gazended on Gage, they gasped in horror. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ you¡¯re alive,¡± Nadia blurted out, shivering in fear. Gage chuckled. ¡°Yes Nadia, it¡¯s me! Surprise¡± ¡­ Zara and her men were able to stop King Luther and his men from entering the ce. Little did they know that M had seeded in entering the pce with ten thousand men. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the secret room, and capture the people in there. And once queen Zara sees that her people have been taken hostage, she will surrender.¡± ¡­ Azrael won the battle against Crystal-Ville, and king Darian fled back to his nation. Carl also won the battle against Arthur. But in Arthur¡¯s case, he couldn¡¯t escape because Carl chased him. Earlier when Arthur saw that he was on the verge of losing, he fled the battlefield with his right-hand man, Arnold, while Carl chased them alone. When Arthur saw that Carl was chasing him without any soldier, he decided to lure Carl to where they could kill him. Arthur asked Arnold to take a different route, while he lured Carl to a cliff. ¡°Arthur, you have nowhere to go, surrender!¡± Carl muttered. Arthur scoffed. ¡°You may think you have won, but actually, you lost.¡± Carl gave Arthur a confused look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arthur_ Tsk Tsk Tsk! ¡°Oh, dear Carl! I was just a distraction. The main battle is still going on. And do you want to know where¡­ In your pce. My father against your beautiful queen Zara.¡± Carl_ ¡°You¡¯re lying Arthur. Your father is dead.¡± Arthur_ ¡°oh! I thought so too. Until he showed up with an army of fifty thousand men, which he is currently using to take over Everton. You don¡¯t have to believe me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Carl could feel his heart racing in fear. Although he didn¡¯t want to believe Arthur, seeing how confident he was, he had to. Carl wanted to forget Arthur and run back to Everton, but Arthur distracted him further. Just until Arnold shows up and they were able to kill him. Arthur_ ¡°Carl, don¡¯t leave so soon. I have more information for you.¡± Carl ignored him, turning around to leave¡­ When Arthur saw Carl ignore him, he ran toward Carl, clutching his hand. Carl spun, facing Arthur with a scowl on his face, then he said, ¡°Let go, Arthur! Or I might as well kill you.¡± Arthur_ ¡°Easy Carl. You shouldn¡¯t be mad at me. You should be mad at M instead. You know M right, Zara¡¯s maid¡­ Carl_ ¡°How do you know her?¡± Carl asked, even though he didn¡¯t want to. Arthur¡¯s lips twitched into a smirk when he saw that he had gained Carl¡¯s attention. Arthur_ ¡°Well, M is my step sister. She was sent by my father to be a spy in Everton. Who do you think killed your dear Zara¡¯s baby? Although she didn¡¯t do it herself, she gave the poison to Gwen.¡± Carl was taken aback, too stunned to move or even speak. As Arthur¡¯s words reyed in his head. M is a traitor! ¡°Carl, I¡¯m sure by now my father would have taken over Everton, and probably killed dear Zara, or made her his ve,¡± Arthur added, trying to rile Carl up, and he seeded. Carl clenched his fist,nding a punch in Arthur¡¯s face. ¡°Shut up Arthur!¡± Arthur chuckled. ¡°The truth is bitter Carl. You won¡¯t be able to save Zara.¡± Carl halted his action. At the mention of Zara¡¯s name. He was distracted and lost in thought, that he didn¡¯t notice Arnold behind him. Arnold immediately stabbed Carl from the back, removing the dagger and repeating the same act over and over again. Carl fell to the ground, clutching his stomach as blood gushed out of his mouth. ¡°Your majesty, are you alright,¡± Arnold yelled ncing at Arthur.¡± Arthur let out a burst ofughter. ¡°I won Carl, I won. I finally defeated you,¡± Arthur said, taking slow steps towards Carl. Carl fixates his weak gaze on Arthur. ¡®I won¡¯t be dying alone,¡¯ he mumbled inwardly. And before Arthur and Arnold knew what was happening, Carl used all his strength tounch an attack, on Arthur, plunging his sword into his heart. ¡°You can¡¯t win against me Arthur,¡± Carl mumbled weakly. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Arnold yelled, stabbing Carl again. And this time, Carl slump to the ground, shutting his eyes, as a drop of tears trickle down. ¡­ Carl¡¯s men arrived at the scer killing Arnold and taking their king¡¯s body away. Carl¡¯s remaining soldiers, consisting of five thousand men could not return to Everton because they received reports that king Luther has taken over. So instead, they took Carl¡¯s body and headed to Azrael. Meanwhile, Gage seeded in killing both Nadia and Ariel before M showed up. Sending both their heads to Nedal. ¡­ After the war, King Luther took over Everton and Neptune, merging them to be one nation which he called Morana King Luther brutally murdered anyone who wouldn¡¯t renounce theirte king Carl. Beheading and hanging their head on a pike for people to see.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Zara was locked up in a dungeon. Although she looked strong on the outside she was emotionally damaged inside. ¡°Queen Zara, your husband is dead, the words kept reying in her head.¡± ¡­ THE END Watch out for book 2: ¡­ Note: This is my first novel. Please like andment on what you think. I¡¯d love to hear from you. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!