"Why didn't you inform me about this sooner?!"
King Regan Helev was struck hard by the news which his son brought. The one who came and stayed for months wasn't Princess Iria Aventine and she already returned to Jerivia?!
Even the possibility never once crossed the King's mind!
"I apologize, Father," the Crown Prince promptly responded. "Everything happened too sudden and if words get out, we will be in a dire situation. Besides, we will soon face a war."
King Regan shut his eyes as the complicated situation troubled him to a great extent. He finds it hard to believe that everything became a mess just because of... one false rumor?
Such was the world they live in. Besides, when it comes to rival kingdoms like Qalagon and Jerivia, it was more than hard to trust each other in anything! Even if they had an ounce of doubt against each other, they won't want to take any risk.
"Father, let us not reveal anything to the people until the war with Alora ends. I will first concentrate on this war and after that, I will try to come with a solution. I'm the only one who can solve this," Crown Prince Arin said to his father.
"If she is not the Princess of Jerivia... " King Regan made a deliberate pause and asked, "Then who is she?"
Perhaps... some noble lady?
Crown Prince Arin briefly glanced at Commander Nico who was sitting opposite him on his father's left. He felt reluctant to say the truth but... it would be worse if his father was to find it out later!
"The Masked Commander," he muttered in a low voice.
In a split second, King Regan's eyes grew wide open!
The Masked Commander? Was his son joking or what?!
He recalled his memories of her but... no matter what, she didn't resemble a warrior at all!
No wonder she managed to fool everyone. It was impossible to guess!
"Are the Jerivians crazy?!" the King snapped. "How could they sent their most capable warrior to our kingdom?" He shifted his gaze to his son and said, "This is not good, Arin. If she is the Masked Commander, she is the only daughter of the late Commander Darien Alewine. She will surely hold a grudge against us. Besides, she spent months in our kingdom and inside the palace."
"Are you talking about that assassination incident?" Crown Prince Arin asked and added, "But it's not our doing. Commander Nico also confirmed that it was not the doing of his soldiers."
"His Highness is right," Nico Petrus promptly said. "There's no reason for us to enter Jerivia during that time, let alone assassinating Commander Darien. I don't understand why the Jerivians claimed it as our doing."
"Maybe someone tried to frame us," Crown Prince Arin assumed. Though it had been 3 years, the incident still crossed his mind often and now...
He had fallen for the daughter of that late Commander.
He just realized that if Iria thought it was their doing, she would abhor his kingdom much more than most Jerivians did!
"Who might it be?" Commander Nico asked with a confused face.
When the assassination happened 3 years ago, he just thought that the Jerivians were just trying to put the blame on them. Losing a celebrated warrior on another occasion besides a war would make them the laughing stock of other kingdoms. So, he just thought that they were trying to justify themselves.
But now that he heard the Crown Prince's assumption, he had a feeling that something wasn't right.
Maybe another rival kingdom did it and made it look like their doing to create more conflict between their two kingdoms whose relationship was already sour!
"I had no idea," Crown Prince Arin muttered. "After all, three years had passed."
"I will discuss with the officials and come up with a solution," King Regan spoke up and glanced at the Crown Prince and Commander Nico. "You two should focus on the upcoming war."
Arin and Nico Petrus left the meeting room after they finished clarifying things to the King. However, what they discussed couldn't stop bothering the two men.
Was there really a player behind that assassination incident?
Arin was more than curious to know the answer. Now that Iria Alewine had become someone special for him, he cannot just neglect it.
While the two men were on their way to the main door of the palace, they crossed paths with Queen Lorey Helev. Then the Crown Prince told Commander Nico to go ahead which the latter complied with right away.
Ever since he overheard the conversation between his father and the Queen that night in the tent, Crown Prince Arin noticed the change in the Queen's behaviour. It even made him wondered if his father meant this much to her.
How could some simple words influence her to this extent? He couldn't understand it.
"Did you meet your father?" Queen Lorey asked him in a calm voice. Her fake smile was gone and her face was just calm. She still had no idea of what happened.
It was not easy for Arin Helev. He clenched his fist, trying his best to stay put.
He was separated from his mother due to the greed of this woman and now... the lie she spread turned his life upside down! He always tried to hold back himself for his younger brother's sake but...
Why was it so hard this time?!
Lorey Helev noticed everything. The pain and hatred in the Crown Prince's eyes when he looked at her. She also knew how hard he tried to keep himself in check but... she didn't know what to do.
She always wanted to get rid of him, hoping for her biological son to become the successor but... above all, she loved King Regan. Ever since she fell for him more than a decade ago, her feelings never once wavered. So, as long as she could receive the King's love, she was willing to put aside and endure everything else.
She was trying her best to change her ways though it wasn't easy!
"Yes," Arin Helev finally muttered and walked past the Queen.
Queen Lorey couldn't say anything more else to hold him back. At least, he gave her a response. Then she blankly stared at the Crown Prince until he was out of her sight.....
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