When the Master Enaerion informed Iria about the disappearance of King Rozalez, the Queen was stunned!
It was such a crucial time for Zaro Aventine but... someone stood in his way?
Nevertheless, Iria knew her brother and cousin too well. She understood right away that it must be their doing.
"Is there any news from Jerivia?" the Queen asked the Masked Enaerion who was kneeling a few steps away on her right.
"We only heard that the King of Jerivia is briefly back from Helsia. However, he will soon return again. The disappearance of King Rozalez still troubles him," the Master Enaerion replied.
Iria thought of the missing cases that were still left unsolved. She knew that finding someone wasn't easy and... if King Rozalez was really taken away by Andres and Orius, she doubted that Zaro Aventine would be able to track them down.
The fact that the two men were planning for more... didn't even cross the Queen's mind.
"Pay more attention to Helsia," she said to the Master Enaerion. "I'm sure that Zaro Aventine won't just sit still there. If he is to get what he wants, he will surely come for Qalagon first."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
With that said, the Master Enaerion stood up and left the chamber.
Once she was alone, Iria rose from her seat and walked towards the balcony. When she stood there, she stared in the direction of the training ground where the young Prince practiced with his older brother.
The King was very busy but he finds the time to practice with his younger brother for the afternoon. One glance at the scene and it was obvious that the brothers were enjoying themselves. This drew a little smile from Iria's lips.
It wasn't long before Elian walked inside and stood two steps behind the Queen.
"Your Majesty."
"How is your investigation?"
"I check around with the guards and find out some suspicious places. We will continue keeping an eye on those places," Elian reported to the Queen.
Iria nodded in approval. "It's time to eliminate those nosy spies of Aryan Tripas. If they keep on reporting my movement to him, it will be hard for me to make a move."
"I will remember that."
Standing still on the balcony, Iria thought of the current situation.
Everything that's happening right now... it seemed like it's a great time to finally make her move. She will soon get to fulfil her promise to Rion.
Around one hour more had passed when Arin walked inside the chamber.
"Are you done? It's still early," Iria promptly asked as she turned her head to the door.
"Morin already trained for the whole day. So, I told him to have some rest," Arin replied as he walked towards her. He sat on the armrest of the couch where Iria sat and narrowed his eyes at the scroll she was reading.
"You're reading the report?"
Iria nodded. "I just want to know the situation of the provinces better."
"That's great," Arin promptly said. With a playful smile, he added, "I think I should let you handle more work. If I do that, I will be able to spare more time for Morin's training."
"You never miss a chance to give me more work," she said and clicked her tongue. "How sly."
"Your administrative skills are not inferior to mine. If you don't help me, it will be such a waste of talent," the King explained. "Don't you think so, My Queen?"
When she looked up at him with a hopeless look, he leaned down, hoping to capture her lips. However, she placed her palm on his chest and forbid him from leaning closer.
"Go and clean up. You spend hours under the sun and you smell like sweat."
Arin Helev frowned at her comment. "You're always so cold-hearted."
Iria chuckled at his remark and he ended up smiling again.
"The sun will set soon. It will be cold after that," she said to him in a calm voice.
Arin Helev nodded and despite Iria's hand that was still on his chest, he gave her a peck on the forehead and flashed a smile before he went to take a bath.
*
When Arin was back, Iria was with Morin, reading some books on military tactics.
"I can see that you can't wait to have your sister-in-law to teach you," the young King commented with a smile and took a seat beside his brother.
However, when he saw the book which Morin read, Arin raised a brow. "What book is this? I have never seen it before."
"My father made this for me when I was young," Iria replied. "I grew up reading this book."
A book on military tactics specially made by a father for his daughter?
Somehow, the King finds it very heartwarming. Only a dedicated father would do that.
"When I left Jerivia, I don't have time to take any of my belongings," Iria explained. "While I was in Cedore, Andres arranged someone to retrieve this book for me from my mansion in Jerivia."
Arin shifted his gaze back to the book his brother was reading. "Let me take a look, Morin."
He reached for the book, but... Morin Helev put it behind his back, stunning him.
Before Arin could say anything, Morin turned to Iria. "Sister-in-law, I'm sure that the tactic you used to make my brother withdraw from the war two years ago is in this book. Do you allow him to get a grasp of your tactics?"
Hearing this, Iria laughed while Arin Helev blinked.
Both sides withdrew from that war but... how did his brother talk as if he was the only one who withdrew?!
"Morin," he sighed. "I'm your brother. How can you say that?"
It's not like he didn't know the truth!
"You won every war, except that," the Prince simply said.
"The same goes for me, Morin," Iria chimed in and looked at her husband. "It's not easy to defeat your older brother."
"But he didn't defeat you either," Prince Morin argued, making the King frowned.
Arin Helev still remembered how his brother asked him countless questions when he returned after withdrawing from that war. The young Prince was so curious about the famous female Commander who managed to make his brother withdraw for the first time ever.
That time, Arin answered his brother's question about the Masked Commander for a whole week!
"Fine. I won't look then," Arin Helev said in defeat. "Make sure to learn everything from that book."
The tone of her husband made the Queen laugh.
How childish!
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