8. RING

Author's POV: 

It was late at night when he came back to find his room empty. A new wave of fury coursed through his veins as that girl wasn't allowed to leave the room without a King's permission. Now she was getting on his nerves as in next few seconds General, Kaz and Conner were present in the conference room.

"WHERE IS THAT GIRL?" He roared as they felt the window panes vibrating by the intensity of his tone. His eyed were focused on the general as he didn't want him to find the Queen. 

"Why do you want that girl sir?" General asked as Kaz and Conner were listening with their bowed heads. They couldn't say anything to the furious King Zackarya Hall because at that time he was just a king not their friend. 

"You want to play games hn! I won't kill you because I need you. You know that but what I would do is to summon all the girls in this castle and kill them one by one in front of your eyes. She was guiding me towards the Queen. I want that girl." He gritted his teeth as he took a harsh breath trying to control his rage. That girl had the audacity to leave his room and now he had to tell her who he actually was. He wasn't thinking about the Queen at that time as that girl was constantly roaming around his mind. 

"I also think that this game should come to an end. That is a fate of every Queen. I would bring you the Queen tomorrow. You can announce your decision then" General said taking a long sigh as he bowed his head at him. 

"We would announce the decision the in front of the public. Summon everyone in the grand hall tomorrow." He raised his head after ordering Conner to ask them to leave this room. He could easily find his mate by sensing her in the entire palace but he would chose the direct way now. She was hiding the Queen now he would kill her in front of everyone and she would also witness that. 

Amairah Garcia's POV:

I was seated on the stool stirring the mixture when Zoya came announcing another news. She was very excited to see the Queen but she was scared too that's why they decided to not see at her face so just they couldn't receive bad luck. 

How can I transfer bad luck to them? I, myself, didn't know.

"What happened now?" Myelin asked rolling her eye at her. 

"They are saying that the Queen was out of her room yesterday. Can you believe that? She was out no one known. But they have caught. The general would take her himself in the great hall." She informed like a messenger and vanished again behind the doors making Myelin to shake her head at her excitement. 

"No matter how she is but she is still our Queen. We haven't got the chance to listen to her once." Myelin said while kneading the dough. I glanced at the mixture in the bowl as she said the exact same things I usually thought sometime. 

"Well yeah there are many rumours about her. But the fact that she was ugly didn't make anyone to see her once. Not even the late King." Nel said as they were the servants of the castle. They eventually get to know everything happening around here. 

The hands stirring the mixture got slow when I glanced at my image in the water placed beside me. Was I this much ugly?

"Don't you have anywhere to sleep?" Myelin asked as making me come out of my thoughts. Nel was nowhere to be seen as I was alone with her. I was glad she asked about her suspicions privately, not in front everyone or otherwise I would be answerable to all of them. 

I just nodded my head not looking at her face as my heart was still aching while listening to the rumours about myself. I was ugly for them. I was dangerous for them too. No one was feeling sorrow on their upcoming death of their Queen. They were looking happy that I was going but the decision was yet to be made. 

"Oh poor thing. You can come and sleep in my cabin. My daughter's bed usually remains empty because she likes to sleep clinging to me. You can come tonight and sleep there." Myelin said patting my head as she was acting like someone who loves me. I couldn't compare that love as I had to experience that first. 

"Thank You." I mumbled as she diverted her attention back to her work smiling at me.

"Let's go everyone is going." Zoya came while saying as it was the King's order so they all had to go leaving their work. Many people from the village also came to witness the demise of the Queen as many didn't because they were scared a lot. 

We were removing our apron as my mind was numb thinking about all this. I was here then who would they present to the king. Does he know I am the Queen?

My mind was in haze when suddenly the noises in the next portion of our kitchen stopped as if someone had muted them. Soon I got to know the reason when a man looking directly at me entered the kitchen. 

"General." Everyone around me bowed their heads immediately seeing him but he wasn't paying attention to them. His eyes were scanning me from top to bottom as I gulped when Zoya elbowed me motioning me to bow my head at General. 

I was about to lower my head when the man said stopping me from doing so. "Come with me." He said each and every word clearly for me to understand. 

I looked at everyone then at him as he didn't wait for my response and went outside for me to follow him.

"She was from the brothel. He must be taking her to sleep with the King." I heard Zoya whining behind me but I couldn't register her words in my mind properly. 

Everyone was silent with their heads lowered at the General unless we exited the kitchen. He stopped when we reached the corridor which was empty. There were no soldiers there as they were there before. They must be removed intentionally as it was my guess. 

I stopped as the general turned around. I glanced upwards at him with shivering hands but my body went stiff when he knelt down before me with his sword's edge on the floor. 

"Your Highness." He greeted me as I was still stiff to make a move or to even say a word. 

"Accept my apology for letting all this happen to you." He stood up saying while putting the sword back in the handler around his waist.

"You know?" I asked him pointed my finger at my chest with dumbfounded expressions. 

"I have served your mother too. You look exactly like her. It's easy for me to recognize you." He smiled as my heart skipped a beat hearing about my mother. My heart was pounding hearing that I looked like her. 

"Also if you ever have to prove someone that you are the Queen then you can show them the mark behind your neck and try to hide it too. Now we have to go." He said urgently as he turned around for me to follow. 

"Is the King going to kill me?" I asked but he just took a deep breath

"I am trying to protect you." He said as if ending the conversation when I started following him. I felt like I could trust him as if I had found someone while roaming lonely in the oasis. 

"You have to stay behind those curtains between all those people. You can't go near the King as he can sense your scent."  General briefed me as there were many people already present in the great hall. 

"Because he is my mate?" I asked him and with that little question of mine, I felt his face getting white.

"Who said that?" He asked with anxiousness dripping from his face.

"He did." I answered as he knew who he was. He cleared his throat as if trying to control his senses. 

"Fine. You can't go near him that's why I bring you here with me to tell you that you are not alone. Kindly give me that ring Your Highness." He asked as my fingers playing with the ring stiffen. 

"It's my mother's." I hid my hands behind my back as he smiled at my childish acts. 

"I know but we need this Your Highness. You can get this back." He said while spreading his hands in front of me respectfully. I glanced at the ring with green diamonds and a white stone carved into a lily shape between them. With a saddened heart I placed that ring on his palm and he vanished after bowing his head at me. Luckily nobody was seeing a general bowing his head at a servant working in the kitchen.

I turned around to move towards the great hall. There were many people so I lowered my bun just like the general said to hide the mark behind my neck. It is something like my blood had accumulated there forming a small purple colored lily shaped flower. 

I reached the people to hide myself in the crowd. They all were looking down at the ground floor where the King would arrive.

Soon the herald announced the arrival of the King as the soldiers opened the door for him. He entered the hall making my breath hitch. He was looking straight while everyone knelt down. 

There was that blue eyed man, the man whom I asked for a bed and general walking behind him in glory. The General glanced at me and bowed his head slightly as if reassuring me that everything would be fine but my heart was still pounding erratically with a feeling that something bad was about to happen.