Chapter 38: 38. Peek Into The Secrets

"Ariana, are you alright?" There was an urgency and panic in Xavier's voice. The information that she wasn't feeling well hadn't been forgotten and was in the back of his mind through out the day, which resurfaced on seeing her color-drained face.

Hearing that, everybody's attention diverted from Nate. But before their judgmental gaze could land on her, courtesy of a certain pretender, Ariana quickly retreated to her stoic face. "How dare he address me in such an informal manner in front of all as if we were close?" She complained to Saoirse.

"She is not. Just some hours ago, she fainted after climbing the stairs." Luna Barbara whined.

Xavier jumped up from his seat with wide eyes, starling everyone. "Let a healer be fetched this instant!" He ordered. Guards standing at the door rushed outwards immediately on the command of their King.

"There's no need to bother anyone. I'm perfectly fine now." Ariana tried explaining as she stood up from her seat anxiously.

"Do you need some medicines or fruits or some special dish?" Xavier asked worriedly without addressing what Ariana had just said, acting as if she hadn't said anything before him at all.

Ariana bit her lip in slight frustration. "Your Majesty, I appreciate. I really do. But I do not wish any fruit or dish or a healer."

"You do not wish it but you require it." countered an offended Xavier.

"Now he's just making you seem ungrateful in front of everyone. Just make him sit his royal arse down, please." said a tired Saoirse to Ariana.

Ariana flickered her glistening eyes directly towards him. "It touched me that you still care for me."

Xavier's heart skipped a beat.

"Of course, I do." He wanted to say. But not in front of everyone. Whatever was left between them and whichever direction their relation would go, it involved him and her only. The only person he desperately wanted to explain his actions to was Ariana. Not Nathaniel or his courtiers or the Kingdom. Only her.

"Otherwise His Majesty isn't under any obligation as he isn't my brother-in-law anymore sadly. I wasn't here to express it before but my greatest sympathy to you as well as the former Queen." continued Ariana calmly with puppy eyes.

She sat down slowly and didn't even bother to look at others for their reaction. She simply didn't care if they thought she was being petty and insensitive. "Why should I? One day they condemn me for wrongly accusing the King while the other day, they commend me for being their savior. Opinions of those who change on a whim aren't important." She reminded herself.

Persephone looked as if she could murder Ariana right then and there. She glanced at Xavier for support but he wasn't looking at her at all. He had sat down and was clutching the wine glass tightly with a blank look on his face.

She then turned to Nathaniel to find him looking at Ariana proudly. It angered her even more when she got reminded by herself that even her father wouldn't berate Ariana anymore judging by the amount of regret she had seen in his eyes.

Alphas and Lunas of same pack had already started discussing among each other through mind-links on the chances of Ariana actually being their King's mate. They had already figured that Persephone wasn't his real mate as which werewolf would separate from their mates willingly especially after marking? And the extent of concern and lenience being shown to Ariana by their King added to their suspicion.

After half an hour, the dinner program ended with last bites of desert of slow eaters. Xavier stood up. "We thank all my lords and ladies for their lovely company. Good night." His eyes lingered on Ariana for a while before he stepped aside from his seat and walked out of the dining hall.

Ariana and Nate excused themselves too and went straight to Ivory's room to narrate the whole segment. Three of them laughed together.

"I know I always teased you about him being your brother-in-law but wow! I didn't think you had the balls to say it to his face." Nate bowed to Ariana.

Ariana rolled her eyes. "I was totally fine with ignoring him for the rest of this week and returning to human world in peace. But I can't help it if he provokes me."

"Still! I'm impressed." Ivory smirked.

"What can I say? Influence of the snarky Astor family." Ariana gave her a cheeky smile.

"Do you mean confident perhaps?" Ivory raised her left eyebrow. "But these people astonish me, you know. They act like nothing ever happened three years ago. Without any sincere apology, they want to be forgiven."

Ariana shook her head in hopelessness. "I had time to reflect on their personalities and I was certain that none of these people would ever apologize. Not in private and definitely not in public. So, I hadn't come here expecting a meltdown or a grand apology. Asking for forgiveness is equivalent to humiliation for them and all these ranked individuals care about their image above all."

Nate scoffed. "People become delusional in order to justify their misdeeds. Anyways, focusing on the other highlight of the dinner. How do you feel Saoirse? Nervous or proud of yourself? You've managed to keep the secret so well that your mate is arranging a ceremony for your lover."

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Ariana gulped before speaking. "There is no secret and even if there was, it isn't necessary for me to tell him or anyone. Now, excuse me. I'll go to sleep."

"Oh come on! Why are you getting offended? Don't go." Nate laughed.

"Before going to sleep, I shall write a 10 page letter, front and back, listing all of your promiscuous acts and send it to Persephone along with a handkerchief and liquor." Ariana announced as she walked out of the room.

"You can't say stuff like this in front of my sister." Nate shouted while Ivory made a disgusted face.

But in mind-link, Nate playfully said, "I never knew you wanted to be an erotic novel writer."

"Shut up." He quickly got a response.

"And along with those things, don't forget to send her a vibrato-"

Ariana blocked the mind-link and ran towards her chamber.

**~~~**

There was a rose in his left hand, which was hanging in the air, while his right hand, which was rested on arm of the chair, fiddled with a ring. The ring was beautiful of course, but didn't seem like the type to be worn by a man.

He brought the ring closer to his heart and let out a deep sigh in anguish, remembering the person it used to belong to. His mum, the deceased Queen mother Xianna.

Werewolves didn't have the tradition to propose to their soulmates for marriage. But unknown to them, their King Victor's mate was a human and the King had decided to ask for her hand following the human way. Xavier's father had proposed to his mother with the same ring that was in his hand now.

After marriage, Queen Xianna had stopped wearing the ring as she wanted her son to keep it safe for his future bride. In her and Ariana's honor, he had let Persephone use all the family jewelries but never this ring.

Despite Duchess Lily's constant request, he never gave in, as deep in his heart, he knew this ring belonged only in his Ariana's finger. "And soon, it shall be." He promised himself.

Vampires were successful in separating his parents and grandparents but he wouldn't let them succeed in his and his mate's turn too. They had separated his mother and father and grandpa and grandma by death but a mere mind-game had been enough to separate him from his mate. But the game wasn't over. "We aren't over." He assured himself.

A rare smile graced his lips when he thought about his Ariana. Her arrival was completely unexpected. Even if she had not come back by herself, he had already made a plan beforehand to bring her back after settling the disease fiasco here.

"I can't believe she's here." He whispered to Kon, his wolf as his eyes glistened with tears.

To think of it now, she was such a blessing for him as well as his Kingdom. How could he have ever imagined his kingdom flourishing without its true Queen? He couldn't say it in front of everyone but he was proud of her. So proud. Not only because of her sacrifice of blood, but also because of her decision to become a healer. His mate was strong enough not to let anything ruin her.

He was aware that he had hurt her deeply. Indirectly, he was the reason for the fallout with her family. One thing he had noticed while living with Persephone was that she and their father, Alpha Edward never had an emotional relationship with Ariana.

One of the reasons he could never make himself like Persephone was her constant mentioning of Ariana in a negative manner. In regards to her feelings, he had never bad-mouthed Nathaniel. This should have been an obvious understanding between them.

Xavier shook his head, trying to forget the past as he had a future to plan after all. And that plan involved doing anything and everything it required to bring Ariana back in his life. He would lay the world at her feet. And this wasn't a hollow dialogue of a road-side Romeo who is only capable of saying it. This was a promise of the King who possesses the ability to make it come true.

If only he'd had confidence in himself and their bond, they would have been together this day. Instead, he was busy lamenting and planning for an uncertain future. His love for Ariana was now replaced with anger on the people who had separated them. He put the ring and rose in his pocket and stood up.

The King marched towards the dungeon. The guards on the way bowed their head in his respect.

He paused in front a cell and stood straight. He scoffed at the prisoner inside and taunted.

"It's been days since we gave you a visit, hasn't it? Tell us one thing. Today morning, did you prophesize us coming down here? Did you have a vision of us descending to this putrid place and resume torturing you, oh almighty Head Priest Narcisse?"

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