Chapter 41: 41. Parents

Ariana slowly walked towards her chamber as a whirlwind of emotions had occupied her inner self. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, threatening to spill down everything, including the heaviness burdening her heart.

"Why is he doing this now!" She shouted in frustration once she entered her assigned room.

"He wants us. You heard him." replied Saoirse grimly.

"Why not three years ago? Why now?" Ariana took a seat at the edge of the bed hurriedly. "Is it because I got my wolf? No. According to that Seer, the problem wasn't me not having a wolf. It was me not being worthy in his eyes. But now, I am? Why? Is it because my blood cured Xanthus? But then again, he had already annulled his marriage with Persephone way before that ordeal."

Ariana grabbed the sheets tightly. "I don't understand what goes in that man's mind."

"Why don't we ask him?" Saoirse suggested carefully.

Ariana pondered for a while before scoffing. "You know what? I do understand. The entitled King must have found Persephone more attractive than me then. But after some time, he must have been bored by her and realized the truth that only his mate can satisfy him. And one day he went, oh! I do have a mate who was begging to be with me even when I didn't even acknowledge her. Let's have her back, shall we?"

"I'm not sure about that, human. No place has more secrets, lies and conspiracies than a Royal Palace. Especially against the King."

Ariana narrowed her eyes. "Why are you taking his side today? I thought you hated him more than me."

"I'm not taking his side." Saoirse rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying you to forgive him and run into his arms, am I? I just want to know the truth. His truth."

Ariana shook her head. "I have to stop thinking about him. Despite his reasons, what's done is done. I shall never be able to forget what he did. I shall be out of this palace at the end of this week anyway."

There was a knock at the door.

Ariana smoothened the creases on her dress while standing up and walking towards the door. She opened it to find the same maid who had suggested that she changed her dress before attending the high tea.

"My Lady." The maid curtsied.

Ariana nodded in response.

"It's time for dinner, my lady. Everyone is waiting for you at the table, including His Majesty." The maid emphasized. The King makes everyone wait for him. Not the other disrespectful way around. However, their King was patiently waiting for Ariana's arrival back at the dining table while the courtiers suspicions only grew stronger.

Ariana shuddered at the thought of facing Xavier. "My apologies for making everyone wait. Tell them on my behalf that they could commence as I shall be eating in this room only."

The maid hesitated before answering. "Of course, my lady. Your dinner shall be brought to your chamber. Any reason my lady would like me to say in front of them?"

Ariana thought for a while before answering. "Tell them that I am feeling tired."

Saying that, she closed the door and let out a sigh. As she roamed her eyes around the chamber, she just realized that this was the same room which she had been assigned three years ago. The same room where she had twirled around and danced, thinking about the man in the garden. Also the same room where she had cried all night for her mate, knowing he was with someone else.

Finally, drop by drop, tears started streaming down her cheeks. She slowly let go of her body and sat down on the floor, clutching her knees. Her muffled sobs were worrying her wolf. As Saoirse was consoling her, there was a knock at the door once again.

"Ari. It's me. Open the door. The maid told me that you were feeling tired."

Ariana lifted her head at the sickly sweet sound of her mother.

"Open the door, my child. I especially had your favorite dishes made and I've brought them with me."

This lit a fire of fury inside her heart. She stoop up abruptly and opened the door. Her mother was in front of her, a plate of food in her hands and a smile on her face. As if this whole façade wasn't enough, Persephone was standing at the back with a smile on her face too.

"Which world are you planning to send me this time, Luna Barbara? Outer space?!" This time, it wasn't just a snarky remark on Ariana's part but a full-blown outburst.

The guards nearby rushed to them immediately upon hearing the shout while one of them rushed to inform the King.

Luna Barbara was taken aback. Persephone immediately came in her support. "Do not talk to mother in this manner, Ariana." She warned.

"You must have learnt a lot of manners from these royals here in three years to teach me, you spoiled brat."

"Don't create a scene here. Let's go inside." Persephone was about to hold her by arms to push her inside while Ariana's foot caught in the rug and she stumbled before falling down.

"Persephone!" came a lethal growl.

Persephone turned her gaze around to see a raging Xavier walking towards her in a deadly walk, followed by Nathaniel, Anwar and Alpha Edward.

It was apparent that the growl had come from inside of Xavier, which meant Kon, the Alpha Wolf was furious. Persephone clutched her mother's hand tightly and tried to hide behind her. Meanwhile, Nathaniel ran towards Ariana before Xavier.

Nate was about to pick her up when another snarl was heard.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

Nate involuntarily backed away quickly as his wolf recognized that it was an order from the Alpha Wolf itself.

Xavier walked past him and was about to help Ariana when Saoirse took control and let out a small growl. "Don't you touch me either."

Xavier stopped and backed away, letting Ariana stand up on her own.

"You pushed her." He accused Persephone with a murderous glare.

"No I did not." Persephone replied meekly.

Xavier scoffed. "You shall be punishe- "

"She did not." Ariana interrupted him. "I fell on my own." She confessed calmly. She was controlling her anger as Nate had mind-linked her, requesting her to do so. "Do not let them think they still affect you. We'll be out of here in a week." He had said.

"Regardless." Xavier continued. "Why was she pushing you?" He asked Ariana directly.

Persephone stepped in front instead. "Actually, mother and I were worried that she did not come from dinner. So, we had her favorite dish made and brought here with us. But she refused."

Ariana chuckled. "Classic Persephone. Finding a way to turn around everything against me. Guess some people never change."

"What are you saying? We just brought your favorite food and you declined. Isn't that the truth?" asked Persephone coyly.

Ariana chuckled once again before she turned completely serious. "You're asking the wrong question, Persephone. The question is why I declined my favorite food." She said, air quoting "favorite food".

"And the answer is I haven't had my favorite food in past three years. I even struggled with eating any type of food during my first year in human world because I always feared someone would put something in it and my safety would in jeopardy. Thanks to the Bennet family for giving me fear of food by drugging me using my favorite food to parcel me to the human world." She spat.

"I was told you went there by choice." Xavier informed with a bewildered look on his face.

"It was for your own good, Ari." Persephone intervened. "You wouldn't have been able to see me and him together."

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"As if." Nathaniel mocked. "You feared that he would give up on you any day if he sees his mate frequently."

Persephone didn't know how to answer any further as anything she says would land her in trouble only. So she remained mute this time.

"Now that everything is settled, excuse me." Ariana walked away from the group. She needed some fresh air. All of this was extremely overwhelming. She wanted normalcy. Something the palace would never be able to give her.

For hours, she roamed around the palace and its gardens mindlessly. She didn't wish to return to that chamber. "Maybe I could sleep with Ivory tonight." She thought.

Hearing her stomach growl in hunger, she decided to go the kitchen and prepare something for herself. It had been midnight already. She wondered if the kitchen had been closed by then. On the way, she noticed portraits of Lancaster Kings and Queens from several generations on the walls.

She stood and admired the painting of Former King and Queen. "How much must have the King loved his Queen for him to accept her wolf less and die protecting her?" She smiled. Just looking at them made her heart flutter. "May their soul be resting with each other."

She lifted her hand to wipe the dust on the frame. As she was doing so, she saw a reflection on the glass protecting the portrait. She couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked several times, wishing it wasn't in real and only in her insane imagination. But no, the figure was still standing behind her, its reflection scaring her.

She slowly turned around to come face to face with it. There it was. Its bloodshot eyes staring at the portrait behind her. Its skin pale white as if a Vampire had suck the blood out of it.

Ariana turned her gaze back to the portrait, comparing the face on it and the face of the figure in front of her. It was the same. Except that there was liveliness and regal aura in King Victor's face in the portrait, contrary to the King Victor in front of her.

Her whole body swelled in fear.

"Ghost!" She shouted before lifting her gown and running away from him as quickly as she could.

There was only one place she could go.

She banged on the door of Nate's chamber repeatedly until he opened. She immediately entered his room and sat on the sofa.

Nate became worried seeing her panic-stricken face and aggressive breathing. He immediately rushed to her side and handed her the glass of water on the table. "What happened?"

Ariana took few sips before answering, "I saw the ghost of King Victor." Her face showed that she was finding it hard to process what she had just said herself.

"What?" Nate frowned. He rolled his eyes as his whole demeanor changed. "Don't play pranks on me."

Ariana grabbed a pillow and hit him with it. "I'm telling the truth!"

Nate grabbed another pillow and hit her head lightly with it. "Here. Is your brain back in its place now?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" asked Ariana, frustrated with his indifference. "Fine!" She stood up and looked around the place, searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" asked Nate.

"Metals. To ward off ghosts."

Nate chuckled. He reached under his bed pillow and took out a knife. "Here." He said, giving it to Ariana.

Ariana took it and left his room while giving him a last glance.

**~~~**

Next morning, Ariana woke up tired. She had no idea when she fell asleep clutching the knife's handle and chanting the Goddess's name.

However, after waking up, she felt silly and ashamed of herself. How could she have come to conclusion that it was indeed the ghost of King Victor and not the King himself?

"Simple. Because you were reminded of his death every year on your birthday. You couldn't think of him as anything more than dead." said Saoirse.

"Could the King actually be alive?" Ariana asked to no one in particular.

Filled with curiosity, she didn't waste a single second and walked out of her room in her nightgown only to investigate the place where she had seen him the night before. The place was near the north border of the castle.

As she was walking towards the wall with all the portraits hanging on it, she saw Xavier and Duke Lorenzo with some Royal guards near the border wall. The guards were restraining an old man by his arms while Xavier confronted him. Ariana approached them.

As soon as Xavier felt her presence, he turned around, facing her. He walked towards her and whispered, "Good morning, my love." before blocking the view of the guards with his body, making it unable for them to see Ariana.

"What?" Ariana spat.

"Ahem!" Duke Lorenzo cleared his throat catching Xavier's attention.

Xavier turned towards them, still blocking their view. "Yes, old man. Why were you trying to enter the castle?"

The old man looked at him expectantly before breaking into a grin. "Because I wanted to." He laughed.

"He really seems to have lost his mind, Your Majesty." One of the guards informed.

Now that Ariana noticed, the old man was acting pretty weird. He wasn't standing still and was even making faces at the King.

Xavier contemplated for a while before whispering to the guard near him, "Release him for now. Keep an eye on him for some days. He is definitely not from Wicref. If he really is mentally unwell, send him to a healer."

The guard nodded before announcing. "You won't be punished, old man. His Majesty has decided to release you."

When the guards let go of his arm, he ran towards Xavier and laughed. "Thank you, boy. I heard from people that your father mother are dead."

The guards were about to confiscate him once again for disrespecting their King when Xavier motioned with his hand to let it go.

The old man made faces at the guards in triumph before turning back to Xavier. "What's their name, boy? I will pray for their soul. Surely the goddess will listen to prayers of a madman like me out of pity."

Xavier remained silent for a while before answering.

"His Majesty, Victor Keane Lancaster and Her Majesty, Xianna Kezia Lancaster."

Ariana heard Xavier mutter. She felt uneasy at King Victor's name, considering the possibility of him being alive.

"A woman may take your name out of her love for you but her soul will forever be attached to her real name. Her maiden name." said the old man.

"Don't teach our King." said one of the guard harshly.

The old man ignored the guard. "Your mother's maiden name, King." He emphasized on the word "King" as if he were mocking.

Xavier lowered his eyes before answering.. "Xianna Windsor."

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