78: Don't provoke the demon!

Don't provoke the demon!

Music Recommendation: Destiny's Path- John Williams

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"I hope that they find the person who murdered your sister," Gabriel tried to comfort the woman, as he had lost his own opportunity for justice. "Not so that you can leave, but so that you see the person being held accountable."

Anastasia nodded with a small smile and said, "I hope so too. I don't know what happened that day. She was killed along with King William." 

Hearing the name brought a sour look to Gabriel's face, and he said, 

"So it was the same person who killed the king and your sister." Anastasia nodded. "I guess I can curse the person for killing your sister and for ending the king's life, when I would have preferred to do it myself," he admitted, driven by a desire for revenge, but they both knew the high likelihood of being caught if they took matters into their own hands. "To think that the murderer might be residing in this very palace without worry," he muttered. He asked her, "Why do you choose not to speak when you have the ability to?" 

"It was due to specific circumstances that initially led to me not speaking. You cannot tell anyone about it, Gabriel. Only Theresa knows, and if other servants learn about—"

"I understand. I won't bring you trouble," Gabriel agreed. "As people from the same village and the same country, I shall protect your secret." 

Anastasia offered him a bow, "Thank you so much." 

"The palace life has conditioned you, too," Gabriel remarked, and Anastasia looked up to meet his grey eyes. He said, "You don't have to keep up with formalities. In the place we are from, people don't bow to each other."

"How is Hawkshead?" Anastasia asked with great interest and excitement. 

Gabriel noticed the faint smile on the woman's lips, making her seem prettier, as she often wore a blank expression while walking through the palace corridors. He replied, 

"It is still the same, beautiful with trees and flowers, a river flowing through the forest and under the bridge," he smiled as he thought about it. "Has it been three years since I left? I think so. Some of them still miss their children, while others have moved on from the tragedy that took place eight years ago."

"What is my brother's name?" Anastasia asked, wanting to know more. "How is he?" 

"His name is Tomas. He's a bright boy. He has taken after your mother and, in some ways, resembles your late sister," Gabriel answered, sparking Anastasia's excitement and impatience to meet her little brother. 

Only if Mary was here, Anastasia thought to herself. Expressing her gratitude, she said, "Thank you for not giving up on searching for your sister. Knowing that my parents and brother are still there brings me great comfort." The need to reunite with them grew stronger than ever before. 

"I wasn't expecting you to be from the same village, but it is reassuring to have an ally here," Gabriel offered her a smile and said, "I should get back to work before Mr. Gilbert questions me." 

Anastasia nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you once again. I must go attend to Princess Emily now." 

But when Anastasia turned to leave the room, Gabriel, who was staring at her, asked, 

"Have you ever entertained the thought of poisoning the king and his family as retribution for causing you heartache?" 

Anastasia froze in her footsteps, and she slowly turned back to face Gabriel. She said, 

"My anger is directed towards the people who ordered us to be stolen from our family, and specifically the person who took my sister's life. But I'm not angry enough to kill innocent people." She said, "I know you are angry too, but your feelings are directed at the wrong targets." 

"The people in this place happily conform to the established order because they feel it is their right and that they are superior to us," Gabriel pointed out, and as much as Anastasia wanted to agree, she couldn't. He said, "Of course, I don't mean to poison them because I know there will be severe consequences to bear." 

Anastasia said to him, "Individuals are not born into the royal family by choice."

"What about the person who hurt you?" Gabriel questioned her. For a moment, Anastasia wondered if it was Marianne's murderer he was talking about but then noticed that his eyes were not looking back at hers, but he was staring at her neck. 

"Anna, I hear Mr. Gilbert's voice! We should leave!" Theresa urgently exclaimed, stepping inside the room, and unable to speak another word, the two women exited the room and hurried away down the corridor. 

The following day, while Anastasia accompanied Princess Emily in the front corridors of the palace, she subconsciously wore a smile on her lips, which the princess noticed. 

Anastasia was consumed with thoughts of the day when she would be gazing at the palace as she left it behind. It seemed like Gabriel was well-versed in moving stealthily from one place to another without getting caught. Now she wouldn't have to worry about being stuck or captured, as he would be there to guide her and take her safely to her family. 

"Did something good happen, Anna? Your mood seems to have improved quite a lot," Princess Emily turned to look at Anastasia, who quickly fixed the expression on her face. 

"The weather is back to being bright, and everything appears peaceful for now, doesn't it?" Princess Emily sighed, her voice filled with contentment, and Anastasia nodded in silence, not uttering a word. The princess leaned towards the maid and whispered, 

"Did you know that some of the maids have been hanging around the garden for longer than necessary?" 

Anastasia raised her eyebrows in question. 

"Seems that the men and the women Lord Dunkirk sent are all quite the lookers," Princess Emily remarked as they continued to walk along the corridor before halting their footsteps. 

Ahead of them, Anastasia noticed two maids peeking out from the far end of the corridor, giggling and murmuring something amongst themselves while casting glances towards the garden. 

"There is the reason," Princess Emily said, turning her head, and Anastasia followed the princess's line of sight.

Anastasia's eyes fell on Gabriel and another man who were working in the outer garden. Compared to the other servants, they were quite attractive. 

Princess Emily observed, "It looks like Lord Dunkirk wanted our maids to not attend to their daily duties," and a small chuckle escaped her lips. "The women are far more beautiful than any we had seen in Versailles until now, whether in the concubines' quarters or the Paradise Tower," she continued to speak softly, "One of them was sent to Maxwell's chamber last night, but nothing happened because he sent her away. Grandmother thinks that he's now following in Brother Dante's footsteps."

While they stood at the window, Gabriel seemed to catch sight of them, and he offered a deep bow to the princess, who returned it with a smile. 

Princess Emily noticed the young male servant look at Anastasia and offer her a smile, and from the corner of her eyes, she caught her maid smiling back at him. Hm? Was this the reason she was happy? Princess Emily asked herself.

"Anna," Princess Emily began, gaining Anastasia's attention. She asked, "Can you tell the gardener I am looking for a beautiful little rose?" 

Anastasia nodded and stepped into the garden while Princess Emily watched them from the window. Reaching near where Gabriel stood, she didn't speak but let him know that she was looking for a rose. 

"What are you looking at the garden for, Lily?" It was Princess Niyasa, who walked over with her maid following her. She had a crooked smile on her lips as she walked towards her older sister, and she noticed the maid missing from her sister's side. 

"At the bees and the flowers, under the lovely sun," Princess Emily replied with a smile. 

"Where is your mute maid?" Princess Niyasa questioned. 

"She went to fetch me a flower of my liking," Princess Emily replied, her gaze falling back to where her maid and the gardener stood. When Princess Niyasa followed her sister's line of sight, she grimaced. 

"Ugh, I don't even know what they see in that lowly man. He's a gardener, for heaven's sake," Princess Niyasa huffed, showing not a speck of interest in where the maids were preoccupied with ogling. "Please tell me you don't find him attractive," she added, looking repulsed by the idea. 

"I think he's a fairly attractive man," Princess Emily remarked without considering his status. 

"Who is?" 

Startled by the voice behind her, Princess Niyasa gasped in surprise and glared at Prince Aiden, who had just finished attending a court meeting. Standing next to him was Prince Dante. 

"Lily finds the gardener to be handsome. Do you feel the same, Aiden?" Princess Niyasa subtly tattle-taled while Princess Emily suddenly turned serious in the presence of their oldest brother. 

Dante didn't care about the servants' attractiveness and was about to leave the corridor when his brother joked, "Is Anna getting some tips on gardening?"

"I was looking for a flower and asked her to fetch it for me," Princess Emily smiled at her younger brother, who gave her a suspicious look. It seemed that his sister wasn't far behind their grandmother when it came to matchmaking, Aiden thought in his mind. 

While his siblings were busy discussing the gardener's appearance, Dante's eyes fell on Anastasia, who followed the man around the garden. He watched the gardener cut the stem of a flower before offering it to her, and knowing exactly what would happen next, clenched his jaw, his expression barely changing.

In the garden, Gabriel said, "Here you go, a beautiful rose for the princess, just as you asked." 

As Anastasia reached for the stem of the rose, her hand inadvertently brushed against a thorn, and she flinched. "You should be careful with roses. The thorns are sharper than the blade itself," Gabriel explained to her. He said, "As beautiful as the rose is, the thorns serve to keep the rose safe. To protect it from the ones that might cause it harm. Would you like to have one for yourself?" He asked her, and Anastasia smiled, shaking her head in response. "Alright then. I will remove the thorns so it doesn't injure the princess." 

Taking the rose with her, Anastasia returned to where Princess Emily stood. But with her stood the other royal siblings, which included Prince Dante. She offered them a bow, and Princess Niyasa walked away from there as if she was bored. 

"Such a pretty rose," Princess Emily commented, smiling down at the flower. She said, "You should pin it in your hair."

Anastasia's eyes widened because this flower was for the princess and not for her. She shook her head in refusal. Even without looking directly at Dante, she could feel his gaze. 

Princess Emily took the rose, and in the next second, the rose found its place nestled in Anastasia's neatly bunned hair. She remarked, "Lovely, isn't it?" 

Anastasia never had the liberty or chance to wear flowers in her hair. She raised her hand to touch the rose before shyly smiling at Princess Emily's remark. When her eyes moved to look at Dante, he only stared at her without saying a word. 

"Prince Dante," one of the ministers called as he emerged from the royal courtroom and stated, "The duel will be held in one hour from now." 

Dante gave a short nod of acknowledgement, and the minister scurried away from there. 

"What duel?" Princess Emily asked, her eyes moving from one brother to another. 

"The King ordered a duel when we were discussing the military and the base camp preparation," Prince Aiden began. 

"What?" Princess Emily frowned, even though she understood what was being said. 

Dante said, "I shall go change and get prepared." 

Anastasia's eyebrows drew together as she watched the first prince leave their side. With them being alone in the corridor and unable to stay quiet, she asked in a low voice, 

"I thought they already duelled each other many days ago." 

Prince Aiden nodded, "But this is different. Brother Dante requested that Lady Lucretia be brought back here from the old palace and… Maxwell said he would think about it after the duel." 

"That means Lady Lucretia will come back, right?" Anastasia asked, because from what she had seen during their last sword fight, King Maxwell was the one who had lost. 

"No," Princess Emily whispered, with worry lacing her voice. "This has nothing to do with Lady Lucretia coming back." She looked around the corridor to ensure that no one was around before saying, "Everybody knows that defeating the king of your kingdom is an act of disrespect towards the crown. Because if you do, it will cost you your head." 

Prince Aiden nodded in agreement and added to his sister's words by saying, 

"Lily is right. Brother Dante isn't allowed to defeat the king. It is a duel that already has a fixed winner. Brother Maxwell is trying to show Brother Dante his place, stripping away his dignity and the respect he has earned until now. Revenge for how he lost the previous duel," he frowned. 

Anastasia turned to look in the direction Prince Dante had walked away, while the siblings continued to discuss the matter in hushed voices. 

Wanting to witness the duel, a carriage was prepared to transport the royal siblings and Queen Maya to the base camp of Versailles. As they were ready to depart, Princess Emily caught sight of the Mother Queen walking past the entrance and asked her, 

"Grandmother, won't you be joining us?" 

The Mother Queen raised her hand in dismissal and stated, "I already know who is the better fighter. There is no need for me to witness it once more." With that, she confidently strolled back into the palace as if the duel were an ordinary occurrence. 

Anastasia studied the carriage, which she had never seen before, its interior appearing spacious, with the horses harnessed in the front. She heard Princess Emily wave at her, calling, 

"Hurry, Anna." And once she was inside, the door was closed. Soon the horses began to move, pulling the carriage forward. 

When they reached the base, they climbed out of the carriage and hurried towards the circular arena, where the two oldest sons of the Blackthorn family stood facing each other with their swords out of their scabbards. The Vizier announced, 

"A sword duel between King Maxwell and Prince Dante will now begin!"

Anastasia observed that both the men had removed their shirts, wrapping a thick cloth around their waists and securing their black trousers. While King Maxwell's body was smooth without a single mark on his skin, Prince Dante bore scars across his front and back. 

Watching the two men with their swords raised, circling each other as they weighed the other's movements, Anastasia wondered if the duel would be a short one, considering it was already a fixed match. 

Not a moment later, both their swords clashed, producing a shower of sparks with every clash and motion of the blades against each other. 

"It is a three-strike duel," Princess Emily whispered next to Anastasia. "Whoever leaves three prominent marks on their opponent wins. That means Brother Dante gets to make one strike and pass the other two."

The two men fought with their swords, dodging and attacking the other while everyone watched them. It wasn't a match to determine who would win, but how the match would be handled to result in the least amount of injuries. 

Right now, Dante was defending against an attack by Maxwell, who swung his blade with all his might. Though the first prince successfully deflected it, Maxwell used his foot to kick his brother and pierce his sword near Dante's shoulder blade. 

"King Maxwell seems to be doing a lot better than the last time, isn't he?" One of the men murmured quietly. "He's reaching the highest peak of his Crux." 

"Indeed, the precision of his sword is as good as Prince Dante's," another man agreed with a nod. 

Upon hearing this, Queen Maya internally smiled in satisfaction as she and her son were dispelling any doubts that any person in the kingdom could raise. Her son was going to secure the crown, and after a month had passed, they would change the edicts such that no one would ever dare to take the crown away by challenging their authority. The corner of her lips curled up as she watched the duel and heard the sound of the metal blades clashing against each other. 

And while the fight took place at the base, the Mother Queen tiptoed around and went to meet the sleeping beauty of the palace. Reaching the front of the room, the guards informed her, 

"Mother Queen, we have been ordered to let the lady rest." 

"I believe that is what she has been doing for the last few days. I just want to make sure she is doing all right, and her health is improving," the old woman glared at the guards, who stubbornly refused to let her in. She ordered, "I command you to step away, and these are the words from the Queen of this palace. My status is the same as your Queen Maya's, so move, or I will have you hung upside down on a branch of a tree while dipping your head in a pot of boiling oil," she smiled at them. 

The guards looked at each other before one said, "I will accompany you, Mother Queen." 

"Do whatever you want, just don't get in my way," the Mother Queen said. 

Once the door was pushed open, she finally stepped inside to see the woman sleeping on the bed. She walked towards the woman before sitting next to her and touching her forehead. She turned to the maid who was watching over the young woman and glared, 

"Get a glass of water. Her body is burning up." 

"Yes, Mother Queen!" The maid quickly turned to pour a glass of water. 

Once it was brought to her, the Mother Queen made Lady Evin drink the water by tilting her head and pouring it into her mouth. Whilst she did this, her hand supporting the head pinched the young woman's ear and drew back. The Mother Queen pretended to scratch her cheek while her tongue licked the blood off her finger. 

The Mother Queen handed the glass to the maid and then fixed Lady Evin's hair to cover the young woman's scratch before she said, 

"I cannot wait for you to wake up. I am looking forward to my grandchildren." She then ordered the maid, "Take good care of her." 

"Yes, Mother Queen," the maid bowed, watching the old woman walk away. 

Once the Mother Queen was out of the room, she said, "These are the times when my ability comes in handy. My suspicion was right. It isn't my antidote but something to do with the girl." There was something else in her blood, which was why her condition hadn't improved. Her eyes narrowed. "Damn it, where is Aziel when I need him?" she cursed while walking away. 

Back in the base camp, where most of the men and the royal siblings were gathered around the circle, they watched Dante skillfully dodge Maxwell's sword while the younger man's face contorted with anger, fueled by his desire to inflict another wound upon his older brother's flesh. 

Dante didn't use any tricks and instead dragged the duel out to make it seem that Maxwell was exerting genuine effort. This way, his brother's ego and pride would be satisfied enough to rethink his decision regarding his mother, who needed him by her side. This time, a second wound was inflicted upon his upper arm, and he felt the flesh being ripped from inside. 

"A second strike with the sword! King Maxwell has grown stronger!" Said one of the young boys, who had only recently enlisted in the camp. 

"Does this mean King Maxwell has won?!" Asked another young boy in excitement. "Hail, King Maxwell! Long live King Maxwell!" 

Anastasia watched blood dripping down Dante's arm and shoulder blade. The unfairness of the situation unsettled her, but one couldn't go against the king, not even those who shared his blood. 

While Dante kept a composed expression with only his breath slightly ragged, Maxwell raised his sword to hush the people around and said, 

"Not so soon, my people." He looked around at everyone and said, "For the next round, we should engage in combat by giving a fair chance to my brother as he wasn't blessed with his Crux." 

Maxwell stared at his brother, who stared right back at him before offering a bow of acceptance for a third round. 

Maxwell was the second child of his father, but he had never been his favourite, as Dante took that away. Even with his Crux, he could tell by the look in his father's eyes that he was just another son, as the crown prince position was taken by Aiden, who was the son born through wedlock. 

Even his mother had been denied the rightful recognition and had to fight for her place within the concubines' quarters. The wound had formed since he was young. But finally, at long last, his reign had arrived, and his word would be obeyed. 

Princess Emily asked her brother, "Why another match? It would be two against one." 

"I don't know…" Prince Aiden pursed his lips as it was becoming demeaning to watch. 

Anastasia heard King Maxwell order the Vizier, "Zion, we will be starting the third round." 

"As you wish, Your Highness," the Vizier bowed. 

As the two brothers took their stance, King Maxwell's eyes moved across the crowd to meet his mother's eyes. But then his eyes fell on the maid standing behind his first sister. 

"BEGIN!" The Vizier shouted, and their swords clashed again, this time much more intensely than the previous two rounds. 

Anastasia tried to keep up by following their hands, but they moved too fast, and her ears filled with the gasps of the people around her and the metals clashing against each other. It was probably the longest round they had fought before King Maxwell's blade stabbed into the spot where he had earlier wounded Prince Dante. 

"King Maxwell has won all three rounds!" The Vizier announced, and the young boys cheered while the older men of the camp quietly clapped their hands, as they knew the truth.  1

  Maxwell smiled at his mother, who looked proud, and he turned to Dante. He said, 

"You should dress those wounds, Brother." 

When Maxwell was about to leave, Dante asked, "Can my mother now return to the palace?" 

Maxwell stared at Dante and smiled. "You lost all three rounds on purpose. To let them know that you are willingly letting me win? Things will remain unchanged." 

Anastasia couldn't hear what King Maxwell and Prince Dante were speaking, but she noticed the latter's face harden before a blank expression fell on his face. She heard Princess Emily nudge her brother, "Go to Brother Dante, Aiden. We will be returning to the palace first." 

In the evening, in the royal palace, after hearing that the king had not kept his word, the Mother Queen walked through the corridors with heavy yet quick footsteps. She wore a scowl on her face and signalled the guards standing at one of the doors to open it. 

"Mother Queen, what a pleasant surprise for you to come see me," Queen Maya commented with a smile, while getting up from her seat. 

"Good evening, Grandmother," Princess Niyasa offered a bow, as she was in a good mood like her mother. 

"Niyasa dear, why don't you step out of the room, as I have something private to talk about with your mother," the Mother Queen stated before she added, "I am not asking." 

Queen Maya gave a nod to her daughter, who quietly glared at the older woman before she slipped out of the room and the doors shut behind her. The Mother Queen demanded, 

"What do you think you are doing?" 

"Careful with your tone, Mother Queen. You might have got the seal, but I am still the king's mother," Queen Maya advised with a smile. "What has got you upset? I heard you visited Evin, how very unlike you."

The Mother Queen didn't care about the sleeping woman, and she questioned, 

"What were you thinking having Dante and the king duel each other with stakes you never meant to keep? We all know you won't let Lucretia back in here, because she shone brighter than you. But there is no need to unnecessarily bait the boy. It would be better to just bring her back here, as she might be in her last few days."

Queen Maya scoffed at the older woman's words and said, "I didn't do anything. Didn't you mention something about the circle of life? I was sitting here when the court meeting took place." 

"There is no need to act dumb," the Mother Queen shot back, upset after hearing from Aiden about what had happened. She then said, "You are playing with fire, Queen Maya. You don't want to be burnt by it, because the way I see it, you are stoking it. The more you stoke it, the worse your future will be." 

"Oh my, I have always enjoyed your threats, Mother Queen," Queen Maya laughed before her face turned serious. She said, "But your threats don't work on me."

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you," the Mother Queen said, her eyes blazing in anger before she turned around and left the room. She muttered, "These useless people are going to hasten the process, which I have handled with care for the right time. You! Tell Aziel he needs to meet with me!" she shouted at the guard. 

"Yes, milady!" 

The Mother Queen frowned. She feared that the demon would wake up before the soulmate would appear. She continued to mutter to herself, "This is not good. If the soulmate is there, at least she will be able to balance the demon's chaos."

No person was born to be bad, the Mother Queen thought to herself. But circumstances and situations could blacken one's heart and push the person over the edge, and it would be hard to turn around the situation. 

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