88: Mother Queen's dangerous method

Mother Queen's dangerous method

The Mother Queen was both floored and appalled, knowing the woman she thought to have Dante wed was right under her nose all this time! Her glare shifted from the newly-made courtesan to look at her granddaughter.  1

"I will explain everything to you," Princess Emily said tensely. She watched her grandmother rise from her seat and begin to walk, and she followed right behind her. 

Stepping out of the Hall of Mirrors, the Mother Queen and Princess Emily made their way silently into the garden, with the latter following the older woman until they came to a spot where no one could see them or hear them speak. 

"Speak," the Mother Queen ordered once she faced her granddaughter. 

Emily nodded and began, "On the day we were returning from the old palace, I found out that Anna could speak, and the day after that she was Tasia. It wasn't m—"

"I'm talking about what you meant when you said she is important to Dante. I don't want you spinning me in circles anymore, Emily," the Mother Queen wore a shrewd look on her face that showed she wouldn't stand being lied to anymore. "Tell me clearly."

"I think Brother Dante likes Anna. He treats her with care, and I say this because I saw him stroke her head. It was subtle, but I know what I saw. Yesterday, he didn't let Aiden touch her," Emily came clean with what she had observed. She said, "Even now, he sat with Mr. Langford when the man was talking to Anna."

"That is right," the Mother Queen affirmed thoughtfully. "What else do you know?"

Emily raked through her mind before she said, "Anna has entered his room before, which was how the rumours began, but nothing happened from what she told me. She just didn't want people realising that she was Tasia."

The Mother Queen questioned if this was the woman who would save her grandson. The one. The thought that she had identified the woman at first glance made her smile before a chuckle escaped from her lips, and she quickly fixed her expression to a serious one. In the meantime, Emily wondered if her grandmother was losing her mind. 

If this woman was Dante's destined one, then there was one way to confirm it, the Mother Queen thought. 

"Grandmother?" Emily called her grandmother, who seemed to be lost in thought. The older woman was standing with her face turned away as if she was still angry at her. She said, "Please don't punish her."

"That will depend on whether Dante has really taken an interest in this woman," the Mother Queen replied, and she said, "I still cannot see your face for the lies you have told me. Is there anything else being hidden from me that I need to know?" 

When Emily failed to respond, the Mother Queen realised there was more for her to hear, and she turned and said, "Out with it, child!" 

"It isn't about Brother Dante or Anna. It is about the seal. Yesterday, when I was placing the seal on the royal edict to free Anna and the other servants, I used it on another parchment… for future use," Emily's voice trailed.

"And where is this parchment with my seal on it?" the Mother Queen asked, raising her eyebrows. 

"Safe in my room. Between the pages of a book," Emily answered, seeing her grandmother stare at her.

"This is why you are my favourite granddaughter," the Mother Queen laughed and said, "This is good. We cannot undo what Maxwell has ordered, but we can use it to our advantage. If Dante really likes this girl, and she passes a little test of mine, then I shall have the parchment sent to the Elder Ministers so that she can become only his woman and is left untouched by the rest."

Emily could finally breathe at her grandmother's words, and she smiled. She confessed, "Finally some good news after all the bad." She then asked, "Is the test really necessary? I mean to say, if Brother Dante likes her, then that should be good enough, right?" After all, he had never paid attention to any woman before. Not that she knew of, at least. 

"The test is the most important one, which will reveal if she's fit to stay by Dante's side," the Mother Queen's mood had elevated, and her angry expression from earlier was replaced with a pleasant one. But people who knew her well could tell that the older woman was up to no good. 

"If I may ask, Grandmother, how do you plan to test her?" Emily asked out of curiosity. 

"That's very simple," the Mother Queen replied, while looking at the sky that had turned dark. She said, "She shall be pricked by the Blackthorn rose, and if she survives, she passes the test." 

"…" Emily should have known that her grandmother was up to no good! She reminded her grandmother, "Lady Evin fell unconscious after being pricked by the plant. Why do you want Anna dead? If Brother Dante finds out about this, he will disown both of us!" Neither did she want harm to befall Anastasia because of her grandmother's reckless whims. 

The Mother Queen waved her hand as if there was nothing to worry about. She said, 

"Let us hope that she survives then. Now you have a new task, to bring her to the corridor near the forbidden side of the palace when it is time for everyone to go to sleep. I will be waiting." After a pause, she asked, "And what is with this Tasia Flores name?" 

"That's Ana-s-tasia… Grandmother," Emily explained, noticing that her grandmother was becoming displeased again because her intelligence had been questioned. 

When it was night, where most people were about to retire to their rooms and the corridors were still busy, Emily made her way to the Paradise Tower and arrived at the entrance. 

"Princess Emily, greetings to you!" The courtesans were quick to greet her and come to her with smiles. 

"I would like to talk with my former maid. Anna," Emily said, her eyes searching through the room, which was when one of the courtesans informed her, 

"She's not here. Madame Minerva said one of the men of the royal court took interest in her and requested her to attend him tonight."

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