18: Child's Play

When we arrived at the village, I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist when I saw the state of the village. The houses are ruined, the corpses are scattered everywhere.

"Your highness…" all the knights looked tensed up by what we've seen

What's more enraging is that they had decided to write my name on the ground using these innocent people's blood. I walked towards the ruins and I can sense Sir Charles and some knights walking after me.

"Did you bring the candles?" I asked them

"Yes, your highness." One of them replied and handed it to me

I placed the candles on the ground and the knights lit it for me. I bowed my head to pray for the souls of these innocent people who had been murdered.

I promise to give you justice.

I turned my back and walked up to the knights who are all bowing their heads.

"Sir Charles, pick out the best knights to investigate on this massacre. Leave no rock unturned until you find the culprit." I said and walked pass them

I was about to ride the carriage when I saw my knights forming a defense line. It seems that the village in our kingdom is not the only village those rebels had decided to burn down to the ground.

"King Zachary…" I recognized him and looked at him blankly

He replied with the same kind of gaze. I walked up to him and my knights raised their guards up.

"It seems that our kingdom's not the only one infested by those pest, is it?" I asked him

"As it seems, Queen Patrice, I presume you've taken action to resolve such inner conflict in Astrae." He said

"I have, King Zachary." I answered

"Sir Charles," I called him

"Yes, your highness?" he asked

"I entrust the heightening of the security inside Astrae to you. Make sure this does not happen again." I said seriously

"Yes, your highness, I will." He answered

"We'll take our leave then, I do hope we do not meet again for such things as this again, my Queen." He said and I turned my back on him

"Likewise, King Zachary, I do hope so." I answered and walked towards my carriage

"What's with the cold attitude?" he asked and I hid a smile

'You're aware that we must remain civil in front of everyone, are you not?' I replied

"I am. Take care of yourself, Pam." He said

There really is a limit to how long he could act so professional with me.

When we arrived back at the palace, I clenched my fist when I saw Ezra and Katrina again.

"What had brought the former Queen and her daughter, Lady Trinity, here?" I asked and sat on the throne

"I heard about what happened in the village." Katrina said

"What a great coincidence, isn't it?" I asked

"It's a proof that you need Mother's guidance." Ezra said

"Not really, Lady Trinity, I already asked Sir Charles to investigate on the matter." I said

"What if it's from Arcadia? Avery, that – It's Queen Avery, Lady Trinity, mind your honorifics." I cut her off

"And no, if the culprit happened to be from Arcadia, their king wouldn't have visited to ask for updates, would he?" I said with a smile

"I know it might be a trick, but after all those lies and deceit that I've experienced, I wouldn't fall for such trick anymore. It'll be a mere child's play, don't you think?" I asked

"We didn't mean to deceive you." Ezra said so I looked at her intently while smirking

"I'm not referring to you, but it seems that you are guilty, Lady Trinity." I said and I saw how she bowed her head in embarrassment

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to." I said and stood up

I was already walking out of the throne room with my knights when Katrina spoke.

"You weren't born of a queen." I stopped at my tracks and smirked

"I know…" I trailed off

"However, I am born a queen." I replied at left

Weren't born of a queen?

What kind of rubbish is that?

People would really resort to desperate measures when they knew they had already played all of their cards and are already losing. She should watch her words carefully, I can sentence her to death for tarnishing the royal family's name, especially since she's not even an Astrae to begin with, she's just royal by marriage, incomparable to a royal by blood like me.

When I reached to the King's study, the knights opened the door for me.

"Don't let anyone disturb me unless it's important." I said and went inside the study

I went to the table and sat down. I reached for the scroll that had arrived earlier that I wasn't able to read and opened to read Lord Valdez's response.

He had understood my intention regarding the rewriting of the laws, he pointed out that some of the laws I'd like to revise need to left alone as it had been implemented even before the laws had been written, which means that they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the crown as it is already part of the tradition.

I understood his point, I recognize that he has a point and it really does make sense, it seems that I need to study the laws again. I might have missed some important detail, minor details are still vital after all.

I'm in the middle of reading when someone knocked on the door. I looked at the knight stationed near the door and nodded. He bowed before opening the door.

"Your majesty," Knight Maia entered

"What did the royal messenger say?" I asked

"There weren't any other letters addressed to her majesty apart from those that are shredded upon the order of the former Queen Katrina." She answered

"Shredded? When did they arrive?" I asked

"Two weeks prior to the proclamation of your orders, your majesty." She answered

"Ask them if they could do anything to fix it, I need to see the content of those letters." I said seriously

"Yes, your majesty." She answered

"Regarding those letters, where did they come from?" I asked

"From Arcadia and Flashier Kingdom, your majesty." She answered

"I see, you may leave and see to it that they heed to my orders." I said

"As you wish, your majesty." She said and left

Knight Therese arrived next and bowed before approaching my table.

"There were at least twenty letters addressed to her majesty that had arrived in the letterman's post, your majesty, but most of them had been sent to the royal messenger after filtering." Knight Therese said

"Filtering?" I asked

"Yes, your majesty, as some of the letters addressed to you were threats." She answered and I nodded

"I see, you may return to your post." I said and she bowed before going to the other side of the room and standing

I spent my whole day reading and studying the laws of the kingdom. Astrae really does have bizarre and unique rules that sometimes I can't fathom how they had formed and had come up with, it's still helpful with the kingdom and the people at some circumstances nevertheless.