12. Your mother

Jane Dover was standing in the garden alone while hugging her chest and looking at the dark sky. Whatever happened in the Royal Court today, she did not even dream that everything would become so bizarre.

"His Highness" The applause of the courtiers was still buzzing in her mind when the king declared Darius Simard as the future king of Winsonland. The way that decision was esteemed in the court with cheers and applauds, Jane Dover became sensitive and delighted.

"Winsonland is my motherland and I am bound to protect it regardless of my life." Darius Simard was standing in his place with brightness like a sun on his angular face. There was stillness in the court when I heard him.

I am grateful to the King of Winsonland that he has entrusted the responsibility of Winsonland to me and I will fulfil this responsibility till my death. In which I want my father's support, elder brother's encouragement, and my wife's cooperation and your trust."

The court was amazed after hearing his robust speech, as Darius Simard was never as rational and articulate. King Dylan Simard nodded slowly with his slight smirk and Jane Dover smiled while looking at Darius Simard's back with pride.

"Long live, His highness. Long Live, Her highness."

The cold wind kissed Jane Dover's cheeks and the rumblings in her ears intensified. She was happy to be called Her Highness because he had familiarised her as his wife in the royal court. The fragrance of flowers was deep and her breath liked it. She stepped ahead to walk for a while in the garden but when she saw a familiar back, she smiled. He was standing with his back towards her far away and looking at the moon. While looking at his strong back, she bolted at him and stood behind him shyly.

"You are here!" She spoke in her low voice and the man came back to his senses. He did not turn back and let her speak.

"Today in court, you honoured me by calling me your wife. Thank you for that." She lowered her head and spoke in a daze.

"I was very confused before going to the royal court, but you gave me the courage after declaring me as your wife in that court and made me stand beside you. I had never had this courage before and whatever happened today, all this happened to me for the first time. I'm happy. I am very happy..."

When he did not reply, she leaned her head and placed her forehead on his strong back slowly.

"When I placed my hand in your hand and you took me to the levee, I did not even for a moment feel that something would be wrong with me there because you were with me." She sighed and closed her eyes slowly.

"Darius, you are very nice." It seemed that she was speaking from all her heart, she was the happiest today, but even after listening to her warm words, he did not reply, but he slowly turned back and held her in his warm embrace. She did not look at him and, with her eyes closed, with a sweet smile on her pink lips, she let him do it. He pressed her head on his chest and she listened to his heartbeats.

"Darius…" He embraced her tighter and she spoke in a daze.

"Jane…"

Jane Dover came back to her senses when she heard her name in a familiar roar, but the sound had come from far. She opened her eyes and looked at the man she was in an embrace with. Her eyes widened in shock when she found herself in Vrinda Simard's arms. She quickly left his embrace and turned back in shock. Darius Simard was looking at her with his dark eyes and his face was serious. The gaze was terrible, which made her shiver at the place. She covered her mouth with her delicate palm in compunction and ran away with tears in her eyes.

Vrinda Simard straightened her costume and looked at Darius Simard with a sarcastic smile.

"Congratulations!"

"Is this the way you are congratulating?" Darius Simard gritted his teeth and his gaze turned darker as his voice was heavy but low.

Vrinda Simard came closer to him with a slight smile.

"My methods are the same as they were before. But you seem to have changed something nowadays."

"It will be good for you to see me well."

"Your wife is very happy."

"It would be best for you to stay away from her."

"Why are you thinking so much about my well being? You need encouragement from me, don't you?" Vrinda Simard smiled.

"You have an army. You are more powerful than a king."

"Yes, I have an army, not a throne."

"The throne can be gotten by winning it."

"If it had won by winning, then this throne would have been mine." His eyes were swarthy and Darius Simard kept looking at him for a while. It seemed that he got hurt after the official announcement about the future king.

"You already knew who would be the future king."

"Are you scared?"

"Scared of what?"

"You snatched away my rights, so I will take away both your throne and royal wife." He smiled and Darius Simard became serious after hearing about his wife.

"If the fight is for the throne, it should be limited to that."

"You are forgetting that everything is fair in war and love." Vrinda Simard smiled sarcastically.

"I feel sorry for you. You are powerful, brave, and clever but you never used these qualities of yours." Darius Simard felt pity for his elder brother.

"You have made my strengths my compulsion today." Vrinda Simard gritted his teeth and spoke in his hoarse voice.

"Get out of this compulsion, the world is beautiful." Darius Simard smiled gently.

"Every beautiful thing is poison. You need to understand this more."

Vrinda Simard patted his shoulder and left with a mordant smile. It seemed that he was laughing at what he had done for a moment. He was surely talking about Jane Dover. Darius Simard closed his eyes and tightly clenched his fists in anger. The moment when he saw Jane Dover in the arms of Vrinda Simard, reflected in his mind and his heart became more agonising. He turned back and looked at the top floor of the castle. Deam yellow light was darting out of the bedroom and his heart became heavy. Why did she allow herself to be thrown in his arms?

Jane Dover was lying on the bed sadly and the image was frequently reflected in her mind when he roared and she found herself in the arms of Vrinda Simard. She could not forget that rough gaze that became terrible when he saw her in Vrinda Simard's arms. She was afraid of what reaction he would give after returning to the bedroom.

Just then, Sinja rushed to the bedroom in hysteria.

"Your highness…"

Jane Dover sat on the bed and looked at Sinja sadly.

"His Majesty is calling you."

Jane Dover became stunned when she listened to this.

In the dream room, Jane Dover was standing in front of the King who was getting massaged by his lady servants. She was trembling in fear because of his weighty aura as she had lowered her gaze and waited for a long time to let the King speak.

"So, you are the princess of Janseng."

"Yes, my lord." She spoke in her low voice.

"Your beauty has attracted me a lot." Jane Dover raised her head and looked at the King in surprise.

The female servant put the coat on the king and he came to her with his baritone gaze.

"Did you ever see your mother?" His direct question made her stupefied.

"No, my Lord. I have never seen her."

"Hm. This is right." He nodded and turned back after holding his palms behind his back.

"Do you know where you are standing right now?"

Jane Dover raised her head and looked at his strong and broad back.

"This is Winsonland. Here as much water does not rush, so much blood gushes and you allow yourself to jump into this ocean filled with blood."

Jane Dover could not comprehend the meaning behind his words but the silence inside the room shivered her.

Darius Simard entered the bedroom and after seeing lines on the bedsheet and the drops falling on a pillow, he understood that she must have been out of this room a while back. The teardrops that fell on the pillow were fueling the fire in his heart and he went to take a bath to quench that fire.

"Whoever fell in this sea could not get out. The world here is distinguishable."

"The world I saw here is happy and beautiful and I liked this world so I would never want to go out of here." After hearing her answer, Dylan Simard snickered while looking at her.

"You are as brave and beautiful as your mother."

His sentence made her aghast and she kept looking at him with her dilated eyes.