"I want to know where she got that bracelet." 

Crown Prince Roan shut the door of his chambers and said, "Leave me," in a soft voice and the Keres guards hidden in the shadows immediately disappeared.

After they left Roan slid down the door while pulling at his collar with his still trembling fingers. His entire body was sweating profusely like he had a fever or something.

He thought he could let it go but now, he wanted to know what she was hiding. He wanted to know everything about her.

"Roland!" he yelled and Roland who was sitting outside almost fell off the stool frightened out of his mind by that roar.

He rushed inside and found the crown prince pouring some water out of a pitcher. Roland answered, "Yes, your highness?"

Crown Prince Roan gulped down two mouthfuls of water before saying, "I want to know where she got that bracelet."

Roland was at a loss. This 'I like her and I don't like her anymore' seesaw was a little exhausting. One minute he cared for her and the next he didn't.

"Your Highness, this," said Roland wondering if this task could even be completed.

"Start with Cara Wright's husband. I need to know who he is and his history... don't leave any stone unturned," he said and Roland bowed his head. He didn't know why this was important but since his royal highness had said it he would do as instructed.

Just as he was about to excuse himself, crown prince Roan said again, "Find Queen Rhea's niece and bring her over here."

Roland raised his finger seeming a little perplexed,

"Um, your highness. She hangs out at brothels every night."

Roan smiled slyly as he said, "That's exactly why I want her brought here."

Seeing that cold smile Roland suddenly felt a chill down his spine. It seems His Highness was really going to take revenge for Miss Freya.

"This servant will apprehend her immediately," he replied before turning to leave.

When the door closed crown prince Roan sat in his seat his expression slightly contorted. He glanced down at his hand that was trembling underneath the table. The fear of going back to that helpless state suddenly overwhelmed him.

Before that ever happened he vowed to take his father and his precious son down with him. He resented his father for executing his mother's only chance to recover. As for Kian, his very existence was an eyesore and the key to hurting that woman.

Crown Prince Roan had always suspected that Queen Rhea had something to do with the illness and his mother's demise but he could never prove it.

Roan pressed something underneath his desk and with a click a secret drawer opened behind him revealing a range of miscellaneous things. He took out some wine from the drawer before slamming it shut. He poured out its contents into a goblet before drinking it all.

While the crown prince was drowning his sorrows, Queen Rhea was being hunted by an old ghost. While sleeping in the middle of the night a breeze blew through the window that was meant to be shut making her shiver in her sleep.

Soon the cool breeze turned chilly and a figure clad in a black cloak ambled in the room their footsteps as light as air. After touching everything and anything in the room the person walked towards her and stopped beside her bed watching her silently.

Queen Rhea couldn't stand the cold chill anymore so she turned over and opened her eyes. She was about to call the attending maidservant when her eyes widened and she was about to scream.

The person raised their hand slowly and placed their finger on their lips under the shadow of the hood before saying, "Shh, you wouldn't want your secret on how you have all of this released, right?"

Queen Rhea instantly covered her mouth before sitting up in a hurry. The woman covered in the black cloak slowly walked towards her jewellery laid out for tomorrow and picked it up revealing a pair of abnormally pale hands with wrinkled skin wrapped in blood-stained bandages.

The woman raised a golden necklace inlaid with gemstones. The gems sparkled underneath the faint light inciting men's greed. One minute it was in her hand and the next the necklace had disappeared into her sleeves. Queen Rhea's heart ached as she watched her precious necklace being plundered. The woman noticed her contorted expression in the dark and chuckled softly.

"Don't everything you have I gave to you. How can a peasant woman like you attract the attention of a king?" she said but Queen Rhea was dissatisfied.

"You promised me that Nova would die but even today she still lives. You promised my son would inherit the throne but till now Roan lives. Everything you promised you failed to deliver," she said her voice tremulous.

She was a poor peasant girl living at the borders of Odassal. Life in that small village town was beautiful. She had pleasant memories of running in the tall thicket playing hide and seek with others.

But one day all of that changed. She remembered running through the thicket with her friend when a shrill scream ripped through the air.

She ran over but as she neared the place where the screams came from her knees softened and her legs felt like jelly. Her body was already warning her of what was a few feet ahead of her. If she ran then she will be caught so she crouched down her breath caught in her throat masking her presence.

The rustling sounds of heavy boots walking through the bushes made her curl even further in fright. Just when she thought she was going to get caught another scream sounded and the man walked away towards the sound. She released her breath but she didn't breathe out deeply.

From that day onwards this little border village was taken over by the neighbouring Vilan. They plundered, killed and assaulted their people. The then king was a sick and twisted ruler with only wine, food and indulging himself with several young women in his mind though no one would ever say it out loud for fear of execution.

For years no one cared for small villages like hers. The constant harassment by Vilan made it impossible to grow crops without them being plundered all in the name of a so-called tax. With no aid from the royal city, she watched her family die in that village. Die of either hunger, being slaughtered by the enemy or dying of plague.

It was only when the then-crown prince came to fight for them did they finally have some peace. It was then she met him and it was then that she fell in love with him but behind him taking care of the injured was a beautiful crown princess.

Her spring of love ended as soon as it began and she fell into despair. What chance did she have against her?

Nova was a goddess held up on the clouds and she was a bottom feeder with nothing to offer. She was jealous of Nova and thought life was unfair.

A few years later she saw this old woman sitting in the forest with an injured ankle and passed her by as she had no time to save others. The old woman took out an expensive purse and said she would pay her for helping.

Tempted by the contents of the bag she carried the old woman on her back towards the village doctor's house.

Since she was paying for the service, she allowed her to recuperate in her home but the entire time she never saw the old woman's face.

It was after she had recuperated did the old woman ask her if she would rather be paid the little money now or stand beside the now King Kian as his new Queen. At first, she thought she was getting scammed by this old hag. The woman had used her but was now making excuses not to pay.

For whatever reason she agreed and pulled her orphaned niece to follow the strange old woman. Not long after Queen Nova and her son had fallen ill with a strange ailment. That made her wholly believe in the old woman's words. She would make her queen and her future son the heir.