CHAPTER TEN: THE BAD MOTHER

"Anthia, you can't leave me without my order! You have to come back to life". Walking as fast as he could with pale-looking Luciana in his hands, he stroked her hair which the breeze blew.

Without her, his wish won't be able to come true, and he will continue to live his life this way.

"Physician Koi, please save her". The words came out of his shivering lips as he dropped Luciana gently on the bed.

"Please save my wife. Please". The physician who was dumbfounded could do nothing other than to watch the strange person in front of him. This isn't the man he used to know!

This isn't the fearless prince pleading with fear in his eyes. He has worked for close to thirty years in this castle. Even when Dasya's immediate beloved elder sister was dying, there was no fear of losing her in his eyes, neither did he feel miserable but here he is standing with tears clustered in his eyes as his body trembled at every stare at Luciana. 'This isn't the Dasya I knew' .

He immediately brought out his treatment materials after getting a scold from Dasya whose eyes is already half way turning into flame.

He placed his thumb on her hand, and studied her pulse for a while before looking up at Dasya. "She lost a lot of her energy. She could have died if you are late because she is weak and it will take a couple of days for her to be able to be conscious".

"Uh?" His face gave a questionable look as he stared at the strange man. 'He does not allow her to do anything. What abstract her energy?'

"Don't allow her to do hard things because her energy level is so weak". Koi placed a warm wet cotton on her forehead. "She will be fine, no need to be scared".

Letting out a deep sigh, he gave him a dreadful look before placing his broad hand on her small face. "Wake up soon".

"Instruct your men to bring her over to my room for treatment. Don't take her to her room". With that, he walked out from the medicine house.

~~~~~~

"The king hasn't woken up, and he isn't showing any sign of improvement". The foreign doctor from another kingdom informed the queen after examining the king who hadn't woken up after what happened some days ago.

"Why? Zayley, please wake up". Pretending to be sad, Aro placed her hand on King Zayley's body. 'Just die, and make things easier for me'.

She badly wants the king dead, the king must die to avoid what she feared so much from happening. She has lived all her life in fear, her thirty years in this palace can not be in vain! Not even her children can stop her!

"What happened to my father?" Zale, who just walked in after he heard about the illness of his father from the maids, asked loudly. Even if he hates his father, watching him die at a moment like this is just like causing turmoil in the kingdom.

!!!

The loud sound of a slap from his mother echoed through the room.

Zale stared at his mother before he placed his palm on his reddened cheeks as he held his face with anger burning in him. "What is it? Aro what is it again!?"

He has no regard for his mother. He so much despised his mother for choosing the wrong path and turning away from the truth.

"You should be grateful it was just a slap". Her words made him chuckled as he walked two metres forward. "I should be grateful indeed". He rubbed his cheeks gently as he swallowed hard.

"I dismissed every royal worker from here". He instructed the maids, guards, and physicians who bowed their heads with their ears eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Zale!" Balling her fist, she gave her son a dreadful look. He has been the only headache, and obstruction to her plan, but it seems she has to erase him 'Can the feeling of motherhood allow her?'

"You are feeling guilty? Will you kill my father just the same way you kill princess Anthia? Who is next after father? Me? Taliyah? Or almighty Dasya, who you so much feared?" He echoed with a dark smirk on the corner of his lip.

He just spit out the truth that aches her but does she care!? She won't rest until the throne is hers! Her son is just a puppet for her, and Zale knew that so well.

"And what can you do about that?" Her question made him clenched his teeth before he gave her his response.

"I will make sure that you kill no more people! And if you insist, you won't just lose me, you will lose your neck, Taliyah, and Dryan!"

'She made the toothless tiger grow some teeth to bite her. Only if she hadn't given him a chance!' That was her only regret. She did not think about her son threatening her or becoming an obstacle to her plan. She first thought he was still a child who needed motherly attention which she didn't give him but it seems there is more to his actions. 'Not like it matters'

"You will be the one to die first, I promise". She walked out after she gave him a dreadful look with sincerity in her eyes. She really meant it!

"You caused this!" Staring at his father with contempt, he let his depressed voice echoed.

***

"What are we going to do about Zale? Why is he ruining our plans?" Dryan, who did not expect his brother to go so far, asked.

"Because he did not want you to take what is yours. He is not your brother anymore. See him as a stranger since he is on the side of a stranger". Queen Aro's voice made the crown prince's leg tremble instantly.

What is wrong with her? How can she forget the pain she felt for keeping the baby for fourteen months? The pain of labour for three days means nothing to her? 'How can she just go ahead to kill him? Did my mother think Zale is like every other person?'

"I know you will call me a bad mother but I don't care! I can destroy the world to make you the king— that's how desperate, and obsessed I am".