Chapter Fourteen.

Returning to the castle, Fiora had already prepared herself for the worst. She had quickly rushed home earlier, telling them all what had just happened. Clement gave a brief detail on all he knew about Baron Daegal while Sif just stared and watch with a paused lips.

When she arrived, the guards welcomed her more warmly. They led her through the same path she used to follow, straight down to the throne room. She paused, hoping to had seen Baron Daegal sitting already, but instead to her wildest surprise, found two good looking young men, with Helen out of sight. One of these men was very familiar.

"You've arrived," said one of the men, to Fiora, the less attractive one. He was less attractive because he had every features of her—slender in a way, bright hazel eyes that madness ran through, and a face straight from hell. When he spoke though, he was calmer than Helen.

"Prince Theon," Fiora found herself whispered out loud. The last time she'd seen him would had been when they were only ten, and they hadn't really spent time together. His eyes opened wide in surprise, and before she could take back her words, it was already too late.

"How did you know that name?" He rose up from the dining table, "The name's Euric. Only close relatives know me as Theon. How did you-"

"My name is Fiora. I've been summoned by the queen." Fiora rushed and said, causing his brows to furrow.

"How is that related?" He asked.

"I know her majesty, sire." She said. "She talked about you a lot." She lied, but hopefully, Euric didn't see through them. Doubts? He had doubts.

"My own mother, talked about me?" He asked and she nodded. "What did she say?" Just as Fiora was about to start forming another lie, the other young man that was familiar to her, saved her.

"Would you just leave her be already? What would you possibly want to hear from queen Helen other than; "he's my little boy who knows nothing and I would do anything to protect him."  He said Helen's side with a tiny voice, trying to imitate her. He was completely right,(even with the voice imitation) Helen always saw her son as a fragile weakling and over protected him too much.

"Very well then." Agreed Euric. "Please, come sit." He gestured her to join them.

"I know you. From earlier today," Fiora said at Dagaric as she sat down. She was beside Euric and opposite Dagaric. His charming eyes boomed to a wide smirk.

"Very correct. You're that beautiful young maiden I met ear-" he was starting to say when Euric cut him off.

"He's married."

"What? No. Not married, engaged." He protested. "Engagement is never permanent."

"Well, tell that to your father. Or Lord Tobin." Said Euric.

Lord Tobin?

"You don't have to remind me like this, all the time. The more reason why I'm promising this so called marriage will never be successful. Never."

"Oh well, we'll see about that." Smiled Euric.

"I don't mean to pry but-"

"Then don't pry." Replied Euric. "Just sit here and wait patiently for mother."

"Oh, yes." Fiora smiled with coyness. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be so hard on her now." Dagaric said to his friend, then turned back to Fiora. "Don't mind him the slightest." He flashed a cheerful smile and she returned it.

She was getting impatient already. "Sorry,"

"If you're going to be prying again then I recommend that you kept quiet."

"Where did her majesty go?" She asked, ignoring Euric.

"Uh, to meet Baron Daegal." Replied Dagaric.

"Oh really?" Euric shot an unpleased glare at Garic.

"Shut up already." He frowned at Euric, then smiled back at Fiora. "Any more questions, love?"

"No thank you." She replied, then began to ask almost immediately.  "If you don't mind, could we share a little bit of introduction?" She remembered one of Clement's friendly advises. She was to make aquaitance rather than an enemy at every opportunity she got. You never know who your allies could be. "I was told to be here by noon. And it might be a bit ... inelegant, if we all sat down in silence. What do you think?"

"I think you are so smart." Replied Dagaric immediately. He liked her and her confidence. It was rare of him to find women like her. No wonder she caught Helen's eyes. "My name is Dagaric, but people call me Garic. And you, Fiora I presume?"

"Yes. And Mr. grumpy over there is prince Euric." She said, and turned to him. "Right?"

"Yes." He muffled out a reply. "Not that I'm grumpy though."

"Alright, noted then." She smiled.

"He is grumpy. All the time," whispered Garic, though still loud enough to had been heard from his friend. He gave no reply. "We've been friends since childhood," Daric said, with a straight face now. "So I know quite a lot about him."

Fiora couldn't remember the face of Garic. But then, it had been so long ago. She barely spent time with Helen's relative before she'd ordered for her head off.

"That's good to hear then." She replied. It seemed clear to her she would had to be closer to his friend, Garic, in other to find out more. In her head, she added him to the list of people she needed to gain their trust.

****

Helen smiled at Baron's discovery. She didn't know how he did it, but he was clearly good. "I must confess, I am highly jealous of your work." She handed down the cup of tea in her hand, and took a bite from the baked goodie on the table. She almost spat it out immediately, sheepishly watching Daegal from opposite. Noticing he hadn't seen her disgusted face, she raised her cup of tea to her mouth again and gulped down all it's content.

"You need not to worry about jobs like that. Leave it to us to do the dirty work." Baron Daegal replied, quite impressed with himself.

"With this," she pointed at the document on the table in front of her. "I can take care of Ropert for good?"

"For now, yes. He would be too shocked to do anything."

"I do not like the sound of that." She frowned, then attempted to pour more tea from the jug into her cup.

"Do you need more tea?"

"Yes!" Her impulsive side had began to take over. She needed a proof that would permanently bring Ropert to her side. 'For now' wasn't good enough.

He gestured the maidservants around to fetch another jug of tea.

"Well, your majesty," he called and waited for a reply but got none. She stared blankly at the document on the table, eyes maintaining a fix contact. He continued even after getting no reply. "It will only take time. But you have him wrapped around your palm now-"

"What if he does not oblige? Or he gets more power from Tobin and he covers up his steps?"

"Then before that can even happen, we would have gotten more proof of his malicious doings. More that would be enough to put him behind bars if he wasn't careful." Assured Daegal.

"Hmm." She stared long at him, and saw no doubt whatsoever in his eyes. "Very well then. I will believe in your words."

"I believe my son resides near your territory around the castle walls," Daegal said.

"I will continue my search for him." She replied. "Aiden Stonefield, correct?" She received a nod from him. "My men will be on the look out for him, I assure you of that."

****

Clement would had never believed it if a priest or a supernatural being had told him he would received a guest as such. He was noturing his dear wife, when he heard the knock on the door. Sif was out with the twin. "I'll be right back," he said to Gregoria on the bed and headed towards the door. His mouth dropped open when he saw her. "Your majesty-" she forced herself inside before Clement could say more.

"I don't like to be seen by the crowds, you know." She said once inside.

"What are you doing here?" Clement's puzzled face caused his brows to arch up in confusion as he quickly shut the door.

Taking a moment to admire her vicinity, Helen saw nothing to admire. The room was small with almost nothing in it. Over to one side, she watched a woman lay on the bed, observing how pale she'd become, Helen felt a tinge of pity for her. "She's not getting any better." She pointed out to Clement, who only lowered his head in sadness. "Poor woman."

Gregoria had quickly turned her back to face the room when she heard the knock because she didn't want anyone to see her like that. When she heard it was Helen, her heart sank. Helen would not leave her husband alone and the thought of it scared her. She frowned at the remark of the queen and blinked back a tear, cursing herself for getting ill with an incurable ailment. She could feel her days counting already. She remained still, and intentionally eavesdropped on their discussion."...she can hear you." She heard her husband said.

"Why won't you just bend to my request? Do as I've said."

"No, Helen."

Helen? Did she hear her husband well? He just called out the name of the queen directly at her face and she hadn't ordered his head be chopped off. She knew it, but she tried denying the horrifying thought all these years ago. Now, this was direct proof.

"Whatever you say then. You have always been so stubborn-"

"Why have you come? My son will be home anytime soon and I fear I do not what him to meet you here." Clement mentioned to her.

"He must have been so grown up by now." Remarked Helen.

"He is."

"And what about the smaller one? What was it you called her name again?"

"Please, why have you come?" He asked, ignoring her questions.

"Very well then. Keep your family's business out of reach from me." Helen rolled her eyes. "Won't you give me a seat?" She querried, then walked over and sat down on one of the chairs. He soon joined her, anxious of the purpose her visit.

Helen was a lunatic. For some reason, he feared she would send in the head of Fiora after finding out who she really was. He hoped all was already with her. "I haven't been keeping you updated." She confessed, and began reciting all that had happened in the past few days. How she'd contacted both Daegal and Fiora, even talked about her recent discovery on a way to silent Ropert. She specifically mentioned her doubts for Fiora, and stated how much she envied her. Clement's heart sank in fear, but he did not show it.

"So you have come here to seek my guidance?"

"Oh don't give me that look." She flashed a furrowed brow at him.

"What look?" Puzzled Clement asked. His heart beating had increased rapidly.

"This one on you right now. The one that tells me; "go ahead and do whatever it is that you like." That one."

"I do not have the slightest idea of what you are talking about," replied Clement.

"You know exactly what-"

"But," he said, robbing Helen off her statement. "But, if you have truly come here for my guidance, then I would ask you not to trust that young woman." He said, then waited for her reply. He had to make it clear that he knew nothing about Fiora, else the resulting consequences would be ruinous.

"You don't want me to trust her?" She asked with a wrinkled forehead.

"Ask yourself first, why did you reach out to her?"

She thought for a while then replied. "Because she was my last resort. She was the way to helping me reach Ropert."

"And have you succeeded?"

"Yes, of course." She replied. "So you want me to dispose of her, don't you think? I think so myself-"

"Dispose of her!? No." He bellowed, a little louder than he'd wanted to. Helen was capable of anything, especially getting rid of people who were no longer useful to her. Fiora would have to prove herself worthy to her at all cost if she wanted to save her life.

"But then, what do you mean?" Her eyes widened with suspicions, but mostly confusion.

"She has proven herself to be useful to you. Do you want to dispose her so easily?"

She arched her brows up in deep thinking. "Well, if you put it that way,"

"Listen to me, you need people like that around. To do most of the dirty works for you. And soon enough when your son comes into power-"

"My Euric is still too young for such reckless world." She cut in. "We will leave him out of this."

"But Helen, you know that he is now of age."

"I don't want to endanger him, Clement. I don't want to." She replied. After a brief silence, she added. "Which is why I still need Fiora around me."

Clement lowered his head. "So you wouldn't mind endangering her life?"

"I wouldn't." She said with much confidence that soon disgusted Clement. "She too is so obsessed, the gods knows what she has intended of me!"

"She is only trying to help you and the people-"

"My people! Nobody rules for me, Clement."

"Then why did you needed her? Huh!" He yelled in frustration, displeased with Helen's reasoning, but quickly lowered his voice, scared to disturb Gregoria on the bed. "Why did you needed her, if you could very much take care of your people?"

"Because," Helen wanted to speak, but nothing came out. Her voice soon croaked out as her eyes became teary. "I don't know, Clement. I am weak. And fragile. And," she didn't know what else to say. How else was she supposed to make it clear that everyone that the burden on her was too much? That she was tired and would have given up the damn throne if it weren't for her son's protection.

"It's all too much, I understand." Clement agreed with her as though he could read through her thoughts. "But I don't like how you can easily cut off your bond with people." He said, and she revealed a displeased face. "You are a queen and should have been with so many allies but because of your greed and fear, you loose everything all over again. Do you really see yourself as weak? No weakling would survive that much power you bestow in a day. Much less for years."

"I am trying, Clement. I promise you that." She admitted.

"Then keep doing so. It is alright not to trust in people, but do not push them away. Get her closer instead. That way, you would get to see her true intentions then."

She paused, thinking of the right words to say. "Thank you for always believing in me." She finally said, and her words hit Clement like a sword, piercing straight to his heart. He felt like a betrayal. He was a betrayal.

But he was doing it for the right cause.

****

Gregoria cried all through the night. She'd confronted her husband on why the high and mighty queen had visited their very home and shared her plans with him, stating how it had been possible baffled her truly. Clement had shut her off, claiming it was nothing she should be bothersome about. Later that night, her eyes shut closed as drops of tears ran down her cheeks.

They did not open again.