The Letter

Meanwhile back at the castle, Elizabeth has refused to tell anyone about the father of her child, but unfortunately for her, Queen Rosaline was able to find out about the man that got her pregnant.

Elizabeth still remember the day that her mother confronted her about Luke, and how messy the confrontation ended.

It's been a month, since Ava got married and if Elizabeth was truly honest with herself, she knew deep down that she was envious of her younger sister, after all her sister was married to a handsome man and has even become a Queen to a pack of Wolves while she was pregnant with no husband even the father of her child is already a married man.

Elizabeth cried as she remembered all the promises Luke made to her. He promised her that he would leave his wife for her, but a week ago when she was ready to tell Luke about her pregnancy, Luke has sent her a letter, apologizing to her and telling her he could not continue with their illicit affair now that his wife was pregnant.

Elizabeth gave her sorrowful laugh as she remembered the letter from Luke, he has said that, he wanted to be a responsible father and as a result they should not see each other again.

Elizabeth felt she was falling into a pit despair, she couldn't believe she trusted Luke so much, to the point of even giving him her viginity. He told her that he was no longer sleeping with his wife but he lied to her.

For a moment Elizabeth considered the option of abortion but she couldn't bear the thought of killing her own child.

"Is this how you wish to spend your life, by crying over a pathetic fool who doesn't even have the guts to man up and take responsibility for his actions" Queen Rosaline said emotionlessly. As she stared at her daughter, she felt nothing but disappointment and rage that her daughter was nothing like her, it was times like this she wished Ava was her child instead.

"Get yourself together. Tell me something Elizabeth, how long do you think I will be here to always clean up your mess?" Queen Rosaline asked with irritation in her voice.

"I didn't ask you to clean up any of my mess, so why don't you just leave me already?" Elizabeth said angrily.

Queen Rosaline walked up to her daughter and held her arms tightly and said "I can't leave you alone Elizabeth because you are my daughter and I will never abandon you."

"I am nothing like Ava, if she was in my shoes then.... no, Ava will never have allowed herself to get pregnant without being married. Even you said it mother, she has always been the smart one." For the first time Elizabeth looked at her mother with desperation, she held her mother hands pleadedly and asked "Mother what should I do now? if the people find out about my pregnancy they would all criticize me and what if I made father to lose respect in front of the council, then even he, won't forgive me. You have to help me, you can make up a lie and send me away until I give birth to this child. Mother, I know I made a mistake, but like you said you can't abandon me after all I am your daughter."

When seeing her daughter reduced to such a state Queen Rosaline heart softened and said to her "If you want to save both you and child, then you will do exactly as I say"

Elizabeth nodded with relief, she knew her mother will have a solution.

"You will have to become the Queen of Aldia."

"What?" Elizabeth was shocked by her mother solution.

"You will have to get married to a respectable man and make him believe you are carrying his child."

"But if I were to do that, I will be no different from Luke" Elizabeth replied

"Do not ever compare yourself to that disgusting man. He took advantage of you, knowing fully well that you are the princess. Be honest with me Elizabeth, haven't you ever thought of making him suffer like you have, when you become the Queen you will have the power to make him lose everything."

"Yes, I have thought of making him pay, but still...."

"Then that is all you need. Once again Elizabeth I am giving you two options. It is either you become the Queen of Aldia or you abort this child. I refuse to be humiliated by your foolishness. You have tonight to give me your answer" Queen Rosaline left her daughter room with no emotions in her eyes, that one would wonder if she was truly a mother.

...

In the evening, Elizabeth knocked at her mother door timidly and when she did not hear any reply, she entered. She thought her mother was ignoring her, but when she entered the room she saw no sign of her mother, she was about to leave her mother chamber's when she saw a letter on her mother dressing table. Elizabeth became curious and picked up the letter from her mother dressing table and when she read each line of it, she felt as if her breath was leaving her.

Elizabeth was lost in thought when she heard the door opened and when she saw her mother coming in, she sneered at mother and said "You are even more pathetic than i am."

Queen Rosaline was stunned at her daughter's words but when she saw the letter Elizabeth was holding, fear flashed in her eyes, but then she relaxed and asked calmly "What are you doing in my room?"

"You have always been so perfect in my eyes that I never thought that a day would come when I would be so disgusted by you." Elizabeth said with a broken heart.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Queen Rosaline coldly asked. She was already tired of always pampering this daughter of hers.

"How dare i? Are you seriously asking me that question? I should be the one asking, How dare you cheat on my father?!" Elizabeth questioned her mother angrily.

Queen Rosaline once again look at the letter in her daughter hands and said coldly "He is not even your biological father, so don't waste your tears on him" Queen Rosaline said mockingly.

Elizabeth sobbed at her mother words and said "How could you do this to me? How could you ruin my life?"

"I have done everything to protect you and to give the best that life have to offer"

"By lying to me all my life, I have believed that I was the daughter of a king and now I found out that I am just the daughter of a common man! Since you have kept it a secret for so many years, you should have ensure that no one, not even me should have found it out" Elizabeth said with rage in her eyes.

"It is good that you have found out the truth and i feel no remorse for what I have done. King Ford have never loved me, so I sought comfort in the arms of another man" Queen Rosaline calmly stated.

"Perhaps he saw who you truly are, after all no man in their right sense will ever fall for a monster"

'Pa'

Elizabeth felt a scorching pain on her left cheek as she held her mother say "I have tolerated a lot for you and I will not let you of all people disrespect me"

Elizabeth turned to her mother, she ignored the pain of being slapped and said "Does it feel nice to use me as an excuse, admit it mother, admit that everything you have done has always been for your own greed"

Then a thought came into Elizabeth mind and she asked "What about Ava? is she also the daughter of this man named Stefan?"

"No, Ava is the King only child just the way you are my only child" Queen Rosaline said with a mist of hatred at the mention of Ava and the king.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying that you are not Ava real mother"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying" Elizabeth was stunned by her mother confession. Ever since she read that letter, she felt her life was turned upside down. In the letter she saw the truth about how this man named Stefan has expressed his desire to see her mother again and how he would love to become close to 'his Elizabeth'.

The thought that an unknown man blood is running in her vein made her sick. Even though she was not as brave and strong as Ava, why couldn't she at least be the daughter of King Ford? Why did it have to be Ava?

"Why is it always Ava?!" Elizabeth screamed with tears and with another emotion in her eyes, an emotion that Queen Rosaline would one day wish she had never provoke.