CH. 12 Tempest

I listened to the report on the twins' living conditions and the other things I asked about from the four maids as I flipped through the document that contained details of the twins' palace and its staff. There weren't many to begin with. I even had them repeat their report because I wanted to reject this situation with every fibre of my being.

As for the twins' rooms, Noah had very few things he treasured and his room was the most minimalist. Cleo had more things but there wasn't much difference. Not one you would expect from six-year-olds. When I was Six, My room was filled with all sorts of things. The music boxes and life-size dolls that I liked, many lottery toys from my sister's favourite collection, my brother's shirt that was too big for me, my father's books that were too difficult for me and last but not least, some of my mother's collection of fancy notebooks. It was cluttered to be honest and I still have them in my room. Only I sold the lottery toys with my sister for a high price, my brother's shirt became too small, I understood the books my dad reads and I filled most of my mother's journals with absolute nonsense.

"Not a six-year-old's room." I muttered sighing and then looked at a magic device that records audio and video. I had the knights install it in the tutoring room a few weeks ago and the things that were recorded over these two weeks were what I almost expected but desperately hoped I was wrong.

"She is a famous tutor in both Verdant and Valoria." I noted flipping through the information about Kaylee Allen.

"Are there any students who turned out to be strange in any way?" I asked.

"There is the young lord of House Reynolds. I heard he hates crowds and doesn't talk more than necessary. Though he was very talented and one of the top students in the academy, his parents still worry." Lady Ellie explained. This was her first task after becoming my aide a few days ago.

"Only one case?" I asked.

"There were others but none that were serious enough. Her students all had potential and turned out to be rare talents." She informed me.

This all started when the twins began to reject my invitations for an evening tea. They were reluctant about their rejections, it was as clear as day. And I remembered how Cleo shielded Noah after I tried to pat their heads. But Cleo didn't… couldn't move when Miss Kaylee did. I groaned, visibly angry when I thought about how this had been going on for almost a year.

"Did you get what I asked of you?" I looked at Ellie. She hesitated but nodded in response.

"Have the staff relocated immediately. Reese, Can I trust you to prepare the two rooms I've requested?" I looked at one of my maids and she nodded determined. I let the four maids from the twins' palace assist her.

"Now the rest of you come with me." I said as I made my way towards the twins' palace. It was the time for their classes so Kaylee Allen must also be there. That woman, I will make her live in hell for the rest of her life.

I barged through the door and when I did the sight that welcomed me, enraged me so much that I began to see red. She had Noah sit in her lap.

"Your Highness." She stood up slowly and let Noah stand aside like she did nothing wrong. "I was not expecting you. If you had told me-" I didn't give a chance for her to blabber any nonsense that would only enrage me further.

"This bitch." I couldn't recognize my own voice as I walked and grabbed that woman by her hair and dragged her out the door, through the corridor and into the front garden of the palace.

"What are you doing?!" She shrieked trying to wriggle out of my hand. When we reached the front garden, I threw her to the ground. I wanted to personally skin her alive with my nails. Slowly and carefully. Making her feel every single thing.

"What is the meaning of this?!" She shouted not an ounce of respect in her attitude or a speck of fear in her face.

"Ivy, Escort the twins to the infirmary and have the priests treat them carefully. And no one is allowed to touch even a single hair on them." I ordered. Ivy and May rushed after my words.

"You, Shave that woman's head." I instructed the man that Ellie brought in.

"Grace-" Kaylee Allen tried to protest but one of the knights held a sword to her neck. She might be able to hurt me with her mana and magic but not that Knight who was specifically chosen to guard the twins. So I watched in silence as the man Ellie brought in according to my instruction, shaved the tutor's head.

"You will regret this." Kaylee glared at me.

"I won't." I replied without any hesitation in my being.

"Are these the ones I asked for?" I asked, looking at the barrels that were being unloaded a few feet away. That was one of the expensive products that the alchemists prepared from a certain dungeon monster's blood. It was something similar to acid and a very powerful one at that.

"Can you pour this liquid on the palace with your magic?" I turned to the other knight who was also assigned to guard the twins. I didn't skip my daily self-learning session about this world. Levitation magic was an entry-level magic for everyone. The knight nodded and I watched the entire palace melt to the ground for the next few hours.

"Kaylee Allen, Watch carefully. I'm going to erase you from the twins' life. I will make sure you never existed in the first place." I promised.

"Your Highness!" I heard a familiar voice and I turned to look at Seth Peregrine making his way towards me. Jasper Fox, Sen and the head maid, Miss Anna followed behind him.

"I sent you everything you need to know before acting." I said.

"You did." He responded. The people who followed him looked at the palace that turned into nothing but a huge black spot on the ground. I waved a hand and the workers began to do their job.

"What are they doing?" Seth asked.

"I'm going to erase the place that woman walked the most." I said.

"Why-"

"You said I could burn a palace if I wanted to. So don't ask about it." I cut him off.

"How are the children?' Seth asked hesitantly.

"They will be fine. I will make sure of that." I stated. He sighed in relief after hearing me.

"Later, Apologise to them properly." I said.

"Apologise for being an ignorant father."

"Alright." He replied softly.

"I had them move into my palace. I am a stranger to this as well but I will look after them to the best of my ability so even when I'm gone you must take care of them properly. They are cursed with a good-for-nothing mother but they are lucky at least their father is a kind man." I turned to look at Seth.

"It isn't too late." I assured him. His eyes were filled with hesitation but he didn't voice it which meant he wanted to care for them as well. I don't understand why he was hesitant and I knew there was some reason behind his avoidance when it came to the twins but I felt like it wasn't my place to ask... It wasn't my place. I already said more than enough.

"Your Highness!" Kaylee shouted.

"His Majesty wouldn't be kind if he heard of this. His Majesty, the King of Verdant has recognised me himself!" She said but couldn't move with the sword still held to her neck. But with her hair and eyebrows gone, she was a funny sight.

"The King must have his eyes checked. Good thing I acted quickly, otherwise what would people say about him?" I mocked.

"Grace Finley! You will regret this." She shrieked again like a banshee.

"I won't, I promise. Besides, I'm not done with you yet. After all this is over, You can go cry to your king." I sang happily and had her dragged to a decent-looking carriage that would ship her back to Verdant and her family.

"What are you going to do to her?" Seth asked.

"She will go through the same hell that she put my children through." I gritted my teeth, still unsatisfied with the outcome.

"Your Highness, Ivy took the Young Lords to their rooms." May came to inform me and I sighed in peace. I had Ellie oversee the renovation work and left for my palace.

* * *

"How do you find your new room?" I asked, smiling softly at the two little kids looking at their room in awe. My palace has five floors and I live on the top floor. There are many rooms in my floor that were furnished lavishly but left unused so I had them redecorate the largest room into the twins' bedroom and had it connected to a living room to receive their guests and a study room as their personal study space. As long as you have money the renovation was done quickly and just the way I asked for it.

"Do you like it?" I said walking in. I wanted to have them separate rooms of their own but decided that it was too early so I had the largest room with enough space that could hold two decent sized beds and still left with lots of free space. Besides, the two brothers looked very close and depended on each other so I didn't want to separate them.

"Thank you Mother!" Cleo ran and hugged my legs. I almost stopped breathing as soon as I heard him.

"I… uh… Forgive me, Cleo. Can you still address me as Her Highness?" I asked as I kneeled in front of him. He looked close to tears but my heart was too loud and anxiety crawled in again as soon as I heard him call me Mother.

"Alright." Noah nodded even though he too looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Let's have dinner together." I looked at them encouragingly. I thought that it wasn't too late. No, I lied to myself as such. I knew that the damage was already done but I refused to acknowledge that. But the reality came back biting as I woke up to Cleo's cries in the middle of the night.