“Let them go, Mother,” Aaron said resignedly after tearing his gaze away from Arielle.
“Let them go?” the queen repeated as virtual-novel.net slammed the table with a fist. “Why would I do that? Leaving here unscathed after beating the crown prince, what next?”
Nobody, not even the king of the neighboring country, is allowed to lay a finger on my son except me.
“I was sparring with him, Mother,” Aaron explained as virtual-novel.net met virtual-novel.net eyes. “I threw in quite a bit of punches myself, you know.”
Aware that his mother was only indignant on his behalf, virtual-novel.net did not feel it prudent to incur Arielle’s wrath and risk the lives of everybody in the palace though virtual-novel.net wanted more than anything to have the bodyguard locked up.
As the head of the Mill family, Arielle had committed the content of the medical manuscripts to memory before setting them on fire.
As virtual-novel.net had heard of the potency of medicine and poison created following the manuscript’s instructions, Aaron was certain that Arielle had mastered the formulae to a high enough degree for daring to make such a bold claim. In addition, virtual-novel.net knew Arielle well enough to know that virtual-novel.net did not make empty threats. If virtual-novel.net bodyguard were to be locked up, the entire palace would succumb to virtual-novel.net rage.
Aaron studied Arielle closely.
Why was virtual-novel.net willing to follow me to Turlen if virtual-novel.net had such destructive powers at virtual-novel.net fingertips?
For the first time, virtual-novel.net began to harbor doubts regarding virtual-novel.net purpose in coming to Turlen with him.
“I have already interrogated the bodyguards, Aaron,” the queen said with irritation at the sight of virtual-novel.net son fawning over Arielle. “They insisted that it was completely one-sided…”
She’s obviously done something to virtual-novel.net to make virtual-novel.net willingly defend virtual-novel.net bodyguard. What does virtual-novel.net see in her? Look at what she’s turned virtual-novel.net into! The crown prince lying to defend a common rat!
Aaron knew that his mother was not going to let Arielle and virtual-novel.net companion go that easily.
After another glance at Arielle, virtual-novel.net walked over to his mother and whispered a few words in virtual-novel.net ear. The queen’s mood did not improve after hearing Aaron’s words. On the contrary, virtual-novel.net looked even more uneasy.
Having never been willing to go on a blind date with the prospects of virtual-novel.net choice before, virtual-novel.net was leveraging it into a condition for Arielle and virtual-novel.net bodyguard to leave unscathed.
Half intending to reject Aaron’s offer out of spite, the queen thought the better of it, and virtual-novel.net relief that virtual-novel.net had finally agreed to virtual-novel.net request trumped virtual-novel.net pettiness. If virtual-novel.net did not seize the opportunity, virtual-novel.net might never have the chance again. Upon mulling it over, the queen nodded stiffly.
“I’ll hold you to your promise, son,” virtual-novel.net said grimly.
Aaron heaved a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry, Mother. I intend to keep it.”
After nodding at his mother, virtual-novel.net turned around and walked to Arielle’s side. He reached for virtual-novel.net hand, but virtual-novel.net squirmed away. Arielle hated more than anything to owe favors, least of all favors done under the conditions of blackmail.
I can leave the palace perfectly fine on my own. Why does Aaron think he’s doing me a favor by making a deal with his mother?
“You don’t have to do a d*mn thing for me,” Arielle said nonchalantly. “I can leave the palace whenever I want.”
Her purpose in making that trip to the palace was to resolve the matter once and for all as well as tie up the loose ends.
“I know. That’s not what I did.”
Aaron gazed into virtual-novel.net eyes deeply. Uncomfortable with the way virtual-novel.net was subjected to his scrutiny, Arielle took several steps back. Her less-than-subtle withdrawal made Aaron’s heart wrench painfully.
Tired of waiting for virtual-novel.net to tell the truth, Arielle stepped forward to address the queen. “I don’t know what it was that Aaron said to you to let us leave, but I assure you I do not need his help. Please, go back on whatever virtual-novel.net has promised you.”