Ashmaris's pov.
It has been two days and my men haven't returned nor have I heard news from them. I am starting to get agitated and I haven't even found who helped Junia run away.
The lords were annoyed that I had abandoned them at a court meeting telling me to my face how disrespectful I was.
But it didn't last much because rather too angry they were happy that my mate had run away.
They didn't even pretend to be concerned, their daughter's major competition was gone. Which made me suspect them, one of them had helped Junia.
I straightened my back as the maids placed my last of my attire around my shoulder, I slipped my hands into the coat.
The door opened and the maids stepped back. It was my sister Ignara. She walked towards me in fast strides.
Before she speaks, she claps her hand together signifying the maids to leave us.
"I brought news," she said.
"Has my uncle and our cousin arrived?" I asked her as I fixed my clothes. Today my cousin and uncle are arriving in the capital.
And I have to throw a welcome banquet for them, even though we all don't really like each other. He and his son had eyes on the throne.
Just to show a false respect, I will celebrate their return.
Even when it is clear they are coming here with a dirty plan under trick.
And this time I won't hesitate to have their heads.
"Yes but yet to arrive here at the palace." She replied, I turned to her. "The first news is that, I heard that Ishkara and Junia had lunch some days back and Junia was also seen going into Ishkara's Chamber on the midnight when she disappeared."
Anger rushed through me, "so it was Ishkara, who helped her?" I gritted my teeth.
Ishkara and her father had done a lot that I have overlooked, but this one I won't spare her. I grabbed my sword and drew it, Ignara held my hand.
"You can't do anything to her, we don't have to prove she helped her," Ignara reminded, only if she isn't a lady.
"But she is the last person she was seen with, she must have helped her." I argued, yanking my hand from her.
I am annoyed that there is a pact that binds me from killing the nobles but they keep tempting my wrath.
"No!" Ignara yelled, "you won't do that, Ashmaris. You can't do anything irrational if you don't have proof, not when our greatest enemies are here." She said in a softer tone.
Ignara stepped closer to me and held my hand,my anger subsided. "Have you called Ishkara for interrogation?"
"I haven't. I will send the guards to get her now" Ignara smirked as she stepped back.
"I will meet you in the interrogation chamber."
Ignara nodded and walked out, I could sense her happiness. She will get to rile Ishkara up.
When I got to the interrogation chamber, I could hear Ishkara arguing with Ignara. Pissed, I barge into the room.
"You shouldn't be arguing with a Royal Princess" I bellowed.
Ishkara quickly bowed to greet me, "Your Majesty." Her voice was a little shaken. She didn't expect me to walk in on her disrespecting my sister.
"I should punish you for disrespecting her. She is your king's sister and you will treat her with utmost respect and I don't care how much you can't stand my sister. You treat her with respect in my presence and my absence." I warned her, I have watched Ishkara do as she had wished for so long.
But having the gut to argue my sister was out of line.
"I am sorry your Majesty, it won't happen again" she apologized.
"Apologized to the princess." I told Ishkara, who turned to Ignara.
Who folded her arms and watched me threaten Ishkara.
"I apologized for being rude to your highness, this won't happen again." She bowed to Ignara.
A small smirk appeared on Ignara's lips as she straightened her back. "Apology accepted," Ignara said, putting her hand forward for Ishkara to kiss.
This signifies that Ignara had forgiven her.
Ishkara hesitated before taking Ignara's hand and kissed it, before straightening her back.
"I and the princess had some questions to ask you" I started, going over to a chair to take a seat. "You already know why you are here, since I walked in on you telling my sister you are no criminal to be brought to the Interrogation chamber"
"I don't know where—" Ishkara started to explain herself but I caught her off by raising my hand up to stop her.
"The princess will do the interrogation." I said, Ishkara's face fell.
Ignara walked up to me and sat down next to me, leaving Ishkara standing.
"Why did Junia come to see you on the day she ran away?"
"I asked her for lunch and she came" Ishkara answered straight forward.
"But as she entered, the ladies in your chamber went out, why is that?" Ignara questioned again.
"She looked troubled and I sent the other ladies away so I could ask her but she didn't say anything to me and she left almost immediately." Ishkara replied immediately with her expression unchanged, calm.
'Is she telling the truth?' I asked Ignara, through a mind link.
'it tallied with what my informant had said' she answered. 'But I still feel like there's more'
"You can go , Lady Ishkara." I said, She bows down slightly and turns to leave.
But Ignara stopped her, "If I found out you are behind Junia's running away. I would put you to the dungeons myself"
"Yes your highness and maybe she doesn't need anyone's help after all you have already shown her the entire palace layout yourself" Ishkara said to Ignara and left.
Iskara was trying to make me distrust my sister. That's what she did just now, what she didn't know is that I know about it.
And that she had revealed that she had been watching Junia.
"I still didn't think she planned all this herself." Ignara said, she stands up.
"I know. Keep an eye on Ishkara."
She was confident, she must know something.
I stood up also and we left the Chamber and went straight to the entrance of the palace to wait for the arrival of our uncle and cousin, Guards and Lords are also waiting there.
I didn't plastered a smile on my face like Ignara had done as they walked towards us. "Your Majesty," my uncle and my cousin bowed.
"Please rise, welcome back" I responded to them, they were smiling which was false, we all know it.
Ignara greeted them with a false passion, she was doing the same thing they did. "I hope the journey wasn't too stressful?" Ignara smiled.
"No, no it was good. Thanks for asking your highness" My Cousin, Aeroxis smiled. He was surprisingly calm and respectful, not his usual arrogant self.
They came to play.
My uncle Derkar, Aeroxis's, was my father's stepbrother. Derkar's mother was a concubine but is of a Noble born. He was arrogant and thinks he and his son deserve the throne after my father's death because I and Ignara's mom was not noble.
But the Lords were surprisingly supportive to me when it came to the time to ascend the throne.
At times I was grateful but I didn't know that the Lords were being supportive because they thought they could control me.
Then they started acting superior and wanting to control me, that was when I knew I was a pawn and decided to reclaim my throne by showing them why I am their king.
"Your Majesty, I know our arrival wasn't announced early. We didn't plan to come but Aeroxis insisted on coming to the centre." Derkar said he was different from my father. Even on his face you could see the greediness.
Derkar's eyes stayed on me as he spoke, "Did he want to go on a tour?I will arrange that when he wants to. Please come inside and a feast has been prepared for you."
"Yes, Thank your Majesty." Derkar said
"Please let go inside" Ignara spoke and we all walked into the palace and headed to the banquet hall.
"I heard that the King's Mate is here in the capital, where's she?" Aeroxis asked, I fisted my palms.
"She isn't around now." Ignara replied with a smile.
"Oh, I just want to meet her since she is now family." Aeroxis said, "You are very lucky, your Majesty, that you found your mate, that is rare these days."
I stopped in my tracks not turning, "You will find your mate, if you just look into the right place and don't concern yourself with things that you are not supposed to" I smirked.
Everyone stopped, I just said something to warn him and his father. They shouldn't try to play any game.
"Like how you ruin an entire kingdom just to bring a married woman to your palace?"