202 THE KING'S CONFESSION

Even though they already have an idea that King Artair knew Zoe's mother, they were not expecting that the King and her would be this close, enough for him to shed a tear with a slight notion that Zoe was her. 

Raigon couldn't control his urge from asking as he directed his question at the King. "What is your relationship with Lady Asha's mother, Your Majesty?"

King Artair already calmed his heavy heart as his gaze was still on Zoe who was on an adjacent chair opposite him. "She.. she is my first love."

Zoe's eyes widened in shock as she had no idea that the King and her mother were in an intimate relationship before. 

'Is that the reason why she left this island? And what about me? Am I born on this island or outside?'

Her palm flew to her chest as a destiny-crushing thought crossed her mind. "Am, Am I -"

Then he glanced at Raigon whose face was also pale and holding on the table to keep his balance. 

King Artair finished her sentence for her. "No, my dear. You are not my daughter. And Raigon is not your brother."

Zoe heaved out a huge sigh of relief. A flickering thought came to her that the reason why their fates collide is because they were siblings. A thick thorn was lifted off from her chest as she was now certain that they were not.

It seemed that Raigon too had regained his strength as he seated himself behind his father.

"Can we ask, Father, what happened to both of you? What happened to Lady Asha, her mother?"

King Artair took in a deep breath as he glanced first at Zoe.

"It is my fault." He stuttered as he fumbled for the right words to say. 

Raigon rubbed his father's back as he had never seen him as emotional as this. He was always the strong one. The one who made others laugh and have fun. 

And he had always admired his relationship with the Queen. He has never seen this side of him before, and it breaks his heart.

"I chose the throne over her. We were young, and I pledged my love for her But I broke my promise. I took on the kingship and took your Mother, Queen Rose, as my wife because -"

"Because my mother was a half-ling." Zoe uttered through gritted teeth but still in a respectful voice.

King Artair's lips tightened as the feelings of guilt and torment rushed through him again. 

"Forgive me, milady. If it will comfort you to let you know, I am not the same without your mother. I devoted all my strength, time and effort in leading this land to peace and prosperity to take my mind off her. I adored my wife and my children…"

He confessed as he glimpsed at Raigon who just nodded at him, telling him that he understands.

King Artair drew in a deep breath. "But deep inside, I still longed for her." He uttered looking down on his hand as he rubbed them against his thighs, fighting the tears from falling again in his eyes.

"I know I don't have much more time left on earth. God must have forgiven me for giving me a time to repent and confess my sin to the daughter of the person whom I both loved and hurt the most."

Raigon shook his head in denial. "Don't say that, Father. You still have a long life ahead of you. And now is only the beginning as your bothered conscience has now been cleansed."

A bittersweet smile crept in his face as he patted Raigon's back. "Thank you, my son. I don't want you to hear this. But I hope you won't make the same mistake that I did."

He replied as he also glanced at Zoe. 

"But I don't understand, Father. Didn't you try to make it up with her? Did you just let her go?"

Zoe's eyes glimmered as she waited for his answer. Gloom has taken over her as she just learned the ill-fate relationship between her mother and the King.

"The night before our wedding, I secretly went out of the Castle to look for her and ask her to run away with me. And if she says yes, I will certainly go with her. But she is nowhere to be found."

Raigon nodded as he understood. "That must be the time where she left the island."

"S-she left the island?" King Artair asked, his dark eyes showed the tortuous dullness of disbelief. 

Going out of the island is one of the mortal sins in Terra. His hand flew to his face as the extent of pain that he inflicted upon Asha registered on him.

"But how about when my mother returned here? What happened then, your Majesty?" 

Zoe asked in a reverential manner wanting to put all pieces together. 

Deep inside, ice seemed to crash through her stomach as she realized what her mother went through because of these political intrigues. 

And she felt an acute sense of loss as it seemed like she was in the same situation now.

"Asha returned here?" King Artair blinked in bewilderment. 

Zoe sat back, momentarily rebuffed. The King seemed to have no idea that they were here fifteen years ago. 

'Then why would Mother come back here and choose this place is our destined vacation tour? Or was it not her who made that decision?'

Still, she had no idea why her mother would return to this land when she already had a happy family with her and her dad. 

'Or is she really happy with them like King Artair is with his family?'

Still, she couldn't see any reason for her to come back after her heartbreaking experience here.

They were in this open conversation when suddenly, the Queen came barging inside, supported by her faithful servants, as she was still too weak to carry herself.

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Confession is an act of honesty and courage.

It merits forgiveness and cleanses our soul.