262 WHO IS THE TRUE QUEEN OF TERRA?

Both Princess Ara and Zoe were scowling as they sat across each other. They already dried themselves up from swimming and were now filling their stomachs with the food that they brought with them.

Raigon was observing what the two might do while Princess Taia was oblivious of the seriousness of their issue. She continued to gobble the chicken with grilled cheese sandwiches. 

"Maybe we should head back and ask the Queen. I'm sure she will know the answer." Princess Ara crossed her arms and furrowed her brows at Zoe.

Zoe contemplated her suggestion. A few minutes has already passed but she couldn't figure out why the necklace would be in the hands of her mother if it indeed was the Queen's. 

She glanced at Princess Ara and narrowed her eyes on her, wondering if she knows about the past story between her mother and hers.

If only her mother was alive, she could explain it a lot more. She doesn't trust the Queen. 

"Do we really have to go back? We still have a game to catch." Princess Taia's lips turned downwards as she gently laid down the sandwich.

"Do you have any other ideas?" Princess Ara glared at her. 

On the other hand, Raigon knew about the necklace as it was one of the things they had taught him when he was still studying for Kingship. 

It was a legendary necklace as whoever owns it would sooner or later be the next queen. He knows he has seen it worn before by his mother, Queen Rose. But he has no idea why Zoe would have it in her possession or Lady Asha.

"We can ask the King." Raigon finally concluded as he also pondered about the matter. He would rather ask the King as he trusts him more than the Queen, with the recent events that unfolded revealing her cunningness.

Princess Taia nodded her head and beamed. "It's settled then. Can we now go back to hunting?"

"No, Taia. This is important. Let's go back." Princess Ara stood up and packed their things.

Raigon observed Princess Ara's response to the necklace.

'Is it really just because Mother has scolded her because of it? Or she has extensive knowledge about it too?'

Then she glanced at Zoe, whose face cannot be painted as millions of thoughts came rushing into her mind. She seemed to be trying to calm herself as her eyes darted to the waterfall cascading down the pool of water.

Raigon's eyebrows furrowed as he thought that it was raging and noisier unlike its state when they first stepped on this location again. 

It didn't take them long before they returned to the Castle. But it was only Raigon, Princess Ara and Zoe who talked with the King. 

They excluded Princess Taia who seemed to be too young to get involved in this. And it so happened that she grew tired from swimming that she immediately fell asleep even in the carriage. Raigon even brought her to her Chamber.

"Father, do you happen to know who owns this necklace?" 

It was Raigon who asked King Artair as he was the calmer one among the three. Princess Ara and Zoe tried their best to look cheerful as if they were just asking a nonsensical question.

"Your Mother, of course. Why? Where did you find it? She was looking all over for it."

Zoe couldn't control herself anymore as she spoke up, still in a respectful manner as she was talking to the royal family.

"I beg to disagree, your Majesty, your Highness. My mother was wearing that necklace ever since she was a baby. And it is the only remembrance that I have of her."

Zoe's head was tilted down in a bowing position. But her voice was wavering. 

King Artair was taken aback and so did Princess Ara and Raigon. They did not realize until then that it was that important to her.

"We apologize, Lady Asha. We don't mean to offend you. The question now is how did Mother get it if Lady Asha had it in her since birth?"

Raigon pondered as he rubbed his chin. 

'Then does that mean that Lady Asha, Zoe's mother, should be the true Queen of Terra and not his own mother, Queen Rose?' 

He continued to think to himself silently. To answer his question, he shoots out another question to King Artair. 

"'Is one of the reasons why you marry Queen Rose this necklace? Because you think she owns it?"

"Y-yes." King Artair uttered in horror as what Raigon was thinking seemed to also dawn on his mind. 

This is part of the secrets of Terra that only the royals and the next in line knows.

"No, that cannot be. Your mother cannot do that." King Artair made himself believe.

'Queen Rose must not have forcefully gotten the necklace from Lady Asha just to prove that she was the rightful queen. Besides, how could she know that she has the necklace? And how can Lady Asha have that necklace when her mother is a half-ling?'

King Artair asked himself, which made him clutch his chest as he was having a hard time breathing.

Zoe was about to retort that the Queen can do anything vile to get what she wants. Whatever they agreed upon which she doesn't understand is not impossible to happen.

But she was alarmed at the reaction of the King. It is not the right time for him to be thinking such things.

"We can talk about it some other time, your Majesty. Thank you for answering our questions." 

She smiled at him in gratitude and assisted him back to a resting position. King Artair heaved out a sigh of relief as he was afraid that his family had done something bad against hers again.

"Yes, Father. Please rest well. I have a lot of lessons learned that I want to share with you." Princess Ara grinned at him, making King Artair's cheeks tilt upward in response before he closed his eyes.

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All truth passes on through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. And third, it is accepted as self-evident.