266 THE TRUE OWNER

"Do you think you are so good that you're irreplaceable? The King would get well with or without you. Why blackmail me with your grandmother when she deserves to be in prison? Go now!" 

The Queen now glared at her as she put her hands to her waist. Her nostrils forcefully exhaled as she had never seen a woman who would dare blackmail her as the Queen.

But Zoe would not be perturbed as her mind is fixed on saving her grandmother. 

"Then it is true that we are talking about the same person." Zoe heaved out a deep sigh as she was still hoping that they were talking about two different persons. 

But with the reaction of the Queen, it seemed like her nightmare was true. The Queen was taken aback as she realized that it indeed came out of her own mouth.

"I will go now and find her. So I could also know who truly owns the necklace and why the other one tries so hard to steal it from her."

Zoe bowed down and was about to withdraw from the scene, leaving the Queen speechless as her hand flew to massage her temple, wondering if she made the right decision or not.

However, Raigon interrupted in as he would not allow Zoe to leave that easily.

"I apologize to the both of you. But it is the King's authority to decide whether she should stay or not. For the meantime, I would also find out the truth about this matter and if Lady Asha's grandmother is justified to stay in prison or not."

Raigon resolved to himself as he continued to solve the situation for both the emotionally charged women in front of him. 

"For the meantime, I will also let the King know about this matter so he would know how to deal with this."

"No!" The Queen's hands flew in the air as she waved them violently. 

"He cannot know about this. He's still not fully recovered. Do you want him to die?"

"Then how do you suggest we do this then, your Majesty." Raigon prodded on his Mother.

"I suggest you come clean, your Majesty." Zoe put her oars in and stared directly at the Queen.

She wanted to honor her as the Queen of the land and the mother of Raigon. But her vile actions that were slowly being uncovered are taking away the diminishing respect that she has for her.

Seeing that her cover has finally been found out and Raigon was already intervening, she decided to use another tactic. 

"Leave." She ordered the prison guard who left immediately at the command of the Mother of Terra.

"The owner of the necklace doesn't matter. It is only a legend. I am the Queen now."

Queen Rose tilted her chin and straightened her shoulders.

"Does that mean that my Mother is the true owner of the necklace then?" 

Zoe cupped her mouth in disbelief. Even though she knew that she had it with her ever since she was an infant, she didn't know it's value just now.

"What is the legend? And how did it fall in your hands, your Majesty?" Zoe narrowed her eyes on the Queen.

It seemed that the Queen wouldn't answer so Raigon involved himself and answered Zoe's question. 

"It is the legend that whoever owns the necklace would be the next Queen." He explained to her, which made her eyes bulged out in surprise.

"Then does that mean that my Mother should be the Queen?"

Both her eyes and Raigon's darted to the Queen as they both were curious about the answer to that question.

Zoe was thinking that if it is true, then her mother has suffered unjustly all her life. On the other hand, Raigon also pondered on his own.

'If Mother wasn't supposed to be the Queen and she deceived Terra, she would be put in the royal dungeons or banned from Terra. But then again, it is only a legend. It must not have any ground or basis. But Zoe's family indeed would have endured a lot.'

To answer all their questions, the Queen tried to explain herself, especially to her son whom she doesn't want to have ill feelings towards her that are unnecessary.

"She still would not be a queen because she is a half-ling. I only borrowed it from her as additional proof for the King to choose me. But it alone has no value. I am the rightful Queen of Terra."

Zoe's shoulders dropped as she somehow felt sad for her Mother. But she was glad that if it was true, then her Mother did not have experienced the greater torment that she was imagining.

"The question is how did you have it?" Now it was the Queen's turn to ask the question, which made Zoe brush her hair to her side as she tried to recall the past.

"She also gave it to me when I was young, your Majesty. And she told me to take care of it and never let it go no matter what."

Raigon was quiet but he was also thinking about the value of the necklace. If Lady Asha, Zoe's mother gave it to her when she was a baby, then she must have gotten it back from the Queen before she left Terra.

'Then why would she report it as lost and even accused Princess Ara of stealing it?'

It seemed that there is something more with the necklace. But he was glad that Zoe and his mother were finally looking relaxed and calm unlike the first time that they talked about it.

"Then does that mean that I can have the necklace now? And you will let my grandmother go, your Majesty?"

Zoe bowed down to the Queen, making the Queen step back in response.

***********************************

Reconciliation should be accompanied by justice, otherwise it will not last. While we all hope for peace, it shouldn't be peace at any cost. But peace based on principle and justice.