Tabit was extremely happy when she heard her father's decision. She looked at her mother but she was just too distressed. Tabit knew that her mother was still reeling under the loss of Meissa's betrothed Okab and was too worried about her pregnancy. From the corner of her eye, she saw her father going and sitting on the throne.Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only
"Mother, maybe you should go and take a rest," she suggested to Alina.
Alina shook her head. She got up from her place and took a deep breath. She said to her husband, "King Eltanin killed Okab who was Meissa's fiancé. Are you going to let this matter slide like this? Have you no guts to face that man?"
"Shut uppp!" Mintaka roared. "Because of you and Meissa I have put myself in this humiliating situation." He rested his elbow on the armrest and supported his forehead in his hand. He shook his head. "I have never been so insulted in my life. No one has ever pointed out to me that I did things because of ego. And King Eltanin pointed that out so blatantly!"
"That is more of a reason to go on a war with him, Mintaka!" Alina growled. "How can you sit like that like a wuss and not do anything? Fight for your honor!"
"Are you insane?" Mintaka yelled at her. "His army is already camped outside the kingdom. If he wants, he can quash us like ants. Did you not see how every damn king and queen wants to favor him or be his favored? The last time we went to the palace, didn't you notice all the drama of Princess Eri and Princess Petra? How were they vying for his attention?"
"So what?" Alina shouted back. "He came and insulted you in your own home! You must take your revenge!"
Mintaka was pissed. He growled, "Alina, go back to your quarters, else I am going to have to ask the guards to take you there!" As he said that, his aura spilled and Alina winced.
Her knees started wobbling and she felt like she had to sit down in submission to her husband. But she didn't like how Eltanin insulted him. She was going to take revenge and a solid one. With unsteady steps, she exited the throne hall, leaving father and daughter alone. Her first stop was the dungeons where Meissa was taken.
"Motherrr!" Meissa called her loudly. "Look what has happened? Father has been so unjust and Eltanin--" she sobbed. "He killed Okab!"
Alina curled her fingers around her daughter's as she too started crying. "I am so sorry, but now we can't do anything. Your father is accepting Lerna and he is sending gifts to her. Tabit will be taking those gifts!"
Meissa gasped. "Oh dear God! How could Tabit betray us like this? She is the mole. I am sure she went around talking about me to Rigel! She is such a cheat!" She grabbed her mother's hands in between the bars. "Mother, you must teach her a lesson. She's a traitor."
"I can't do anything, Meissa!" Alina shook her head.
"You can. You must. You have to stop her from taking those gifts to Lerna!"
"How?"
"I don't know. But do something before Orion Kingdom falls in the hands of our enemy!" Meissa was so jealous of her sister that she didn't want her to succeed. She was going to thwart her plans one way or the other. According to her, Tabit was trying to be in the good books of Rigel. Wait till she ruined her name. "Go mother!" she goaded Alina. "Do something before the situation gets out of control!"
Alina blinked through her tears. Her heart thudding wildly against her chest, she nodded. "Okay. Let me do something!" Alina came out of the dungeons. She went to Tabit's room, but Tabit wasn't there. She punched her fist in her other palm, gritting her teeth, scolding herself for wasting time in finding her. She decided to wait for Tabit at the exit of the palace. And in order to stop her, Alina gathered her personal guards. She formed a plan.
Tabit had asked the servants to bring large gold plates. In the treasure room, she quickly chose precious jewelry. She asked the servants to arrange it on the gold plates. Once done, she closed the treasure room and asked the servants to follow her. However, at the exit--