Chapter 88 - The Present King

But his identity as Adrian Reis was complicating things. A good thing that Esme was reunited with her brother but was it a good thing for him? 

Aleister felt a headache as he looked at them.

''How did you survive?" He asked, not quite convinced by Adrian's lack of explanation. 

Adrian looked at the man, the gentleness in his eyes shifted slightly, ''What has it got to do with you?" 

''You are my brother-in-law. Who would it concern if not me?'' Aleister pulled Esme away from him gently before bringing her to his side and she restrained herself from gaping at how effortlessly he claimed Adrian as his brother-in-law, ''How about we go another way? Tell me, what made you come here?''

This man was getting on his nerves. And Adrian was irked but it was true that his intentions would be doubted until he answered their questions. 

''Let's take a seat,'' Esme pointed her fingers towards the throne chairs around the wide table near the fireplace. She needed to calm herself at this moment. 

As Esme settled on the chair, Aleister sat to her left and Adrian settled to her right. 

The silence lingered in the atmosphere for a few more seconds before Adrian said, ''I was here to find you, Aunt and Arlan,'' he said while looking at Esme. 

''How did you trace them here?" Aleister voiced his suspicions without holding back. 

Esme glanced at Adrian curiously, unlike Aleister's suspicious gaze, ''Brother, how did you know that we are here? No one is aware of it.'' 

''Did you forget that Duke Elias had lent you the carriage when you left Nevesray?" Adrian asked her, trying to suppress the urge to unsheathe his sword at the man who was playing with his sister's fingers at the moment after probing into this matter. 

''Duke Elias...'' The name was mentioned to her after a long time. How could she forget the man who was ruthlessly rejected by her Aunt?

Duke Elias and Marlene were betrothed since a young age and they had affections for each other as well but that incident changed everything. Because she had to take care of Arlan and Esme, Marlene rejected Duke Elias. As bitter as he looked, the man offered his help when they left the Lands of Nevesray. 

''He had always kept a hold on your tracks discreetly,'' Adrian said. 

''I should have known it,'' Everyone in their kingdom knew that the arrogant and stern Duke of Nevesray adored Princess Marlene more than anything, ''Where is the King...?" 

''Dead,'' Aleister spoke before Adrian could say it, ''The amount of torture he inflicted on your brother was returned to him as well. He was tied in the middle of a crowded market and was hit with stones, facing countless humiliations and labelled as a traitor before he died. Everyone was made aware of what he did to his family."

Esme closed her eyes, ''How do you know?" Aleister's words were just as brutal as him. He did not disguise anything and she could see the things vividly in her mind. Her heart was shaken. 

''I was looking into it,'' Aleister said briefly. He had been looking into the matters of Nevesray ever since a long time but it took him some time to join the dots. One dot was missing all the time and it was Adrian Reis, the son of the former King of Nevesray. He wanted to tell Esme about this after concluding it. Only today was he able to conclude most of it when he saw Adrian here.

Esme had questions to ask but Adrian stood up, ''I have to leave now,'' He said and Esme looked at him reluctantly. 

''I won't disappear,'' Adrian said as if he understood her thoughts. He picked up the mask from the table before putting it on his face, hiding his scarred face. 

Esme closed her eyes as she forced herself to nod. 

Adrian pulled her into his arms. 

''If you are here, who is on the throne?" Esme stepped back from him as she asked. No kingdom can stay without a King so how was their kingdom surviving without one? 

''Duke Elias. He is the King,'' His words stunned her beyond anything. 

Esme was in disbelief but Adrian did not explain anything further to her as he turned around to leave. His footsteps came to a halt as he looked at the two beds that were parted by a curtain. But soon, he strode out of the room. 

Aleister glanced at his retreating back before he turned to look at the confused Esme.

''No matter what, Duke Elias is not from the Royal Family. How can he become the King?" She was not against Duke Elias but taking over the throne was a big matter. Even when she was no longer the Princess of Nevesray, she never stopped worrying about her Kingdom. 

''But Aunt is the Princess and their betrothal still exists,'' Aleister reminded her. 

By right, after Princess's disappearance and the King's demise, the next-in-line for the throne should be the Eldest Prince, Adrian Reis.

But what made the difference was that the King was beheaded and the Prince handed over the throne to Duke Elias. 

''Do you mean Duke Elias still wants to marry Aunt?" Esme asked Aleister, not noticing out how he addressed her Aunt as Aunt.

''What do you think about your brother?" He asked instead of answering her question. 

Esme frowned, ''What kind of question is that?" 

''He is a cunning man,'' Aleister said. Sensing her glare on him, the corner of his lips tugged up as he continued, ''I praised him. Since he is cunning, he knows what he is doing. If he handed the crown to the Duke, then it is certain that the Duke has his eyes on Aunt.''

His words were reasonable. Esme glanced at him doubtfully, ''I can tell you what I think about you.'' What did he mean by 'What do you think about your brother?'

Aleister raised an eyebrow as he lowered his head, leaning closer to her, ''I am listening.'' 

''You are unreasonably unreasonable, hold grudges for no reason and you are petty despite being good-looking,'' Even as she pointed out all this, Esme was smiling, ''You...'' 

''Nothing compares to how you find me good-looking,'' Aleister tilted his head to the side. 

Instead of being angry, Esme's smile widened further, ''Nothing you say or do today can make me angry,'' 

''Nothing?'' He placed a finger below her chin and tilted her face up, ''Are you sure?" He leaned closer to her, catching her off guard.