Chapter 66 - A Call For Motherhood...

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The Author's POV.

It's was evening, most of the members of the royal family waited at the gate for Evelyn's daughter. Her name was yet to be known since no one knew much about her. Queen Ariadne was happy but anxious and scared about two things. One , what if the child rejects her? The second question that kept on running through her mind was the mother's murder. What if the girl saw the scene? How on Earth will she live with that!

On the side of the coin, was queen Valeria, who was eager to know the age of the girl and if she saw any thing or could comprehend what she saw. If only she did a proper check after killing Evelyn, this mess would have prevented.

The queen mother Aslaug, wished that the girl would have be her granddaughter instead. Over the years she had waited for the creator to shine his light in the palace by bringing a new born into the family, but he didn't. She cried for ages and yet no result, no successor to the throne. But the nevertheless she was happy that Queen Ariadne decided to adopt this child.

The Emperor stood at the door of the palace. He had never waited for any one today but he had no choice because Queen Ariadne had asked him to. He was how ever surprised that he did most of the things she requested. Princess Morgana told him that he had fallen for Queen Ariadne and now, he had no reason but to believe in what his silly sister told him.

The giant doors of the palace opened. Queen Ariadne took a step forward almost missing a step. The Emperor saved her again. She was lucky that he was closed by or else this would have be disaster.

"You don't have to be so irresponsible Queen Ariadne. If you can not handle your self properly, how are you going to take care of a child?" He asked her. She dared not to argue with him. Not, that she was afraid of what the Emperor said. Queen Ariadne felt like he was saying the truth. She has never played the role of a mother before. She knew this was not going to be easy for her.

The horses rode in to the palace. The carriage skipped to a halt in front the palace. Freeing her self from the Emperor's hold, queen Ariadne went to welcome her new daughter, who might accept her as a mother.

The carriage door opened and a young girl came down from the carriage. She was a pretty girl of six. Her brown eyes stared at the crowd in front her. Her red hair was packed neatly with pink ribbons. In one hand, she held her toy , any who had eyes could see that she was scared.

Queen Valeria was relieved that it was just a child, whose appearance was about the child of four. She hope that the little girl does not recognized her.

"Greetings your majesty," the young girl said. From the tone of her voice, queen Ariadne knew that she was scared. But how was she going to make  her feel at home?

"Come here dear" she tried to lift her up, but the young girl  *

Everyone was looking at them. Queen Ariadne felt ashamed but she did not give up. She took some sweet from the tray and said "Don't you want some?"

The girl was mute. It seemed she was staring at something behind. Queen Ariadne prayed that it's shouldn't be the Emperor because his presence causes terror.

"What are you are afraid of?" She asked, trying to see if the girl could opened up to her.

"That aunt there. Do you know her?" She said. It's took Queen Ariadne five minutes to understand what she was saying. The girl was afraid of Queen Valeria.

"She lives here. Come dear, I won't allow anyone to touch you okay?" She took her off her feet.

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Queen Ariadne's POV.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

"My name is Arya, ma" She said. Her voice was like that of an angel, it pained me a lot when I remembered that she was an orphan.

I took her the emperor when we reached the door. His appearance showed that I was the one forcing him to do all these. But it did not matter to me. As long as Arya was happy, we will be okay.

"Arya is her name" I told him. He stared at her for sometime. I wondered if the emperor was going to send us out of the palace.

"Take her in. You are welcome princess Arya" he gave her a smile and left. Wow she was now refer to as  princess, that means the whole empire would recognize her at it's first Empire.

"Am I a princess?" She asked me.

"Yes of course, my sweet child" Mother pat her cheeks. She gave a laugh that made us laughed.

"You are welcome to the harem princess Arya" Queen Alissa welcomed her. Before I could reach the harem, the women of the quarters have brought their gifts to us. When Arya saw all these she was surprised but happy. I took her to my room immediately, nobody knows who the other bad Queen was. I had no choice but to become protective of Arya.

That night, I bathed her my self instead of the maids. Arya was fun to be with even though it took her time to say a word. Some thing was wrong , just then I remembered what happened when she entered the palace -Queen Valeria.

"Arya dear" I called her. She turned and I met the gaze of her big brown eyes. "Do you know that aunt you asked me earlier?"

"There were so many aunts today Queen Ariadne. How am I going to know which one?" She stretched her arms , indicating how confused and tired she was because of them.

It's was true. So many women in the quarters, I hope she gets used to having so many aunties. I carried her to the chair in front of the mirror and made her sat still. "The one you were scared of. I mean the scariest  one among them" I said making an illustration. She laughed when she saw my face.

"The one that comes to see my mother in our home?" She asked.

"Yes that one" I said, as though I knew what she was saying. Queen Valeria went to see her mother? Arya was a kid, for her to recognize queen Valeria that means she went there not once but more than twice.

"Most of the times , she came to see mother, I was asked to go inside. She never saw me for once" Arya added.

"I see. No wonder, she does not recognized you my child" I said, combing her hair. My mind traveled far after the conservation. Did Queen Valeria had some thing to do with the murder? Or was she the murderer? No! I disagreed with my thoughts. Queen Valeria could not be the murderer. May be she went to visit her on a normal day.

The door opened interrupting my thoughts. Anne walked in to the room and informed me about the dinner that was taking palace down stairs. The Emperor had asked me to bring Arya , who the party was meant for. I wore her the blue gown ,  princess Morgana gave me this morning. It seemed like we over estimated her height. It's was too long for her but manageable as a Princess she had to learn how to deal with these clothes.

"I look beautiful queen Ariadne. Am I going to meet my mother today?" Arya asked me. What a question!

"No dear, your mother had traveled and she won't be back soon. That's why she sent you to me" I told her what came to my mind.

"So who is going to be my mother then?" I could see the tears that started forming in her eyes.

"Queen Ariadne of course" Anne chimmed. "You can call her mother and also you have a father here too."

I was perplexed as to what Anne started. She gave me assuring smile that everything was going to be fine. I turned to Arya, who was smiling at me also. Has she accepted me as a mother?

"Are you okay with it?" I asked her and she nodded. Such an innocent child? Why will the world be so cruel and wicked to her?

"Why are you crying?" she asked me. I did not even know when tears rolled down my cheeks. I used my palm to wiped them away. "Come let's go to the hall" I said holding her tiny fingers.

I strode down the stairs case, carefully so that she won't fall. I wanted her to get use to us and her home. The other women followed us behind. They were all worried that she might fall. But there was no way I would allow my precious princess to fall.

I knocked on the hall and the guards opened. The party was not like the usual ones, I knew it was because of the death that have befallen the empire.. They did this because of Arya, the Emperor did not want her to know about her mother's death.