Chapter 67 - Her Missing Ring...

*******

Queen Ariadne's POV.

"Welcome to the family Princess Arya" Morgana said. Queen Valeria rolled her eyes like the title was been snatch away from her. "What's was wrong with this woman?" I asked Anne who stood beside me. She laughed instead of answering. That night, after the party, I took Arya to my room. Since, we were yet to find the killer, I could not leave her to sleep in the room alone.

I was very curious about the things she told me earlier. How Queen Valeria visits her home when her mother was alive. Maybe I should do the investigation myself, the empire was taking to long to find the murderer.

The next morning, I woke very earlier and arranged the things I might need and headed off to the village. I took permission from the Emperor, telling him that I was going to pick some items from Evelyn's house that  belonged to our new daughter - Arya's last memories. Of course, he agreed to it because mother backed me up and he told ten guards to follow me. What a man!

When we arrived the village, everywhere were quiet and it looked like this was the day Evelyn's died. I knew that some of them were not really mourning her. They were afraid of that the killer might come for them or their families.

Evelyn's house was covered in ashes- a well known rite performed in Akkad to mourn the dead. I shook my head when I walked in to the room. It seemed like nobody clean the room after the murder took place. The floor was still covered with blood, there were also blood stains on the wall. It seemed Evelyn struggled before she died.

I went in to the inner room, there was nothing interesting except for clothes and few jewelries. I check for some photos and a little of Arya's stuff and I went out of the house.

"Greetings my queen" one of the neighbors said. Perfect I said to my self. This was what I needed some one to ask questions about the life Evelyn lived before she passed on.

The young woman was young, dirty but happy. She had a child with her. I asked if she could tell me the little she knew about Evelyn.

"After her husband died. She suffered for years with her little Arya. Evelyn used to farm there yearly" the woman pointed at a plot of land that had a lot of bushes.

"What happened that she stopped?" I asked.

"My lady, no one knew about it. She just stopped working over there and when I asked her she said there was enough money for her to used" The woman explained further.

She saw the curiosity on my face, she had no choice than to continue with the story. "Evelyn started buying clothes and jewelries. Food was  no longer a problem for them. I suspected that something was wrong but who cares? Those two have suffered for years. They needed the money."

"Are you trying to say the money she spent was not hers?" I asked, drawing closer to her. People started looking at our direction. They were surprised to see me talked to a peasant. I tried to ran up the conservation before the Emperor gets to know about this

"Not really, but, the Empress visited her about four months ago. I was in the room but, we saw it" she took the little girl, in her arms.

"I see. Thank you for everything" I took one of the gold rings from my left fingers and gave to her as a token.

The woman was very happy and she thanked me for blessing her day. I entered the carriage and we rode back to the palace.

********

By evening, I put Arya to bed. I told Anne to watched over her and I headed off to the Emperor's room. It's been a while, we hardly spend time together these days. But who was to be blame? The atmosphere in the palace was one that deprived us of our comfort.

When I got to his room. The interior design of the was changed room. It's looked beautiful but darker than I expected.

His eyes lit and his lips curved a smile when he saw me. I stood at the door with my hands crossed in front of me waiting for an invitation.

"Come in please, Queen Ariadne" Apollo invited me in. I wished the Emperor had asked me instead of his friend.

I walked to the room, looking at the new designs and paintings. There was a large frame on the wall. It's was a painting of me on Queen Valeria's Anniversary party. I stared at it for minutes before Apollo interrupted me.

"Good night my lady" he said, kissing the knuckles of my hands. I felt somehow because this was the first he did this in front the Emperor.

After he left, I was curious to know what was going through his mind.

"A penny for your thoughts Emperor?" I asked him. No answer. He stood up from his seat and came to me.

"My heart is weary and bitter right now" He said to me. It's was all written on the Emperor's face that he was sad after his last anniversary party.

"Can you tell me about it? I promise not to tell anyone if you do not want me to. I will just tender my advice that's all."

"I think am close to the killer" he told me. "It hurts me the most, when the facts are leading to my own Queen."

"What?" I said, using my hand to fan my face. I wondered why I did not bring one along. Sweats began to form on face and fear made me want to tremble. Some one among the queens was a murderer! It was a shocking news indeed.

"Come here" he aided me to the bed. "Take a rest and do not stress your self about it okay?"

I nodded when I laid on the bed. Why will anyone  wants to hurt me? I was just Ariadne and no body! A poor maid in disguise of a princess, if only they knew how hard it's was for me to get here … they would pity me instead of troubling me.

"Why did you go to the village today?" he asked, holding my hand in his palm and kissed it. What a way to persuaded me!

"I went to get Arya's.."

"Do not lie to me Queen Ariadne. I thought we promised not to tell lie to each other?" He interrupted me. When on Earth did I say that. Was I drunk or something.

"When did we do that?" I asked him. Trying my best to remember how, where and when I took such oath! But I could not get a picture of it. May be , the emperor was pulling my legs.

"At altar , on our wedding" the Emperor told me. Really? He was angry that day but he took noticed of that. Impressive.

"Oh, I forgot about it" I smiled, if only he knew about my identity, then we won't be together today.

"So are you going to tell me the reason why you went to Evelyn's house?'

"I went to confirm what Arya told me yesterday. And now, that am sure of it. I must protect her" I told him.

"What are you saying Queen Ariadne?" He asked.

I adjusted my self up and the Emperor helped me sat upright. He grabbed the pillow and asked me to laid my head on it and I obeyed.

"Please continue" he said. I was about to tell him about Queen Valeria when a knock interrupted us. The reaction on his face showed that he was pissed off with the disturbances that came around when ever we were together.

"Come in" he was still looking at me, when the door opened and queen Valeria walked in to the room. Her facial expression changed from happiness to anger when she saw me. As usual, she was not expecting to be in the room, just the way I did not expected her to come.

"You sent for me your highness" she said, frowning at the sight of me on the bed. 

"I sent for you about three hours ago. Where were you ?" He asked her. Actually I  was expecting the Emperor to go to her just like he was did. But, he did not even looked at her.

"I was with mother. We had to pay the workers" she said. "Am sorry for not making it on time."

"Where is the ring I gave to you on our anniversary, two years ago?" The Emperor asked, standing up from the bed to meet her.

Queen Valeria searched her fingers and she looked up, I wondered what she was doing. It seemed the Empress had misplaced the gift, his majesty gave her.. This was going to be fun, I relaxed my back and watched as the drama unfolded.