Chapter 79 - Do Not Forget Your Place, Ariadne....

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Queen Ariadne's POV...

After the dinner, I walked through the corners of the palace with Arya and Anne. Arya was excited to have a grandmother, my hope was that she should not treat my daughter like a slave.

"Anne, what did you think? Does Grandmother likes me?" Those were the only questions, I asked after the dinner. I was sure that she was tired of answering them.

"I do not know my lady. She doesn't have a choice, you are now her son's favorite" Anne said.

"What of Arya? "

"My princess is a sweet child. Any one who meet her will love the way she is"

"Finally you are worried about something" a voice chimmed in.  There was no need to look for who it was. Queen Valeria owned that voice. After many days of hiding, I was hoping she will come out as a good person.

I ignored her. We increased our pace to avoid exchanging words with her. But the woman was snitch , trust me. She followed us.

"You made a mistake by going to the emperor that day" she said. I was upset with her silly talks.

"I didn't make any mistake," Queen Valeria I said. Please Anne, take my child in side.

She brought Arya closer. I kissed her and they left. Now, I could deal with this. Nothing has changed about her.

"What is your problem Valeria?" I asked. "If you don't follow me in reality, you in my dreams. Why can't you let me have my peace?"

"There will be no peace until I  have my Sargon back" Queen Valeria drew closer. The gap between us was not much again. I hope she doesn't do anything stupid. This woman was unpredictable.

"I was on my own in Camelot. They forced me to marry the Emperor against my own wish. I cried for days and hoped that he would let me go but no. Now, that things have gone far between the Emperor and I , am sure he will not let go of even my hair" I said, folding my arms in front.

"Do not forget your place Ariadne. There is still time for you to change your mind, after all he has not touch you yet. I hope Grandmother doesn't not hear about this. This abomination of starving the Emperor" she spitted.

"Wait, is this an abomination? I didn't kill anyone."

"You didn't understand our customs before marrying the Emperor. What of now? Go and take a proper look at them. You are leaving at my own mercy. When the time is right, I will tell the whole palace that you have not lay with him."

"We are fine with it" I managed to smile. Anne told me something similar. Maybe queen Valeria was right. "He still cherish me after all."

The reaction from her face showed that she was burning right now. Queen Valeria looked at me for while and hissed.

"I pray you die soon" she said, looking closer on my neck. "Wait that necklace?"

She was pointing at my neck. I looked down to see what it was but nothing strange was on my neck except for the jewelry the Emperor gave me when I first came to the palace.

"You are evil than I thought Ariadne" Queen Valeria shouted at me. I looked around to see if anyone was watching. I trusted the women of the harem. They were enjoying the show.

"What ever you say my lady" I curtsied. Grandmother saw me do that and she came closer. Mother was with her.

"What is happening here?" Grandmother asked. Queen Valeria started sobbing. I was surprised, this woman was fine few seconds ago. What was wrong with her all of a sudden?

"Grandmother" she hugged her tightly. "Grandmother.."

"What happened here Queen Ariadne?" The Emperor's Mother asked me. I was glad that she was here.

"I was on my way to my room and …"

"Grandmother she said, I can't have Sargon. That he belongs to her alone" queen Valeria interrupted me. But when did I say all these?

"What?" Grandmother expression changed. She was furious. I didn't know that she liked queen Valeria to this extent of believing her lies. "How dare you talk to my daughter like that? Have you forgotten she is the chief of the harem?"

"Grandmother, don't blame Ariadne for this. She is not that type of person"mother helped me out. She was aware of what queen Valeria was doing. "The two of you should move to your rooms immediately."

We were about leaving before  a guard stopped us. "The Emperor had asked me to call his queen, Grandmother" he bowed.

"Valeria you may go" Grandmother gave her a smile.

"Forgive me grand Empress" he was referring to Grandmother. "The Emperor sent for Queen Ariadne, not queen Valeria."

I could see the reaction from her face. From happiness to anger. The Emperor could not even pretend like we told him to. He did not know that his actions was making Grandmother to hate me more.

"You should go Ariadne" mother told me.  "Sargon does not like when you keep him Waiting "

Of course I know. No one knew better than me. I remembered our wedding night, I got scolded for not making it on time.

"Okay mother" I bowed to Grandmother and left.

I climbed the stairs that led to his room quickly and in no time we were there. The guard opened the door for me.

The Emperor stood with his back faced to the wall. I wondered what he was looking at now.

"You have a habit of keeping me waiting my queen" he said, with out turning to see if it was me who entered the room.

"Forgive me your majesty" I said. "I was with Grandmother down stairs before you sent for me."

"Have you two started enjoying each other's company? "

"No not yet. It's was because of your first wife, I  almost got scolded today" I said, maybe those words were not supposed to come out of my mouth.

"Valeria? What did she do again?" He said turning to face me. The Emperor came closed to me. I remembered queen Valeria's words, that I have committed an abomination by not laying with the Emperor.

"I don't know what her problems is with me. It's this or that! We are always fighting."

"I am sorry about that."

"I  want to give my self to you tonight your night I started unbuttoning my dress. He was not surprised at all , neither did he stopped me.

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The Authors POV.

"Grandmother did you see that?" Queen Valeria asked her when they were alone in the room. "Ever since that woman came to this Palace, she make sure that Sargon does not have time for me."

"Please do not say such a thing" the old woman said, lying down her bed. "The emperor is just being childish, he will soon get bored of her."

"No Grandmother. I hoped for that but its failed me. These two have been married for more than nine months now' she told her.

Grandmother seemed to be shocked all of a sudden. She dragged a pillow up for support and she rested on it "have they been married for that long?"

"Yes Grandmother. I thought he was going to let her go after two months just the way it's always has been" Queen Valeria said bitterly. She wiped those tears that were rushing down.

"He never told me about her. When ever Sargon got married, he would come to me after a month to complain one thing or the other but he didn't this time."

Queen Valeria was glad that Grandmother had began to compare. She was going to put little effort and the old woman , would end up hating her rival ,Queen Ariadne.

"Her birthday was the biggest Party ever. Sargon has never organize a party that before" she said. "I  wondered what he sees in her."

"It's clear and not hidden. She is very beautiful, her hips could make any man want her" Grandmother said. Queen Valeria hated when Ariadne was praised, she was going to change the topic.

"Grandma, what are we going to do? I want my man back."

"He is not taken away from you. Maybe Sargon is trying his luck with her. Who knows she might give us the heir we are all eager to see."

Queen Valeria was not happy with what she said. Only she had the right to birth to the Emperor's children. As long as she lives Queen Ariadne will never be an empress.

"Get me water please Valeria" grand mother coughed. Queen Valeria stood up from the bed. There was water in the room, she took the cup and filled it.

"Have some water Grandmother" she knelt.

"Thank you my child. Don't worry about that woman, I know what to do okay?"

"I have to worry. The Emperor will choose his Queen over you" Queen Valeria said. She was trying to manipulate Grandmother to help get rid of queen Ariadne. Maybe adding some lies will do.

"What are you saying?"