"What is happening?" A high voice rang inside the room.

All in the room were frozen in place. This voice came to no other than the queen of Jennovia, Queen Patricia. She entered the wrecked room of the crown prince with the high priest Hector following her from behind.

All of the ones present inside the room bowed downed in her presence. William also bowed down as acting.

"Greetings to the moon of the Jennovian Kingdom." The people inside the room greeted in unison.

"All of you stand up and tell me what happened." Queen Patricia asked again.

"Y-Your majesty, we really didn't know what happened." A servant replied. "We left the crown prince and princess inside his highnesses private quarters as ordered by him. And after a while we heard an explosion. What you see now is also what we saw when we first entered.

The queen looked at the injured Gladiolus and me alternately.

"Tell me Alicia, did my son do something to you?" Queen Patricia walked towards me but just stopped outside the force field. "You can let it down now. No one will harm you my child." She said with a gentle voice.

I slowly let the force field dissipate until it was gone without any trace left, but I still held the magic crystal tightly in my hand just in case.

The queen walked towards me slowly and looked at me with warm eyes. "Tell me the truth Alicia. I will punish my own son if he has done anything wrong against you."

"Y-Your son… Prince Gladiolus tried to s.e.x.u.a.lly assault me, Aunt Patricia." I told truthfully.

The queen's face darkened with the word 's.e.x.u.a.l assault'. I am sure she knows firsthand how the victim of s.e.x.u.a.l assault feels.

"I see." Queen Patricia said. "Do not worry, I will punish my son. But I hope you forgive him for this mistake. I am sure it was a sudden impulse because of his love for you."

The queen walked towards her son that was still seating on the floor.

*SLAP*

The queen slapped Gladiolus so hard that the sound vibrated inside the room. Everyone present was shocked from what just happened.

"I didn't raise you to not have any respect in women." The queen scolded her son coldly. "Now kneel and beg forgiveness!" She shouted in anger.

Gladiolus was momentarily stunned with his mother's slap but then regain his senses after he was scolded. He quickly knelt before me.

"A-Alicia, please forgive me. Because of a sudden impulse, I… I didn't know what I was doing." Gladiolus said. "Please, please forgive me." His head was held so low that his forehead has hit the floor.

I was silent all the while. Of course how will I just accept his apology, after everything that he has done? I looked at him with hatred.

"Don't worry Alicia, I will punish him with what he has done." Queen Patricia gave her word. "Take the crown prince to my office to receive my punishment there. As for the princess, please escort her back to her quarters. I am sorry my dear, you had a fright today so please rest well."

William carried me in his arms while I was wrapped in his cape. I closed my eyes and let him carry me all the way back to my quarters.

**

Queen Patricia had just returned to the palace after escaping near death in the battle at the junction of Deuss River. In her room was her, the high priest Hector and her son crown prince Gladiolus whose wounds has just been treated.

The queen looked fuming in rage while looking at her son.

"I…I am sorry mother. I didn't realize what I was doing." Gladiolus looked ashamed with what he just did. "I was keeping myself in check the whole time I came back but after I heard that b*astard Regaleon's name on Alicia's lips, all went dark and…" He trailed off.

"There is no good reason with what you would have done Gladiolus." The queen scolded. "The girl will never forget what you have done in all of her life." The queen sighed.

"I…I know mother. I am sorry." Gladiolus looked very remorseful.

The queen's rage dissipated when she saw her son like this. She sat beside her son and hugged him close to her.

"It was a good thing she was able to defend herself and stop you before you have defiled her. If it had pushed thru… I don't know what hell your marriage life will be after." The queen said. "Remember that a woman will rapist as a monster even after they are married."

The queen was referring to her own situation. The deceased king of Jennovia first took her as a prisoner of war and then defiled her completely. She was his s.e.x slave before he knew that she was pregnant. Thinking that it was a product of his nightly attacks, the king married her as his concubine because her won queen can't bear him an heir.

Queen Patricia never forgot how the deceased king defiled her. Even though he treated her with love and respect after she became queen and bore him a daughter, she kept these hate and anger in her heart.

All of the queen's grievances grew and made her seek for vengeance. After poisoning the former queen to take her place, she also poisoned the king but much slower. After attaining the vengeance she sought for, her eyes now went after the countries that took everything away from her. She has a thirst for vengeance that can never be quenched.

"But how was the princess able to use magic inside the palace that is made of pure janetite?" The high priest interjected.

Gladiolus was awakened with the high priest question. "I was taken by surprise as well. I didn't know how she was able to do that. In just a blink of an eye, I was thrown across the room with a powerful force."

"I saw what looks like a magic stone in her hand when I neared her." The queen said. "But how can she have possession of a magic stone I wonder." She looked at high priest Hector with inquiry.

"I think I have a good guess your majesty." The high priest smiled. "I found out who was the mole inside the palace."

"Quickly then, tell me." The queen ordered impatiently.

Before leaving, the queen has ordered the high priest to investigate the fire in the national library. Some time has passed and for sure the investigation had results.

"There was a male servant that was newly hired inside the palace the same time Princess Alicia arrived here two years ago." The high priest said. "His identity was a little bit suspicious to me and so I dug into his files. When I let someone investigate his information and his identity, the report came back to me that it was all of his information is falsified and fake."

"Where is that male servant now? And what is his true identity?" The queen asked.

"He is currently working as a high rank servant under Princess Satiana." High priest Hector said. "I also learned that he was close with Princess Alicia. As my informants told me, he is the current leader of the Crimson Bandits and his real name is Jack."

"Jack you say… Crimson bandits?" The queen was in thought. "Then what is his real purpose? Why has he infiltrated inside the palace?" The queen asked.

"I heard that he is currently working under the king of Grandcrest's commands." The high priest replied.

"What?!" The queen stood up with anger in her eyes. "That young b*stard king. He nearly killed me in the battle of Deuss River!" The queen seethed her anger.

The queen squeezed her both of her hands hard in anger.

"Mother, please quell your anger." Gladiolus said with worry. "Tell me Hector, what is that mole up to?" He also looked angry.

"I think his main objective was to watch over Princess Alicia. But these past few weeks, I can see him scouring just outside her majesty's treasury." High priest Hector replied.

The queen's face darkened with this information. "Is he thinking of stealing something?" The queen asked.

"With his group's name 'The Crimson Bandits', it just suggests he is trying to steal something. And I am afraid it is something very valuable."

The queen's facial features were dark and then she laughed maniacally. "Haha…hahahaha…hahaha…!!!"

Both the high priest and the crown prince looked at the queen in confusion until she stopped laughing.

"That b*stard Regaleon think he is clever. Then let us see who will have the last laugh." The queen looked crazy. "Hector, hear my orders. Let us see if they can steal and leave this place unscathed. Hahaha…hahaha."

edited by: nalyn

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