-HER-

I feel a new found confidence and power filling me as I sit up straight and tip my chin high. Vesta is taking charge. She is doing what she always wanted to do.

"I am willing," I tell him sternly while looking him in the eye.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the People of Zaeris and the rest who've been created by the moon goddess, according to their respective laws and customs?" He asks in a high and clear voice. I could hear my heart drumming in my chest and Vesta coming to the surface as she hears each word of the Oath. It feels as if she is waking up from her sleep. Each word seems to rattle her up, feed her more power.

"I solemnly promise to do so," I speak sternly while keeping my head high.

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?"

"I will," I say before handing over the book to the Head Priest. He takes it from me before another priest who is holding a red velvet cushion on which the crown rests, steps beside the Head Priest. I notice a dagger resting by the crown. It happens to catch my attention more than the crown. The handle of the dagger is embedded with jewels but its blade looks sharp enough to cut steel.

The Head Priest takes the crown and holds it in the air above his head for the guests to see. He then turns around to face me before slowly bringing down the crown to place it on my head.

Everything was going perfectly. The crown was about to touch my head when the Head Priest drops it on my lap. I give him a questioning look but his face is blank. He looks frozen. The crown drops to my feet before rolling away. Several gasps are heard behind him.

In the next moment, the Head Priest turns into black sand before collapsing in front of me into a pile of sand. A thundering growl rings just beside me and I look ahead to find Ishtar standing at the door on the other end of the room.

Her fiery eyes are set on me as she steps inside. Arles stands up while other guards near her. A flash of light appears at the wave of her hand and all the guards are thrown across the room. I am surprised to find the guests watching everything silently. All they are missing is a bowl of popcorn for each.

"How did she get in!" Arles growls at the guards who were guarding outside.

"I let myself in. That's how I get in," She says. Her voice is soft. There's no rush in the way she speaks. She eyes me from head to toe. There's an oddly calm air about her that makes it hard to believe that she could be violent.

Arles steps towards her but she puts her hands in the air and gives him an assuring smile.

"Relax... I am here for the ceremony," she says as she smiles at me, her yellow teeth are on display which shines like metal.

"I didn't invite you!" Arles growls at her but she shakes her head.

"I know but to think of it is wrong. After all, I paired you with her. I deserved the first invitation," she speaks casually while looking around at the guests.

"Yes, but I didn't want to spoil this auspicious ceremony by inviting a derogatory woman like you," Arles have now maintained his calm but still there's this edge to his voice that tells otherwise. The guests snicker at Arles' insult while Ishtar's head snaps towards him and the smile drains off her face.

She clenches her teeth while she glares at him. She is losing her calm. She looks at me then at the crown lying by my feet.

"That throne belongs to me!" She roars while I watch her calmly. Vesta is clawing at my chest to let her out so that she could show her who's more capable for the throne.

"It belonged to you when Zair was alive. He's dead-"

"BECAUSE YOU KILLED HIM!" Ishtar roars. If looks could kill we'd be six foot deep in the ground. "You killed my mate!"

"He was no mate of yours, everyone knows that," Arles speaks calmly. I am watching the exchange between the two patiently and trying to put all the pieces together. As far as I know, Ishtar cursed Arles and Zaeris because Arles killed her mate but what did he mean when he said 'he was no mate of yours'?

Ishtar lets out a growl while I see Arles smirk as he takes his seat while watching her cautiously.

"You took what was meant for me,"

"I did," Arles says. He sounds amused as he watches her.

"You killed your own brother for the throne," This creates a stir amongst the guests as the room starts to fill with murmurs. I look at Arles in puzzlement.

What?

Did he kill his own brother to become the king? Is she talking about Zair? Because as far as I remember the history book never mentioned Zair had a brother. The history book stated Arles as a rebel who emerged from the northern skies and took over the kingdom after several attacks and breaking it down.

Even in the family tree, Arles was nowhere. She must be talking about someone else. Is she?

"He murdered his whole family for the throne!" Ishtar points an accusing finger towards Arles as she tells the guests. All the guests are looking at Arles in complete bewilderment including me. Arles is sitting calmly on the throne and doesn't utter a single word as he watches Ishtar accuse him.

Could it be true?

Is Arles that heartless to kill his whole family for the sake of the throne? Is he that bad? Looking at him sitting beside me, calm and composed, I cannot believe that he could have committed such a grave crime for just the throne. I read about him in the book that he was ruthless and there had been a lot of bloodsheds when he rose to power but I could never imagine that his hands would be stained with the blood of his own family.

"He bought death upon the very woman who granted him his first breaths!" Ishtar continues to accuse him while I stare at him in perplexity. A part of me is telling me that there's more to Ishtar's accusations.

Feeling my eyes, he looks at me. His eyes look empty and his face void of any emotion but there's a storm of emotions raging inside him. I could feel it through the bond. There's a lot to him that he doesn't show on the surface.

I look back at Ishtar who's enlightening the guests about his crimes. I fail to believe her. I know Arles is bad but my logical part fails to fall for Ishtar's accusations. I am so conflicted. I hate Arles for marking me without my consent but at the same time, I cannot bring myself to believe Ishtar's words.

Is it due to the mating pull?

"He is a killer!" Ishtar accuses as she points an accusing finger at Arles again.

"Ishtar," I call for her as I stand up. She turns around to face me before she throws me a glare. "Consider the remaining four fingers pointing at you while you point one at him," I speak calmly. She growls.

"Of course you'll save him. You're his mate after all! You're getting the throne because of him so you gotta speak in his favor,"

"I am speaking for myself, Ishtar. I know you tried to kill me when I dwelled in the mortal realm," The murmur rises in the room more and I feel Ishtar's rage shooting to a new level. Her red eyes are blazing with fire.

"You're such an unworthy creature and..." She trails off as she tilts her head and contemplates in her mind before she continues, "You stole fire! No wonder I paired you two. Killing and stealing go hand in hand," She speaks. Vesta is begging me to let her have full control so that she could teach her some good lesson.

"You're no one to tell me if I am worthy or not, Ishtar. You're not that powerful," She resembles a ticking bomb after hearing my words.

"YOU'RE QUESTIONING MY POWER!" She roars while I step forward.

"Yes I am," I tell her and she roars.

"I'll destroy you!"

"If that helps you to maintain your dignity," I say calmly while she becomes angrier every second.

"I'll destroy this kingdom!" She roars and the guests let out gasps. Arles' thundering growl fills the room. Vesta pushes me back while she glares at her. I look down at the crown laying on the ground before picking it up.

I look her in the eye as I put the crown on my head. All the guests stand up at this before I take the dagger resting on the red cushion which the priest has been holding all the time. I step forward to the edge of the stage before slitting my palm and putting it in front of me.

"I, the queen of Zaeris, solemnly swear by my blood that I'll bring ill-fate upon whoever threatens my kingdom and my people," I speak while looking at her the whole time.

Blood drips down from my palm and falls into the pool of nectar at the bottom of the stage. High flames roar out of the water but Vesta's powerful and stern voice is heard above all the noise as she says, "And I shall begin with you,"