The yellow lights from the lamp bombarding on big paintings all across was terrifying. Big size portraits of her mother in law hung on walls and they were so realistic as if staring at her. She looked back to have a peep at Marcus who had down casted his eyes. She was too stunned to speak looking at all the portraits. Apart from one or two paintings of nature sceneries and animals, all belonged to Queen Athena.

She dared to go very near to the portrait on the wall in from of her. Ah! The strokes! So meticulously painted which made the art come out alive. The red gown had perfect dark strokes making it look like real folds of fabric while blue iris had some magical silver strokes like real ones. Lips were so perfectly shaped with slight gap which could only be picturised by a real artist and observer and posture was delicately framed like that of a queen.

" The painting is so majestic but scary. " Rithambara spoke after a good gap.

" you say scary, your highness. May I've the privilege to know what makes you say so? " asked Marcus and with a bold edge. It seemed as if he had lost his shyness and nervousness.

Rithambara's eyebrows rose listening to him but she didn't answer him instantly, rather, she turned her head towards painting while her eyes cascaded down with fragile tint as if titillating petals of flowers. Her iris finally settled down at curvaceous letters which carved ' Queen Athena '

Her eyes stilled on them and without blinking, she spoke, " this painting makes me feel as if she's alive and here. It seems as if she's trying to scream some truths at my face. Truths which will rip apart innocence of some people... "

She stopped midway and refrained from saying something further when Marcus interrupted , " She's dead! "

Saying so, he fell down on ground with a thud while yellow lights witnessed few drops of tears. His shoulders shrunk down and eyes held pain. Though Rithambara was stunned with such unexpected behavior, she kept quiet and let night rupture few secrets, if possible.

" She's dead and it hurts me. It hurts me that..that she won't be there seeing her son in crown. I wanted her to be there. " though Marcus confessed, it didn't unveil the complete truth but only half which spiked more curiosity.

Rithambara scoffed loudly listening to such ridiculous talks of him.

" Marcus, she tried to ruin his son's life or are you talking some other son in crown. Wait, let me be more precised, are you talking about yourself seeing in crown? " Ritha's face was red with anger and she was frustrated with this hidden games. Tonight, without beating around the bush, she wanted to confront Marcus.

To her surprise, Marcus didn't deny her accusations. He looked in her eyes with courage and malice and spoke or more like inquired, " And what's wrong if my head wears the crown? "

Rithambara clenched her jaws and smirked. She kept the lamp down on the floor and came head to head in level with Marcus and spoke challenging him, " the head which deserves to wear crown is out in the battlefield keeping his life on the edge of sword. The head which deserves to wear crown made strategies, worked on his legions. Head which deserves crown bore many betrayals, spent countless nights awake thinking about his kingdom. I hope it gives you a proper reason that why you don't deserve the crown. "

Rithambara laid so much stress on the word ' you ' that it agitated Marcus to core. His nostrils flared when she continued, " moreover, you were interested in arts. Isn't it ? "

Marcus kept quiet. He felt trapped in some invisible web and it was getting tighter with each passing second.

Rithambara smirked and looked around at all the paintings of his mother in law. She taunted, " about my mother in law, that vicious lady didn't deserve to live. She planned all the conspiracies. "

" Were you there ? Were you there seeing her plan all the conspiracies? Were you there when she killed herself while suffering with agony ? Just because your husband said, you believed him? " Marcus's voice was very harsh when he screamed.

Rithambara's face had turned ugly red with such crass behaviour of Marcus. Her voice shook with anger when she said, " I trust my husband. "

" Trust is a very vile virtue because when it breaks, scattered pieces crawl out every emotion out, stabbing soul. "

These deep lines from Marcus froze her for a second. He was hurt but he was wrong and she knew it.

" Yes, it is and my husband trusts his loved ones a lot. That's why his heart has many scars. " her words were directed towards Marcus and his guilt struck face was give away that he knew it.

He rose up and was about to leave when she completed her sentence, " you know dear Marcus, you strokes and paintings are strikingly similar to that of paintings which I received on letters delivered to us by Eagles. "

Marcus halted in his footsteps but didn't turn around. This was the reason he didn't want to show her his paintings. Nonetheless, he agreed thinking that dark night would cover up his lies partially but he was caught brutally!

He, the master of Eagles, was now naked of duality. His eyes were closed tightly and heart started thumping loudly when she continued, " Dear Marcus, you think it's my first time coming into your art room? The painting of your mother which is in hallways, already had my attention. You have habit of writing a word or two about your painting. Isn't it? The clear strokes were of amazing artist. I had my doubts on you because only you're the one with such artistic skills in this family. I never spoke about this to Prince Augustus because his blind trust on you was inevitable. "

Rithambara laughed loudly when Marcus didn't speak, " Then comes some interesting facts about your mother. A lady who had conspired everything , suddenly committed suicide. How strange is that? "

This was it! Marcus took out his sharp dagger which he had tuck in his breeches. His hands were shaking but this was to be done!

" No, dear Marcus. Don't think about that! I know about your weak heart. You're incapable of killing. I know your mother didn't commit suicide. Tell me, where's she? " roared Ritha but before Marcus could reply, a shrill scream erupted from outside.

❤❤❤❤❤

The morning was woken up by clattering of metals which were being sharpend. Augustus painted around one legion in Madder root ( Rubia Tanctorum) , a red dye. The red colour

created a mirage that those soldiers were injured. After painting them, he asked them to scatter down on the ground in laid position.