Note:

This chapter is dedicated to Kelly Goodwin. Thank you so much for loving this book by showering it with so many gifts and another castle. I am still dumbfounded by your generosity.

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Mars didn't listen to Ellena's plea. He smiled and walked firmly toward the room entrance. Everyone's eyes were following him and they all went into great shock when they saw the huge doors open and two persons walked in.

GASP

"Mother," Mars reached out his hand and took his mother's hand gently. Queen Elara stood by the entrance with John behind her. She looked just as beautiful as ever and there were no signs of her being sick or injured whatsoever.

Jared Strongmoor instantly rose from his seat and walked in long strides to get to his wife. His face was beaming with happiness, and people could see his eyes were brimming with tears.

"Honey..." he called out to her in a moved tone. "You are here...."

He looked so emotional. When he reached her, the man could only stand still, and looked at her longingly. There was regret and sadness on his face. 

"Jared," Elara nodded at him to acknowledge his presence, but she didn't reach his hand like usual. Instead, Elara Strongmoor touched her son's hand and walked with him toward their table.

Jared had no choice but to follow them quietly. Edgar and Gewen had stood up from their seats and bowed down a little to show their respect to the old queen.

Gewen had finally been able to convince himself that Queen Elara was really alive, and this was not her ghost. His heart was much calmer than before.

This was the first time he saw her again after she was revived. Queen Elara looked beautiful and elegant, wearing the most beautiful dress in the room.

Her silver hair and golden eyes, and her facial features made her look like her son's spitting image. The sight made people hold their breaths.

The mother and son duo didn't look like regular humans. Seeing them together made the guests feel like they were watching celestial creatures came to visit the mortals.

If Mars was standing alone, he wouldn't give out this much charisma compared to when he stood together with his mother like this. People would just think they had a really handsome king, and he looked different.

However, now that there were two of them, it gave the people a feeling that he and Elara were not humans like them. Now, the guests' attention slowly went to Harlow, the baby in Gewen's arms and they wondered how she would look like when she grew up.

Oh... she would be such a beautiful woman, they all thought.

All the guests bowed down or curtseyed when the king and his mother walked past them to get to their table. When they reached the table of honor, Queen Elara stopped, right in front of the woman in a blue dress who was standing rooted in her place with bulged eyes.

"Ellena Greystorm... how are you?" Queen Elara spoke coldly. 

Ellena was too shocked to utter any words. She batted her eyes in confusion and fear. Lady Preston was dumbfounded. She rose slowly with furrowed brows to convince herself that what she was seeing was real, and not her eyes playing tricks on her.

"No... no way...." Finally, Ellena managed to mumble something. This woman who just came looked a lot like Elara Strongmoor... but she couldn't possibly be the late queen, because...

Well... because Elara had died.

Ellena stabbed her so many times and she witnessed how the queen bathed in her own blood before she closed her eyes and took her last breath.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Mars asked Ellena with a mocking smile on his face. He felt contempt for his former friend, but for Harlow's sake, he controlled himself not to lash out at Ellena. "Can't you recognize my mother?"

Ellena shook her head and slowly she went into a panic. "No... your mother is dead... What is this?"

"She is not dead. It's only rumors spread by irresponsible people," Mars replied. 

"No... but," Ellena bit her lip. "Weren't you and your father mourning for her for months? You were a wreck...!"

Her clear mind returned and she couldn't help but think that Mars might find a woman who looked like his mother and asked her to pretend to be his mother to come to this royal ball and...

And do what?

What did he want to achieve by doing that?

Was he suspecting her?

Was this his plan to make Ellena confess?

No... she was not that stupid. Ellena vowed to always deny whatever accusations were thrown at her.

She was innocent. She had nothing to do with the attack on the queen and her murder.

It was all Emmelyn.

"I was a wreck because of the attack on my mother," Mars admitted. "Now that my mother has recovered, I am feeling so much better."

"Really...?" Ellena looked at Queen Elara carefully. It was so hard to believe... The queen was only gravely injured and not dead?

"Yes. My mother is alive and well." Mars said. "And she said you were there when she was attacked."

Everyone in the room instantly went into an uproar. Their focus immediately locked on Ellena. The kings' words were too shocking.

What did he mean by Ellena was there when the queen was attacked? Did she witness it? Did she know the perpetrator? Or.. did she do it??

"What do you mean? I wasn't there...." Ellena pressed her lips in shock and she turned to Queen Elara and asked her, "Your Grace... what do you mean I was there?"

Queen Elara looked Ellena dead in the eye. "You were there and you tried to kill me."

The ballroom now erupted in voices of people talking about these very serious accusations. The king and his mother just accused Lady Ellena Greystorm, Duke Preston's niece, as the person who attacked Queen Elara???

This was such juicy gossip, coming directly from the source. They all waited in anticipation to see how this serious allegation would go down.

"No... you must be mistaken..." Ellena's voice croaked, as she tried to defend herself. 

No matter what, she should always deny it. She was innocent.

Meanwhile, Mars looked at Ellena with contempt. His deep voice was filled with resentment when he asked her the question. "How could you do this to my mother? She treated you with so much kindness... How could you do this to me...? We were friends for a long time."

"No... no, I didn't do anything. How could you accuse me of such a heinous crime...?" Ellena shook her head in frustration. She moved closer and wanted to touch Mars's arm, but the man swiftly avoided her. "Your Majesty... you are hurting my feelings with this baseless accusation..."

She started crying despondently.

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How do you think Ellena will defend herself?

1. She will claim she was possessed by Thessalis and didn't remember attacking the queen

2. She will blame it on Mars for 'breaking his promise to marry her', even though Ellena had sacrificed so much to lift his curse.

  PS: Thank you so much Lucy_30 for gifting a dragon to this book today. You are so kind and I am very thankful.

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