Anastasia wanted help for her parents. Her lips quivered as she twirled the fork in her plate. "I really want to meet the queen," she blurted without thinking. However, as soon as she said that, men who were standing as guards behind Haldir took their hands to their swords. This triggered a reaction and Ileus burst into shadows. Kaizan, Guarhal and Aidan's hands also shot towards their swords and daggers. 

Haldir put his hands up in the air. "Stop it. We aren't here to fight!" 

The men removed their hands and Ileus became corporeal. "You do that again and I'll slice you into pieces!"

Anastasia gasped at the animosity they felt towards her. Her breath hitched as she stared at them. 

Very calmly Haldir asked Ileus, "Then what is it that you want to do?" 

"I want to go to Draoidh with her, peacefully and on my own terms." 

"That isn't possible," Haldir replied, crossing his hands against his chest as his face tightened into an unreadable expression. "It's not just the council, but even the people of Draoidh and Silver Vales who don't want to see… her. You can't return… with her. It is complex like wheels within wheels." 

Anastasia pressed her hands to her mouth as Ileus frowned. "And why is that? After all, I am bringing her back with me, and I am the prince." 

Haldir took a long and deep breath. "I told you already—their hands are tied because of the council."

"I— I want to go back to the room," Anastasia said, feeling horrible on the inside. If she stayed back, she would puke. Just when she thought that things were getting easy and better, they plummeted. 

Ileus looked at Guarhal, who nodded. He came behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Anastasia rose. After bowing to Haldir, she turned to leave and Guarhal escorted her back to the room. 

As soon as she left, the anger that he had suppressed for some time now, flared. Ileus looked at the men who exhibited animosity against Anastasia and said in a menacing voice, "If I see you doing that again in front of her or to her, I will make sure that I rip you all limb by limb and throw you in in a chasm so deep that even your souls wouldn't find its way back!" 

The men gulped and lowered their heads. They all knew about Ileus' powers and respected it.

Ileus turned to see Haldir and continued, "So what you are saying is that you came here all the way to Óraid to inform me that I won't be allowed to come back to my home if I am with Anastasia?" 

"Yes," he replied calmly. 

Ileus looked away feeling another burst of anger in his chest. "And how did you come to know that I am with Anastasia?" 

"News travels fast, Ileus. Don't think that we aren't watching you. Adrianna has her eyes everywhere." 

"So it's Mother who doesn't want me to come back," he commented with a strained muscle in his neck. 

"That is wrong to assume, but she won't go against the council's wishes. That being said, she is trying her best to sway their decision." But Haldir knew how hard it had been for Adrianna to convince the council about her decisions. She had always been judged and tested. Even though she had eliminated all her enemies one by one, as the General of the Army, he knew that the truth was something else. There was no kingdom in this world that didn't have people harboring ill feelings. And now that her son was at stake, the council members would make things all the more difficult. The enemies would surface. Several new faces were there who still held allegiance to some of the old clans of the wizard kingdom—clans that she had destroyed long back. One of the problems that had recently started coming back was Zmija… the serpent kingdom. 

"So what do you want me to do? Stay in Óraid until the council changes its decision, which can take forever? What about Father?" 

"Alpha Dmitri is also bound to the council's decision over these matters," said Murtagh. "The fae princess belongs to our enemy. They have waged two ruthless wars against us. No one is going to accept her as our Luna."

Ileus rose to his feet and pounded the table. "Enough! I will not hear a single word against her." 

"Ileus," Haldir got up too. "Murtagh is not incorrect. I suggest that you stay in Óraid until the council comes to a decision." He glanced angrily at Murtagh. The young man was blunt for his own good. He was the General of the Silver Vales only because of his valor. He had fought very bravely against Aed Ruad's recruited soldiers. 

"I will not hide," Ileus replied with a clenched jaw. "I will go back to Draoidh and take Anastasia with me. I am sure Mother and Father would not mind!" 

"Do you want civic unrest, Ileus?" Haldir asked, narrowing his right eye. 

He kicked the chair back and it toppled on the floor. Pacing the room, he rubbed his hands and when he came to a halt, he leaned on the table with his hands holding the edge. His neck muscles were corded when he said, "Not that I am bothered about my relationship with Anastasia, but I would like to know who revealed it to the council? I was thinking of going and telling it to my parents. It's not that I wasn't expecting some resistance from the subjects, but this is a whole new level." 

Haldir had sat down in his chair. "Does that matter, Ileus? Even if there weren't an informant, we would have come to know about it before you would have reached Draoidh. Unfortunately, the news has spread like wildfire and there is a growing dislike amongst people. Trust me I want to curtail it before Anastasia reaches there. Why can't you understand this thing?" 

"Because I was looking forward to taking her home!" he shouted. "I want to take my mate home." 

"And I want to protect you!" Haldir slapped his thighs. "Don't make it difficult. The moment Anastasia enters that territory, she will be unsafe." 

--- 

Anastasia stopped for a moment as soon as she reached the rail of the stairs and bent over her stomach. She was looking so pale that Guarhal rushed to get a glass of water for her. She drank it all at one go and felt better. Guarhal scooped her up in his arms and took her to the room. 

"I can walk, Guarhal," she said in a low voice. 

"I want to make sure that you reach the room in one piece, Anastasia. I don't want to incur Ileus' wrath," he chuckled. 

He set her on the bed gently and said, "Do you want to eat something? Should I ask them to make porridge for you? We have paid them a lot of money to stay here and so they won't refuse." 

"No," her lips tugged up. "I am fine." 

Guarhal went to sit on the chair as if to guard her. 

"Won't you join the meeting?" 

He shook his head. "No. We can't leave you alone." 

She lowered her head and twiddled with her thumbs. "Who was the man with Haldir?" 

"His name is Murtagh Amic. He is the General of the Army in Silver Vales directly under Haldir's command. He is very close to the royal family. Some say that he was supposed to be wedded to Iona." 

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