Dmitri circled Adrianna's shoulders as a sob escaped her mouth. "Adri…" he said softly to console her. Adrianna leaned on her husband's shoulders. 

The air became heavy. For what seemed like eternity, Adrianna straightened and wiped her tears away. Ileus had not seen his mother in this kind of state in long, but he gave her time to settle. He was anticipating it especially after her meeting with Anastasia. 

Adrianna looked sharply at Anastasia. "I hope you realize that with you as my son's wife, we have lost the last chance to find Iona." She stopped to see her reaction. 

Anastasia was tired of going on the same path again and again. "Like I told you already—I can't change as to what happened in the past. And there is no way I can assure you that we will find your daughter, but it's rather meaningless to keep repeating what could have taken place when it simply didn't take place. Ileus knew right from the beginning that by marrying me he was taking a risk, but he still took that risk. And as a result I am now here, in front of you—a fae from Vilinski. We have to move forward together." 

Adrianna was surprised. "Move forward? Your coming to Draoidh is only going to increase our problems, if the word of your arrival goes out. My people are going to see you no different that Aed Ruad who had waged wars against us. So no Anastasia, it is not 'simply over.' It has just started." She sounded… disdainful. 

And the way she spoke, Anastasia felt tears in her eyes. Ever since she was taken captive in her own home, Anastasia had lived a forbidden life. She was whipped whenever she tried to speak. She was whipped when Iskra tried to train her as a warrior. They fucking killed him in front of everyone stating that he was guilty of treason. Even her handmaiden, Nyles, made a fool of her. She was poisoned to suppress her magic. She accepted whatever was being done to her, unwillingly, unknowingly. 

Ever since Ileus had said that he would take her to Draoidh, she was nervous to face them and wondered whether they would accept her or not. But she followed him, because she trusted him. Warm fingers brushed her skin and her heart knew that one person who was real was Ileus. She wanted to be accepted, she wanted freedom for her parents and she wanted to feel good. Bile rose in her throat burning her skin, burning her eyes. She wanted to be free of all the things that were not in her control. And suddenly it dawned upon her that what she thought was also important. She didn't want to be treated as someone who was supposed to be traded. 

"No, it is over," said Anastasia. By scolding me or patronizing me, it won't solve any purpose. You can't accuse Ileus of marrying me instead of trading me for exchanging information about Iona. I am not a trader's material. I am a living being. Ileus and I are not guilty of what we did. It is others, it is Aed Ruad and Maple and Etaya who are responsible." She took a deep breath. "This conversation will continue to be dreary if we can't move on." 

Adrianna's face flushed red with anger. 

"I am not done," Anastasia said. "If your people are not going to accept me, then I will strive for their acceptance. I am sure they already accept their prince." She had clasped her gown so tightly that she left wrinkles on it when she left it. Her palms were sweaty. "The people of Draoidh and Silver Vales surely have enough intelligence to realize who amongst us is a traitor and who is not." Anastasia turned her gaze to Ileus and intertwined her fingers in his. His golden eyes were burning with fire she was so used to seeing, fire that warmed her heart. From her betrayer, to her friend to her mate and husband—he was everything she had ever wished for. "Along with Ileus I will find a way…" she said softly. 

Silence fell upon the room. Adrianna and Dmitri stared at the young eighteen-year-old intensely. Despite the fact that there were warding spells around Draoidh, Ileus found a way to enter in with his bride—and a fiery one she was. 

The silence was so stark that if a grass blade had fallen on the ground, it would have sounded like a loud thud. Tension was palpable. Ileus broke the quiet. "Anastasia is right. If you keep repeating it, it would become tiresome. We are going to lose our focus. Anastasia is my mate and I don't regret choosing her as my wife." 

Adrianna closed her eyes and said, "I need time to think, Ileus. Until then don't take her out anywhere. If we have to introduce her, then we will introduce her formally. I don't want to hide her from people's eyes." She opened her golden eyes to stare at Anastasia. "If your wife thinks that it is over, then she should feel the hatred of people around her and I would like to see how she brings it around. But for now, you are not going to bring her out of the palace." 

Ileus wanted to protest, but knew that in such a situation protesting against his mother is going against the queen. He couldn't just act like her son, especially after the way he had entered Draoidh. Adrianna would have to give numerous explanations to her council before she would present them in front of it. Her son, who already knew that marrying Anastasia was a taboo, had snuck into the kingdom with the taboo personified. Moreover, he knew that if his mother had said that she needed time, then she was partially convinced by his wife. 

"I understand Mother," he said. "However there are other things that I would like to discuss." 

Adrianna looked at Anastasia's wings that were shaking behind her and said, "What matters?" 

"On our way in Yelgra, we came across Aed Ruad's sister, Maple. She had attacked us in order to kill Anastasia."

Adrianna's face became red with fury. She narrowed her eyes.

"Didn't you kill her, Ileus?" Dmitri interjected with a clenched jaw. "How dare she attack my son's mate?" 

Anastasia was surprised that her father-in-law would side with her. Her demeanor softened. But suddenly she realized the heaviness of the words 'my son's mate.' They respected that she was his mate. They respected her as his mate, but did they respect her as Anastasia? And did they know the kind of torture Maple inflicted upon her?

"Anastasia wanted to interrogate her," he replied. He didn't say that she wanted to kill Maple slowly and painfully. "So Haldir has brought her to the wizard prison." 

A faint smile came on Adrianna's lips. "Good. I will enter her cell." 

"She is all yours, Mother, but leave her alive for Anastasia." 

"I will," Adrianna said with some relief in her voice. 

--- 

In a plush mansion in the outskirts in Silver Vales a prisoner dropped to his feet in front of a woman as if in trance. The woman, wearing only silk trousers, was lounged in a cushioned chair, her leg over one of its arms. Her leg dangled in the air. "Come here pet," Lila said in a soft voice. 

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