Chapter 57 The Princess's Accusation
Chapter 57 The Princess's Accusation
Taya's POV
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Emperor Namon sent me here to supervise the work," she proudly answers. "I was not expecting to find you here, with another man. Does Emperor Namon know that you are stealing his treasures and giving them away to your secret lovers?" she accuses.
What a vile soul!
If Emperor Namon sent her here, it's because he wishes to get rid of her. She has lost value to him, except that of feeding his dragons.
"If Emperor Namon sent you here it was to help with the work, M'lady. There are no supervisors needed here," Castas says.
She appears surprised by that. "I am a royal, idiot! Checking your work is the best I can do," she snaps at Castas.
I thought she was a humble person.
"What happened to your sense of respect and compassion? You do not sound like the Angel you pretended to be yesterday," I question.
"You thought I am as stupid as you? You seem to admire weakness and filth, which is why it's so easy to take your place. You couldn't even fight me for your rich mate. You instead came to charm servants with his wealth," she rants, outing her true self.
How long does she think she can keep the mask on?
"If you had a brain you would have considered your words more carefully. I heard that your gift was fake, so you cannot even protect yourself from dragons," I threaten.
Her eyes widen. "You . . . would kill me because I found out your secret?"
"It scares you to finally know the real me?" I scoff. "You thought that I was incapable of fighting you? You idiot! Get out of my sight before I make you food for dragons just as Emperor Namon intended."
She appears horrified. But I know that she is not changing. She glances at Castas one more time before turning and rushing out.
"I am glad to see you stand up to people like her, but you shouldn't have ordered her to leave. Emperor Namon had sent her here for obvious reasons," Castas says.
Maybe I should have allowed her to suffer the fate that Emperor Namon had arranged for her. That way she would never bother any of us again.
"You have enough people for today, and she is dumb enough to come back at the Emperor's request," I say.
Emperor Namon's POV
Princess Rana bursts through the door of my office with a terrified expression. Did she manage to escape the dragons? I had hoped for the news that she is no more.
"My lord, I found goddess Taya in the slaughter Hall, seducing a servant!" she screams.
That does not sound possible. Taya would not be seducing a man like Castas unless she is seeking something from him. Still, I would be upset if that is true.
"You have to believe me. I would never lie to you. Come see it for yourself. She stole treasures from your palace and gave them to him. She has threatened to use dragons to kill me if I tell you what I witnessed," Princess Rana adds.
I want to dismiss her accusations, but a part of me fears that she is not creative enough to make some things up.
I have judged my mate wrongly several times already all because I thought that all truth had been said. But what could be her reason to gift Castas treasures from my palace?
I stand and look out through the window at the slaughter hall. Taya is already making her way from the building and down the path that leads back here.
"Come with me," I say to Princess Rana.
She follows me back to the front porch where Taya will be passing through. There are a few around, but no one whose presence I mind.
Taya's POV
I walk through the open front door to find Emperor Namon and Princess Rana waiting in the living room. There are also several other people around the room, palace officials and a few servants.
Princess Rana quickly steps behind Emperor Namon in a fake show of fear as I make my way in. I imagine she has told him everything she thought she saw and also pretended to be the victim.
"Please do not let her hurt me," she pleads with Emperor Namon, holding onto his arms from behind.
He does not react to calm her down. His gaze remains fixed on me.
"Dear, where do you come from?" he questions. "Princess Rana claims that she found you in the slaughter hall, seducing a servant."
The other people in the room gasp in shock at the accusation, and scathing stares turn in my direction.
I have little interest to have the approval of the residents of this palace. Nothing right seems to gain their admiration yet pretenses and lies successfully does.
"Do you believe her?" I ask.
"I am asking for your side of the story, I would be angry if I am not convinced that there was a misunderstanding," Emperor Namon answers.
I nod. At least he cares about hearing my side of the story.
"I was talking to a friend, is that considered seduction in your palace," I ask.
"Depends on what you were talking about, dear."
"We were talking about gods. I already told you, I am trying to find my father," I answer.
A rare look of concern takes over his face and those of the other people in the room, except Princess Rana's.
"You gave him treasures of gold and broze! Things you have stolen from this palace!" Princess Rana shouts.
"Is that true?" Emperor Namon asks in a calm voice. "How much help do you believe Castas can offer in your quest to find your father?"
"I only gave him a few of my necklaces, which I assume were my property. Not to buy his help in finding my father but as gratitude for saving my life and that of my child when I was facing an unfair execution," I reply.
I had intended to keep that information secret, but since the Princess already told everyone about the gifts I delivered to Castas, then he is safer if I explain that he had saved my life and thanks were in order.
"How did he save your life?" Emperor Namon questions. "I am the one who chose to sell you to King Raggen."
"He is the one who pleaded with Alpha Raggen to buy me with a huge fortune that you would not refuse," I explain. "I never got a chance to thank him then. So I did so now with the only valuable things I had."
Mouths fall open in shock. Emperor Namon's expression is unreadable. I imagine that I have put Castas in trouble by revealing the truth of what happened.