The Royal Explorer (Completed)

Chapter 32

"Fine!" she scoffed. "If you're going to stay mute all this while I am going to make a decision here. You have recklessly given my daughter in the hands of someone unacceptable. But I won't let the throne of the Queen of the Ambar Dynasty, just go to anyone. Especially a scary, murderous women like her. I am announcing, she should be put behind the bars, a thorough investigation of this device needs to be done, after which we can give her a death sentence, or throw her out of this kingdom for good. And she can go to whatever kingdom had sent her here as a murderer."

"Enough Mother!" Neel finally said something. He rather screamed. 

If Neel thinks this tab is not mine and his mother is making this story up, I will be a disappointment to him.

"You cannot decide what happens to a criminal." He really thinks I am a criminal? 

"You cannot decide what happens to her."

"But I can decide what happens to a Queen's throne, as a former Queen." It was her turn to scream this time.

"To be honest you were never the Queen." Neel spoke softly.

I looked up at him and so did the other female in the room.

"What did you say?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You were never the actual Queen. You were my father's second wife. You would have been the queen if my father continued the ruling after my mother's death. But he did not, so technically you were never an actual Queen." She was agitated to say the least. I, myself was astounded to hear Neel, NEEL, say something like this.

"Oh sorry I am wrong." Neel continued anyway. "Not after my mother's death, after her murder."

 His face looked dead. There were no expressions whatsoever.

I saw blood drain down of the Queen Mother's face.

Hold on. It isn't what I am thinking, right?

"I won't let you take another woman that I love out of my life." Neel sounded cold. His signature, horrifying monotone taking lead. That aspect of Neel, the one that I was scared of, dominated the room.

"What nons-"

"Open her hands and set her free." He cut her midway as he instructed and swiftly I was let loose. But I dared not to move from my place.

I heard the Queen murderer sigh before she went ahead, "You are being ridiculous Neel."

"Oh no, I am not. I am getting back to my senses."

"I want you to shut up Neel." She had the audacity.

"Really? I thought now was a good time. None of the royal courtiers are present. But it's fine I can keep quiet now and discuss it tomorrow in front of father and everyone else. I have anyway been quiet all these years."

I could see her feel vexed, her guts filling with fury and wrath. But she dared not say anything.

"My father left that day for a war, and you thought his absence was the best thing to execute your plan."

"Stop blabbering out nonsense Neel. I never killed your mother. You know your father's enemy attacked us that night in the absence of your father."

"Yes this is the story I have been hearing. This is what I have been made to believe, but come to think of it, they came to attack the royal family but they only killed my mother? I was roaming around that night. You know there are nights I can't sleep, and that night was one of them. I was roaming around without any security. Anybody could have come to me and killed me too. At the end, I was the next king to the Ambar dynasty. If they really wanted to destroy the kingdom, killing me should be a part of their plan, isn't it. 'There were troops' is what you say, but no guards saw them around. Really?"

"I don't know what happened there Neel. I had known about it the next morning. I only had the information of what guards gave me" she stated as if it were facts. She spoke as if she was being wrongfully accused. 

"You did not know what happened but you still did not allow any guards to speak in front of the King. You brainwashed them into thinking all of it was their fault and then asked them to keep their mouths shut while you feed a lie to my father. Didn't you do that?"

"Huh!" she gave a crooked grin as she scoffed again. "What stories have you been reading Neel to come plot like this."

"You think nobody saw the murderer that night, that attacker, but I did." Her eyes widened in shock. She was taken aback, but I am sure there was more that was waiting for her.

"He was weak" Neel seemed out of focus, upset. His eyes tearing up. His face showing the fear his inner child must have had all this while. A child who had seen his mother getting killed.

But he was still cold when he turned back to look at the female in front of us.

"There were no troops, no gang, no army, just one attacker, who was stupid. He was a killer who couldn't even kill one person properly. He ran away when the guards chased him, and then you entered my mother's room, where she laid, half dead, but half alive. I was sitting outside her room in the corner of the dark passage. She saw me looking at her, and even in pain, she was smiling at me, holding out her hand asking me for help. But I was too scared to move." he closed his eyes shut tight, not wanting to recall any of it. 

 "But when you entered the room I was relieved. I thought you'll save her, but what you did instead. You deepened the dagger down her chest." His voice cracked.

"I wasn't sleeping that night mother. I was awake. I was awake and witnessing a nightmare."

"Neel.." the horrifying woman tried speaking again.

"Please stop it.. please. it boils my blood every time I think about how I have been quiet all these years, contributing this lie. But not anymore. You hated my mother so you took her down. you'll certainly attempt to kill me too, but don't , I repeat , do not involve Jiera into this mess please." I saw the vulnerable, the hurt, the child Neel, on the verge of crying but composing himself somehow.

"Day after tomorrow is your daughter's engagement. Be a part of that. And soon after that leave this palace for good, leave this kingdom for good, otherwise I'll have to put you behind the bars and explain the action to my father, which I cannot do." After another deep breath in he continued 

"Guards take her away. Make sure she is not seen out of her room anytime till the engagement." Neel finally resorted back to his throne while the queen mother left the court with those guards who had tied me down.

I was terrified yet. Neel was still holding my tab, and regardless of whatever just happened now, it doesn't change the fact that my identity was still in question.

I might still be considered a spy, a terrorist, a criminal. A liar.

"Neel" I spoke meekly, shifting at my place attempting to move towards him. 

How will I explain this to him?

He looked up at me with eyes that simply held pain, guilt, and frustration.

He got up and walked down from his throne standing ahead of me but not facing me. He handed me my Q tab back.

"Why can't you just be more careful with it." He said in annoyance

Wait, What!