THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 51

There were whispers and talks in the council meeting after the courtiers were informed of the upcoming nuptials between Aretha and Julian. There were mixed feelings about the whole issue and they spoke amongst each other as the king and his family who sat on thrones in front of them looked at them except for Aretha.
"I am aware that a few of you are in support of this. Believe me when I say this. I will still carry on the duty of being a princess and bring glory to my imperial family," Aretha spoke boldly as she walked into the throne room and stood in the middle of the aisle." I would love it if all of you supported this and for my family to be happy about it too. Julian and I intend on getting married in a moon's time. We intend on having a simple wedding with you the courtiers present, my family and close friends. That will be good but it will be best if everyone in my family would be present. Someone who is very special to me and is my closest family member should be in attendance. Come on in," she said and the doors were opened. Aretha walked to the front and stood two steps below Anthony and looked towards the door.
There was a look of confusion in Anthony's eyes and once again, there were murmurs from everyone in the room before a woman dressed in a long sleeved,red gown that flowed to the floor. Her hair was tied in a tight bun with a black feather as an adornment on the left side of her head.
She walked in confidently with a sly smile on her face as everyone looked at her in awe.
She walked towards Anthony and curtsied with her eyes on the floor. She smiled at Aretha and got a smile back and looked up at him. All eyes were on her.
" I am back home, grandfather," she said as she looked into his eyes.
" Audelia!" he said with shock evident in his voice and face. Charles and Therese were surprised. Seti looked at Audelia with a puzzled look on his face. He didn't know that there was another princess in the family.
"Did you know about this ?" he whispered to Astrid.
" Fabian and I only heard about her after my father blurted out her name when arguing with mother. They told us about her briefly and said that she was never found after she went missing. That's all."
" Why are all of you surprised ? You should be happy that the one who was lost has been found and that she has found her way back home," Audelia said.
" Welcome back my sister," Aretha said." Since you know them, let me introduce my  betrothed to you. His name is Julian."
" It's an honour to meet you Julian. I have heard a lot about you," she smiled as she looked at him before turning to look at the royals.
Anthony walked out and was followed by Therese and Charles. Astrid stood and left with Seti behind her.
Soon the courtiers left one by one wondering at what had just happened.
Aretha followed the king to the balcony where he had gone.
"Why did you all keep this from me ?" she demanded." I asked you about her and you denied everything. What kind of people are you ? You never did enough to find her. You knew how I felt knowing that I had no one since mother died and you kept it from me lying to me."
"It's not what you think Aretha," Charles defended." We looked everywhere for her after Leopold took her but we couldn't find her. Believe me."
" Believe you ? That is what I did and I found out that you lied."
" We are sorry. We did this to keep you safe," Therese pleaded." We should have told you the truth."
" Look at grandfather. He treated me poorly and never accepting me. He always acted high and mighty but you didn't even look for Audelia. You couldn't do that but you have the strength to find me a foreign prince for a husband. You all owe me a lot."
"Aretha, don't yell at them. That was all in the past."
" No Audelia. I didn't spend time with you thanks to them and you tell me to forgive them ?" Aretha said and ran off bumping into Julian on whom she embraced as she cried.
" I'll take you to your room,"he said as he lifted her off the ground and carried her to her room.
" Long time no see my dear family. I have missed you all."
" What has brought you here ?" Anthony said.
" I just want to be with my family. It has been close to twenty seasons since you cast my father and I away. It's time I come back to where I belong and take what is rightfully mine."
" You will never have the crown," Charles said.
" You all know that it belongs to me. I am the eldest grandchild and daughter of the rightful crown princess."
" Go away from here," Anthony said angrily.
" I will not and if any of you try to oust me from here, you will lose Aretha because she is loyal to me and not to her family members who lied to her her entire life," she said haughtily and left them.
" Oh no. What have we done ?" Therese said." Why did we keep this from Aretha ?"
" It was the right thing to do but we didn't see their union happening."
" That Audelia is up to no good. I am sure that she has come to claim the crown. It's what she told me seasons ago when she and Leopold attacked me in the woods when I was travelling."
" Why didn't you tell us about it ?" Therese asked." If you did, we would have found a way to stop this. I didn't even know it was her until you called her name in the throne room. She does have a strong resemblance to Aine."
" We need to do something about her but the problem is that she has total influence over Aretha," Charles said.
" There's nothing much we can do. She is as sly as her despicable father. I am sure that she had this planned long ago. I wonder what my Aine had seen in that Leopold. With Audelia here, we can only let her stay and find the right opportunity to deal with her."