A Tale Of Votara

Chapter Twenty One- Thank You

All of them were appalled hearing this. Even before they could digest what they heard, the guards got another news which was even more shocking. The news was about The Queen Mother escaping the palace. Hearing this, the Prince couldn't contain his anger anymore. He grabbed Xena's father by the collar and lifted him, but Romana stopped him. She kneeled before Xena's father and said, "Uncle, please tell me the truth! Please give the right answers." To which Xena's father replied, "Right answers are not always the answers you expect, Your Highness. Sometimes, right answers are bitter truths! And I can't explicitly give you the answers. But the only way that can make me open up to you is when a royal family member breaks my oath by ordering me to answer. So now you know what to do, right?" After hearing this, Romana didn't even think for a second and said, "As your future Queen, I command you to tell me the truth! Why did you accompany The Queen Mother?" After hearing this, Xena's father was a bit relieved that now he could get away from the burden of carrying a lie. He continued, "The late King ordered me to do this. He ordered me to protect and obey The Queen Mother no matter what she said on his deathbed, and as a royal servant, I obeyed the orders.
After his death, The Queen Mother started to act suspiciously. Although, she cried her eyes out, I noticed a sense of happiness in her eyes that no one, not even you, could notice. One day, after the funeral, she called me to her chambers and asked me if I still remembered the orders given by the late King. I replied that I would obey those orders until my death. Hearing this, she opened up and confessed that she killed the late king with arsenic poison, which went under the radar. She then ordered me to accompany her to kill you and your brother. I refused and asked her to kill me instead. However, she threatened to kill my daughter and tarnish my family's honor. In compulsion, I had to obey her, but I was determined that even if I was declared a traitor, I would help you catch that witch!" After a short pause he continued "She terminated her pregnancy a number of times before because at that time she couldn't gain your trust yet, and when she thought the time was right, and she got pregnant she started to plan to kill the late King. She entered the palace with an intention to become the sole Queen of this country. She is a power-thirsty woman!" Everyone was in shock after hearing those words. "Shock" is a small word for their feelings. Romana and the Prince were going through a series of emotions. They felt devastated, betrayed, angry, and most of all, they were in grief.
After regaining her senses, Romana asked why he had taken such a big risk, even though it was life-threatening. To which he replied, "As I said before, I don't care if I were dead. All I wanted was to protect you and fulfill my duty diligently. Now that I know my daughter is more than capable of protecting the love of her life, I am reassured that my family has always been, is, and will always be ready to protect the throne."After hearing this, both Xena and Romana had a short blush, but they brushed it off. After a few seconds, Romana and the Prince kneeled down and said, "Thank you very much, Uncle, for protecting us." To which Xena's father grinned a little and said, "If not me, then who will protect my little peanuts?"