𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 (𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝)

27. Truth Revealed

Two months had passed since the Queen's celebration, and the palace was in chaos once again, but this time, it wasn't due to a joyous occasion. Arielle had been feeling unwell for the past few days, plagued by nausea and fatigue. Her body felt foreign to her, like it wasn't her own anymore. She had tried to ignore the symptoms, blaming them on stress or a lack of sleep, but as time passed, they only grew worse.

Finally, one morning, as she sat on the edge of her bed, her hand clutching her stomach, her maid noticed her pale face and quickly summoned the royal physician. Arielle, though hesitant, agreed to be examined. She couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach, and the thought of something being seriously wrong terrified her.

The physician arrived and conducted a thorough check-up. After a few moments of silence, he looked up, his expression serious yet calm. "Lady Arielle," he began, "there's no need to worry. You are in good health. In fact, you are... with child."

Arielle froze. The world around her seemed to blur, and the physician's words echoed in her head. Pregnant? How could that be? Her mind raced, desperately trying to make sense of what she had just heard. But it didn't make sense. It was impossible. She was still a virgin. How could she be pregnant?

"N-no," she stammered, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's not possible. You must be mistaken."

The physician looked at her with sympathy. "There is no mistake, my lady. The signs are all there. You are indeed expecting a child."

Arielle's hands trembled as she clutched her gown, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. How could this be happening? She hadn't been with anyone. Unless...

Her confusion was quickly overshadowed by panic. The news of her pregnancy spread like wildfire throughout the palace, and soon, the whispers turned into accusations. The King was furious when he heard the news. His face twisted with anger as he summoned her father, Duke Rosemountain, to court.

"How could this happen under your watch?" the King bellowed at the Duke. "Your daughter has brought disgrace upon this family! Pregnant before marriage? She will not wed my son Aldith like this. Not when she's carrying another man's child."

Arielle stood frozen in the middle of the grand court, her heart hammering in her chest. The weight of the accusations crushed her spirit, and she could feel the judgmental eyes of the court nobles piercing through her like daggers. Even her father, Duke Rosemountain, looked at her with disbelief, his voice trembling as he tried to defend her.

"Your Majesty, there must be some mistake. My daughter... she is not the type to engage in such behavior. She is still innocent."

But the King was not convinced. "Innocent? How could she be innocent when she is with child?" His voice thundered through the hall, and Arielle could feel the walls closing in on her.

Aldith, who had been silent for most of the proceedings, suddenly stepped forward. His face was pale but determined. "Father," he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion, "I know it is not my child. But... I am willing to take responsibility for her. I will say it is mine."

Arielle's eyes widened in shock, her gaze snapping to Aldith. He was willing to lie for her, to protect her from this humiliation? But before she could process his words, the grand doors to the court suddenly swung open with a loud crash, and in walked the last person she expected to see.

"Aiore..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The King's anger faltered as he saw his eldest son step into the room, his presence commanding attention. Aiore's eyes were dark, his jaw set in determination as he walked towards Arielle. Without a word, he took her hand, his touch gentle yet firm, and turned to face the King.

"She is not carrying another man's child," Aiore said, his voice steady and unwavering. "The child she carries is mine."

Gasps echoed throughout the hall, and the King's eyes widened in shock. "What are you saying, Aiore? You've been missing for two months. How could this be your child?"

Aiore's gaze softened as he looked at Arielle, his thumb brushing lightly against her knuckles. "That night... it wasn't a dream, Arielle. It was real. We were together."

Arielle's heart stuttered in her chest as the memories of the night of the Queen's celebration came flooding into her mind. The warmth of Aiore's arms around her, the overwhelming love she had felt... She had thought it was a dream, a beautiful yet fleeting dream where she had been with Aiore, where they had finally united in love.

It wasn't a dream. It truly happened!

"I did it because I couldn't bear the thought of losing you," Aiore whispered, his voice filled with emotion. "I couldn't let you go. That's why I made you mine."

Tears welled up in Arielle's eyes as she looked at Aiore, her heart breaking and mending all at once. She had been so confused, so lost, but now... everything made sense. Aiore had always loved her, and he had taken that step to bind them together, even when she hadn't fully realized it.

The King, still reeling from the revelation, demanded an explanation for Aiore's two-month absence. Aiore stood tall, his eyes hardening as he turned to his father.

"There are things you don't know, Father," he began, his voice laced with bitterness. "I left to uncover the truth about the Queen. The woman you've trusted all these years... she has committed unspeakable crimes."

The court fell into stunned silence as Aiore began to reveal the Queen's treachery. He spoke of how she had poisoned the villagers by contaminating their water sources, all to extort more money from them for unnecessary medicines. He told them how he had sought out the help of Freya, the herbalist, to find a cure and cleanse the water, which is why Freya had been brought to the palace.

"I never had any romantic involvement with Freya," Aiore continued, his voice firm. "She was helping me save the people, nothing more."

The Queen, seated beside the King, visibly paled as Aiore laid out his accusations. She sputtered in protest, denying everything, but Aiore was prepared. He presented evidence-letters, receipts, testimonies from villagers and palace servants-all proving her guilt.

"Not only that." Aiore clenched his fists, taking a deep breath. He thought he wouldn't let anyone know how much he had suffered as a child because of his stepmother. But that day, he made up his mind to reveal the truth. He was no longer afraid of appearing weak. It was fine if others thought he was weak. But he wanted the whole kingdom to know what kind of a snake Queen Ezra was.

"As a child, I suffered a lot because of her! She didn't let me eat, or drink anything. She tortured me physically and mentally, making my childhood a nightmare." Tears filled in his eyes but Aiore blinked them away. "She told me I was a bastard and I deserved to die. She insulted my mother."

Some of the queen's old servants confirmed the prince's words and provided solid evidence. It caused a huge uproar in the court as nobles and officials began to whisper among themselves, talking how vicious the queen was behind her gentle mask.

The King's face turned ashen as the weight of the truth settled over him. His beloved Queen, the woman he had trusted, had been deceiving him all along. He looked at her with disgust, his hands trembling with barely-contained rage.

"Guards!" the King roared. "Take her away."

The Queen, realizing her fate was sealed, let out a heart-wrenching scream as the guards seized her arms, dragging her from the court. She struggled, pleading with the King to show mercy, but he looked away, his face hard and cold.

As she was dragged away, Aiore turned back to Arielle, his hand never leaving hers. He squeezed her fingers gently, his eyes soft and full of love. "You're safe now," he whispered, and for the first time in months, Arielle felt a sense of peace wash over her.