The First Queen

34 - King Remiel

"What!?" I gasped as the two men gripped me by the shoulders and effortlessly lifted me out of the chair.

"This is insane!" Athena growled, getting to her feet and eyeing Remiel from across the table but he didn't budge under her gaze.

"I have enough evidence to lock you away for life but I'm going to be easy on you considering you are my half-sister... And I'll just exile you from Azumond capital. But if you step foot within these walls again, I will have no choice but to arrest you." Remiel ordered and the room started to spin around, his words echoing in my brain like a hammer to a nail.

Xanthe launched to her feet and pointed an accusatory finger at Remiel, "what evidence!? So far, you're basing this off of lies! And she's a member of the court! It's legal to practise The Arcane Arts if you're a courtier!"

"Elia Frost practised The Arcane Arts before she was brought to Azumond, Mistress Xanthe." One of the guards declared and the other nodded, "and Lord Remiel discussed the false identity and the affair with a member of The Royal Guard with Lord Silas who agreed with all of the accusations."

"That's--" Xanthe started but Remiel hushed her as the guards jostled me to the side and Athena got to her feet.

"Captain, please take your seat," Remiel demanded and she glanced between Remiel and I.

I somehow managed a nod and Athena slowly and cautiously lowered herself into a chair but kept her eyes on me... Aliana on the other hand...

"I'm not letting you take her!" She hissed, pointing a finger in the face of one of my apprehenders.

"Aliana..." I muttered, trying to get her to calm down but she didn't.

"I'm not letting you banish my friend for these preposterous accusations!" Aliana snarled, trying to place herself between a guard and I but ultimately getting herself shoved aggressively into the wall, "She's your sister, Remiel! Have you no dignity!?"

"Aliana!" Xanthe shushed her, rushing to her side and sending a sympathetic look my way.

Taman shook his head and got to his feet, facing Remiel, "You're not the Remiel I remember..."

He bristled at Taman's words but shook his head, "Get her out of here."

I sighed and hung my head in defeat as I was tugged effortlessly around like a ragdoll between the two guardsmen and I tried to fight off the hot tears pricking at the corners of my eyes and threatening to flow but the looks on the faces of my friends made it all too much.

I tried... At least I tried...

The shocked gasps and hollers of both approval and disapproval of the crowds made it even worse.

I hope I made him proud... That's all I wanted, in the end... I wanted to make Gabriel proud of what I had done for Azumond... Because he's the only blood family I have left... Everyone else betrayed me... Remiel... My mother... I feel as though my only true family were the friends I had made along this journey...

"Elia... What's going on?" A soft, little voice sounded from in front of me and I looked up and spotted Zaria with a basket of vegetables in her hand.

I forced her a weak smile as the guards pushed past her and I glanced over my shoulder to look at her one more time.

It must hurt her more than I could imagine; seeing someone she trusted being carried away by people who remind her of her aunt... Seeing me as some sort of criminal or some wrongdoer...

But what am I? If not a criminal, then a fake? A monster? What am I?

Once we had reached The Inner Wall, the guards' grip on my arms (that had now numbed) loosened before I was thrown against the ground like an old rag. I hissed as my knees and palms scraped against the cobblestone pathway and the guards on duty glanced between me and The Royal Guardsmen before continuing on their patrol.