Ara looked up at Fade and tapped his arm.
"Your Highness, did you call me?"
His eyes shone with tenderness as he held her gaze. "What did you say?"
"Ara? Is that you?"
Ara turned her head in the direction of the voice calling her, and then she gasped. "Feyi?"
"Yes!" The Queen cried out. "How come–? Did you–? Are you–?"
She paused, took a deep breath before asking her questions one after the other. "How come you're here? Did you travel all by yourself? Are you here because you heard about me putting to bed?"
Ara bit her lip, unsure of how to reply. "I–uh...I–"
"What is it? Did something bad happen? What about your father?"
Ara gripped the hem of a dress she'd changed into and spoke in a quiet voice. "He's dead."
The Queen raised her hand to her mouth to muffle her gasp. "My goodness. I'm so sorry, Ara."
"It's okay. You didn't know."
The King cleared his throat, his eyes curious as he dropped his cutlery. "Am I the only one that is confused here?"
Prince Fade leaned against the back of his chair as he glanced at Ara before glancing at Queen Isua. "Certainly not. I'm also curious as to how Queen Isua Eno knows Ara."
Queen Isua turned to look at them, unaware of the pleading look Ara was sending her way. "Ara is my cousin."
"What?" The King raised a brow.
"Yes. Remember my cousin that I always told you about?"
He nodded.
"Ara is that cousin."
"The one that you and her always played pranks on your family and you stuck together like glue till you got married?"
Her eyes lit up as the memories flashed through her mind. "Yes."
Then she turned back to Ara. "I'm so sorry that I had to leave you all alone. Any news about your mother and brother?"
Ara shook her head, her neck stiff as she realized that the life she had built on lies for the past few weeks was beginning to crumble, and she couldn't anything to stop it.
Once again, she shot Feyi a pleading look, but somehow the Queen failed to notice it again.
"When did your father die?"
"A few months back." She replied and decided to give her a warning look instead. But the Queen seemed to be blind to all these.
"I'm so sorry, Ara. I had no idea. What about grandmother?"
"She's still there."
"Ruling the kingdom in place of your father?"
Ara bit down on her lip, wishing the ground would open and swallow her up. Or at least, her cousin would stop talking and exposing her secrets right in front of everyone.
Fade dropped his fork, the cutlery hitting his plate with a clang. His eyes locked with Ara's, a shudder running through her as she noticed how cold they looked.
"Queen Isua Eno is your cousin?"
Ara averted her eyes. Then she nodded.
His jaw tightened, his eyes growing harsher.
"The ruling Queen of Ake is your grandmother and your father used to be the King there?"
Ara glanced at him, and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
YOU ARE READING
Awaiting Her Beau
Tâm linh"Do you have anything to say?" He shook his head, but never shifted his gaze from her face. "Well then, what do you want?" She snapped, tired of his incessant staring. He shook his head again, still remaining speechless. She sighed. "Is there someth...
