CHAPTER 60: YOU OWE ME FOR THIS

The class had just ended and Lumina walked beside Stella quietly, her mind still buried in the lessons.

She was tired, but she kept her posture straight as always. Her long gown swept the floor behind her as they found their way back to the chambers.

The hallway was unusually noisy and Lumina didn’t miss how the maids lingered near the walls, whispering on and on. Stella would shoot them some stares and their eyes darted in all directions like they were speaking about them.

Stella was about to guide Lumina past them, but one voice came through the murmurs..

"Prince Ashen is being whipped... fifty strokes... for disrespecting the Queen." Lumina stopped at once and the murres began finding their way out.

"Stop!" Lumina’s voice echoed, with her face tilting slightly toward the sound.

The lady who had made the statement stopped and turned around, her face calm but her voice firm. "What did you say?"

She tried to look away, but Stella took a step forward.

"My lady asked a question," she snapped, her voice laced with irritation.

She bowed quickly. "We... we don’t know much," she answered shakily.

"Only that the Prince is being punished by His Highness. It was said he disrespected the Queen in the court."

Lumina’s heart pounded. She didn’t wait for more confirmation before cutting the girl off.

"Take me to the King," she ordered, already changing direction.

Stella gasped. "My lady, wait..."

"I said take me to him!" Lumina’s voice was colder than usual.

She didn’t care if she was breaking protocol. She didn’t care if the whole realm was about to hate her for this but she needed to stop this punishment on time. She needed no one to tell her Ashen was being punished because of her.

The guards at the royal palace gates saw them coming. As soon as they recognized her, they stepped in front of the entrance.

"We are sorry, Princess Lumina," one guard said respectfully. "By order of the King, no one from your chambers is allowed into the royal court for today."

Lumina didn’t respond. Instead, she dropped to her knees right in front of the palace doors, her voice rising leaving everyone speechless.

"Your Highness!" she called out. "The daughter of the King of the Celestial Realm demands to see you!" The words echoed across the court and several heads turned.

Stella looked at her in alarm. "My lady... your power..."

Lumina’s hands were clenched tightly, her voice even louder now.

"Your Highness! The daughter of King Ryker demands your presence!"

The guards stepped back and more maids had started to gather, watching from a distance.

"She... why isn’t her voice normal?" the guards whispered and a look from Stella, they shut their mouths.

A small flash lit up at her feet as the power inside her stirred, warning others to stay back.

Most of her power was sealed by her mother, but she would use whatever was left to save Ashen.

"What are you doing Princess?" One guard asked about reaching out to stop her.

But a small burst of light blasted his arm back. "Your Highness! The daughter of King Ryker demands your presence!"

As if responding to her call, the grand doors of the court opened slowly on their own.

A heavy silence fell over the court as King Aden sat on his throne, staring directly at the girl kneeling at his gates. He can’t help but wonder the kind of power the little girl before him holds, he had always felt it the moment she stepped into this realm, and also the way she had tackled him just on the first day of her arrival.

"You..." he thundered from his seat. "Ashen had disrespected the Queen and now you appear here screaming my name and demanding my presence despite my order?"

Lumina stood from her position, her long gown flowing around her with her voice was calm but unshaking.

"I want Prince Ashen to be released."

The King stared at her in disbelief. "You came to demand from me and not even plead?"

"I refused to watch my man punished wrongfully," Lumina replied.

"You are bold," King Aden said with a dark smile. "Guards, let her in."

Two guards stepped aside, but before they could help her, Stella moved to her side and gently guided her forward.

Once inside, Lumina walked to the center of the throne hall and knelt again before the King.

"Your Highness," she said softly.

King Aden narrowed his eyes. "Why do you believe your voice should have such power over my judgment? Ashen not only insulted his mother, but he did so in my presence so he must learn discipline."

"I don’t know what he did," Lumina said, "but I am sure it was for me."

"For you?" the King echoed.

Lumina nodded. "I don’t ask this because I am his woman but because of what is at stake."

"What is at stake?" the King asked, confused.

She took a breath. "We are in the middle of an investigation of the Queen and he was the one who found the clue to the true culprit." King Aden raised his brow.

"If you punish him now, not only will the investigation be interrupted... but the enemy might escape." There was silence from King Aden.

"Besides," Lumina continued, "We are days away from our nuptial ceremony. I am still a princess, sent from the Celestial Realm. What do you think the world will say when they hear your son was punished for protecting his wife?"

King Aden was at a loss for words until she made a sound and he regained his attention.

"You speak well," the King said.

"I have endured every insult from the noble daughters, the princess, and even the Queen. Still, I never retaliated."

King Aden narrowed his gaze. "Why?"

"Because I didn’t want to ruin the harmony of the realms," Lumina said. "I was going to endure it all until the ceremony was over." She tilted her head slightly in the direction of the throne.

"But I won’t stay silent anymore.," she added. She recalled how Seraphina had told her the Drakonis Realm is so badly in need of the Celestial Realm so the king wouldn’t want to offend her.

"Release Ashen," she said softly. "He had to do whatever he did to protect me."

Everywhere was silent for a while before King Aden stood from his throne.

"And what will you do if I don’t?"

Lumina smiled faintly. "Then there will be no collaboration between the two realms."

He stared at her stunned. She is blind and weak as the world has termed her but inside of her are several schemes she has hidden in her sleeves.

"You are your father’s daughter," he said at last.

He then turned to his guards. "Stop the punishment and send Prince Ashen to his chambers immediately."

Lumina finally exhaled. Her fingers trembled slightly at her side.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she said.

King Aden walked past her with a faint smile. "You owe me for this... Let’s see how you plan to repay it."

Lumina bowed her head, her heart still heavy, but her voice steady. "I will."