Chapter 229 - My Challenge To You!
Etaya's blood had drained from her face. She had come for Anastasia and after seeing the Evindal ring in her hand she gulped. If the marriage was performed in the lands of Evindal, it was considered to be the most sacred amongst the faes. Rarely there was anyone whose marriage was officiated in the elf realm. History charts in the libraries of Vilinski had records of such marriages and they happened thousands of years back when the ancient faes had come to this realm. Such marriages had become like a legend that was passed on the generations and was revered. It was said that no one could break the marriage, except those who were bound with it. If anyone tried to break it, they would have to face severe repercussions and wrath of the fae people.
"Otherwise what, Etaya?" asked Adrianna, lifting her eyebrow slowly. She placed Anastasia's hand back on the table. She watched how Etaya's face had fallen to the floor. Her earlier enthusiasm faded, revealing her dark visage. The black wings that she had so proudly fluttered when she had entered the meeting chamber, now lay limpid behind her.
"Otherwise, I will kill Iona and you will never ever be able to see her," said Etaya in a deflated voice.
Anastasia narrowed her eyes at the woman who appeared to shrink behind the threat she was making. Etaya's eyes bored into Adrianna's. Tension hung in the lake like a poisonous viper wrapped in the volatile shroud of silence. A moment later Anastasia heard a chuckle from the side. She turned her gaze to look at the queen. Why was she laughing? Adrianna, in turn, looked at Dmitri who was smiling while seeing Etaya.
"Did I say a joke?" asked Etaya, recovering from her earlier mood. A sinister plan formed in her mind. If she somehow got Anastasia, she would pressure her to break her marriage with Ileus.
Adrianna tilted her head and shook it momentarily. "Etaya, you will never kill Iona, because if you will kill her, then you are going to lose the only bargain chip you have in hand." She moved forward, placed her elbows on her table and steepled her fingers on which she rested her chin. "Now listen to me and listen very carefully because I won't repeat." That sentence caught everyone's attention in the meeting chamber. Fabrics rustled and so did egos and fears. Adrianna continued, "Anastasia will not go to Vilinski with you, come what may. She is my son's mate and wife and so she is going to stay here. This is her place, her home and this is where she chose to belong."
Anastasia gasped and whipped her head in surprise to look at the woman who was until a few days back so much against her staying in Draoidh.
Adrianna didn't stop. "If you want to take her, then you will have to wage a war against us. But before doing that, look around you. These are all my allies."
And at this point Anastasia realized the importance of calling the royals for the meeting.
"Now I know that you wove lies around the rulers of the fae kingdom and waged wars against the Lore under their name. Anastasia's parents were held captive eight years back at the time when Iona was kidnapped. And in these eight years you have used Anastasia's and her parents' names for every atrocity you did on my people and people across the Lore. Your mask is peeled from your ugly face. Anastasia was a child who was your captive. I swept Maple's cells and while I couldn't find information about Iona, I found plenty of atrocities that you did against Anastasia." Adrianna shook her head as she narrowed her eyes. "And by god, you are the filthiest woman in the Lore. A stark example of internal misogyny. You are never ever going to live peacefully. It is your greed to get the throne of Vilinski and that of Zor'gan. But trust me, you will end with dust in your hand. You don't deserve a crown of thorns, let alone Vilinski."
"Shut up!" Etaya shouted from across the table.
"You shut up!" Adrianna roared and stood up. "Anastasia will never go back. And we are going to retaliate. The battles that you waged against us were nothing but a conspiracy to instigate hatred against Anastasia in me, in my people, and in the Lore. But your façade, your plans, your strategy is now unveiled." Adrianna clutched the edge of the table and leaned in front. "Now go back to your kingdom and wait for the war that we are going to wage against you. There—that's my challenge to you! Your days are numbered."
Etaya's face flushed with anger and her wings rustled. "Adrianna, you are making a big mistake. You don't need Anastasia at all. If you give her to me, I will vow to the Lore that we will stop waging battles against all of you. Anastasia will willingly break her marriage with Ileus. In fact I also promise that she is going to sit along with Aed Ruad on the throne. We are going to keep her very nicely. And you should allow her to go back to her people. They will accept her willingly. They want to see their ruler. Don't you want Iona? I am going to end pursuing all this immediately and will tell you where your daughter is. And my price is— Anastasia."
"Give up your dreams. Anastasia will come back to Vilinski as the queen and that too along with my son as her king," Adrianna answered with a half smile.
"Oh! Greed of the mighty queen Adrianna shows. She wants the throne of Vilinski for herself?" Etaya sneered.
"No, I want to see my friends back on the throne—Áine and Ian. It belongs to them. Even though Anastasia is the next ruler of Vilinski, I want Anastasia in my kingdom, next to my son." A smile tugged her lips up when the images of Áine flickered through her mind… the time she was pregnant and had come to meet her during the council meeting. The way she and Ian had supported her. Adrianna took a deep breath as those images hurt her. She turned her fiery golden eyes to Etaya and warned, "I have a proposal for you. If Aed Ruad willingly abdicates his position as the Crown Prince, we will spare you. If he doesn't, be ready for a war. And this time it is going to a bloody war!"
Etaya settled back in her chair. She clucked and then smirked. "You must be mad to think that I am going to accept your proposition. I have come to take Anastasia, not give away the throne of Vilinski. If you are going to wage a war against us, then we are ready for it. Don't underestimate the power of the faes. We are going to slaughter you all. Our magic is powerful, we are the ancient ones and we belong to the purest bloodline. We are descendants of the elves. The entire Lore is no match to us." Then she rose to her feet. "I will give you a week to return what is ours and after that you have to face the consequences of your stubbornness."