Letting Princess Violet flee the imperial palace was not enough. Aries wouldn't allow the kind princess to live a life where she would constantly look over her shoulder.
And for that to happen, Princess Violet and her children must die.
'I'm glad she found the courage,' Aries mumbled to herself while staring at the fire ascending to the sky, creating thick smoke that reigned over the night sky.
She stood in the vast expanse connecting the Sapphire Palace and the eighth prince's quarters. After evacuating the palace she resided in, Aries stubbornly insisted on seeing the fire up close. So once Gertrude regrouped with her with Curtis being carried on the knight's back, they headed to where they were now.
Everyone was busy putting out the fire and only a few weren't helping. Aries glanced around, catching the seventh prince's Roman, who was also the crown prince's sword, leading everyone to calm the fire. This prince rarely removed his metal helm as he wanted to hide the ugly scar across his face, but now that he removed it, Aries could tell the desperation plastered on his face.
'Poor seventh prince,' she thought, knowing the seventh prince's feelings towards Violet.
It was not like anyone told Aries about it. It was just that she had stayed with Joaquin, so she was forced to see the things she wanted and didn't want. One of them was Aries's observation in Roman every time the eighth prince's name would be mentioned. This suspicion rose when Princess Violet visited Aries for the first time and wasn't caught because Roman was her lookout.
Aries hadn't cleared this interesting connection until she became the crown princess. Although she only met Roman once during her first dinner with the royal family, that dinner proved that Roman was indeed in love with his sister-in-law. She saw it in his eyes every time he would glance in the same direction where Violet was sitting and how those same eyes glint every time Carlos spew his nonsense remarks towards women.
So this fire wasn't only to save Violet and making sure no one would come after her. But also, to cripple the crown prince's sword to vulnerability.
'Heh...' Aries mentally smirked, holding the shawl around her as she raised her eyes at the palace now engulfed with a wildfire. 'Violet had escaped and Roman would not have the time to enjoy their nonexistent victory. I wonder what would Carlos's expression if he hears that his wife and children died?'
Aries quirked a brow when she saw another group of people approaching the area. She instantly caught the ashen expression of Enrique, the fourth prince, one of Ismael's henchmen.
'This one…' her eyes narrowed slightly, watching the fourth prince's knights help in putting out the fire while he stood motionless in shock. Enrique, the fourth prince, was an aloof man, and also a smart one.
He was someone who was hard to read. Thus, suspicious.
'Things are getting more interesting.' She nodded internally, shifting her eyes to another group from the other side. It was Inez and then, one after another, more royalties and people came to help put out the fire. As she studied everyone around, Aries purposely ignored Inez, despite feeling the latter's gaze.
Instead, Aries just kept looking around, as there was one person she was waiting to arrive. Her lips curled up and her eyes automatically softened in relief when she caught Joaquin's towering figure approaching.
'Oh, my husband. He's safe… sadly.'
Joaquin was ordering everyone to help, bringing more knights with him to stop the fire from spreading. He looked busy and was obviously acting out of concern, although his late arrival spoke that he didn't care much about the princess. Aries was certain the crown prince was concerned with something else.
'This is what happens when you already had too much on your plate and someone put more on it,' she thought, staring at Joaquin's figure until he finally noticed her gaze. 'I hope you don't feel full anytime soon, Joaquin. Because I'll keep adding stuff on your plate.'
When the crown prince set his eyes in the direction where he felt this indescribable gaze, his eyes instantly locked with his wife. Aries pressed her lips and forced a smile on her seemingly pale face. She looked a little shocked, not knowing Aries was pale because of the adrenaline throughout the night and rushing back into this Sapphire Palace.
"Focus on putting out the fire and make sure it won't spread and affect the closest palace around," he ordered with a wave before marching in Aries's direction.
"Circe," he called and held her shoulders as soon as he stood in front of her. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, noticing how she was forcing herself to keep up the strong facade despite the shock in her eyes.
"Are you alright?" he inquired under his breath, squeezing her biceps lightly.
"I am," she replied with a nod. "Are you? I was a little worried when I didn't see you around. I sent someone to look for you to make sure you're fine."
"Of course... come here." He let out another exhale as he pulled her into the safety of his embrace. "Why would you be worried about me? I don't live there."
Aries rested the side of her head on his shoulder, lowering her glinting eyes to hide them. "Of course, I know that. However, with a fire suddenly breaking out in one of the royalty's quarters, you can't blame me for getting worried about my husband," she explained in a soft voice, hands on his hip, trembling uncontrollably.
"I was… scared, Joaquin."
"It's alright now." Like a dutiful husband, Joaquin rubbed her back, feeling the vibration of her body against his body. "I'm here now, and we're both fine."
He patted her back gently to calm her down and stop her from trembling. However, his eyes that were looking around didn't bear the same emotions as his voice. If anything, his mind was drifting elsewhere, somewhere more important than coaxing his wife, who was also his backup tool to use in power.
'Ismael… that cunning bastard.' — pushing all the blame to Ismael as Joaquin received word that the carriage that was supposed to take Ismael back in here as a prisoner was nowhere to be found. There weren't any traces of the group or any sign they were ambushed.
It was as though they disappeared without a trace.
That only meant one thing for Joaquin. Ismael had another card up his sleeve and this fire… was somewhat a little too perfect of a coincidence.
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