CHAPTER 181: RIVAL (4)

In a room away from prying eyes, the queen and king were alone.

"What will be next? Children? I cannot bear to hear any more of this. This town isn’t safe again, or perhaps, it has never gotten safer. We must do something fast before there is another body found," said Hazel.

"The town guards will be patrolling the town at all hours of the day. I am announcing to the townspeople to be more careful. Both with their surroundings and who they trust. We are doing our best," Tobias promised, but it didn’t seem to be enough.

Lockwood was a large town, so it wasn’t easy to find the culprit as quickly as Tobias wanted. He was close to searching every home in town, but the culprit might move before the palace guards reached their home.

"I know that you are doing your best. I am not angry with you, but more so that this is happening again. I thought we were free of people who have such twisted minds, but here we are again," Hazel said, worried this might not be the end.

Hazel was puzzled by why families were not reporting that their loved ones were going missing. Up to now, they had not succeeded in finding Sarah’s parents.

Hazel could not understand it.

No matter if she didn’t have money to keep up the life she was used to, Hazel would not let any of her children die to save her from debt. She would rather be the one who had to die.

"Poor Teo," Hazel said, thinking of her son. "This might go over into his coronation. I wished for it to be a happy occasion for him. First your mother and now this."

"My mother won’t be an issue after she is sent away," said Tobias.

Hazel laughed. "We both know it would take guards hauling your mother out of her home to get her out of town. She will not go without a fight, and she won’t go without speaking. I would not be surprised if she shared family secrets."

"I know that she will not go without a fight, but she will go. I have already ordered. What else would you like me to do? Kill her?" Tobias asked.

"At this point, I think I would be the one to kill her. I’m sorry that I think this way," Hazel apologised, but she couldn’t help feeling this way. "She is your mother, but she is my biggest enemy now."

Hazel continued, "I handled your mother with as much grace as I could muster up. I didn’t stoop to her level over the years, and I tried not to fight for your sake, but I am at my limit with her. She doesn’t only trouble Tyrion, but Teo."

Tabitha’s support of Tyrion would be wonderful if it were undermining the kind of king Teo would become. Not once had Tabitha celebrated Teo.

The way Tabitha spoke made it seem like she had doubts about Teo sitting on the throne.

Hazel was worried this would upset Teo and cause a rift between her sons.

"I want her dead, and I cannot keep these thoughts from you anymore. She made my early days in the palace hell, starting by trying to turn my sister against me. I can bear what she throws at me, but I will not allow her to go after my children."

"I’m sorry," Hazel apologised once more. "It is a difficult position for you to be in. I cannot fathom the heartbreak I would experience if you spoke of killing my mother."

Hazel stood and walked over to Tyrion to touch his face. She knew well that he was trying his best, but his mother was not learning from her actions.

"If she doesn’t leave as you order her and she causes trouble, she will take her last breath," Hazel informed Tobias. It pained her to say it, but it was the path Tabitha created.

This could have been avoided had Tabitha not been so controlling and blamed her actions on tradition.

"I have endured plenty, but I cannot do so anymore. I was kind enough to sit with her, avoiding any kind of talk, and letting her see our children. You may try to stop me if you wish," Hazel said, but she wasn’t concerned.

"My family still makes weapons for the palace, my childhood friend’s family controls most of your army, and the duchess is my dear friend. It is all I would need to get rid of Tabitha, and for my children, I would go against you," said Hazel.

"I wish it wasn’t so," Hazel whispered.

Hazel wished that Tabitha could have snapped out of her ways like Priscilla did, but she knew that Tabitha wouldn’t.

Hazel was far past wishing for a good relationship with Tabitha. All she wanted now was for Tabitha to be gone.

"I will let you get her not only out of my sight, but Tyrion and Teo’s as well. For their sake, you must keep her out of Lockwood and do not let her speak of our families. If I am not the one to deal with her, someone else will," said Hazel.

Hazel wrote to the duchess many times to know that Edgar wasn’t happy with Tabitha. Though Edgar was close to Tobias, he cared for his wife and children a thousand times more.

"If you do not stop this, it will ruin your friendship with Edgar. She has spoken about Alessandra as well. Alessandra doesn’t go out of her way to trouble anyone, so it upsets Edgar when she is targeted. Your friendship will never be the same if he captures Tabitha," Hazel warned Tobias.

No matter how close the two men are, it will always be remembered that Edgar imprisoned Tabitha or did worse if Tabitha does not stop.

"I am aware," Tobias spoke softly.

Tobias knew well that his mother was creating trouble this family didn’t need now, and that she needed to be dealt with, but she was his only living parent. He was sending her out of town so she could remain alive, but her stubbornness was going to get her killed, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Tobias wasn’t angry that Hazel wanted his mother dead. She had the right to feel that way. Hazel had always been patient and kind, while his mother remained the same way over the years.

Tobias couldn’t ask Hazel to keep putting up with his mother.

He rested his head on Hazel’s shoulder.

Tobias couldn’t let anyone else kill his mother. Should it need to come to that point, he would have to be the one to do it.

"I am sorry. I truly am, but my children come before anything else. It was a long battle for me to have each one of them, and I will not allow anyone to hurt them, even if it is your mother," said Hazel.

Hazel would do the cruellest things imaginable to keep her children safe.

"And Tobias," Hazel whispered, holding his face to have him look at her. "Torture the men in court who have troubled our family, or I will. I am tired of always doing things the right way as royals."

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