CHAPTER 502: THE PRICE TO BE PAID

The festive air went stale and now a heavy air filled the room. Aurelius’s sharp blade was on Seraphina’s neck. All that everyone could do was watch.

Abrielle anxiously waited for the answers; her fingers were twitching, unable to hold herself.

Lyra’s eyes darted around. She could not believe her eyes. Why was no one doing a thing? Seraphina was the empress and they let Aurelius treat her this way.

She clutched her dress and rushed forward, "How can you treat Mother like that, Aurelius?" She barked at him, ready to defend her mother

Aurelius’s gaze shifted to her. Just the look in those icy blue eyes was enough to keep her in place. She swallowed back her words.

Without giving any command, Aurelius’s personal knight squadron charged into action before the other princes or princesses’ security could react. Sharp blades were placed next to their necks.

It was so close that if they moved carelessly, the blade would draw out their blood. One approached Aurelius. He nodded, the knight grabbed Seraphina’s jaw then forced her mouth open.

A vial was forced into her mouth, and her nose was held to force her to drink. After he was done, he let go of the empress, who fell on the ground, glaring at Aurelius, who loomed over her with eyes ready to kill her at the slightest chance.

"What did you force me to drink?" She asked him, her fingers clawing the marble, she felt it moving in her veins burning her up.

"You will find out soon." Aurelius chimed.

"Please just answer the question so that he won’t hurt your children." Abrielle chirped in making Seraphina glare at her.

Aurelius’s blade drew closer, and a streak of blood ran down her neck. He was being overprotective of his sister, just because of a glare. To Aurelius, Abrielle was his only family left, he could burn Heliosa for her.

Seraphina gulped down, her throat went parched. She parted her lips and then spoke. "I wanted to kill her because of the advantage she would bring to you."

That was a logical answer, almost believable. The sharp scream which escaped her lips said otherwise. Seraphina felt her heart being literally ripped. The pain made her eyes go red.

Lyra’s scream followed, and her hair was tugged tightly by the knight who had her under her blade. Silvanius was completely helpless, but he could not stop Aurelius because he had a feeling that whatever Seraphina was about to say would shake the foundation of this family.

Aurelius chuckled, "Sorry, I failed to mention the vial was a truth potion. Once you lie, the pain strikes, the more lies to say, the closer to death your children will be, starting with Lyra."

Even Abrielle was speechless at Aurelius’s ruthlessness. How could he be this cold to his half-siblings?

"Let me ask you one more time. What do you mean you should have killed her when you had the chance to?" Aurelius asked.

Seraphina bowed her head; she had failed her mission. Twice.

"Years ago I was the one behind Bethany’s fake suicide," Seraphina revealed. Silvanius’s face went pale, but Aurelius wasn’t surprised. He always suspected.

What Aurelius never understood was why Seraphina went far enough to kill Bethany. She was already named to be the next empress and Bethany didn’t fight her.

His mother was innocent so why?

Seraphina continued, "The night she died, I was behind everything with the help of some sorcerers. I was able to kidnap her for the palace and used a substitute to fake her death."

Seraphina remembered that night, she did it all because they told her that was the only way to secure her position and her children’s future.

Bethany’s pale face was etched in her mind from that night. She begged for her child’s sake but the sacrifice had to be made.

"Why did you go as far as to sell her to slavery? You could have just killed her." Abrielle asked. There was no need to fake Bethany’s death. Seraphina could have just killed her mother.

Seraphina swallowed. "It’s because they wanted you. The ladies of the moon." Seraphina revealed that Abrielle was stunned, she knew the ladies of the moon. The same cult Hope had warned her about.

Was Seraphina a member? "So you belong to that cult" Silvanius finally spoke. He knew the ladies of the room. A fetish women cult which operated in the shadows.

Seraphina didn’t answer, she was too ashamed to look at him

Lyra’s eyes dulled, "Mother," she called. To her, Seraphina has always been an icon. To find out that her mother was associated with a diabolical cult ruined her world perspective.

Seraphina looked away from the judging eyes. She could not face her children.

"I wanted to be an empress but Bethany was a strong contender. The only way I could gain Silvanius’ favour for my family. I had to destroy the crown princess’s family favour..." She drew in a deep breath then glanced at Silvanius.

"I was able to find the ladies of the moon. They gave me influence and power to attain my goal but it came at a cost.—" Her mind drifted to her distant memory

The day she was approached by the former cult leader with an offer she could not refuse.

"What was the cost you had to pay?" Silvanius’s voice was sharp; he almost snapped at her.

"Bethany’s life and the newborn baby. They wanted the unborn princess. I arranged for Bethany to be sold as a slave. It was the only way to smuggle her out of Zeravon...." Silvanius almost lost his footing.

For years he blamed himself for Bethany’s death. It wasn’t as simple as he thought.

"Before they could get Bethany, the slave traffic operation was already shut down." Abrielle completed her words.

That was the truth.

Aurelius’s heart tightened, his teeth gritted. That was the reason his family was destroyed. "The ladies of the moon tried to kidnap me again, but before they could get me, Cedric had rescued me," Abrielle recalled.

She glanced at Aurelius, then Seraphina. A question lingered on her mind. "Why do they desperately want me?"

Seraphina refused to answer, and Aurelius tilted her chin with his blade. "Answer the bloody question." He barked at her. Seraphina closed her eyes and then hissed.

"I am sorry, Theo, Lyra and Aric... Mother did it for you." She said, then blood trickled out of her mouth with a hard cough. Her eyes turned dim.

Seraphina fell towards Aurelius’ blade with a smile. Her blood splattered around as the blade cut through her neck.