In the Throne room...
The guards took Eric to the throne room. There, his father stood akimbo staring out the window. Immediately the guards forced the Prince to kneel, he turned.
"You dare to disobey me, Eric?". He growled .The Prince only looked at his father in anger and remained silent. "I see you are not remorseful. You will spend the next three days repenting for your actions in the dungeons ".
He turned away from Eric. "Guards!". They had almost left the room when Raina came in.
"What has my son done to be locked in those filthy dungeons?". She hurriedly walked to the King holding his arm. "Please show mercy on my son, our son". She tightened her grip on his arm but he pushed her slightly walking to the throne.
"You have pampered your son so much that he doesn't even listen to his father".
She scoffed. "Oh, so he becomes my son when he is in the wrong?".
"Ahh, yes. He has spent so much time with you that he doesn't know how to differentiate his personal matters from his civil responsibilities ".
She sighed, "I'll let this pass My King. What has he done this time". She folded her arms.
He mobilised the guards to search for a mere maiden, his fling".
Raina laughed. She thought he had committed a serious crime but it was just because of a girl. "He is still young My King, he is at the rightful age to develop such feelings for a girl. Give him a few years and he will come to understand his responsibilities to the Kingdom".
She stood beside him holding his hand. "Three days is a long time to repent from what he did, please pardon him. Hmmm". She said with an innocent, wide-eyed gaze. The King sighed. She always had a way of calming his nerves. He smiled faintly. "I'll think about it".
Raina smiled nodding. "And who is that maiden that has captured the heart of my Prince?".
"The Tax Collector's daughter".
The words replayed in her head. She immediately removed her hand from the King's. Her eyes darted to the floor in deep thoughts. As far as she could remember, Smith was never married. She knew him to be a man that barely held conversations with women, it almost looked like he despised them.
She gasped covering her mouth when she thought of only one thing. She never got a clear feedback from the men she sent after the Late Shilah.Did her child survive? She panicked, her heart pounding, she clutched the sides of her dress. "Raina, what is wrong?". The King was worried about her sudden reaction, but she stormed out without a word.
In Smith's quarters...
Raina barged into his quarters searching for him with two Palace guards. She only got angrier within passing seconds. "Bring him to me at once".
The guards forced Smith to kneel before the Queen, he had struggled out of their grip but they held him down. He looked at her with disdain, he only had hatred for this woman.
She seized him by the neck, her nails digging cruelly into his flesh, "Where is she?".
He hesitated for a while. "I do not know what you are talking about?". He said unblinking. It was evident that she already knew of Tyra's identity. She pressed her nails deeper this time, blood sipping from the cut. She gritted her teeth. "I ask you one last time Smith, WHERE IS SHE?".
When she got no answer from him, she removed a sword from the sheath of one of the guards slashing his arm.
He immediately held his arm groaning in pain. His blood spilled on the floor. Raina threw the sword to a corner running her hands through her hair. She was furious, pissed and angry at herself. She wished she had ended the life of the Queen herself.
"I didn't want to do this Smith. Just tell me the truth". She said, her voice breaking. She almost cried from frustration.
Smith looked at her panting, still in pain."She's gone". The Queen let out a bitter, mocking laugh. Her fury barely restrained. "And you think I would believe you? I am not a fool Smith".
"I am telling the truth, she's gone". His voice heavy.
"Then why did you decieve me all these years?". She snapped slapping him."You begged me to spare your life years ago and hid this from me. This time, I will not spare you".
"Lock him in the dungeons, where he belongs".
Raina left his quarters to see her son. She held the rusted iron gates locked with chains. She stared at her son quietly before he noticed her presence. He walked towards the gate holding his mother's hands. She smiled faintly.
"I was forced to do that because the girl I...". She quickly removed her hands from his. "Quiet Eric. I have had enough of this already. I do not want to hear another word about that girl".
He clenched his fists, tightening his jaw. "There is nothing that would stop me from searching for Tyra. Not even you or the King". He turned back on the Queen. She scoffed. "You must be insane. Prepare to journey to the Academy, you leave at first light". She left immediately without hearing his response.
The Academy was an institution of great importance for Royalties. They were taught by scholars knowledgeable about the ancient times and trained by swordsmen. Raina considered Tyra to be Eric's doom as she was the only surviving child of the true royal family. She planned to hunt her down and if possible slay anyone in the way of her son's future. Sending Eric away was the best decision at the moment.
Before Raina left the dungeons, she stopped before the gates that bounded Smith. The image of him chained to the wall made her smirk. "The moment Tyra steps foot into the Palace, I promise to end her life in an instant". She said through gritted teeth.
"Just like I did years ago". She whispered.