The Bastard Princess

88.

-HIM-

"Arsinoe is not in Alexandria," The spy's words proved my gut feeling right.

"What do you mean she is not there? Are you sure?" Father inquired. The spy bowled very low and repeated his words again. This instantly made the crowd in the courthouse break off into chatter.

I felt several eyes on me as people talked about me. I was finding it hard to believe the guard's words even though deep down I knew that he was right. This only fed my agitation and anxiety.

If Arsinoe was not in Alexandria then where else she could possibly be? We were now absolutely clueless. Where did she go?

Did someone else take her? Who could it be? My mind was already racing to think of someone who could have taken her away but I just couldn't think of anyone else. Cleopatra was Arsinoe's biggest enemy. I knew this much only.

Who else could have taken her?

Everyone else was also finding it hard to believe that Arsinoe was not in Alexandria. We had other spies show up soon and confirm the same. My spirit hit rock bottom at this. Whatever hope I had kindled since last night was diminished.

Soon, my mind started playing games with me. Could it be that Arsinoe ran away from me herself? My wolf was very much unhappy with this thought and he opposed it but there was this voice inside me screaming that she had in fact run away because of the way I had treated her.

The more I tried to ignore the voice, the louder it grew. I was slowly starting to consider the possibilities of her running away. After all, I hadn't been that good of a mate. I was about to reject her even though she almost died saving my mother, I hurt her, I terrified her, I made her life worse.

Why would she want to be with me after all the bad things that I had done to her? I knew I didn't deserve her but if she was leaving, she should have told me. Even though I am not sure if I'd have let her go.

I am very much selfish. I would have kept her tied to me if she ever showed any sign of leaving. Maybe she knew this and left without saying anything?

The more I thought, the more my sanity started to abandon me. I didn't realize how deep I had drowned into my own pool of thoughts because I failed to notice when the courtroom had fallen silent at the arrival of the Pairer.

"Looks like someone's back!" Inanna chirped as her eyes focused on me and a mischievous smile tugged the corner of her lips up.

"Inanna," Father addressed the goddess, "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" She repeated, "Why shouldn't I be here?" She said while she gave me a pointed look. "I heard someone was back. I just wanted to check on them,"

"Yeah," My mother sighed as she gave me an angry look.

"Why do I only see him. Where's his mate?" She asked. Although there was something in the tone of her voice that suggested that she knew about my situation. She was just here to mock me.

"She has disappeared," I answered anyway.

"And have you looked for her?" She asked.

"Of course," Father grumbled.

"Where did you look?" She inquired.

"Almost everywhere- Alexandria and the whole mortal realm," Answered my father.

"Hmm... did you really look everywhere?" She pressed.

"We did," Father assured, "She is nowhere to be found. She has just disappeared in thin air,"

"Does she matter to you?" She asked. My father shrugged before the goddess looked at me.

"Of course, she does. She is my mate. We have completed the mating process," I told her. This made the pairer throw her head back and laugh.

"Oh, weren't you the one who said you didn't need a mate? Didn't you question my capabilities? My powers?" The pairer's voice grew grim as she spoke and so did her eyes. There was anger in them.

"I wasn't in my right mind," I grumbled.

"Are you now?" she questioned, "What did the humiliation cost you?"

This widened my eyes. Was it Inanna who was doing this? I do remember she said that she would make me pay for questioning her powers. Was she doing it now?

"Do you have her?" I asked her and she shrugged.

"Why should I tell you? After all, you never really wanted a mate. Did you?" She mocked me. Meanwhile, everyone in the courtroom watched the exchange in silence. The tension in the air was slowly thickening.

I rose from my seat and stepped in front of Inanna to speak this time. I had insulted her in front of everyone and now that I was finally aware of the grave mistake that I had committed, it was time to apologize to her in front of everyone.

"Inanna," I hung my head low, "I, the heir of Zaeris declare in front of the whole court that I am guilty of questioning your powers. It was my gravest mistake. I take full responsibility for this and offer my sincere apologies to you but please... just please, tell me where is my mate,"

Everyone listened to me silently. I could feel them holding their breaths, waiting for the pairer's answer.

"I am finding it hard to accept your apology, my wolf prince," She purred as she placed her hand under my chin and made me look up at her. Her words pierced my heart and made my wolf angry.

"Inanna, please..." I requested, shedding my ego away. She smirked and circled me, "It's not that easy Ares... you must pay for the crime that you've committed," She dragged one of her fingers over my shoulder as she turned around to face me again.

"If you accept the price then I can tell you where you might find her," She spoke. Without thinking much, I agreed, "I accept the deal,"

"Alright then..." She purred before declaring, "For questioning my pairing abilities, I punish you by turning half of Zaeris barren!"

Her words were followed by a thundering growl from my father. The crowd instantly broke into chatter. This was a bit too harsh. After my mother broke Ishatr's curse of infertility, it took us so many years to restore the fertility of our lands but it was again being taken away because of a mistake that I committed in the past.

I couldn't hate myself more at that moment.

"You cannot do that!" Father roared but mother already stopped him from saying anything else and making the situation worse.

"I accept your punishment, Inanna," I told her like a defeated man, "Now tell me where is my mate," She smirked and commented, "You already seem too attached to her,"

"I will cherish her, I promise," I told her. This tugged the smile playing on her lips wider.

"Aright my wolf prince. I shall now tell you about your mate's whereabouts!" With this, she turned to the court and revealed, "The mate to our wolf prince has been abducted by none other than her mother, the infamous enchantress, Psaltisi." This made everyone gasp in fear, "And she is hiding her in the ancient ruins of Arles' mortal kingdom,"

...

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