The Queen Imperial

Chapter 61

Silence.

Her last words were met with utmost silence for over a minute. She swallowed hard, daring to turn her gaze nervously to where Elijah was standing behind them, his eyes glued to Aiden, wondering the exact same things she was asking herself...

Why wasn't he saying anything?

He was just as nervous as she was, Aiden's silence was deafening. Keisha swallowed hard and returned her gaze to Aiden who just glared at her, his gaze not wavering, and an even worse frown hovering around his face. Did he hear her? Was he even listening to anything she said? For some reason she found herself trembling, trembling everytime her gaze met his that she couldn't even bear to look at him anymore.

Elijah took a step forward in an attempt to curb the silence.

"Your highness?"

"Do you expect me to believe such nonsense?"

Keisha returned her gaze to Aiden in fright the moment she realized he was talking to her.

"Your highness." she whispered.

"Your highness," Elijah took another step forward and Aiden turned to him immediately and drew a deep breath.

"When you told me you had evidence, I was expecting to hear something real not a story that looks like it was cut out of a Barbie series."

"Your highness, this is real-"

"No, this is rubbish. You expect me to believe this?" Aiden left his annoyed gaze on Elijah. "To believe that there's a imposter pretending to be my fiancée? Committing treason against the throne?"

"Your highness, it only makes sense. This is the only explanation as to why she acts so differently from the lady Vutron you grew up with, the lady Vutron you are betrothed to."

"Do you even know what this means? This is treason. If what you're saying is right, a lot of people would either die, be jailed or exiled and do you even know what's worse? If it isn't. The King would lose his mind if he even hears this in a whisper, you and your family would be in danger if there's even the slightest chance that you're wrong. The Vutrons won't let you live for dragging their name through the mud. They wouldn't just sue you for defamation, you'd be brought to face the royal court and you'd be charged for trying to sabotage the relationship of the Queen-to-be and the royal family. You could even receive the chair. You want me to believe this girl you brought from God knows where over the future Queen of Breton-"

Keisha went on her knees immediately.

"I wouldn't dare lie to you your highness." Keisha said after him. Aiden froze. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe he had to hear her speak again. "I wouldn't dare speak of this if it wasn't the truth. I've lived with Anne-Marie and her brother all my life, I and my friends lived for tormenting and making jests of her. I knew everywhere she went, how she thinks, every expression on her face. I know how to read her like a book. I can identify her even with my eyes closed. I can not be mistaken by this. That girl, she's not who you think she is, I thought I was wrong at first, that I was seeing things but after I saw you two at the engagement party, I was sure, it's her. It's really her, you have to believe me your highness. You're being deceived by her. The entire royal family-"

Aiden turned to her immediately.

"Enough!"

She cringed in fear, shutting her mouth abruptly.

"Your highness-"

Aiden turned back to Elijah.

"Not a word from you either."