Cursed Monarch

Chapter 7

        "Preposterous!" The King was furious. Clenching his teeth while glaring at her. "Get out! I don't want to hear such lies!"

        Zolia lowered her head and made a bow befor she stood up and walked away. The king was useless. He trust Prince Erman a lot, without a hint of self-preserve. His doom was inevitable.

        "See? You just wasted your time..." It was the same black cat she saw at her carriage. "Instead of saving that stupid king, just make preparations."

         Zolia nodded her head. "Thank you."

        As she turn her heels away, the black cat vanished into the thin air. With a lot of courage in her heart, she must do her best to save their mansion and their estate. She almost run back to the carriage. The coachman who were waiting in silence, bowed and tried to step back to escort her to ride the carriage.

        "Stop! I don't need to follow etiquette. Let's go to Ameria's estate quickly!"

        The coachman didn't utter a word and immediately started to whip the horses to move. Zolia's face was flushed in anger, trying her best to stay composed. If she can't handle the enemy from their own lair, she needs to built a defensive wall to repell them.

        "Within an hour, vacate this whole mansion! We will go to Ameria's estate! Now!" Zolia shouted as she entered the Ameria mansion in the capital.

        The butler and the maids that were there looked puzzled yet all of them nodded and immediately said. "Yes, my lady."

        "What happened, my lady?" Irina's hands were trembling in fear.

        "We have to protect ourselves first. I don't really know if I can help father now but... I don't want my people to suffer the consequences."

        "Yes, my lady." I will help to pack your clothes right away."

        "Thank you, Irina."

         Zolia instructed the servants to bring supplies like food and clothes and the unnecessary things will be left in the mansion. After exactly one hour, Zolia, together with her ten servants embarked on their journey towards the Ameria estate in the north. It was a three-day trip. But Zolia wanted to cut it into two days so the carriage and the carts that the servants used were always running in every five hours with one hour as a break.

        After the exhausting two day journey, they reached the Ameria estate. Because it was the peak of summer the trees were green and the vast vineyard are flourishing with ripe grapes. It was almost the time for the harvest. The Ameria estate was known for their wine and plantation of grapes and strawberries that nobles from capital will try their best to buy fresh produce from them. The gemstones from the mines such as jade, ruby, topaz and sapphire were made into fine jewelries from their best artisans.

       "Irina," Zolia called her nanny that was dazed, it's almost five years since they returned to the estate. "Tell Klovis to immediately check our supplies. We will close our gates within this day."

        "But why? Is there a problem you're not saying to me, my lady?" Irina held her hand, refraining her to tell lies.

        She couldn't tell Irina that she came back to life and trying her best to change the tragedy that was destined to their lives. "I... I received a news that Prince Erman, together with Marquess Sefran, will try to take our estate as a pretense of searching evidence for my father's treason."

        Her nanny's face became pale and almost slipped on her sit. Zolia hugged her from the back and made Irina sat still. "Oh my... Prince Erman? Marquess Sefran? They are the people who used you and the Duke's benevolence for their own gains!"

        Zolia hold her tears back. It was the last thing that she must do -- weep and cry like a baby. She looked outside the window and saw the town, Helia, it was bustling with people, the market has different goods from other territories.

        In the Ameria estate, the half of the land were flourishing with crops and the other half were mountains that were use in mining gem stones. It has an abundant wealth and prestige that even royal family covets to own the territory. It was the reason why the Ameria House can live lavishly if they want to, yet the Duke was educated to be frugal and humble. The envy from other nobles is something that Ameria House's descendants should face and withstand.

       In the vast territory, Helia was the town capital of the land. Merchants from different territories and other nations were always present there. But, because of security purposes, they made a limit to foreigners entry to their land. All of them can visit the estate twice a month, for three days.

        "We are almost at home," Zolia announced. The face of the servants light up as they saw the enormous mansion, it was like a white castle from a fairy tale. Towers with pointed spires, huge columns that were not inferior to the king's palace, and the symbol of a roaring lion with two intertwined swords at the seven feet door of the mansion -- the symbol of Ameria.

        They sent a messenger, three hours in advance to them to announce their arrival. As the carriage stopped, the door was opened. The head butler and the ten maids at his back bowed to welcome her. "Welcome back, my lady, Zolia Monique La Ameria."

        "Raise your heads. Klovis, did you received my message?"

        "Yes, my lady. You can check the documents at the duke's office."

        Zolia nodded. "Good. Wait for my instructions later. For now, let the servants from the capital rest for the day and make sure that the supplies will last for at least three months."

        "Yes, my lady," Every servant bowed their heads and answered in unison.

        Zolia entered the mansion. The floor was made of marble and the walls were painted of pure white. The furnitures were beautiful and antique, the paintings were sceneries of the Ameria territory from different talented painters that their house paid for. She walked inside the duke's office. There was a desk made of mahogany, it was her father's work table.

        "Let me see..." She scan the papers at the top of her father's table. It was the documents she asked from Klovis -- it was the evidence her father accumulated from their investigation.

        List of people that had connections from the Azure kingdom, people that are smuggling drugs from the enemies and people that bribed the Prince for self gain. Her father is wise. On the outside, he seems like a fool that nods his head when ever the nobles from Prince Erman's faction was asking for help -- money, yet digging the grave of those scoundrels behind their back!

        "You're genius, Father!" She grabbed the papers and find Klovis to find the most trusted vassal of her father, Earl Leovio.

        Zolia saw the image of Earl Leovio from the goddess' screen. The Earl was the only person who tried his best to say the truth about the whole scheme. She looked at the clock on the office, it was five o' clock in the afternoon. She doesn't know if they have more time.

        Ten minutes passed when someone suddenly entered the room. It was a man on his early thirties, pitch black hair with a pale white skin. His eyes were slanted like a villain yet his gaze was tender. "I'm sorry for my sudden intrusion, my lady. I was at Helia's town when I received the news that you were here." The sweat on his smooth face was almost dripping as he tried to catch his breath.

        "Earl Leovio, I need your help!"