Jasmine nodded weakly.
She knew that Xaden would not have so quickly let her go.
He had believed her to have a hand in his attempted murder.
Even though she told him she knew about the spy in the pack, she had had no hand in any of it.
How was he supposed to believe her anyway?
"Your majesty, forgive me, but Alpha Xaden would never let me go." Jasmine expressed. "He believes that I have a hand in his attempted murder and everything bad that has happened."
The Queen touched her hand and held it firmly. "Believe me, nothing will happen to you. I made sure of it. Xaden has agreed."
But how? Jasmine wondered.
"Don’t worry, I had my ways." She said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her maids had dressed Queen Rose in preparation to leave the pack to return to her kingdom.
Her husband still did not speak to her because she decided to bring her sister back home with them.
But then he would get used to it eventually, so she believed.
She put in her gloves and then her maids in waiting turned to her and said. "Would that be all your majesty?"
Rose smiled. "Yes, of course. That will be all."
Then Hildegard came into the room and stood by.
Rose turned and saw her longtime best friend.
The one who had been closer to her than her sister.
Even though Hildegard was her maidservant, they had grown up together, around the same age, and loved each other.
"Are you ready to leave?" Hildegard asked.
"Yes. But I need to speak to Xaden." Rose said. "I need to discuss Jasmine before I leave. It’s unfortunate what happened to her, but I believe she had no hand in it."
Rose fumbled with the top ropes of her coat.
Hildegard walked up to her and helped her with it. "Let me do that for you. You’ve never known how to do it since we were children."
Rose laughed. "You’ve always been more equipped at these things."
Hildegard sighed heavily, and Rose knew she was about to speak about something weighing down on her.
"Rose. I want to talk to you about something." Hildegard said.
"Go on." She prodded.
Hildegard sighed. "Jasmine is a beautiful girl. Don’t you think it’s odd that she looks so much like what Scarlet would look like?"
Rose tried to rebuff the idea. "She is just a beautiful girl with red hair. That’s all. What are you saying that she might be my daughter?"
Hildegard shrugged. "I’m not saying that, but I’m just saying..... Ross, these things happen. We never even found her body to begin with or her-.
"Please tell me what you want to discuss about Cherry." She asked. "My daughter is long gone, and she is never coming back. You, of all people, should know what losing her did to me".
Hildegard sighed. "Of course I do."
"Then tell me what you wanted to tell me about Cherry. Jasmine’s conversation is closed up." Rose said.
Hildegard hesitated at first.
She had been reprimanded about speaking on Jasmine and didn’t want to be reprimanded again.
"Rose, I’ve known you since we were children, and you know that anything I say to you or any advice I give you is for your very own good." Hildegard said as she held her hands together with Queen Rose’s. "You are aware of that, aren’t you?"
"Of course." Rose said.
Hildegard sighed heavily. "Your Majesty, I have heard rumors about his majesty calling of Princess Cherry’s exile and whispers that she will return to the castle."
Rose sighed. "Where did you hear this?"
"From people. I would ignore but from everyone rumor or lie there is a basis of truth." Hildegard expressed.
Rose released her hand from Hildegard’s, then strode to the beautiful mirror where she adjusted her hair.
"The rumors are true." She admitted.
Hildegard gasped.
Utter horror filled her eyes. "Your majesty, you must speak to the King to restore this order. Cherry coming back would only bring nothing but-
"It was I who canceled her exile." Rose said, interrupting Hildegard.
She saw the look of disbelief on her face.
"My God." Hildegard gasped. "B-but why?"
"Because she is just a sister, and she has learned what she did wrong. She has suffered enough for it." Rose emphasized.
"Forgive me if I am out of line, but did Cherry not have her Allies attack you after you ascended the throne?" Hildegard questioned.
"They were only her Allie’s. She had no hand in any of it." Rose explained. "My sources confirmed that they had turned against her when she had decided to accept me as Queen."
Hildegard scoffed. "My God. And what about the fact that she is the reason why we are at war with Xaden."
"She had meant to harm." Rose gave another excuse. "She had even told me herself. She hadn’t gotten the news directly. One of her men had received it and sat on it."
Hildegard scoffed. "Oh my God. You do not see it, do you? She is playing you like she always did when we were children."
"Do you forget that she was to have been Queen? That I am not supposed to wear the fire crown." Rose walked up to Hildegard. "That it belongs to her rightfully by birth."
"If it truly belonged to her, it would have never rejected her when she sat on that throne," Hildegard said. "You are playing games with fire".
"I am fire." Rose said. "My bloodline is fire. My fire is from dragons, i am a descendant of wolves and red dragon flame. I am fire."
"It is not going to work this way." Hildegard said. "I can see where we are headed."
"She is my sister." Rose said. "My only sister. I have no one else. My daughter is distant from me. My grandchild is hungry for power. My husband doesn’t understand me. I need my sister."
"What about me?" Hildegard asked. "Are we sisters no more?"
Rose couldn’t bring herself to make words.
Hildegard was stunned and hurt by her silence.