Chapter 50: Chapter 50

Romeo poured out a glass of water for Ellis Hayden and the old man gulped down the entire contents at a time and placed the glass on the desk with a loud sound.

He glared at Romeo and thundered "Why didn't you tell me all you knew before it got to this point? Why do you have to wait until it's completely unredeemable before voicing it out?"

"Mrs Leah Hayden threatened to silence me. She once fired me. It's only because President Hayden came out of the concussion and asked after me that I got reinstated" Romeo explained.

Ellis just waved at Romeo to leave. The latter left and he closed his eyes, trying his best to calm his troubled mind.

In Middletown City, Clarion was summoned that the royal physician had tested the concubines and two of them were pregnant with the royal seed.

She was to come over to bless them and advise them as the queen mother. King Tarvan was throwing a cocktail party to that effect and also requested for her to be present.

She said she would come around later. She went straight to grand nanny and found her sleeping. Clarion sat by her bedside and held her hand.

"I need to talk to you now more than ever before. I need someone who I can share my pains and burdens with. I needed a friend at this time" Clarion declared.

She deliberately lingered before standing up, and went towards the royal court. There was feasting and excitement in the air.

As Clarion approached the royal court, she raised her shoulders and her head up in elegance and grace. She walked in and everyone bowed before her except the King" Long live her majesty".

She looked round and forced a smile. The smile was not a sincere one and Tarvan observed it. She glanced towards her husband and saw him beaming with a smile and excitement like never before.

The last time she saw Tarvan so excited was when Alice was born. That's many years ago. He is happy that two of his concubines were carrying the royal seed.

She saw the two pregnant concubines, all dressed in royal attire with crowns on their heads. The only one who was not pregnant was looking unhappy standing by the sidelines.

Clarion went closer and placed her sceptre on the shoulders of the pregnant women. "Congratulations daughters. May you live happy and healthy, and may the royal seed grow in health in your belly" She blessed.

She was offered a glass of wine and she took it, gracefully. As she raised it to her mouth, Tarvan's words made her hands paused midway.

"The babies in their belly would be the royal heir. Not some random granddaughter as some are pressuring me to make my heir"

There was a stiffness in the air. Only the queen mother could make such a suggestion. Everyone in the palace knows princess Pamela, the granddaughter of the royal parents.

They glanced towards the queen mother and they saw her carefully placing the wine back on the tray the servers were carrying and glared at Tarvan with a forced smile.

The war that they are fighting is a cold one. She nodded and looked around with her split vision. All eyes were on her.

The atmosphere went back to normal. Queen Clarion glanced at her seat next to the queen and saw Tarvan held the hand of one of the concubines and made her seat on it and another royal seat was brought to his left and the other concubines sat on it.

"No, your highness, that seat belongs to the queen," Clarion informed but the King said "Not for today. The one sitting on it is carrying the royal seed which is much more important to a queen that couldn't produce an heir"

Queen Clarion felt humiliated. The royal court was filled with great dignitaries and Tarvan reduced her to nothing before his citizens and women that are less than her granddaughter.

Everyone felt shocked at the king's words. He had trampled upon the queen and made her less than a common palace staff.

They murmured in hushed voices and Clarion glared at Tarvan. Her complexion turned ashen and she wanted to retort back at him at the way he brought her low, but she chose not to do the wrong.

Two wrongs don't make a right. She nodded in embarrassment and said "if his highness said it should be so, then so let it be '' she said politely and bowed slightly before him.

Queen Clarion's attitude suddenly won the heart of everyone present. She's a humble woman. She probably might have suffered a lot from the humiliation his highness dished out to her before her subjects.

The two pregnant concubines were also amazed. How can his highness say such words to the queen mother before everyone present. Everyone knew the story of the princess who died.

Her daughter returned and became a princess. She's nowhere to be found. But that doesn't mean he should ridicule her this much.

The only concubine that hadn't conceived was scared. If he could ceremoniously dethrone her like this simply because she doesn't have a child, it only means he would do much more to her, who is not pregnant.

The queen bowed slightly and turned around amidst humiliation and embarrassment, she walked out.

Tarvan Johnson knew he crossed the Rubicon that day. He knew he hurt Clarion very much and he might have to spend the rest of his life pleading for her forgiveness.

Clarion went to her room and put away all royal attire from her wardrobe. She's an old woman now. All that mattered to her is living her life to please herself.

Somehow, she couldn't cry. He already told her to enjoy the position of the queen while it lasted. She shouldn't be surprised that he dethroned her so soon.

But that's alright. Since the kingdom has got a new queen or queens as the case may be, she should be concerned about finding her granddaughter.

She's all that she's got. She's the only one who can ascertain that she was never a barren woman. Pamela is her living testimony. It is only normal that she should go and find her daughter.

That evening, grand nanny sent to her that she would want to see her. She asked her to take her hand and she said "I heard that the concubines are pregnant with the royal seed" she said and paused glaring at Clarion intently.

"Yes, the royal family will be blessed with young royalties, running around the walls and corridor of the palace" Clarion declared.

It reminded her of Alice's childhood. She forced a smile and waved the thought aside. Pleasant memories, that's all she has left of her dear daughter.

"Congratulations to the royal family" Grand nanny said. She glared at Clarion still and saw the heartbreak, pain and humiliation lying behind those forced smiles.

She chose to smile. She made up her mind to smile not because the situation surrounding her encourages her to do so, but because she only is responsible for her own happiness and not anyone else. Hence she chose to smile.

"Thank you grand nanny" Clarion said, holding her hand in between her palm and massaging it gently. The hands were thin and bony, wrinkled and weak.

"But more than that, I heard about King Tarvan's humiliation!" Grand nanny blurted.