The Commoner Consort: The Country's Respected Empress

Veronica stands fuming "I didn't do anything wrong!".

Xavier asks wondering "Did you kill an innocent life by a vicious snake?!".

Veronica is startled to hear him and stares at Xavier.

He smirks in disappointment "I don't find that snake more vicious than you!".

Veronica asks frowning yet not ready to take the blame completely "Snake? What are you talking about?".

Xavier laughs coldly "What? Now you deny your actions?! Weren't you so confident while admitting your crime before?!".

Veronica declares "I haven't done any of that sort! I just planned to threaten her by burning her closet! But how can a snake be there?!".

Xavier tilts his head "So you didn't behind the Earth's Most Poisonous Snake getting into Lady Maya's room?!".

Veronica frowns and assures "I have told what I have done! But If you think otherwise, you could blame me for a crime that I didn't commit, then you can take my life instead of blaming me wrongly!".

Xavier looks at Veronica's confident face and turns immediately "Its beyond what I had thought! I have to inform this to Brother...I don't know what would I say if he asks about Lady Maya's body...We couldn't find any of her trail! She just disappeared from the Pavilion....".

Xavier hops on his horse and looks back at the Empress Pavilion and The Emperor's Courtyard...standing high...

Resentment flashes in his face and mutters "I don't know how long this will be going to happen...Innocent people leave their lives and.... Royal us ..Just looking at them... from far higher than them..where they can't even reach us...".

He fled in his horse to meet his Respectable Brother...He always admired his valour and fearless attitude...When it comes to war, no one could even think of winning over him when he leads the soldiers...But about his ignorance to others' thoughts...If he considered the country's state, this wouldn't have happened!.

-------

The night completely engulfed the world with its darkness.

The forest is filled with various bone chilling sounds.

Some of predators, insects...and the soft sound of water splashing slowly at the contours of a lake.

Maya is in the middle of a forest. Her body is completely drenched in water and she was lying in the very edge of a big water source.

Hours before, after she was thrown out of her room suddenly, she subconsciously stood, stumbled, trotted and finally reached the small water brook.

She was just following the brook and she couldn't reason why. She just wanted to go away from the country!

Its really some miracle, if she is still 'walking' alive around until she slipped off from high waterfalls.

Due to the sudden series of events, her body is too exhausted and her body is moving along with the waves of water which almost liked like..

Coaxing their Country's Respectable Empress ...to wake..

----

Xavier is riding on his horse in his at most speed. After meeting Victor in his way, he was reluctant for a bit.

He doesn't know why and wonders "Why was Victor is visibly worried?".

He subconsciously thinks about Lady Maya, whom he had never met in person but really looked forward to meet.

He really wanted to meet the Lady of his brother. His choice of Lady.

He wanted to know his Brother's woman. He never saw any women worth to him.

'I wonder how did he bring the girl ? He almost travelled for a month to get her... *sigh* It all went in vain...What if my Brother liked her? How would he take this news?'.

After an hour of riding, he finally reaches Kalki's camp and runs in fast.

Kalki was sleeping and instantly holds his sword hearing footsteps approaching him.

His body relaxed seeing Xavier and smirks "Wanted to help this beloved Brother?".

Xavier sighs worried and nlurts out the news as it's important "The Countryside Pavilion is attacked! And we still couldn't find the person behind it".

Kalki didn't show any expressions in his face other than a stern one.

Xavier continues "Lady Maya must have been poisoned. We have found Earth's Most Poisonous Snake lying dead in her bed. And it was accompanied with a blast which was planted by Veronica!".

Of course Kalki knew that Veronica would plan something to stop that girl from attending the dinner. Because he was the one who instructed her to do so!. Someone had knew about this and took advantage.

Kalki stands and hisses "Who dared to attack behind my back? I swear to behead whoever the one behind this!".

Xavier finds something is oblivious 'He still didn't ask a word about Lady Maya! His wedded wife!'.

He asks out of curiousness "Brother? Did you hear me right? I said the Pavilion was attacked and ...Don't you think you should have asked about Lady Maya? She was your wedded wife".

Kalki felt an uncomfortable feeling in his heart as he didn't like the girl but he never wanted to die though....

More than his guilty conscience, his ego hurt!. Someone killed His Woman! 'Whether I liked her or not, she was My Women!'.

Kalki speaks sounding normal "Find everyone behind this Xavier".

Xavier gets absolutely silent and is looking at his brother strangely. 'Why isn't he behaving normal? So he is composing himself until he finds the men who killed his wife?'.

He promises himself that he would find every person responsible for Lady Maya's death!.

Kalki places his sword on his quilt and looks before him sternly 'If not for our Father's edict, I would never have brought that girl here...I wish I could change this and..'.

He recalls her veiled appearance before leaving the palace and walks breathing out 'If I had protected her well....I could have saved her life at least....'.

Xavier holds his shoulder and squeezes it "I would handle this. Be rest assured".

Kalki sneers "Better you do and wait for me to punish them. I want to do it personally ".

Xavier sighs sadly "I wish I could have met her..".

Kalki is keeping his stoic face and sighs.

Somewhere in middle of the forest, Maya opens her burning eyes slowly.