Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“Your Grace, it’s been a while since we last met.”
Sophie returned the smile. It has. What brings you here, Lydia?”
“Oh, it’s nothing urgent. Her Majesty mentioned she hasn’t seen you in some time and would like to invite you to Everspring Palace for some tea.”
Sophie’s throat was parched and she felt the pang of thirst. However, she also knew that an invitation from the queen rarely came with good intentions.
Could she decline?
Seeing the determined look on Lydia’s face, she realized that refusal wasn’t an option.
“Alright, then. Please lead the way.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Lydia replied cheerfully before setting off.
The distance from the royal study to Everspring Palace was a bit of a trek, but the weather was pleasant, with a gentle breeze that eased some of the oppressive atmosphere from the study. As she walked, the tension slowly bled out of Sophie’s body.
Although Kylie was not very friendly with her, dealing with the queen was far more manageable than facing Salvador’s intimidating presence.
Upon arriving at Everspring Palace, Lydia guided Sophie inside.
As they entered, Sophie spotted a man dressed in luxurious clothing standing up to pay his respects. She recognized him immediately??ionel, the queen’s brother, a third??ank Councilor, and a trusted minister of Salvador’s since his ascension to the throne.
Sophie bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Rise,” Kylie said, her voice calm and distant as she sat regally on the throne.
Lionel respectfully greeted, “Commander Devin.”
Sophie returned the greeting, “Lord Lionel,”
“Please be seated,” Kylie instructed.
Sophie thanked her and took a seat on the left side of the room, while nel settled across from her.
Once seated, he wasted no time in saying, “I have something to ask you, Commander Devin. Please answer truthfully.”
“Your Majesty, may I have a glass of water?” Sophie requested, feeling too thirsty.
“Serve refreshments!” Kylie commanded without hesitation.
As they waited for the refreshments to arrive, Sophie asked, “What is it you wish to ask, Lord Lionel?”
He hesitated, a flicker of discomfort crossing his face as he broached the subject, Ultimately, he endured the humiliation in his heart and looked at Sophie directly.
“Today, Prince Rafael came to our residence and said that my dad has been keeping a mistress outside. She is said to be a concubine’s daughter from Eleanor’s household. You were the one who discovered this, right, Commander Devin? Where did you get this information?”
Sophie was taken aback. She had discussed this matter with Rafael the night before, and they had agreed to speak with Malcolm privately. Why had it been spread to the other family members?
Rafael was a tactful man. He would have respected Malcolm’s position.
Unlike others who directly brought the women from Eleanor’s household into their homes as concubines, Malcolm had kept the one sent to him outside as a mistress. So, it was inappropriate for Rafael and Sophie to announce the matter in the open.
Instead of answering, Sophie asked, “Are you saying His Highness mentioned this in front of everyone today?”
Lionel’s expression grew frantic. “Yes! Just tell me how you heard of this. Who did you hear it from?” Although Sophie couldn’t fathom how a matter that should have been kept private had suddenly become common knowledge among the Quinton family, she replied, “We investigated the matter ourselves. It wasn’t something we heard from anyone.”
Lionel grew agitated. “Investigated? How did you investigate it?”
Sophie maintained her composure. “I don’t think it’s necessary to explain how we conducted our investigation to you, Lord Lionel. His Majesty is aware, that’s what matters.”
“But what evidence do you have? If you can’t provide any evidence or explain how you investigated it, I won’t believe you.”
“You won’t believe me?” Sophie raised an eyebrow, confused.
Had Malcolm denied Rafael’s words?
“Did Lord Malcolm deny it?” she asked directly.
Lionel shook his head. “My dad doesn’t know about this yet. He left early this morning.”
“So, he didn’t meet His Highness?” Sophie questioned.
Lionel nodded.
Sophie suddenly understood how the other Quinton family members had come to know about it.
Since Malcolm had gone out today after being informed of their visit last night, Rafael probably waited at the residence for quite a while and likely grew impatient. Furthermore, he must have recalled how Sophie had waited outside Oakspire Estate yesterday and gotten angry, so he had just left without giving much explanation.
Kylie’s voice cut through the tension, “How did you investigate this? If you can share it with His Majesty, then you can share it with me. I refuse to belleve my dad could be that kind of man.”
Sophie met her gaze firmly. “Your Majesty, perhaps you should ask your dad directly. This involves a treason case. While I can share the outcome with you because it directly concerns your dad, revealing the details of our investigation to you might not be wise, as this is a matter of state.”
Kylie was stunned.
Sophie was right??ylie shouldn’t pry into the investigation. It was forbidden for the women of the royal harem to interfere in political affairs. Given that the Quinton family was at the height of its power and she was the queen, whose actions were closely watched and scrutinized, any mistake could be magnified.
Lionel furrowed his brow. How was he supposed to approach his dad about this? He didn’t even know whether the claim was true. So, even if his dad dismissed it as a lie, a nagging doubt would remain in his heart.
“Commander Devin, if you can’t tell Her Majesty, you can at least confide in me. I have no intention of interfering with your investigation. But since this concerns my family, I want to know the source of your information. That seems reasonable enough.”
Sophie thought about it for a while, but Kylie stood up before she could respond.
“I’ll take my leave for now. You two continue your discussion.”
Having said that, Kylie waved for Lydia to follow her, and they both retreated into the inner hall.
As she took a sip of coffee to soothe her throat, Sophie looked into Lionel’s eyes, which held a mix of earnestness and fear.
“The concubines’ daughters from Eleanor’s household were placed with various families and kept under supervision. If the biological mothers of the women who had been placed years ago died, Eleanor ignored them because she knew she wouldn’t be able to control them anymore. For them, we found information through other means, as many of Eleanor’s people had been replaced over the years.
“But for the women placed in recent years, the people responsible for supervising them are still around. After questioning them, we discovered how your dad’s mistress came to be involved with him, how she was accepted, where she was settled, and who was overseeing her. They confessed and we verified the details, which led us to our conclusion.”