After their previous meeting, Olivia was aware of his strength, but she never fathomed that he could rival the Queen in power.
'You are weak. Why are you so weak?' Orion's words echoed in Olivia's mind, her teeth clenching involuntarily.
Initially, she had assumed he was inquiring about their relative strengths, given he was just one rank below her. Now, it appeared there was more to it.
"He was mocking me," Olivia mumbled, her fists clenched tightly.
Had she known he was concealing his true capabilities during their prior meeting, she would have openly acknowledged their collaboration at the banquet.
Nevertheless, it was evident that she needed to be more proactive during their next meeting, in case he had similar intentions once more.
"Orion," Olivia's voice resounded throughout her spacious study.
She paused, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly to steady her breath. Her gaze refocused on the documents scattered across her desk as she aimed to complete her work swiftly, eager to uncover the events unfolding outside her study's walls.
….....
The Gemheart clan
"Hahahaaha!" Laughter echoed through the air as Garnet twirled about, holding a jar of freshly squeezed fruit wine in one hand and a crystal-clear glass in the other, diligently refilling it each time it emptied.
Elara's brows furrowed as she patiently waited for her husband, who had been swigging mouthfuls of wine and dancing in jubilation for several minutes now.
"What's the reason for this celebration? Did something wonderful occur during your meeting with the Luminaris Clan?" Elara asked, taking a gentle sip of the wine he had poured for her while she awaited his response.
"Haaahahahaaha!" Garnet erupted in laughter once more, downing the last of his wine and then pivoting to gaze at his wife. Sporting a broad, jubilant grin, he exclaimed, "The queen is dead."
"Crashh!!"
The glass slipped from Elara's grasp, its contents splattering onto the floor below.
"H--How?" Elara stammered, her eyes widening as she stared at her husband in sheer astonishment, her body immobilized. "Where did you hear such news? How can the Queen be dead?"
Garnet's grin stretched even wider as a profound sense of pride surged within him. "I... No... We killed her, the Queen," Garnet proclaimed, tossing the glass aside as he erupted into laughter, downing the wine directly from the cup.
"We?" Elara muttered, her unease growing palpable.
She felt her body shiver at the implication, locking her intense, fiery eyes with her husband. "Garnet, what have you done?" she pressed him.
"Nothing too extreme, except that I took quite a risk, gathering around two hundred capable descendants of the forgotten clans to ambush the royal family on their journey back to the castle. Well, we might need to fill a few spots in the Gem Shroud Legion, considering not all of them will likely survive facing the Queen," Garnet replied, his grin spanning ear to ear.
Elara's heart began to pound the moment she heard her husband's first words. As he continued to explain, an indescribable chill spread throughout her body.
"Neal…" she uttered, her voice trembling with fear as she focused her attention on Garnet.
"Garnet, don't tell me that you sent Neal and his team to face the Queen?" Her words quivered with anxiety.
Garnet's expression immediately turned solemn as he observed his wife's horrified look. "Yes," he admitted, locking eyes with her and slowly nodding his head. "Although, I--"
"SMAACCKK!!"
Before Garnet could react, a palm collided with his cheek, sending him sprawling to the floor. Holding his stinging cheek with his hands, he looked up to see Elara's furious face.
"YOU!!"
"You sent my brother to face the Queen," Elara seethed. "GARNET, ARE YOU MAD?" Her voice pierced the room with rage.
Garnet lay there, trembling under her furious gaze, seemingly unable to muster the strength to stand.
Elara's voice turned icy with each word she spoke. "How did your plan go from ensuring Zephyrion becomes the next crowned King instead of Princess Crystalia to killing the queen?" Her eyes bore into him, demanding an answer. "ANSWER ME." She watched him quiver under her unwavering stare.
Garnet swallowed hard, the taste of his celebratory wine now turning bitter in his mouth.
"You never asked about the plan; you only said to do my best to make it happen," he stammered.
"I said that because I never imagined that this was what you had planned!" Elara screamed in anger. "IF I HAD KNOWN THAT YOU WERE GOING TO SEND MY JUNIOR BROTHER TO FACE THE QUEEN, THEN I WOULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO STOP WHATEVER YOU HAD PLANNED."
She had heard his plan before, which was to have Zephyrion make Princess Crystalia fall in love with him. But after discovering that the Crystalforge Clan had uncovered their intentions, causing him to change his plan, she didn't bother to find out what it was, assuming it wouldn't be as extreme as what he'd previously planned.
But who could have known that he had thought of this?
"Don't worry, Neal will be alright. I gave him something that guarantees his victory, so you can be sure that he will make it back alive," Garnet said with a sigh, shaking his head tiredly as he observed his wife's expression.
"TCHH! I'll be waiting to assign him another position once he returns. He had better be alright, Garnet," Elara warned, her voice tinged with a hint of threat.
"He's going to..." Garnet began, but then abruptly stopped his words, his face showing a blend of emotions. After a moment, he let out a resigned sigh and nodded, as he took in another weary breath.
"TCH!" Elara's anger flared even more as she held herself back and moved to leave the room.
However, just as she reached the wooden door, it swung open suddenly, revealing a figure in a black cloak who rushed into the room.
"BAAMM!!"
Seeing the black-cloaked figure kneel immediately in front of him, Garnet quickly pulled himself together, realizing that this person was part of the team he had sent to monitor the assassination.
"What is it? Was the assassination successful?" Garnet asked, raising an intrigued eyebrow.
