Once this realization set in, the castle crumbled swiftly under the Gemheart Clan's assault, followed by the Crystalforge Clan. The entire Primerian Kingdom succumbed to their control, with no opposition from any of the five major clans, the Prismaflow Clan or even the Quaztrwraith Clan.
Upon discovering that not only had the Queen not regained her powers but also that the foreigner with unknown strength was dead, they abandoned any resistance, willingly assisting the Gemheart Clan in consolidating their dominance over the Prismerian Kingdom.
Queen Selene couldn't help but sigh as she pondered once more. It had been several days since she learned the fate of her daughter and husband, assuming they were still alive. If only she had found a way to regain her former strength, perhaps none of this would have happened.
"You know, from the looks of it, it seems you haven't yet accepted your fate."
Queen Selene raised her head to find Gemheart Clan Mistress, Elara Gemheart, standing before her. Elara stared down at her with an emotionless expression, though pity radiated from her eyes.
Instead of replying to the question, Queen Selene pressed her lips together before spitting upward at Elara's face.
Fortunately, it seemed Elara had expected such a reaction, as she pushed her head to the side, dodging the projectile just in time.
"Heh, you should have stayed in one place; I was only going to help you cover up that nasty mark on your face if it helps you feel any better," Queen Selene said with a short laugh.
She stared at the left side of Elara's cheek, now scarred visibly, shaking her head amusingly. "I'm the Queen who has lost her crown and her kingdom, now living the rest of her life chained, imprisoned, and fed like the worst criminal. Yet, why do you look extremely pitiful?"
Elara's expression immediately scrunched up in annoyance. She opened her mouth to retort but snapped it shut, staring at Queen Selene's miserable condition.
"I just came here to inform you that the engagement between the Crystalforge Clan heir, Crystalia Crystalforge, and the Gemheart Clan heir, Zephyrion Gemheart, will take place tomorrow. This engagement will save the Crystalforge Clan from their supposed decline and extend your life, so be grateful," Elara said with a sigh, looking at Queen Selene's bewildered expression.
Suddenly, Queen Selene stretched out her tongue and attempted to bite down on it with her teeth.
Swiishh!!
After the announcement, Elara, expecting something drastic from the woman, immediately caught her jaws and restrained them tightly with an outstretched arm.
"Shh!" Elara made a silent gesture as she looked outside the cell for a moment before releasing a sigh.
"She's gone," she said, realizing that the elite warrior tasked with watching her every move was no longer eavesdropping on their conversation.
Uncleching her hand from Queen Selene's jaws, Elara pulled back and stared at Selene, who was looking at her with a furious gaze.
"What is it?" Elara asked, raising a brow as she straightened her back.
"This wasn't the plan!" Selene said, gritting her teeth in anger.
Elara sighed as she shook her head helplessly in response. "Well, what can I do? After I escaped from the Gemheart Clan and made my way over to the palace, you should understand that my husband currently has zero trust in me. As such, my opinions barely carry any weight," she explained.
Selene ground her teeth in anger.
"But…" she started, but her voice was immediately interrupted.
"But nothing," Elara spat out in annoyance. "Our plan was for me to check whether the foreigner is truly dead, while in return, you give me the information about who and how many individuals had received the unknown power that would enable us to defeat White Flame. As for whether your daughter decides to become the partner of that foolish son of mine, it is none of my business."
Though she had discovered the truth about why many of the Crystalforge Clan's elite warriors were absent from the battle from the former Queen herself, while her husband was still trying to find out the reason, preparing for a surprise attack, thinking it might come at any moment, she didn't let him in on this secret. Why would she?
Why would she tell a madman who would scar her face just to show how much he cared about her and ensure she didn't divulge such information?
Only Naka knows what he could do once he finds out. Instead of waiting for him to figure out what had happened, she had to seize this opportunity and discover the identity of those who had received the strange power that could enable them to defeat the White Flame.
This would allow her to escape the mountain and run away as far from him as possible.
"Besides, you should also recognize that she's doing this not only for your safety but also for that of the remaining Crystalforge Clan," Elara said with a sigh escaping her lips as she shook her head helplessly.
Selene looked at the ground, various emotions passing through her eyes before her shoulders slumped, and a deep, loud exhale escaped her lips.
"How did it go? Have you managed to speak with the Princess of the Garden yet? What did she say? Is he still alive?" Selene asked, trying to suppress her emotions.
She hoped that Elara had managed to find out something this time around. After all, apart from her daughter's safety, Orion's whereabouts were one of the things that mattered at the moment. Only with his strength could he change the current situation of the Prismerian Kingdom.
In short, Selene didn't believe that the young man was dead!
Elara observed Selene's hopeful expression and nodded in response. "Yes, I finally had the chance to speak with the Princess of the Garden, and she told me that he is still alive," she responded seriously.
Selene's eyes widened with joy and excitement but quickly dimmed as she heard Elara's following words.
