Chapter 6 Tamper with her

The garden was empty and the wind was blowing Ixora's torn dress as she is walking.Draven caught up to her and grabbed her wrist again , gently this time.

"Ixora." Draven called

She didn't turn but only smack his hand "Leave me alone, Draven."

"Just five minutes. Please." Draven begged.

Lenny looked at Ixora and Ixora nodded. Lenny stepped back, but didn't leave.

Draven stepped in front of her so she had to look at him. His white armor was dirty from running and his eyes were red but she didn't care.

"I didn't know about Granny Xhun. I swear. Annya told me she was sick-"

"You swear?" Ixora laughed, but there were still tears on her face. "You swore you loved me, Draven. In front of my mother's memorial. You swore you would protect me. Was that also a lie?"

Draven flinched."It was not a lie. I love you-"

"DID! " Ixora stepped closer, her voice shaking. "Did? Past tense? So when did you stop? When Annya started warming your bed? When she told you I was cursed and you believed her? Tell me, Draven. When did I become trash to you?"

"I never-" Draven didn't finish before Ixora cut in.

"You never what? You never slept with her? You never helped her poison my tea for so my dragon core would not awaken? You never watched while I was bleeding in the judinth and chose to save her reputation instead of me?"

Draven's face went white in humiliation. "How do you- how do you know about the Judinth? Is that why you choose a cripple over me that awful bastard?"

Ixora smiled. "Because he deserves me and not you, a heartwerker you deserve all the bad things in this life"

She leaned in, whispering so only he could hear." And I am not your soft Ixora anymore don't call my husband a bastard or cripple or any awful names. If you come near me again, or near Granny Xhun's body, I will cut your throat with my own claws. General."

She pushed past him hard, bumping his shoulder and Draven stood there, frozen. His hand was still in the air, holding nothing his Adam apple moved up and down swallowing nothing as his face lit up in frustration.

From afar at the top open space, Theoniel was watching from his wheelchair at the Jade Tower window. He saw everything but only smirk eating the black petal his black eagle brought him.

" Sicko" he muttered using his hand to pull his long hair back, chewing the black petal like candy as he watch Ixora back as she's going.

~Next day, Jade Tower ~

The sun was already high over the Jade Tower, but Ixora's room was still dark. She stood in front of her mirror, tying her sash alone.

She was wearing black all through.

Not the royal silver and white she always wear. Pure black from head to toe,the colour of mourning in the Dragon Clan just for granny Xhun.

Her hair was not oiled and it wasn't adorn with any jewelry. Her eyes were swollen from crying all night, but her back was straight.

Knock.

"Princess? It's me, Shelia." Shelia announced.

Ixora's hand paused then she smiled "Come in."

The door opened and a lady with round cheeks and small eyes ran in, carrying a golden tray with a sealed letter on it. Shelia, her second maid. The one who was always quiet, always loyal, but not as sharp mouthed as Lenny.

Shelia stopped when she saw Ixora."Princess..." her mouth opened wide in amusement. "You... you are wearing black?"

"Granny Xhun is dead," Ixora said

fixing her sleeve where the paper was still hidden. She hadn't slept because anytime she tried opening the paper to read she always find nothing in it, maybe the paper is not ready to show what is inside it.

Shelia's eyes filled with tears instantly. "I heard... Lenny told me this morning. Princess, I am sorry. I am so sorry I was not at your choosing ceremony. My mother was very ill, I had to go to ,if I was here-"

"It's okay," Ixora cut in gently holding shelia's hand. "Your mother is important. How is she doing ?"

Shelia sniffed and placed the royal letter down,trying hard not to cry.

"She is better,but Princess... I am really sorry. I heard what you did, you chose Prince Theoniel? And slapped General Draven!?"

Ixora smiled widely rasing her left eyebrow. "So you heard that part too."

Shelia's eyes widened. "Everyone heard! The whole palace is talking! They said you threatened to kill anyone who touches Prince Theoniel! Princess, you were so cool!"

Ixora laugh out showing her dimples . "Cool? I was mad."

Then Shelia remembered the letter and quickly knelt down, raising the letter with both hands.

"Princess, this is why I came. The King... sent the royal marriage letter for Prince Theoniel. The royal seal is on it and the guards said it came this morning with 20 soldiers."

Ixora's eyes changed, she took the letter tracing the royal stamp on it in it heavy gold paper.Her father actually did it and agreed to the 7 days marriage.

She opened it and read, her eyes moved fast reading every letter with great intensity. Then she frowned when she got to a point.

"Where is he? " Shelia whispered, looking around the room. "I was told to give it to him directly. I looked everywhere in the tower but his wheelchair is not here and his bed is empty-"

"He left this morning," Ixora said, folding the letter again. She didn't know where he went either, since yester night from granny's Xhun death, he had disappeared before dawn. His wheelchair tracks led out of the Jade Tower toward the Halmarte . "He left for his work or... anything. I don't know."

She held the letter tightly. "Give it to me and i will give it to him when he comes back."

Shelia nodded, but she was still staring at Ixora's black dress.

"Princess... are you going to wear black for seven days? Until your wedding? The palace and people will talk..."

"Let them talk," Ixora said, picking up her own small sword from the table. "I am mourning my mother and if they have any problem with my dressing let them come and tell me I'll kill one of their family member so that can feel the pain also."

She walked to the door. "I am going to Father's office,don't let anyone enter my room. And watch Granny's body in the Quinn Ice Ember, no one is allowed to touch her,understand?"

"Yes, Princess!" Shelia answered before following Ixora but going in their separate ways.

Quinn's darlt - KING'S OFFICE

The King Cassius was sitting behind his big jade desk, reading war reports. When he saw Ixora enter in all black, his face turned dark.

"What is this nonsense you are wearing, Ixora?" King Cassius asked in dis believe.

Ixora did not bow when she entered she stood straight not feeling the pressure.

"I came to talk about Granny Xhun's death." Ixora announced and Cassius threw his pen down not accepting the family problem.

"That old maid again? I have told the guards to bury her today. Why are you making a big issue of a maid's death? You embarrassed me yesterday in front of the whole clan, you threatened your own father, you chose that cripple over a general, and now you come here in mourning black like a widow? Have you no shame?"

"Have YOU no shame?" Ixora shot back and King Cassius stood up, shocked. No child had ever shouted at him.

"You... you dare-"

"I dare! Granny Xhun served this palace for 40 years! She served my mother! She raised me when you called me a mistake and left me in that hut! And now she dies on the same day as my choosing, covered in black Death Bloom petals that only grow in the Queen's garden, and you say bury her like trash? No investigation?"

King Cassius clenched his fists. "What are you trying to say?"

"I am saying someone killed her! The same person who has been trying to kill me since I was born!" Ixora rushed.

"Enough!" The King roared, slamming his hand on the desk. Papers flew everywhere. "You can never be useful, Ixora! Instead of fighting for the dead, shouldn't you help the clan? Do you know what is happening outside while you cry for one old woman?"

He grabbed a thick pile of documents and threw them at her feet.

"Look! Look at these! Secret golden thieves! For three months they have been stealing from our people! Golden rice from the south store! Golden weapons from the armory! Even golden eggs from the dragon hatchery! Our people are starving! Our soldiers have no weapons! And you, my supposed princess, you want me to investigate a maid?"

Ixora looked down at the documents scattered on the floor to the lists and lists of stolen goods.

She slowly knelt down, picked one up, read it... and then she smiled.She tore the paper in half right in front of her father.

"If I see these thieves," she said calmly, tearing another paper, "I will not catch them but encourage them to continue and cherish them. I will give them more gold to steal."

King Cassius's eyes widened. "Have you gone mad?!"

"Because those thieves are stealing from YOU, Father. Not from the people. The people told Lenny they never received that golden rice for two years. So where did it go? Into your private vault? Into Annya's dowry?"

"You—" King Cassius shouted.

Ixora stepped closer to his desk, her black dress making her look like a reaper.' Father. I came to collect my investigation token."

Cassius frowned. "What token?"

"The Black Dragon Token. By royal law, any princess whose family member dies mysteriously on palace ground has the right to investigate for 7 days before burial granny Xhun raised me and she is my family. I want the token."

Cassius laughed. "That token is only for royal blood! She was a maid!"

"And she died with black Death Bloom petals growing from her skin. That's not old age. That's murder with forbidden poison , if you refuse me the token, the Elders will ask why the King is hiding a murder in his palace on choosing week."

The King's face changed from being ngry to a calm one, he stared at Ixora's black dress, at her swollen eyes that were not begging anymore but demanding. "You want to waste your 6 days before your wedding chasing a dead maid instead of preparing to be a good wife to that cripple?"

"I want justice," Ixora muttered "Give me the token and an approval letter to enter the Quinn Ice Ember, the kitchen, and the Queen's garden. If I find nothing in 6 days, I will bury her myself quietly and marry Theoniel and leave this palace forever. No trouble."

She paused and added quietly: "But if you don't give me the token... I will tell everyone that the King refused to investigate a murder that happened under his roof, because he is protecting the murderer and I'm starting from Dawn Quora the supreme."

Silence.

Cassius clenched his jaw and opened his drawer angrily and threw a heavy black iron token on the desk. It had a dragon head on it. "Take it! You have 6 days! After that, she burns! And don't come crying to me when you find out that old woman really just died of old age!"

Ixora picked up the token and bowed respectfully. "And the golden thieves report " she asked, looking at the papers he threw on her. "Give me that case too, Father. If I am investigating Granny, I might as well investigate who is really stealing from our people,because I don't believe it's thieves. I believe someone inside is taking it and I will find them."

She tucked the token and the approval letter into her black sash and walked out, leaving her father staringat her back — his useless daughter.