Forgotten Wife Let the traitors kneel Down (by Patricia Maradiaga) novel Chapter 291

Part II: I haven’t given up yet

Soleia gave her son a final hug and said, “You should go back; your family is waiting for you. While you’re here, you can come as often as you like.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Alessandro headed towards the door, turning back to see his mother. She gave him a

big smile and said, “See you soon, Lessan.”

As Alessandro opened the door, a bright light flooded in at the same time. Before his eyes adjusted, he

felt warm arms wrap around him–it was Abril.

“Lessan, are you okay?!”

“Yes, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“I was so worried about you, you took so long.”

Alessandro thought Abril was overreacting, as for him, only a short while had passed. “I don’t think it’s been that long, Aby.”

“You’ve been in there for more than half a day.”

“What?”

Enora chimed in, “I believe time works differently in there. That’s why it felt like just a moment for you, but

hours have passed for us.”

“Is it like the fairyland?”

“Not exactly. In there, time seems to slow down. In the fairyland, time flows either faster or slower, it’s hard to say since time in the fairyland is something its queen controls at will.”

“How does she do that?”

“No idea. The fairy queen never shares her secrets. I’ve already confirmed your lineage, and I don’t intend to hold you, or your daughter, here any longer.”

“What about Abril? Will you let her go too?”

“Yes, I promised Sophia.”

“Then there’s nothing keeping us here anymore. We’ll leave immediately.”

“But I also promised to show you Arkala.” Enora looked at Abril. “I’d like for you both to stay a little longer if possible. Your mother truly wishes for you to see the land she loved so much.”

Alessandro noticed Abril hesitating, unsure of whether to leave or stay. He squeezed her hand and said,

“I’ll support you no matter what you decide. We can stay or go, it’s your choice.”

“I want to stay and see the place where my mother was born and grew up.”

“Thank you for agreeing to my request.”

< Part II I haven’t given up yet

“Now, we should eat something; it’s time for lunch.”

“Lissana must miss us; I’d like to see her first.”

“I understand. Kiara probably took her to her palace. I’ll send a servant to take you there.”

“Thank you.”

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“This is your palace, feel free to roam around. Since you’re going to see Kiara, ask her to show you Arkala.

I think you’ll feel more comfortable with her than with me since she’s closer to your age.”

Enora walked to the door, and before crossing it, she said, “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.”

With that, she disappeared. Once alone, Alessandro hugged Abril and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, and how about you? How did it go in there?”

“Better than I expected.”

A servant appeared, interrupting their conversation, and said, “I’m here to guide you to Princess Kiara’s palace, please follow me.”

Alessandro and Abril followed him, but unlike that morning, no guards escorted them. The servant led them to a beautiful garden adorned with silk ribbons of vibrant colors tied to ivory columns. Vines with small white flowers climbed the pillars. In the center, beside a small pond, sat Kiara and Lissana, watching

the fish at the edge of the water.

Abril hurried to pick up her baby. “My little one, my baby, did you miss mommy?”

“She’s been fine,” said Kiara.

Abril gently stroked her daughter’s head. “Thank you so much for taking care of my little girl.”

“She’s an angel; I enjoyed looking after her.”

“Even so, thank you.”

“Have you eaten?”

“We haven’t had anything yet.”

“Then follow me. I’ll ask for something to be prepared.”

Kiara walked towards the palace, signaling to a servant as she passed to fulfill her request. By the time they reached the dining room, the servants had already laid out a grand feast. The food was delicious. As they ate, Abril couldn’t help but ask the question that had been on her mind ever since she learned the

princess wanted to help them.

“May I ask why you’ve helped us? I’ve wondered a million times, but I still don’t understand.”

“I’ve already told your husband, though I don’t think he mentioned it. I just want to be happy, but my mother is fixated on old laws that prevent it. I only helped you for my own benefit, that’s the truth.”

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“So you just used me.”

“Yes, but I took care of your daughter because I like her. She’s a sweet little girl.”

“She certainly is.”

“My mother said she’d let you go. What are your plans?”

“I’d like to see this place. Your mother told me to ask you to show me Arkala.”

“I’d be happy to.”

+25 Points)

Barto went to look for Maya. The day before, she had refused to talk to him, but he was done delaying their conversation. The little fairy that followed Maya everywhere had started to follow Barto too. She was

sitting on his shoulder, repeating the same thing over and over.

“You must convince her to go to the fairyland before it’s too late.”

“You’re a damn headache. If you don’t stop talking, I’ll squash you like a mosquito.”

“It’s clear you two are siblings; you’re just as violent.”

Barto was about to swat the fairy when she disappeared. He muttered to himself, “I don’t understand how Maya’s put up with her; she’s insufferable.”

Maya was in the garden, stuffing herself with cake when Barto found her. He stood behind her and cleared his throat to get her attention. “I finally found you; I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Maya ignored her brother and shoved another piece of cake into her mouth. Barto circled around to face her, took the cake away, and said, “Enough, Maya. We need to talk. This is not the time for cake.”

“Why not? I’m hungry.”

Barto raised an eyebrow. He only did that when he was angry, but Maya didn’t care. She retrieved her plate

and said, “I’m hungry, so let me eat in peace.”

“Maya!”

“If you’re going to try and make me return to the fairyland, you can leave the way you came.”

“You’re dying, and all you care about is eating cake!”

“Since I’m going to die, I want to eat everything I like. And I like this cake, so don’t you dare take my plate again, or I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

Barto slammed his palms down hard on the table, spilling tea everywhere. The only thing that remained intact was the cake, which Maya had lifted before he hit the table.

“Are you done with your tantrum?”

“Do you really not care about dying?!”

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Part II: A Real Kiss

After having a long conversation with Barto, Maya went to find Cassian. He was in the king’s office,

reading some documents when she entered. She approached the desk and sat on his lap. He asked her,

“How are you feeling?”

“Good.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I don’t feel tired or fatigued. I feel wonderful.”

Cassian stroked Maya’s cheek and said, “I’ve asked Sirius to come to the palace. Maybe he can help us

with your illness.”

“Actually, I came to talk to you about that. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I believe my father might know how to help me. He knows a lot about fairies, so I’ve been considering going to talk to him.”

“You’re going to Farell?”

“Yes, I’ll go with Barto and return in a few days.”

“Can’t you ask your father to come to the palace? You shouldn’t be traveling in your condition.”

“My father won’t agree to come unless I tell him the truth, and I don’t want to do that in a letter. I’d rather tell him in person. Right now, I’m fine because Abril filled me with her magic. If I don’t go now, it’ll be too

late later.”

Cassian couldn’t leave the palace because his brother was away, and he had promised to take care of everything while he was gone. But at that moment, Cassian regretted his words. He just wanted to drop everything and go wherever Maya went. Maya gave him a soft kiss on the lips and said, “I know you can’t come with me since you have to stay and look after the palace until Abril and your brother return, but you don’t have to worry so much. I’ll be with Barto, so I’ll be fine.”

Cassian hugged Maya tightly.

“I hate the idea of us being apart.”

“I don’t like it either, but there’s nothing we can do. You’re my little prince, and I know you have duties to

fulfill.”

“Will you really be okay?”

“Yes, so don’t worry. It’ll only be a few days.”

“When do you plan to leave?”

“I was thinking of leaving tomorrow morning. Is that okay with you?”

Cassian wanted to say no, to ask her to wait a little longer because he wasn’t ready to let her go, but he

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+25 Points

knew Maya didn’t have much time. Her life was slipping away day by day. As hard as it was to part from her, he couldn’t keep clinging to her.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“We haven’t gone on a date in a while, so invite me somewhere nice. Do something romantic for me.”

“What would you like me to do?”

“Surprise me.”

Cassian thought for a moment as he hugged Maya, enjoying the warmth of her body and the sweet floral scent she gave off. Impatient, Maya said, “If you can’t think of a place, we could go into the city and eat something delicious.”

“No, I know what we’re going to do.”

“What is it?”

Maya asked, excited like a child. Cassian made her stand up from his lap, got to his feet, and replied, “You’ll see.”

He took Maya’s hand and led her to the lake, where a boat awaited them, its sides draped with white curtains. He boarded first, extended his hand toward Maya, and said in a soft, sweet voice, “May I have your hand, my lady?”

Every time Cassian treated her like a noble lady, Maya couldn’t help but think it was corny, but deep down,

she loved it.

“Would you like to take a ride on this beautiful lake and watch the sunset together?”

Maya took his hand with a big smile on her lips and said, “Of course, my prince. Take me wherever you

want.”

Cassian helped Maya onto the boat. As they sailed across the lake, Maya reached her hand out of the boat and dipped it into the water. As she gazed at her reflection in the water, she felt peace and tranquility. She wished that day would last forever, that it would never end.

Cassian stopped the boat in the center of the lake, just as the sun began to set. He sat next to Maya, wrapped his arms around her, and together they watched as the lake was painted with the colors of the sunset. They sat in silence, enjoying the moment.

When the sun had set, Maya said, “We should head back.”

“The sunset wasn’t what I wanted to show you.”

“Then what was it?”

“You’ll know soon.”

“Why don’t you just tell me?”

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“Because it wouldn’t make sense if I told you.”

“Will I have to wait long?”

“Until night falls completely.”

+25 Points

Maya lay her head on Cassian’s chest and, gazing into the distance, said, “It’s been a long time since we had a moment like this, where nothing and no one else matters, just you and me.”

“That’s true.”

“When I return, we should do this again. Bring me to this lake, and let’s stay in the middle as if it’s just you

and me in the world.”

“We should make this a tradition.”

“Coming to the lake?”

“No, running away from everything and only thinking about us.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.”

Maya lifted her head and said, “Kiss me.”

Cassian gave her a soft kiss on the lips, just a brush of his lips against hers. Maya frowned, not satisfied

with his kiss.

“Is that a kiss? I won’t break, Cassian, so kiss me for real.”

Cassian cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips firmly against hers. It started gentle but grew stronger and wilder with every passing minute. Their tongues intertwined, their breaths became ragged, and Cassian deepened the kiss until Maya was left breathless. Gasping, Maya said, “Now that’s a real kiss. It’s what I wanted, and I still want more, so don’t stop.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

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