Ileus: The Dark Prince

Chapter 677 - To The Temple

Kaizan grunted, "Because of all the mint scent she is wearing!" 

Olivia jerked her head back. She ordered one of the guards to bring a pail of water. "This can be taken care of!" she murmured. 

The guards went inside and without bothering much ordered a servant to fetch a pail of water. When the guard came out with it, Olivia asked him to pour it over Ara. And the guard obliged. Ara shouted as ice cold water was poured over her. "Ahhh! You mad man!" The water sluiced down her body, leaving her cold to the bones. She was shivering chihuahua with her teeth chattering as if they would fall out any moment. The water washed away the strong mint scent on her body and her original musky smell mixed with that of icy water wafted in the air. And Luke's smell was mixed with that. Ara was definitely pregnant and she was carrying Luke's child. 

Olivia pressed her hands to her mouth, as shock trickled down her spine. Goosebumps lined her skin. "Oh my god!" she murmured. "She is pregnant with Luke's child!" 

Paige couldn't bear it anymore. Whatever little was left in her heart shattered into a thousand more pieces. She rose up from her place and turned to look at Ara for one more time. When her gaze locked with Ara's, it conveyed all. Paige wanted to have a last look at the woman she loved with all her heart. She hadn't fallen in love this badly in her life and she thought that she had finally found a purpose to go on with her life, but now… Seeing Ara was so painful but she looked at her and took in every detail of the betrayal that was standing in front of her. Perhaps, this was how she was going to remember not to fall in love with anyone. A smile came to her lips. She exhaled heavily and then with slow, heavy steps went inside the house. Ookashi followed her immediately. "Paige!" But Paige was in a different world. 

Nate came to Kaizan and said, "I suggest that you talk to Vaarin about her. Take his opinion regarding her and then take a decision." Kaizan nodded. Saying that Nate too went after his daughter. Both he and Ookashi knew that their daughter needed them at this moment. 

Kaizan came to Olivia and held her shoulders. "What would you like me to do?" he asked her in a low voice. 

Anastasia was extremely peeved at the woman who was kneeling in front of her. She watched her with narrow eyes as she sat on the couch where Ookashi was earlier sitting. The breakfast on the table had gone cold. The half-served plates were lying. She felt sad for Paige, but there was nothing she could do. Yet it was very important that Ara's true intentions were revealed. Honestly, she didn't want Paige to get into the crimes of Ara, but Paige was pretty involved. It was complicated. 

"Do you want me to take her to the jails in the Silver Vales capital or you want me to lodge her in Draoidh?" asked Finn. He was still holding his dagger over Ara's throat from behind. 

Kaizan just didn't know what to do. Suddenly Ara started laughing through all the mess she was in. "Now that you know that I am carrying Luke's child, I have become important?" She spat. "You bloody bigots. You all shunned Luke when he was alive, and now that he is gone you want his child. To hell with it. I will never give you the pleasure of giving his child to you all. The child is mine to keep or not. The child is mine to raise or not!" She looked at Olivia and Kaizan with a dipped chin and a glare. 

Olivia looked at Ara and her repulsion for the vile woman went hundred times higher. "How can you even say that about a child that hasn't seen the world? That baby hasn't seen the world and you are deciding whether it will live or not?"

Ara scoffed. "Go to hell!" 

Olivia was so pissed that she lost her temper. She strode to Ara and slapped her hard across her cheek. Ara shouted. "Ahh!" her face whipped to the left. 

Olivia stood towering over her. Even though Kaizan was shocked at his wife's behavior, he didn't intervene. Olivia started, "You are important at this moment because you are carrying a baby and not just because it is Luke's baby. We all lived a part of our lives where we only had Luke's memories because we didn't know that he was alive. And you don't know a shit, so don't even start with it." She was breathless out of anger and despair. Olivia turned to Kaizan and said, "Just so that she doesn't harm the baby, please keep her chained. I would like my father to decide about her. If possible, you can send her to the Whiteclaw pack, but I will not force you because what she did was directly related to you." She lowered her head. When was she going to be less of a problem to Kaizan and his family? She didn't know that she was carrying so many ghosts of her previous life with her. 

"Yes Olivia," Kaizan said. Then he gave his orders to Finn and said, "Take her to the jail in the capital." 

As Finn was about to pick her up, Anastasia intervened. "No, take her to the temple on the outskirts of the capital." 

Kaizan jerked his head back at Anastasia's order. He was the General of the army, but he was no one to go against the orders of the princess. He wanted to ask her the reason for her decision but he suddenly remembered. All the priestesses in the temple were Anastasia's followers. They ended up following the goddess when they shared the same meal with her. Sometimes Kaizan wondered why this had never happened with him or any other member of his family. When he talked to the Shaman, he said that when Anastasia shared her meals with those in the temple, her divine powers transferred into the meals. Maybe it was the temple that enhanced her status as the goddess and forced her divinity to be revealed further, but that was what Shaman had noticed. Anastasia always had a glow around her when she was in the temple. It was as if the place recognized her. And kaizen couldn't agree less.

Kaizan knew why Anastasia gave that order. If Ara had the same meals, it would bind her to Anastasia and in turn it would keep her baby safe. This would make sure that Ara gave birth to the child without putting its life in danger. His lips curled up and he said, "Finn, take her to the temple and lodge her in one of the rooms. Place strict guard until the princess visits again. 

"Yes, m'lord," Finn replied. He pulled up Ara and shoved her forward. "Come!" 

Ara resisted. "Why are you taking me to the temple? Will you sacrifice me?" She looked suspiciously at Anastasia. 

Finn just pulled her and took her away.. "Come!" he growled. "We won't sacrifice you, but if you don't come, I might end up sacrificing you here!"