Taffi raised his brow in surprise, he didn't expect her to return to the palace until the next day. He turned around briskly to confirm,
"Are you sure?" He asked the guard, whose eyes were fixed on the ground.
"Yes, my Lord, her chariot has just arrived, and the other lady is yet to leave the castle. What should we do, my Lord?" The guard asked, as it was a situation that needed urgent attention.
Taffi stood and thought for a moment. His mother's sudden presence may ruin everything he had worked for, and thanks to Sania's behavior, he couldn't think straight either.
"Listen," he said, after coming up with what seemed to be the only solution to his problem.
"I'll distract my mother long enough for you and your men to take the other lady out of the castle. Give her one hundred pieces of silver, and warn her to remain silent." Taffi instructed, and without further ado, he walked out on the guard.
His cheetah pace was hard to keep up to, but his guards were already used to it. He marched through the hallway like a warrior going to confront his enemy.
However, as soon as he arrived at the entrance, Taffi composed himself and took a deep breath before going out to meet his mother.
Queen Lila had just stepped out of the wagon, and so did Tehila, she wore a suspicious look on her face especially when she saw Taffi waiting for her at the entrance.
"Mother, how was your trip?" He inquired with a smile.
Lila observed him for a few seconds and peeked behind because she expected to Sania be behind him.
"Just tell me when you plan to do a meeting with the counsel, you can't cancel the meeting forever because Sania can never be addressed as Queen until I have transferred the crown."
Taffi was amused by his mother's naivety, if only she knew what he had done, she wouldn't be saying so much.
"Greetings, my King," Tehila took a bow before Taffi, he was tempted to ignore her as always, but chose to respond only because she addressed him with respect as she ought to.
"Hmm," he mumbled, a reaction that showed his lack of interest.
"Do you mind leaving the entrance so that I can go in, it's been such a long day_
"And I'd like you to tell me all about it, Mother," Taffi interjected, he knew that the few minutes he had spent wasn't enough for the guard to take the other lady out of the castle considering how big it was.
Surprised by her son's sudden interest in her matters, she asked,
"That imbecile is asleep?"
"Mother, she is my wife," Taffi cut her off.
"This is your wife right here, Taffi," Lila took Tehila's hand to emphasize what she meant, she showed off the ring on Tehila's hand, a symbol of the betrothment.
"I don't want to talk about this, perhaps you can tell me what happened at the Minister's place?" Taffi tried to divert the subject, but Queen Lila was yet to give up.
"I want you to look at it very well Taffi," she said and waved Tehila's finger across his face.
"You know you are doing the wrong thing, now let me pass," she requested and brushed past him into the hallway, leaving Tehila in front of him.
"You had better reverse whatever spell you cast on my mother," Taffi scoffed, and the smile on Tehila's face faded instantly.
Taffi ran after his mother, and because of her slow pace, he caught up with her in no time.
"What if I am no longer interested in showing Sania to the counsel?" He raised the topic again and Lila stopped in her tracks.
She turned to him quickly and said,
"You cannot change the tradition."
"But I am the King," Taffi uttered before she could finish her statement.
"Wasn't it a King who made the law? Why can't I change them?"
"Because it is tradition, Taffi, " she snapped,
"You know all the processes involved in changing a single tradition, you don't want to do that, Taffi, do you?"
"Are you willing to transfer your crown then?"Taffi interjected, seeing that his mother had stopped walking, he took advantage of it to keep her longer, but her attention was on something else.
"What's this strange spell?" The sudden change in subject terrified Taffi, his mother was quick to detect these spells, and despite the cleaning done by the mage, there were still enough traces.
"I don't know, Mother, I hope you find what it is. But until then, I'll not show Sania to the counsel. She'll remain my wife, and as long as I am King, she will be Queen." Taffi ended the conversation, she saw the guard walking towards them and with the look on his face, he knew that the lady had been taken out of the castle without his mother's consent.
"Greetings my Queen," the guard took a bow, but Lila ignored him and walked away without turning back.
"Where is she?" The King asked him as soon as Lila was far enough.
"On her way back home, my King. She also rejected the 100 pieces of silver.
"No problems them, good work," Taffi remarked,
"Also, make sure that no one says a word about today's feast, anyone who as much as whispers it within the castle should be imprisoned."
"As you wish, my King," The guard took a bow before Taffi walked out on him.
At first, he was headed for the bedroom when he remembered Sania's behavior, he sighed and changed his direction, he planned to return when she slept which he believed would happen soon judging by how tired Sania was from the feast.
He walked to the courtyard, and called upon one of his guards,
"Tell Milan to go to Cyris, I have a message for King Ezra about his daughter, and he mustn't leave the Kingdom of Cyris until my demands are met.