"Aren't you a Vulcan?" Ayesha questioned, scrutinising the Enforcer with her sharp eyes.
"I am, yes." Maria raised her brow at her. "Is there an issue?"
"Why are you telling us the plans of your family then?" She asked again, this time with a hint of contempt in her voice.
The Enforcer's eyes dangerously narrowed at the tone of her voice, and Keith was certain that if he was not standing next to them, things would have turned very grim.
"Are you insinuating that I am someone who betrays their family?"
"Are you not?" Ayesha smiled, not caring that the woman she was messing around with was a Martial Queen. "Why are you informing us that Ameer Ziad is going to be killed?"
"You think it is the Vulcan Crown who will kill him?" Maria laughed at her words, and then disappointedly shook her head.
"So, it's you?"
"Me?" She smiled in disdain. "I don't enjoy watching or betting on games that I am controlling, Miss Noor. And I fail to recall calling you here. Why are you putting your nose in our chat?"
Ayesha smiled as she looked into her eyes, and then a grin crept on her face.
"You are lucky it's me who came with him today. Your attitude would have sealed your fate in the hearts of some of my sisters."
"Alright, enough." Keith lightly put a stop to their exchange of words when he sensed them both getting heated up. "Who's going to kill him?" He asked the lady who had turned to look at the City, her profile framed against the shimmering lights below.
"I will tell you if you send her away." Her voice was low, with a hint of playfulness, and it was clearly an attempt to get on Ayesha's nerves.
However, the green-eyed girl kept her cool and did not provide her with the opportunity that she sought.
Instead, she turned to look at him, waiting for his response.
"She's not going anywhere." He made it clear and watched Maria shrug her shoulders.
"Alright then. I am not going to answer your question." She stubbornly said, and there was a hint of irritation in her voice, which pleased a certain lady even more than her husband's answer.
"You were never going to answer." Ayesha grinned, and for the first time, Maria turned to look at her in surprise.
"You are actually quite smart. I am surprised." She smiled, and immediately turned her focus on Keith. "Don't you like chess? Figure it out yourself."
He raised his brow at her, intrigued at her confidence, and just when his mind started to sort things out, he heard her ask him something that caught him off-guard.
"Are you coming to the Central Continent at the end of the year?" Maria asked.
"Central Continent? Why?" He frowned.
"You were not informed?" She curiously looked at him.
"I am not sure what you are talking about."
"The Enforcer Congress has been called. It will be held in Sirius in the last two weeks of the year."
"Oh. Will there be anything interesting?" He smiled, still figuring out why she was talking about this thing with him.
"I will be there." She smiled back at him. "And since only Enforcers can attend the Congress, she won't be there to disturb us. Is it not interesting enough?"
Keith smiled in his heart when he sensed Ayesha's emotions raging again. However, she seemed to have decided to stay quiet now.
"I will think about it." He told her and then turned to look at the person who was approaching them, walking alone down the corridor.
It was a young man with silver hair, nearly seven feet tall, with a lithe physique, and he had an arrogance in his walk that did not earn him a lot of favours from people.
"Maria!" He called out her name with familiarity, but she dangerously narrowed her eyes at him.
"Cousin." She coldly greeted him, not hiding her displeasure at his presence. "I was not informed that you were coming here."
"Oh, I wasn't planning on coming." His smile brightened as he came to stand in front of them. "But I had to rush over as soon as I heard the news that your husband was here."
The young man smiled at Ayesha, and then he curiously looked at Keith.
"You are not Aaron." He seemed genuinely surprised. "That's a surprise, Sister."
"Yakov!" Maria suddenly lashed out, unleashing her Aura, and everything started shaking, including the Crystal walls of the Palace.
There was no longer a smile on the young man's face, as he genuinely seemed a little fearful. However, he still countered her pressure with his own, revealing the strength of a Peak-Stage Martial Prince.
"Why, Sister?" He smiled as he could finally breathe a little as their silver and blue Auras collided. "Have you not informed your dear husband about your past lover?"
And these words seemed to have unleashed hell.
Keith immediately grabbed Ayesha's hand as he teleported away, just in time to avoid the explosion that destroyed the balcony.
Soon, two figures shot up into the sky, covered in their Auras, and by the looks of things, Maria was hell-bent on killing the young man, who was trying to run for his life, but was still stupid enough to enrage her even more.
"Alright, alright. I promise I won't speak about Aaron in front of your husband!"
Soon enough, dozens of more lights shot up into the dark sky, but no one dared to interfere in the beating that Maria was giving to her cousin now.
Exactly half an hour later, she descended to the Palace grounds, carrying the young man by his collar, and then she just threw him into the arms of an old man who was waiting there.
"Treat him. I broke 109 bones in his body this time. Make sure to fix them all." She ordered, and the old man audibly sighed as he carried his Young Master in his arms and rushed into the Palace.
Her actions confused a lot of people who were watching the show, but when her cold eyes swept them, they all lowered their heads or looked away.
"Get lost."
Her words were like a judgement, and no one present there dared to speak against it or tried to find an excuse.
Everyone just obediently dispersed from the place, having just witnessed the truth that the rumours held.
The Sixth Enforcer of Aventine was quick to anger, and moody as lightning in the stormy clouds.
None of them wanted to take the risk to give her a chance to hold resentment against them.
Even the Lord of this Palace behaved like a guest in her presence and returned inside with his guards and retainers.
Thankfully, most of the guests had already taken their leave before this incident. Otherwise, things would have turned a little chaotic.
Up atop one of the towers of the Palace, Keith and Ayesha stood side by side, looking at Maria, and then at the Crystal City, which looked even more beautiful from this height at night, its crystalline spires glinting under the starlit sky.
"She thinks you are an Enforcer." She smiled, making sure to mask their voices.
"No." He shook his head, and a smile crept on his face. "She 'knows' that I am an Enforcer."
"What does that mean?" Ayesha confusedly looked at him, but before he could answer her, Maria blurred from her position and arrived right in front of him.
"You seem to get along really well with your cousin." He jested, and she frowned at his comment before sighing, which was both in relief and emotional exhaustion.
"It's complicated." She said. "I killed his whore of a lover, whom he was smitten with, and ever since, he has been holding some anger and grievances towards me. My Grandfather named me the Heir of Ashborn Family ahead of him, so it did not help either."
"He's an Ashborn?"
"Yes. He is the son of my maternal Aunt. His father is an Ashborn too, but from a branch Family."
"Why were you named the Heir?" He curiously asked.
It should not have even been a contest since Yakov was the rightful Heir.
"He's stupid. Grandfather did not like how he got so smitten with a whore who was clearly using him. I was just named the Heir to whet him. It's not my seat. I could be considered a Regent until he proves himself worthy."
"I see." He nodded in understanding. "Who's Aaron?"
The sudden question caught her off-guard, and a flustered expression passed her face. However, she did not shy away from his eyes and looked right into them, soon forming a smile on her lips.
"Why? Are you jealous after hearing his words?" She teasingly asked, and he chuckled at her question.
"Very." He played along, but she could tell that he was indifferent to whatever her answer would be.
Somehow, this realisation suffocated her, and she felt a pang of guilt, along with her heart aching as some memories flashed through her mind.
"He is just someone I used to know." She lightly said.
"I see." He nodded to her, not prying into the matter, but Ayesha had her brow raised at the girl, who was clearly hurt at Keith's indifference.
Did she really expect him to care for her?
Her behaviour was confusing her more and more.
"He was not my lover, Keith." Maria suddenly stepped forward and looked up to meet his eyes, this time not hiding her anxiousness.
"I can tell that." He smiled at her and then leaned in close to her face, making her a little flustered. "You are silly, but very interesting."
"Mama!"
The two of them turned around to look at the little boy, who was on the grounds now, standing next to his maid, Rin, and waving at them.
"Father!"
Maria smiled when they little boy called out to Keith, and then turned to look at him again.
"Can you keep him with you for a few days?" She asked, but it was more of a request. "It will eliminate any remaining doubts that people might have in their minds."
"No." He shook his head. "I am leaving for the Frozen Wasteland."
"Oh." She frowned. "Is that why you are in Westesia?"
"No. But it has caught my attention." He chuckled and then stepped forward to suddenly pull her in a hug, which stunned her. "We have eyes on us." He whispered near her ear as he planted a kiss on her head, and then let go of her and grabbed Ayesha's hand.
"Good night." She whispered, and watched them teleport away.
"Where did Father go?" Ethan innocently asked her when she arrived by his side and proceeded to pick him up in her arms.
"He's busy with his other wives and children." She complained to him, showing hints of indignation, and then walked into the Palace, followed by her loyal maid.
"You kissed her." Inside the carriage, Ayesha suddenly spoke up, catching both Fiona and Harud off-guard, and both of them curiously looked at their Master.
"Did I?" Keith smiled.
"You kissed her." She narrowed her eyes at him.
He laughed at her dislike for Maria, and then shrugged his shoulders.
"I was just helping an innocent lady who asked for my help. You know me. I can't refuse a request from someone so beautiful."
His words forced her to narrow her eyes even more on him. She kept whatever she wanted to shout at him in her heart, but he could just tell that she was going to paint a very creative picture in front of her sisters tonight. Her irritation was simmering like a quiet storm inside the carriage.