Chapter 228 - Otherwise—

Anastasia's body tensed and her pulse skittered. Aed Ruad did not come and instead sent his mother to attend the meeting.

She was wearing yellow silk trousers with a black long tunic. Her black-feathered wings were half-open and she carried them proudly as if trying to show her superiority to everyone.

Etaya walked in the meeting chamber and her gaze locked with Anastasia's. Her expressions darkened when her eyes went to Anastasia's white wings that looked… ethereal. Jealousy flared. She looked as if she would kill Anastasia through the air. Her fists closed until her knuckles were white. Her lips moved as if she was going to chant a spell.

"Don't even think of casting a spell, Etaya," warned Adrianna in a very cold, ominous voice. "For if you do, the binding spell around this chamber is going to kill you in ten minutes."

For a moment Etaya thought that she had lost her ability to talk, as her vocal chords seemed to paralyze. Her eyes shot to Adrianna and only then she could resume talking.

"You are welcome, Etaya," said Adrianna as she gestured to her to sit on the chair at the opposite end of the table.

Etaya gathered her wits and bowed. "We meet again," she said and walked to sit on the chair. She swept a gaze around all the kings and queens at the table and scoffed.

"Yes, we meet again," Adrianna replied.

"Where is your son?" asked Dmitri, as he crossed his hands across his chest. "And where is your husband?" There was a smirk on his face.

"You don't expect Aed Ruad to come for such petty meetings, do you?" she replied as she brushed her fingernails and blew invisible dust from them.

Anastasia was aghast. Petty meeting? "Why do I feel that Aed Ruad is a coward?" she couldn't help muttering.

Etaya's face whipped in her direction and she scowled. "Oh! You have got an attitude, huh?"

"I have grown a lot of things," said Anastasia, as her wings stirred and her eyes flickered a violet.

'You need to act coldly, Anastasia', the soft voice of her husband entered her mind. 'You can't show your emotions on this table because in those emotions you may show your weakness.'

Anastasia sucked in a deep breath and became quiet.

"What is the agenda of the meeting?" asked Etaya, turning her head back to Adrianna. "You just said that you have Maple here, but what is the agenda? Surely you are not going to hand over Maple to be just like that." Etaya's gaze went to Lazarus and her body shuddered with unknown fear. She tried to mask it, but Lazarus was quick to catch the fear. The vampire smiled smugly showing his fangs. Etaya averted her gaze immediately.

"That's a fine reasoning," Adrianna replied with a half smile and leaned back in her chair. "Where is Iona?" she asked straightforwardly.

At first Etaya stared at her blankly and then a moment later she threw her head back and started laughing. When she stopped she wiped a tear from her eye that had come out after laughing so hard. "I don't know," she said with a shrug.

Adrianna moved forward and rested her hands on the table. "Everyone in this room knows that you have information about Iona. If you want your daughter back, you have to tell me about my daughter." Adrianna laid out the agenda. "Maple for Iona."

Anastasia's fists curled into tight balls. Her breath became ragged and it took all her will to quiet. Ileus stroked her arms to calm her. How could Adrianna exchange Maple when she knew what Maple had done to her? But what else could she expect? Adrianna was a mother…

"If you think that I am going to give you Iona for Maple, then you are so mistaken, queen Adrianna."

Anastasia's stomach plummeted to her feet. Etaya was so cruel that she wasn't accepting this exchange? But what Etaya said next was even more grotesque.

Adrianna's eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting Etaya?"

Her lips kicked up. "Very simple Adrianna. If you give Anastasia to us, I will tell you where Iona is. The price of Iona's whereabouts is not so low that I am going to trade her with a girl who is half dead already. Maple is of no use to me." She leaned forward. "And even if she was of use to me, I would have still asked for Anastasia in exchange for Iona."

"Etaya!" an outraged growl emanated from Ileus. He got up from his chair, which skidded some ten feet away.

Etaya laughed again. She shook her head and tutted. "You are so pathetic Ileus. You had to disguise yourself and come to Vilinski. You didn't have the courage to come in your true form, and you say that you deserve Anastasia?"

Before he could say a word, Adrianna said, "And you are so pathetic that you are forfeiting the child you gave birth to? You are so pathetic that you want Aed Ruad to marry his sister for the sake of becoming its king? And you are so pathetic that you want a half-demon to become Vilinski's king." She watched Etaya's face turn dark as hell. "So don't you talk about being pathetic because if you do, I will be forced to reveal that you were pathetic enough to run away from your home to marry a demon whom you had enticed for your personal goals."

Anastasia wanted to burst out into a laugh at the way Adrianna spoke. She insulted Etaya… pathetically.

Etaya's face set into a hard line. She flashed a cold smile to show that Adrianna's insults didn't carry any meaning. She brushed the shoulders of her black tunic and said, "You know what I wish. If you are ready to give up Anastasia, I will let you know where Iona is. If not, then kiss my ass goodbye."

"I can also whip your ass goodbye!" Adrianna said. Ignoring Etaya's pinched expression, she turned to Anastasia and lifted her left hand. She pointed to her left finger where she was wearing the Evindal ring. "Do you know what that is?"

Etaya froze as her eyes became wide as saucers. When Maple did not return from Yelgra forests, she got the news from the rogues that no one survived the attack and that Maple was taken prisoner by Ileus. While she was expecting that Adrianna might use Maple for exchanging Iona, this was the last thing she was expecting. Her chest heaved as if a horse had kept its legs over it. That was the—

"Do you know what it is?" Adrianna's voice rose from the other side. When Etaya didn't speak, Adrianna said, "This is the Evindal ring! My son has married Anastasia in Evindal by none other than the elf king Theodir. If you are not familiar with your laws of the Fae Kingdom, Etaya, then let me refresh your memory—their marriage is sacred. Even you can't break it!"

Etaya's face paled. Her gaze got fixed on the ring in Anastasia's finger. When she looked at Anastasia, she found her lips curved into a smile and she felt like smothering her. "My deal is still the same. I will accept only Anastasia in exchange for Iona, otherwise—"