_WHITE CASTLE, DALASTIA_

" WHATTTT !!!!! ", Ethan yelled from the top of his lungs in astonishment as he slidded in his white neated suit. A guard who was in charge of guardening the area of Courtroom rushed in to inform that Esme had suddenly showed up in the courtroom.

Ethan couldn't hold back his anxiousness. Obviously he was dead-tensed up for her sudden dissaparence and it made him only think that Aaron might have done something terribly wrong to dissapoint her. Evan barged inside the room and whispered while clutching the doorknob lowly,

" She..she came back to us.."

The eagerness in his eyes were vivid after receiving such an unexpected news. During this years, Evan missed their one and only beloved sister who was accused and banned from Dalastia ruthlessly. God knew how helpless that he felt while watching her getting insulted by everyone mercilessly.

Ethan didn't delay any longer, walked outside hastily.Evan followed his pace afterwards anxiously. While crossing Athena's room, Ethan paused slightly, knocked on the door and informed Athena that Esme had returned to white castle just now. Athena was surprised before heading back inside her room to get readied quickly. She still thought that Esme didn't understand Aaron well.

The commotion inside courtroom rather increased further when Queen Melinda made her grand appearance just before Ethan and Evan could arrive. Standing at the end of Esme's opposite direction, Queen Melinda's expression turned pale after confirming with her own eyes that it was none other than Serena aka Esme, her shameful child who ripped off her pride seven years back.

A complex emotions laced through her mind.She didn't understand why her anger, grievences reduced drastically as soon as she met Esme's blank emotional eyes. Drawing a deep breath to control her emotions inside her chest, Queen Melinda walked over to Esme gracefully. Upon seeing her approach,Anna shrieked a little and tugged on Esme's sleeves nervously.

Esme assured her with a blink silently and mentally prepared herself for anything. When Melinda's body came inside her range,Esme as usual performed the natural instinct of respecting her mother. She bent down a little and called out softly,

" Mother! "

Queen Melinda's heart wrenched at her addressing a little. Seven years...Seven years had passed since she heard this voice so closely. She forced herself to suppress those emotions and growled at her angrily,

" What are you doing here? How did you come back? Don't you know that your brother has just taken his throne? Must you return to defame his status? What the hell were you doing in Vampire World? "

Queen Melinda had a lot of questions, curiousity inside her mind which she blurted out in a breath. Her eyes leaped in anger when she noticed Anna beside her standing nervously.

So everyone was just playing against her?

Queen Melinda thought and felt more agitated as the whispers continued around them dramatically. Esme felt a sharp knife cutting through her heart. So many years had passed but still she could feel the dissapointment in her mother's voice evidently. Esme breathed painfully and answered with confidence without meeting her mother's glare,

" I guess, it would be more chaotic if I didn't show up quick fast in front of second brother."

Queen Melinda furrowed hard at her straightforwardness and scoffed arrogantly,

" Just say that you want to sieze this opportunity to clear off your name by using Ethan's power. No wonder, you dissapared just on that day when the final winner would be announced. Esme, how can you stoop so low?"

Each words from Queen Melinda stabbed deep through her heart but she still balanced a calm smile on her face. Indeed, her mother still believed the words that she heard from Ester on that day of her banning. Lifting her abyssal eyes, Esme broke into a bitter smile and emphasized her each words painfully,

" It is not your first time that you are knowing, I am a shameless woman. Isn't it Queen Melinda? "

Esme was hurt and distressed at the same time knowing that her mother didn't feel an ounce of joy upon her return. Queen Melinda's face fell off and right hand instinctively shot up to press on her cheeks harshly.

Staying unmoved, Esme had long expected this act of her but suddenly an enraged tone echoed in the courtroom snatching back everyone's attention,

" Mother! STOP IT ! "

Queen Melinda's hand paused in midair. Withdrawing her hand bank, she turned around and faced Ethan's eyes with fury. Queen Melinda pursued her lips to say something but Ethan's command came first coldy,

" STEP ASIDE FROM MY SISTER! "

Queen Melinda bit down her bottom lips hardly when she sensed everyone's mockery filled eyes on her.

Did her son just insult her for the sake of Esme?

Queen Melinda glared back at Esme before stepping aside to make a path for Ethan. Ethan met Esme's pale eyes as he ran over to her anxiously. Without uttering a word, he pulled Esme in his tight embrace and mumbled with a relieved sigh,

" Thank God! You are safe,Serena! "

Esme smiled back faintly and finally sensed the heavenly feeling of being in home. Unlocking their embrace under everyone's watchful eyes, Ethan shot his mother a cold glare and scowled angrily,

" Before blaming her blindly, I must tell you former queen Melinda that the throne, my status which you are so hellish proud of all because of her. If It didn't require my power to clear off her name, I would never lay my eyes on your damn throne."

Queen Melinda felt her jaw dropping upon hearing his words and glanced at them blankly.

What did Ethan mean by that?

Ethan ignored her stunned expression and asked Esme bit suspiciously,

" Tell me, why did you dissapare all of sudden? Why didn't you wait for me? I went over Vampire world to bring you back but you weren't there. Is something bad happened? Tell me, did they do something wrong on you? "

Esme's body stiffened a little when Ethan threw a bunch of straight questions on her. Amidst this choas,she almost forgot that she had someone to miss... someone to hate..!

Esme stayed in silence while recalling those awful memories. She knew Ethan's temper well thus she didn't want to infuriate him at this moment. Clasping their palms together, Esme spoke with a smile,

" Let's continue this topic later, brother. At first, you should announce Ayra's existence in this world. I don't want to hide her forever. After handing her over to Chole Family, I will be at ease."

Ethan didn't seem fully convinced at her words. From the depth of her eyes, he could assume that Esme was delibaretly hiding from him. Suddenly an idea came across his mind. He reached for Esme's hand and intertwined them together quite forcefully.

Pulling up her chin, Ethan gazed through her eyes deeply and immediately memories of her past started to appear out in front of his vision. Before Esme could stop him, Ethan disclosed his vision before turning grim.

He looked up at Esme deadly and growled in a low voice,

" I am gonna kill that bastard Vampire, Esme. Why didn't you tell me anything? You are still trying to defending him? "

Esme fell in daze before replying whisperingly,

" It's.. it's not like that..I wasn't prepared to tell you everything now.."

Evan finally spoke from the back of Ethan and tapped on Ethan's shoulder lightly,

" Give her space, brother. She will tell you everything after her mind eases up."

Esme finally noticed her third brother. Her tearful eyes met Evan as she called him out emotionally,

" Third...third.. brother..."

Evan gave her a look of happiness and mumbled with a wide emotional smile,

" Welcome home, Serena".

Esme smiled with tears in her eyes and looked behind at the commotion growing stronger as each moment passed by. The Chole siblings interacted with each others so happily as if the others didn't exist in their eyes. Athena joined them soon after and called out Esme upon getting closer nervously,

" Sister.. sister-in-law..."

Esme's mouth agaped a little as she asked raising up her brows astonishingly,

" Athena..how..how come you are here? "

Before Athena could provide her an answer, the higher fairy, Mister Graham roared at the siblings loudly,

" Can our new king tell us that what is happening here? We aren't here sitting to watch a familiy drama over a shameless Princess. Don't forget that she has been banished by us."

Everyone's attention turned back on him including Athena who seemed utterly infuriated with this harsh treatment. Before she could come up with an explanation to retort his words, a tiny yet powerful voice buzzed across the room thunderously,

" You are not in any position to accuse my Mommy, ugly man."

Mister Graham's face dropped at this introduction. He couldn't help but peering behind them to look for the source of that voice. Esme's expression was stunned a little before turning pale.

This girl....!

Evan was so delighted to hear her voice that he already started heading on the way. Regarding Athena, she could feel her heart pounding against her chest so fiercely that she could hear out each hummer.

She remained in her usual position to figure out that whether she should turn around or not...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi guys, I am back. I am so emotional about Athena today. Please keep voting to continue your support. Thanks for your lovely comments and I have enjoyed my holiday a lot with my family. Hehehe!