Mars walked slowly toward the old man. He never expected that everything would come in full circle here, at the witch's place, when he was about to kill her.

Elmer said this was Duke Bellevar?

It seemed that he was right. This old man looked like he was not in his right mind. Mars remembered what Killian said, when he interrogated him back in his castle before the man died.

Killian said Duke Elroy Bellevar went mad after his wife died.

If this old man was really the mad Duke Bellevar, this must mean that what Killian said was true?

Oh...

So Killian was telling the truth! He was indeed related to the Bellevars and he was the one who took Ellena to see the witch five years ago.

But... if Killian was related to the Bellevars, it could only mean one thing.... that Emmelyn was also related to them.

How could Emmelyn not know them? Why she never told Mars about this family?

Was she hiding something?

Did she pretend to not know them when she met Mars? Or, was she really obvious to the fact that her family was related to the Bellevars and they had been sheltering the old couple for almost three decades?

Wait a minute...

Mars' steps halted. Realization slowly dawned on him.

Now, things started to make sense.

Maybe that's why King Jac Rosehill of Wintermere was so adamant about not wanting to bend the knee and join Draec like many other kingdoms around them.

The Rosehills were protecting the Bellevars, since they were family. They would rather die in honor than giving up their land and their relatives who had been long-time fugitives and hunted by the Draec's royal family.

Did Emmelyn really not know all these? How was that possible?

No, she couldn't possibly know, Mars insisted.

Emmelyn was innocent!

She came to Draec to get her revenge because Mars had conquered her kingdom and killed her family.

That was it. There was no other agenda.

And when she met Mars, she eventually fell for him. She forgave him, moved on with her life, and started a family with him.

That's what happened.

Right?

Suddenly, the old man who was sitting still like a statue, looked up. His ears perked up when he heard the sounds around him. When he saw Mars standing in front of him, Duke Bellevar narrowed his eyes.

Mars shuddered when he saw that those eyes were filled with hatred.

"You...!" Duke Bellevar gritted his teeth at the sight of the prince. Unexpectedly, he moved and jumped toward the prince in a threatening manner.

Mars was startled and stepped back.

THUD!

Elmer was quick to catch Duke Bellevar and pressed him to the hard floor. The old man fell with a loud thud. Mars was rooted in his place, shocked by what just happened.

"You!! You...!! Wicked woman! You take everything from my family...!" the former duke growled. He tried to free himself but Elmer was much stronger than him. The man writhed like a wild animal who wanted to attack its prey but instead trapped in a cage.

Mars could feel so much hatred coming out of that fragile old man, that he was astounded.

Why did Duke Bellevar hate him?

Wait.. he said 'wicked woman'?

Did he mean Queen Elara?

Mars did look like his mother.

Was this mad old man reminded of Queen Elara when he saw Mars just now?

Then... maybe the duke was triggered by his presence and turned vicious all of a sudden.

Mars felt ached for his mother. Queen Elara was not guilty, yet she had to suffer so much throughout the years.

If anyone wanted to blame somebody, King Jared was the one who should take full responsibility. He left his fiancee and married another woman.

Elara didn't know the man was already betrothed to someone else when he proposed to her. She believed him when he told her he was never been in love until he met her.

Elara thought of him as her savior. He treated her well since he loved her so deeply. So, it was only natural that she fell in love with him too. And when he asked her hand in marriage, of course, she would say yes.

Mars sometimes talked to his mother about the past and he knew his mother was innocent. Yet, everyone kept blaming her for the king's infidelity to his late fiancee.

Elara was hurt beyond measure and was forced to witness her babies die one by one, and her only surviving son suffered for life. And now... even the old duke blamed her for everything?

This was not fair.

And didn't Ellena said the duke and duchess regretted the curse that befell the Strongmoor family that they wanted to help Ellena to break the curse?

Didn't they ask Killian to help take Ellena to meet the witch so she could plead for Mars and his family?

What changed? Why did the duke blame Mars' mother again?

"Elmer, don't hurt him," Mars said. He pushed the old wizard and helped the old duke get up. Even though Duke Bellevar still tried to attack him, he didn't budge.

He needed to get to the bottom of this.

What happened five years ago? What made the duke blame Queen Elara again? Didn't he wish to make peace?

"Duke Bellevar, it is I, Mars Strongmoor, the son of Jared Strongmoor and Elara Strongmoor," Mars said calmly. "My mother is not here. Only me."

Duke Bellevar tried to break free and punched the prince, but he was too weak compared to the strong young man. Soon, Mars had locked him with his hands behind his back.

"I don't want to hurt you," Mars kept talking with a flat tone. He didn't want to aggravate the old man further. "Please calm down."

"You... you killed my daughter... and my wife.." Duke Bellevar kept muttering incoherently. His bloodshot eyes looked aggrieved and furious at the same time. "You took everything... everything... from my family..."