DEAR HUSBAND

I didn't kill your mother, no matter how much other people make it seem like I did, please trust me, I didn't do it. I love Queen Mother with all my heart and I am deeply angered by what they did to her. I suspect the killer is Ellena and she worked together with our butler Roshan.

​​

She was the only one with the motive and she knew about my brother. I left the castle to meet some people who claimed to have Killian's son.

Ellena is the only one in the capital who knew my brother and can use it to bait me. Roshan took me to the tavern to meet them but later he claimed to be at home with me to receive the queen.

Ellena and Roshan are in this together. I am only spared from execution because I am carrying our baby, but once she was born, I might not live for much longer. Therefore I will try to escape by all means. If Ellena wants me to confess to the crime I didn't do, I would do it, in exchange for my life.

But I didn't kill your mother. I want you to believe me even if you find my confession stating otherwise. Please, please... you have to punish Roshan and Ellena for your mother's sake... for my sake.

I love you.

PS: I didn't know this before, but I finally realized that Duke and Duchess Bellevar are my mother's relatives. I know them as Grandpa and Grandma Sovie. I am sorry, I didn't know I am related to them.

----------------

Some of the words in the letter were not clear because it was obvious that Emmelyn was crying when she was writing her secret letter. So, her drop of tears fell and blurred some of the words. However, Mars could piece together the message properly.

He was so sad and angry at the same time. Sad when he thought about his wife and how much she had suffered, angry at Ellena who had made Emmelyn suffer.

And Emmelyn said she was baited to leave their castle using Killian's son? Emmelyn was right when she said Ellena was the only one who knew about Killian to use such information on Emmelyn.

She also had the motive since she hated Emmelyn and... and she was in love with Mars.

His mind wandered to the moment when Thessalis looked him in the eye and smiled wickedly, as she told him that his mother was dead.

That evil witch dared blame it on Emmelyn by saying that Emmelyn killed Elara to get her revenge.

Now that he thought about it, Mars thought Emmelyn would not kill his mother for revenge. She was very adamant to kill him or his father from the beginning. She wouldn't change her target midway. Not to mention, Emmelyn genuinely loved the queen.

He remembered the night he discovered that Emmelyn was a woman. She was determined to kill him at all cost.

She really came to his castle to kill the crown prince or die trying, even though when given an opportunity to keep her head, she smartly took that option just so she could find ways again to kill him.

Emmelyn wouldn't kill Queen Elara. She was wise and blamed the right people for the tragedy that befell her family. She knew the queen was innocent on the conquest of Wintermere. All blame should be directed at the king and his son, Mars.

Emmelyn didn't hate the queen so much that she wanted her dead. Thessalis, on the other hand, hated Queen Elara with all her heart. And unlike Emmelyn, Thessalis actually blamed Queen Elara for her goddaughter's death.

Thessalis blamed Elara as the homewrecker, instead of putting the blame solely on Jared Strongmoor who had been unfaithful to his fiancee and caused her to take her own life.

Mars thought the striking difference between Emmelyn and Thessalis alone should be enough to direct his suspicions on the witch.

And didn't Ellena live with Thessalis for so many years? Ellena said she was made to kill someone by the witch in exchange for her breaking the curse she cast on Mars.

What if... the person that Ellena had to kill was the queen?

This would make more sense, considering how much Thessalis hated Elara.

Mars closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He had his suspicions on Ellena too, but he didn't have any evidence, because even before she died, Thessalis still put the blame on Emmelyn and everyone around them heard it too.

If only Roshan was still alive, Mars might be able to force him to talk and testified against Ellena. Since Ellena was Duke Preston's daughter, even as the king, Mars couldn't just accuse Ellena of a crime without witnesses or evidence.

The duke would make it an excuse to call Mars an unfit king. In all honesty, Mars couldn't care less about his kingdom and his people now, but he had to think about what would happen to his daughter if the duke would usurp power.

It was best to tread carefully.

Now, after he read directly what Emmelyn had to say about the case, Mars was convinced that Ellena and Thessalis were really the actual killer and mastermind.

He must punish Ellena, as per Emmelyn's request. In order to do it, he had to find evidence. He must make Ellena confess to her crime, no matter what it took.

The young king opened his eyes slowly and his sight was fixed on the letter in his hands.

"I am so, sorry for not being a better husband," he whispered as if Emmely was standing right next to him and could hear him. "I will make sure Ellena pays for what she did to you..."

He carefully rolled the letter and inserted it inside the book again and brought it with him to his personal chamber. This precious letter was the last letter he had from his beloved wife. He would make sure to store it somewhere safe.

Mars pulled himself together and washed up. Then he went to Greenan's house to pick up his daughter.

.

------------

And that's how Mars ended up in the Greenan's home and then invited them to tea the next day.