CHAPTER SIX

I sat with the royal family as we ate breakfast together in silence as our cutleries did most of the talking to us.

Arthur kept looking at me sneakily while August was bold and proud as he shamelessly looked at me.

King Henry was drinking himself drunk again though he was tipsy as he patted his fat belly with a cup of sweet wine in his hand and a gleeful smile that had me disgusted.

I needed to pay the Greyjoy manor a visit, it's been over three months since I started living here as the Prince August's bride to be. 

The wedding would be in three months from today and as much as I should be happy, I wasn't. I needed it to be sooner if I wanted Prince Arthur to seat on the throne that deserved to be his.

"Father-in-law may I be excuse and allowed into town to see my family. It's been three months and I dearly miss them especially my dear father." I said as I held my cutleries down.

"Have you discussed this with your fiancé?" King Henry asked as I lookes at August who nodded before I faced the king.

"Yes. We've discussed it and he doesn't mind my department for a few days." I replied as the king raised his cup.

"Very well. When do you leave?" He asked.

"After breakfast. It's not a long journey but the distance is exhausting once it begins." I said as the king laughed at my statement.

No one cared about his foolishness and I didn't as well but the thought of having to endure this every time we seat for a meal made my meal bland and unappetizing I feared I would lose weight faster than an hour glass could lose sand.

"Send my greetings to Tyrion for me." The king said as I stood and nodded.

"Father will be ecstatic of your remembrance of the Greyjoy. Excuse me." My final words before my footsteps echoed to the expensive doors.

"Do you have to leave when we can summon your family here? I enjoy spending my afternoon with you, listening to your ideologies and beliefs." August asked as I brushed off invisible dirty off my gown.

"No. I have missed more than just my people dearly, I also miss my childhood home as well." I replied as August gave a childish pout.

"Is the palace not comfortable enough to be called your home? If you'd like, I will have the palace renovated to suit your taste."

"Not that my lovely friend. If you were taken away from your family by your partner, wouldn't you miss them especially your youngest and mother if she were still breathing?" I asked as August sighed.

"You are correct and I will miss you dearly, friend." He said as he took my hand and left a kiss before bringing it to his forehead.

"My blessings follow you. Make sure you write to me for as long as you stay there and maybe I add wrote frequently as I wish to hear more about your adventures in your home because I have matters that restricts me from coming." He informed me as I smiled.

"I will miss you as well friend and I will write. It is nice to know you care but I feel you may make jealous of your lover with how affectionate you are with me." I teased as he laughed lightly.

"I may have men bed me but it doesn't mean I won't give a lady of elegance, grace and intelligent the respect and affection she deserves especially when she is still my fianceé."

"Don't flatter me young man or I might just fall for you." I joked as well both laughed.

"I wouldn't mind knowing that I stole the heart of a stronghearted damsel like you after all I am a handsome prince."

"Don't flatter yourself so much yourself. I beat be on my way, goodbye my pretense husband." I waved at August before I covered the curtains and the carriage started to move.

I had hoped to see Arthur but it really was unfortunate he was unable to see me off before I left.

It was halfway through the afternoon I had arrived to the Greyjoy manor.

The moment I had stepped down from the carriage as the servants carried my property, I was crashed into by my younger brother Archie.

"Callisto!" Archie cheered as he hugged me tighter while I patted his unruly hair.

"I missed you." Archie said as he moved back while I lowered my height and held his hands.

"I have missed you as well. Have you been well?" I asked as he nodded his head quickly.

I smiled in relief as I kissed his hair before I looked behind him to see my three elder brothers, their partners and children with father and Cecile.

Do note Robert is single and that is by choice.

"My little phoenix welcome home." Father greeted as I smiled.

Father stepped down and hugged me as I hugged him back in response with a smile on my face.

"It's nice to see your face father. How are you?" I asked as well walked up the stairs with my brother holding my other hand.

"Wonderful. It seemed my peace came after you left my house." Father said as I laughed.

"Now that's being cruel and they say I'm the black heart in the family." I joked as well both laughed before we stood before my other family.

Cecile looked displeased to see me. Envy and anger that I had been given the position that she had bred and raised her daughter for.

It was almost pitiful but what can I say, our bad blood has been in existence since the day I came into this world. She has always seen me her rival than my mother ever was and it was an honor to me that I could make such a grown woman, insecure.

"It's a pleasure to see you lady Cecile. Still as miserable and unhappy as always?" I asked as she scoffed while Robert and Jon chuckled at my mockery.

"The sight of you brings misfortune to this household but I suppose you are a Greyjoy after weaseling your way into the palace like your mother." She bit hard as I smiled.

"Temper lady Cecile. It isn't proper to argue with an incorrigible child, it makes you appear...pitiful." I whispered as her face squeezed in disdain.

She said nothing as I waved at my brothers who waved back and waved at Jon's eldest daughter who was as beautiful as her mother but stubborn like her father. She was currently the only grandchild in this house and Gregory's wife will conceive any day from now.

"Where is my mother?" I asked father as well stepped into the house.

I watched as father's smile fell causing me to worry as I waited for father to respond.

"Let us talk in private." Father demanded as I nodded.

"Archie, child, will you play with your niece while I and father talk. I promise to spend the rest of tge night with you love." I said as I kissed his forehead.

He poured but said nothing as he looked at father then myself and nodded.

"You better not forget mama." He grumbled before he stomped heavily as he left us.

We were silent as I followed my father into his study.

The situation with mother must be so serious that father was silent as he walked hurriedly to his study.

I wonder what mother had done to have information about her silenced and father upset.

The moment the door closed, father made half a circle rotation from his point and faced me. 

"Come child and sit." Father said as I walked to the coshion and sat.

"Wine?" Father asked as I shock my head.

Father poured himself a glass before he chugged it down. He poured again as he sat down with the bottle in his other hand as he slipped the alcohol.

He threw the glass before he grunted loudly.

"What happened to my mother father? Where is she?" I asked as father took another sip from the bottle.

"Two months ago, your mother ran away with another man she claimed she loved. I hunted them down and successful caught them before I had her so called lover executed." He explained as my mind and heart frightfully calmed down.

"And what does that have to do with my question? Where. Is. My. Mother?" I asked sternly.

"Your mother, Rebecca is dead child. She slit both her wrists four times and bleeding to death while she has her lover's child in her womb." Father revealed and my heart stopped.

Mother was dead?

This was all I could think of as I thought of my mother. 

Our relationship was strange. It was a love-hate relationship. She never bothered so far as I was healthy and walking but I remembered when I was a little girl, sick with fever she stayed by my side till I was better before she disappeared once more.

I loved her and she loved me in her own weird way that was why she gave me Archie so I would never be lonely growing up.

"How dare she think of leaving me?! After everything I've done for her! After everything I sacrificed for her! Wasn't my love enough for her?" Father lamented as he drank himself to stupor.

It was satirical watching the mighty Tyrion Greyjoy, a tyrant who enjoyed reaping where he did not sow and leaving the weak hopeless wailing over a woman whose body he owned but heart could never win.

I stood from the cushion and took the drink from father who cried softly. 

It was wrong of me to be playing with his emotions but my resemblance with my mother was the only thing that could help him.

I placed my hand on his cheek like my mother would as I cleaned the tears that stained his pale skin.

"Rebecca died because she was weak and a coward to face her sins. If you keep wailing over Rebecca like a child whose favorite toy has been thrown into the fire then you are unfit to be by my husband side or stand as the head of the Greyjoy family Lord Tyrion." I advised him in a condescending manner that seemed to have aobered him.

Father remained silent as I took my hands away from his hot cheeks and turned my back to him.

"When you have gotten yourself together, we have more important matters to discuss about." I informed him before I took my leave with the sound of my hills echoing in the study.

The moment Robert opened the door of his room, I pushed him inside as I closed the door with my feet and pinned him to wall.

Robert was shocked but remained silent as he held my hand that had his shirt in my fist.

"C-Callisto what are you..."

"My mother. Did she suffer before Cecile drove her to madness before her dead?" I questioned with hostility in my voice.

I was madden with anger, hatred as thoughts of my mother's blood calling for revenge, justice.

Even with the situation of their relationship, my mother Rebecca had slowly learnt to love my father though she had difficulty expressing herself. If she had hated my father who loved her as much as she did, she wouldn't have written an excited letter about herself raising the third child with father while I ruled the kingdom and her letter had also expressed pain but I was foolish to ignore it.

I thought it had been a pain she could endure until I was finally queen and could wipe her weak hearted tears away but now she is gone and I refuse to accept she killed herself for another man.

"I don't understand what you mean Callisto." He responded as I bashed his back fiercely against the wall.

"Dare me not Robert! Do you need me to remind what you are before me? Nothing." I whispered as I glared daggers into eyes.

Robert stared back with defiance but he knew I wasn't someone to be treated lightly. He sighed and forced my hands off his collar before he rearranged his clothes.

"Yes it is true Rebecca suffered under my mother's hands. She was her maid after all but I forbid you from doing anything to my mother." Robert warned with serious as I placed my fingers to my lips.

"And why should I listen to you?" I asked as Robert stepped closer to me, making our height difference clear.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes.

"If you so much as love being a pretty little queen as you loved Rebecca and love Archie, my mother is one enemy you should not make of. Listen Callisto, I am not your enemy nor your ally but you need me as well as father to protect your position for the throne and your little brother so be warned...you go after that serpant unarmed and you died of poison." Robert advised before he kissed my forehead.

He ran his rough hands through my hair with a smile on his face.

"Have a wonderful night, sister. Think carefully about what I said." Robert said as I nodded in silence.

"Goodnight, brother." I responded his greeting before I took my leave in silence.

Robert was accurate with everything he said. So long as I was under the king, married or not, I was powerless. 

If I went after Cecile and made a wrong move, I could jeopardize everything I've worked so so I had to be patient.

The patient dog eats the fatest bone.

It rang through my head only, I wasn't a dog, I was a queen and I would do everythingb in my power to make sure that everyone understood that.

I thought before I cleaned the tears that fell down my cheeks.