Please check the previous chap .. well wp is wp.. sigh..so let's begin..
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Iris paces frantically up and down in her room. The college is adjourned at Gelaria, due to the recent happenings and apprehensions in public about impending war situations. . But now since most of the mayhem has subsided it's supposed to open by next Monday.

She is thus back at home and with Godt's death, she is also back to square one to the same situation when her brother had died .. again the military has raised their ugly head grabbing the opportunity and the stupid council is telling her dad to declare transfer of power or get her married to the military general.

Iris shivers at the prospect . The man has two wives and is thrice her age...

Thankfully, this time her father has vehemently protested and told the council that he will rather face the uprising head on and die in the military coup than sacrifice his only living ward to that brute ..

But her father is no saint, He has already sent out marriage alliances offers to far and wide kingdoms, but it's not really easy to sort out anything in such short notice ..and Iris desperately doesn't want to get engaged to or marry any Tom, dick or Harry to save the throne again..

She arrives at the decision already brewing in her heart for a long long time.., she will confront her father and tell him that she can't be again a consort to anyone,One Godt was enough.. he should try to form non marriage based political alliances for a change..

She can only hope Gelaria prince, Singto, will support their kingdom if military unrest and uprising occurs , but she cannot be absolutely sure,. Singto is also stubborn headed .. he has stoically prohibited her from visiting Arthit, she has not been allowed to visit him even once .. thought she had begged and cried ..

Arthit, the name itself brings her pain and immense regret . What has transpired has been the source of nibbling guilt and another major reason for her sleepless nights since past twelve days.

Kong is atleast, replying to Prae's messages and from her, she has learnt that Arthit has woken up from coma..but she misses that angelic gentle soul a lot..the memory of his battered bruised body always brings about fresh waterworks for her .

Iris assures her own heart, she has to take this chance, the twins are not heartless brutes, they will mostly rise up to the occasion, she pep-talks to herself..Her inner resolve strong..she is about to enter her parent's chamber when loud voices stops her in her tracks..

" Your highness, see the wheel of fate, how it turns ! You again need a son now.. remember him? he was my son, our flesh and blood .. but you stole him from me, in the darkness of night and gave him off to that evil northern tribe leader, don't you regret that decision, even for a day? .."

" you call him a son! He was nothing but an abomination..he was not even a he .. he needed to be hidden , you knew his fate otherwise .. sold to the brothels, made into a whore, royal concubine.. the tribe leader promised he will be brought up as their own.
I mercifully gave our child an escape from his dire fate. Your foolishness could have cost me my throne..it's shameful to have a child like that and you think I would have proclaimed him to the world?"

Iris's world seems to shatter by her father's hateful words..

"By giving him to Northern Tribe leader, you gave him a leash of new life? Is that what you are implying? ..you think I am a food your highness!!
you contacted and believed that sly man.. because you wanted to believe him.. because you didn't want to be the one to sell him directly to the who're house and make your hands dirty..
Now you are going to sell my daughter too.. you besotted her once to that evil Godt and now to whom ? That old military man?!"

" I told you already my decision is no, .. I told the council a firm no too, I am her father not her enemy..but I got a proposal from Nareshwar kingdom. Their crown prince is interested.."

" He is another scum bug.. no way My King,.. I so wish my son was here to save the day, save his sister from her awful fate ..

I begged you when my baby was born, I told you he will be special like both of our other two children.. Iris can sense the inner aura of individuals, Arum could sense the future.. that's the very reason Arum left alone in the car that day and didn't wait for you .. he sensed what's going to happen and knew the future can never be changed ,death awaited him on the way..

We both know that all of our children are born gifted .. but you refused to acknowledge my newborn as anything but an anomaly, you gave him up as a neutral rose to the greedy northern tribe when I am sure he was so much more ..

you even betrayed my trust, made me take my guard down, saying you will protect him and then in the morning, my one day old baby was gone.. just gone.. I am sure this is the karma which is hitting hard .. my Poor children, my Arum had paid it with his life, now my dear daughter will pay it with her happiness."

Iris hears her mother's wail.

" you are one foolish woman, always lamenting his disappearance , even if he was not given to northern tribe he could have never been acknowledged publicly as my son. He was a neutral rose .. his fate was already sealed the moment he was born."

Iris walks in slowly, and watches forlorn, the scene of her bitterly sobbing mom.. Iris has found her crying for her supposed to be dead youngest brother many a times even before Arum's death, but in her wildest dream she couldn't have imagined that the hidden truth is so ugly and is completely different..

" Dad .. "
her accusing tone tells her dad that she heard it all..

" Iris I .. it's ..not what you think.. you heard .. "

" dad stop fumbling.. it doesn't suit you .. I came to inform you that I need to go back to Gelaria for a day.. Do one favour for me, call up the king and request an audience with prince Singto I need to speak to him personally."
Iris has already decided what to do..

" why ?"

Iris gives her father a stern look, which states firmly that her dad doesn't need to know the reason, it's not his business..but the sly King suddenly feels elated, a renewed hope of saving his nation surging through him.. what if.. but Iris completely misses the gleam in her father's eyes..

" Hmm Iris.. I will definitely speak to the king . You take your mom inside..I Will make the necessary phone calls.."

Iris doesn't need to be told twice,she is anyways feeling suffocated by her dad's presence..she takes her stil sobbing mom towards her bedroom and hopes sincerely that Singto will not push her away, Again..

she desperately needs to meet Arthit and tell him the truth she learnt..then what? She doens't know the answer or the consequences of the truth revealed but she knows this much, Arthit deserves to know his birth parents identity and she needs to shower her brother with love he has missed due to untoward human manipulation ..

Next day, morning, she finds her dad also joining her in the journey.. she doesn't bother asking why, the whole night with her grief stricken mom, and knowing how her one day old brother was stolen from the crib had soured her mood enough, to not to have even a civilized conversation with the man she calls her father..a power hungry, prejudiced and mentally weak man always dominated and controlled by council and his militia..

When they both arrive at the palace, her father leaves her alone to go for am one o one meeting with the Gelaria king and Iris finds herself waiting for Singto at the opulent palace hall..

Surprisingly both Prince come in along with Prae..it seems Prae may be the one who convinced the twins ultimately to bestow her an audience..

" Arthit is fine.. but you can't see him. If other than this you need to discuss anything else you are most welcome."

Iris flinches at the clipped tone of the crown prince as Kong looks guilty but helpless..he must have failed to convince his brother to forgive her..

" I need to see him once..I have information regarding his biological family..but I will tell it only to his face ."

" His family! You mean his parents..? The northern tribe people who supposed to have sold him to that hell whore house..? !!"

Singto's voice has automatically risen..Kong squeezes his shoulder when he understood Singto has already spilled part of Krist's Identity in front of Iris, consumed in rising anger..

He can't be blamed , After reading the diary Singto is fuming for two days..and so is Kong...

They have formulated a plan to attack that horrid place and rescue the captured men and women and try to rehabilitate them, as soon as possible..But it will take time and planning since it's a delicate diplomatic issue again.. the house belongs to neutral land and have many kings, royalties and Militia as regular patrons. ..

Iris flinches,her mom was absolutely right, he had been sold to the northern tribe, who in turn sold him to the brothel.. and the miniscule of doubt she had about Arthit's real identity is now turned to ashes.. she feels her eyes getting wet, understanding her brother's fate..but she tries to console herself saying, at least he found love at the end of the dark tunnel ..

" Yes..and no..his original family is not the northern tribe and one of his parent, his mom, will love to meet him..but I need to say all this to him face to face . Don't you think he deserves to know about her? she misses him a lot ."

Prae watches Iris, quizzically,is she trying to bluff her way to meet Arthit..but she can feel deep inside, it's not so, Iris genuinely cares for Arthit, and the fire in her eyes says, she herself is quite agitated at this very moment..

Kong urges Singto by his eyes too..who sighs..though both are surprised and extremely suspicious regarding Iris's words, it seems impossible what she claims but they believe Iris is not daring to lie on their faces ..she definitely does know some secret..

" Okay..but no funny business.. you have to earn my trust back, before I deem you fit to be his friend again."

Iris sighs at the irony

It should have been her in Singto's place,she should have been the one protecting her youngest sibling, she should have been Arthit's real guardian but because of the cruelty of her father her brother now belongs to another man..who bought him...He is Singto's royal concubine, he owns him..

Tears again threaten to fall from her eyes but she schools them somehow and follows Kong and Singto to their dark black tinted glassed car which brings her to a huge mansion.. thankfully Prae is allowed to accompany her, she is a nervous mess and her lover keeps on patting her thighs..trying to relax her..

one thing Iris fathoms , Arthit is hidden extremely well, from the public eyes by the Prince, there are not even guards accompanying them inside the mansion,

the car also directly goes to the underground and then the elevator takes them to a private wing..she can't hear or see anyone,not even a single servant in the vast white luxurious marble surrounding..

She clasps Prae's hands tightly and follows Kong and Singto, to a vacant room first..

" I will go and let the doctor and nurse rest for the afternoon. I will call you when the coast is clear.."

Singto just nods.. Prae can feel the secrecy regarding Arthit, which irks Iris, but thankfully she keeps quiet..soon Kong comes back and gestures with a thumbs up..

" He is awake too, you can speak to him but if he gets too worked up,you have to continue the conversation some other day Iris..his condition is stable but he is too weak."

" You don't have to worry prince Kong, believe me.. I care for him too."

Singto huffs but Kong nods in affirmation and gives her a smile as he leads them to an adjacent room..the smell of medicines hits her first and then she sees the bright eyes looking back at her from a thin, almost skeleton like frame.

This time the tears fall freely, she is not able to withheld them anymore,he has really gone so frail and weak..

" Hey ..I am fine..come in..I am so glad you both came.."

Arthit gestures both Iris and Prae to come closer,his dimples showing deep as he smiles serenely..

" I am so sorry,"
iris hugs him maneuvering herself between the iv tubes still attached to him.

" I heard what Alice and Godt did to you both, from Kong ..so don't be sorry.."

" Finish what you have to say to him.. he needs to rest, no extra drama."

Singto glares at Iris.. telling her clearly by his eyes to stop hugging..while Arthit understanding the reprimandation in Singto's tone, squirms in Iris's embrace..

" Arthit..you are my own flesh and blood .. my youngest brother,..my father stole you and sold you to the Northern tribes.."

Iris blurts out, hugging him tighter, not able to digest anymore the constant rebuke laden tone of Singto...and Arthit's submission to him..

" What!! "

All three person standing in the room, screams, almost rattling the glass windows..but the one the secret is told to .. only smiles softly.. a few water pearls drop from his doe eyes ..

" Hmm,.. we do share a connection then..it was not my imagination, sis.."

" Aren't you surprised..? "

Iris softly speaks, her head still on Arthit's shoulder..her arms around his frail torso, trying to seep in the warmth of the embrace..not willing to let go.., sis , the word sounds like a long lost melody to her ears.. and so it is..

" Yes..but it's a good kind of surprise..so you are my big sis..when did you come to know."

" Yesterday morning..I overheard my parents speaking..I was always told my youngest brother died at birth...yes,you are right I always felt the connection with you..from the very first second we met .."

Singto's phone rings startling the rest of the people in the room,who are standing stunned,shocked and mouth agape at the unfolding brother sister reunion scene..

Singto picks up the phone, seeing that it's his father's call... unwillingly, his mind all fuzzy and stupefied..

But one minute listning to the conversation from the other side..he puts it down and almost crushes the mobile by his bare hands..

Kong looks at his brother alarmed,seeing his dark expression and his eyes blazing red in anger..

" What happened?"

" Iris's dad proposed her hand in marriage for me..and our father accepted.."

Iris's world spins out of axis.. she meets her brother's eyes in brutal shock.. but there is only hurt, sadness and resignation reflecting in them..
his aura only emoting his heart's melancholy..

" congratulations sis." He says ..

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We are near the happy end .. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I will finish this before touching my other fics .
So sorry for the late update of those ..
please do comment it's a sincere request..