71 Beautiful heritage

She had been living in the palace for 1 month as Violet, she was quite used to her new life. It wasn't hard to fit in, especially since the barely 3-year-old prince loved her almost as a mother from the very first moment. The late queen learned shortly after the birth of the child, that Jerome loved men and just took advantage of her, so she hanged herself in grief. Since Gideon wasn't fond of the traitorous slut anyway, Norman didn't know much about her either, so now… when a permanent female figure appeared in his life, who was more than a maid, he automatically assigned the role of mother to her.

Ariana enjoyed not being locked between 4 walls. In her free time she went to restaurants, attended fairs and festivals, tried on more beautiful clothes… lived the life of noble ladies.

Though many times she wondered what might have happened in Predin, but since she hadn't heard any rumors, she was sure the two men accepted that Ariana was no more… and living the life Tess had described for them.

It had been 3 months since the Queen was assassinated, and the execution of the traitorous nobles was only the beginning of a deep fall on the part of the ruling couple.

Jerome couldn't process the loss of his love at all, and the space the girl left behind could only be filled in one way.

As the nobles demanded the coronation of a new queen, Jerome decided to fulfill his monarchical duty with a noble lady like Ariana. More specifically, by six.

For the king took all the black-haired noble ladies of adult age, but still capable of childbearing to the secret palace, whether they were single, married or engaged without their approval.

"He's gone completely crazy…"

Lord Grinford handed the report to Gideon.

"He's just looking for the woman he loves in them."

Gideon opened the document with a cynical smile on his face.

Grinford was right, the King of Predin was really starting to behave like an insane psychopath.

The 6 selected ladies consisted of 1 single, 2 engaged young ladies and 3 married women. The new queen became the one, who got pregnant first. Eventually the winner, the daughter of a count, the 22-year-old Mildred Shantelle, was forced to break her engagement. Since the execution of the task involved the king sleeping with the 6 ladies without the sacrament of marriage, it immediately ruined the reputation and marriage of the already married women. Two of them had committed suicide immediately after the first night, and the only hope for the filthied virgins was that they would get pregnant first. But when it turned out 1 week ago that Mildred was pregnant, the other queen candidates lost their lives due to a mysterious illness.

"He raped them, and then when they were no longer useful, he got rid of them. What a noble soul… "

Gideon had already guessed the moment he saw the spots on Ariana's body, that the rumors that Jerome hadn't touched the queen with a finger were fake. After slaughtering the 12 nobles with cold blood, he was already sure, that Jerome did not kept the girl locked up, because he did not want to see her, but because he did not want anyone else to even look at her… the fact that he had gathered women like Ariana around him , though it only reinforced his opinion that the king was obsessed with his wife.

So he was even more satisfied with his revenge.

"But if he is looking so much for the doppleganger of the previous queen, why didn't he choose a women with as violet eyes as Miss Vanderberg? Their hair can be dyed… "

The knight thought aloud to himself.

"Because there are no more violet-eyed women in Predin."

Gideon answered his question.

"The Vanderbergs were the only family to inherit this specific, the violet eye is the legacy of a lost nation, which were subjugated centuries ago, and their survivors were scattered as slaves in various countries. It was rare in Predin in the first place, but 4 generations ago, the King of Predin fell in love with a violet-eyed woman, who would rather ended her own life, than be the king's woman. In his anger, the king executed every violet-eyed people in his country so that no one could remind him of his love… the Vanderbergs alone survived, because the family was already one of the richest nobles, so they were untouchable. Nonetheless, the horror story was passed from mouth to mouth, so violet-eyed immigrants avoided the country… "

"The fish stinks from its head…"

Remarked the knight, who was no longer surprised by the terrible story , since it also only proved the fault lied in the Borovic bloodline.

"True…"

Gideon knocked the table rhythmically with his index finger, as he dived deep into his thoughts.

"What luck that people in at least other countries still live with this beautiful heritage."

With a positive word, the knight was about to leave when Gideon stopped him.

"You're right… what luck…"

He smiled eloquently at his subject.