Zylith.

I looked at my lunatic boss with pleading eyes; hoping and wishing for him to possess the same telepathic powers he thought I owned, as I screamed in my head 'What are you thinking you Retard! This woman can crucify you in a heartbeat! Kneel down and ask for mercy. Kiss the ground she walks on if you have to.' But sadly, he didn't seem to get my cue.

"Then isn't it only fair for you to call me 'Your Majesty'?" Reuben retorted and now I gaped at him like a retard myself.

The irritated queen squinted her brows in exasperation and snarled, "And would His Majesty explain what he is doing here rather than resting at this ungodly hour? As far as I remember, you have already bestowed this maiden to my brother, Lord Burnot Brikenhead. So I see no further need for you to intercede into this matter. I should say, let me take over this investigation and interrogate this girl."

"And that is the whole reason why I can't let this matter rest in another's hand. Lady Elizabeth was originally my bride, but I made the decision to present her to Lord Brikenhead to honor his remarkable deeds. If I hadn't presented Lady Elizabeth to Lord Brikenhead, she wouldn't be so traumatized and distressed now. Queen Dowager, did you perhaps forget who Lady Elizabeth really is?" Reuben gave the queen a daunting look. "She is the first Lady of the Ronales house of the Dukes. How am I supposed to answer the Duke if any harm is to befall his first daughter?"

I was already a surging perplexity but from the stiffening silence of the Queen dowager I could tell Reuben rendered her speechless.

"Right! I can see that the lady is indeed troubled by the horrid events of tonight. But the question still remains as to what will happen to her from now on?" Lord Gilbert pitched in to break the ice. "Since the marriage had not been consummated, Lady Elizabeth still remains unwed." He looked at Reuben once and said, "My Liege, should we send the Lady back to her home?"

Due to the intense mind fog, all my thoughts had been grounded until further notice. So, I didn't really get what was going on around me anymore. All I heard was Reuben speaking gibberish like, "Of course not. Since she is still unwed I shall take her as mine."

"WHAT!!!" Both I and the Queen dowager shrieked to his gibberish in unison. Reuben's nonsense appeared to have brought my sanity back to me.

"What in God's name are you saying?" The Queen screeched. "How can you even consider remarrying your uncle's widow!?"

"Highness Queen Dowager, haven't you heard? She is still unwed, and she was originally mine for the taking. So I don't see any trouble in that." He shrugged as if this whole ordeal had nothing to do with him and he was just a mere onlooker giving an unbiased opinion.

"This is still the most bogus appeal ever. I cannot agree to it. Say something Sir Gilbert!" She looked at Gilbert demanding for backup but his support seemed to be leaning over towards Reuben's decision more.

"I think it wouldn't be wise to send Lady Ronales back to her home since she was initially sent to be married off to His Highness. And since the marriage to Chancellor Burnot Brikenhead was not consummated, hence considered invalid, it wouldn't be fair to the Lady to be announced as his widow. As such, isn't it fine if His Majesty were to take the Lady as his wife?" Sir Gilbert said lucidly.

The queen looked like she might explode with all the cramped discontent and confined wrath, but the verdict was passed. There was no room for any more argument. So, in all her smoldering rage she stomped off the room with her maids on pursuit.

Now I was just really tired with all the melodrama, so tired that the bags under my eyes were bigger than my boobs. I heaved out a sigh I didn't even know I was holding. It was as if a tension had lifted and left me with a sense of relief.

After processing all the info that I was fed and the entire scenario that went down before my eyes, I looked at Reuben pointedly and asked the million dollar question, "Who the hell are you?"

He in turn groaned in reluctance, and a moment's stillness later he spoke like he was spilling gold out of his pie-hole, "I am the one who you like to call the Jerk Mummy King."

Do you ever just forget to hide your expressions for a minute and then you're like 'I did not mean to make that face out loud'? Yes. That face. I was making exactly that face right about now. The Oh-shit-I'm-screwed face.

Think! Think Lithe think! You are the sassy, smartassy most awesome little lollipop triple dipped in brilliance. Making an excuse is a piece of cake. Anything will do. Just speak up. You know you have got this. You can do this!

"Holly molly! Your Mommy's bat-shit crazy."

Reuben, "......"

Lord Gilbert, "......"