After a few minutes of driving, the car came to a stop. Tiana was delighted she would finally be able to escape. Just as she was about to sneakily run away, she realized her hands were cuffed. However, if she ran away, could she easily find a way to break it, she wondered.
While Tiana was busy thinking, Yuden first got out of his car, thinking Tiana had calmed down.
However, he quickly went to open her door for her. He couldn't trust her no matter what.
Not that he feared her threats but he couldn't risk losing her.
It was hard enough to find her after all these years and if he lost her now, he would be forced to get married to Layla and he didn't want that because Great Queen Emera has Princess Zahra as the heir of the kingdom of Averlyon on her will after all.
"Come out, Princess." Yuden lent his hand to Tiana but she slapped it away.
"I have legs." She came out of the car.
"Come inside."
"What's this place? Some ancient palace for some drama?" Tiana mocked yet amazed at the magnificent building as she entered the palace.
The guards had announced Crown Yuden's entrance.
Everyone of the Throren family, apart from Layla, was in the hall, waiting for some good news. They were holding onto their last hopes of finding their lost princess. Mostly the great queen and the queen.
The king however, was too frightened to hope because his hope was stumbled upon a few times before as well.
Duchess Myra and her daughter had returned from their trip as soon as they heard the news that Princess Zahra was found.
When Yuden entered the living room, everyone's heartbeat increased.
"So, Prince Yuden. Did you... did you... find her?..." Emera hesitantly asked, afraid to hear a negative reply.
"I have brought Princess Zahra," Yuden declared as he bowed, so that the Throren family would be able to catch a glimpse of Tiana who was standing behind him. He then stepped aside, making way for Tiana to enter the house.
Tiana walked inside, facing the Throren family, leaving them in shock.
The family anticipated their long-lost angelic baby girl to come home. However, in front of them stood a young lady who had grown to become a young lady. The family had overlooked that 15 years was a long duration.
The young light brown-haired girl's pale ivory complexion was stained by the traces of dirt from her recent journey. Her ponytail appeared messy and unkempt. She donned a knee-length dress, its colour resembling a brown yet gray tone.
What struck them most was her round face, plumper than in her childhood, casting doubt on whether she truly was Zahra, their long-lost princess.
In their family, no one carried extra weight, the mana inside them ensured that all royal blood maintained a slim figure. However, standing before them was an overweight, with no magic inside her, filth-covered girl who defined the lower class to them.
Emera's utmost affection for her beloved granddaughter remained unwavering, regardless of these disturbing traits that held little significance to her. She rushed towards the young girl in front of her and held her in her arms tightly.
"I'm so glad you have come back!"
"Mother, are you sure it's even her? I mean, look at her. From which angle does she even look like a princess to you? And with our blood, it's impossible for her to have this kind of figure!" Zayn spoke, unable to believe this young girl was his long-lost baby girl.
"Your majesty!" Sameera glared at her husband.
Usually, she would never talk back to him but it disturbed her that her husband was doubting about the girl in front of them.
She could feel it was her daughter. It was the motherly connection she had with her daughter that assured her that the girl standing in front of her was indeed her daughter.
"My child!" Sameera also embraced Tiana into her arms in her turn.
Tiana was conflicted to see all these people showering her lovingly whereas Yuden was treating her so rudely earlier. She sighed.
"Who the hell are you guys? And why do you all keep hugging me and calling me your child and what no? You prolly had the wrong person, I tell you. Also, you guys are the ones who kidnapped by Dad right? Those who put him in prison for no fucking reason? Let him go and let me go!" She showed them the handcuffs on her wrists as she tried to part her hands, making some noise.
"Prince Yuden?" Emera looked at Yuden confused. "Did you not tell her?"
"I apologize, Your Majesty. She is a little hard to handle. I mean," he chuckled, "Kind of a savage cat," he muttered to himself. "However, you can explain everything now."
Emera signed as she held Tiana by her shoulder and dragged her toward the couch, making her sit there.
Tiana kept glaring at her.
"Look, your name is Zahra Throren. You are the princess of the Averlyon kingdom. I am your grandmother. And this woman there is your mother, Queen Sameera. And that is your father, King Zayn. And this is your aunt, Duchess Myra. Those are your cousins, Lord Cassius and Lady Irys. We are your family."
Tiana scoffed for a second then bursted into laughter.
"Is this some joke? Or are you guys doing some drama? 'Cause what the actual fuck? My family is only my dad. And his name is Aziel Ralph. I'm no Princess Zahra. My name is Tiana Ralph!"
Zahra pushed Emera away and stood up as she rushed towards Yuden.
"Unlock this shit and let me go. I'm not staying here another second!"
"Cannot do, Princess." Yuden slid in front of her, stopping her way as he made a sign for the servants to close the door. "You cannot leave this place."
"Are you all crazy or what?!"
"Princess Zahra. I think you should go get some rest in your room." Emera said, dejected.
Perhaps, she was expecting too much from a first meeting with a granddaughter she had lost years ago.
After all, Princess Zahra was merely six years old when she was kidnapped. Of course, she couldn't remember her real family.
But Emera was still happy her granddaughter was alive. Many had told her that Zahra was probably killed by Aziel but they kept hope. Keeping hope for 15 years. It was a long wait and a horrible experience yet she was happy she waited.
"What room?! No, no. You don't get it. I need to go meet my dad. I'm not your princess or your daughter or anything! I'm sorry if you guys lost your daughter, whatsoever, but that doesn't explain kidnapping me! Let me go! I need to free my dad!" Zahra sprinted toward the closed door. She pushed it as hard as possible but it didn't open. She pulled it, yet nothing.
"Give it up," Yuden walked toward Zahra, as he crossed his arms, leaning against the door.
"Let me out." She gritted between her teeth.
"Princess Zahra. Please go rest in your bed chamber."
"It's called a bedroom as far as I know." Zahra turned her head, making her way toward Emera through the other royal family members.
"And just so you know, this isn't my house, so I don't have a bedroom in this house for obvious reasons. Now let me go back to my house and let me meet my dad! You guys are probably the ones who trapped my innocent dad."
"Innocent? Zahra, he is the person who kept you away from us all these years!" Emera lost her temper, letting her emotions control her tone of voice.
Zahra stared at Emera, her eyes widened.
"Huh?"
"Mother said it right. He is the one who kidnapped you, Zahra. The one who kept you away from us, your real family." Zayn supported his mother's words.
"Stop lying about my dad, for fuck's sake! How can you even speak so lowly about someone?! I am my dad's real daughter and you all can't change that! You guys are the ones who lost their minds!"
Emera signed deeply, as she waved her hands, signing for the guards to come.
The guards stepped in.
"Bring her into the guest's bed chambers and prepare a bed chamber for the Princess." The Queen dowager ordered.
Just as the guards were about to hold Tiana, Yuden stopped them.
"Your majesty, I am right here. I can bring her there," Yuden's gaze travelled from Emera to Zahra. "It wouldn't look nice if a princess is escorted by some guards."
Emera nodded, giving a sign for the guards to follow the Crown Prince.
Yuden held her by the handcuffs guys as he did earlier at the police station as he started leading the way to the guest room he knew very well as he spent a few times in this mansion.
"Let me go!" Zahra screamed, repeatedly.
"Stop it, princess. You will hurt yourself if you don't pay attention to the stairs." He kept a smile on his face until they reached the stairs, and his smile disappeared.
Yuden went up the stairs, leading the way toward the guest room.
The door was open making it easy for Yuden to enter the huge bedroom although Zahra was fighting as much as possible to not enter the room. Once he entered the bedroom, he let go of Zahra gently.
"Ugh! I will see you, bastard!"
"Shh." Yuden posed his index against Zahra's lips as he leaned closer to her face, keeping eye contact with her.
Tiana furrowed her eyebrows and pushed him away.
"Hands off, bastard."
Emera entered the bedroom.
"Oh, Your Majesty." Yuden hastily retracted his finger, turning around. He bowed again and curved his lips into a smile before he made his way out of the bedroom.
"Close the door, please Yuden."
Yuden smiled at Zahra before closing the door on himself.