Mated To The Barbarian King Who Is My Ex-husband's Father.

Arianna finished bathing and dressed for the evening. Eira had promised to return the moment she managed to lure one of Aunt Freya’s personal handmaidens away for a private interrogation.

​It was bound to be a long, grueling night if things failed to go according to plan. There was simply no way Arianna could sleep peacefully while Maria sat locked in a dark cell, every passing minute ticking away at her life.

​Taking one last glance in the mirror, Arianna sighed. The sorrow etched into her features was undeniable. This was easily one of the darkest moments she had faced since arriving in the North.

​Forcing a faint smile, she brightened her expression as best she could before turning to leave...only to walk straight into him.

​Before she could react, Kane’s strong hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest.

A surge of shock rippled through her body as her gaze locked with his deep blue eyes. He was the absolute last person she had expected to see in the tent right now.

She had secretly hoped to slip out long before he arrived.

​He leaned down, resting his forehead gently against hers.

His gaze dropped to her trembling lips, looking for all the world as though he was contemplating the sweetest way to steal a kiss.

​Arianna resisted the urge to wrap her arms around his neck, even though every fiber of her being yearned to touch him.

As his lips hovered inches from hers, coming in for a deep kiss, she turned her head aside, subtly avoiding his touch.

​Kane didn’t force the issue, but he lingered close until the message finally registered...she was pulling away.

​"What is wrong, my Queen?" he asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

​"I am certainly not in the mood for romance, Kane," Arianna said softly, placing a hand against his chest to gently break his hold. Catching the look of pure confusion on his face, a small part of her almost burst out laughing despite the seriousness of the night.

​"What has happened?" he pressed, taking a half-step back. "Is this about the events in the pavilion today?"

​"Yes, it is. And I will remain restless until I find a solution."

​"Have you spoken to the girl? Are you entirely certain she is innocent?"

​Arianna let out a quiet sigh, taking another step back. "People betray one another, Kane, but I know those who are loyal to me. I am not like some people who fail to distinguish between their true enemies, their family, and their friends."

​Kane stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed the hidden sting in her words.

The implication that she was referring to his blindness toward Aunt Freya and Samantha hung heavy in the air.

​"I mean some people... not necessarily you," she amended smoothly, offering him a light, formal curtsy. "If you will permit me, Your Highness, I shall take my leave to go check on my handmaiden."

​Kane’s mouth twitched into a subtle, dry line. "Even if I did not permit you, you would go anyway."

​Of course I would, Arianna thought, keeping the words strictly to herself as she offered a polite nod and began to walk past him.

​She felt a brief pang of guilt for rejecting his advances when he clearly wanted her, but this was no time for tenderness.

He was the one who had set this impossible two-day timer in motion and she was determined to win.

"We were supposed to go somewhere together tonight, Queen Arianna," he reminded her, his voice low and laced with disappointment.

​"Ah... that’s true," she said, pausing to turn back toward him. "I am truly sorry, Your Highness."

​"Seriously?" Kane arched an eyebrow, clearly unaccustomed to being brushed off so casually.

​"I have a very limited window of time to save Maria," Arianna pointed out, ensuring he didn’t miss the irony. "If you truly wished to spend quiet time with me tonight, you could have granted me more days for the investigation. That would have helped immensely... but you chose not to."

​Every minute wasted standing here exchanging pleasantries was a minute she could be spending at the holding cells trying to save a life.

​Kane stared at her, genuinely taken aback. "I have no words for you."

​"You don’t need to have any."

​"What occurred in the pavilion earlier was simply me carrying out my duty as king," Kane argued, taking a step toward her. "Yet here behind closed doors, you choose to punish me for it. I am your husband, Arianna."

​"I lacked the power to stop my King from imposing a cruel two-day deadline," she replied, offering him a playfully mocking curtsy. "However, I do have the power to stop my husband from delaying me."

​Without another word, she swept out of the tent. The sheer shock etched across Kane’s handsome face had her fighting a grin as she walked.

He undoubtedly found her utterly insufferable tonight and she didn’t care one bit.

​A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as she made her way through the camp. With two royal guards trailing closely behind to ensure her safety, Arianna headed straight for the grounds where prisoners were detained.

​The air grew progressively colder and darker as they approached the eastern edge of the tribe’s territory.

Walking through the rugged path, she walked with careful steps to avoid tripping over jagged rocks and exposed roots.

​When they finally arrived, Arianna paused, taking in the daunting sight before her.

​Scattered across the clearings were hundreds of massive wooden cages, crudely built yet reinforced with thick, heavy timber meant to restrain either wild beasts or dangerous men.

Moving closer, she gasped as she noticed human silhouettes huddled inside several of them. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she realized people were actually living in these desolate conditions.

​Recognizing that a few of the prisoners bore the distinct features of Northern tribesmen, Arianna turned to her escort, her voice quiet in the night air. "Are all of the pack’s prisoners kept here?"

"Yes, Your Highness," one of the guards answered, stepping forward to lead the way through the shadowy rows of enclosures.

​"The prisoners include spoils of war as well," the second guard added, confirming her lingering suspicion that many of those held here were foreigners.

​As Arianna passed, hoarse voices called out and desperate hands stretched through the thick wooden bars, begging for scraps of food or a mercy they had long been denied.

She tried to harden her heart and look straight ahead, but the sheer misery around her made it impossible. These people were human beings. They needed care, basic dignity and attention.

​A single glance was enough to tell her they were severely malnourished, their ribs showing through tattered clothing.

​"Is the king aware that these prisoners are being starved?" Arianna asked, turning a sharp glance toward her escorts.

​"We cannot say for certain, Your Highness. The king rarely comes down to the holding pens. Cassius is the one in charge of the prisoners."

​Arianna’s brows knit into a deep frown at the mention of his name. Cassius. It was infuriating that he couldn’t even maintain the bare minimum of care by ensuring these captives were fed.

​If resources in the tribe were scarce, he could easily put the able-bodied prisoners to work as laborers to cultivate crops and assist with farming, allowing them to earn their keep while feeding both themselves and the pack.

Better yet, those foreigners who posed no threat could have been released or ransomed back to their homelands.

​Absorbed in her thoughts as she surveyed the surroundings, Arianna didn’t even realize they had reached the far end of the row until the guards halted in front of a heavily reinforced cage.

​Looking inside, tears instantly welled in Arianna’s eyes at the miserable condition her faithful servant had been forced into. "This is all my fault..."

​"No, My Lady, it is not," Maria said quickly, stepping toward the front of the cage. Only the thick wooden bars stood between them now. "Please... do not shed a single tear for their pleasure. Do not let them see you weep, My Lady."

​Arianna quickly brushed away the moisture at the corners of her eyes. Reaching through the bars, she gripped Maria’s cold hands tightly in her own. "I know you didn’t take it, Maria. They keep insisting that you are guilty, but I know your heart better than anyone. You would never steal so much as a needle."

​"Thank you for believing in me, My Lady," Maria whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I would sooner die than bring shame upon your name in this tribe."

​"I know," Arianna squeezed her knuckles softly. "I need to ask you a few questions so I can bring you home."

​Maria nodded eagerly, swallowing hard as she fought to follow her own advice and hold back her tears.

​"Good," Arianna said, her tone growing focused and sharp. "Your wooden chest... when was the last time you opened or checked inside it?"

​"The day before yesterday," Maria answered, racking her brain. "I opened it to fetch my dress."

​"Did you see the ring inside?"

​"No, My Lady, I am positive it wasn’t there. And I was not alone in the tent, either. My tentmates were with me, admiring my dresses and even trying a few on. There was definitely no ring in that box."

​"Hmm... I will pay a visit to your tent and speak with those girls. I may need their testimony," Arianna said thoughtfully, wondering if one of them could have been paid off or manipulated into slipping the ring into the chest. "What happened after that?"

​"We all left the tent together and didn’t return until nightfall," Maria recalled, searching her memory for any missed detail. "Do you suspect someone specific, My Lady?"

​"Samantha and her mother," Arianna replied grimly. "I believe they planted the ring in your belongings purely to strike at me."

​Maria’s face softened with concern. "What will you do then? My Lady, I am willing to remain in this cage if attempting to free me will only drive a wedge between you and the king."

​"No, Maria," Arianna insisted firmly. "We came to this Northland together and I will not abandon you to these people."

​"My Lady..."

​"I mean every word. I will get you out of here," Arianna assured her with fierce determination. "I will have food and warm clothes brought to your cell tonight. For now, I must go and gather my evidence."

​"Thank you so much, My Lady."

​Arianna slowly released Maria’s hands. She turned and departed the prison grounds with quickened steps, unable to bear the sight of so many captives suffering in the dark.

​As she made her way along the path bordering the tree line, a sudden movement caught her eye. Through the shadows near the woods, a faint figure was stumbling toward them, desperately calling out for help.

​Arianna paused, her compassionate heart refusing to let her turn a blind eye. Flanked by her two guards, she rushed toward the trembling figure, only to gasp as she reached her.

​The woman was drenched in crimson, blood pouring from a severe head wound and running down her familiar face.

​"Queen Arianna..." Alara rasped, barely standing as she clutched at the queen’s sleeves. "Take me... to the king. Now."

***

Send golden tickets to help rank up, please. It’s a beginning of a month.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!