My Sister-In-Law Is My Mate!?!

"My lady, trust me. We were trying to aim a wolf. But lady Hazel jumped in between to save the wolf and got hit. We would never dare to aim at her." Hazel looked at them with a palace face. Her eyes were wet and her lips were trembling. She was looking too afraid to even speak a single word. Her grip on the bed sheet tightened as she heard the knights speaking.

The servants started whispering after looking at her reactions even the physician frowned. Everyone could see how scared she was whenever the knights spoke.

"They.. they are telling the truth, father. I tried to save the tiger. That is why I am hurt.`` She replied with a shaky voice that even a blind could see she was lying because of fear.

"That was a wolf, my lady." replied Camelia as she glared at Hazel who trembled and hid herself in the bedsheet. She covered herself completely but everyone could see her trembling figure even when she had taken the fetus position.

"Yes, yes.. It was a wolf. I apologize that I heard wrong when you were telling the story to my father." came her quivering voice and the whispers increased.

Though the count did not care about her daughter. But it did not mean that he would let the rumors spread that he had tried to kill his daughter. After all, the knights work for his other daughter and they had no personal enmity towards Hazel.

He was trying so hard to replace the bride and everyone in the noble circle knew that he wanted Amelia to replace Hazel in the marriage. If the news spread that Ameilia's knights tried to kill Hazel, Amelia would be the one to be blamed.

He could not let that happen. Not at all.

"That is not a story, my lady. This is what happened in the woods." Came the low voice of Carmen through gritted teeth.

"Yes, yes. I am sorry. I am dumb to not understand that." Hazel smirked inside the bedsheet while her lips trembled and body shook due to her evil laugh. Everyone thought that she was trying to muffle her sobs and the whispers increased.

"I do not think that the arrows were shot lightly, the shooter intended to kill the victim." he replied in a sharp voice and both knights glared at him. But the physician did not flinch. He continued to look at them as if challenging them.

"As I said, my lord. We were trying to kill the wolf." replied Carmen and Camelia nodded her head again and again but the duke did not even spare them a glance. His eyes were set on the staff that were gossiping. If the matter did not handle well, it will be the biggest gossip tomorrow.

He gritted his teeth at the mess the knights had created yet they were adding fuel in the fire.

"You both are stripped off from your duties. And both of you will be punished for treason. You have tried to kill the owners of the palace." the count announced in the cold voice making both of their eyes widen and face pale.

"But my lord, we are telling the truth. Please trust us. We did not dare to kill lady Hazel. She was the one who came in front of our arrows." she continued to repeat the same words while Hazel kept her silence.

"Yes, they are the right father. They did not do anything wrong. Please do not punish them or I would have to bear more pain. I mean.. Mental pain." came the muffled voice of Hazel when the count did not reply.

"Oh my.." this time the whispers were clear and audible. Though they all knew that Hazel was not the preferred child, she was still the daughter of the count. If it was known that the count had tried to kill their own daughter, he would be stripped of his title and had to bear the damage too.

He turned and slapped Carmen, taking out all his seething anger.

"How dare you to lie to me and more than that how dare you to try to attack my eldest daughter? And yet you have the audacity to argue. Do you not want to live anymore?" his voice was dripping cold.

Camelia held Carmen who staggered a bit due to the impact of the slap.

"But my lord." her words died in her mouth when she received the cold gaze of the count. His blood lust was visible and they both shut their mouths.

"Knights, take both of them to the hall and strip off their badges in front of everyone and then put them in the prison and punish them." he added as he looked at the other knights sharply.

They bowed their heads and held Carmen and Camelia by their arms and dragged them out of their room.

"We will take revenge from you Hazel if you do not speak the truth. We will not spare you." they continued to thrash and shout as they were dragged out.

All their hard work to reach this position had gone in vain and now they would rot in the prison like criminals just because of Hazel. They could not believe that the meek hazel had planned all this against them. They wondered how she planned it and what else she had in mind for others.

They were sure that Amelia would come to save them and then they would tell her whole truth about Hazel.

On the other side Hazel smirked as the two who had dared to plan against her met their end.

"I will soon reach you too, Amelia." she promised to herself when she heard the voice as someone tried to run a hand in her hair.

"How are you feeling now, my precious daughter?"