When lunchti arrived, I made my way toward the grand dining hall.
I had requested my mother’s presence so we could discuss my trip. She was already aware of the excursion, but I needed to ensure she fully grasped the gravity of the situation and understood that my departure was necessary.
Besides, I did not wish to leave the capital with our bitter, tense confrontation following my duel with Morgana as my last mory of her. I may have pushed a bit too far during that exchange, and I did not feel right leaving her with that guilty, deeply wounded expression lingering on her face.
Regardless.
I cast a brief glance over my shoulder at Regina, who was walking silently behind , lost in deep thought.
"What is on your mind, Regina? Do you not wish to serve my little sister?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"O—Of course not, Your Majesty!" She answered in a sudden, breathless panic. "I... I was simply concerned, since I am not permitted to accompany Your Majesty on your journey..."
"Well, I wish to share a highly intimate, secluded mont entirely alone with my beautiful Eleanor, Regina. Much like the deeply private mont I shared with you when I claid your maidenhood. Do you rember?" I asked, offering her a knowing smile.
She instantly blushed crimson and nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes..."
"Do not worry yourself over it. Lenora will treat you well enough, though she will certainly not be nearly as lenient or as kind a master as I am. So ensure you work hard," I said.
"I will, Your Majesty!" She promised with an emphatic nod.
I chuckled to myself as we finally reached the towering, ornate doors of the dining hall. The stationed guards imdiately heaved them open, revealing the cavernous, sunlit room. I spotted my mother already seated at the head of the long table.
However, she was not alone.
My sister, Cynthia, and Eleanor were all gathered beside her.
"Your Majesty," Eleanor like Cynthia, imdiately attempting to rise from her chair to offer a formal greeting, but I motioned with my hand for them to remain seated.
I walked the length of the hall to my designated chair, unfastening the scabbard of Hyperion from my belt and resting it against the table before taking my seat.
I waited in silence as the scurrying servants swiftly plated our food and filled our crystal goblets. The mont they stepped back, I finally spoke up.
"Everyone out. I wish to speak with my family in privacy," I ordered.
The staff obeyed instantly. Leilah, Regina, Alice, and the rest of the attending servants bowed deeply and filed out of the room.
When the doors shut with a resounding thud, I turned my attention directly to my mother.
"What is the aning of that lost, crumbling expression, Mother?" I asked gently.
She turned toward , her face a complicated mixture of concern and weary exasperation.
"Are you truly departing the capital with Eleanor tonight?" She asked, clearly hoping I would deny the rumor.
"Yes, this very evening. We may be absent for a few days. I am counting on you, Mother, to manage the daily affairs of the Kingdom in my stead," I replied.
"Do you honestly believe this is the appropriate mont for such an excursion, my son?" She asked, quite anxious.
"There is no better mont than right now, Mother. We are at a critical juncture where the entire continent underestimates , yet desperately wishes to see my existence entirely erased. Therefore, I must ensure that I provide a fitting heir for the throne as swiftly as humanly possible," I said, my tone perfectly serious.
Eleanor’s cheeks instantly flared a shade of scarlet at my blunt words.
She was not the only one; both Cynthia and Lenora turned pink.
"C—Can you not be just a little more sensitive and slightly less blunt when discussing such intimate matters, Brother?!" Lenora complained, burying her face in her hands.
"There is no need to feel ashad, sister. We are all family here," I replied with an easy, unapologetic smile. "Is that not right, Eleanor?" I asked, shifting my gaze to my wife.
"Yes, Your Majesty..." She nodded, valiantly attempting to regain a shred of her dignified composure, though her face remained flushed.
"Eleanor is simply far too good for you, Brother," Lenora sighed, shaking her head.
"What do you think, Eleanor? Are you truly too good for ?" I asked, turning the question on her.
"No, of course not. In truth, I believe Your Majesty is far too good for ..." She replied softly, her erald eyes eting mine with quite earnestness.
"Did you hear that, Lenora?" I smirked, throwing my sister a victorious look.
"She is only proving my point," Lenora groaned, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling.
"I can only offer my deepest sympathies to whatever poor, wretched soul eventually wins your hand in marriage, sister," I sighed.
"I still have plenty of ti before I must worry about that," she replied with a dismissive shrug.
"Well, now that I am officially the reigning King, and Helios is in dire need of powerful alliances, I may have to properly utilize you, Lenora. Perhaps an arranged marriage to Vincent Ashcroft could prove to be a highly lucrative strategic move?" I said aloud.
"There is no way in hell I am ever going to marry that pompous fool! Moreover, you have already perfectly secured the Ashcroft alliance through Ravenna! She is officially your wife, rember?!" She retorted, entirely horrified by the re suggestion.
"Do not raise your voice at the dinner table, Lenora," Mother sighed, massaging her temples.
"Please do not let him marry off to Vincent, Mother," Lenora pleaded exaggeratedly.
"Of course not. Lumiel would never dare promise my daughter’s hand in marriage to anyone without thoroughly counseling with first. Is that not right, my son?" She asked, flashing a terrifyingly sweet, maternal smile.
"Definitely not," I agreed imdiately with a nod.
Lenora shot a triumphant smirk.
"It truly is such a terrible sha that I was not afforded the sa luxury of choice when my own wives were selected," I said dryly.
"Are you complaining right now, big brother? You possess seven of the most beautiful won in the known world, including the one universally hailed as the most beautiful woman alive, as your wives," she pointed out, rolling her eyes.
"It is certainly pleasant to have beautiful wives, but a functioning relationship is more important. Just look at how splendidly my alliance with Morgana ended up," I said.
"I truly wonder how that happened," she muttered sarcastically.
"I wonder as well," I smiled, entirely unbothered.
My mother released a heavy sigh at our endless squabbling.
"The matter regarding Morgana is entirely settled. What is done is done. Regardless of the humiliation, I severely doubt Arges will ever harbor any true malice or grudge against us for it. He will remain loyal to the crown, and he will be there should we ever require his blade," she said.
"Besides from a purely political standpoint, she did not offer a particularly vital alliance to begin with, Mother," I added.
"Do you honestly believe your father did not put imnse thought into selecting your wives, Lumiel?" She asked, her gaze turning stern.
"Well, if I am being perfectly honest, aside from Eleanor, Asthenia, and Cynthia, I highly doubt the remaining four will ever provide with any substantial political or queenly support," I replied bluntly.
"That is an, Brother," Lenora chastised.
"I am simply stating the truth. Eleanor possesses vast rcantile connections and imnse wealth. As for Asthenia, her father’s military might and unassailable status are more than enough reason to keep her by my side, not to ntion she was grood to be my Queen from the very beginning," I explained.
"And what about Cynthia?" Lenora asked.
I shifted my gaze toward Cynthia, whose deanor had suddenly turned remarkably awkward.
"Well, Cynthia is my beloved family. I am simply overjoyed that she is my wife, and I only wish for her to remain safely by my side as such," I replied with a smile.
Sohow, the silence in the dining hall instantly curdled into sothing awkward.
Setting aside Cynthia, who had averted her eyes, even Lenora now wore a complicated, tense expression.
I narrowed my eyes slightly at their reactions.
"T—That is my dearest wish as well, Lumiel," Cynthia finally replied, though her response ca a fraction too late.
"That was a lie, Cynthia," I retorted, my voice turning dead and frosty.
Cynthia froze entirely at my blunt accusation.
My expression soured visibly. Her guilt-ridden face practically confird it. My sudden anger did not stem from so petty, masculine upset that she might not wish to be my wife, though, perhaps, it ca out a bit shocking. No, I was more furious because she had just blatantly lied to my face.
I’d rather she just didn’t attempt to reply anything at all.
"N—No, I just..."
"No," I cut her off, raising my hand to abruptly cut her off. "If you are going to feed lies, I ask that you simply do not speak at all."
At my harsh tone, she imdiately lowered her gaze to her plate, completely silencing herself.
I thought she would be one being honest with but I guess I was wrong with it. I didn’t mind if she found the marriage with her cousin awkward, far from it but this wasn’t that. There was sothing else.
I could tell it imdiately and my sister’s reaction gave it imdiately.
"Brother—" Lenora attempted to interject.
I simply shot her a warning glance, and she imdiately snapped her mouth shut.
Great. Now the entire family dinner has turned irreparably awkward. I really do not have the ti or the patience for this lodrama right now.
"Mother," I said, turning my attention back to her. She was currently looking at Cynthia with a slight concerned, motherly gaze.
Like mother like son right?
She also noticed sothing weird about their reactions.
Regardless she quickly snapped her attention back to .
"As I stated, I am departing this evening with Eleanor for a few days. I expect you to manage the daily affairs of the court in my absence. Lenora has likely already inford you, but ensure you keep only Alice as your personal maid for the ti being," I said.
"Lumiel, if there is a true danger approaching, you must tell ..." Mother said, her eyes filled with worry.
"Mother," I sighed, softening my tone slightly. "Everything will be perfectly fine. Just remain safely within the confines of the castle, and keep a watchful eye on Lenora and my wives. Will you do that for ?"
"Of course I will. But I am more worried about you traveling outside the capital, Lumiel. I truly hope you will be heavily guarded," she questioned, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"I personally requested Arges’s finest, two most elite n to escort us. Do not worry," I chuckled reassuringly.
"You are truly shaless, Brother. To demand personal bodyguards from Arges after you publicly stripped him of his title and beat his daughter..." Lenora sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.
I rely offered a dismissive shrug.
"Arges is a true knight. He remains one of the very few individuals in this Kingdom who is unconditionally loyal to ," I said, my tone dropping to a glacial edge. "A contrast to the wretched serpents who smile to my face, yet endlessly plot and spin treacherous lies behind my back."
Beside , Cynthia visibly stiffened. Her shoulders drew up tight, and she shrank slightly into her chair.
Well... I was not actually speaking about you, Cynthia.
But for god’s sake your reaction doesn’t please in then slightest.
I an for real, Cynthia?
I hope it wasn’t sothing that big.
User Comments
0 comments from readers