Royal Disaster

Chapter 13: Negotiations

Alastair

"Father, please. I beg you to hear me out first." I pleaded like a little boy. I sounded desperate, but I didn't care. I did not bring Emrose here just to see her from afar. I wanted to be able to spend time with her.

As soon as I silenced the King, I spoke again. This time, I was determined to sound serious to let him know I was not fooling around. What I am about to ask from him is a great deal. "Give me atleast a month or two to get to know Princess Adela before I marry her."

"Alastair, don't be ridiculous! This is an outrage! You know perfectly well that that's not how things should go." Sir Humphrey exclaimed. His face look liked he was in pain. I understand him completely. This was a matter I could not take lightly compared to all others that I did before.

"You are about to hand over to me a country I never wanted to rule. And with it a wife I have never wanted to marry. " I sighed, "Let me get to know first the last woman who I'll be seeing before I go to bed and the first one I'll see when I wake. Atleast give me that."

There was total silence in the room. I know these fools are thinking my request was bizarre and that I didn't have the finest education in the country just to act as foolish as I am right now. But the good thing is, I don't give a damn about what they are thinking. They are my subordinates. I don't have to answer to them.

"I believe the prince has an excellent point, your majesty." Someone familiar spoke up, "If we want Ethandun and Frankorum to get along in the long run, we must start by having a harmonious relationship with its pawns. What better way to do it than let them have a little time alone first?" Lord Benley, as always, came to my rescue.

Pawns. The way he used that word was very much offensive and insulting, but who could dare disagree? It was the truth after all. I can feel all of the men's eyes on me. I patiently waited for the king's reply, but it seemed as if it was not coming. I started to move my feet, preparing to go out of the room when he suddenly spoke.

"Very well. A month. The wedding will be postponed till this very day of next month." He answered, as plainly as possible. "Should there be any reason at all that you are asking this of me, I shall have her hanged."

I couldn't answer. What should I answer to that? Maybe it was a mistake bringing Emrose here after all. "As you wish, your majesty." I bowed my head.

"Now leave. There are matters grownups need to solve." He raised his palm, motioning me to leave. I quickly went for the door. I cannot wait to leave this bloody room anyway. As soon as I left, I felt like a huge load was lifted off my chest...

I found myself in the hallway of Princess Adela's room. I'm not sure as to why I have decided to see her now. Maybe because I needed to give her a heads up about Emrose. I cannot risk to let her give Rose a hard time.

I knocked once, and the door quickly opened. It was like her majesty was expecting me. I went in and as soon as my eyes drifted to Princess Adela's, I stopped walking. Her beauty was breath taking, but slightly fall short of Emrose's. Emrose is perfect.

Also, Princess Adela's sweet innocent face when I left the palace days ago has long been gone. It was now replaced with disgust.

"Leave us." I ordered her 3 maids, and they hurried outside immediately.

"You show up two days later from the wedding you run off to, and bring a woman back home?" When the maids were out, she spoke first. I expected anger in her tone, but there was none. Just pure disgust. "What have I done so gravely that you must humiliate me like this, prince of ethandun?" She emphasized her disgusted tone in the word "prince".

"I understand I offended you, Princess Adela. Please accept my most sincere apology. I'm sorry." I breathed in and continued, "This match was not what I expected. Let alone approve.. I beg of you to understand my reaction."

"And must I always set aside my feelings to accommodate yours?" She bit back.

"I am not saying that." I answered her. "It's just that...." before I could finish she cut me off.

"It's just what? That you hate how you are bound by the duties of this monarchy that you never asked for? That you feel bottled up by the demands of the country you're about to run? Or that you never had a choice in things you want, so you decide to just run off and take a break?" Her raised voice surprised me, but she continued. "Well guess what, your majesty. You are not the only heir in this world. You are not the only son of a monarch who feels all of this! But I must give it to you for being the first one to have the guts to do what you just did. Run away from a wedding that was set since we were both in our cradles? Ruined the pact made between two countries years ago? You must believe so much in yourself to be able to do that!"

"You are clearly high in emotions right now. I'm sorry for barging in here unannounced. I think it's best if I leave." I had nothing else to say. My face was so red from embarrassment and guilt. She was right. She was so right.

Before I turned the knob, I looked at her one last time. "I hope you could forgive me, Adela. I never meant for this to happen the way it did. It was never my intention to run off like that and humiliate you."

I closed the door behind me and shook my head. What have I done? My foolish actions clearly came back to haunt me...

Alastair, you bloody i***t.

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