Retrieve the Kingdom

Not a Good Welcome

It was already January. Phoebe is already prepared to go back to Enoch and just sunk everything as she arrives. She has received some bad and a bit of good news in the past few days. She doesn’t know where to categorize some. 

She boards the carriage with her family. “Are you sure you won’t stay for a day in our home?” Her mother asked. “I am sorry mother, I need to go back now. Andrei said that in Driessen Academy, you need to prepare at least 2 days before the class since some of the teachers will have an early meeting on some weekends for something. If I could, I would stay with you. But I can’t for now, maybe I’ll see you the next weekend.” 

“Alright, it’s fine. You are really one busy lady.” Her father said as they started heading on Enoch to drop her by the archduke’s mansion. After two hours of traveling they arrived at the majestic home of the archduke. The guards insisted on the carriage coming in as they saw Phoebe was in there. 

She went down the carriage and saw the archduke and the lady just standing by the door. Phoebe approached them along with her family that decided to meet the couple since they are here after all. 

“Welcome back, Phoebe.” The archduke welcomed her as he hugged her. He released as he looks at his wife. “This is Phoebe.” He introduced her to Naia. “Greetings, Phoebe. It’s nice to meet you.” She gave her a peck on her cheek. She looks at her family. “You must be her family, it’s nice to meet you.” 

Phoebe looks at her parents who seem surprised. “I… I… It’s nice to meet you… Lady… Naia.” Maya said as she smiles at the lady. “It’s nice to meet you, Maya and… Nathan.” Both of them froze as Phoebe looks at Naia, “You know them?” “Of course, darling. Bermin has been telling me about your parents. And, I know Chef Nathan for his restaurant which I ordered from before. You dad is best at cooking, I might hire him as our cook. But he has his own business, so I just let him have his own business.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Lady Naia. And thank you for the compliments, I appreciate it.” Naia smiles as she looks at her husband. “Anyway, would you mind to come and have some nice breakfast with us?” Nathan shooks, “We are alright, your honor. We will be heading at Oliver now and reopen the restaurant. It’s nice to meet you again, Archduke Bermin.” 

“I understand, may you have a safe trip!” The family board their carriage again and went out of the premises of the mansion. “I am glad you are back, Phoebe.” The archduke welcomed her. They entered the mansion. 

“I am happy to meet you, Phoebe. I have been wanting to talk to you without any work standing on my way.” She hugged Phoebe warmly which the teenager responded the same way. She released as she looks at her face, caressing her chin. “You just look like your mother.”

“That’s a nice observation, Lady Naia.” The lady giggles, “Of course, no one has beaten this eagle and detail-seeking eye.” They sat on the couch in the lounge room, which makes their conversation a bit comfier. “It just makes her a great investigator,” Bermin commented which made Phoebe confused and curious. 

“You haven’t told her my job?” Naia looks at her husband which shook his head. “I am one of the investigators in the kingdom. I don’t really know how to explain this since you were expecting as a noble I would have a work another than that. But yes, I am an investigator, one of the leaders too in the highest investigation team in the kingdom.”

“It’s surprising to encounter a female investigator, and at the same time, it’s a noble female too,” Phoebe said as their snacks arrived just in front of a fancy coffee table. “I took advantage of being a noble for me to be able to enter an academy specific for detectives and investigators. It’s fun sometimes to be someone who has power.” 

“Is that why you are always on your trips?” Naia nods, “They are not actually trips, opposed to what Bermin says all the time, I was just assigned in a different location. And there are a lot of crimes happening in Opdhal right now that’s why I was there the whole months. I will actually start moving away there and pick a spot just nearer in Enoch so I could always go home whenever I want without the hassle of transportation.” 

“Ohh.” Phoebe starts to think as she eats a slice of pumpkin pie. “How is your vacation, anyway?” Bermin asked her as she gulps her chewed food. “Well, the vacation itself went fine, I just brought a problem in my way here.” 

“A problem? What do you mean? Did something happened to you, my dear?” Phoebe shook her head, “I am fine, the problem is not mine. Well, technically I listed it as my problem now but… My friend, her father…” She looks at Bermin, “Do you know anyone named Desmond or something in between those lines?”

“Do you mean Mr. Desmond of Gumpel or Mr. Desmond of Driessen?” Phoebe was confused, “Wait, there are two Desmonds in your office, sir Bermin?” The archduke nods, “It’s legally alright anyway, it’s just weird having to specify which Desmond I am talking about sometimes. Anyway, their departments are different, the one from Gumpel is one of the finance councilors, and the other one was the head of innovation and technology councilors.”

“This is hard, my friend only said the name, just that. How can I possibly help her?” Phoebe was already over-thinking and nervous. “Darling, what’s her problem? You can’t solve something like that, it will be dangerous.” 

“One of the councilors named Desmond is making her father suffer because of a debt. He is working under him without any salaries, without any survival assistance like food or water. And, he can never come back to his family until he said so. He is stuck with that Desmond, Lady Naia. It’s not that fair.”

“That would be hard indeed, the Desmond from Gumpel… I don’t know really much about him. The head department councilor one is greedy with money, I doubt he will have someone fall in debt with him. Don’t worry, I’ll help you. This is really awful.” 

Knocks on the main door of the mansion was heard. Before the archduke can even go and check, a knight of his arrived and saluted before telling him what’s his intentions. “Sir Bermin, the messenger of the king is here. It was urgent and he wants to talk with you privately.” 

The archduke is confused and concerned, “Okay… Say to him we will meet at the garden.” He looks at the two girls who were concerned and confused too. “You enjoy your snacks and talk. I have a business to do, I guess.” The lady nods and lets her husband to take his way to the garden, where he will meet the king’s messenger.

Phoebe doesn’t know why she was here in the castle, at the throne room to be exact. But she knows she doesn’t like whatever is the reason and whatever will happen. She was standing in front of the king with the noble couple by her side and Andrei also. 

“Dad, what is this weird stuff again? Phoebe just arrived, and you want to do or say something to her?” Andrei rolls his eyes as the king laughs. “That won’t do anything to me. I have known that you have been exchanging letters with your friends, your mother had forbidden you from doing that, right?” 

“How did you knew that?” Andrei was confused, as well as the archduke, which both of them looked at each other with pure confusion. “So, you are admitting you were.” The king smirks at them. “Just tell already what you want to say, you are wasting uncle and aunt’s time. Even Phoebe’s. She was supposed to have her day just adjusting everything from vacation. I don’t buy your dramatic introductions anymore.” 

“Well, I am sorry but I shouldn’t be since I am your father anyway. I have read some of your letters to your beloved friends.” All of them were shocked, “That’s an invasion of privacy! You just disrespected your son, your highness.” Phoebe was a bit hesitant to say the last two words, but it just came out, but a lot sarcastic than it should be. 

“I am not disrespecting anyone. I am Andrei’s father and I have the right to know something about him. To know what he has been doing to his life. You don’t say I invade his privacy, it’s for the sake of his safety and apparently, my safety too. Naia, you have read one of them, didn’t you?” 

The lady was startled when the conversation directed her. She was a bit nervous, but she needs to pretend she cares and she did care that time. “Yes, your highness. But I find nothing too alarming from it. It’s just a kid’s assumption. You know how damaged your relationship is with your son, you can’t avoid the kid being rebellious to you.”

“Now you are with Andrei? I—” “Yes, because your son is doing nothing wrong. The only thing he wants is his friends, his companions. That’s all he wants. As a bestowed second mother of this child, I won’t let you do anything to him, and also Phoebe. Both I and Bermin are burden with Phoebe’s safety. Just let the children have their conversations.” 

“But they are planning something, and even saying I am involved with the court issue, which I am not. And, I take offense with that.” The king stood from his throne, it was getting more serious and tense in the throne room. “Just let the kids. Nothing is wrong.” 

“How did you even managed to see those? Did Andrei’s messenger let you read them? I definitely think so. Someone call Jerome please.” A servant went on his way to call the messenger from his room. Minutes later, he arrived at the throne room. 

“It’s my pleasure to be serving you, what do you need?” He said as the archduke looks at him, “Do you know one of the promises a messenger takes from their oath is not to entrust someone with your master’s messages and always respect the privacy of your sender and recipient?”

The messenger went pale as he nods, he was slightly looking at the king and back at Bermin. “Who is your master?” “P-prince… Andrei, y-your honor.” The archduke starts walking in circles around him, making him tenser. “Who did you recently betrayed?” 

He didn’t receive an answer. “Even the king commanded you that, you didn’t do that. My brother, I hope you understood what I am pointing at here. But, you just made someone broke a rule they promised not to break. You don’t want someone knowing your message right? Apply it the same as your son. You may now go, and by the power bestowed upon me by the late King Clemence himself, you are now dismissed from your position.” 

The messenger was shocked and looks at the king, “Please do something, my king, I became loyal to you, please do me a favor.” He pleaded, the king is trying to come up with something against Bermin. “Why you dismissed someone that was hired by my own wife?” 

“Because I can, I was offended that even Andrei’s privacy, you are trying to take it away from him. I don’t do much on how you treat your own son, but this is enough. With the rights you just bestowed us, as a second parent of Andrei, I will do everything that makes him safe and comfortable. And this messenger here, he is done. He proved himself unworthy of giving service to him.” The messenger kneeled in front of him. “Please don’t, I have my family—” 

“I am sorry, I will prioritize my family first than yours. You may now leave.”