Initial word count: 883
☀️JEAN☀️
Our new situation wouldn’t leave my mind as I headed to my new room, opposite of where the new office of the foreign affairs was located: on the newly finished third floor of the wing. I went down the stairs from the far side of the left wing to the third floor of the palace. Then I saw father smirked as he walked towards me.

“What a pleasant surprise to see you, my beloved son,” he mocked.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “What else do you want from me?”

“Actually, that is a good query. I have something in my mind but I will discuss it with you later. Come see me in my office.” He raised his chin a bit.

“I did everything you said.”

“That is why I am proud of you now. I knew you could pull it off.” He crossed his arms, walked closer to me. “Now, what’s left for us is to dominate. You, my son, still have a very big part in it,” he murmured, I looked sideways because I could not take to look at his grin.

His smile? It was something that I always wished to see since childhood. But that moment, it meant something different for me.

I inhaled deeply. “Now, can I peacefully go to my room?”

“Of course,” he said as he passed by me.

His image in my periphery was an unpleasant view.

Just minutes after I entered my room, I heard gentle knocks on the door. Eric was revealed as I opened up, I pulled him in and locked the door. I hugged him tight. I felt that I missed him so much. Then I kissed him passionately which comforted me from my encounter with my monstrous father a while ago.

“I saw how he talked to you, I hid near the stairs.” He cupped my cheeks and looked me in the eye.

“I was going to the hall for the war council meeting when I heard your voice, I would have called your attention but I saw you were with your father. I heard everything.”

I closed my eyes and faced down. I was mad that I became a tool of my father’s madness.

“I am very sorry.” Tears fell from my eyes. “I never wanted to lie to you. Please forgive me.”

“No. You don’t have to apologize. I know you had no choice.” He hugged me. “Yes, I have to marry your sister just because I have no choice now. Please always remember that I love you so much.”

I pulled away from him and pure sadness I saw in his eyes. I kissed him.

“I love you too. I am lucky to have you.” That’s what I could only say.

He then went to the war council meeting upstairs; he left me with more energy to deal with our difficult circumstance.

🌺 🌺 🌺
After dinner, I was fetched that night by father’s assistant to go to his chambers. So I walked with him on the corridors. As we reached the room, I knocked and headed inside where I found father sat on his study. He motioned for me to sit across him. I bowed, then I adhered to his gesture.

“How’s Eric?”

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday,” I lied.

“Lyra told me that he like the prince so much. I could’ve answered her that she’s not alone.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“For this family’s future. Imagine being the most powerful house in all of Tanzanthium. We would be invincible. Even Eric, when he’s king, wouldn’t be against me.”

“Can you just let me be with him?”

“I am letting you, am I not?”

“I mean, don’t let Lyra marry him. I wanna marry Eric.”

“How can you do that?”

“You’re the King!”

“It is not customary. It will be difficult.”

“I thought you’re powerful enough to make it happen.”

“You’ve learned. That is not why you’re here. But since it is connected with why you’re here, I’ll let you think.

Imagine this: your sister wed to the crown prince of the most influencial family in the land; then you will be wed to another crown princess, whose kingdom’s potential to perform better is not impossible, depends upon the ruler; then your brother, the Crown Prince be wed to another family. And we still have Gareth, maybe to another one. Do you not still get it?”

I get it now. He wants me to marry Princess Coleen, firstborn of the first family of Escotto.

“I don’t want to marry her. I won’t marry her.”

“Let’s say that if ever you disobeyed me, I’ll have Eric killed.”

The thought of Eric being dead sorrows me.

I knelt down, my head almost on the floor, my hands on his legs. “Please father, I beg you to just let me and Eric be together. I could not take that he will be wed with my sister. I’ll be devastated.”

He kicked me, hard. “That is not how a prince should act! Stand up! Get out of my sight before I could do something that you’ll regret!” I will do everything for Eric.

🌺 🌺 🌺

I went to Eric’s chamber, where he was checking his things to be packed.

“Eric, let’s be together instead. It’s just the same, Thales’ and Anbeia’s families being--"

“It is different. I see how your father sees this: I am crown prince, and if he’ll let us be together, I might step down from my position, and that he won’t let happen. He need me to marry your sister: so your sister’s position is guaranteed. However, if I we will to be together and my position will be jeopardized, the chance of controlling the crown of Thales will be impossible.”

“Your crown is more important than me?”

“The kingdom is more important than us: our duty to the people. That we will protect the monarchy from any threat to deestabilize the country. I’m sorry.”

I embraced Eric, sobbing. “Eric, I love you.”

“I love you too.”