What If?

30

"Your Highness! Your Highness! His Majesty has finally awakened!" A maid came bursting into the room. "Okay, okay. I'm coming." I tell her standing up. "I'll see you later." I hug Jeanette. She just nods solemnly. Then I left the Emerald Palace heading to the Garnet Palace.

She must be disappointed with what I have planned but it's the best I can do. It's not like I could convince Claude to actually accept her as his daughter now or even neice. I don't even know if I can get him to agree to what I have planned now. But I'll try my best. It wouldn't be good for her to stay anyways considering how she is being treated here. If I was a moment later that day she would have already been dead.

After Claude was asleep, and escaping from Felix's gibberish that was obviously a diversion from it all. I left to go to see Jeanette only to find several knights on guard about to kill her. I was so nervous when I ran in between her and the knights. Ordering them to stand down and everything. It was more surprising they even listened. It's been a couple days now and I have made a plan to help her. Just now it's time to actually do it. I'll do my best.

"Princess!" Felix waves at me with a smile. I walk over to him as we walks towards me too. It was still shocking to think he was trying to distract me for the other knights.

That's why I could tell Felix feels a lot of tension between us and awkwardness since I haven't even mentioned it and was kind of giving him the cold shoulder. That's what I've chosen as a sort of punishment for lying to me. It wasn't about Jeanette but it was still disappointing that he was trying to keep me from knowing what was happening. I've been disrespected by everyone outside of the Ruby Palace and I'm sick of it. It was even more so disappointing that it was Felix of all the knights. I wish he would have just told me.

"His Majesty is right in there." Felix awkwardly points to a door. I nod before walking off. I give two quick short knocks on the door and immediately a voice says to 'come in'. Claude was faced away from me on a couch. I walk over and sit on the couch opposite that faced him. The coffee table in between was filled with several different desserts. Yummy! But it's not really the time for this now.

His gaze was still as fierce as ever. I just stared at the sweets on the coffee table. There was an uncomfortable silence between us. Should I break the silence?

"How have you been recently?" Claude breaks the silence instead. This was the last thing I expected him to say. "I've been fine. We were finally able to rid of the black magic and I remember everything now." I explain to him. "Where we you?" Claude asks another question. "Arlanta mostly." I answer again.

"We had knights there. We had knights all over and and magicians yet we couldn't find you."

"We used magic."

"Where did you live?"

"Library's actually."

"Money?"

"We just pawn off ornaments from the Ruby Palace." I lie. Illegal counterfeit money really.

"You left without my permission."

"I haven't left the Palaces in eighteen years. We only went and found out how to rid of the black magic and once it was gone we returned."

Claude stayed silent. Let's propose my idea now.

"Jeanette. Don't kill her please. I ask this as favor to me. I think I deserve at least one favor from you and that is for you to spare her. Let her marry Ijekiel Alpheus and just live her life with that ducal household." I tell him, looking him in the eyes.