From Silver to Diamonds

Chapter 16

“Duties? Subjects? What are those? That I’ve been through was no duties but fire pits that I’d been pushed in,” the women began to stir into tears and malice. “Freedom, choice and dreams didn’t even exist and every day I felt like a walking dead but worse. You, second son of Windsor doesn’t need to worry about succession, you have an elder brother and many relatives diving for the spot but I’m different, I’m the only remaining candidate.”

“Your talk is cheap and so are you. Your selfishness disgraces us royals and it’s a good thing you’re not one of us anymore,”

Such brutal words slipped out his tongue and alarmed me. With all the smooth talking I’m used to hearing, this sort of speech coming out from Nicholas made me feel heavy and excited at the same time. Alas the effect of love is stupid and blinding which makes the person who loves more feel like a winner and a sore loser at the same time. Frankly I hate to lose and I think I’m repeating mum’s mistake not that I don’t love my dad.

Something was off at the end of Nicholas’ words. I could sense the bitterness when he said he was glad that the woman wasn’t part of them anymore but my intuition tells me that there was more depth to his words. Was it longing that I felt behind his words or could it be something more? What relationship do they have? This is making me feel somewhat anxious.

“Please stop. Let’s just all go inside and get warmed up,” I said quietly to lower the tension down.

“Why? I haven’t seen you before. You must be that old man’s dog. I’m surprised that you haven’t died yet and what was that excuse he made when I was gone? Yes, under chemotherapy. What great censorship he has, even got the whole country fooled,” the woman leered.

I shrunk back, my eyes lowered to the ground. She was scary and powerful just like father and daughter. Nobody would believe me anymore if both of us were to stand beside the prince, she has the willpower from her father and the beauty from her mother and I’m just some stand in that only looks eighty-five percent of the real princess.

Nicholas saw my state and quickly shielded me from the woman’s glare and murmured a few comforting words and faced the woman again, his fine brows knitted into a twisted scowl, eyes narrowed sharply as he marked his foe.

My phone suddenly rang, interrupting from their long exchange of sourpuss. The baby woke up and began crying. I didn’t waste time being grateful for the child to be asleep throughout the brawl and yanked out the phone from my back pocket.

“Miss! Where have you been? The prince is in fool mood and will send out troops to find you!” Lucie cried from the other side.

“I’m sorry to worry you and would you please pass on the message to ask the gatekeepers to open the gate –”

“I will also like to make a request to see his majesty. Tell him that Sophie Kesuch wants to speak to him” the women snatched the phone off my hands and hung up before pushing it back into my hands.

The prince wasn’t in his study and instead Mr Chevalier came to fetch us to bring us to the living room. He did a swift and low bow to Nicholas and then jerkily did one for Sophie who immediately pretended not to notice. I spotted him gnaw his teeth together before he stood up to lead the way.

That moment when nobody watched us, Nicholas held to my hand as we went through, smoothing his thumb against my knuckles to keep me calm. While Sophie walked right behind the servant’s heels and sounded sad as she hummed to the baby and rocked him to stop him crying.

It was awkward and no one talked till we came to the doors of the living room. Mr Chevalier bowed as he opened a door for us and what lies ahead was the prince changed from his nightwear to his formal suit, his hands in his pockets and body faced the floor to ceiling windows. The princess was also present; she was sitting beside the fireplace a new ball of yarn rolled down from where she sat knitting a new project.