Final Attempt

A Father's Wish

The empress eyes grew wide. "What?"

"She doesn't wish to be the empress?"

"Yes."

The empress seemed to deflate in her chair.
And for a while neither of them said a word.

As the duke opened his mouth to appeal once again, the door to the greenhouse flung open.

"Crown prince! This is no way to enter!"

Deitrus walked in towards where the empress and duke were seated.

"I greet the empress and the duke."

The dukes face looked awful. His fists were tightly clenched. The empress had a worried expression on her face as she saw the duke tense up.

"Son."

Deitrus turned towards his mother. They looked extremely similar. It seemed that he had inherited most of his mothers beauty.

"The duke and I were discussing your engagement with Miss Ilia."

At her words the dukes face grew darker. Why had brought this matter up while he still was here.

Deitrus was not shocked. He had expected as much.

"Do you wish to continue this engagement?"

Deitrus smirked slightly as he heard the question.

"Yes. Your son does not wish to part with Miss Ilia just yet."

The empress stared at her son. What the hell was going on here? Her son who had barely looked at his fiancé now wants to continue this relationship?

"You-."

"Duke I will visit Ilia personally soon."

The duke didn't react and simply stared at Deitrus. His face had grown cold now. However, Deitrus wasn't phased by the disrespectful behaviour of the duke.

"Your excellency, your highness please excuse me."

With a slight bow the duke rushed out of the room.

Ah he was very close to punching that smirk off of that bastard's face.

Back in the palace the empress tapped her fingers lightly on the glass table.

"Deitrus."

"Yes mother."

"For the duke to have come all this way, and beg me for his daughter. Do you understand what this means?"

Deitrus stared at his mother. He wasn't aware that the duke had actually kneeled regarding this issue.

With an angry expression the empress looked at her beloved son. Arrogant, excellent, but too cold. He was like his father in that respect.

"She is a person Deitrus! How many times did I tell you to treat her gently? Did you think she would love you unconditionally? That girl doesn't even wish to be empress anymore!"

What?

She no longer wants to be empress?

Wasn't that what she had always wanted?

"She really said that?"

The empress trembled with anger. Deitrus grabbed his mothers hand in a panic.

"Mother, I'm sorry please don't get so angry it's not good for your health."

"She's sick."

"And she no longer wants to be with you."

Those words cut through Deitrus heart. He didn't know why but the idea of Ilia leaving him forever hurt his heart badly.
If she left him now, then how would he repay and repent? Or does she wish to go to Alain? Does she remember?

He needs to find out.

"Mother do not worry. I will visit Ilia as soon as I can, and fix this."

"Fix this."

With a chuckle, the empress removed her hand from Deitrus and stared out the window.  She looked dejected.

"Try it then. Let's see if you can fix this."