ROYAL DUTY

37.Favors

The week had been a trying one.

From the near-death experience, Natalia had had fighting with the assassin; to having to stay lying down in bed, hidden from everyone, and bored to death. That week could have gone down as one of her worst ones. The only good thing she had gotten from the whole thing was the daily visits she got from Tyren.

Together, they had plotted, strategized, and finally tricked Lord Hayworth into exposing himself as the man behind The Emperor's attempted assassination.

And, as soon as Tyren discovered the culprit, he had the whole Hayworth clan arrested and announced their trial and execution for the next morning.

The execution itself had been a morbid sight. All the palace inhabitants—from the imperial family to the contestants, to the palace staff—and the nobles, with their families, had been forced to watch the beheading. Despite Natalia's dislike for Marilia, she hadn't been able to stand and watch the humiliation of her family. But she, like everyone, had no choice but to watch it.

The whole Hayworth family had been brutally tortured, then dragged to the gallows. Bloody and terribly torn. They had cried, begged, and screamed for mercy. But Tyren and his family had watched the whole thing emotionlessly as they ordered one beheading after the other.

Even though, no one had said it, the public execution was a warning to them all. Now, they all knew what would happen to anyone who betrayed or attacked the crown.

It was no surprise that the palace had turned into a quiet and eerie place. No empty chatters were heard. Most people moved like ghosts. Everyone was scared, even of their own shadows. This is why, when the Empress had announced that on that night, she would announce the top three contestants. Everyone was just too wound up to feel any other emotion.

It was as the ladies were walking out of the breakfast hall that they noticed Prince Hayes. He seemed to be rushing towards them—as if he didn't want to miss them—until he got to them.

"Your Highness," they all dropped into equally low curtsies.

"Stand!" He responded with his signature flirtatious grin before he turned and faced Natalia. "Princess Natalia, may I have the pleasure of your company?"

Natalia was as shocked as the rest of the ladies at the prince's odd request. Made so early in the morning at that. But it was Lady Corlina, who let out a surprised gasp before covering it with a cough.

"Of course, Your Highness."

Taking his outstretched hand, they walked away from the other ladies, taking a whole different route to the side of the palace she had never been to. "If I may I ask, Your Highness. What is going on?"

"Please, call me Hayes. As far as I am concerned, the two of us are already friends. Don't you agree?" He asked in a half-playful, half-flirtatious tone. But even then, she couldn't help but notice that he seemed jumpier than usual. He kept looking around them, as if scared they would be seen together. "Let's get some privacy, then we will start talking."

They walked for several minutes and went up two flights of stairs until they entered a room that looked like a nursery. It was clean and well-kept. But also looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. Which made sense since all the imperial children were too old to use it.

"I apologize for the long walk and the mysterious room. But, what I am about to talk to you about is a very sensitive subject and I wouldn't want anyone eavesdropping. The palace has become a very dangerous place of late," he started, gesturing for her to take a seat on a chair.

She stared directly at him, the moment they were both settled because he had yet to start talking.

What could this possibly be about?