Total Eclipse of the Heart (Royal AU Wally x reader)

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Dad?" he once asked before his old man could leave the room.
He just turned towards him as a reponce.
"Do you think I can become the new King when ours die? I know it must remain a secret but, if I become King, I'd take you with me. We'd be super rich and powerful then."
His dad laughed. Arnold felt embarrassed, he didn't like being laughed at. He didn't like that kind of attention.
"Only the King choses who replaces him, and it's always some guy no one's ever heard of." he said.
"But what if it's me this time?"
"It won't be." he frowned. "Focus on preparing yourself to manage this estate and its business before you even dream of becoming royalty."

And with that he left. Arnold pondered over this. It was true, his dad worked really hard on his family businesses when his grandfather died – or so he heard, from his dad – he should do the same! Arnold then began to study business by himself, ready to live the life of a Marquis and never ask for anything more. As long as it made his father proud and happy. For a slow learner like him, all that paperwork stuff turned out to be the hardest thing he's ever been taught.
Before he could get a grip of the basics, a year later, the King of Spades was found dead. Soon after was the Great Departure. Arnold's father was one of the first ones to leave. The young man woke up one day and realized his father was gone, along with all his important documents and all of his money.

Arnold didn't have any money of his own, thankfully he found an old jewelry box hidden somewhere in his father's room. It was a woman's, which he found strange. It was his mother's, but he didn't know that, he hadn't thought about her since he was eight. Thanks to these jewels, he managed to pay his servants and keep his house in check for a while. Until his father comes back, so he said. While the Grand Departure was happening throughout the Kingdom, Arnold went about his days like nothing happened. Sadly enough, there wasn't much difference compared to before. But Arnold felt the difference, he felt it deeply...
The moment he understood his father wasn't coming back was when he received a letter appointing him member of some new High Council, gathering all of the remaining nobles to lead the Kingdom of Spades until they found a new King. Arnold was surprised.
'He didn't choose a random guy no one's ever heard of?'

He saw a golden opportunity: simply go to that Council, announce that he was the King's secret son and become King. But when he arrived at the royal castle and met his fellow council members, he remained silent about it. He intended to wait until they addressed the subject, but when they listed who fled the country (so that everyone was up to speed), his father's name came up.
They said things about him, mean things, speculated about why he ran away, maybe the tax fraud allegations were true, maybe he had another family in another country, maybe he just didn't want these new responsibilities. Arnold stared into space. This was the first time he's heard about his father and the man in question wasn't here. He didn't know he had that kind of reputation...

"Your father left?"
Arnold was snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the 'low-rank' end of the long table. At the farthest seat down was a lady who looked at him with a sad expression. Who was it? Lady (L/n) or something, he's never heard of her before.
"Yeah."
His monotonous answer seemed to make her even sadder. She placed a hand over her heart.
"I'm so sorry..."
The council members moved on with their list and Lady (L/n) was quick to pay attention. Which Arnold was thankful for, for he couldn't think of anything to say. He frowned, confused.
'What's her problem?'
And that was his very first interaction with (Y/n) (L/n), the Lady of Spades.

Upon hearing of his father's reputation, Arnold gave up on his initial plan. Being an illegitimate son would put his father's name to even greater shame. He refused to let that happen.
'I'll become King because I'll deserve it.'
"Well it's pretty obvious, isn't it?" he said once the question of the King's replacement came up. "'Cause..." he looked around, then pointed at himself. "I'm of the highest rank here."
The High Council members looked at each-other.
"Aren't you a child?"
"I'm sixteen!"
"So a child." Lady Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow.
He glared at her. He didn't like these guys already. Upon presenting him with all the issues the Kingdom was facing, Arnold couldn't say he was ready for the role just yet.
"But..." Lady (L/n) spoke. "He should at least be the head of the Council. He is a marquis, after all..." she looked down upon seeing everyone's eyes on her. "We should respect his title, I think..."
The others approved, not without hesitation. Arnold was glad that at least one person here had some sense.