The Reincarnated Prince

Chapter 7: The Black Sheep of the Family

"But still!" I protested, thinking about Aurora's point of view in all of this.

"Even if I am a prince, she still might be nervous or unhappy to marry me. Shouldn't I first get to know her so I can see whether she is interested in me?" I asked them.

"But I also don't want to make dad break his word either..."

"Really Rory! You are too young to be so kind and considerate..." Uncle Cassian squatted beside my mother and me and persisted in ruffling my hair.

My mother proceeded to reward me with a big kiss on my cheek which made me blush and feel all warm and giddy inside.

"Don't worry my little Rory. Why don't you attend a few days at the academy to visit her or invite her to the palace for tea and get to know her a bit. From You're interaction you can make you're decision I think that would be the best solution."

I nodded in agreement. "Okay. For now let us keep the engagement. If I find out that she doesn't want to marry me I'll call off the engagement. As for me, I'm fine with with marrying her as long as she is a good person."

My mother continued to stroke my hair while Cassian decided that poking me in my side would be amusing. I was enjoying mother's affection while playing with Cassian with the background noise of father and uncle Savras talking about serious matters in hushed tones. This was my new family. A strange but happy mix of people I was already beginning to love. However, after spending years of my life with Nehemiah, I was really starting to miss her presence. I wanted to see her again but the excitement of the past few days had completely banished her from my mind until now. At the next opportunity I would ask mother about her and whether I could go and see her.

Suddenly our happy family time was interrupted by the announcer's earthquakingly loud voice.

"Duke Irathmus Rosenheim and his entourage enters!"

I felt my mother's shoulders stiffen and I lifted my head to see that she had a concerned expression on her face. Her light blue gem eyes had gone quite cold and her face and been flushed of any joy as she stared ahead of her.

My eyes shifted to uncle Cassian who had a similar unsettled expression on his face. Whoever this person was, I could feel that he wasn't welcomed by family.

I already didn't like him.

I turned to see a man, with the same black hair and amber eyes as my father and uncle Cassian. I immediately knew that he must be a relative of mine, yet another member of the Royal family.

He looked quite similar to my father actually, but older and somehow meaner with grey sprouts of hair on his beard disturbing his naturally black coloring. His brow was protruded and his beady eyes were sunken into his head behind them creating a dark shadow down the rest of his cold face. The combination of wrinkles and dark circles under his eyes made him seem quite old. Actually I take it back, compared to this man my father seemed like the bright dazzling sun.