The Crown

Chapter Twenty Two

Evelyn didn't say a word. This time, she was alert, and she was staring right at Tobias, whose eyes were widened in fear. His hands shook more - as much as he tried to hide it, sitting in front of him was the one person that could intimidate him. 

Tobias was at a loss for words. The rapid succession of announcements his parents cornered him within a matter of minutes left him speechless, afraid opening his mouth would cause him to combust. He could not find himself the power to explain he would not marry Lauren, because his heart was to Beatrice – the servant.

His mind wandered off to Beatrice. 

"No," Tobias finally said, his voice low and steady. He looked up in his father's eyes. "No."

"No?" Marcus asked, amused at how his son was challenging him. "What do you mean no? You were about to marry her once, what has gotten into you this time?"

"I was never going to marry her the first time," He finally admitted, an immense weight lifting from his chest. He took a deep breath, feeling he had just been granted the ability to do so for the first time. "I do not love her. I never will."

Both Evelyn and Marcus were taken back. "What?" They both asked.

"That is right. I am not going to marry Lauren. I never will," Tobias pushed his chair back as he stood and slammed his hand on the table. "I am in love with Beatrice!"

"Beatrice?" Evelyn squealed, her hand over her heart.

"Beatrice; my servant."

Marcus clung to the seat for support. 

He was definitely hallucinating, right? 

There was no possible way his blood could ever love a servant. 

Marcus cursed the days he prayed his son would never fall for anything but a princess. Now, even a simple wealthy man's daughter would be better than a servant - it made him want to throw up.

Marcus opened his mouth to respond – to yell – but nothing came out. Instead, he silently stood, his eyes attached to the ground below. He slowly made his way toward Tobias and finally looked up. 

He retracted his arm, raised it, and let his palm fly across Tobias' face.

"Marcus!" Evelyn cried out, rushing toward her son's aid. "What is the matter with you?"

"What is the matter with me? Look at him! He's in love with the inferiors, the poor, the disgusting-"

Tobias pushed his father away from the table, following him from behind. "Do not dare speak of her that!"

Marcus chuckled dryly and looked at his wife. "Do you not see the insane state he is in? He needs to get help, Evelyn! He is mad!"

"I am not the one that needs help. You fell in love once, why won't you let me do it too?"

The King was astonished at the words he was hearing. He could not believe it, and he almost would have fallen back in his chair if for not his need to slap his son across the cheek again. Tobias groaned at the contact of the silver rings hitting his face once more, but he would rather get slapped two more times and finally win over his right to be in love than to give up and marry Lauren.

"You can never compare the love I had for your mother to the one you have for this rat."

"How dare you?!" Tobias yelled. "You both agreed how valuable she was in saving our lives the day of the attack! I would think you could see her incomparable worth rather than the wretched princess! Beatrice has more worth in her finger than that princess could have in her whole body!