Tobias opened his eyes first, surprisingly. He lifted his head and smiled, watching his wife and kids sleep soundly on the bed. He kissed Nathaniel's head, who was asleep next to him, and stood up from the bed. He grabbed a robe, wrapped it around himself, and walked down the stairs.
He almost forgot that Christina was here and nearly attacked the woman sleeping on the couch. He tiptoed to the kitchen and took out some eggs to make breakfast - for once. However, even when he was trying to do something nice for his wife, he made the cucumber he was cutting fall to the floor along with the knife, causing a huge noise against the floor.
Christina opened her eyes and stood up, gasping Will's name. She rubbed her eyes, recuperating where she was, and focused on the man in the kitchen.
"Good morning." Christina said groggily.
"Did you get some sleep?"
"A little. The carriage ride was bumpy and uncomfortable - I can't wait to get back."
Tobias nodded. "Did Beatrice offer our bed?"
"Yes, but no worries I'm fine. Do you need help with breakfast?"
"No, I'm trying to surprise her. She slept in, so I figured it was a good idea to make breakfast for once."
"You know how to cook?"
"Well, no, but I'm going to try."
Christina raised a brow. "You've lived here for two years - that's kind of sad."
"I'm at work every day and Beatrice cooks."
"Still sad."
Tobias chuckled. "Fine, you can sit there at the counter and tell me what not to do."
She smiled and joined him at the kitchen, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "How is this life? Honestly. I know it's a huge change for you, and not so much for Beatrice."
"It's fine. I'm still in a castle every day - I work on security detail for the king. It's great."
"I'm sure it is, and it must be so easy for you considering the stuff you did when you were younger. You know how to use a gun too, so that's good."
Tobias gulped, remembering the last time he used a gun. She didn't mean to use it against him, but the words at left her mouth faster before she could stop them. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"Will is doing a really good job as Prime Minister, Tobias. I promise. You chose the right person."
"I'm glad. He showed great leadership when I met him. Also, I'm sure his new project is going to work out just fine, and benefit future generations."
Christina smiled thinking of her husband, then returned back to their conversation. "You know, these two boys came by the castle a couple of months after you left. I think their names were Uriah and Pete, or Zeke, something like that. Anyways, they came asking about you, but we had to send them away."
Tobias' chopping became slower. He put down the knife and sighed. "They're my best friends. Uriah and Zeke."
She nodded. "I know it's hard to adjust to a new life with new people. I know. I mean, people come to me when they have questions, and I don't even the answer half the time! I'm not sure how Beatrice ever did it."
"Well, she never really had the chance. You do. You and Will can make good changes to the kingdom."
"Yeah, we will."
Tobias slid the cucumber slices onto a plate before he began to crack the eggs. He suddenly got very comfortable in Christina's presence, and found himself speaking to her about things he didn't even tell his wife. "Sometimes, I want to run away. I mean, I look at Nathan, and I see myself. And when I see myself in him, I see Marcus in me."
"Tobias, you were never like your father."
"No, I was. I cheated people, I've hurt people, and I've..." he sighed, "I've killed people. I'm his son, and I'll always be. It's in our blood."
"It's not in your childrens'."
"Yes it is!" He said louder than anticipated. "They both have the birthmark. They're both destined to reign one day, and I'm stripping them of their destiny."
"You can't help that Royal blood is thicker and stronger. It is. So what if they have the birthmark? You'll tell them how funny it is that it coincidentally looks like a crown. That's it, they never have to know."
"They should know."
"And you should have had a good father. Everyone has should'ves, but that doesn't matter in the end, does it? At the end of the day, you have grown into a good, kind hearted, loving father and husband. That's what counts!" Christina walked over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I worked at the castle before Beatrice, and I saw how you used to be - back then, you were Marcus' son."
"I was a bastard, wasn't I?"
"Yes, you were. Rude and selfish - we hated you. And then you began a relationship with...Nita, right? That's her name?"
He nodded. "Nita used me for my title and accessories, though."
"But you cared for someone else. You were compassionate, kind, and you were finally the prince we had been waiting for. You were Tobias. And then she broke your heart, so you became heartless again, and then you fell in love with Beatrice."
"You make it seem like love is a weakness."
"It's the contrary. Love is what makes you strong. The person you became with her is worth being, and it's the person your son should see when he looks at you. It's the man your daughter should see and want a husband like."
Tobias nodded as the room fell silent again. Christina moved away and walked up the stairs to check on her own son, glancing back at Tobias one last time. He had placed both hands on the counter and taken a deep breath, repeating Christina's words in his head.
The person you became with her is worth being.
He would desperately remember that until his death.
~
Kristine tossed in the bed until her hand went flying onto Nathaniel's face. His eyes shot right open as he cried aloud instantly, waking everyone in the house. Beatrice shot up from her bed, rattled. She rubbed her eyes and blinked, trying to clear her blurry vision.
"What happened?" Beatrice rushed out.
"Kristi hit me!" Nathaniel cried.
Beatrice looked down at her daughter, who was groggily waking up. She looked back at her son. "Nathan please stop crying I'm sure it was an accident."
"Mommy why is Nathan crying?" Kristine asked, moving away from her brother and raising her hands to her ears. "He's hurting my ears."
Tobias, thankfully, had entered the bedroom at that moment. He saw Kristine covering her ears, so he walked over and carried her into his arms. He escorted her out while Beatrice attended to her son, begging him to stop crying.
As he closed the door behind him, the children's bedroom door opened. Kristine gasped when she saw Aaron, begging instantly to be put down. Tobias complied and watched the two toddlers run to each other, sharing a big embrace.
He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms while Beatrice exited with Nathan on her hip, who had ceased from crying. She chuckled at her husband's confused complex.
"It's cute." She said quietly.
He shook his head. "She's two years old."
"Tobias, don't be silly. This is the only time they'll see each other. You said it yourself, they're two."
Beatrice hurried down the stairs before placing Nathaniel on the floor. She hugged Christina and went into the kitchen to start breakfast, but smiled when she saw it had already been made.
Tobias came down shortly after with Aaron and Kristine on his shoulder. They were laughing and wiggling until he set them down and walked to his wife. "I did it all by myself," he gushed.
"Thank you, Tobias. It's lovely," Beatrice kissed his cheek and picked up a plate. She looked over at Christina, knowing very well she helped him, "thank you" she mouthed to her.
Christina smiled before running over and picking Aaron into her arms. She lifted him up and wiggled him, making him laugh and flap his arms as if he were flying. She laughed and played with his nose before giving him a big sloppy kiss on his cheeks.
"Nathan! Kristi! Breakfast!" Tobias called out. The children came running in, trying to climb into their high chairs. Tobias helped them inside and set two plates in front of them. They looked at each other before looking at their father, confused. "What's wrong?"
"Where's milk?" Kristine asked.
"No milk today, guys," Beatrice said with a smile. "You can have some tonight."
Christina grabbed a plate and walked over to the couch, where she positioned Aaron on her lap and fed him the food. Beatrice leaned against the counter, eating her food there while keeping an eye on her children.
As they conversed individually, Tobias couldn't help but launch the question he had been dying to ask since Christina arrived. "Was anyone interested in coming with you to visit us?"
Christine gulped. "I didn't tell anyone. Julian was really busy anyways and Will was going to a meeting this weekend."
"And my mother?"
"I think she too was busy, but I didn't ask, I'm sorry."
The truth was, Evelyn wouldn't have been able to come even if she wasn't busy. One year after Tobias and Beatrice left, she had a few sudden outburst, which later turned into frequent episodes. Evelyn was seeing everywhere Marcus, and was imagining him terrorizing her all over again. Julian had her taken to a doctor, where he diagnosed her with schizophrenia.
She was unstable and placed in a mental asylum. Her brain began to work backwards, and according to her, it was the year where Tobias was born. Whenever Julian went to visit, he found Evelyn in a chair rocking an invisible baby in her hands and speaking to an invisible man beside her, presumably her husband. The doctor had said she went back to a time where her mind was at peace.
Of course, telling Tobias this would completely shatter him. He had lost his father - at his very own hands - and hearing he had lost his mother as well would make him himself unstable. And he couldn't be - not with a family to provide for. She couldn't risk it.
Beatrice saw the uneasiness in Christina's face, but kept quiet. When Tobias left to go feed the horse, she pulled her aside and asked her questions.
"Is Evelyn dead?" Beatrice asked.
Christina shook her head. "It's much worse. She's mentally ill. She's stuck in the year Tobias was born, and she has schizophrenia."
Beatrice gasped and let go of her hand. She brought her hand to her mouth and cried softly, excusing herself and rushing to the bathroom. She washed her face and wiped it with a towel, trying to recuperate herself.
She could only imagine the kind of reaction Tobias would receive if he heard.
She went back outside, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "You mustn't tell Tobias. You can't."
"I won't." Christina sighed. "When was the last time you and Tobias had a night out?"
"There was a festival a couple of months ago, and we went with the kids."
"How about alone?"
Beatrice pursed her lips. "Not since we lived in the castle."
Christina placed her hands on her hips. "I think you both need some alone time. Why don't you go out tonight, and I'll watch the kids."
"I don't know, Christina. I haven't left them since they were born."
"All the more reason to have a date night."
Beatrice pondered the idea. "It won't be so bad."
"See? I knew you'd like the idea. Think of me as your nanny for the night - I love Aaron, but I need some alone time with my husband too."
"But it's not like our love life changed."
"No, but I'm sure it's not all that fun as it used to be with your children in the room across."
Beatrice shrugged and picked up the blanket on the couch, folding it and placing it on the arm rest. "Thank you, Christina. It's kind of you to offer."
Christina smiled and wrapped her arms around her best friend. She pulled away and walked over to her son, playing with little Aaron by tickling him. As she tickled him, Christina remembered Beatrice's face when they talked about Evelyn - it wasn't one of pity, but one of sadness. And, if she knew her best friend, she knew that Beatrice would be too stubborn to ask about her own mother, and eventually about her own family.
As Beatrice went over to the kitchen to wash the plates, Christina walked over and decided to tell her. "Your mother is good, by the way. Yeah, she sings every Friday night in the kingdom now and Will took the liberty to move your family within the kingdom gates, along with our families. They were the first ones to move. Your father's works is more involved as well. Caleb and Susan are getting married soon."
Beatrice turned off the water and looked at her children. "I can't go attend the wedding."
"I'm sorry, Beatrice. It's for your safety - we're still trying to locate who helped your father escape, but it's so hard. I can't risk you four returning to the castle and, upon hearing such news, those people come and harm you."
"I get it."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
Beatrice put down the plate and covered her mouth so her children wouldn't see that it was quivering. She ran up the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door, collapsing on the bed and crying on her pillow. She cried because, at that moment, she realized that the romance she craved for since she was younger, and received, who forever cost her. Like now, Beatrice was stuck miles away instead of attending her brother's wedding, and her brother couldn't see his niece and nephew. And her parents couldn't see their grandchildren.
No matter how great the love was, every love came with consequences, and Beatrice was living them.
~
Beatrice was brushing her hair when Tobias walked inside the bedroom. He had already gotten dressed, did his hair, and was ready to leave. He had read Kristine and Nathaniel a bedtime story and left them to go to bed. Aaron was going to sleep with Christina in the master bedroom because Tobias and Beatrice were expected to return home in the morning.
Tobias walked up behind his wife and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "You look amazing."
"I haven't even put my hair up yet." Beatrice said as she put down the brush and prepared to put her hair up, but Tobias stopped her, claiming she looked better with her hair down.
Beatrice nodded, smiling, as she took her scarf and let it rest on her forearms. She stood up and examined herself in the simple blue dress she was wearing before accepting she could leave. Tobias took her hand and led her down the stairs, opening the front door and exiting outside. Beatrice gasped when she saw what was in front of the house, laughing.
"You got us a carriage?" she asked.
"Why not, you know? My wife deserves to be brought to her dinner in a carriage, so I got her one."
She pushed him slightly, walking to the carriage. Beatrice smiled at the coachman as she entered and took her seat. She pet the horse while she waited for her husband to climb inside, and once he did, the carriage started to move.
Tobias moved over and sat next to Beatrice, who was enjoying the change of scent around her. She realized how stuffy the house was, and how great it was to smell fresh air. Tobias stretched his arm and wrapped it around her, snuggling her against him. Beatrice looked up and smiled, allowing him to lean down and kiss her lips.
They couldn't ask for anything more perfect.
When the carriage stopped, Tobias exited first and extended his hand for his wife to take. She smiled, taking it and stepping down from a carriage. As if the moment needed to be any more romantic, Beatrice's clumsiness came into play and she tripped midair, falling into the warm arms of her husband. She laughed, clinging on to him as he set her down, laughing himself.
"That was too cute." He laughed, pecking her.
Beatrice pushed him again, taking his hands and dragging him to the restaurant. She pushed open the doors and smiled once she heard the commotion of people's conversations. Of course, it was no dinner in the castle, and the restaurant wasn't in the best state already. Tobias went to a table and sat down as a waiter came to take their order.
Tobias ordered for the both of them, handing the waiter the menus. Beatrice and Tobias lived in the wealthy sector of the kingdom - right below the castle hill. They were well off and, thankfully, didn't need to worry about food or money.
The food came shortly after and the couple indulged. They talked and laughed, completely forgetting about their children and their life problems. At that moment, all that mattered was that they were together.
When they had finished, Tobias took his wife's hand and led her outside. This time, they walked to their next destination. As they walked through a small trail in the park, they ended up to a grass area with two candles and a blanket spread on the ground. Beatrice smiled and walked over, lying down on the blanket and looking up at the sky.
Tobias lied down with her, moving his arm so she would rest against it. She leaned on his chest, tracing circles on his shirt and embracing the warmth he radiated.
And then, when the night was still young and they weren't tired, they expressed their love to each other in the empty dark park all over the grass.
It didn't matter how many hardships came with being in love with Tobias - what mattered was that, at that moment, she could relish the pleasure with her husband and in the morning return to her small family. Her safe family.