Chapter 46

The workers of Castle Vain, mostly used for vacations were stunned. The King they knew would never behave like this. They were both surprised and curious as to what was the relationship between the two. The King has always been a private man. His personal life was always a mystery to many.

No one knew what type of woman he liked. The qualities and virtues he looked for. Many women have been presented to the King for years and he has never shown interest. But this young girl seemed to have snatched his heart. She had done the impossible. She made the stoic, emotionless man feel something.

The King was not an emotional person, so they were all amazed to see him smile at the new woman like that. Who was she? Who was this witch who made a beast feel? And most importantly what was her relationship with the King? These were some of the questions they were dying to ask but they could not, since they had no authority. Largely, they were surprised the King knew how to smile.

He always strolls around with a frown on his face like he's mad at everyone. His father was a lively man while his mother was kind. How could the two produce such a stoic man?  Most of the castle servants were happy to see the King finally smiling and acting friendly. They were glad he found someone who made him more human and approachable.

However, some were of another opinion. Why was this strange woman here? What was her relationship with the King? What about the King's decision on another particular matter that would either stabilize or destabilize the Kingdom? The King seemed to have made up his mind.

Would he be able to face the consequences of his actions?

One person in particular wrote a secret letter and sent it to her mistress outside the Castle. Unlike the main castle, this one was not on lockdown. People could go in and out without hesitation but they were prohibited to speak of the King's presence.

As far as the rest of the Kingdom knew, the King was still in the main Castle due to the lockdown. The person hid in the shadows waiting for the clash that was bound to happen. They were aware of the storm that would be caused by one letter and they anticipated it.

Mrs. Meyer, the housekeeper of Castle Vain was worried but at the same time happy. She was happy the young master had finally found someone he loved. She could tell by the way he cared for her. Anyone in their right mind could tell the two were in love even though they seemed to be holding back.

The young master was a happy child. He loved horses, fighting, and playing around. As a child, he would always get in trouble for staying out too long and playing with the commoners. He didn't mind interacting with the commoners, in fact, he cherished his playmates. He used to bring them back to the castle to eat snacks and go back to play.

He was carefree. The former king and queen were also carefree. They didn't care who their son was interacting with. They welcomed these interactions so that their son could learn how other people lived. He learned that not everyone was as privileged as he was. He could learn from others and also see for himself what his kingdom had to offer. Indeed, those were the good old days.

The Queen's mother suddenly died young from an unknown disease, leaving the young master in the care of the King. The King losing his wife made him emotionally unavailable. He stopped talking to his son often because the young master reminded him of his dead wife. Without the love of a father, the young master was brought back to Castle Vain, where he dwelled until he became an adult.

He didn't get to see his father often which broke the young master's heart. He had teachers who came in every day to teach him the essentials of being a King. His father seemed to have dumped him. The rumors of his situation were spread through the Kingdom and at some point, the noblemen started urging the late King to remarry.

The young master outraged by their suggestion went to the castle to see his estranged father. He demanded an explanation as to why his father would marry another woman. Offended by the Young Masters attitude the King grounded him for 3 months. The noblemen were sure the young master had fallen from grace and the former King would select another heir.

The bond between father and son was not a bond that could be severe so easily. The former King loved his son and he later explained why he was grounded. The noblemen at the time were trying to convince the King to change his heir.

The young master was in danger so his father had to ground him so that he could be watched by guards for the time being. The former King was trying to protect his son but it came off as though he didn't care for him.

A lot of things happened to the former King at the time but the young master had no idea of what was happening around him. Mrs Meyer was among the few who knew of the instability that was happening in the Kingdom. The difficult job was to make sure the young master had everything he needed to succeed to the throne.

As someone who has watched the young master grow, she was glad that he finally opened his heart to someone. Having lost his parents he became guarded and insensitive to people and he refused to let anyone in, including her. The corners of her lips lifted as she smiled at this new development. She will protect this love with everything she's got. She promised the Queen Mother, that she would see to the King's happiness.