Mina wished the day was over and she would return with Jayden to their home. After she would put the children to bed and make sure the kittens ate, she would spend the rest of the night in Jayden's arms.
How she wished Jayden would have taken her to Ora Dorei instead of the Royal Palace. At least there, she would not have to see her uncle or Rosalyn, and no one would tell her she had to marry Count Dickman.
"What did you say?" the King asked the Fire Mage.
Timothy removed his hand from Mina and looked at the King, but before he could reply, Hugo spoke.
"He said Mina is not a whore, and if I hear someone talk like that about her again, I will make sure they will have to swallow their words!" Hugo growled while he hugged Mina tight, as if he were afraid he would attack someone if he let go of her. "I have had enough of Mina being treated poorly because she is half gypsy!"
Mina felt everyone looking at her, from King Baswein to the maids that passed through the hall. The guards seemed not to know what to think about the whole thing.
Prince Liam gazed at Mina; all his disappointment was gone, replaced by confusion. She wondered if he always thought she was capable of being with someone before getting married.
She always thought it was unfair that only women had to be pure on their wedding night, and that it was not the same for men. While it was frowned upon to see men go to brothels, no one would call them names. But if a woman did the same, she would be called a slut and a whore, and no one would want to marry her. And if she did not have a husband, she would have trouble finding a job and usually end up in the slums with a man as poor as herself or working in brothels.
"Are you sure Mina is still pure?" Prince Liam asked Timothy.
Rosalyn rolled her eyes. "Of course, the Fire Mage is on her side. They are friends!"
"If you don't trust me because you think I would lie to protect Mina, you are free to call any other Fire Mage! Even the Arch Mage! He would say the same thing!" Timothy sounded as offended as he looked.
Count Dickman licked his lips while he looked at Mina as if he were a hyena. "This changes everything!" he said. "As soon as the King signs the annulment, Minerva will be my bride!"
Hugo knitted his brows. "Annulment? What annulment?"
Rosalyn smirked. "Our father, as Mina's guardian, wants to have her married to Count Dickman. I think they would make a lovely couple! Don't you agree, dear?" she asked the Prince with a smile on her lips, but her husband only gave her an angry look.
Hugo stood proud, his shoulders broad. "This changes nothing! Mina is married to Commander Jayden! Or have you forgotten when you gave your blessing to them on the day he returned from war?" he asked King Baswein angrily. "You always talk about how you cared about Mina's father, but now you want to steal her away from the man that fought with all he had to save us, only to give her to him!" Hugo almost yelled while pointing at the Count. He looked at his father next. "When there were rumors about him beating his wives until they died, no one lifted a finger! He said they had been ill, and that was that! Is that the person you want to be Mina's husband?"
"Watch what you are saying, boy!" the Count said, but no one paid him any attention.
The Duke held his son's stare as he replied, "If Count Dickman hit any of his wives, I am sure they deserved it. But his wives were indeed the victims of a mysterious illness!"
Hugo's eyebrow went up. "Let's say the Count's previous wives died of this illness when they failed to give him a son. But father, that is what you think? That women deserve to be hit?"
"If it is for their own good, then yes," the Duke replied.
"So you slapped Mina for her own good. Are you refusing to give her the money her parents left her for her own good as well?" Hugo growled.
"As her guardian, I am the one who decides what happens to her money! If she wants it, she has to marry Count Dickman!"
Mina's mouth went dry. Not even dead would she marry that despicable man.
"Tedric, no man should hit a woman, especially someone as delicate as Mina! For that, I want you to pay her a hundred gold coins. Now, as for Mina's inheritance, I clearly remember Adinet's will, which said that in case something happens to him, all his goods and money will be Mina's the day she gets married. Legally, she is married to Commander Jayden. Even as her guardian, you have no right to keep her money from her! I want you to deposit everything that belongs to her into her bank account!" the King ordered the Duke.
Duke Tedric seemed to be a bit nervous. "Since I spoke with Count Dickman, and I was sure Mina would marry him, I already gave him all her money! As for the hundred gold coins, I don't think it is fair I have to pay that much for a mere slap, but I will give them to her nonetheless."
Timothy brushed some dust from his magic robe. "It was not a mere slap. Her husband had to carry her all the way inside the Fire Church because she was hurt."
Prince Liam and Hugo stared at Duke Tedric with angry eyes.
Mina let go of Hugo and faced her uncle. She balled her fists so hard her nails were digging into her palms. "You had no right to give the Count what is mine! My father said the money would go to me, not my husband or whomever you want!" She was so furious she felt tears pooling in her eyes. She took a moment to calm herself before continuing to speak. "I married Jayden without a dowry because you refused to give me my inheritance! You said he only wanted me for my money! I refuse to marry Count Dickman not only because I am married to Jayden but because no law can force me to do so!"
Duke Tedric smiled. "No, I can't force you to marry anyone. As for your inheritance, the law says the marriage has to be valid, and since the marriage has not been consummated, I won't give you even a copper coin!"
"Tedric, enough!" the King said. "You will give Mina what is hers!" He turned his attention to Mina. "I apologize for the things said today. Now, since you don't want to marry Count Dickman, you can return to your home. But before that, I would like you to have lunch with me and the others. Nolan had been asking about you. Maybe you could see him?"
Mina could not believe the King finally came to his senses. While she was angry for how she was treated, she was happy she could return to her children and kittens.
"What do you mean Minerva won't marry me?" the Count asked in a shocked tone. "Tedric, you promised her to me!"
Hugo gritted his teeth. "Are you deaf? Mina is married! And even if she weren't, she would not marry you!" He looked at his father. "Mina is not a prize horse to be promised to someone like she has nothing to say about it!"
The Duke narrowed his eyes. "Count Dickman is a better match for Mina than that bastard! She will have all she needs if she becomes his wife!"
"The Commander has more than enough money to give Mina the life she deserves!" Hugo said.
Duke Tedric huffed.
"Talking about Jayden, when will he be released?" Mina asked the King. She would not leave the palace without him.
"If Tedric is willing to sign a pardon for Commander Jayden, he will be set free immediately!" the King replied.
"I will never forgive that bastard for putting his filthy hands on me! I want him exiled from the kingdom and the wedding annulled!" Duke Tedric yelled.
Mina did not understand why her uncle disliked Jayden so much. She never once heard her uncle call Jayden by his given name. When Duke Tedric referred to Jayden, he only called him a bastard.
"Duke Tedric, Commander Jayden only hit you because you kept calling Mina a 'slut,'" Prince Liam said, and Mina glared at him. She knew he thought the same thing, even if he didn't say it aloud.
Duke Tedric did not reply and seemed to be thinking about what Prince Liam had told him.
"Father, you are being unreasonable!" Hugo said.
"How about we go outside and eat, and maybe a change in scenery will make Tedric see things in a better light? After all, it is a great honor to have Commander Jayden as a family member!" the King said, appearing to try to convince Duke Tedric that Jayden being married to Mina was a good thing, even if he was born in a brothel.
"I will have lunch with you, but I will not change my mind," the Duke said to the King as they left the Throne Room.
The Count and Rosalyn followed them.
Timothy glanced at Mina. “I am sorry your uncle keeps bothering you even after you got married. I will write to the Arch Mage and let him know what your uncle plans to do. I am sure he won’t approve of your marriage being annulled.”
“I got married in a Water Church,” Mina said. “The Arch Mage won’t be of much help.”
“I will think of something,” Timothy said before leaving.
Hugo, Mina, and Prince Liam remained alone in the Throne Room.
Prince Liam stared at Mina and opened his mouth a few times but said nothing. He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck.
Mina could see the Prince wanted to speak to her, but she ignored him.
She always considered him her best friend, and how he looked and spoke about her earlier hurt her.
She never had many friends, but she thought those few friends she did have would not turn their backs on her when she most needed them.
"I will talk to father and see if I can make him change his mind about signing the pardon for Jayden," Hugo said to Mina before offering his arm to guide her to where the table was being set for lunch.
"I am not sure I can stomach anything after all that has been said and done!" Mina said as she placed her hand in the crook of Hugo's elbow. "I am worried about Jayden. I want to go see how he is!"
Hugo thought for a moment. "We can do that if you like."
"Mina, could I perhaps have a word with you?" Prince Liam finally said when Mina and Hugo were about to leave the Throne Room. When Hugo and Mina turned to look at the Prince, he added, "Alone."
"Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Hugo," Mina said.
Prince Liam looked uncomfortable for a moment. "About earlier, I am sorry for not believing you. I should have known you..."
Mina looked him straight in the eyes. "Jayden believed me when I told him no other man had touched me before him. I thought you were my friend, but I should have known better," she said before Hugo and she headed to where the prisoners were kept.