192 House Prescott 2 (1/2)
Marianne shook her head. ”If we turn down the royal princess's request, she'd only be suspicious of us.”
Right now, they were in their room while having tea.
She made tea for her husband who looked very anxious at the moment. Of course, she felt the same way. But she knew that panicking wouldn't bring them anywhere.
”Can't we use your pregnancy as an excuse?” Maverick asked. ”I don't really think that accepting the royal princess's offer is the wisest choice.”
”I don't want to be anywhere near the royal princess, too,” she said. ”But if I avoid her, she'll definitely realize that I already know what I am. We can't underestimate her even though she's just a child.”
”Marianne, the royal princess might kill you right away.”
”She won't,” she assured her husband. ”If Her Royal Highness wants to kill me right away, then she would have done it as soon as she found out that I'm a Fire Mage. But if she wants to get closer to me, it means she needs something from me.”
”Marianne…” He let out a frustrated sigh. ”I called Morgan a while ago. He told me that running to Oakes will put us in more danger.”
She nodded in agreement. ”Lord Morgan is right. This isn't the right time to run away.”
Her husband didn't respond this time but she could see in his face how worried he was.
”I will find out what Her Royal Highness wants with me and our baby,” Marianne said, then she put her hand on top of her husband's hand. ”Maverick, please trust me.”
”I will talk to Morgan again to understand Fire Mages better,” Maverick said, then he held her hand and brought it close to his lips. ”I will protect you with all that I have, Marianne.” He kissed the back of her hand. ”You and our baby.”
***
”NIA.”
Nia stopped admiring the Moonflowers in her garden when Aku arrived. She turned around to face him, then she smiled and bowed to him. ”Greetings, Your Royal Highness.”
”Why are you being so formal?” Aku complained. ”You can talk to me casually, Nia.”
”You're the crown prince of the empire, Your Royal Highness,” she reminded him with a smile. As the royal princess, she was raised perfectly as a beautiful doll who was supposed to only smile at the crown prince. ”I can't speak casually to you.”
He scowled at that. Then, he turned to all the servants and knights around them. ”Leave us alone,” he said sternly. ”I need to speak with the royal princess in private.”
The servants and the knights looked hesitant to leave.
But as soon as Aku glared at them, they all bowed their heads and scrammed.
A tyrant in the making, I see.
”Nia, why do I feel like you're being distant to me?” Aku said while they were walking around the luxurious garden to admire the Moonflowers. ”Did I do or say something to make you upset?”
Her brother had been away for almost a year.
As far as she knew, Aku went to the North for his ”training.” But she knew her brother went there for a different reason.
”I'm sorry for leaving you for that long, Nia,” Aku said, then he gently patted the top of her head. ”Don't worry. That will be the last time that I will make you feel alone.”
She just smiled at his promise that she really didn't care about. ”How was your trip to the North, Brother?”
”It was fun,” Aku said with an unusual bright smile. ”I found a really cute baby there.”
”A baby?”
He nodded. ”I wanted to bring him home and make him my younger brother.”
”Then, why did you come back alone?”
”His guardian was stubborn,” he said in a frustrated voice. ”He hid the baby from me.”
”It's unlike you to just let them go, Brother,” she said. ”I'm sure you could have easily found them if you chased them.”
”That's true,” he said while nodding his head. ”But I decided to wait until he's strong enough to serve me.”
”You seem to have been enamored by this ”baby,” Brother.”
”What are you saying, Nia?” he said with a soft laugh. ”You're still the cutest for me.”
She just chuckled at that creepy statement.
”By the way, I heard that you hired Lady Prescott as your new dance teacher,” Aku said. ”Is there a particular reason why you chose her, Nia?”
”I heard that Lady Prescott is the best dancer among the noble ladies,” she said. ”Is there a problem with my choice, Brother?”
He shook his head. ”House Prescott has always been a part of the Royal Faction. They're also arguably the richest family in the empire. It would be nice if you deepen our relationship with House Prescott. They can help me succeed the throne in the future.”
”Yes, Brother.”
She was actually relieved that Aku didn't seem to know that Lady Prescott and her baby were Fire Mages.
It was as if his brother truly believed that the Fire Mages had been wiped out. Well, one of his flaws was his arrogance. He believed in himself too much. But this time, his too much faith in himself played to her advantage.
As long as Brother Aku is confident that the Fire Mages have been wiped out a long time ago, then I can move freely.
”Nia?”
”Yes, Brother?”
”Now that I've been announced as the crown prince, you know what's next, don't you?”
She clenched her fists. But she smiled and nodded anyway. ”Yes, Brother. I'm preparing to be a suitable wife for you.”
”Excellent,” Aku said with a satisfied smile. ”I can't wait to be married to you, Nia.”
Nia wanted to vomit but she smiled anyway. ”I feel the same, Brother.”
***
”THE WHITE Tower isn't happy that I'm frequently visiting your palace, Princess Nia.”
Nia continued to arrange the Moonflowers in the vase without looking up at Lahara who sat from across her.
Right now, the two of them were in her room. The female doctor in-charge of her physical health just finished checking up on her. The female doctor was delighted to know that she just had her first period.