Chapter 60 - Burn Them

"Did I not tell you to accompany lady Richmond properly? What did you go to Whittemore duchy for?" a lady with purple hair and eyes had just slapped the kid with golden hair and eyes in front of her. Her long nails had scratched the pale white unblemished skin with red marks. A drop od blood had formed at the end of the scratch.

The nostrils of the lady were flaring and her eyes were wide with anger. How dare this useless bastard embarrass her? She had worked so hard to establish congenial relations with those Richmonds. This idiot was going to ruin all her plans.

A bell had rung in Prince Aaron's ears. He was so happy to have finally made friends a few moments ago. In the carriage ride, he had already made plans when all he was going to invite Emmeline and her group to the palace and with what excuses.

He had already known that his mother was not very fond of the Whittemore family. But her behavior just now was a reality check. Were they so bad that mother did not approve of them at all? He was going to interact with that girl at some point in his life.

"Royal mother, I apologize for my behavior. But Lady Richmond was rude first," Prince Aaron tried to defend his visit to the Whittemores. Furthermore, he was not happy with his mother's arrangement anyway.

He was mature enough to understand that his mother was pushing Katherine Richmond to be his future wife. Out of all the three crown princess candidates, he had spent time with Katherine the most. She was his childhood friend and he loved her as a sister.

But their relationship changed at some point when he started to understand his duties as the future king. She had suddenly started acting shy and talking about proper manners between men and women. On the other hand, Emmeline was so much more carefree.

Wait a minute, why was he comparing Katherine to that kid? He had met her for the first time today! And she was indeed pesky little kid who was always annoying him by sending him the letters. No, no! This was wrong.

Anyway, he did not want to be out and about 'dating' at his age. He had to learn so much more! The games today were so interesting, he would rather be picking that girls brain than trying to be wooed by girls.

"I heard all about it. So what if Katherine was trying to get close to you? That is her duty as a crown princess candidate. Why can't you understand such a simple thing? And how dare you speak against me? I am the one who raised you when your mother died. I am the one who made you capable enough to rise as crown prince. And this is how you repay me?" the lady, the queen, kept yelling at the crown prince.

"I am sorry, mother," the crown prince lowered his gaze in shame. He had disappointed the person who had helped him the most in his life once again. Why could he just not squish his own desires and work for this person who had given a new life to him? Had he not promised himself that he would never go against her wishes?

It was just a marriage after all. He just had to take that one wife that mother queen wanted. He could take concubines later, if he really fell for someone, right? When he became the king in the future, he would have more freedom, right?

"Oh my child, I know you are sorry. You are just a young naïve kid. I should be more careful in teaching you, right? It's all my fault," the queen hugged the prince instantly, as soon as she saw remorse in his body language.

"No mother, it is all my fault. You are just trying to guide me," Prince Aaron's eyes teared up with guilt. How could he let his queen mother down? He was going to treat Lady Richmond right. Yes, he was going to make her his wife if that was what queen mother wanted.

"I know. You are the most filial to me. Timothy, throw those useless things he got as gifts out. What a lowly thing to give to crown prince. I knew there was something wrong with that girl since the beginning. Don't associate with her, okay?" the queen ordered.

Prince Aaron's heart felt torn. He had to stop meeting her only friend but did he really have to part away from the only memento he had of her? He pleaded to his side with his eyes but it did not work. Tim bowed to the queen and took the games with him.

"Make sure you dispose them off properly. You know what, I would like to see them burnt in front of my eyes. Go, make arrangements," the queen ordered, a sinister smile on her face floated.

That wench, she had been trying to approach her son with weird letters all this while. How dared she?

"Violet," she called her lady-in-waiting.

"Your highness," the lady stepped forward at once from behind the cohort of maids and servants on standby to serve the queen.

"Call that wench and her mother to the palace. I would like to see what that slut has got to have seduced such a innocent kid," she cursed out loud in front of her people.

Violet Spinster, also her sister in law, nodded and hurried to write an invitation. As soon as she was out of sight of the queen, she shook her head and sighed.

"Why did I have to be her lady-in-waiting? This b*tch does not even know the basics of being a queen, cursing people left and right in her crass language. Before the king and the nobles, she acts as the noblest person on the earth. But in private? Tsk tsk…," Lady Violet murmured under her breath.

She, hated her sister in law, from the bottom of her heart. Just because she captured the heart of the king with her unusual beauty was why she was queen. Also, because she got lucky with the death of the original queen due to an illness.

Hah! Queen's own eldest son had departed the world early too, which was why she had adopted the current crown prince.

"She is one lucky b*tch," Lady Violet cursed again.

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"Timothy, am I too selfish to think about my own happiness?" Prince Aaron's helpless eyes wandered to the colorful flames burning before him in the courtyard. It was already hot but this fire was making him miserable.

That little girl must have put so much effort in making those little games. Her instructions were so detailed, he had looked over them in the carriage while coming back to the palace.

"I am sorry your highness. You just happen to have a duty towards the nation. I agree with her highness, these things will only distract you from your goal," Timothy, as stern as ever, spoke in his ice-cold tone. He was the crown prince's aide, and he knew that the prince was suffering right now.

But he also had a duty to keep his liege on the right path. Whether he really agreed with the queen or not, he had to abide by the palace rules.

"What if it is not my goal?" Aaron whispered under his breath.. With the glazing particles flying in the air and the laughter of the queen and her cohort, a part of his heart died yet again.