Chapter 97 - Just A Weak Father In Front Of His Son

Iria struggled on how to answer the King. Should he tell him that his second son was in disguise and worked as a guard here?

No. The King won't tolerate such a thing! 

"Do you have any idea of where I can find him?" King Tobias asked Iria with a troubled face.

Iria felt cornered even more! Just what would she say? If Prince Orius didn't inform his father about this, then he must have his own reason. Will he be offended if she said the truth to the King?

"I -"

The Commander was saved by the sound of the knocking on her chamber door. When she shifted her gaze to the door, she saw Crown Prince Arin walking inside. She inwardly sighed in relief but the King was still here and with the presence of the Qalagon Crown Prince, she instantly started feeling nervous.

What will happen if King Tobias learned that she had feelings for the Qalagon Crown Prince? She didn't even want to think further! 

"I'm sorry to disturb you but dinner is ready now. My parents are waiting for us in the main palace," Arin Helev said as he approached them. Then he stood beside Iria's bed.

"Oh! Then we should go," King Tobias promptly said as he rose from his seat. "It's rude to keep the King and Queen waiting."

Iria tried to get up too but... Crown Prince Arin hold her back. "Don't move on your own. I will support you," he calmly said to her.

Iria Alewine briefly glanced at King Tobias and noticed his flustered expression. Feeling troubled, she tried to brush off the Crown Prince but... Arin Helev was too adamant! He ended up grabbing her hand even tighter.

The Commander let out a little sigh and accepted his support before he says anything else in the King's presence. It won't be good to worry the King!

Throughout their way to the main palace, King Tobias Aventine would glance at the couple from time to time. Somehow, he felt like there was something different in Iria but what troubled him more was that... it seemed like the Qalagon Crown Prince truly cared about Iria.

When the King briefly glanced at a distance in the right which was pretty dark, he got a glimpse of someone. Wasn't that... Orius? He quickly shifted his gaze back but there was no one. Was he seeing things?

* * *

It wasn't long until King Tobias proved that he wasn't seeing things.

It had been a while since they finished dinner and the Jerivian King was alone in his chamber when his second son suddenly appeared from the balcony. Though the King was a bit startled, he knew that this wasn't impossible considering his son's nature but...

Why was he in the uniform of Qalagon Royal Guards?!

When he got a glimpse of his son before, the thought that he was wrong because the young man was wearing the uniform of royal guards but... it was the truth?!

"What do you think you're doing? Why are you in that uniform?" he asked in a stern voice.

"Isn't it obvious? I work as a royal guard," the second Prince simply said and took a seat on a chair.

"Orius!" King Tobias snapped but the Prince simply shook his head.

"Lower your voice, Father. This isn't Jerivia. What if someone hears you?" Orius muttered and turned his head away from his father as if he was bored.

Just as the second Prince said, the door was opened but fortunately, it was Callan who rushed in.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" The Captain of the Jerivian Royal Guards quickly asked but when his gaze landed on the second Prince, he raised a brow.

How did he come here? 

"Leave us and don't let anyone in. Inform me if anyone comes," King Tobias commanded the Captain. His gaze never left his son the whole time.

With the King's command, Callan bowed and quickly left again.

"Do you know how dangerous this is? What will happen if you get caught?" King Tobias asked. His tone was now much lower than before.

"It's not a big deal. Perhaps... I will die," Orius deadpanned. Though he sensed his father's gaze on him, he refused to look at him and his gaze remained elsewhere all the time.

"This is not a joke, Orius," King Tobias uttered, glancing down at his son. "You should stop this. It's too dangerous."

"I'm not joking, Father," Orius said and rose from his seat. "I will do whatever I want here. So, just be satisfied as long as I gave you the information that you want. Don't try to meddle in other things."

"Try to understand, Orius." The King's voice sounds quite desperate which was very unlike him. "What if something happens to you? Your life will be in danger."

"I don't care about that," the Prince simply said. "Now that you know what I'm up to, don't send the guards to look for me again. I came to tell you this."

Though the King continuously called his name, Orius turned a blind eye to it and quickly left through the balcony again.

Staring at his son who just disappeared from his sight, King Tobias sat down and let out a sigh. However, he was instantly distracted again by the appearance of someone.

"Seems like even the great King of Jerivia is just a weak father in front of his son."

King Tobias darted his eyes when he saw a familiar young man entering through... the door?

He darted his eyes to the door before he turned back to the young man. "How did you enter? Where is Callan?"

The young man simply chuckled when he heard the King. "Do you really think a mere Captain of Royal Guards will be able to block the way of a Commander? I see that you have lost some of your intelligence, Your Majesty." He slowly walked towards the King when he added, "Besides, this is Qalagon and not Jerivia."

King Tobias let out another sigh and stood up again. "Commander Nico, it's never good to be this rude."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I don't kill your guard. He will only be unconscious for a while and I think that's already too kind of me," Commander Nico Petrus said to King Tobias.

He was quite surprised when he spotted the Prince of Jerivia two days ago in the market but now, he wasn't surprised anymore.....