Chapter 90 - The Future King

As Marquess Samed made his way out of the throne room, he met a little figure walking in their direction with vigor and enthusiasm.

"Greetings, Prince Fritzen." Sullivan bowed his head as he greeted the future King and present Prince of this beautiful Kingdom.

Prince Fritzen seemed like he was in a hurry to reach someplace but when he saw the man who had greeted him, he paused to greet him in return.

"Greetings, Marquess Samed. You must be on your way to the Rose Palace." He recognized his guess was right when he saw the man nod his head.

The Rose Palace was where the Princess stayed while the Sycamore Palace was where Prince Fritzen resided.

The two palaces were next to each other and hence during his vacation from the Academy life, Fritzen would often spend time with his little sister, Felicia whom he adored yet tolerated for her abrasive ways.

"Please take good care of Felicia and do not mind it if she is bratty." He requested since he did not want his sister to be yelled at in his absence.

'She will not stop crying and mother would not bother to placate her.' He sighed thinking of their mother's cold treatment towards his sister.

Like all brothers, he too loved his sister but she could be a little too much to handle at times.

Though he did not like to stay by her side all day, the royal siblings had a great bond and often met for their meals while their parents were busy with stately affairs.

Hence, Fritzen had often met this man, a Marquess who was chosen to take over the responsibility of tutoring his sister in the absence of the originally chosen Royal Tutor, Governess Bloom.

Thinking of this lady he was reminded of his uncle who had been injured on their expedition to the St. Claire estate.

Just as he was about to remember his hatred towards that girl who had saved his life, the doors of the Throne room were pushed open.

The two people standing at a distance away from the door witnessed a man with bright auburn hair walking out with his back straight and head held high.

Fritzen recognized this man in an instant since he had seen that man serving by his father's side ever since he was a young child.

"Greetings, Duke Brodie." Prince Fritz wished and smiled at the man whom he looked up to.

The calm and gentle aura that Maldock Brodie possessed was something that Fritzen craved to imitate as his own.

His father had often called him a hothead and compared him to his uncle, Draco but this man had always supported him and reassured him that he was the best as he was.

Duke Brodie smiled but his brows furrowed in confusion upon seeing the Prince over here rather than the place where he should have been.

"Prince Fritzen, shouldn't you be on your way to the Royal Academy by now?" He inquired which made the little boy's eyes widen.

'I was here to bid farewell to Father before I left! Speaking to Marquess, this thought completely vanished from my mind!' He chided his wandering brain for forgetting about such an important thing.

"My Uncle will not give you any special treatment, Young Prince." Maldock chuckled while reminding him of the man who ran the Royal Academy with a steel fist.

'The Dean of the Royal Academy is the Duke's Granduncle, Aramis Brodie.' Sullivan recalled what he had taught the little girl back in her estate.

Fritzen once again wished the two men a good day and then hurried away in the direction of the throne room.

Marquess Samed watched as the young boy entered the throne room fearlessly and then nodded his head at the Duke who was now by his side.

"Let me walk you to the Rose Palace, Marquess." Duke Brodie offered and began walking before he received an answer from the man who was one step below on the social ladder.

Sullivan did not think too much about this as this was the way that the world ran and he too had to conform to its rules.

"How has the Royal Princess been coping with her lessons?" He questioned the Royal tutor as he walked ahead.

Sullivan stared at the straight back of the man who marched ahead and hastened his steps to catch up.

"Royal Princess is a bright child and has no problems in keeping up with the lessons." He answered as that was the truth.

Though Felicia was a brat, a royally spoiled brat, she always paid attention during class.

Since she had to prove that she was the best as the Princess of this Kingdom, she worked extra hard to maintain a good image for her mother, Queen Zena.

'Poor child.' He pitied her as he had seen how she had been rejected by her mother after class one day.

"I understand." Duke Brodie's mutters brought him back to the present.

Maldock Brodie halted his steps when he saw that the Rose Palace was nearby and then turned around.

"Is something wrong, Duke?" Sullivan polled when he saw the man's eyes focused on his face.

Maldock first shook his head and then nodded. 

Confused at this contradictory gesture, Sullivan tilted his head and awaited what the man might say.

'Is he shy to ask about the progress of his daughter? He cares about her but hides it?' He wondered since he had heard rumors about the Duke's cold relationship with his only child.

However, what he had heard was not remotely connected to what he had imagined it to be.

"Is choosing the child from the Kiron family over the child from the St. Claire's family a good decision we made?" He inquired while rubbing his beard.

Marquess was stunned that the Duke had not once uttered a single word about his own daughter but was more bothered about the education of the Princess.

'He is a close advisor to the King and it is his duty to make sure that everything is going according to the plans of His Majesty.' Sullivan made up an excuse even though his heart felt irked by this irresponsible behavior of the father.

"I can assure you that Rika Kiron will not affect the progress of neither the Royal Princess nor of your daughter, Miss Glennise." He explained with confidence.

He had even gone as far as stressing the name of the child whom the Duke had neglected to even utter in the course of their conversation.

Maldock could grasp what the Marquess was trying to point at and hence his face turned a slight tinge of pink in embarrassment.

"Glennise is a smart child." He muttered in a soft voice and then turned away, facing the Rose Palace once again.

In the distance, he could see three little girls with books in their hands walking towards the canopy that had been built specifically for them after Princess Felicccia complained of not liking the atmosphere inside for her studies.

He could make out which one was his flesh and blood since they shared the same auburn hair that was common in the Brodie family.

An involuntary sigh escaped his lips as he once again began walking forward.

He then longingly looked at the canopy where the girls had taken their seats.

The loud breeze masked the woeful sentence that he had uttered in a low voice yet the man following after him had heard it loud and clear.

"If only she was a boy and not a girl. Oh, my wretched fate that she was born a girl."

Marquess Samed's eyes twitched in outrage when he heard this sentence yet there was nothing that he could do.

He clenched his fists and then shook his head at this way of thinking that was still prevalent in their kingdom.

'There that child is even prepared to undergo harsh training to help her brother fulfill his dreams and here this man…' He sighed at the sad luck of Glennise for being born to a father who only cared about the gender of the child.

Marquess Samed then discarded all thoughts that could infuriate him and then passed by the Duke as he headed towards his pupils.

'I have to get to the St. Claire estate soon after this class to make sure that she is alright after her first training with whoever the new person is.' He quickened his steps and reached the girls in no time.

___

While Marquess was teaching about the history of this great kingdom of theirs called Rosenhyde, there was a little girl who was having a tough time to even standstill.

With sweat dripping down her forehead and onto her face then sliding even lower down her neck, the ticklish sensation made Yvonne frown.

'What the heck is he trying to accomplish here?' She cried out in her mind but refused to open her mouth.

She raised her hand and wiped the sweat which made the dirt and dust on her hand to stick to her damp face.

The three people who were standing under the shade of the wooden canopy that Butler Limo had built for them, watched the little girl struggling under the scorching sun.

'He wants to kill me!' Yvonne swore and then went back to the task that was given to her by the man whom she was already loathing.