Chapter 5
The aftermath of the banquet for Leonard was more than unwanted. Having no one listen to him after his orders to keep it hidden from his parents. He stood before the massive door in front of him, the massive doors separating him from them. Being demanded to report to his parents after he had been escorted from his palace to theirs. As the crown prince he had the luxury of having his own place according to custom, compared to his siblings that had to stay with their parents until they married or took other social statuses from Archduke to Count.
'I can do this.'
He thought to himself, opening the door. His chin was up and maintaining firm eye contact with the King and Queen on their respective thrones. The red, coral and white carpets were the theme colors, that decorated the room. King Emmanuel sat on the left side with his throne with his consort by the left. Neither looked happy.
'They never did.'
The sun lit up the room from its early rise, but the walls absorbed it all. Pillars were positioned near every section of the room, woven black iron nets that separated the massive side of the room and the royals whenever they had guests or council meetings with the other members. Every room in the room was designed this way, as they had many people living in the palace and therefore, prevention from heat-related illnesses had to be prevented. Windows were also decorated with the same iron wires around them.
Considering the room had four massive windows on both sides, while others had been closed and properly covered with glass. However, the glass windows were positioned at higher positions in the room that couldn't be touched, allowing only the ground level mirrors to be designed in such a way too.
The heat passed through the wires of the net, moving down to the ground and back to the ground floors. Transferred to the river around the palace, heating it up. Causing the water to boil up from within the chambers, evaporate into steam, producing cold air that circled around the palace. Despite Fellton's natural hot climate, they had ways to combat it.
Yet it didn't stop Leonard from sweating, even if it was for different reasons. His father hadn't spoken in a while, as the maids had been excused after the couple had finished with their breakfast. And only had their guards on standby for the conversation that was about to take place.
Emmanuel's posture was straightened, never relaxed on his throne. His dark brown skin making it easy for him to wear any clothing without worrying about it never matching him. As he wore a blue formal dress shirt, and a black scarf pinned to it from the end of the shirt, flowing down from the back side of his attire and black pants with embroidery designs of a white dragon on the left side of his pants.
The coral beads woven with gemstones on a bronze head piece, his crown. Hiding his hair, leaving his son guessing what color it was. As he knew he didn't inherit it from his mother, even while braided with the same coral beads in her dark brown hair, allowing her to braid it in the ways clothes, baskets and their weapons had been made for centuries. As she wore a similar attire to him, a blue shirt but lighter and shorter sleeved than Emmanuel's attire, wearing a long black skirt instead of being comfortable for busy days like this.
The king's brown eyes hadn't moved from their focus on his son.
"Leonard."
He mentioned his name once, and just like clockwork, Leonard's legs had been straightened and place together. The black shirt and white pants worn, held down together by a grey belt with two straps. Both straps attached to the jacket he wore and buttoned to the left side of his chest to keep it down and flowing.
Queen Consort Alexis folded her hands, fingers intertwining with each other, wearing no ring to signify she was married to him. The patterns of his crown were painted on tanned skin through her arms instead, the official marking of a chosen queen. As they found no reason to have a ring, it could be lost or stolen. Even if she could only wear long sleeve clothing outside of festivals and special events.
And imposters were easy to find, when the crown would glow brightly with the patterns. As it was a bridal and coronation ceremony for both by the royal priestess. Only that Leonard hadn't done, even postponing with Margaret as that would have tied him with her permanently.
A chain he didn't want to hear.
"My son. Why have I heard of you being less of an offspring of mine, rather of the goats tended to by the farmers?"
The first strike. He didn't speak against his father; he dared not to. His mother may have been silent, but her stare emphasized her wrath when she never blinked or looked away.
"You ruined an engagement for a commoner."
He added. Emmanuel wasn't annoyed he picked one, he didn't care. The principle of betraying an alliance, rather than breaking it off without causing a scene and making everyone in the royal family look like fools for letting him be Crown prince was the issue.
"But Father, I care for her."
"Yes. Your care for her that left more wounds on her than Lady Asterlyn you wanted to strike down first."
The blonde man didn't take the warning and continued, having a need to defend and fight for himself.
"It was a mistake! I can fix it. I just must get Margaret to agree on helping in the background while I am still a worthy prince, and everything will go back to normal."
"Of course, it will go back to normal."
And once again, Leonard thought he was winning. He thought his father agreed with him once on this.
'Yes. Finally, someone who agrees with me.'
"Your mother and I didn't have a Prince for a son. But a fool."
The young man froze.
"I will not hear anything from you. Your mother will discuss your punishments for your misconduct."
He was ready to walk away angrily until his mother spoke up.
"Your palace will be seized. From now on, you live with the rest of us in your old room." There was a level of coldness in her tone that the King couldn't match when speaking to their son, already revealing why he was ready to give his consort full responsibility for it.
Emmanuel didn't say he should leave, the silence and expected gazes from his parents made him bow his head and walk back to his room. Anger drives his every step forward, while walking down the blue halls with pictures of the royal family, from his parents, himself and his other siblings, ranging from brown to black hair with variety in eye color only. Not noticing the lack of the maids, butlers or guards around until he had reached the gate that led to his chambers and personal attendants.
Gone.
Leonard scowled, his hand breaking the mirror in his room after he entered it. Passing his bed, desk and shelves and straight for the mirror as the object of venting his frustration. The isolation meant nothing to him, all it did was annoy him. None of the servants attended to him, all were purposely sent away by his parents' orders to handle himself completely. Apparently they deemed him unworthy to use anything he did, if he couldn't value being born in such a position that gave him the most boost out of everyone in this palace.
The silk sheets he grumbled into yet held so desperately. Like it would be enough to mold into it and never let go.
'I am not giving this up for anybody.'