Chapter 4
Prince William
As I left my Father's office, I couldn't help but feel upset, and what's even worse, I didn't know why.
I mean, I had already said I wasn't interested in marrying anyone if it didn't benefit the kingdom.
'So, why do I feel slightly upset?' I thought as I headed back to my room.
"William, are you alright, Darling?" Said a familiar voice as I turned around to notice Izzie.
"Yes, Izzie I'm alright," I said as she looked at me confused before frowning.
"Alright, if you need anything, just let me know, dear," she said as I nodded.
"Thank you, Izzie," I said as I continued to walk towards my room.
Upon reaching my room, I quickly entered and closed the door; I needed time to think and process.
I am not sure about what. I am trying to figure it out, but I still don't think I could do it on my bed.
It was then that I decided to take a step out onto the balcony. It was a beautiful afternoon either way.
Once I walked out, I couldn't help but stare into the sunset and remember the words my Dad had told me.
"I think you have already met her son; you just don't see it yet, or you're denying yourself," Said Dad.
I couldn't help but sigh as his words kept playing over in my head like a broken record as I stared into the sun.
The truth is that Dad was correct. I met her once, many years ago, when we were children at Royal Prep.
I was sitting down in class when a new student arrived. I thought it would be like any other student, but she was different.
From the very moment I set my eyes on her, I automatically felt something for her.
She had beautiful, long, wavy golden blonde hair and electrifying blue eyes that almost looked purple at times.
However, she only stayed briefly at Royal Prep; she only attended for two days and never returned. But even for those two days, I knew there was something special about her.
No one knew her name, her kingdom, or why she left. She was always very quiet and stayed to herself.
Many claimed that she had died, and since we never saw her again, we all concluded that it was possible.
Ever since she left, I have regretted not talking to her at all, and after that, I can't look at any other girl without picturing her.
My Dad may have been lucky to find Mom in time and marry her, but that wasn't the case for me. Then it hit me; I was upset because all of this brought memories of her again.
I swore to forget those memories and forget her, and I have slightly, but for some reason, after years, the memory still haunts me, and I don't know why.
I have tried my best not to think of the sight of love, to block all those feelings and go completely cold.
However, my Mother, being who she is, stopped that. I still have my emotions intact, but I only use them with my family or people in the village.
This means that if they are kind to me, I am to them as well, but other than that, I do not allow myself to get close to anyone.
'It's for the best this way,' I thought to myself as I sighed.
I hope Dad won't arrange for me to be with a spoiled princess because we will have problems there.
Apart from that, I know I won't love her, I will have severe headaches, and if I want that, I would instead visit my cousin Laylah or Charlotte.
Both were wild but very different; my cousin Charlotte was adventurous and fun.
Like me, she liked wild, dangerous games, and like Liz with our Dad, she was usually scaring my uncle to death.
Whereas my cousin Laylah was like my aunt Amber, talking about what is right and wrong.
Even though that sounds like a goody-good-girl and different from my cousin Charlotte, they are both loud talkers.
The only difference is that my cousin Charlotte doesn't annoy me as much as my cousin Laylah because one is more fun.
I love all my cousins, but sometimes they can be annoying. The good thing is that I mostly see them at family reunions.
This is good because we're all over the place with the ages. I mean, there's my cousin Charlotte and Athena, who is two years older than me.
Followed by my cousin Edmond, a year older, Me, my cousins Alexander and Adrian, age 19, and Edward and Henry, who were the same age. Laylah, Arianna, and Lastly, Liz.
Except for the three older ones, we are all around the same age. I looked up to notice the sun setting even more. I sighed, remembering what I had been thinking earlier, and nodded.
"It's for the best," I said to myself as I heard my door being knocked.
"Come in," I said as the door revealed Isaac.
"Prince William, supper is ready," he said as I smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, Isaac; I will be right there," I said as I looked at the sunset before heading to dinner.
"My, you do have a clean room, William. When your Father had the room, we didn't know what to expect," he said, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Is that so?" I asked as he nodded.
"Depending on his mood, we would see the room," he said as I laughed.
Unlike Edward, I got my Father's old room while he got a new one, and Liz got Mom's old room, which she had when she would occasionally spend the night here at Whelsire.
"Wait for me, brother!" Said a familiar voice as I turned around to see Liz running towards me.
"I thought you were mad at me?" I asked her as she shook her head and smiled.
"I was a bit upset, but you apologized, and I forgave you," she said as I playfully rolled my eyes.
"Are you mad at me?" She asked as I shook my head.
"Of course not, Liz; how could I be mad at my favorite sister?" I asked as she giggled.
"I'm your only sister, Willy," she said, giggling as I smiled.
My sister was the only one I would allow to call me that, and that's because when she was little, she couldn't say my name properly.
She could only say Willy, but after she learned to say my name, she gave me the nickname. She only calls me Willy when it's just the two of us.
I love my sister, but sometimes she could really be an immense pain in the butt. Still, I would do anything for her.
"I wonder what's for dinner?" I asked as she shrugged.
"Guess we'll find out soon," she said as we entered the dining room and took a seat.
"Where's Dad?" I asked Mom as she smiled.
"He's finishing a letter real quick, should be here soon," Said Mom as I nodded.
"Are you alright, Darling?" She asked as I nodded.
"Yes, I'm okay, Mom," I said as she smiled, and Dad appeared from the door.
"Now everyone is here," said Mom as the maids began to bring us our supper.
Once they placed our plates in front of us, I couldn't help but smile at Liz.
"Barbecue pork chops with steamed asparagus and potatoes," I said, smirking as she shook her head, smiling.
"Huh?" Asked Edward, confused as I smiled and nodded my head.
"Nothing, just answering a question Liz had earlier," I said as he nodded, and we all began to eat.
"Dad, you never told us what happened?" I asked as he looked a bit surprised.
"Yeah, what happened?" Asked Edward as Mom nodded.
"I, too, am curious," said Mom as Dad sighed.
"Well, it seems that the gossip about the trade treaty is true," he said as my eyes widened.
"What?" Asked Liz and Edward, shocked.
"How do you know?" I asked as he sighed before continuing to talk.
"We caught some men stealing necessary resources from us," He said as I frowned, confused.
"How many?" Asked Mom, sounding worried.
"We captured around twenty men, but there was probably more that," said Dad as I looked confused.
"How do you know?" I asked as he sighed.
"A bunch of natural resources were stolen, and I don't think twenty men could steal all of that," said Dad as I nodded.
"What did they steal from us?" Asked Mom as Dad thought momentarily.
"Wood, crops, and metal for armor," said Dad as Mom's eyes widened.
"Didn't we just receive a new cargo shipment of all those supplies?" I asked as Dad and my GrandDad nodded.
"Yes, we did," said GrandDad.
"And they managed to steal it from the ship?" Asked Edward as Dad shrugged.
"Honestly, I am not sure, but it is possible," said Dad as Mom nodded.
"Or when they were bringing it to the castle," said GrandDad as Dad nodded.
'Bastards!' I thought as I shook my head, upset.
"I am pretty sure the men ran once they heard the horses," added Dad as our eyes widened.
"The men we were able to capture are in the dungeons, but they aren't talking," he added as we nodded.
"We do know they aren't from this kingdom because they don't look familiar to Hugo or me," said GrandDad as Mom gasped.
"They are already starting to attack," said Mom as Dad nodded.
"Especially since we are the highest in the trading system treaty," he said as Mom's eyes widened.
"Really?" Asked Edward as Dad nodded.
"I was surprised too, but King Bailey came and told me we are at the top, and he sends his regards," said Dad, looking at Mom, who smiled and nodded.
"So, we need to protect our kingdom and trade the best way we can to ensure the safety of our people," I said as Dad nodded.
"That is correct, William," said Dad, smiling as I nodded.
"But how?" I asked as Dad smiled.
"We're going to have a ball," he said as my eyes widened in surprise.
"A what?" Asked Liz and Edward, confused.
"A ball?" Asked Mom as Dad nodded.
"Dad, how is a ball going to help?" I asked as he smiled.
"Well, according to King Bailey, they are going to attack us first because of our natural resources in the Trade treaty," he said as we listened.
"So, your GrandDad and I were thinking, why not have a ball to reassure everyone about the peace," he said as I still looked a bit confused as Mom smiled.
"I see, and try to spy the enemy out since they think he's among the trade treaty," she said as they nodded.
"In other words, strengthen and loose ends with kingdoms," said Dad as Mom nodded.
"Wouldn't that be against the treaty contract?" I asked as Dad shook his head.
"Normally, yes, but Bailey gave us the go-ahead for situations like this," added Dad as I nodded.
"So, we're going to have a party then?" I asked as he nodded.
"Will all the people in the trade treaty be there?" Edward asked as my parents nodded.
"Do we have to be there?" Asked Elizabeth as I looked at my parents as they shook their heads.
"William has to be there because he is the heir to the throne," said Dad as I smiled.
"But you guys don't have to be there if you don't want to," added Mom as they smiled.
"Terrific," said Liz as Edward nodded.
"When is it?" I asked as our parents looked at each other.
"One week," said Dad as Mom nodded.
"Sounds good," I said as my parents nodded.
"But if I'm being honest, I don't really want you there, Elizabeth," said Dad as she frowned, confused.
"But Edward can be there?" She asked as Dad nodded.
"How come, Daddy?" She asked, not liking the idea.
Elizabeth was a bit like Mom when she didn't like something Dad said for their protection.
"I would rather keep you away from all of this for your safety," he said as she raised her eyebrow before looking at Mom.
"Normally, I wouldn't agree, but I do believe your Father is correct this time, sweetheart," said Mom as she turned to look at me, and I nodded.
"It's for the best, Liz," I said as she smiled and nodded.
"Fine, I'll bend this time," she said as Dad smiled.
"Good choice, Liz," I said as she playfully rolled her eyes.
"Don't think this means I will bend for everything else, though," she said, smirking as I smiled and shook my head.
"Understood," I said as Mom and Dad chuckled before nodding.
"Make sure you are aware of your surroundings, William," said GrandDad as my parents nodded.
"At this point, we don't know who our enemy is, son; everyone is considered as one for the moment," said Dad as I nodded.
"It's upsetting how we went from a good trade treaty to not trusting each other," said Mom as Dad nodded.
"Sadly, this happens every once in a while, Sofia. Remember what happened with Frederick 20 years ago?" said GrandDad as our parents nodded.
"The good thing is that we have each other, and we won once, and we will again," said Dad as Mom smiled and nodded.
"Maybe you'll get to meet a princess," Edward whispered, smirking as I shook my head.
"Not going to happen, baby-bro," I said as he smirked.
"You never know," he said as I smirked.
"Maybe I will, and you can have that young girl from the village as your date to my wedding," I said as he started blushing as I smiled.
'Checkmate.' I thought as I smirked and continued to eat my food as my brother rolled his eyes.
"Who is Frederick?" asked Liz as my and Edward's eyes widened.
Of course, she wouldn't know because there were things she didn't fully know about our parent's stories.
She knew how they met and the circumstances but didn't know the whole story like Edward and I.
Our parents decided not to tell her because there was no need to inform her about this. We know because of the history lessons of Whelsire and as the heir and prince of the kingdom.
Even though she is the princess, she isn't the next one on the throne next to me; it's war stories that she doesn't need to know.
"He was a man who tried to take advantage of the system and take over Whelsire, many years ago," said GrandDad as our parents nodded.
"How come I haven't heard of him?" she asked, confused.
"It's mostly war and battlefield stories, nothing important," said Edward as I nodded.
"He tried to take over Whelsire for power and money but failed," I added as she nodded.
I looked over at our parents, who sighed in relief. My sister seemed satisfied with our answers and dropped the conversation.
We continued eating our supper and discussing the big party that would happen.
Once dinner was over, we all retreated to our rooms to rest for the night. After walking in, I decided to stroll to the balcony when I heard a knock at my door, and I frowned, confused.
'Who could it be this late?' I thought as I headed towards the door. When I opened it, it revealed my Mom.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" I asked, confused, as she smiled.
"I wanted to check up on you. Can I come in?" she asked, and I nodded and stepped aside to let her in.
"I was about to head outside to the balcony to get some air before heading to bed," I said as she smiled.
"It is a wonderful night," she said as I nodded, and we walked towards the balcony.
Once we arrived, we looked up at the moon and stayed silent, enjoying the view for what seemed like forever.
"It's been a while since I've been here, but you sure do keep it clean," she said as I smiled.
"How are you feeling, darling?" She asked as I sighed.
"I'm alright, Mom," I said as she smiled and placed her hands on mine.
"Are you sure?" She asked as I nodded.
"Your Father and I love you and only want what is best for you, darling," she said as I smiled and nodded.
"I know, Mom," I said, smiling.
"If, for whatever reason, you do not want an arranged marriage, tell me, and I will stop this," she said as I shook my head.
"No, Mom. Trust me, it's for the best," I said as she looked at me confused.
"Now, I don't believe that, but it will take us some time to find a match for you, so if you change your mind, let me know," she said as I smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Mom, even though I know I won't," I said as she smiled and sighed.
"You never know," she said as I playfully rolled my eyes as she giggled.
"You remind me so much of your Father, especially with that roll of eyes," She said as I smiled.
"I love you, Mom," I said as she smiled and pulled me in for a hug.
"I love you too, sweetheart; don't you ever forget that," she said as I nodded.
"Get some rest, and we will see you tomorrow," she said when she parted from the hug as I nodded.
"Goodnight, Mom," I said as she smiled.
"Goodnight, sweetheart," she said as she entered my room.
Slowly, her steps were getting further until I heard my door open and close.
How did Dad get so lucky to have someone like Mom while I got stuck being alone? I will never know.
I was about to head inside when I heard the cries of a horse, making me look up.
I noticed a Pegasus falling from the sky at an alarming speed. The rider tried to stop, but it didn't work.
'They're going to crash!' I thought as my eyes widened.
I quickly noticed and calculated where they would crash and raced out of my room towards them.
If my calculations are correct, they will hit not far from the palace gates—in the forest, just outside the palace's main wall gates.
As I raced, I made sure to be careful not to let any guards see me, or they would report it to my parents. Luckily, I was an expert at sneaking out.
Once outside the palace, I quickly raced towards where I knew the Pegasus and the rider would be.
Once I arrived at the location, I couldn't help but slightly smile, knowing that I had calculated the exact location where they would be.
I quickly noticed the horse near its rider as they tried to stand up. I ran towards them when the horse saw me. It quickly got scared, and the rider began to calm it.
"Shh! Shh! It's okay," said a female voice as I raised my eyebrows, confused.
"Easy boy, Easy. There, all better," said the rider as she calmed the horse.
"Are you alright?" I asked, walking up to her.
"Yes, Thank you," she said, petting her horse.
It was then I noticed that she was wearing men's riding clothes and helmet instead of female riding gear. Once the horse was calmed down, she quickly turned around.
I quickly noticed she was wearing a white with a blue masquerade mask, which covered her face entirely, only showing her blue eyes.
"I'm sorry. My horse got spooked, and we had a bit of a tricky landing," she said as I nodded.
"Must have been you," I said, crossing my arms as she snorted and shook her head.
"Excuse me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as I smiled slightly.
"Do you know anything about riding a Pegasus?" I asked as she rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Because if you did know, you would have known that..." I started, but she cut me off.
"Horses feel the rider's emotion; if you get scared, the horse does too," she said as my eyes widened.
"Yeah, I know that. I guess I was zoomed out, and she panicked," she said as I frowned.
"What are you doing riding this late at night, young lady?" I asked her as she smiled before turning to her horse.
"You sound like my aunt," she said as she got up on her horse and smiled at her.
"What are you doing out, late, prince?" she asked as I frowned, confused.
"How do you know?" I asked as she smiled.
"The closest thing here is the palace; besides, no one wears those fancy clothes," she said as I chuckled slightly.
"Got a name?" I asked, and she smiled.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she said as I smiled.
"You okay to fly back?" I asked as she nodded.
"Yes, and I was never here," she said as I smiled and nodded before she took off.
As I watched her disappear into the clouds, I couldn't help but smile and frown, confused as I walked back to the palace.
This girl must also be a princess because flying Pegasus are mainly available to royalty or knights.
So she's either royalty or the daughter of a knight who stole her Father's horse.
'I'm not going to lie, though she was pretty fearless for doing that,' I thought as I sneaked back inside.
I was close to my room when I heard a familiar voice making me turn nervous.
"What are you doing, William?" asked GrandDad as I smiled.
"Went to get water; I was thirsty," I said as he nodded and smiled.
"Alright then," he said, smiling as I nodded.
"Goodnight, GrandDad," I said as he smiled and nodded.
"You too, William," he said as we headed to our rooms.
Once inside, I quickly showered and headed to bed, thinking about what happened.
'There's something about this girl's eyes, but I can't quite tell what it is,' I thought as my eyes slowly drifted into slumber.
Unknown Point of View
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but the men have been captured," said one of my men.
After hearing this, I could not take it anymore and threw my wine glass to the wall, where it shattered.
At that moment, I began to feel so much anger and hatred and couldn't seem to control my breathing.
"That stupid King Hugo!" I exclaimed as I began to pace.
"How many were captured?" I asked as he swallowed hard before answering me.
"About twenty," he said nervously as I frowned, confused.
If I am being honest, that wasn't many, which was a good thing, but why did they come empty?
"Do you mean to tell me they captured twenty out of the eighty men I sent, and the rest came empty-handed?" I asked, turning around to face the man who looked terrified.
"You Idiots! You mean to tell me that the king actually chased you guys away?!" I exploded as I walked back towards the terrified man.
"I-I-I," was all he could say before I pushed him to the ground.
"How is it that none of you imbeciles could collect a single piece of their trade?" I asked as I turned around and began pacing.
The plan was simple: They were to either strike one of the new ships that was going to arrive with a new cargo shipment at Whelsire or steal it on the way to the castle.
It was simple and easy; all they had to do was choose the easier option, but it seemed neither option was doable for them.
"We… We can try again, Your Majesty," said the man, a bit scared as I shook my head.
"No, Get out of my face!" I said as the man got up and left.
I did want to try again, but these idiots got the kingdom of Whelsire on alert; it is better I stay put for a while and then try again later.
In the meantime, I had time to think of a plan to ensure that we would succeed next time. We need to succeed next time. I must ensure Whelsire hits rock bottom; there is no messing up.
'I want that kingdom torn to shreds with nothing left.' I thought as I heard a knock at the door.
"Your Majesty, would you like dinner here tonight?" Asked my steward as I nodded, and he left.
I didn't want to see anyone today; I was preoccupied with devising a plan to destroy Whelsire.
Whelsire became the biggest kingdom with the most resources throughout the land in a short time.
No doubt it was because of their queen, because the king is certainly an idiot boy that should have never been king.
That should be my kingdom, where I am in triumph, and everyone wants to make a trade with me, not him.
I got into the trading system only to gain as much power as possible to destroy Whelsire. It wasn't for the help; I could do it alone, but power is always necessary.
Besides this way, I can ensure many who are in a trading system with them walk away. I am stealing other resources to ensure fear and distrust between the kingdoms.
This way, people will start to suspect each other and break contracts, making Whelsire weak and me powerful.
'Let's see how you'll deal without cargo shipments from other kingdoms.' I thought as I heard a knock at the door.
"Your dinner, Your Majesty," said my steward as he brought the tray and set it on the table.
"Anything else, Your Majesty?" Said the steward as I shook my head.
"Make sure no one disturbs me," I said as he nodded.
"Of course, Your Majesty," he said before walking away.
I looked at my dinner plate but wasn't very hungry. How could I be when nothing was going my way?
The good thing was that I was doing everything precisely and carefully to avoid getting caught.
I had many allies and stayed away from the big news—in fact, I was away from everything big to ensure no one would suspect me.
However, in case they do, I need to come up with something that will save my butt. But then again, I could ensure another gets all the blame like Whelsire.
They are the largest in the trade treaty system; maybe I could conduct something to make people suspect them.
It is possible since out of nowhere, Whelsire did become very successful before many other kingdoms that were more successful before they were.
The rumor could start slowly, and then we will see what happens. If not, I could always go with plan two.
Either way, I was going to win, and Whelsire would crumble to the floor.
'They are going to regret the day they messed with me,' I thought as I examined my political plans more closely.
