Chapter 441: A fading memory
He could still remember the last day he saw his mother. Their screams rang through the walls of the castle. He was young but the image was vivid.
His father had come to visit his mother who was pregnant at the time. There was tension between his parents. Aurelius recalls hearing whispers from the servants that the crown princess had lost the favour of the crown prince and he had chosen another person to be empress.
They fought that night, he could not remember exactly what it was about but his mother obviously didn’t like the idea of him taking another wife. Aurelius stood by the door, trembling and scared, until it was pushed open.. His father stepped out, and his cold blue eyes fell on him.
"You should not be here." He said, then left, leaving the door slightly ajar. His father’s footsteps faded leaving the hallway empty and lifeless. No servant was close by because they knew the repercussions.
Aurelius slowly entered the crown princess’s room. His eyes found his mother. "Mummy," he called but she didn’t answer. She was seated at the edge of her bed, her head bowed as she cried.
Aurelius ran towards his mother, afraid and wanting to offer some comfort. He was little and didn’t understand politics. He didn’t understand why his parents were fighting. His only assumption was that his mother didn’t want the new wife.
"Mummy," he called again, his little hand reached out for her hand that was clenched by her side. She froze, her cries stopped. She glanced at him, and her trembling hands reached for his little face. "Why do you look so much like him?" She asked.
"I look like Mummy, we have the same hair," Aurelius argued knowing his mother hated his resemblance to his father. He was their child, and his features were naturally a blend of both sides.
"That’s right," she said giving him a smile. "You should go back to your room. Mummy needs to rest " she said before wiping off her tears with her sleeves. His mother’s face was still blurry in his memory. She loved smiling even when she was hurt.
She grabbed his hand and led him out of the room. They got to his room after a short walk where they saw his nanny. The nanny was scared. Aurelius didn’t understand his nanny’s fear because his mother was the nicest person he knew