Chapter 88. For The Sake Of A Peasant
Henry was standing in the corner with his hands clasped behind his back as he watched the crown prince enjoy a meal with his mother, along with Prince Rylen. The three of them sat in the dining hall with candles lighting up the room from the tables to the ceiling.
This was the royal family’s official dining room, and only very close family members were allowed to use it. Guests weren’t allowed in here. The king’s seat was empty and had been for years. Henry was surprised that it hadn’t been taken out of the room, as the crown prince hated anything that was a constant reminder of his father.
Mealtimes were the only time Henry had gotten solace in the past four days. The only time he didn’t fear for his neck was when the crown prince was enjoying a meal with his mother. However, he could hardly call it enjoying.
There was a dark look in his eyes as he ate. There was almost no conversation, and this was because every time someone tried to speak to him, the crown prince would shoot them a look that could drain the life force out of a person.
The entire castle had been on edge, everyone stepping carefully around the crown prince. No one wanted to attend to him; they were all scared he was going to let his anger loose on them—and they would not be wrong. The other day, he had sent a servant to the dungeons for spilling water. The crown prince had always been volatile and was prone to getting angry easily, but this was a completely different case.
Every single servant who came in contact with Rose had been questioned, and unfortunately, the only person who had anything concrete to say was his niece, Martha. Her words bothered him, and Henry feared she might be punished heavily when they found out she was lying.
It wasn’t that he thought she was lying; he just found it very odd that Rose could have escaped the castle without any guard spotting her. The crown prince also had the same thought and did not accept the fact that she was no longer within the castle walls until the next day. Henry winced at the thought of it. Guards had been punished, and anyone who knew anything was interrogated relentlessly.
Edna was the only one who was pretty adamant that Rose didn’t escape, but the longer the days dragged on, the more intense the air in the castle became, the less she spoke about how sure she was.
The only person who was completely unaffected by this—other than the sick king—was the queen. Henry didn’t want to think about it, but there were only three people in the castle who could make someone disappear without a trace.
"Son, brighten up," Queen Violeta said. "You can get any woman you want. You can even have one of my court ladies."
Caius shot his mother a death stare. This was not the first time she had suggested this, and each time it pissed him off just like the last time. However, he didn’t respond to her words and just continued eating.
Henry shuffled on his feet. The crown prince never really got angry at his mother. He would curse his father all night long, but Henry had never heard him say a bad word about the queen. But for the past few days, he had seen the crown prince come very close.
Henry clasped his hands tighter. How long would they have to live like this? It was exhausting. Right now, things were pretty quiet because the crown prince had sent a messenger all the way to Edenville, and they should get a reply in about two days. To do something like that for a peasant—Henry couldn’t comprehend it.