Chapter 24: New Proposal
The Royal Meeting Room was not the place for someone of such a high status as a Duke.
Unlike the throne room, which was designated for holding an official audience with the Royal Family, the Meeting Room only welcomed rich commoners and aristocrats who were granted permission to see the King as the elected representatives of their kind or simply because they were able to make noticeable contributions to the continuous development of the Kingdom.
The silence in the room was overbearing. The King sat at the end of the long, rectangular wooden table, its corners ornamented with bizarre carvings filled with gold – the only thing that indicated that, despite the room’s modest interior, the person sitting at the table was still in the presence of royalty.
’I did not expect any special treatment but this is simply preposterous. If word of this traveled beyond the border, the King would be reduced to nothing but a commoner himself.’
Tillian took his seat at the opposite end of the table and placed both of his fists on its surface, his glaring red eyes firmly fixed on the weathering face of Euris Ruan.
"How was your journey to the Capital, Your Grace? I hear you have arrived without your entourage."
"That is correct, Your Majesty, I’ve come alone. The North needs protection, I – don’t."
A smug expression crept through the king’s fake smile as he assessed the duke’s reply. He interlaced his fingers, resting his elbows on the hands of the chair, and continued,
"So, it appears that both of us were seeking each other’s company, and now that you are here, Your Grace, let us cut to the chase. Send the princess back to her husband. Kidnapping a member of the royal family is a crime enough but holding her hostage while she belongs to someone else... This is more than just morally wrong."