Unloving His Majesty

Victory

“Leonard!” Princess Zania exclaimed and embraced a tall, dark, handsome man in his early thirties, who squeezed her into a hug. Prince Maxwell’s rage brewed, threatening to explode. Despite knowing that the footage of his wife with that man were forged, he could not shut them out. He took deep breaths, clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to suppress his rage.

“Zania! You are glowing,” Prince Leonard exclaimed with his lips curled into a mischievous smile. “It seems you don’t need rescuing after all,” he added when she blushed and turned to her husband, who had a dark expression on his face.

“Max, this is Leonard.”

“Okay?”Prince Maxwell responded questioningly. Her introduction did not explain who this Leonard was and what business he had coming to his castle and embracing his wife. It did not help that the Leonard guy was very good looking.

Prince Leonard laughed, reading through the prince, while Princess Zania seemed clueless to the emotions at bay.

“I am her cousin,” Prince Leonard jumped in and laughed louder when Prince Maxwell let out a loud sigh.

“Oh, thank Goodness!” Prince Maxwell exclaimed before cursing under his breath. He had not meant to make his relief so obvious.

That’s when the princess caught on her cousin’s humour. She flashed the prince an unimpressed look. She could not understand how on earth he could be jealous when he owed her heart despite her vowing otherwise.

Prince Maxwell ignored his wife and focused on the man in front of him. He was once more hit with the realisation that he was more than dumb in his past life.

“You are the rightful heir to the throne of Largota. Welcome!” he beamed and embraced the man he hated with all his might in his past life.

“Thank you, Maxwell. I hope you don’t mind me checking on my cousin now and then. She is the only relative I have left and I, hers.”

The pain in those words were unmistakable. Prince Maxwell understood them very well. He lost his mother at a very young age. He was still sad about the recent loss of his father, but he at least still had his aunts and about six cousins from his mother and father’s sides.

“Of course. This is your home and sanctuary, if you ever need one,” Prince Maxwell declared. He had never met Prince Leonard in person, but he knew everything about him. A Largota monarch wedded Princess Zania’s aunt years before he was born. He also knew about how evil men murdered the Lagorta royal family years ago. The prince who was in front of him was the only one who escaped, but was still being hunted by those who took over his country, hence the sanctuary offer.

“Thank you. I really appreciate your offer. It will come in handy when I claim back my rightful place,”Prince Leonard was surprised and touched. Very few countries offered their assistance to him.

“Our resources are at your disposal. Jolly island will stand by you. I will fight by your side if need be,” Prince Maxwell replied in earnest, completely claiming his wife’s heart and trust.

Princess Zania watched with a full heart as her cousin, husband, Sir Luke and Lord Blake gathered to discuss ways to reclaim Largota. She decided to leave them to it and visit her best friend instead.

She had just ridden her majestic horse past them when they stopped her.

“I do not see your guards, My Princess,” Lord Blake pointed out with a concerned voice before turning to Prince Maxwell with questioning eyes. Always cautious and overprotective of the princess, he was in charge of her security before she got married, but that was now her husband’s responsibility.

“I don’t need guards. I have never needed any, you know this,” the princess objected while her husband grinned at her.

“Not everyone is happy about the reconciliation of our tribes and you have always had guards, My Princess,” Lord Blake explained and refuted her words while her husband raised his eyebrow at her.

The Princess let out a sigh. It seemed that her husband had already won over her father’s friend.

“Our people will come around and I never had guards,” she refuted Lord Blake’s words. She could not understand why he would lie about her having guards when she never had any.

“You had twenty guards who went everywhere with you, My Princess. You just did not see them,” Lord Blake argued knowingly.

“What?” she asked in disbelief while Lord Blake only smiled at her. She knew him too well and knew what that meant.

“I demand to know the truth.”

His expression told her that she was missing something.

“Okay, but don’t be mad. It was for your own good,” Lord Blake negotiated. He knew her too well too and how stubborn she could be.

“Tell me the truth,” she demanded, leaving Lord Blake with no choice but tell her.

“The streets don’t have full time minders, nor does the valley and the forrest. The game reserve only has four security guards who stay at the gate, not the twenty inside. It only has four rangers not ten.”

The princess’s jaw dropped at how blind she had been. Those were all her favourite places. She thought her father let her be when she objected to having guards, but he and his best friend found better ways to disguise them.

“Mmh, I think those guards were doing an excellent job. They should continue,” Prince Maxwell declared, intrigued by how his father-in-law handled his headstrong daughter.

The princess was about to object when her cousin spoke.

“You are the only relative I have, Zania. Not only from your tribes that are still at odds, but there is also the Noan island royals who still feel wronged by all of you. You need protection,” Prince Leonard said decisively while she rolled her eyes at how they were all ganging up on her.

“Fine. They can guard me from afar. I am going to see Celia now,” she conceded before ridding off, leaving them laughing at her.

Everyone at the castle of May was pleased to see their beloved princess. Lady Celia was thrilled to hear that her friend had finally decided to let her move with her to the castle that was now her new home.

“You have fallen for your husband,” she pointed out after the princess filled her in on everything that happened.

The princess rolled her eyes, but she could not refute her friend’s words. It had only been a few days and her husband had declared her a liar. She no longer had confidence in keeping her vow to never give him her heart again.

“Max is everything I dreamed of. It scares me,” she confessed.

That night, the she found herself pinned under the enchanting man who claimed her heart.

“I will never take you for granted again,” Prince Maxwell vowed as he spilled his seeds in his wife. She momentarily closed her eyes, suppressing her treacherous heart from confessing her love for him. She laid on his chest instead and voiced the concern ringing in her head.

“About Largota…” she hesitated and avoided his eyes.

“Yes?”

She swallowed her saliva and blurted out, “You are not really going to fight beside Leonard, are you?”

He raised his eyebrow at her.

“I love him to bits and would do anything to help him, but those people he is fighting are ruthless, Max. I have begged Leonard to stay here, but he won’t listen to me. He wants revenge for his family, I want that too, but what if they defeat him? What if you are both there? They will kill you both,” she voiced her concerns while his heart danced with joy.

“It sounds like my wife does not want me to die,” he pointed out with a huge grin on his face. Her concern was better than anything he imagined. It was sweet victory.