Prince Sebastian
Dinner with the King, Queen, and Katharina was an exercise in restraint. I sat at the long, polished table, the clatter of silverware and the soft murmur of conversation doing little to ease the tension that thickened the air. The opulence of the dining hallâthe grand chandeliers, the intricately woven tapestries, the gleaming gold candelabrasâfelt suffocating, a stark contrast to the turmoil I was feeling inside.
I kept my gaze low, focusing on the plate before me, though the food tasted like ash in my mouth. Across the table, the King sat with an air of quiet authority, his every movement deliberate and measured. The Queen, ever composed, sipped her wine with the grace of someone who had mastered the art of control. And Katharina... she sat beside me, her presence a constant reminder of the betrayal and violation I had endured. Her demeanor was carefully neutral, but I could sense the tension in her as well, the way she avoided meeting my eyes.
The silence between us was heavy, broken only by the occasional exchange of pleasantries. It was clear that the events of the past few days weighed heavily on everyone, but no one dared to acknowledge the truth. We were all playing a role, adhering to the facade of normalcy even as everything around us crumbled.
I forced myself to take a bite of the roast in front of me, the rich flavor doing nothing to quell the unease churning in my gut. My thoughts kept drifting to Matthew, to the news Marcus had shared earlier. The uncertainty of his fate gnawed at me, making it almost impossible to concentrate on the meal or the empty conversations happening around me.
The Queen's words were like a cold knife, slicing through the already tense atmosphere at the table. "I hear Valoria has attacked again, a small townâWallucia, was it?"
My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Wallucia. The very place where Matthew was supposed to find refuge. I gripped my fork tightly, fighting to keep my expression neutral.
"Yes," the King replied, his voice steady, as if discussing a minor inconvenience. "Reports have come in."
"So, what are we to do?" the Queen asked, her tone casual, as if she were inquiring about the weather.
The King shrugged, taking another bite of his food before answering. "Wallucia is a small city. It won't impact the kingdom much if it falls."
His words struck me like a physical blow, my appetite vanishing completely. The casual dismissal of Wallucia, and by extension, of Matthew and everyone in that city, made my blood boil. But I had to remain composed, to stay silent, even as every fibre of my being wanted to scream.
"That may be," the Queen said, her gaze flicking toward me, as if gauging my reaction, "but we should still be mindful of the potential ramifications. Even a small city can have strategic importance."
"True," the King conceded, his tone indifferent. "But Wallucia is hardly worth diverting our attention. We have bigger concerns."
I couldn't take it any longer. I pushed my plate away, the scrape of the porcelain against the tablecloth louder than I intended. "With all due respect, Father," I began, my voice shaking slightly despite my efforts to control it, "every part of the kingdom matters. Dismissing Wallucia as insignificant could have unforeseen consequences."
The King raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by my outburst. "You're emotional, Sebastian. Perhaps you should retire for the evening."
The Queen's eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing, merely watching the exchange with a faint smile on her lips. Katharina, on the other hand, seemed to shrink further into her seat, her discomfort palpable.
"What of the people?" I asked, my voice more forceful than before, driven by the desperation I felt. "Our people who are relying on us? How can we turn our backs on them just because Wallucia is a small city? They need our protection."
The King's gaze hardened, his patience wearing thin. "You speak as if we can afford to send our forces to every small city under threat, Sebastian. The reality is that we must prioritise. We cannot be everywhere at once."
"But that doesn't mean we do nothing," I countered, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "If we don't protect our people, no matter where they are, then what kind of rulers are we?"
The Queen's smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "Mind your tone, Sebastian," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "You are not yet the ruler of this kingdom. Do not presume to lecture us on our responsibilities."
I could feel the tension in the room thickening, the air heavy with unspoken threats. But I couldn't back down, not when so much was at stake. "I'm not trying to lecture anyone," I said, my voice tight with controlled anger. "I'm trying to remind you that every life in this kingdom is valuable. Wallucia might be small, but its people deserve our protection just as much as those in the capital."
The King's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "Enough," he said, his voice final. "You will not speak of this again, Sebastian. Do I make myself clear?"
I slumped back into my chair, the weight of the King's words pressing down on me. The fight drained out of me, leaving a hollow emptiness in its place. My appetite had vanished, the food on my plate suddenly unappealing, as if it belonged to someone else.
"Katharina, darling" The Queen said turning towards her "Any news of a baby, then?"
Katharina stiffened, her fork pausing halfway to her mouth as the Queen's question hung in the air. The tension in the room sharpened, all eyes now on her. I could see the color drain from her face, her discomfort intensifying under the weight of the Queen's scrutiny.
"N-no, Your Majesty," Katharina stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's too soon to tell."
The Queen's smile was tight, her eyes gleaming with a hint of impatience. "We need an heir, Katharina. I trust you're doing everything within your power to fulfill your duty."
Katharina nodded, but her hand trembled slightly as she set her fork down, clearly unnerved. "Of course, Your Majesty."
My stomach churned at the exchange, the hollowness inside me deepening. This was all just a game to them, a means to secure their legacy and power. My feelings, my desires, none of it mattered in the grand scheme of their plans.
"Maybe both of you can try again-" the Queen stated
"No"
The word escaped my lips before I could stop it, sharp and final. The room fell silent, the clinking of silverware and rustling of fabric coming to an abrupt halt. The King looked up from his plate, his expression darkening, while the Queen's eyes narrowed, her poised demeanor slipping just a fraction.
Katharina stiffened beside me, her breath hitching in shock. I could feel her eyes on me, pleading, but I refused to meet her gaze. The very thought of being forced into another encounter with her, of being used to further their cruel ambitions, made my skin crawl.
"No?" the King repeated, his voice low and dangerous, as if daring me to defy him further. His eyes locked onto mine, hard and unyielding, and I knew that I was walking a dangerous line.
"Yes," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the tremor of anger that ran through me. "No more. I will not participate in this farce any longer."
The Queen's expression hardened, her earlier smile now a cold, thin line. "You forget your place, Sebastian," she said, her voice icy. "This is not a matter of your desires or feelings. It is your duty."
"I'm well aware of my duty," I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "But I will not be reduced to a mere tool, to be used and discarded at your whim. I am not your pawn."
The King slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the plates and sending a jolt of fear through me, but I held my ground. "You will do as you're told, boy," he growled, his voice dripping with menace. "This is not a negotiation. The future of this kingdom depends on it."
For a moment, the room was thick with tension, the air charged with the unspoken threats and power struggles that had simmered just beneath the surface. I could feel the weight of their expectations pressing down on me, suffocating and relentless. But in that moment, something in me snapped. I couldn't keep playing this game, couldn't keep pretending that everything was fine when it was tearing me apart inside.
"No," I repeated, my voice firmer now. "I refuse."
The King stared at me, his eyes narrowing into slits as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. The room felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion that would follow my words. The Queen's expression froze in place, a mask of icy disbelief, while Katharina's face went pale, her eyes widening in shock.
"You cannot refuse your king," the King growled, his voice low and dangerous, each word laced with the threat of what would happen if I continued down this path. The power of his authority pressed against me like an iron weight, but I stood my ground, something inside me finally breaking free of the chains they had tried to bind me with.
"I'll just the physician to prepare another tonic, then, if you refuse" The Queen stated.
Her words sent a shiver down my spine, the threat in her tone unmistakable. The memory of the last time they had forced that wretched tonic upon me flashed through my mind, filling me with a surge of revulsion and fear. But beneath that fear, a fierce determination burnedâa refusal to let them control me any longer.
"You will not force me again," I said, my voice trembling but resolute. "I won't submit to your cruelty."
The Queen's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a cold, calculating smile. "You don't have a choice, Sebastian. You never did. The kingdom demands an heir, and you will provide one, whether you wish it or not."
"Then I relinquish my title," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. The words came out calm, almost quiet, but they cut through the tension in the room like a blade. The declaration hung in the air, shocking in its finality.
The King's face twisted in fury, his hands clenched into fists on the table. "You dare?" he snarled, his voice rising in anger. "You would throw away everythingâyour title, your birthright, your dutyâjust to defy me?"
"Everything?" I echoed, my heart pounding in my chest. "Everything I've ever wanted has been stripped from me. You speak of duty and birthright, but what about my right to live my own life? To choose whom I love, to decide my own fate?"
The Queen finally spoke, her voice cold and sharp as steel. "You are making a mistake, Sebastian," she said, her eyes narrowing into slits. "You think you can walk away from this, from us? There are consequences to such actions, consequences you cannot even begin to comprehend."
"You took him away from me," I repeated, my voice trembling with a mix of grief and anger that I could no longer contain.
Her expression didn't waver, but there was a flicker of somethingâguilt, perhaps, or maybe just irritationâbefore she schooled her features back into their usual mask of cold authority. "You brought this upon yourself, Sebastian," she said, her tone as icy as ever. "Your defiance, your... unnatural affections, forced our hand. We did what was necessary to protect the kingdom."
"Necessary?" I spat the word out, feeling the fury build in my chest. "It was cruelty, pure and simple. You took away the only person who ever meant anything to me, and now you expect me to just carry on as if none of it matters?"
The Queen's lips pressed into a thin line. "You are a prince, Sebastian. You have responsibilities. Your feelings, your desires, they come second to the needs of the kingdom. It is time you learned that."
"You talk about responsibilities," I shot back, "but what about your responsibility as a mother? What about my happiness, my life? Or does that mean nothing to you?"
"Enough of this foolishness!" the King barked, slamming his hand down on the table, the force of the blow causing the dishes to rattle. "You will do your duty, or you will suffer the consequences."
I glared at him, the pain of everything I had lost hardening into a steely resolve. "You can take away my dignity, my position, my freedom. But you will never take away my love for him. And I will never forgive you for what you've done."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the tension thick and suffocating. The King and Queen exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a mixture of anger and frustration. Katharina sat frozen, too terrified to speak, her eyes darting between us.