She shall melt

In the kingdom of Tario, the retired, highly decorated royal steward walked in to find his beloved king seated on his throne.

Bowing low with his heart full at seeing him in his rightful place but also sad at the sight of the solitary young man he had nurtured from birth.

"Your Highness."

King Vincent smiled at the greyed old man, who was like a father to him. "Good morning, Freddy. What is the update on my Queen?"

He hardly slept the night before, thinking about this. Dinning alone on the massive table and the quietness of his castle was becoming unbearable. Hosting friends and royal balls were a temporary way of taking away the loneliness. When they were all gone, he was left alone with the servants and the mighty high walls of his castle.

Sir Freddy swallowed his saliva, not knowing how to inform his king of what he had learned without breaking his spirit. While to the world his king was fierce, distant, cold and sometimes ruthless, he knew the real person behind the mask. He knew a playful, trusting and generous little boy orphaned too young and betrayed by those who ought have protected him while still tying to find his feet.

He specifically recommended the designer his king sent to the kingdom of Olympia. His choice was not only because she was the best, but also because she was a trusted friend of the throne. She, unfortunately, confirmed everything he heard before.

"Freddy?"

Seeing the expectant look on his king, he just could not break the news to him.

"Madam More is quite speechless about the beauty of our queen, Your Highness."

"And?"

That was nothing new to King Vincent. He knew all about his fiancée exquisite beauty. Not only had great poets written about it, other princesses envied and despised her for it.

"Nothing, My Lord. The kingdom of Olympia has welcomed the news with great enthusiasm and already started the preparation for your union to their princess," Sir Freddy lied for the hundredth time.

He justified his lies by telling himself that it was for his King's own good and most of his responses were indeed true. The kingdom of Olympia was looking forward to the union, except for the princess. He could only hope that she will come around by the time the big day arrived.

"That's good to know. It would be nice to actually meet her before the day and get a feel of what she likes. It would make it easier for me to choose appropriate wedding and birthday gifts for her."

"I know that it is not ideal, My King, but the kingdom of Olympia has humbly requested that Sire respects their traditions in this regard."

King Vincent lifted up his meticulous eyebrows. The kingdom of Olympia seemed to have a hell lot of weird beliefs. "And that is?"

"To only meet your bride on the wedding day. They believe it to bring longevity, trust and everlasting happiness to the union," Sir Freddy babbled his way through. The lies coming out naturally than before. He feared the worst if his king met the very outspoken princess before she was agreeable to their union.

"Is that the reason she has never attended my royal balls?"

He threw more royal balls than all the other kingdoms combined. Each time he specifically sent an invitation to the kingdom of Olympia, but his future queen never showed up. Only their prince would attend.

Sir Freddy hesitated. These lies were becoming to many and too hard to keep track of. He feared contradicting himself incase he was once asked this question before. "I..I am not quite certain, My King, but she does require a lot of protection than other princesses when away from her castle. My Lord knows why."

The king sighed, recalling the attempted abduction of his future queen a few years back when he was being overthrown by his greedy uncle. His whole perspective on life completely changed after that. His naïve blindly trusting life was the thing of the past. He was now very cautious of whom he welcomed to his circle, even his council members were carefully selected and vetted.

Sir Freddy cursed inside when he noticed the change in his king's expression.

"Forgive me, My Lord. I did not mean to bring up old wounds."

King Vincent shook his head and flashed the apologetic old man with a smile.

"Don't be, Freddy. It is good to remember, lest I forget and leave the kingdom vulnerable again."

"You were just a boy and that evil, conniving pig was your family."

Sir Freddy's could not hide the disgust and anger in his voice. There was no one in his entire life he despised more than his king's late uncle.

"Family my parents warned me about a hundred times before they passed. Not only that, they even left me scrolls resonating their concerns about him, but I was a rebellious teenager who thought he knew better."

The old man's heart broke for his king, who was still beating himself for the mistakes he made when he was just a teenager.

"Sire.."

"You tried warning me too, Freddy. What did I do? Banned you from the castle and opened the gate wide for the snakes to crawl in."

Sir Freddy shook his head. His king was his own worst critic.

"That is all in the past, My King. You are human and humans err. The important thing is that you took responsibility, amended your mistakes and made this kingdom great again. That is what makes you great," the old man said sincerely, meaning every word.

Princess Zaria was so far the only person he knew who seemed to despise his beloved king. The striking conundrum to him was that she was the one who voiced her support for his king even when his uncle had won over the support of many kingdoms. That was when his king had lost everything, yet she now hates him when everyone loves him.

King Vincent chuckled. "You are too good to me, Freddy. I am forever grateful for your service."

Sir Freddy bowed before excusing himself. The truth was there was nothing in the world he would not do for his king. He also did not understand it back then when King Vincent's parents chose Princess Zaria for their son. King Vincent was still a prince and just over seven years old but his parents were so adamant in concluding the treaty with the kingdom of Olympia. They had placed so much urgency on the matter that even customs to not visit a newborn until at least a month old were completely ignored. As a result, Princess Zaria was only a few hours born when the treaty was signed.

As soon as Sir Freddy disappeared out of sight, Princess Gwen emerged behind the curtains with a mischievous smile making King Vincent laugh.

"I am surprised that you managed to stay hidden for so long. Not even a sneeze, Princess?"

"I knew that you were keeping Sir Freddy longer to test me!" she cried, not impressed with him. Sir Freddy was very protective of the king and would not approve of what she was about to reveal to him.

"Out with it. She hates me, doesn't she?"

He got straight to the point. He long suspected that Sir Freddy was not telling him the whole truth. He knew the old man's reasons and grateful for his love but he needed to know the truth. That's why he asked someone else he trusted to look into it.

"Very much so, Your Highness."

Unlike Sir Freddy, Princess Gwen believed that her king deserved to hear only the truth.

"Cut the Your Highness crap. Why does she hate me?"

"Well, you are a Casanova, a despicable person and an ass."

He lifted his eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile.

"I take it those are her words?"

She giggled. "You bet."

He sighed, when another thought crossed his mind, with it another guilt he could not shake off .

"Does she know that I despised the treaty before?"

"How do you mean?"

Princess Gwen was caught dumbfounded. All her king ever spoke about to her was making Princess Zaria his queen.

He shook his head. It seemed his stupidity was coming back to haunt him.

"I despised my parents for choosing for me. To show my rebellion, I friended all the people they did not approve of and bedded any woman who was willing. I hated her and the stories I heard about how excited she was about the treaty. I wanted nothing to do with her and told everyone who cared to listen just as much."

"I had no idea you once felt like that."

He gave her a weak smile. "I thought I knew better than my old fashioned parents, until my uncle tried killing me and took over my kingdom."

Princess Gwen sighed and sank on the chair next to him. The uncle he referred to was actually her father. Their fathers were brothers, making the two of them first cousins. Her father was long dead, but his crimes still followed and tinted her wherever she went.

Her read through her. The two of them were haunted by the same event, except his guilt was warranted but hers wasn't.

"Again, Gwen, you are not him."

She shrugged her shoulders. "That's not how many see it. As far as everyone is concerned, I should have been executed with my parents."

"Well, I am the king and the only person whose views should concern you."

She shrugged her shoulders again. Only if it was that easy.

"Look at me. You, Zaria and Freddy, saved my life. Don't ever forget that, because I never will. You are my family and should regard yourself as such."

After his parents died, he was too preoccupied with all the fame and specs that came with being King. He gave his uncle too much power against his late parents and Freddy's advice. He was so busy chasing after women while his uncle won over all the council members, organised fake witnesses and had him tried for murdering his own parents. Sentenced to death and chained in the dungeon to await his execution day, very few knew how he escaped.

Princess Gwen had gone against her father, let him out and Freddy was there to help him fight back.

"Enough about me. Zaria is not the type to just change her mind, Vince. Even when father won most kingdom's favour, she stood at the multi-kingdom court and called them hypocrites with no spines. She told them that the kingdom of Olympia will fight with the rightful king and for what was right."

That was the reason none of the kingdoms showed up to help her father fight against him when he returned to claim what was his.

King Vincent could not help but chuckle. The more he learned about his future queen was the more he was convinced she was the only one for him.

"You laugh now. Zaria is not the softie princesses you are used to sweet talking. You have to stop throwing your many balls, stay away from those conniving princesses and bring your A game to win her back."

He waved his hand dismissively. "You worry too much, Gwen. That woman has loved me most of her life. How difficult can it be to win her back?"

Princess Gwen shook her head. "I hope you are right because you will cry if you lose her."

As cocky and confident her cousin sounded, just like Freddy, she knew the devastated and dejected side of him. He had literary planed his whole future around Zaria, but to her frustration, was not dealing with all the rumours that surrounded him or taking her warnings serious.

"Lose her to whom exactly? Look at me, Cuz. I am told that I am the picture of perfection. She shall melt at my sight."