Because I want you to be happy

"I am the ruler here, so you must follow my orders." Édouard's words were intimidating, and it was the first time he spoke in that tone. After their meeting, he was gentle with her, but this was something new to her. 

"I will take a stroll in the morning." Charlotte wasn't ready to walk with him around the palace. 

"Don't force me to threaten you, Charlotte." Édouard's voice turned softer. His statement made Charlotte wonder what he would do if she refused to go with him. 

"I will remove your brothers from the government." It seemed he read her thoughts and answered her even before she could voice them. Now, he was after her family. Earlier, he decided to demote her brothers, and now, he threatened her with their respective jobs. 

"Let's go," Charlotte said. 

"Good," Édouard said, and he let go of her. She stepped away from him and averted her gaze. 

Édouard didn't want her to be alone in the bedroom, thinking about Mathieu all day and night, as she had been doing in Beromont. He didn't want to threaten her, but if for her good, he had to do it. He would not hesitate. 

Moreover, he wanted to spend time with her because after his marriage, he would be away for a week with no knowledge of when he would return. He knew he would miss Charlotte badly.

An hour passed, but Charlotte could not cover the entire palace. She liked the library, where thousands of books were present. She had already decided that she would spend most of her time in the library when Édouard was around. 

"Why is this room closed?" Charlotte stopped outside the room on their left, which had a big lock on it. She glanced at Édouard with inquisitiveness. 

"I have kept important files there," Édouard told her. 

"Important files?" Charlotte arched her brow. Her curiosity had not died yet. 

"Those are related to the kingdom. The work I do, I keep a record of it in that room," Édouard clarified. "Do you want to take a look?" He wondered if she was interested in his work.  

Charlotte didn't reply for a few seconds before refusing him. "What would I do knowing the work of the Duke of Wexnon?" She murmured and stepped forward. The corridor was stretched wide and she could not see any servants. She realized that this southern wing of the palace was isolated. 

"Why are there no servants present here?" She ended up asking him. 

"Because no one can enter this wing without my or Charles' permission," Édouard explained to her. 

"It seems many secrets are hidden in the southern wing," Charlotte concluded, and looked at him. "Why didn't the Prince marry all this time?" She finally asked the question which bothered her a lot. She has crafted her question to ascertain his true intentions.

"I didn't find anyone," Édouard stated. "Didn't we discuss it earlier? Why are you asking the same thing again while moulding your words slightly?" He queried. 

Charlotte opened her mouth to speak, but then she decided to stay quiet. "Why didn't the Prince come to my husband's funeral?" She asked the question that Édouard never wanted to answer her. She came to a halt, and so did he. They faced each other. Charlotte was waiting for him to respond, while Édouard was contemplating how to deceive those eyes.

"I was busy." Édouard didn't find any good explanation. 

Charlotte scoffed at him. "That was the least expected answer for me," she stated. "I will be called a woman with no values if I get married to Prince Édouard. God will never forgive me for breaking the vows with Mathieu. That's why Prince Édouard must think twice about his decision. If he wants to save me from getting ridiculed, he must stop this marriage." 

"I will kill whoever speaks ill of you or ridicules you. I mean it, Charlotte," Édouard affirmed. She bit her bottom lip. She was unable to understand what he wanted from her. "God hasn't forbidden you from being happy. I am marrying you because I want you to be happy." 

He took a step closer to her and his fingers touched her hand before he held it gently. His other hand rested on his cheek. Charlotte could not push him away and she didn't know the reason behind it. 

"You do not understand how the world works. Everyone is happy in their own life. People will praise you for remaining a widow. They will show sympathy for a few days and then move on. However, they do not know how unhappy you will be. You tried to commit suicide once, and you would have tried it again if I had left you in Beromont. Since you trust God so much and believe him, then you must know this. God has given you only one life. Live it happily. Live it for yourself. Time heals everything. If I had come to Mathieu's funeral, then you would have gotten hurt. That's why I didn't come." 

He talked so sweetly with her that it made her feel guilty. He was the only person after her father who wanted her to live happily, and she was cold to him. 

It wasn't her fault. But it was the fault of the strange circumstances.

"You are a young lady and have very limited experience of life. I know that losing the person you love the most is an unfortunate thing, but losing hope of survival isn't the solution. You are taking your life as a joke. I don't want it to happen," he calmly said. 

Charlotte's eyes filled with tears to hear his words. She thought he was heartless. She lowered her eyes and didn't let the tears fall from her eyes. Édouard pulled her into his warm embrace and hugged her. She didn't push him away and closed her eyes. His hand caressed her hair while his other hand tightened the hold on her hand. 

"You are a very special person to me, Charlotte," Édouard said. Charlotte didn't pay heed to it as her mind was elsewhere.