Absence

Back at the Main Royal Palace, Kao Sheng and her mother were in the main living room with the Queen chatting as they wait for the chefs to cook their dinner. Soon, a maid walked in and whispered to the Queen, "Butler Zeu just called saying the Prince was tied up with work and will not be able to join for dinner." The Queen frowned slightly as the news was relayed to her.

Kao Sheng and her mother could guess from the Queen's facial expression that the Prince is not coming. It would be a disappointment if her guess is right. She rarely ever gets to see the Prince and the last time was the first time that she gets to see him two days in a row which has never happened. If she is lucky, she might be able to see him once every couple of months because he sometimes visited the military training ground.

"Your Highness, is something wrong?" Kao Sheng probed even though she already guessed what was wrong.

The Queen sighed and shook her head slightly disappointed. "Hue Chi is tied up with work and unable to attend tonight's dinner."

"Your Highness, Prince Hue Chi is busy with a few projects going on around the country at the same time. The country is important to him, please understand." Kao Sheng coaxed the Queen. She sounded very thoughtful and concerning of the Prince, making the Queen happy and smiled.

Seeing the reaction of the Queen, Kao Sheng added in a sweet soft wooing voice, "Though, your Highness, it wouldn't hurt to remind him to rest from time to time and make time to have proper meals."

The Queen was very happy to know that Kao Sheng is thoughtful, beautiful and mature. If the Prince has a wife like Kao Sheng, she would not have to worry about her son so much. At his age, he should have already been married and maybe having children already. She thought to herself that maybe Kao Sheng could mellow her son down a little.

She would love to have grandchildren as she only has one child. She got into an accident when carrying her second child and not only did she lost the ability to have children, she also lost her baby, thus making Hue Chi the only heir.

Not long afterward, the king and the General arrived. As they made their way to the main living room hall, they noticed the prince's absence. The king glanced around the room and saw there were only women, and he realized that his prediction was right. 

The king felt irritated and upset that he couldn't even control the very son he bore, and even when the entire kingdom knelt to him, his unfilial son never flinched in front of him when commanded. After years of confronting each other head-on, he, who was the king ended up yielding to his son. He had to admit that his son was good to the country, but just not to him.

Perhaps, because his son inherited his stubbornness and if that was the case, partially, he was to be blamed. He was the same in his younger years, but as he grew older and become wiser, he got closer to his father. However, in his case, he felt like the situation was the opposite. When Hue Chi was small, he was adorable, thoughtful, and made decisions that benefited those around, but as Hue Chi got older, he got more distant and rebellious.

Hue Chi was meticulous, brilliant, and gave the welfare of the country a very important value. He did everything that would benefit and help the country flourish. The king could not deny that he had a good heir. So eventually, he yielded, but his pride was still bent from conceding to his son. Though deep down he knew, that he could leave peacefully when his time comes because he knew the country would be in good hand.

The queen signaled a maid to come over. When the maid came behind her, the queen ordered the maid to check on the kitchen staff to see if dinner was ready yet. The maid bowed and walked out of the living room.

Not long later, the same maid walked in and told the queen that dinner was ready in the dining hall. The queen nodded and turned to her husband. "My Lord, let's go over to the dining hall and continue our conversation."

In agreement with his wife, he nodded and signaled for the General and his family to head for the dining hall. Seeing the gestures, the General urged his wife and daughter to stand up for the king and queen to go first.

The group made their way to the dining hall and waited for their king to sit first. The king sat at the end of the table, and the queen sat on the right side to the king. Kao Sheng's mother sat next to the queen while her father and she sat across.

When the servers saw that everyone was seated, they served the food. As the food was being served, the king looked at the group. 

"There is no formality here. Let's all eat."

General Va Tong replied respectfully, "My Lord, thank you for this meal."

"No need for formality. Your family should come over once in a while for dinner." The king and Va Tong had been friends for a long time. They grew up together with Va Tong serving the king almost throughout their lives. In a normal world, they would be best friends, but in their world, some boundaries and formalities must be followed especially in front of others.

The king turned to Kao Sheng. "Kao Sheng, I heard your father said you are lecturing courses at Aires Royal Universities in the Military sectors?"

Kao Sheng politely wiped her lips with her handkerchief. "Yes, Your Highness, that is correct."