Chapter 3

King Roy suggested the garden and so the two walked towards the garden to roam around while talking.

"Haa... I really love this place." the king mumbled.

Idris smiled after hearing those words, "You really do, we used to play here all the time." he said, reminiscing the past.

"Yeah, and you preserve his garden very well, my lord."

"It's a must, after all this was my mother's favorite place." he said with a sad tone before staring at the whole lively garden.

"Right, I remember now..." and then the king glanced at the necklace he was wearing.

"The heirloom necklace of the Gastrell's." he pointed out.

"Oh yeah, it was given by my mother before she died, remember?"

The heirloom necklace of the Gastrell's is considered as one of the priceless items in the whole empire, the pendant is a red diamond surrounded by small stones made up of diamonds as well, it is a bit heavy to wear but Idris refuse to take it off, unless he's going to take a bath. Though nothing would change even if he soaked it, but he wants to soak without anything on his body.

It was given to him by his mother when he was 8 years old, the night before his mother died. And it was the very last gift he received from his mother, the most important too. It was passed down to the Gartrell's first lady, that's why his 8-year-old self was wondering why the duchess gave it to him. First, he is a boy and lastly, he doesn't have a wife at that time yet. Then the morning came... his mother was found cold and lifeless on his parents' bed, and the personal maid was dead too... the cause of their death was food poisoning. After discovering the ladies' lifeless bodies, they captured the cook who failed to defend himself because the late king sentenced him to death immediately.

His father was not around at that time he went on a trip, just two days after her mother's death, his father arrived, soaked with rainwater, shocked and grieving just like him. The 8-year-old Idris was staring at his father that time, watching him closely, reading his father's gloomy expression as he stared at the coffin of the dead duchess, wondering... Why is he crying? The parents didn't know that the boy knew about their real setup, it was a display family that his grandparents built.

But despite it, he grew up being king... too kind. Refusing to be like his grandparents.

"That necklace is really important to you then?" the king asked while staring at the necklace with adoration.

And when his mother was alive, the duchess always stares at the heirloom necklace, the boy doesn't know why... but maybe, his foreign mother was mesmerized by the beauty of the diamond?

"Yes, this garden and necklace are very important for me."

"Ah, now I'm missing Duchess Matilde because of our conversation." the king heaved a sigh, "She's exceptional... a real beauty with a kind heart."

She really is! Idris thought he grew up being taken care of, not the typical duchess who would hold a tea party together with the other aristocrats, his mom chose to play and served him. He remembered, even though there were a lot of helpers, his mom would cook him breakfast, flower the plants and would bring him to the middle caste for fun.

"The heirloom necklace... You should find a woman and give that necklace then." the king teased him.

He rolled his eyes, "Why don't you do it, your majesty? Don't you have a plan to give us a queen?"

The man laughed, "Well... haven't met the right one, my lord. Please wait a little more."

"You're so cheesy, your majesty." And then they laughed.

"Your majesty!" They looked at the man who shouted in unison.

"Your grace."

"Sorry for making you wait, please let's go inside and have a drink." the duke offered, "Or do you wish to have it here instead?" the man said before glancing at the garden his late wife preserved.

"Let's have it here, your grace, since I am missing the duchess." the king stated with a big smile on his face.

"Ahh... sure sure." the duke said before looking at him.

"Idris, kindly inform James to prepare a bottle for us. Order the cook to prepare some meals. I wish the king to take his lunch with us, do you mind, your majesty?" his father asked the young man.

King Roy shook his head a little, "Not at all. I'll gladly join you both, I spare this day to spend my time with a friend."

"Very well, Idris please..."

Idris as an obedient child nodded and obliged to his father's command, "Now, let me do my errand first, your majesty. I'll be back."

The king smiled and signed using his right hand, signaling him to go.

"My lord." James greeted when he entered the door, "The usual?"

"Yes please, the usual."

The man nodded but stared at his young master, who didn't budge at his place, "Aren't you going back there, my lord? The king is probably waiting."

"I'm waiting for you to get the wine and I'll bring it there; I know you're busy with another errand so... I just want to lessen the burden. I want to help."

The steward raised his brows after hearing his young master, "Is that so... well, okay knowing you but why don't you get it yourself, my lord?"

Idris' ears turned red, a little embarrassed.

"Because I don't know which wine..." he whispered shyly, making sure that the steward would be the only one who would hear it.

James chuckled a little because of the lord's cuteness, "But you know it as the 'usual."

"That's because you've been serving it for years whenever the king and my dad are here, but I don't know which wine... I don't know the classifications of it. `` The lord was getting more embarrassed as the time passed by.

James... you silly steward should stop teasing me, I'm not a kid anymore!

The steward sighed, "I'm glad, you're 22 already but didn't turn out to be a drinker, what a relief, my lord."

Idris raised his right brow, "And why would I turn into one?"

James shrugged and then he left his clueless young master to get the wine.