Disgrace

The two entered the lavish dining table to see that all the elites were already seated at the dining chairs that were made of fine wood and had some elegant design on them with the royal seal placed at the top, denoting that it was specially made for the royal castle and not just some fine material that had been bought.

The candles and torches in the chamber were lit generously, giving the room a surreal and dreamy look.

Immediately the crowd that sat at the dining table saw the prince walking in, they all stood up in unison before bowing their heads low at the soon-to-be King of Vlamunda.

It was only some hours left, Leon thought to himself.

Although the people had always respected him since he had been a prince, he could tell the difference in the way they greeted him now and he would be lying if he said it didn't give him chills.

He raised both his hands and dropped them down in a 'you can sit' manner before they all sat down.

Looking at the sitting positions, there was only one chair kept at the side close to him. It was bigger and much more decorated with royal designs, a chair only the King sat on.

Leon was suddenly reminded of the times his father had sat there while he would look up to him. He remembered his father's loving yet domineering attitude towards them. He never let anyone speak to him rudely or talk to him in a belittling tone with the claims that 'he is the crown prince'. 

He could feel goosebumps all over his skin now as he stood there. He looked around at the people who sat, yet to touch anything that was prepared on the table for them.

His mother sat on her usual seat not too far from the king's, one for a Queen.

He smiled at her which she returned before he walked over to his seat with Matthew following behind, then after taking a deep breath, he sat on the king-sized chair. Even though he was nervous, he made sure to hide it and pose an intimidating aura especially when he saw the subtle glares he got from some people... particularly Lord Nicholas's family.

"Good morning to you all." He said in the most elite fashion he could invoke. "I am glad to see everyone honoured my invitation to be here...although I think I cannot find a face..." he said like he was thinking as he looked around, giving the people the impression that he was oblivious to Sir Julian's condition.

"As this is the last day of bearing my position as a prince, I wanted to invite you all here to have breakfast with me. Matthew, my right-hand man will be joining in this breakfast as this will also be the last time he will be bearing whatever tag you have all labelled him to be." 

He heard someone clear their throat and his attention turned to the person. "Do you have a problem with my decision, Lady Jordyn?" Leon asked Jordyn who had made the noise.

"Not to go against you, my prince but the person in question here hasn't even been lifted in his ranking yet and you want the elites to share a table with him? At least, wait till you give him his title before making us share a table with a servant." Leon could hear the spite in her voice as she looked down on Matthew with a hideous expression, making the young man's eyes narrow.

Silence enveloped the entire room after Jordyn's statement as no one agreed to buttress with her but only kept their mouths shut to see what this prince would do next.

Although a few were not aware, most of the elites have heard of how princes change their demeanour and character when they are about to become King and behold, that was exactly what Leon had in mind.

She was just about to regret her decision to voice her opinion. 

Who did this girl probably think she was? Perhaps she thought he held her in high regard for her to say such nonsense, thinking he would support her?

"Jordyn," Leon called her name, removing whatever title that was attached at the front to it. He looked over at Matthew who had an unreadable expression with a crease etched between his brows, probably thinking of something.

"This man here is going to be my second-in-command when I wear the crown. Not just a right-hand man anymore..." his voice stern and chilly, causing the room to grow cold at the way he spoke.

He had never spoken like that before.

"With such a hierarchy, you think I would let him stand while I eat...?" he looked intently at her with an intimidating gaze that made her gulp back whatever nonsense she was about to spill.

"Er...My Lord..." Lord Nicholas managed to speak. "Forgive my daughter for her imprudence, My Lord. She is just foolish, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your right-hand man dining with us. It would be a privilege even," Lord Nicholas sent a silent glare to his daughter after he spoke, warning her to not open her dirty mouth to utter rubbish again unless she wanted to die by his hand.

He knew very well that the power a King held was nothing compared to what Leon had right now. There were certain decisions he could only make when he wore the crown and since he had been informed earlier by the priest that there was no feedback from the dead king concerning Leon's betrothed, he was aware Leon could easily change his mind to not marry his daughter.

He was not going to allow that to happen so he needed to tame this stupid daughter of his.

"I am glad you accept that your daughter is foolish..." Leon commented, causing Jordyn's face to go red in embarrassment as she looked across the table to see everybody's gaze on her.

She had not expected Prince Leon to be that vulgar with his words...at least not like this!

She wanted to say something in defence but got shut up when she heard the next words.

"...Because even after being told, she still ignorantly sits on the seat only a second-in-command should sit on..." Everyone now looked to observe that the seat Jordyn had taken had been the one that only the closest to the King dared sit on.

Some gasps were heard among the others as they had barely realized what Jordyn had done earlier. Some of them had been too nervous and occupied by the sudden invitation and preparation for the coronation to have cared where the girl sat and now that they thought of it, only the person who had been authorized by the King to sit there sat there.

Lord Nicholas felt the sudden urge to slap this daughter of his as he clenched his fists under the table while he stared at her. Jordyn's intention of sitting there was very obvious. 

She wanted to be close to the prince and she was aware Leon barely took certain things seriously so she didn't see any problem staying there. Not to forget, she had stayed there the first time the prince decided to use the King's table some time ago and he had said nothing...so what changed?

"And even when I speak, she still disrespectfully sits on the chair with no ounce of fear or remorse." Leon was losing his patience as he frowned at Lady Jordyn.

The rest of the people in the room stared at Jordyn like she was mad and didn't just hear what the King had said.

"Stand up and apologize immediately!" Lord Vitale who sat not too far from his sister nudged her by hitting her leg under the table, making the girl flinch.

Jordyn swallowed her pride and stood up almost immediately before bowing her head low in disgrace to apologize.

"Forgive me, my prince. I took no note of it," she said.

"Out of there and let my right-hand man sit," his tone of command was firm and unshaken, prompting the girl to gasp in surprise as her eyes broadened.

Her face had turned even redder as she looked at the prince but when she saw the look of warning her family shot her as she still stood there and didn't leave, she quickly bowed her head low before darting out of the seat and to the back where most of her fellow maidens were sitting.

"Pftt!!" she heard Lady Brena snicker just beside her and her body turned cold in humiliation. This had to be the most discomfiting moment in her life because she had least expected to be attacked like this for something so small.

"Matthew..." Leon stretched his hand to the seat that Jordyn had just left, convincing him to sit on it.

"Thank you, Your Highness." he gave a curt now before he walked over to the seat and sat on it.

"I know you hate the smell of meat...rotten ones to be precise but I hope you can bear it for today before the maids come to clean your seat for you," Leon uttered without warning making the elites look at him in disbelief.

"I would manage for today, Your Highness," Matthew chipped in, in amusement, knowing Leon's exact reason for trying to embarrass Jordyn like this.

He knew just how to flow with such a vibe, a smirk appeared on one side of his lips.

Now looking around him, Matthew noticed Princess Alice was sitting just opposite him and for a moment, her eyes turned to meet his but she quickly averted her gaze back to the food on her table.

His lips twitched at her action and something crossed his mind before he hastily dismissed it.

The dining room was quiet throughout with everyone glancing at each other once in a while before they continued eating their food in fear. 

No one dared to make small talk with each other to not be on the receiving end of the soon-to-be king at the moment. 

Lord Nicholas and his wife who had wanted to talk about their son's condition with the prince decided to shut their mouths and discuss that some other time. There was no way they could tell him that currently, not with the shameful behaviour their daughter had just displayed.

Jordyn could barely take a bite from her food as she could still feel the gazes and humiliation that her betrothed had passed to her. What was worse, she even saw some of the elites she had boasted to, the last time she sat there and the prince did nothing, look at her with mockery.

Her eyes turned moist at the indescribable pain in her chest from this humbling experience.

However, she has yet to know that more humbling experiences will be presented before her in some time coming...