Mae and Shalam's story

Mae was back in her mansion. Being the official wife of Governor Pediot, she had access to a well-off manor with all the amenities in life. Having a dozen guards and a maid at her call, she had a life any woman will envy.

Even so, all of these comforts can not fill up the void in her heart. Stein was her son. Naturally, the grieving mother was not able to come to terms with her new reality.

She lay in her bed in the arms of a man who despite not being her husband, was actually the father of her only child. No one spoke anything, especially Shalam. Things had taken a sharp turn for him as well.

For the most part he never even felt any affection for the boy, always assuming him to be the legitimate child of the governor. Only years later when the events in his life brought him back to Mae, did she tell him the truth.

Needless to say, his entire reality flipped from that point on. Stein was his son, birthed by the only love of his life. How can the man stay stone-hearted anymore?

Both Mae and himself had reconciled at that point. Yet, both knew better than to claim Stein to be their spawn. Governor Pediot had already accepted the boy as his heir. Shalam's head was going to roll if this matter came to light among the general masses.

Governor of the Gustump city had always been a ruthless man. Mae knew Shalam was strong, probably just as strong as her official husband. Nevertheless, Shalam was but a single man. She can't expect him to fight against the army of the governor.

With these thoughts in mind, both lovers kept this matter buried in their conscious. Later down the line, their relationship soured once again and Shalam left the city, vowing to never return.

"Are you going to go back?" Mae whispered in a soft voice. Shalam looked like he was deeply troubled by her question. "What can I do? You already know my answer, Mae."

They were brought back together by the loss of their only child. But that doesn't mean their conflicts were also resolved. Mae fell silent, not having any viable options with her.

Seeing her downtrodden face, Shalam can only clench his jaws. "Do you still refuse to come with me? What is even left now? Even Stein is gone.. what holds you to this place now, Mae?"

No one can be more aware than Shalam of how badly Mae was treated by the man she calls her husband. He just wanted to take her away from this miserable life. Obviously, he knew things will not be easy, he was willing to even struggle against the wrath of the governor if it meant he could live the rest of his life with Mae.

Shalam's words had hit the nail on its head. Mae struggled to come up with anything. He was right. What was stopping her now? The only attachment to this wretched place was her son.

"I.." "Madam.. princess Felicia is here to meet you." Mae was in the process of forming a reply when a maid struck her door three times, informing her about an unlikely guest's arrival.

The couple panicked. Even with all the cultivation of Shalam, he was unable to sense the presence of this princess Felicia. It can only mean she is way stronger than himself.

"Quick.. hide.." Mae jumped from the bed, straightening out her dress and pointing Shalam to her bath. Shalam was certainly aware of the futility of his actions. If Mrs. Felicia was as strong as he has anticipated, hiding from her semses is as futile as it sounded.

"Please bring her in." But Mae didn't know that. Lacking any options, the man can only charge into the bathing room right as the maid opened the door to the room complex.

Mae calmed her heart as Shalam disappeared behind the bathroom door. Footsteps were followed by the arrival of a majestically dressed beauty who had an easy-going smile on her face.

"I hope I didn't disturb you in your mourning, my lady." Mae first bowed formally towards the woman holding the title of princess in their country. "Please, your highness. Your subject is always at your service."

"Please have a seat." Mae offered to get her maid to fetch the lady in red some refreshments, but the flatly refused it. Asking the maid instead to not disturb them.

Both women sat opposite each other. "Do you have any instructions for me, your highness?" Mae was panicking a little bit in her heart because Felicia seems to be taking inquisitive glances all over.

Thankfully, her words averted her attention. "No.. no.. I am just here to talk. While I am not a mother myself, that doesn't mean I can't see how much pain this event had caused you."

"That's very generous of you, highness." Felicia heard Mae's reply with a knowing smile. "Oh no.. that's the bare minimum we can do for you in such testing times." The woman opposite her only nodded back in reply.

"Other than that.. mister.. you already know there is no point hiding behind that wall. I can see right through it." Mae's heart plummeted when Felica made her comment.

Her husband didn't appreciate Shalam's presence around her. Thus, it was a bad position for them to be in. "Ahh.. is there someone there, highness?" Mae pretended to put up an alarmed face, only for Felicia to tug her lips in a wide smile.

"You know.. I can puncture your skull right from here. Believe me, I try to avoid violence wherever I can." Mae bit on her lips after she was promptly ignored by the princess, who kept her gaze locked in one direction. "Princess Felicia.. I think you have a miss.." Before she could conclude her sentence, to her dismay, she saw Shalam step out.

"Don't bother Mae.. we can't deceive her." Shalam can very well read the situation, aware that the woman in the red gown was not bluffing at any level. Since he had been found anyway, there was no point continuing with the facade. He might have a better chance of talking things out with the lady.

Mae stood speechless, still now that the cat was out of the bag, she too was in the favour of a talk. "Haha.. are you two kids? What's even the point of hiding your relationship?"

Although now a lot more clear-headed about this adverse couple's relationship, Felicia still can not fathom why they will bother keeping this matter under wraps.

Caught red-handed, Shalam stood in his place not knowing what to do since he was not asked to take a seat by the royalty. While the man had nothing but disdain towards most of the noble families of the country, the kind of the king himself were a different ball game altogether.

A chuckling Felicia exuded extravagance from every small gesture of hers, whether it was her crossed legs or her actions of covering her lips by the means of her dainty fingers. Shalam had to agree, these royal figures did possess an inherent charm that was conjured from their pride.

"My husband isn't really a fan of this guy, highness. That's the reason we.." Mae hinted and Felicia was not surprised. She knew very well about Shalam's womanizing tendencies. Any man would want his wife to stay clear of such a guy.

Yet, she pretended to be befuddled, simply because she wasn't keen on revealing her identity to the man in front of her. She let Mae give a brief description of Shalam, but she garnered nothing new from her words.

"Is that all? I am not convinced, Mrs. Mae. Something tells me your relationship is not something that originated from a random hook-up that you are making it out to be." Felicia kept an easy-going smile so as to not pressurize the couple beyond a certain point.

Shalam and Mae glanced at each other, not sure how the princess can figure it out so accurately. Later, Mae sighed partly in frustration and partly in exhaustion. "Highness is right in her conclusion. We have been knowing each other for quite some time now."

"Knowing? Considering you two had a child together.. I suppose things were a lot deeper than that. With how hard it is to conceive, I am sure your relationship had been going on for years." Felicia's words struck the two people in the room like a lightning bolt.

Other than a handful of people, no one knew about Mae's affair with Shalam. It was too late to cover up. Their reactions had already given them away. "Surprised on how I came to the conclusion?"

The couple in the room can only stare first at each other and then at the person of royalty. Both of them wanted answers. "Well, I had my suspicions. Then I saw the lack of any strong emotions on the governor's face. Death of someone's son should not be something even a strong man like governor Pediot should be able to handle so calmly."

Seeing the couple gazing at her like she was a ghost, Felicia smirked. "While some might argue otherwise, I personally believe it is entirely possible that he had no blood relation to the boy in the first place. And now finding you in the arms of a stranger at such a grieving time only confirmed it."

Mae didn't know if the princess was telling them the whole truth or not, regardless of the fact remained that her conjecture had been on point amd their reaction had given them away. Felicia can tell the couple was finally acknowledging her words.

"Then again, I should not be concerning myself with whom you decide to sleep, Mrs. Mae. With that said, I am really curious about your story." Felicia added while switching her legs' position, now placing her left thigh atop the right.

Her motion ended up revealing a portion of her fair thighs presenting a magnificent scene. Standing with his head lowered, Shalam ended up chancing upon the same. Those legs.. they looked strangely familiar to him.

"Careful young man.. last I checked, ogling the royalty is still counted as a punishable crime." In apparent perplexion, Shalam ended up peeking much longer than usual. To his dismay, Felicia easily caught him in the act.

"I wouldn't dare, Princess!!" Shalam had been a proud bastard all his life, never bowing his head to anyone. But this case was totally out of his pay grade. Let alone being in the company of one, this was the first time ever in his life that he had seen a person of royalty in the breath.

Obviously, the wilful man had to shrink himself to make space for the behemoth sitting in the same room as him. To think a group of individuals controlled the fate of an entire country with millions of people. Just that single thought filled Shalam's heart with trepidation.

"Please forgive him, your highness. I take responsibility on his behalf.. his errors must not be intentional." Mae jumped in to save her lover but Felicia was laughing in her heart. To think she will see such a side of Shalam was unthinkable a few days back.

"He is not used to being in proximity to esteemed personalities like yourself, hence the misunderstanding." Felicia had gotten the results she wanted and so didn't push things further. Even then, she carefully covered her calf, not taking any chances of getting recognized.

"It's fine. Just take it as a warning." Felicia shrugged and engaged with Mae once again, ready to listen to her story that was interrupted by Shalam's curious glance.

"We.. we have known each other since our teenage years. Later things happened and the governor ended up extending his marriage proposal to my family." Mae began recounting her life with a dazed face.

"Since my family was never in a position to turn down the proposal, I ended up getting married to him." Felicia saw an expression of destitution take over Mae. "That's the day my ordeal began."