Chapter 122

King Hamelot sat upon his throne as the elders in the room all jumped at the sudden opening of the throne room's doors. Prince Curtis paced himself quickly forward and knelt before his father on the throne. A beautiful smile on his face as he kept his gaze towards the floor. Outwardly he looked calm and well behaved. That was only his outward appearance. Internally his blood was boiling for kneeling to the old man.

"I received the news on what happened to General Edgar.. You claim evidence leads towards the crown prince being involved in this matter?" King Hamelot questioned his son because he could feel there was something wrong. Prince Leo had never had the temperament to commit such an act towards someone loyal to the kingdom. The king was also aware of his son's, Curtis's, dark nature that the boy tried to keep hidden.

How did he grow into such a viper in the grass? King Hamelot thought to himself as he watched Curtis try to hide a slight tremble in his arm.

"I have confirmed it myself, father." Curtis tried to play the family card in attempt to gain pity from the king even if it was a long shot.

"I will have someone else look further into this. We can not take matters regarding the royal family so lightly." The King refused to leave the matter alone when it could taint the reputation of a royal. Especially when that royal was his own child.

"Your Majesty-!" Curtis was cut off.

"It is time for dinner. Do not keep the chef waiting." The King said as he rose from the throne and strode towards the dining hall.

It did not take them long to reach the dining room. Inside the room behind the king's seat a man stood silently. His red hair made him stand out among the staff. It was a man that Curtis had never met before. A cold gaze hidden behind the man's eyes as they seemed focused on the prince's every action with caution.

Is this man on guard against me? Curtis wondered for a moment before turning his attention back to his father, the king.

"This man is..?" Curtis muttered the question out slowly.

"Chete. He is new around the palace so treat him well while you are here." Hamelot did not divulge much information on Chete to avoid Curtis from learning that he was sent by the crown prince, Leo. "You must be returning to the battle field soon. The knights there will need someone in charge of them. Since you took up the position after Edgar's incident you must take your work seriously."

"I always take things seriously, father." Curtis smiled sweetly at the king. There was no hint of a bluff behind his words. In his mind he truly did take everything seriously. Especially when it was something he wanted for his own.

"Allow me to pour you a drink." Curtis said taking up a bottle of wine in his hand and pouring it into a glass carefully. He could sense the king's gaze watching his actions carefully. Even as the glass was handed over towards the king the gaze not once faltered.

Tak! Shatter!

The glass hit the floor at a sudden bump from Chete. From a side glance it looked as if the man had suddenly tripped over his own feet.

"Ah! Pardon me, your highness!" Chete smirked as he slowly climbed back to his feet and called over some servants to clean up the mess.

"A man who can trip over his own feet is working for his majesty?" Curtis's brow twitched as he spoke calmly.

From his seat the king watched the two of them bicker over the incident. Having seen the whole thing for himself he knew that Chete had tripped deliberately. Avoiding a confrontation he put down his tableware and stood up.

"I shall retire to my chambers for today." The king stated as he left the room.

"Your Majesty-!" Curtis called out having realized the king had evaded further interaction with him.

King Hamelot made his way through the palace halls with Chete at his side. The two of them were quiet for a long time. Making sure that there was some distance between them and the prince before a word was uttered. Caution was something the king had learnt to have over his years of experience in the royal family.

"Your Majesty." Chete was the first one to break the silence.

"You may speak." King Hamelot replied to him without a pause. He had a feeling he knew what was going to follow up on his focus being called for.

"You should use caution when accepting things from the prince." Chete did not personally care what happened to the king. There was not a connection between them. It was his task to protect the king so he did not care about the king's personal matters unless they effected his duty.

"Yes, I heed your warning." King Hamelot smiled faintly because he had already considered that thought himself when it came to Curtis. Among royal families, no matter how much one dreamed of a happy family, a family bond was not something that could be easily obtained by simply being related by blood. No matter how much he wanted to love his children it did not mean they would be able to grasp such a bond themselves. Curtis was an example of his failure at raising a proper child. He was power hungry to the extent that King Hamelot felt certain he was the one behind the third prince's death already.

Fighting over the throne... Such a day was surely expected to come. King Hamelot thought. Glancing back towards the direction they had come from.

"Everyone in life is bound to be looked down on by others. It can also be said that there is not a person who does not at least once in their life look down on someone else. Those key factors in our lives are what shape us. Because who we become are formed from the choices we make in those situations." King Hamelot sighed to himself as he thought out loud. "If one is faced with a desperate situation to protect something important to them. They come face to face with the realization of how important something truly is to them."

"Your Majesty, I do not follow what you're telling me." Chete felt a sense of foreboding in the situation he found himself in with the king.

"Tonight. No matter what happens," King Hamelot gazed deep into Chete's eyes as he spoke firmly. "you are to act as though you know nothing."

The end was inevitable and he would not refuse to confront the truth in his situation. If Prince Leo was meant for the throne like he believed he was then he would willingly follow the path that was meant for him as well. He would let himself become a moment of growth for Crown Prince Leo. The king refused to hide like a coward from his own child. He had grown old and was not certain how much time he had left regardless of how it happened.

At least in this way.. When the day comes for Leo. The burden for him to make his choice would feel so heavy to regret the choice he must make to protect the kingdom. The only way to stop Curtis from his hunger for power would be to put an end to him. That was a choice that Hamelot could not make as their father. Unable to bear the thought of personally harming one of his own children no matter how much hate the child held for him. He could only grit his teeth and bear it. The fate of the throne would fall to the two of them.