ã€ŠA Night With The Kingã€‹


 1

    Prologue

    MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!!!

    ¡°Sophia, your presence is requested at the king¡¯s chamber,¡±

    Diva a co pce maid announced as she entered the staff quarter.

    ¡°What? Why? It¡¯s way past twelve already,¡±

    Sophiained not wanting to leave her bed, it was still her day off and she is supposed to resume duty by eight in the morning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I envy you a lot,¡±

    Diva saidying on her bed, she took off her shoes and jacket.

    ¡°Why? I am called to go see the king, at after twelve in the middle of the night and you are envious? what¡¯s there to envy?¡±

    She asked not understanding her, why will her working extra time be something to envy? She would give anything not to go tend to the king right now, was the king purposely overworking her because she was foreign? That would exin a lot.

    ¡°Whatever just go see the king, you can¡¯t keep him waiting, run along,¡±

    She replied, Sophia shook her head as she exited the room and walked the distance to the main pce, the pce is a huge mansion with over Fifty rooms and big gardens, event centers, the throne room, a museum, and lots more, in her two years of working at the pce, she still didn¡¯t know all parts of it, she still gets lost sometimes, which is why she chooses not to go to areas where she wasn¡¯t familiar with.

    When she got to the entrance of the king¡¯s room, the bodyguard told her the king was in his inner chamber and that he was heavily drunk, she understood the assignment immediately and quickly ran to get fresh water and a towel, earlier the king had hosted some important people and that will exin why he was drunk.

    ¡°Attend to a drunk king after midnight, my life is hell,¡±

    She mouthed to herself as she entered the king¡¯s chamber and closed her nose as the smell of vomit mixed with alcohol visited her, she looked to see the kingying halfway on the bed and murmuring stuff she couldn¡¯t quite make out.

    ¡°Your majesty, I am here to help you clean up,¡±

    She said announcing her presence as she walked up to him, he looked up at her and smiled before dropping his head back down, without much words she help him take off his robe and socks, before trying to take him to the bathroom so that he could clean up, it took a long difficult thirty minutes before she could get him to clean up, all the while she was cursing her bad luck, why does he always call her when he is messy? This wasn¡¯t the first time, he had called her when he was drunk, out of over one hundred Pce workers and over thirty working as the king¡¯s help, he almost always asked for her, obviously, he had a kind of dislike for her and wants to overwork her knowing she can¡¯t quit, she had nowhere to go

    ¡°He is out to get me,¡±

    She muttered to herself wanting nothing more than to go back to her bed and get some much-needed sleep.

    While he was in the bathroom she cleaned his room and made his bed, when he stepped into the room again, he looked a little bit soberer but notpletely. She helped him get on the bed and excused herself to leave when he held her hand and pulled her to the bed with him, before she could protest or free herself, his mouth covered hers in an intense kiss that didnt start slow, she trieddddd to pull off him but his hold on her was strong and before she could talk herself out of it she melted into his touch, he seemed to feel her surrender because he deepened the kiss, while taking off her top and bra, she knew she ought to stop him, seeing that he was drunk and not in his senses but she had missed someone touching her and kissing her, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she made love or had sex, calibacy for such a long time made her more horny that she thought, his mouth left hers and she mourned the lost off it but it didn¡¯tst long as his mouth covered her nipples and suckled she let out a loud moan of pleasure, she covered her mouth with her hand to avoid shouting out as pleasure shot through her, his skilled mouth worked on her nipples, twisting and sucking.

    ¡°You like that don¡¯t you?¡±

    He whispered against her breast, biting slightly.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    She moaned.

    His hand found its way to the middle of her legs and she opened for him, he slipped his hand between her panties and touched her pussy lips, she jumped as his fingers yed with her pussy before sliding into her, she knew she should stop him but when he added a second finger inside her all her sense of reasoning left her.

    ¡°You are so wet I wanna taste you, you want that don¡¯t you?¡±

    He mouthed and she shook her head in agreement, she covered her mouth to stop her screams of pleasure from being too loud, and oh, that was hard.

    He skillfully took off her panties, blew air into her pussy lips, and passed his lips through them, she let out a moan, raising herself

    ¡°Please,¡±

    She pleaded when he yed with her pussy, the wait made her even hornier and wanting.

    ¡°Because you asked nicely,¡±

    He said smiling mischievously, he parted her pussy lips and before long he was eating her out, making her scream with reckless abandonment, she was way past caring if anyone heard her screams of pleasure.

    His mouth left her for only a moment, she wanted to protest it lost, she opened her eyes to do just that and saw him taking off his robe and before long he was back on her, kissing her, she could taste herself on his lips, the heavenly feeling she hasn¡¯t felt in a long long time, this was far to go for to say no to, consequences be damn.

    ¡°I wanna be inside you,¡±

    He moaned against her lips and she moaned in response. He spread out her legs and positioned himself between them, he flipped his fingers into her pussy and licked off her juice, licking his lips. She watched him with need praying for him to enter her already.

    ¡°Open for me,¡±

    He said in amanding voice and she obeyed withoutints, he imed her lips again as he guided himself into her throbbing wetness, he was inside her in seconds, thrusting, in and out, driving her to the world of pure pleasure, she did her best to match his pace, he lifted her legs and drove deeper into her, hitting ces no one has ever done, she opened for him, giving herselfpletely to him¡­

 2

    Sophia stared at the pregnancy test kit in her hand and prayed from the depth of her heart that it showed only one line.

    ¡°Please, please, please,¡±

    She muttered in fear. But her prayers weren¡¯t answered because, like the previous three test kits that she had used, it showed two lines.

    ¡°No, no, no, please no,¡±

    She pleaded to wish for it to be a dream, but she knew it wasn¡¯t, she was pregnant and the baby, the baby belonged to the king, she sat down in the toilet and bowed her head as tears dripped from her eyes.

    What had she expected when she had slept with the king without protection, it was all her fault.

    Now, what is the going to do? She didn¡¯t have anyone here to talk to, she came here for work and the only people she knew where wee co-pce works, she couldn¡¯t talk to them either, because they were all part of the kingdom, she was like the only foreigner working here, once upon a time her life has been in Briscout, she had been a Nurse and even though her life wasn¡¯t that great back then, she had been happy but even that small form of happiness had ended when her whole family was killed, her dad mixed with the wrong crowd which got their family in a mess, leaving her mom, dad and younger brother dead. she had been the only one to survive and she had run away looking for where to hide and had found this pce, far away from home and with no family members, it became her safe ce, but now she has ruined that by getting involved with the king, she bit down hard on her lips trying to calm herself.

    She was living in the pce under a fake identity, the fact that it has not been discovered this past two years didn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t be found out, this wasn¡¯t the way she wanted it to.

    ¡°What do I do now?¡±

    She asked herself, she couldn¡¯t stay in this pce and give birth, they are gonna want to know who the father of the child is, and if they find out, they would force her to have an abortion or they will take her baby away from her when it is born, she had watched one of the king¡¯s brother¡¯s mistress have her baby taken away, while she was made to leave the pce, she couldn¡¯t let the same happen to her, even if leaving the pce means they might find her again and probablyplete the work they were unable to finish,

    If she stayed here, there was a possibility of them finding out she is living here under a fake identity, this was messed up, she should have known better than getting involved with the king, what¡¯s more, the king didn¡¯t seem to remember anything, because, he acted just the way he used to act, not asking her a thing, not talking about the night.

    ¡°This is messed up,¡±

    Abortion is not even in the picture because there was no way she would kill her unborn child, not when the baby just became her only living family member.

    She left the bathroom after making sure the pregnancy kits were properly disposed of, she walked into the room she shared with Diva, Diva is a native and is working in the pce longer than her, she will be leaving at the end of the month as she is getting married soon, she wished she had a family or anyone to go to.

    ¡°Hey Sophia, the king asked to see you.¡±

    Diva said as she walked into the room.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, does the king need a reason to call on his maid? Well the only way to find out is to go and meet him, you should hurry though, I heard he is in a bad mood, his wife to be is arriving at the pce soon and he still hasn¡¯t made any preparations to receive her,¡±

    Another thing that made leaving the pce the best idea, even if it means her life would be in danger again. The King was getting married, she couldn¡¯t jeopardize the king¡¯s uing wedding with her stupid mistake, she had to leave the pce soon before she starts showing, which would begin soon since she was already about two months gone, going by the date she slept with the king.

    The King, King Lance, the third has been ruling for over five years, and despite his scandalous way, he was a good king who loves his people and they love him too by the way they were always so happy to see him and one can only hear good things about the king, as the king, he was allowed to have as many women as he wanted so his womanizing ways weren¡¯t wrong in the eyes of the people of Otano, but for her, she saw it as a w, so why had she let the king have his way with her? Just why? And now she was in deep trouble because of a moment that would have been avoided, a moment that only she remembered

    Sophia walked fast towards the king¡¯s chamber wondering what she was needed for again.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Look who finally showed up,¡±

    The King said pping his hand.

    ¡°I am sorry I took so long your majesty,¡±

    Sophia bowed apology.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to apologize, I need you to run some errands for me and you are the only one I can trust to do this without spreading it,¡±

    ¡°What may that be my King?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much, you just need to deliver a package to an address that I will give you, you are not to look or talk about it to anyone, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty, but to whom do I have to deliver this?¡±

    She asked already thinking of who it would possibly be, she could guess it must be one of his many women, maybe he was trying to let some off now that he was about to be married.

    ¡°You will know once you get there, bear in mind that what I am giving you is worth millions of Otano dors and you will pay if anything happens to it,¡±

    He warned, Sophia wished he would just send someone else and not make her go through this stress and in fear at that, what if she loses it? She didn¡¯t have any money to pay back, all the money she had in this world wasn¡¯t up to a million, God helps her poor soul, she was next to penny less, the pce doesn¡¯t pay enough to meet her regr needs and still collect tax from the little pay, she only works at the pce because it was the only ce she could hide safely and might be the only ce a foreigner can work in Otano, the people of Otano were friendly but would rather give to their own than to a foreigner.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    She replied waiting for him to give her what he had but he just stood there, she couldn¡¯t look up at him so her head stayed down.

    ¡°My king?¡±

    She called when after two minutes he didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°Oh, here it is,¡±

    He said finally handing her a bag, it wasn¡¯t big, just of the right size, maybe it was jewelry, she thought.

    ¡°That¡¯s all you may go, the driver will take you, once you give it to the household,e back to the pce right away, I have a few things to talk to you about, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    She said as she left, she wondered what he wanted to talk to her about, it couldn¡¯t be because of what happened that night, he didn¡¯t remember, even if he did, he won¡¯t talk to her about it, he might just see it as another one of his conquests, she was just one in his numerous ranges of women, or maybe he found out her real identity, she couldn¡¯t kill herself by thinking of what it might be, so she decided to just wait it out, here what he had to say when she gets back

    Before leaving the pce, first, she went back to her room to dress warm, the weather was cold at this time of the year and she neededyers andyers of clothes to keep her way, after dressing up properly, she took the package with her and walked the distance to where the pce driver who usually take the king out was waiting for her, she expected to see a guard too but maybe the king doesn¡¯t want a lot of people to know because when she got in the car, the driver started off the car.

    ¡°Are we going alone?¡±

    Sophia asked, usually, when any maid leaves the pce for official reasons, they are apanied by a royal guard.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    That was all the driver said, she wasn¡¯t used to him so she just sat quietly as he drove out of the pce?

    ¡°How long before we get to where we are going?¡±

    Sophia asked the royal driver, they have been driving for hours, they were now at the outskirts of the kingdom, she knew because the bushes were now more than the houses, and thest house they saw was about thirty minutes drive ago, who could the king want to deliver a package for at this part of the kingdom, the royal driver didn¡¯t respond to her question, which raised her anxiety, where could they be going, she didn¡¯t have a phone so she couldn¡¯t check her GPS, they weren¡¯t given phones in the pce, if anyone wanna talk to their family, then they have to use the general phone, she didn¡¯t have anyone so she has never used it.

    ¡°Excuse me? Where are we going to? We have been driving for hours and there are no houses in this area,¡±

    She said again, the driver didn¡¯t answer but he slowly came to a stop, there were still no houses, which made his stopping suspicious.

    ¡°I was happy you weren¡¯t asking any questions, why do you have to start questioning me now?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that, you have been driving for hours and we are not getting to where we are going, just where are we going to?¡±

    She asked as the driver got out of the car and went to the back, when he came back, he had something in his hand that made her fear for her safety, he had a gun.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    She asked in fear.

    ¡°This? This is to shut you up until we get to where we are going, one word for you, and you are gone,¡±

    He said sternly, igniting more fear in her, she couldn¡¯t tell what was about to happen.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t get why do you have a gun? Where are you taking me to? Is this the king¡¯s instruction?¡±

    Sophia asked, she was scared but keeping quiet won¡¯t help her either, she already knew she was in trouble as the driver got out again, came back and gagged her mouth, tied her hands, she tried to struggle but he was much bigger and stronger than her, she sat there, hands tied and mouth gagged waiting for her fate¡­

 3

    Sophia sat in the car, with her hands tied, mouth gagged and blindfolded, she couldn¡¯t do anything, the drive continue for more than an hour, she wasn¡¯t sure where the man was taking her and couldn¡¯t even defend herself, she had to wait till they get to were they were going, she didn¡¯t even know if she will ever make it back alive, she just said a silent prayer to heaven wishing that they will protect her even if it is just because of her unborn child, she can¡¯t die like this, she didn¡¯t want to die like this.

    ¡°Okay, we are finally here,¡±

    The driver said as the car came to a stop, Sophia heard him open the car and get out and before she knew it, he was at her side, he pulled her out of the car with so much force that she almost hit her head on the car, he pushed her on the ground, before removing her blindfold, her eyes took a while to adjust after the blindfold was removed.

    ¡°Hand it over,¡±

    He said stretching out his hands.

    ¡°Hand what over?¡±

    Sophia asked, she was shocked by how calm she sounded when her whole body was in fear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me bitch, hand the package that was given to you by the king over right now,¡±

    He said pointing the gun at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡±

    She said trying to y dumb, she couldn¡¯t give it to him, the king did say she would pay back if she list it and it was worth millions of Otano dors, how can she give something like that to him, that would put her in debt for life and it mightnd her in prison, she didn¡¯t want to go to prison, she couldn¡¯t do there, prisons were bad in general but Otano prison was worst in all terms, she couldn¡¯t risk a life there, it was harsh on both make and female, she has seen some of the prisoners and shits the people of the kingdom did to them, ording to the indigenes, it was the way to reduce crime since no one wants to go through that much humiliation.

    ¡°Hand it over or I will take it from you, I don¡¯t mind getting my hands on you so make this easy for the both of us, fast too, because I need to get back to the pce,¡±

    He let out, pointing the gun at her, no matter how she looked, Sophia just didn¡¯t know this driver, maybe he was new because she hasn¡¯t seen him around the pce before, why would the king send her on an errand he knew was dangerous and not send bodyguards with her, maybe this was his n too to get rid of her, maybe he does remember their time together after all and this was a way to do away with her, he could have just ignored her, why did he have to do this to her, she wasn¡¯t even a threat to him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you anything, the king told me I will pay for It, and I don¡¯t think I will ever have the money to pay back so please just let me go,¡±

    She begged, going on her knees, the manughed at her, she watched him mocking her, and tears of helplessness gathered in her eyes, there was so much of this that has happened before, so much, her on her knees begging for her life and the personughing at her, yes she has been in this position once before and now she was back again, I¡¯ma ce that she thought she would finally be safe, a ce she had called her home for two whole years, where she wasn¡¯t having the best life but at least she had been safe, now not anymore because once again, she has a gun to her face and her knees on the ground, somethings never change.

    ¡°Give it to me now, on the count of three or you will be dead,¡±

    He yelled at her, she wished someone could hear them ande to help her but she knew that was hopeless because they were in the middle of nowhere and it was dark, she might be killed either way but she couldn¡¯t due holding on to whatever the king gave her, so she deep her hand in her pocket and brought it out and handed it over to him, he checked them and did a little happy dance,ughing at her before turning towards the car, she knew he was going to leave but he couldn¡¯t leave her there on her own in the middle of nowhere.

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave me here, why are you doing this?¡±

    Sophia yelled at him, he turned to look at her and let out an evilugh pointing his gun at her.

    ¡°You should be lucky I let you live, but then again, it will be a waste killing you, since what you gave ahead if you get out of here alive will be worst than anything else, anyway, have a fun time finding your way back to the pce, and if you do find your way back, you should know no one will believe your story, bye,¡±

    He said and walked away, got into the car and drove off leaving her in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the clothes she was wearing, she didn¡¯t even know where she would go, it was already dark and there was no light, just the moonlight, she looked around trying to figure out where she was but she knew that was hopeless, she didn¡¯t know much about Otano to know where she was, in the two years that she has been working in the pce and living in the kingdom, she could count the number of times she had left the pce and it wasn¡¯t much, she got off the ground regardless of how hopeless her situation was.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Please God help me,¡±

    She prayed as she started walking, she didn¡¯t know where she was going or what awaits her if ever she can get to the pce, she didn¡¯t have any money to pay back what was stolen, this was bad whichever way she looks at it and the worst is that she wasn¡¯t even sure she was going to make it out of this desert on her own, her life and that of her baby was in line and she didn¡¯t even know how to save the both of them¡­

 4

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    His special advisor saiding to stand by him, Lance looked at him.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disturb your rxing time but the soon to be queen wants to speak to you on the phone,¡±

    He revealed, Lance was in no mood to speak to the would-be queen, in fact, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to speak to anyone, he was waiting for the maiden he sent out to return, he had asked if she had returned a couple of times and it was the same report, she should have been back hours ago, it wasn¡¯t that hard of an assignment that he gave her.

    ¡°Tell her to tell you whatever she wants to say and you can ry it to meter, I am not in the mood to speak with anyone right now,¡±

    He ordered, walking back into his chamber.

    ¡°But my king,¡±

    ¡°No, but Patrick, or else you want to spend the rest of your week in prison,¡±

    ¡°Sorry, my king,¡±

    He said and left, Lance checked the time again, it was past twenty o clock already.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she back?¡±

    He asked himself as he stood up and walked out of his chamber, he called on one of his guards.

    ¡°Go check if the maiden I sent out is back already, it¡¯s being hours,¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡±

    The guard said as he bowed and walked off, Lance returned to his chamber, he already had a bad feeling about this, he should have had a guard go with them earlier but he hasn¡¯t wanted a lot of people to know the diamonds were being delivered and besides they weren¡¯t going to anywhere dangerous so he hadn¡¯t thought a guard was necessary, now he wished he had, not that she had a phone that they could call her with another thing he should change soon, the staffs were not given phones in the pce and his life would have been easier if she had gone with a phone, what¡¯s keeping so long anyway, he just hoped he hasn¡¯t done something that would put her life in danger, but then there was nothing dangerous about it except the worth of the diamonds he had asked her to deliver, a knock came on the door before the guard he sent came in.

    ¡°My king, she isn¡¯t back yet,¡±

    He ryed.

    ¡°Okay, keep an eye out, once shees in let me know okay?¡±

    He said and dismissed the guard, being king of an almost failing kingdom fir nearly five years now he had tried his best to do what¡¯s best by his people but sometimes his best wasn¡¯t enough and he had to live with the fact that it will take years and years to rebuild the kingdom which his half brother had left in ruin, as a young boy, Lance didn¡¯t have much interest in being king, he wasn¡¯t even next in line, he had been a product of a mistress and was never once considered for the king¡¯s post, he wasn¡¯t trainee to be king and didn¡¯t even know he will be king one day, he had spent most of his young days abroad, with no thought if ever ruling this kingdom, that changed five years ago when his father on his sick bed had ask him to return home, he hadn¡¯t wanted to because his father hadn¡¯t being the best dad, in fact his father had not been a father to him, he barely saw him just as he never saw his mom, he couldn¡¯t me his mom though, she didn¡¯t have any power and had given him away when he was born, and thest time he saw her was when he was ten years old.

    Coming back to the kingdom after almost ten years away had been the hardest decision he had made, then his father had told him, he had to rule because his older stepbrother who was the acting king was bringing the kingdom down, in less than two years if his rule, his brother had seeded in bringing a once growing economy of Otano down, it had taken a while for him to build trust among the elders and he resumed his duties as acting king, a year after that his father passed away and the elders hadn¡¯t thought twice to crown him their new king, five years into the run and he was still trying to fix the mess his older brother created, of course, that made him an enemy to Justin who despite being in the kingdom was banished from the pce.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    Patrick said entering his chamber and disturbing his thinking.

    ¡°What is it this time Patrick, if you are going to deliver the message from the soon to be the queen then you can wait till tomorrow, I am in no mood to hear her nonsense talks right now,¡±

    Lance warned.

    ¡°Why are you so on the edge Lance, you are making me seem like the bad person here, I am just doing my joke, don¡¯t be such a pussy,¡±

    Patrick said and Lance eyes him, Patrick wasn¡¯t just his special advisor but also his best friend, might be his only friend in the whole kingdom, which is why he made him a special advisor, it was easy to rte with someone he was already used to, while he was away from the kingdom, Patrick had been his only source of information about the kingdom, it was only right for him to repay him even though he was regretting it now, the man was a pest, and only him could talk him down, even though he always does it when they were alone.

    ¡°I am not on the edge,¡±

    ¡°I think you are, first you threatened to get me locked up, you only say that when you have something disturbing you, is it because of the maiden? I am sure she will be back soon,¡±

    ¡°She should be back already, that¡¯s the point here, and I should already get the call that the diamonds were delivered,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, I told you this wasn¡¯t the time to send it but you refused, that aside, what should I tell the nagging woman on the phone, she isn¡¯t taking any excuses,¡±

    ¡°Tell her whatever, it¡¯s not as if our union is a love match she should stop trying already, or I might call off the wedding altogether, I hate pests,¡±

    He said in a dismissing voice, Patrick got the memo and left him, he checked his time again and let out a sigh, he just hope nothing bad had hoped, he should have sent a guard with them but he had wanted to be careful now he regrets not doing so.

 5

    Sophia was beyond exhausted from walking for hours but still, it felt like there was no hope for her, it was already midnight, everywhere was dark and she was nowhere near finding a house or anyone, this was bad, the more she walked the more it felt like it would be better to just sit in one ce and wait for her death because as it stands there was no hope for her, she was exhausted, her legs were shaking, she was cold even though she had on so manyyers of clothes, if she doesn¡¯t die of exhaustion, hunger will do the work or there maybe wild animals too, either way, she looks at it, she was going to end up dead, she just didn¡¯t want to die without fighting, she couldn¡¯t just sit and lose, which was why no matter how tired and hungry she was, she kept walking, it looked like it was going to rain too, she hoped it won¡¯t, that would make it worst for her, she just wished she had super powers this moment that would have helped her through this.

    No way had she thought her life would take this turn when she had woken up today, not only has she lost a highly-priced treasure given to her to deliver somewhere by the king, she also didn¡¯t know where she was and what would happen to her in the king run, she felt pity for her poor baby, she felt sorry that she couldn¡¯t even keep her safe this early, how would she be able to do so in the future, that¡¯s if there was even a future for them, tears gathered in her eyes at the thought of dying like this after trying so hard to survive these past few years, how could shee this far, endure so many pains and hurt just for her to end up dead in a more sad and lonely way? Fate was cruel to her, the universe have made her unhappy and they weren¡¯t nning to give her any hope, she wiped off the tears and continued walking while holding for a miracle.

    Just when she was about to give up and just ept her fate, she heard someoneing before turning to look at the person, at first she was scared that it might be more dangerous than walking this deserted part of the kingdom alone but when she saw who it was all thought of that left, the person walking towards her was a woman, a woman couldn¡¯t possibly be a threat to her, but what was an old woman doing in this part of the desert? It was so lonely and devoid of life, or maybe she was a ghost? Sophie didn¡¯t believe ghosts existed so she ruled that out, even if they did, why would she start seeing one now?

    ¡°I said it, that someone was walking past this night, isn¡¯t it toote for you to be out my dear?¡±

    The woman asked, Sophia couldn¡¯t see her face properly but by the way she talked she could tell she was an old woman.

    ¡°I lost my way,¡±

    She said bursting into tears, this was so surreal, she wasn¡¯t going to die in the wilderness after, hopefully, she didn¡¯t know just yet but the sight of another human made her hopeful that she might not be so far from town.

    ¡°My dear, you don¡¯t need to cry, you cane to my house, you look tired and hungry,¡±

    The woman said. Sophia didn¡¯t care who she was, she was just thankful that she could find someone.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous out here for a youngdy like you to be out by this time of the night, I am not talking of humans, because there aren¡¯t many people around here but there are a lot of wild animals, how did you get this far? Are you from this kingdom?¡±

    She asked pointing the torch she held at her, Sophia didn¡¯t know how to answer that question because technically, she wasn¡¯t from the kingdom but she couldn¡¯t say that, what if she said so and she decide not to help, the people of the kingdom weren¡¯t the nicest people to foreigners and she didn¡¯t want to give up this opportunity, God knows what will happen to her if she keeps walking

    ¡°Nevermind, it¡¯s not like I am considered part of the kingdom anyway,e let¡¯s get you to warmth,¡±

    She said and Sophia followed behind her, they walked a few meters before reaching her house, the house wasn¡¯t the standard house she was used to seeing in Otano, it was a house made of wood, but it was better than nothing, when they entered inside, it looked better, it was obvious that the one was a very clean woman because despite being made of wood, the interior of the house was warm and homey, very clean and organized.

    ¡°I know this might be small but you can rest here, you look too exhausted, I should get you food and some clothes to change into, I still have some clothes I haven¡¯t worn before, wait here,¡±

    The old woman said and went into the other room, Sophie didn¡¯t know what to do so she stood and waited for her, she came back out a few minutester, holding a dress and smiled at her.

    ¡°The restroom is that way, take a bath and change into this, I will heat the food on the stove so that you can eat, I am sorry this is all I can offer you,¡±

    She said giving the clothes to her, Sophie epted them with a grateful heart.

    ¡°This is more than enough, I don¡¯t know what I would have done if I had not met you this night, I was so scared of dying in this desert,¡±

    She said and tears fell from her eyes again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry my dear, nothing is worth your precious tears, just go take a bath, I promise everything will work out just fine,¡±

    She encouraged, Sophie, thanked her again, and walked in the direction she had shown her, the restroom was made of wood too but like the rest part of the woody house, it was clean, she took a warm bath in the warm water there which the old woman must have left for her, her body was so tired and the water helped to ease the tension in her body, as she bathed, her mind went to the event of thest couple of hours, starting from when she had found out she was pregnant, to the king asking for her and giving her a job to do and to her being held at gunpoint by the driver, everything just shed before her eyes, she knew there was a lot of trouble waiting for her once she gets back to the city but she didn¡¯t want to dwell much on it, for now, she was safe and that was all that matters, she would address everything else once she was able to gain back her strength.

    When she got out of the washroom, the smell of bacon hit her nose, she didn¡¯t know how hungry she was until the smell hit her, and her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

    ¡°The food is ready, I know you must be hungry,e sit and eat,¡±

    The old woman invited, Sophie didn¡¯t wait to be told twice, not with how hungry she was anyway, she sat down and started eating, the old woman watched her eat in silence, Sophie could feel her attention on her but she didn¡¯t look up, she just concentrated on eating until she was full.

    ¡°Thank you so much for the meal,¡±

    She said and the old woman smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, it¡¯s been a while I saw someone eating here, you should get some rest, you still look exhausted, you can use that room, don¡¯t worry, the woods are strong and everywhere is properly sealed and no one dares toe close here so you are safe,¡±

    She said and for a moment Sophie was scared of who she might be, why was she so sure no one would trespass? The house looked quite vulnerable seeing that it was in the middle of nowhere but once again, Sophie was much too exhausted to care much, maybe she would when she woke up tomorrow, but for now, she needed to sleep and gain back her energy.

    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality ma¡¯am,¡±

    She said as she tried to carry the tes she had used to eat but she stopped her and told her to go rest, Sophie thanked her and went to the room she had shown her, it was clean too, like the rest part of the house and surprisingly, the bed wasn¡¯t wooden, it was even much bigger than her bed in the pce, she got on the bed and her exhausted body gave way and she fell asleep only a few minutes afterying down¡­.

 6

    ¡°My king, the driver is back but he was rushed to the pce hospital,¡±

    The guard ryed.

    ¡°What? What happened?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know the full details yet but he was shoot in the arms and he was rushed to the hospital as soon as he got back,¡±

    ¡°Okay, what about the maiden? Where is she?¡±

    He asked as he wore his robe properly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know my king, she isn¡¯t with him, he was alone,¡±

    The guard revealed.

    ¡°Are you sure you saw or are you just saying what you heard, make way for me, I will go talk to him at the hospital,¡±

    ¡°But my king, it¡¯ste already, you can do that tomorrow,¡±

    His advisor Patrick said as he walked in, Lance eyed him and walked past him, Patrick was doing the most recently and Lance was seriously considering giving him a sack letter.

    ¡°Late? You better not get in my way, Patrick,¡±

    He said moving out of his room, he couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had been to the pce clinic, right from when he was young, he didn¡¯t have a pleasant memory of the clinic so he avoided it as much as he could, the most vivid memory was when he had lost his step-mom when she was about to give birth to his baby sibling, he had been ten then and could still remember how cold it had been that night, it was one of his most painful memories, the queen had been good to him even though he hadn¡¯t been her biological son, she treated him like her son and when she died, he had been heartbroken, everything changed for him after she died, it was as if she was the shield that covered him in the pce and when she was no more, the harsh reality of being an unwanted and a product of an affair dawn on him, even the pce workers were not nice to him, he left the first opportunity he got and never would have returned if his father hadn¡¯t called for him, making the decision to return home hadn¡¯t been easy for him either, he didn¡¯t regret it though.

    ¡°Your majesty, you shouldn¡¯t be out right now, I can always go check on him myself and ask the questions you want to ask.¡±

    Patrick said not giving up.

    ¡°Patrick, one more word from you and you are out of a job, don¡¯t make me mad,¡±

    ¡°I am sorry your royal highness, I will keep quiet now,¡±

    Patrick said and they both walked in silence, he got in the car and they drove the short distance to the clinic, when he entered there was a smallmotion among the workers who were present, he hated that part of being a king and tried his best to be as calm and gentle as possible, but he was the king, he had to be strict sometimes else they will see him as a weakling and he didn¡¯t want that but he didn¡¯t want the fear either.

    He requested for the doctor and the patient that was brought in and he was pointed in the right directions in minutes, he was able to see the young man after a few minutes.

    ¡°What happened? Where is the maiden with you?¡±

    Lance asked as soon as he met him.

    ¡°I am so sorry my king, I didn¡¯t know she had people waiting for us and I was not on gau**¡±

    ¡°Wait? What are you saying?¡±

    Lance asked cutting him off, people? What people and who?

    ¡°The maiden, she had people waiting for us and had guns with them, they stopped us and took away everything with us,¡±

    ¡°What? What about her? Where is she?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°She was with them, I know because she told me to stop, I did thinking she wants to ease herself but that¡¯s when they came, it was horrible being faced with guns when I was harmless,¡±

    Lance stared at the shaken young man, he looked like he had been faced to face with death but what he was saying just didn¡¯t add up, why would Sophie do that? Why will she organize people just to steal from him? She didn¡¯t even know she would run an errand for him so how was she able to get people to help her steal from him, it was just too hard to believe, Sophie wasn¡¯t part of the kingdom and she couldn¡¯t have known people.

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what happened?¡±

    He asked again.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    ¡°And they let youe back? Why didn¡¯t she return then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know my king, I was shot when I tried to run away, but I managed to escape,¡±

    He recounted.

    ¡°My king, if I may cut in,¡±

    The royal doctor said and the king turned towards him.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The young man is really shaken and he just got out of surgery, I would advise you to let him rest before you ask him questions,¡±

    The doctor advised, Lance knew that was the right thing to do but he couldn¡¯t just believe that Sophie had done what he just heard, there is no way, she barely even leave the pce and she doesn¡¯t even talk much, he knew because he always watches her.

    ¡°Fine, I will be back by morning, better be prepared to tell me in full detail what went down and where you left Sophie,¡±

    He said and left with Patrick walking behind him.

    ¡°Should weunch a search for her?¡±

    ¡°Of course, do you need to ask me that? The diamonds with her are worth millions, she can¡¯t leave, tell them to close all borders and keep an eye out for her, if she indeed did do this, she has to pay,¡±

    He said. But he knew within him that it wasn¡¯t the reason he was anxious even though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint why he was, the diamonds are not worth enough for him to be anxious just because they are missing.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡±

    When they got back to his chamber, Patrick excused himself to go do as he said and Lance was left alone in his room, he couldn¡¯t even think of Sophie stealing from the pce, she didn¡¯t look like it and she earned his trust when she works for him without nothing going missing, he trusted her that¡¯s why he sent her, or maybe this was her n all along, to get him to trust her then steal from him, again it didn¡¯t make any sense, she barely leaves the pce and she most certainly would not know a lot of people or maybe he just didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°This is messed up,¡±

    He muttered. He just couldn¡¯t picture her doing that, she has been in his chamber a lot and he hadn¡¯t seen her do anything that would make him suspect her, and she couldn¡¯t have pulled all this up by herself, he just couldn¡¯t figure out what went wrong, he wished she would be found on time, he should have done better and made sure she would go ande back safely.

    The next morning Lance was up early, he couldn¡¯t say he slept the night before because he wasn¡¯t able to get proper sleep, he just couldn¡¯t get the fact that she might be in danger out of his head, yes, and what was even more burdensome was how he felt about it, she was just a mere pce maid, there shouldn¡¯t be a reason why he would not be able to sleep because she is missing, he found it disturbing yet he couldn¡¯t change how he felt, he took a bath and proceeded to wear something casual since he had no appointments today, his first thought was to go see the driver again but he decided not to, instead, he went for a quick breakfast and took a stroll to the garden, no matter what he did to keep his mind off the missing pce maid, nothing could stop her thoughts froming to him.

    ¡°Make it stop,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°Make what stop your majesty?¡±

    Patrick askeding behind him, he didn¡¯t even know he was there.

    ¡°Has she been found?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    Patrick asked and he whipped him a disgusted look.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Have Sophie been found? Do you want to be thrown into the dungeon?¡±

    He let out, here he was thinking about it and his right-hand man was clueless and forgetful.

    ¡°Oh, that, not yet,¡±

    Patrick said without care, for some unknown reasons, that made him mad, he just couldn¡¯t figure out why or what it is about her that made him defensive.

    ¡°That? She is a person and she has been missing sincest night and all you can say is that? Right after forgetting? I should really throw you into the dungeon,¡±

    He let out.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°One would think you are in a rtionship with this maid, she is just a pce maid and they run away all the time, she is not the first and definitely won¡¯t be thest,¡±

    Patrick said and Lance had the sudden urge to bunch his best friend.

    ¡°I am not in any rtionship with her, she is my person and it is right that I look out for her,¡±

    ¡°Well, technically, she is not your person since she is not from this country,¡±

    He responded which was true, Sophie was a foreigner but she has been here for so long and well maybe he did have a special kind of feeling for her because he liked her presence.

    ¡°See, are you in love with her? You even know her name and we both know you are not good with names and barely remember the names of people working for you, do I need to know something?¡±

    Patrick asked and he just really had to punch him and he did just that.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°What? You had thating, love? I don¡¯t do love, why will I love someone I barely know? And a maid? Of course, I know her name because I asked her and she has been working with me constantly for a while now, I know your name, don¡¯t I?

    He asked, Patrick who was busy nursing his face didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°She has with her diamonds, I need those to get to the destination it was going to and you know it so why won¡¯t I be worried?¡±

    He added.

    ¡°I am sorry I was insensitive my king, it won¡¯t happen again,¡±

    He responded in a broken voice, he dawn on Lance then just how much of a punch he had delivered.

    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry Patrick, I shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡±

    ¡°You know, if anyone walks in on you apologizing to me, it won¡¯t be nice, I have been a little provocative since and I guess I deserved it,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    ¡°A king saying sorry to his subordinate, well,¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡±

    ¡°Okay, just to be clear, we are looking for her and she would be found soon so long as she is still in this country,¡±

    Patrick revealed.

    ¡°Good, once she is found, send her to me directly,¡±

    He instructed.

    ¡°But why? I think the right thing to do is send her to prison and probe her, hopefully, she still has the diamonds with her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t question my words Patrick, once she is found send her to me, and arrange for me to see the driver again,¡±

    He instructed.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    Patrick said and left him on his own with his thoughts running back to the maiden, no matter how he tried to picture her plotting to steal from him, the image he had of her in his head dis not agree, he just had to wait till she is found and hear her side of the story, hopefully, she would be found before the day ends¡­

 7

    Sophie woke the next morning in shock, it took her a couple of minutes to remember what happened to her and where she was, she jumped up from the bed looking around, the previous night, she had been too exhausted to even be scared but now that she wasn¡¯t so exhausted, she suddenly was scared of who the woman who had allowed her to stay this night at her ce must be, it was all kinds of thoughts that gathered in her head and none of them was any better than the others, she couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable excuse as to why an olderdy was living alone in the middle of nowhere like there were no houses around, or maybe there was and she didn¡¯t see it the night before, she walked out of the room.

    The house was empty when she got out, she wondered if she had imagined the old womanst night out of exhaustion but soon told herself to wake up because how would she imagine her if she was in her house right now?

    ¡°You are awake? Good, you should take a bath,¡±

    The old woman saiding from behind her, Sophie turned around to greet her, she looked much younger now that she saw her in daylight and she looked really pretty too and could pass out as one of the rich and noble ones in the kingdom with the way she was dressed but the only issue here was why would she be in this part of the kingdom if she was a noble one?

    ¡°Why are you standing there staring at me like that?¡±

    She asked bringing Sophie out of her thoughts.

    ¡°Sorry, I was just lost in thoughts for a moment,¡±

    ¡°Right, go take a bath and I will make you breakfast, a woman should bath early,¡±

    The olddy said she Sophie obeyed without any further words, once in the bathroom, she hurriedly took a bath and wore the clothes that were given to her to change into, when she came out again, there was an omelet and tea on the table, she sat with the woman and ate silently.

    ¡°So? You want to tell me how and what you were doing out there alone sotest night? This isn¡¯t a ce where anyone can be sote at night, and you are a woman, what happened to you?¡±

    The old woman asked her after they finished eating, Sophie didn¡¯t know if she should tell her the truth or just find an excuse, she still didn¡¯t know who the woman was, and telling her the truth might get her in trouble but again, what excuse could she find for her being in the wild at that time of the night? There was no way to go about this rather than tell her what happened.

    ¡°I work in the pce,¡±

    She revealed.

    ¡°I know, it is obvious from the clothes you are wearing, so how did you get here?¡±

    She asked and Sophie told her everything that happened, from when the king sent her the errand to when the guy had done the evil he must have been sent to do.

    ¡°You are lucky he didn¡¯t kill you,¡±

    The woman said after she finished narrating everything to her but Sophie didn¡¯t see herself as lucky, the king had warned her that what she carried was worth millions and now she couldn¡¯t get back because she knew damn well they won¡¯t believe her if she goes back to the pce, especially not with what the driver had said, she knew he would spread lies about her and make it seem like she did it, she didn¡¯t know how she was going to prove that she was innocent yet, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to pay back, even if she worked for years at the pce, it was impossible.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to leave this kingdom than go back to the pce my dear, I know you are not rump here, so you can just find a way to get out of this kingdom from here and go back to where youe from,¡±

    The old woman advised.

    ¡°That¡¯s not even an option,¡±

    She replied.

    ¡°May I ask why you say that?¡±

    She agree but Sophie didn¡¯t want to tell her why, she has never told anyone why, telling her will not only be exposing her deepest secrets but she would also have to tell her she was here under a false identity.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to tell me? Well, you don¡¯t have to,¡±

    The older woman said when she saw Sophie wasn¡¯t saying anything.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    She apologized politely.

    ¡°It is okay, I shouldn¡¯t have asked, you don¡¯t know me so it is natural to feel the need to protect yourself, anyway, You can stay here until you recover your strength fully, I won¡¯t ask you to go back now, but you know they will be looking for you right?¡±

    ¡°I know that, it is a giving, I also know that I would probably go to jail because there is no way the king will overlook this,¡±

    ¡°Which is why I am saying it is better to leave this kingdom, this country is good for the citizens but not for strangers, foreigners cane for vacation but living here? Not okay,¡±

    She said and Sophie wondered if she was a foreigner too, she looked and talked like a native but maybe years of living here made it like that, she couldn¡¯t ask her so she just kept the thought to herself, Sophie had more problems than what would happen to her in the pce, she can¡¯t leave this ce, she would die if she does, two years without her cover blowing but once she steps her foot out of here, it will be gone.

    Then there is the baby too, too much has happened in just one day that it felt like it was ages ago when she had stared at the positive kits in the restroom, her baby, whatever happens, she didn¡¯t want her baby to suffer.

    ¡°Are you with child?¡±

    The old woman asked and Sophie looked her way in shock, how would she know that? She wasn¡¯t even showing yet.

    ¡°No, I am not, why will you think that?¡±

    She asked removing her hands from her stomach.

    ¡°I thought you were because you keep holding your womb like you are with child and trying to shield it from the cruel world, I have seen a lot of pregnant women and know that gesture a little too well,¡±

    She said and Sophie realized how true it was, she has been subconsciously holding her tummy every two seconds, even when she hadn¡¯t been thinking of the baby, she shouldn¡¯t do that, if she could notice then anyone can too.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a habit I can¡¯t get rid of, I am not pregnant, I don¡¯t even leave the pce and certainly do not know anyone in this kingdom,¡±

    She lied, there was no point in telling her the truth, she already told her enough without knowing who she was, okay, it wasn¡¯t all a lie, she didn¡¯t know anyone for real, but if thisdy finds out she had been sleeping with the king who was to marry another woman, she was sure she won¡¯t be wee here.

    ¡°Good then because with the kind of troubles that awaits you, being with child right would not be nice, not only would the child be exposed to a harsh reality, he or she might not be able to escape it even if you try to help,¡±

    She added and Sophie¡¯s expression faded to one of pain, she wondered just what kind of future awaits her and her baby, she knew the road won¡¯t be smooth going forward, no matter how she looked at it, it just wasn¡¯t going to be, she didn¡¯t even know which was worse, getting out of this ce and facing death or staying here and still having the possibility of dying? No one was better than the other. Either way, she was going to suffer, maybe she should reconsider her options and just leave but the question is where would she possibly go to, and could she even leave the kingdom without getting noticed? Certainly, they would already be searching for her, what if she tries to leave and get in even bigger trouble?

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to frown like that now, just keep everything out of your head and just stay calm here for a while, I would help you stay here if I could but I can¡¯t, I am sorry, I can only offer you a temporary shelter,¡±

    The old woman said, Sophie understood without asking any questions, she wanted so much to ask for her name but kept quiet, maybe she would when she finally leaves, which would be in the next couple of days or even tomorrow, it would be better to know her fate sooner.

 8

    Lance was passed worrying for the maid¡¯s safety now, it was obvious she yed him for a fool and he had been so stupid to trust her with something as huge as the rare diamonds he had entrusted to her, the driver was too shaken to have been lying and when he had questioned the people who worked with the maid, they all seem not to have anything good to say about her, in fact, they barely had anything to say about her except that she is always on her on and barely interact with them and aside for being very loyal to him, she just doesn¡¯t give her other jobs in the pce much attention, it was hard to believe based of how he saw her be so diligent but many people can¡¯t be lying on her when they don¡¯t have anything to gain from it.

    ¡°Your highness, the future queen is not happy that her request has been constantly ignored recently,¡±

    Patrick said as he walked into his chamber and Lance cursed under his breath, he was beginning to think he made a huge mistake by agreeing to wife the princess from the neighboring kingdom, she was obviously a spoilt brat who was used to getting everything she wanted, well, it was about damn time she is faced with the reality that he doesn¡¯t answer to her and he had no reason to be running to her when shees calling, if it were up to him, he would never be married to anyone especially not her, but he couldn¡¯t, he needed the exposure and brand that shees with, needed her kingdom¡¯sradeship too much.

    ¡°What does she want this time? Why is she always not happy? Does she not know I have a kingdom to run? I don¡¯t have time to be catering to her unending needs.¡±

    He let out, he had too much going on aside from the fact that he had practically handed over a priced and important piece of jewelry to a thief who is still missing, he still needed to deal with the military aspect of the kingdom as there have been somepses recently, if not why is the woman still not caught? She shouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the kingdom if the military is doing their jobs right and if she doesn¡¯t have anyone helping her from the inside.

    ¡°Your highness, your wedding party is soon, I believe that¡¯s the reason the future queen is demanding to see you so often, I believe she wants to get to know you more, so if you will please make put time, I am this close to telling her to shove it ore tell you herself,¡±

    Patrick said and Lance red at him.

    ¡°Why not just tell her already, oh, except the part when shees here, I don¡¯t want no nagging female in my private area,¡±

    ¡°Can you not help me just this once, I can¡¯t even not pick up her calls because how dare I do that,¡±

    He said in frustration.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Well, I have no time to see her, besides, she can always ry whatever she wants to say to you and you can tell me, you are my right-hand man for a lot of reasons,¡±

    Lance said getting up, he had ces he needed to be, had a kingdom to run, he wasn¡¯t about to go be with a woman who doesn¡¯t even know how a kingdom is run, all she knows how to do is host her little tea parties.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for the Lance, I am going to quit,¡±

    Patrick let out, calling out his name, it has been so long since Lance heard someone call out his name that hearing it felt so strange and unfamiliar., for Patrick to even think of calling his name, then he must be so tired of the princess nagging.

    ¡°You Patrick must be really tired, you haven¡¯t spoken out my name in years, so I will help you, arrange a meeting with her tomorrow, I can¡¯t do that today,¡±

    He responded and he heard Patrick breathe out in relief.

    ¡°I am sorry my king, I lost it for a moment,¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize, I like you calling my name, no one does and I kind of forget that¡¯s my name,¡±

    He let out in a bitter tone. Part of the things he had to give up when he agreed to be king was his normal life, even though he won¡¯t change his mind if he was made to choose again, he still missed his old normal life, missed when Patrick was just his best friend, but it was okay, he gained a lot and Patrick might not treat him like he used to, but at least he was still here.

    ¡°Your highness,¡±

    ¡°Shut up Patrick, don¡¯t ruin it, anyway, let¡¯s talk about important issues, what¡¯s the news?¡±

    He asked and Patrick quickly went to business mode again.

    ¡°There is no news unfortunately but we are still working on it and there is no way she has left the kingdom because all entrances have been informed and she would be caught once she tries to leave,¡±

    He exined but Lance wasn¡¯t satisfied, he couldn¡¯t trust the same people who seem to have been corrupted.

    ¡°Now, tell all security heads from the head of the military to the lowest form of security toe to see me, additionally, I want to speak with the driver that took her again, those diamonds are of too much value,¡±

    He added.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s more, I need what I asked you to get for me thest time,¡±

    He announced, he has been cking in that aspect and it was time to do the needful, some of the heads in the army and other security positions are people put there by his older brother and he couldn¡¯t trust them anymore, there had been a recorded increase in illegal handling of alms that arebeled from the military, especially the military, he needed to fix it before it gets out of hand, he wanted all the bad eggs off, he has been monitoring a few and had asked Patrick to do a check on them.

    ¡°Yes my king, I will send it to you this evening,¡±

    ¡°Good, anything else?¡±

    He asked already ready to start the day.

    ¡°Yes, your highness, might I say, you have a scheduled meeting with King Sebastian the second, and we can not reschedule,¡±

    Patrick reminded not that Lance has forgotten, he knew just how important the meeting was for the king, he needed to build the brand value of the kingdom more, expand on what they already had and build on what they arecking, five years of hard work and he could say they have done a reasonable work but still, it wasn¡¯t enough, there were still too many poor and average citizens which was worrying and Otano wasn¡¯t even halfway in the global scene, he wanted them to be known and to be known in a good way as a striving and sessful kingdom and he would achieve it even if it means he befriends and even marries people he doesn¡¯t like, what matters is the kingdom is doing well, because the wellness of Otano equals his happiness too.

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡±

    He said as Patrick¡¯s phone rang, he excused himself to take the call, Lance watched as he spoke on the phone and watched his demo change quite a couple of times in less than two minutes.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    He asked as soon as he was done with the call.

    ¡°The maiden,¡±

    He said and Lance¡¯s interest kicked in immediately.

    ¡°What about her? Has she been found? What about the diamonds?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say if she has truly been found but I got the news that she is over there,¡±

    ¡°Over where Patrick? Go straight to the point,¡±

    Hemanded.

    ¡°Yes, my king, I just got a call that the maiden might be at the punished queen¡¯s home on the outskirts of the kingdom,¡±

    Patrick revealed and Lance felt his blood boil, he just hopes that wasn¡¯t the case, because then he would have to get his hands dirty again, why couldn¡¯t the disgraced queen just for once not be involved in things like this? Her? Again?? He already knew this wasn¡¯t going to end well.

    ¡°What are you doing? Send guards there to go get her, make sure she doesn¡¯t escape, we both know what the disgraced queen can do, so act fast now,¡±

    Hemanded as he walked out of his room, the day barely started and he was already pissed, he should have listened to the elders and just send her out of Otano permanently but he had taken pity on her, he should have known better¡­

 9

    Sophia let out a sigh, she was beyond exhausted from overthinking but the most painful part of everything was that no matter how hard and long she thought about it, there was no way around this, not a single escape route for her, she was going to have to face that reality and leave here.

    She has been at the old woman¡¯s house for four whole days now and thedy has been nothing but nice to her, giving her food and making sure she was okay, but that didn¡¯t make her feel better, she knew that the longer she stayed behind, the more trouble she gets into.

    The best decision she hase up with was to try and go plead her case before the king, whatever oue it might be, but she didn¡¯t have the diamonds with her, if she did, she would have returned it back, and maybe she would have been able to plead her case.

    ¡°I should just leave this kingdom and go back to my country,¡±

    She let out even though she knew that would be worse for her.

    ¡°Why are you sitting here with such a king face?¡±

    The olddy asked as she walked into the house, Sophie stood up from where she sat.

    ¡°You can sit down, you look worried, did something happen while I was away?¡±

    She asked and Sophie shook her head.

    ¡°Not really, I was just having a lot of thoughts,¡±

    She said sitting back down and biting her lips, she still didn¡¯t know anything about the woman and didn¡¯t know how much of her thoughts she should tell her.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking about, and you can stay here as long as you want, you don¡¯t have to rush to make a decision,¡±

    She said but Sophie couldn¡¯t agree with her.

    ¡°I am just wondering, if I had been a citizen of this kingdom, I might have been able to get a lesser sentence or punishment,¡±

    She said. She knew this because no matter how strict the pce rules were, the citizens were able to get away with things that she has been punished for, one time, she has been kept in a dark room for three days without food and water just because she had forgotten turn off the water supply in the pce huge kitchen, no one else has ever been punished for such a small offense but she was.

    ¡°No, my dear, Otano rules stay whether you are a foreigner or a citizen, you get served with the punishment that befits whatever your offense is, it is the king¡¯s way of keeping the people in check, yes citizens with influence sometimes get out of trouble easily but most time, they have to pay a huge sum or risk being thrown into the dungeon or out of the kingdom,¡±

    She exined and Sophie wondered what the old woman had done that had made them iste her from the kingdom, she sort of figured it out herself that the woman might be someone the kingdom sent away but she couldn¡¯t back up that im and didn¡¯t want to ask her either.

    ¡°What do you think my punishment will be?¡±

    She asked the question that has been biting at the back of her mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can tell you to prepare for the worse, the king is not a good person, and the people are suffering because of him, he values material things over the people and would do anything to get what he wants,¡±

    She said and Sophie wanted to disagree with her, yes, the king wasn¡¯t the best person on earth but a few asions, he has been nice to her and she wanted to believe that he was strict because he had to.

    ¡°Stop deceiving yourself, if he was nice, you won¡¯t be worried about getting punished,¡±

    The voice in her head whispered and she realized how true it was.

    ¡°I might die right?¡±

    She asked as fear gripped her.

    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t know about that, but just prepare for the worst or you can leave the kingdom as I suggested before even though it might be hard to get out now because I am sure they are already looking for you,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t leave, no matter how bad it is here, it is safer than going anywhere else.¡±

    Sophie responded in a bitter tune, she could tell that the old woman wanted her to tell her more but Sophie couldn¡¯t tell her anything, she was much too scared of starting, how would that old woman react if she finds out she is using a fake identity? Would she still want her to live here? The answer would be no.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Okay, then you can stay here as much as you want,¡±

    She said and Sophie shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should stay any longer, it will only make my situation worse, I should really leave and face whatever issues thate from this, I already know there is no escape,¡±

    She let out as tears gathered in her eyes, her case was a sorry one and there was no going around it.

    ¡°You are right, you should go, I hope the universe takes pity on you,¡±

    The old woman said and there was arge bang on the door, Sophie looked up in shock, it all happened so fast, one moment it was just her and the old woman talking and the next moment, the house was filled with armed men who she realized were there to get her, they finally found her and she was in trouble.

    ¡°You again? I thought you finally stopped causing trouble but apparently not, anyway I will let the king handle your case,¡±

    A huge man who seem to be the leader said to the old woman before pushing her aside, Sophie felt like hell watching the poor old woman get pushed, the leader red at her before cing a cuff over her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push her like that,¡±

    She let out before the huge scary man¡¯s dead res made her keep her mouth shut.

    ¡°You are under arrested.¡±

    He said.

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t,¡±

    She said but he didn¡¯t listen to her as he clipped the cuffs and started dragging her out of the house, while the others who followed him into the house made a mess of the old woman¡¯s house.

    ¡°No, please stop, don¡¯t do this, she hasn¡¯t done anything wrong,¡±

    She pleaded and the man stopped for a moment.

    ¡°You should worry about yourself and not about someone else, You stole from the kingdom, you don¡¯t say a word or we are authorized to use force on you, let¡¯s not go that far,¡±

    The man said, as if he wasn¡¯t already using force on her, Sophie turned to the olddy, she felt like hell knowing she could have left a while ago and saved her from this, all she had to do was move but she had been holding back and now she got the person who helped her in trouble, she knew she might not see the old woman again and this was her only chance to apologize for the trouble she had caused her.

    ¡°I am so sorry ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t mean to pay you back by bringing problems to you,¡±

    She pleaded, doing her best to keep the tears away but failing at it, it was just too sad of a situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say sorry my dear, and don¡¯t think about me either, I can handle myself so worry about yourself and I hope you are able to get through this, I can¡¯t even say be safe out there but you make sure to be okay?¡±

    The old woman said before the guards forcefully started dragging her out of the house again and towards the car packed outside the house in the open field, Sophie wondered how they didn¡¯t hear the caring in but sha didn¡¯t have enough chance to dwell on that as her whole body shocked from how much the huge man was dragging her, Sophie held on to her tummy hoping that nothing would happen to her unborn child, even thinking of that was too far fetched as she didn¡¯t even know yet if they will make it back to the pce alive.

    She got shoved into the car and two guards sat on each side of her, hot tears fell from her eyes and she couldn¡¯t even wipe them off because of the handcuffs in her hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this,¡±

    She whispered knowing that from here on it is going to be a pain, maybe even worse than she has ever been through. The car was in started and zoomed off, taking her towards her ill fate¡­

 10

    During the ride back to the pce, it really hit her then that her life was going to take a huge turn for worse, there was no other way, and there was no one on her side either, the only person that she could say was on her side, she brought problems to her, she felt sorry for the good old woman and wished she didn¡¯t have to go through troubles for helping her.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    She whispered to herself, hoping that the good olddy will be okay, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer even though she highly doubted it will be effective.

    ¡°Time to face the wrath of the king, you thief,¡±

    The big man who is the leader said before the car stopped in front of the pce, Sophie looked up at the great walls of the pce and tears gathered in her eyes again, two years ago when she had first seen this wall, it had been like the best ce to be, a safe ce, but now, she knew that this will be her prison or her death ce.

    She watched as the big gate opened as her heartbeat increased, she was so scared but there was nothing she could do to stop this moment, there was nothing she could do to stop her misfortune.

    She closed her eyes as the car drove in, didn¡¯t resist or do anything as the guard dragged her out of the car, and didn¡¯t look up when she heard the voices of people muttering words, she knew who those people were even without looking at them, her coworkers in the pce, they never really liked her so they won¡¯t care and won¡¯t try to help her, but that they could do anything either way.

    Her heartbeat increased, even more, when they opened the big door to the king¡¯s courtroom where he deals with issues like this, she was pushed to her knees, and pain shot through her as she kneels collided harshly with the floor, she looked up for the first time and her eyes locked with the king¡¯s eyes, his handsome face was flushed in anger, he was mad and this was the first time this expression would be directed at her.

    She has seen him angry a lot of times but it was never at her, even when he scolded her before, he was never this pissed.

    ¡°Where are the diamonds?¡±

    That was the first word spoken to her, or maybe not her because the huge man was the one to answer.

    ¡°My king, we searched the whole house but there was nothing there, I left some of my boys to keep checking,¡±

    The man said. Sophie heard the king¡¯s intact of breath and braced herself, he walked closer to her, each powerful step making her heart beat even faster, fear of the unknown gripped her and crippled her, she couldn¡¯t even move from where she knelt, she brought her head down, tears gathering in her eyes, even more, she couldn¡¯t hold it back.

    ¡°You thief, you thought you could run away with what¡¯s mine? You little devilish thief,¡±

    The king yelled at her, Sophie kept her head down, the tears in her eyes increasing with each of the words he said, she didn¡¯t want to cry no matter what, she held it in, even though the floods of tears were so close to breaking out.

    ¡°Speak! Where are the diamonds?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    He yelled at her again, Sophie closed her eyes fighting back tears, what was the use of trying to hold the tears when they just won¡¯t stop? But what would crying do for her right now? Nothing! It was pointless, she couldn¡¯t even say a word, she didn¡¯t know where the diamonds were and no one was going to believe her.

    ¡°Your highest, you don¡¯t have to bother with asking her that, I am sure they can handle that in the prison,¡±

    The king¡¯s right-hand man said and Sophie lifted up her head, she didn¡¯t want to go to prison, the harsh life in prison would kill her, it was bad for indigenes it would be worse for her.

    ¡°Please, please don¡¯t send me to jail, I am innocent,¡±

    She cried out, speaking up for the first time, both the king and his right-hand man turned to her, she looked up at them and saw it clear, what she had known from the beginning, they didn¡¯t believe her, how would they? When the diamond was handed to her and she lost it and ran away.

    ¡°Do I look like a fool and push over to you? Well, as Patrick said, I should not even be wasting my time with you, by the time they are done with you there, you will start talking,¡±

    The king said and the tears Sophie has been trying to keep away just came out on their own, there was not a single look of pity her way, she was been judged without no one giving her the benefit of doubt and asking her own side of the story, how would they? She was a nobody, just a servant and a one-time mistress of the king and he doesn¡¯t even remember.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    She said more to herself but the king heard her.

    ¡°Sorry? Sorry doesn¡¯t fix anything, I thought you were trustable, and you would have gotten a nice reward from me but you choose to steal from me, be ready for everything and if the diamond is not found, be ready to pay with your life, take her away and torture her until she speaks up,¡±

    The king roared and the guards came in to drag her away, no one listened to her pleads and cries of being innocent and the guards were not gentle on her either, they hallowed insulting words at her while they dragged her away to the pce prison, a harsh ce to be, even tears couldn¡¯t do justice to the pain she felt, in all that was happening, all she could think about was her baby, she felt sorry for her poor child.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°You have a new fellow,¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    The guard who had dragged her in after her name was registered as a criminal said as he pushed her towards a group of women all wearing simr clothes, they all looked at her weirdly as she tried to steady herself but she was much too weak to do anything right, aside from the fact that she has been toasted up and down for hours, she hasn¡¯t even eaten and her body was beyond weak.

    ¡°You better be ready to talk, neither the king nor anyone else will buy your lies, better speak up and get punished,¡±

    The guard said and turned to leave locking her up with the women.

    It was like having a staring contest with the women, there were five of them in the small room, she knew the living conditions here were bad but she never thought it would be this bad, there was basically nothing in here but worn-out beds that looked more like trash than a bed, a small table and nothing else, the beds bunks looked ufortable.

    ¡°Are you going to introduce yourself or do you want a beating as an introduction?¡±

    A huge woman who was seated and being fanned by another woman asked ring at her.

    ¡°My name is Sophie,¡±

    She said and they all looked at her weirdly.

    ¡°You are not from here? You are a foreigner and you still choose to be a criminal?¡±

    Thedy asked and Sophie was tempted to tell her that they were both technically in prison so no one should be a moral police but she knew that might get her in trouble so she kept quiet still trying to process everything that happened so far, she regretted not using the time she met with the king to speak up, she should have spoken up instead of just keeping quiet, maybe he would have listened, yeah highly doubt that.

    ¡°You are quiet again? Do I have to ask all the questions? What¡¯s your crime?¡±

    Thedy asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a crime, I was used wrongly,¡±

    She said and they all startedughing, she didn¡¯t know what was funny to them so she just watched.

    ¡°Bestie, if you were just used, you won¡¯t be here, you will be at the other side where people who still have a chance to prove their innocence are, you are in this hellhole so you are guilty,¡±

    Anotherdy said and the others startedughing even harder, Sophie felt tears well up in her eyes again, so she was already crucified, no one wanted her own side of the story, it was all wrong but she had no one to defend her and point that out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, we are very nice here,¡±

    The First Lady said. Sophie highly doubted that was the case.

    ¡°You can use that bed, the person who was there before took the easy route out,¡±

    She said and Sophie couldn¡¯t resist asking.

    ¡°What route?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so hopeful, the easiest route out of this ce is death,¡±

    The First Lady revealed and all hopes Sophie had melted away, still she went and sat on the bed.

    ¡°Now to orientation, I am the queen here, there is no one above me here, you either do as I say and enjoy your time here, which might be till death do us part or you don¡¯t do as I say and meet your end real soon,¡±

    The supposed queen said and Sophie felt her stomach coil in fear and hunger, not even an hour here and her life was already in danger.

    ¡°We have a rule here, you survive if you follow every one of them, I am being extra generous and kind today because I choose to be, now that doesn¡¯t mean I will be kind tomorrow, and just so you know, no one goes against me here, not even the wardens, they don¡¯t care, do behave,¡±

    She warned Sophie was too weak to even say anything so she nodded, as much as she wasn¡¯tfortable there, she didn¡¯t have a choice and she was so tired that she decided toy down.

    The door to the room opened and she looked up.

    ¡°Time to eat,¡±

    Ady wearing a simr uniform as the others informed and all the women except the one fanning the supposed queen and the queen got up and left, Sophie was hungry but she was too tired to even go and eat.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going? You won¡¯t get anything else to eat today if you don¡¯t eat now,¡±

    The woman fanning the queen said, she looked so sad.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, I am so tired,¡±

    She replied weakly as she closed her eyes, hoping that when she woke up, she would not be here, she would be back working as a pce maid, not pregnant, and most importantly, not sleeping with the king.

    ¡°You will learn the hard way that it is better to eat when you are served no matter how tired you are,¡±

    The ¡°queen¡± said walking out, the other woman followed her out and Sophie was left on her own, she was too tired to do anything, not even cry, her whole body ached and all she wanted to do was fall asleep and forget all the pains but sleep didn¡¯t want toe.

    ¡°Hey, I brought something for you to eat,¡±

    Sophie heard a voice say about twenty minutester and open her eyes to see the woman who had been fanning the self-appointed queen earlier, at the sight of the food, her stomach jumped and she got up and collected the food.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    She said taking a bite, it wasn¡¯t grand, not like she expected it to be but it was good so it was fine.

    ¡°You have to eat no matter what, food doesn¡¯te by much here, please you need to adjust to it,¡±

    She said. Sophie nodded, grateful that she had been thoughtful enough to bring something for her, she didn¡¯t realize just how hungry she was until she took a bite.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you good?¡±

    Thedy asked and Sophie nodded even though she wasn¡¯t, how could anyone be good in a situation like this? She knew this wasn¡¯t the end, her pains were far from over, and she knew tomorrow would bring much more pain and sorrow.

    ¡°Here survival is key, the king is evil and the people suffer unjustly,¡±

    The woman said and Sophie wondered why everyone in the kingdom saw the king as such a devil. Well, he is right? If not why will she be here?

    ¡°I am sorry what¡¯s your name and how long have you been here? What¡¯s your crime?¡±

    Sophie asked after she finished the food and drank water.

    ¡°My name is Leah, crime? Killing my abusive husband by ident but everyone thinks I did it because I wanted his property. He doesn¡¯t even have anything, how long have I been here? Since the king started ruling and decided that all female prisoners be locked up in the pce prison, initially I spent two years at the other prison, so a total of seven years,¡±

    She exined bitterly, she looked so young to have spent seven years in prison which made Sophie wonder just how young she was when she got married, she had a lot of questions but she just didn¡¯t want to prey further than she already did.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°What is your crime? I already know your name is Sophie,¡±

    Leah asked and Sophie wondered if she could be honest with her, she did bring her food and was one of the few people that have been nice to her so far, both she and the good olddy were the only people who have been nice to her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯tmit any crime, I lost something precious, they think I stole it but I didn¡¯t,¡±

    She exined.

    ¡°You worked for an influential family?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I worked as a pce maid,¡±

    She revealed.

    ¡°Aha, that exins a lot about why you were sent here directly, that king will be the end of justice in this kingdom, it was worse before he came and he made it, even more, worse, poor and irrelevant people like us can¡¯t get justice because the ruling king only ys fair to the rich.

    Leah said bitterly which lead Sophie to believe she must have a beef with the king, it was obvious that she hated him.

    ¡°Why are you so sure the king is evil, I mean yes he is but, you seem to have a deeper hate for him,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Sophie said and wished she hadn¡¯t said the words because Leah¡¯s expression changed so much.

    ¡°I do, I hate him so much, if I ever meet him I would kill him too,¡±

    She let out bitterly, Sophie wanted to defend the king for a reason which wasn¡¯t okay with her, she wanted to protect him, he was still the father of her unborn kid, the baby. She suddenly thought holding her tummy, she didn¡¯t know if the baby will make it but still.

    ¡°What did the king do to you that you hate him so much? I thought you were already here before he got on the throne?¡±

    She asked removing her hands from her tummy, she didn¡¯t want attention drawn to it.

    ¡°Yeah, I hate him, if not for him I won¡¯t be here still, I would have been free, but here I am wasting away in prison,¡±

    Leah let out.

    ¡°I am sorry, but what happened?¡±

    Sophie asked. She just wanted to know how bad the king was, maybe then she won¡¯t feel the need to want to defend him, she needed herself to hate him so much, not like she liked him before.

    ¡°I was going to be released on parole, six days before that day, he suddenly decided that all women jail should be moved to the pce prison since it wasn¡¯t in use and the other prison were overcrowded, it would have been nice if he had let those of us that were almost set free go but no, the evil man said we are not fit to join the society and dumped us all here, I would have been free and watch my daughter grow but that man,¡±

    Leah said with so much anger, Sophie felt her pain and she couldn¡¯t help but think, what if her baby makes it? Will she be taken away from her? Will her child ever get to meet her? She just couldn¡¯t see that happening and it hurt so bad.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    Sophie said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡±

    Leah said and suddenly got up and left, Sophie sat alone in the room for a long time, her mind going in different directions but nothing helped, no matter how she thought about it, there was no way out, she just have to wait for what tomorrow brings and just live with it.

    She fell asleep after long hours of just staring at nothing in particr.

    Sophie was woken by cold water being dumped on her, she opened her eyes so fast wondering what was going on and where she was, it took a moment to piece together everything and sadness washed through her when she remembered where she was.

    ¡°Are you going to keepying down or do you wanna get up? This is not your father¡¯s house where you can sleep for as long as you want!¡±

    She heard a woman say before another heap of water was dumped on her, she quickly got up trying to dry herself up, it was so cold, Sophie wanted to tell her she didn¡¯t even have a father no to talk of a father who owns a house, she had no family, if she did then she wouldn¡¯t be facing this much alone, she was alone in this world and the only person who would have been her family might not make it through this with the way things were going.

    ¡°You could have just woken me up the normal way,¡±

    Sophie yelled. She was no pushover, just because she was in this situation doesn¡¯t mean she just have to bow and take everything being thrown at her.

    ¡°You are talking back at me?¡±

    The self-acimed queen yelled grabbing her hair.

    ¡°Let me go, that hurts,¡±

    Sophie cried but she didn¡¯t and she was bigger than her so Sophie couldn¡¯t easily free herself from her.

    ¡°You bitch, I don¡¯t think you wanna live.¡±

    She yelled in her face and pushed her so hard that she fell on her back.

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you push me like that?¡±

    Sophie cried, pain shooting through her, she stood up and it took a moment to steady herself.

    ¡°Why? Because I can, now if you don¡¯t want me to do more than push, you will do as I say,¡±

    ¡°What do you want from me? We don¡¯t even know each other, why are you so mean?¡±

    Sophie asked, she watched as she walked close to her.

    ¡°I am going to let you get away with talking back at me for just today because you are new but don¡¯t think you can do what you did today and stay alive,¡±

    She said pushing her again before pushing a bucket in her hand.

    ¡°Go get me water, the one in the restroom here ain¡¯t running,¡±

    She instructed. Sophie wanted to say no, but then Leah walked up behind the self-acimed queen and shook her head, she took the bucket and walked out with her clothes still wet, she wondered why the bully didn¡¯t use the water she dumped on her to do whatever she wanted, heck, she didn¡¯t even know the way to the tap, it was early in the morning and she already felt horrible, walking about with no sense of direction in wet cold clothes was the worse thing that can happen to anyone in the cold winter season in Otano, her life was a mess.

 Chapter 13

    And that¡¯s how a series of horrible events started for Sophie, after she was able to get water for the self-acimed queen, she had to wash the toilet and also run errands for the other inmates and before she was finally able to take a break, it was almost afternoon, just when Sophie thought her problems for the day are over, she got called by the prison warder.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s make this easy for the both of us, I will rather be anywhere but here, and apparently, you don¡¯t have awyer and can¡¯t even get one because your offense is against the number person of this kingdom, let¡¯s not make things hard for ourselves, you tell me where the diamonds are, I report to my boss who will in turn report to the king and vi, we all win, except you will have to serve jail time for daring to steal from the king of Otano,¡±

    Thedy said as Sophie sat across from her in the interrogation room, Sophie had nothing to say, nothing, yes, she knew she would not be able to get awyer, even if the king allows it, she still couldn¡¯t afford awyer.

    ¡°Come on woman, speak up,¡±

    The warder persuaded.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, I didn¡¯t steal anything either,¡±

    Sophie said with all of her strength.

    ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true, if you didn¡¯t steal it, you won¡¯t be here right now,e on, just say the truth,¡±

    She yelled at her and Sophie bowed her head, there was nothing else she could say.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t wanna say anything? You don¡¯t wanna bring what you stole either? You are asking for a harsher punishment, right? I was trying to be nice,¡±

    The warder let out after a long pause.

    ¡°I have said my truth, I didn¡¯t steal anything, it was stolen from me, I don¡¯t have proof but I swear on my life that I didn¡¯t steal it, I was going to where the king sent me but the driver suddenly became something else, he took it not me, I am innocent,¡±

    Sophie cried.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to say it, do you? You really want me to go the harsh way? Why can¡¯t you guys just be easy to deal with? At the end of the day, the diamonds are missing and thest person it was with was you, and the pce guard who was sent with you came back with a gunshot wound and is still at the hospital as we speak, so? What happened that day? Who stole the diamonds? Who shot the pce guard if you say you are innocent?¡±

    She asked, all Sophie could do was shake her head, she couldn¡¯t defend herself, the pce guard had shot himself and framed her for his crime, it was his words against hers and she didn¡¯t have any injuries when she was brought back, no one will believe her.

    ¡°It will be best to confess and also name your aplices because you and I both know you couldn¡¯t have pulled it off on your own, just speak the truth and you might get a lesser sentence,¡±

    She persuaded.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it,¡±

    She cried.

    ¡°Okay that¡¯s it, I am much too stressed to deal with this today,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She said and got up and walked away leaving Sophie on her own. She was left there for about thirty minutes before the one who brought her in came and took her back to the prison.

    Getting back to the prison was as bad as before she left, she was assigned to wash the dishes the other inmates used immediately after she got back, after which she had to fill the drum in the restroom with water and it took a long time for her to be done, she knew she needed to be strong and get used to her harsh life so she did her best to do everything she was told to avoid trouble.

    ***

    ¡°I asked you to wash the restroom, what are you doing seating here?¡±

    The self-acimed queen asked and Sophie got on her feet knowing she was in trouble again, how she was able to get in trouble with everyone here in just three days of being here was beyond her, everyone hated her, there was no proof of her innocence and every day, she was taking in for questioning, pressured to speak the truth and when she told them what happened, what truly took ce between her and the pce guard, they always just send her back here not believing what she said.

    ¡°What? Why are you just standing there looking at me like that? I asked you to do something for me didn¡¯t I?¡±

    The self-acimed queen yelled in her face, Sophie took a step back to prevent her from hitting her again, earlier today, when she had woken up, she made the mistake ofying in bed for five minutes too long and got in trouble with the prison queen who pped her across the face twice, it still hurt where she hit her and thest thing she wanted was to be beaten again.

    ¡°I am sorry, I was tired and wanted to rest a little,¡±

    She said in a tiny voice.

    ¡°You are tired? What did you do? What have you done? If you don¡¯t go and scrub the restroom right now, you will see what being tired truly is,¡±

    ¡°But, but, I washed it earlier today,¡±

    Sophie cried in frustration.

    ¡°And? It is messy, and your job is to clean up when it is messy you don¡¯t get to decide when you will clean or when you won¡¯t, do as I say before I do something that you won¡¯t like,¡±

    She yelled at her and Sophie ran out of there, she was much too exhausted and she felt like she would copse any moment, her whole body ached from being pushed around and she hasn¡¯t eaten well since she got here, nope, they either took her food from her or just threw it all over the table and she was made to pick them up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this,¡±

    Sophie cried softly as she went into the messy restroom, she has been cleaning it for three days now but the women there were very unclean and always mess it up, Sophie wiped the tears that gathered in her eyes off, the sooner she gets used to her new reality, the sooner it would be for her to cope with it, there was no escaping this, not when no one was ready to listen to her own side of the story, no one believed her and she couldn¡¯t even me them, where was the proof that she was innocent? Nothing, she met the pce guard and watched him lie about everything that happened, and of course, he painted her out to be the viin, making it seem she had an aplice that she was trying to hide, it was hellish to watch him lie on her name, she begged him to tell the truth but he didn¡¯t.

    Trying to forget everything and just focus on getting the restroom clean was so hard, she felt dizzy.

    ¡°Oh God,¡±

    She whispered trying to straighten up and kick the dizzy feeling out, she needed to be done with this before the self-acimed queenes here and hit her again, she blinked as she got even dizzier, the restroom suddenly became so dark, and no matter how she tried to blink the darkness away, it just didn¡¯t go away, she felt a sharp pain in her head right before everything went totally ck¡­

 Chapter 14

    Knowing that the thief was caught and sent to prison didn¡¯t give Lance any sort of peace, in fact, it made him even more pissed, three whole days now, and he has been too busy to interrogate her himself and ording to what he has been told, she still insists that she was innocent despite everything been done to her, he never expected her to talk easily though, but he would get the truth out of her after he was done with his affairs.

    Lance peeled off his clothes as he step into the water, today had been hectic for him but at least he got some result, not as good as he wanted but it was something, he had a goal and wanted it to be achieved by the end of the year, too many people are gaining from exploiting the poor and average citizens of his kingdom and he needed to act fast or the progress he hoped for the kingdom would be far from happening, he hopes the people can help him help them too.

    ¡°Your majesty?¡±

    Lance heard Patrick¡¯s voice.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Shower,¡±

    He yelled from the bathroom.

    ¡°I will wait here,¡±

    Patrick said and went silent, Lance came out a couple of minutester to find his best friend and personal assistantying on his bed.

    ¡°You know, sometimes you act like you forget we are close and other times like this you seem to remember, I am happy you remember,¡±

    Lance said as he walked to his closet to get his clothes.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I am tired, I didn¡¯t know being the king¡¯s aid was this much job, I swear, sometimes I just want to run away,¡±

    Patrickined.

    ¡°Where would you go and leave me on my own? You love me too much to abandon me,¡±

    Lance responded. He was thankful to Patrick for sticking by his side.

    ¡°Well, the maiden is the clinic,¡±

    Patrick announced and Lance knew who he was talking about without him saying the name

    ¡°What? What happened to her?¡±

    He asked as he button his shirt, he didn¡¯t like how his heart jumped at the thought of her being sick.

    ¡°She fainted and was taken to the clinic,¡±

    Patrick revealed.

    ¡°And do you have any idea why she fainted?¡±

    He asked, he really should go see her himself, he had been too busy and now she was sick.

    ¡°Not really, they only said she was moved to the clinic after they tried to wake her up at the prison, and you told me to keep you updated about her which is why I am telling you,¡±

    Patrick exined.

    ¡°Has she said anything? About the missing diamonds?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°She ims to be innocent my king,¡±

    Patrick disclosed, Lance already knew that¡¯s what she would say, that¡¯s what all criminals say in the first ce, they never agree to their crimes no matter how obvious it may seem, he had himself to me for trusting her so blindly.

    ¡°I will go see her now, I shouldn¡¯t have prolonged it, she will not dare lie in my face,¡±

    He said and walked out of his room without waiting for Patrick, he was almost at his door when Patrick stopped him.

    ¡°Your majesty, I said she fainted, she is not awake yet, and you don¡¯t have to interrogate her yourself, please, call your future wife instead, before she makes me lose my mind,¡±

    Patrick begged and Lance turned to him, he actually felt bad for his best friend, he knew how demanding that woman can be and he witnessed it yesterday.

    ¡°Patrick, I met with her yesterday, why do I need to call her again? Besides, yesterday, she didn¡¯t have anything important to y¡¯all to me about after all the nagging and wanting to see me, she asked the most stupid and basic questions, I can¡¯t deal with that tonight,¡±

    Lanceined.

    ¡°You were the one that want to marry, you should really stick to it or there will be consequences, she is so, so, never mind,¡±

    Patrick said, yup Roselle was something else, he had taken time out to go see her yesterday, and after just twenty minutes in her presence, he realized he made a big mistake deciding to marry her, not like he had decided by himself, the elders had brought up the suggestion and he had agreed, at the time, it seemed like the perfect idea and Roselle looked like just a normal woman from far away, but now?

    ¡°I am thinking of calling off the marriage, I really shouldn¡¯t have let those old men talk me into it in the first ce.

    He said regretting now, he should have told the elders no when they suggested the union, the princess was everything he didn¡¯t want to deal with.

    ¡°Uh-huh? I think that¡¯s a little toote my king,¡±

    Patrick said. Lance knew it was the truth but he couldn¡¯t imagine himself having to deal with Roselle for a long time, it would wear him out.

    ¡°I said I am thinking of, I wille to a conclusion soon, whatever the consequences of calling off the union are, I would face it myself.¡±

    He concluded as he walked out of the room, Patrick followed silently beside him.

    ¡°You should be resting, you are busy these days, you have people for this for a reason and I could call the doctor toe over instead of you going there,¡±

    Patrick said as they made their way to the car but Lance ignored him, he wanted to speak with the doctor and find out why she fainted tonight.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    ¡°Patrick, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take time, you can go and get the rest you need, you don¡¯t have to follow me,¡±

    He said when they got to his car, he gave the driver instructions and got in, he closed the door when Patrick tried to get in.

    ¡°Go and rest, I will see you tomorrow,¡±

    He said in amanding voice and told the driver to go ahead.

    He got to the hospital in no time, it was within the ce premises anyway, he met the doctor at the entrance, Patrick must have called to inform them he was on his way.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    The doctor said in greeting.

    ¡°Can we talk in your office,¡±

    Lance said already walking towards the doctor¡¯s office, thest time he was here was to speak with the pce guard.

    ¡°So? Why did she faint?¡±

    Lance asked, he knew Patrick would have already told the doctor the reason for his visit.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty, she was very weak when they brought her in, seems like she has not been eating well, and the fact that she is pregnant added to it,¡±

    The doctor said.

    ¡°What? She is pregnant?¡±

    Lance asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes, she is about two months pregnant, and she fainted due to her being almost malnourished, During pregnancy, poor dietscking in key nutrients, like iodine, iron, fte, calcium, and zinc can cause anemia, pre-empsia, hemorrhage,¡±

    Lance listened to the doctor exin her condition and he couldn¡¯t help the anger that he felt, he didn¡¯t even know that she was with child, the shock he got when the doctor mentioned the possibility of her being pregnant, he really should have stuck with the first idea of dealing with her by himself, why didn¡¯t they feed her in prison, he provided enough funds for the prisons for someone to be malnourished after spending less than four days there.

    ¡°Once she wakes up, she should be moved to my personal dungeon and isted from others, I will take it from here, if I knew she was with child, I won¡¯t have sent her to the prison,¡±

    Lance said already thinking about what her supposed pregnancy could mean, it means she really did have people outside the pce and the father of her unborn child must be her aplice, now all he needed to do was get that out of her and he would be able to recover his jewel and send her out of the pce, he would make sure she would never be able to step foot in Otano ever again, as, for the man who got her pregnant and also made her steal from him, a would deal with him separately.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    The doctor said and Lance walked out of his office, he did the right thing bying to see the doctor himself, if not they would have sent her back to prison, and who knows what would have happened to her, he wanted to get back what she stole from him but he wasn¡¯t about to let her die on his watch, he would take care of her until he gets the truth out of her, then he would send her away, no pregnant woman can work in the pce anyway.

 Chapter 15

    Sophie woke up feeling aches all over, she tried to get up from where shey but realized she couldn¡¯t move her right hand because it appeared to be tied to something, she opened her eyes and the light in the room almost blinded her, she closed her eyes again trying to remember where she was, thest thing she remembered was scrubbing the restroom where all the women as instructed by the self-acimed queen of the prison, how did she end up in a lighted room? She tried to remember but nothing came, all she remembered was that she felt dizzy and then there was darkness, she must have passed out or something.

    ¡°I see you are awake,¡±

    She heard a man¡¯s voice say and tried to open her eyes properly, the man was wearing a white robe and for a moment, Sophie feared she must have died in the restroom and she was now in heaven, it took a moment to realize the man was a doctor and when she finally did, she figured out where she was.

    ¡°Doctor? What happened to me? Why am I here?¡±

    She managed to ask but her voice came out in tiny.

    ¡°You fainted and were rushed here, thankfully, you were brought here in time, how many fingers do you see?¡±

    The doctor asked and Sophie stared at his raised fingers for several seconds before answering.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Three,¡±

    She whispered.

    ¡°Doc? Is my baby okay?¡±

    She asked, hoping that she was still here with her.

    ¡°Your baby is fine, that¡¯s the reason you fainted, you are not getting enough nutrients for two people, I am guessing that¡¯s because of your current situation,¡±

    The doctor said and Sophie let out a sad sigh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will request that you be moved from the main prison to a better ce, I think there is a space for pregnant women,¡±

    The doctor said but Sophie already knew it was no different from where she was currently, plus if she goes there when her baby is born, she would have to give her up to foster care, and the foster care there was nothing to write about.

    ¡°Doctor? I am sorry, but can you keep the news of the pregnancy secret? I don¡¯t really want anyone to know yet,¡±

    She pleaded even though she knew the doctor answered to the king and might tell him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not up to me, if the king request for your report, I would have to tell him, I am sorry dear, just rest,¡±

    The doctor said and walked away, Sophiey there thinking of what she could do to change her current situation but nothing seem to work, her mind went to the old woman who had helped her and she silently prayed she was okay.

    Sophie was left on her own for the rest of the night, she couldn¡¯t sleep as she was scared of what the next morning would bring, what would happen now? Would the king find out about the pregnancy and demand for her to be sent away from Otano for good or would he take her baby away like they did with his brother¡¯s mistress? There was no way to find out what would happen and it kept her awake, she wished she could turn back the hands of time and go back to when she was just a regr pce maid doing her job.

    The next morning, the nurses came to check up on her, she was able to take a bath and have a change of clothes after they examined her, after which they gave her food and for the first time in four days, she was able to eat without being disrupted.

    ¡°I see you are up and doing fine. Good,¡±

    One of the king¡¯s aid said as he walked into her hospital room, Sophie¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, her first thought was that the king was here and he might be aware of her pregnancy already, but no one else entered the room after him so she calmed down a little.

    ¡°You will be moved to the king¡¯s personal dungeon as he instructed, the king wishes to deal with your case himself from now on,¡±

    The man revealed, Sophie didn¡¯t even know what to say, the king¡¯s personal dungeon? Does that mean he knows about her pregnancy or did he just want to punish her himself, she had been in there once before but not as a prison and she didn¡¯t like what she found there, she rather stay in the women¡¯s prison even though it was hell for her there, no, she couldn¡¯t face the king, he would show no mercy on her.

    ¡°Can I please be allowed back to the prison, please, don¡¯t send me to the dungeon,¡±

    She pleaded even though she knew it was hopeless.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in it, even I don¡¯t have a say, if you want out, it will be best to confess and face the consequences once and for all, you keep iming you are innocent but it doesn¡¯t look like it,¡±

    The man responded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I don¡¯t have all day to spend with you,¡±

    He instructed as he removed the cuff that held her hand to the bed, she stood up and almost fell to the ground because she suddenly felt dizzy again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about pretending to be sick, the doctor cleared you already,¡±

    The man warned sternly.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    Sophie said as she allows him to cuff her hands again and she followed him out of the room into the hallway, there were a few people in the hallway and they all stopped what they were doing to look at her, she knew what must be going through their mind, she bowed her head to prevent her from making eye contact with anyone, they got to the car and she got in, they drove for a few minutes and came to a stop.

    ¡°Take her in, make sure they bring her food, the king wants her fed,¡±

    The aid instructed the guard who she was handed to, Sophie followed him quietly to avoid being pushed, she already knew struggling with him would not be wise, her fate was sealed and whether she likes it or not, she would have to face the king now.

    ¡°Someone will bring you something to eat, wee to your new prison,¡±

    The pce guard said as he turned and left, she heard the door of the dungeon close, the dungeon was an underground prison and only the king and a few other people has ess to it, it had over fifty rooms and she was kept in one of them, the room had a bed, which looked like it was recently cleaned and also, there was a table and a stole, it looked more like an isted room than a prison, Sophieid on the bed exhausted, she wanted to cry but she must have used up all her tears because they weren¡¯ting, she heard some noise and looked up scared that the king must be already here to see her.

    ¡°Sophie? I was sent to give you something to eat,¡±

    Sophie heard a familiar voice say and she got up to see Emily one of her co-pce maids, at least it wasn¡¯t the king.

    ¡°Emily,¡±

    She tried to get up but she was too tired to bring herself to do it so she gave up and just watch as Emily set the food on the table.

    ¡°Sophie? I was told to bring you something to eat, I wille here twice a day with food, might not be only me, I am sorry if I ignore you but I am not allowed to have a conversation with you, I hope you get through this,¡±

    Emily said and she was off leaving Sophie on her own again, she felt tears well up in her eyes again, she let out a sigh and got up, she needed to eat for herself and her baby, the doctor had told her earlier that she was malnourished and that wasn¡¯t good for the baby.

    She ate as much as she could before going back to lying on the bed, she knew it won¡¯t take long for the king toe around and she would have to face him for the first time in several days, what would she tell him? She honestly considered just telling him that she was pregnant with his child but what would happen? He didn¡¯t even remember sleeping with her, or maybe he did and pretended not to know.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case,¡±

    She whispered to herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, please help me, lord,¡±

    She prayed even though she wasn¡¯t the most religious person, what else could she do but pray, she has suffered enough and wished just this once that the maker would be on her side and help her find a way, she fell into a troubled sleep after toast and turning for about an hour.

 Chapter 16

    Sophie was woke by the sound of someone opening the gate. She sat up immediately in fear. She already knew who it was that wasing to see her and to be honest, she wasn¡¯t ready to meet him, not after the way he looked at her the first time she was brought back to the pce. She wished they have just let her remain in prison, at least that way, she would not have to face the king. Well, he was here now and she should do well to prepare for the worse.

    ¡°You are awake,¡±

    He said when he walked into the room in hismanding voice and presence. Even though she didn¡¯t want to, she stood up and bowed before him, she dared not look at his face. He was dressed in his robes which means the day was over and he was here to make her speak before retiring to bed. A great way to end the day for him but a miserable day for her. She wanted him gone and hoped he would just disappear but he stood by the door. He must be looking at her but she couldn¡¯t look at him.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    She greeted. She felt dizzy and had to fall to her knees. He took a few steps towards her and stopped. She waited for his harsh voice to address her. She couldn¡¯t say a word and her head was heavy, she just wanted to close her eyes and let it all go.

    ¡°So? This is where we meet again? When I was sending you that errand couple of days ago, I never expected the next time we would be with each other alone to be like this. I never expected you to return as my prison and not my trusted worker,¡±

    The king said. He sounded calm which was suspicious. She expected him to yell at her or something not ask her questions in a calm voice. She still did not dare to look at his face.

    ¡°I am talking to you Sophie, what happened? Why did youe back here as a prison?¡±

    He asked again this time his voice was louder.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡±

    She let out. She was so sure he didn¡¯t hear her because he didn¡¯t react to what she said. She wanted to look at his face and see how he was looking at her but she couldn¡¯t do it for fear of being punished for looking at the king. It has happened before, not to her but to one of the other pce maids. She was punished and sent out of the pce for looking at the king while he was talking. Back then, Sophie had wondered why that was a thing, she had been new then but now, she knew better than to make that mistake.

    ¡°Sophie, is this what you wanted? Is this how you want to live? Where are the diamonds I gave to you to deliver for me, woman?¡±

    The king let out. Sophie¡¯s whole body trembled in fear at his voice. She could tell he was angry and trying to control himself but what would she tell him that would make him believe her? No one seem to want to hear her side of the story, would the king even listen?

    ¡°I am asking you! Don¡¯t make me ask the guards to give you a beating before you start talking, for a thief, I am trying to be nice to you,¡±

    The king roared.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it, please believe me, my king, I did not steal from you,¡±

    She cried. She couldn¡¯t look at him, she wasn¡¯t supposed to look at the king¡¯s face when he is talking so her head remained bowed.

    ¡°You liar, you bloody liar, you know where the diamonds are and I want you to tell me where they are,¡±

    The king let out as he walked closer to her and grabbed her by the hair so that she was forced to look up at his face. She covered her face with her hands to avoid meeting his eyes but he didn¡¯t let her as she yanked her hands off her face and her eyes met his fierce, piercing eyes that would make anyone tremble in fear, she lowered her eyes only after meeting his for a few seconds.

    ¡°Sophie, look at me when I talk to you, look at me,¡±

    He yelled at her. He was too close to her. his face was too close to hers and her whole body was shaking in fear. How did he expect her to look at him when he was so close to her?

    ¡°Look at me Sophie and tell me you didn¡¯t steal those diamonds, tell me to my face that you have no idea where those diamonds are,¡±

    He yelled out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t know where they are, you have to believe me, I didn¡¯t steal them, please listen to me,¡±

    She pleaded but he didn¡¯t look like he believed anything she was saying. He already concluded that she was the culprit and there was nothing she would say to him for him to believe her.

    ¡°Why did you steal from me, Sophie? Why did you break the trust I had for you? I trusted you that¡¯s why I sent you. Why did you have to backstab me and was it worth it?¡±

    He asked. He wasn¡¯t yelling at her this time but it felt like it. His piercing eyes were doing the job even though his voice was calm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else you want me to say, I didn¡¯t steal from you, I wasn¡¯t the one that stole from you. The man you sent with me did it, he was the one that took the diamond and left me to die in the desert.¡±

    She let out. She decided she was done begging him. No matter what she does, he would never believe her, and he refuses to listen to her pleas.

    ¡°How do you want me to believe that when the same man you are talking about came back to the pce before you with a gunshot wound and he is still receiving treatment as we speak,¡±

    The king let out in a raised voice. Sophie heard from the officers that the man was in the hospital, surely, they didn¡¯t believe that she shot him, right? That¡¯s not even what happened. When the bastard left her, he was still okay.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened, that¡¯s not how it happened,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡°What? Then what happened because it is clear to me that that¡¯s what happened, you got him almost killed that he had to run for his life with a gunshot wound.

    ¡°Does that make sense to you? I didn¡¯t do it, if I did why will I be the one to remain behind instead of returning to the pce to pretend nothing had happened and use him? I would have killed him if I even knew how to and if he is telling the truth then howe he is the one that got away with the car? It makes no sense that everyone buys his story when it is not true. when he left me behind, he didn¡¯t have any gunshot wounds, he had a gun with him though. He threatened to kill me with it and left me in the middle of nowhere because he felt it would be more painful to die that way,¡±

    Sophie cried. She hated that she couldn¡¯t narrate what happened without crying. It was so painful that despite it being so clear to her that she was set up, no one else saw it that way.

    ¡°So, you expect me to believe what you are saying right now? But I don¡¯t believe you, nothing you are saying right now is believable. Yes, he was lucky to have gotten away from you, why are you trying to twist the truth? You want me to believe you who is a foreigner and might have run away if the borders were not closed over someone who has been serving in this pce years before you came here?¡±

    The king yelled at her. She was right about everything. He didn¡¯t believe her just because she wasn¡¯t part of the kingdom.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, I didn¡¯t shoot him, I don¡¯t even know how to handle a gun not to talk of shooting someone, I don¡¯t know how to convince you that I am the victim here when it is clear that you already picked a side. Just because he is a native and I am out,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Sophie let out. The king let her go and stood up. She thought he was leaving but he just stood there as if he was in deep thought. She waited for him to say what else he had to say to her. She already knew he would never believe her and that he was looking for the meanest words to use against her.

    ¡°Who is the father of your unborn child?¡±

    The king asked and Sophie looked at him in shock and fear. She was aware.

 Chapter 17

    Lance waited for her to answer his question. She looked shocked that he knew, surely, she didn¡¯t think that the doctors would not tell him? He was the king. She should have known he would be told.

    ¡°Did I make you speechless? Did you think I won¡¯t find out you are carrying a child?¡±

    He asked her. He didn¡¯t know why he was being so lenient with her. he should treat her like he would treat any other person who had the mind to steal from him but she looked so weak and fragile that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to keep yelling at her. Her body was shaking when he got close to her. Even though her voice sounded bold, he could feel the fear in her. Maybe he would have believed her if she wasn¡¯t carrying a child but she was pregnant which could only mean that she had a man who must be the one that she had nned with to steal from him.

    ¡°Sophie? Who is the father of the child you are carrying? Is he the one that put you up to this? Did you guys, n to steal from me together and run away? Is that it?¡±

    He asked. He turned to face her and she had her head bowed again which pissed him off, he marched to her and lifted her face.

    ¡°He had no hand in what happened. He didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    She replied. She was refusing to meet his eyes as she spoke. How can she look so innocent while lying to his face?

    ¡°You liar, you will tell me the identity of the person who owns the baby you are carrying, don¡¯t you dare try to lie to my face Sophie, you can¡¯t fool me,¡±

    Lance told her.

    ¡°I am not lying, I can¡¯t tell you who the father of my baby is, I can only tell you that he had nothing to do with anything. Just as I am innocent of everything, I know you don¡¯t want to believe me but shouldn¡¯t this be done fairly? Why do I have to be interrogated alone? Why does it have to be that I am the one lying here? The driver has a lot to answer for too. He was there. He should be able to narrate how I shot him and how he was able to escape if I had a gun with me, don¡¯t you think I would have just killed him?¡±

    She asked. Even though she was crying while talking, her voice was still firm and there were some facts in what she was saying. Not like he believed her but she was right about some things, if she had the gun with her then how was the driver able to run away with only a hand injury? And he was able to take the car with him. That part just didn¡¯t make any sense.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°I will be back by tomorrow. You better be ready to tell me the truth,¡±

    He told her as he stood up and walked out. He made sure to lock the door. Not like she could escape from here when there were guards everywhere. He needed to speak with the driver again and ask him more questions. His story was off. If Sophie had people with her and it was just him against them, then how was he able to escape all of them?

    ¡°Make sure no one else is allowed to enter to go see her except the oneing to feed her. I don¡¯t want anyone else interacting with her,¡±

    He told the guard at the entrance. Lance knew it waste and that he should probably just go and sleep and see the driver by morning but he knew himself enough to know that he would not be able to get any sleep until he hears from the driver. Patrick was about to lose brain cells again.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡±

    The guard responded to him as he walked away. He knew Patrick would be waiting for him and he was.

    ¡°You took so long, you said you will only be there for ten minutes,¡±

    Patrick let out when he got to him.

    ¡°Patrick, can you let me off please?¡±

    He asked walking away. He needed to go get changed and go back to the hospital. He should have spoken with the driver when he had gone to see the doctor yesterday at the hospital.

    ¡°You have an important meeting tomorrow and we agreed to get you in bed early so that you will be well-rested and prepared for the long meeting

 Chapter 18

    Sophie stayed awake long after the king left. She couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She knew he would find out about her being pregnant, at least the doctor had told her he would tell him if it is required, maybe that¡¯s why he had her leave the prison and why he had someone bring her food once she got here. If only he knew whose child it was that she carried. She was sure he would throw her back into the prison and uses her of lying on his name.

    She knew better than to ever let him know that the baby she carried belonged to him. The people of Otano would see her as an enemy, they already saw her as one anyway, she stole from them. If the news gets out that she is carrying the king¡¯s child, she would definitely face the worst fate. Either way, she was already facing the worst. How much worse can it get?

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to us, baby?¡±

    She let out while holding her tummy, she wished there was a way out of all these, wished the real criminal would be found, and that the king would not send her out of the kingdom even if he sent her out of the pce. She had nowhere else to go and didn¡¯t want to return to Briscout as she knew the bastards who took her family out would be waiting for her. She would never be safe anywhere else.

    ¡°My life is a mess, thank you so much, Dad, for ruining everything that even in death, you still find a way to make my life hell,¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    She let out as tears gathered in her eyes. Her dad had been the worse and her mom had stayed with him despite knowing how dangerous it could be. He had led her to her death in the end and dragged her baby brother along. Sophie left home when she was twenty and she didn¡¯t return home until after she finished nursing school, she spent six whole years not being in touch with her family, she only came back to take care of her mom after her younger brother had told her she wasn¡¯t doing fine. If she had stayed away, she would not have had to run away from home because then those bastards would not have known about her or the fact that she was rted to her family. Heck, she might not even have known they died until maybeter.

    Sophie had warned her mom to leave her dad, for three whole years she tried to take her mom and her brother who was just seventeen out of that house and just when she had finally had a breakthrough and got them a house to move into, she arrived at her parent¡¯s home to tell her mom and younger brother the news but found them all dead inside their house with a death note from the killer promising to return. She mourned the death of her mom and younger brother and had to bury them all including the reason they ended up dead. She didn¡¯t give a thought to the note until she started seeing strange things in her house and also getting death threats. She reported to the police but nothing was done because ording to them, there was not enough evidence even though they knew how her family died. She moved out of the house and relocated to a new city but they knew where she was and followed her there. She couldn¡¯t forget the night she had given up and decided to just get the hell out of that country and move far away. She was able to adopt her mother¡¯s sister who also died but due to childbirth, it was easier to be her because her name had also been Sophie and they sort of looked alike. Anyone could look up the name on her identification card and find out the real Sophie Morgan died way back fifteen years ago.

    ¡°I wish there was a way out of this, I want out already, I deserve a better life,¡±

    Shemented as the tears kept falling out of her eyes. She wished there would be a way to stop the tears, a way out of all her problems. She wanted her life back, wanted her mom and brother back but no matter how much she wished for that to happen, she knew it would not happen.

    Sophie fell asleep in sadness and was woken the next morning by the sound of someone unlocking her door. Even though she knew it won¡¯t be the king, she was still scared until she saw that it was just Emily who came to give her food.

    ¡°I was told to drop these off too,¡±

    Emily said and handed her a bag which Sophie took silently, she knew there was no point in asking Emily what it is as she would not say anything to her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡±

    She said and Emily was out of the room as fast as she entered. She heard the door lock and wondered why they even bother in the first ce. Did they really think she has what it takes to escape from this ce unnoticed? She opened the bag and saw that there were clothes inside.

    ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to keep wearing the same clothes.

    She also found some soaps, a sponge, and a few other basic needs. She was sure it was the king that told them to send these things otherwise they would not have sent them. If this is how she would be living here, she didn¡¯t mind so much. It was better than how the prison was for her. She went to brush her teeth and take her bath in the mini bathroom before sitting down to eat the food that was brought to her. Because thest time she ate wasst night and the food was not near enough for her, she finished what they sent for her in a few minutes and hoped they would bring more for her. She knew the baby was the reason she suddenly had a big appetite and there was nothing she could do but hope they give her more food or better yet try to get the king to do more for her.

    She spent the whole day alone. She was bored out of her mind with nothing to do but stare at the ceilings and pace around the room. She changed her mind about liking living the way she was. She didn¡¯t know which was worse, being with those women who were horrible to her except a few of them or being left alone and almost losing her mind. She hated it here so much but there was nothing she could do about it. this was his way of punishing her, istion is the worst way to punish. If he doesn¡¯te back soon or something she might really lose her mind. She was literally counting the minutes until Emily would show up with food for her. At least when she does, she would see someone even though Emily doesn¡¯t say a word to her. Sophiey on the bed wishing she could at least take a nap, it would help the time go faster but joke on her because she couldn¡¯t get any sleep, her mind wandered to the older woman who had helped her.

    ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t do much damage to her house and I hope she is fine and forgive me for bringing trouble to her,¡±

    Sophie said to herself. If only there was a way to find out if the older woman was okay, she didn¡¯t deserve anything that happened that day.

    ¡®It is all my fault, I only bring misfortune to people around me,¡±

    Sophiemented. This is why she should never be left on her own because her thoughts would always make her fault herself. She couldn¡¯t help but me herself. She should have been much more alert. Maybe she would have noticed something was off with the driver before they left. Maybe she should have told the king when he had asked her to do it that she couldn¡¯t do it. Sure, he would have punished her but she would not have been here. The worst that would have happened would have been him starving her for three days.

    ¡°Fuck my life,¡±

    She let out as she got out of bed and paced around for the hundredth time that day. This was the worst. She hated it here and she was close to dragging her hair out of frustration. She heard the lock at that moment and ran back to her bed to pretend to be asleep, she opened her eyes to see who walked in, it wasn¡¯t Sophie but the new girl who started working the day the king had sent her on that errand.

    ¡°Is the king busy?¡±

    She tried her luck. Why did she have to ask about the king of all people? The girl looked at her and ced her finger over her lips in a bid to let her know that she wasn¡¯t allowed to talk to her. She nodded in understanding. She didn¡¯t want to get anyone in trouble because of her. Sophie watched her leave. Only when she left did she get off the bed to eat. After she ate, she was finally able to force herself to fall asleep. She made a mental note to beg the person thates next to please get her a book from the pce library. They weren¡¯t allowed to talk to her but she could get them to do what she wanted. Hopefully, they would be willing to help.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Patrick, it is all your fault that I didn¡¯t get to meet with that driver guy today, what¡¯s his name?¡±

    Lance asked as he took off his clothes one after the other. He had a long day today and only had a fifteen-minute break. He just got out of the meeting and it was past nine pm. The most exhausting meeting he ever had. Those men were hard to get through to, if he ever had thought of persuading and making them see the reason why cutting their earnings, for now, would help a lot would be easy, it flew out of the window less than thirty minutes into the meeting, they didn¡¯t want to listen to him. He hated how there wasn¡¯t any woman among them, it would have been easier to persuade them if they were women because women have softer hearts and are considerate. Maybe it was time to rece all those bastards with intelligent andpassionate women who would put the needs of others in mind like his stepmother had done when she raised him as her son even though her husband cheated on her to birth him.

    ¡°His name is Elio, my king and you can meet with him tomorrow,¡±

    Patrick said. Lance turned around and red at him. Patrick had sat there in silence while he faced those bastards alone.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should have allowed me to see himst night,¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t stop you, my king, I don¡¯t have the power to stop you,¡±

    Patrick replied, picking up the clothes that he dropped. Lance turned to him and red at him.

    ¡°You told me not to go there so that I can sleep and you promised to bring him to the pce today but look at the time, there is no time for me to see him now, it is all your fault,¡±

    Lance let out pointing at him.

    ¡°You are drunk, take a shower and sleep the buzz off, tomorrow, you can talk to him after you meet with the minister of aviation and also the chief security officer,¡±

    Patrick informed him. He already knew his day would be as busy as it was today, his days were always busy. There was always something for him to do, a meeting for him to attend. Sometimes, he just wants to drop everything and hide. Like right now. He wanted to hide so badly. The meeting was hell and they were not able to reach amon ground. He couldn¡¯t force what he wanted on them even though what he wanted would benefit everyone in the end they bluntly refused to listen to him or see the reasons behind what he was proposing.

    ¡°I am not drunk Patrick, I am tired, did you hear those morons talking earlier? They don¡¯t care about the people. They only care about themselves. If I don¡¯t get rid of them, Otano would never get to where I want to get to, and getting rid of them would mean more work for you and me, what do I do?¡±

    Lancemented. He hated Justin so much for ruining the kingdom and reducing its greatness to nothing but struggles. He was the one who filled the different sectors with nothing but greedy losers.

    ¡°I understand everything Lance, I see what you are trying to do and just how much effort you are putting into making this kingdom great and I can tell you that you are doing great and you will get there no matter how long it takes, you don¡¯t have to let those greedy bastards get to you, and you don¡¯t need to drink to show your frustrations,¡±

    Patrick let out collecting the bottle of alcohol that he picked up from him.

    ¡°Give it back, I am just going to drink and go to bed,¡±

    He let out collecting the bottle back from Patrick.

    ¡°You will be hungover with a burning headache tomorrow, do you really want to meet with the minister of aviation like that? Your meeting is seven am in the morning, give me that bottle now,¡±

    Patrick let out but Lance refused. Instead of giving it to him, he downed the whole thing in the bottle and handed the empty bottle to Patrick who red at him in disappointment. Lance smiled.

    ¡°Now I can go to bed, good night best friend,¡±

    He said to Patrick before falling on the bed, his head was spinning but he ignored it and closed his eyes.

    When he opened his eyes again, he was alone. His mind suddenly went to Sophie and the fact that she was pregnant with another man¡¯s child. He hated that she was carrying another man¡¯s baby and hated that she refused to tell him who it was that got her pregnant. He suddenly wanted to know the bastard who got her pregnant. He got up from the bed and struggled to get his robe after which he exited his room after making sure Patrick was not in the room somewhere. It was a big room and Patrick sometimes spent the night in the room instead of going back to his own apartment in the pce. At least tonight, he wasn¡¯t here so he could go out without getting in trouble with him.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    The guards at the front of his chamber greeted him when he walked past them, he didn¡¯t bother to acknowledge them, he wasn¡¯t obligated to anyway, he walked past every one of the guards and stopped anyone who tried to follow him. He knew where he was headed and wanted to go there alone. He needed answers and he nned on getting them from her tonight.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Open it,¡±

    Lance let out when he got to the entrance of the dungeon and they opened it at once.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone here, understand?¡±

    He paused to make sure they heard what he said.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡±

    They chorused and Lance staggered towards the ce where Sophie was kept, thankfully, just before they had brought her here, he had asked for the lights to be fixed if not it would have beenpletely dark down here. he knew he should turn around and go back to his room to sleep off the alcohol in his system but he just kept going without looking back. He knew Patrick would be on his ass tomorrow for what he was doing but he needed to know who got her pregnant, needed to know who dared to touch what belonged to him¡­

 Chapter 20

    Sophie was about to fall asleep when she heard the lock on her door turn, she sat up fast knowing it would be the king, he is the only one who woulde to find her thiste, she knew it waste because she calcted the time between when they had brought her dinner and that was five hours ago so the time was nine or few minutes past ten pm.

    Sure enough, the door opened and the king staggered into the room, his eyes found her on the bed and she hurriedly got off the bed and bowed in greeting.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    She let out as the smell of alcohol hit her, he was drunk. Why was he here when he was drunk? Did he want to question her so badly that he hadn¡¯t bothered to sober up beforeing? He could have slept it off ande to find her tomorrow. The king has a drinking problem and somehow always ends up getting drunk especially when he meets up with important people. It has happened so many times that she concluded that he drinks so that he can face them without fear, not like she was saying the king was scared of anyone. The man was fearless but maybe his w is his inability to address important people without having a drink. She wasn¡¯t judging but his habit was part of the reason she currently has a child growing inside her. If he had not been drunk that night, he would not have sent for her nor would she have ended up in his room and fucking him so yes, it was his fault and once again, he somehow found his way to her while he was drunk.

    ¡°Sophie, tell me the truth, who got you pregnant? Who is the father of the child you carry?¡±

    he asked and she stood there in shock. Did he reallye all the way from the main pce just to ask her that and while he was drunk? Unbelievable.

    ¡°Wait, is that why you came to find me sote? And you are drunk too, don¡¯t you need sleep or something?¡±

    She asked him as he staggered further into the room, he almost fell but she ran to him and caught him. He was heavy but she was able to drag him to her bed and made him sit down. She stood in front of him staring daggers at him but he wasn¡¯t even fazed.

    ¡°Tell me Sophie, who touched you and got you pregnant?

    He question, like she was supposed to be some untouched virgin which was funny because she has had her share of men before she was forced into celibacy because of what happened. Before she had to run away, she had been very active and had a boyfriend who she had to break up with when things were no longer safe. She hadn¡¯t wanted to drag him into her family¡¯s mess. If what happened had not happened, she might have married Greg, he had been a good man to her even when she had told him she wanted out, he hadn¡¯t argued or tried to talk her out of it. He respected her choice.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t ignore me, Sophie, tell me who the bastard is that got you pregnant?¡±

    He let out loudly. Sophie wanted to smack him so badly. If only he knew the bastard that he wanted to know about was no her than himself.

    ¡°I already told you that I am not going to tell you who the father of my child is, I don¡¯t have to tell you that,¡±

    Sophie fired at him. How can he show up here while he was drunk? Why did he even think it was okay to show up in front of her drunk and out of his mind? And of all the things he had to ask her while he was drunk., it had to be the identity of her baby daddy

    ¡°I have to know, I am the king,¡±

    He responded. He wasn¡¯t the only one who was crazy, his people were too because why the hell did they allow him to leave his chambers knowing he was drunk and out of his mind? Thest time he was drunk and in the same room with her, he got her pregnant, now he was drunk again and here asking her who the father of her child is. Maybe she should tell him the truth, at least he won¡¯t remember by morning just like he didn¡¯t remember sleeping with her.

    ¡°Well, my king, I don¡¯t have any intention of letting you know, you can¡¯t force me to disclose his identity when it has nothing to do with you,¡±

    She let out. She couldn¡¯t risk telling him even though he was drunk. What if he wakes up by morning and remembers what she told him? That would be bringing trouble to herself sooner.

    ¡°Can I spend the night here? I don¡¯t want to walk back to my room,¡±

    He said alreadyying on her bed and taking up almost all the space.

    ¡°Your majesty, you can¡¯t sleep here, My king? You can¡¯t sleep here,¡±

    She went to him and tried to drag him out of the bed but he was unmoving and muttering words she could not make out.

    ¡°Lance! fuck you get off my bed,¡±

    She called out his name, yes. His name was Lance and he had told her himself when she newly started working for him. When the other pce maid found out the king told her his name and asked her to call out his name, they had been jealous even though he hadn¡¯t known why and what prompted the jealousy.

    ¡°Let me sleep, I am tired,¡±

    He muttered.

    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep here, do you want me to get in trouble because of you? Get off now and go back to your room,¡±

    She let out pulling at his arms but he didn¡¯t bulge instead, he pulled her hand and pulled her to the bed. She fell on his side and he wrapped his arms around her.

    ¡°Yes, like this, let¡¯s sleep like this,¡±

    He whispered. His raspy voice caressed her ears, she wasn¡¯t the strongest person, and having him so close did make her body go into overdrive, she med it on the pregnancy hormones and on the damnable man who wants her to get in trouble. That¡¯s the only exnation as to why he was here tonight andying in bed with her, he wants her to get in trouble with his people while knowing that he would get away with it while she would be the only one getting the heat. Sophie tapped his arms asking him to let go. He refused, instead of letting go, he pulled her even closer to himself.

    ¡°This bed is so small,¡±

    He grunted out. She hit him. What had he been expecting when the bed was made to fit one person or at least two small people. He was huge so he took up almost all the space.

    ¡°You can always just get up and go to your room, my king, I am sure your bed would be bigger and more spacious.¡±

    She let out. She knew just how spacious his bed was. She let him fuck her from different angles on that bed a couple of months ago and she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that she would let him do it again if he wants to. In fact, it was hard for her to keep her hands to herself and not jump him right now.

    ¡°I think I am going to throw up,¡±

    He muttered and she pushed him with all her strength, she wasn¡¯t about to have him mess up her bed or her room. She hated the smell of vomit too much to be able to live with it if he does.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the restroom, please my king, get up, you can¡¯t throw up here.¡±

    She let out and he got up and followed her without stress. He almost hit his head on the door of the restroom because of how small it was. He was really drunk because he sat on the ground in the restroom and threw everything that was in his stomach out. She stood with him patting his back as he threw everything out all the while cursing her ill luck for always finding a way to bring this man near her when he was at his worst.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I am done,¡±

    He muttered and stared at her with eyes that didn¡¯t fit his big body and whole personality. He looked like an innocent man just sitting there on the floor of a restroom inside the dungeon his ancestors built to keep prisoners that they wanted to deal with personally.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡±

    She let out as she took one of the brushes that Emily had dropped off for her earlier and gave it to him to brush his teeth, he staggered up to his feet and went over to the sink and while he brushed his teeth, she took care of the mess he made.

    ¡°So, can you leave now? I want to sleep,¡±

    She told him when they got back into the room. He shook his head and pulled her hand, dragging her back to bed with him.

    ¡°I am spending the night here, you can¡¯t send me away, I am the king,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°How does that even make sense to you? You leave your big luxury bed ande camp out in this small one just because you are the king? What the hell?¡±

    She questioned.

    ¡°Just go to sleep,¡±

    He whispered and kissed her forehead. Her face reddened and her heartbeat increased. Oh, the man was out to get her and she was in trouble. He didn¡¯t do anything else than pull her closer to him and before long, he was snoring. Since there was nothing else that she could do, she smuggled into his arms more and closed her eyes to sleep. Whatever happens tomorrow, in her defense, he was the one that walked in here and not her.

 Chapter 21

    Lance opened his eyes and looked around. He knew at once that he wasn¡¯t in his room. He felt someone move against him and looked to see Sophie in his arms. She was still asleep. He couldn¡¯t remember much fromst night but all he knew was that after he had a drink which was too much, he had tried to fall asleep but he couldn¡¯t so he dragged himself out of bed and somehow ended up by her side with her sleeping in his arms. How he was not feeling anxious waking up by her side was beyond him, instead, he wanted to watch her sleep. He shook his head to clear off the crazy thoughts and calmer refused himself from the bed that was too small for the two of them but somehow, they were able to spend the night together on it.

    He couldn¡¯t remember what he did or said to herst night, he wasn¡¯t naked but he feared he might have touched her in his drunk state. He should have listened to Patrick and not taken that alcohol but he had been having too many thoughts in his head and had only wanted them gone.

    Lance tried to get out of the bed without waking her but he failed because she opened her eyes at that moment.

    ¡°I am just trying to get off,¡±

    He said as he removed himself from the bed. She sat up and stared at him as if he was out of his mind. He stared at her too. His head was aching so badly now that he was up. One would expect him to stay away from alcohol seeing how he got the worst hangover but he never let that stop him.

    ¡°Nothing happened between usst night, right?¡±

    He questioned. He needed to be sure.

    ¡°Yeah, nothing happened,¡±

    She responded. He searched her face for any sign that she might be lying but there was none. He let out a breath and turned to leave.

    ¡°Get some sleep,¡±

    He said and walked out of the room.

    ¡°Good morning your majesty,¡±

    The guards at the entrance greeted him when he walked by them. He wanted to keep walking but he figured he had to give a warning to prevent rumors from going out. He turned to them and pointed at them.

    ¡°I know all of you, if what happenedst night and meing out of there this morning, I will have you all beheaded. Not just you but everyone rted to you will suffer too so think twice before running your mouth,¡±

    He warned. No, he had no ns of killing anyone but he needed to threaten them like that to get them to shut up. If he didn¡¯t, by the time the whole pce woke up, the rumor would be everywhere, thest thing he wanted was to be the center of a rumor and with a supposed thief. Not many people knew what she stole though, the rumor just went around that she stole from him and was being kept in his dungeon, if any more rumor goes out of him spending the night with her, it could be bad for not just her but him too. He didn¡¯t want the elders on his case right now.

    ¡°Lancelot! Where the heck are youing from?¡±

    Patrick yelled as soon as he entered his room. His head was aching and his shout just increased it. He walked by him and sat on the bed.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°In the dungeon,¡±

    He revealed and realized toote that he should have kept that information to himself.

    ¡°What? You spent the night with her?¡±

    Patrick yelled even louder.

    ¡°I did, I was drunk and somehow ended up there, I wanted to ask her something,¡±

    He responded. He already sold himself out so he couldn¡¯t deny it even if he wanted to.

    ¡°I told you there is something up with you and her and you refuse to believe me and now you go find her when you are drunk and spend the night with her? Did you lose your mind?¡±

    Patrick let out. Lance wished he would stop shouting already, his head was banging and Patrick yelling at him was making it worse.

    ¡°Can you bring your voice down please?¡±

    He requested. Holding his head in his hands as the reality of how his spending the night in the dungeon with her would look like. At least he warned those men not to spread rumors. He knew Patrick wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°I will if you give me reasons not to yell, right now you are acting out. You are a grown Thirty-three-year-old man Lance. You are not a teenager. Need I remind you that you are not just an ordinary thirty-three years old man, you are the king of Otano! What do you think would happen if words got out that you spent the night in a dungeon with a woman who stole something valuable from the kingdom? Did you even think about that before letting your dick get in your head? Not to mention the said woman is carrying another man¡¯s child,¡±

    Patrick scolded.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with her, if that¡¯s what you are saying, I told you, I went to ask her questions, I got so tired and couldn¡¯t get myself to walk back to my chambers so I just slept there, that¡¯s all I did, sleep,¡±

    Lance corrected. He knew he was wrong to have gone there in the first ce but he didn¡¯t want to be used of something he didn¡¯t do.

    ¡°What if you did and you don¡¯t remember? Let¡¯s face it, you never recur anything when you are drunk,¡±

    Patrick used. He was right. He barely remembers anything once he wakes up the next morning after a drunk night. All he would be left with would be a hangover.

    ¡°She told me so herself, she told me I didn¡¯t touch her,¡±

    He told Patrick wishing he would just stop talking already.

    ¡°And you believe her? You seem to be believing everything thates from that woman,¡±

    Patrick continued.

    ¡°I trust that she won¡¯t lie. If anything, she would have lied that I slept with her just to gain favors, don¡¯t you think that would work better for her? She has nothing to gain by telling me I didn¡¯t touch her you moron,¡±

    He let out. Finally, Patrick shut up but that didn¡¯tst.

    ¡°You might be right, also. There is something fishy about that driver but I will leave you to talk to him yourself, please get some rest and I will be back to wake you up in the next two hours,¡±

    Patrick stated, turned around, and left. Lance wanted to ask him what he meant by what he said about the driver but he was so tired that he didn¡¯t bother and justid down to get more sleep.

    He woke up exactly two hourster and got dressed for his meeting even though he wanted to sleep some more.

    ¡°Can you get the pce help and guards to change everything in that room? The bed is too small and my body aches fromying on it,¡±

    Lance said as he walked with Patrick towards the car that would take them to where the meeting was taking ce.

    ¡°Your bed is small? I could have sworn that it is the biggest bed I have seen,¡±

    Patrick responded and Lance stopped walking for a moment to re at him. If the guards and other people weren¡¯t walking with them, he would have smacked him on the head, he waited until they got into the waiting car to speak again.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I am talking about,¡±

    Lance scolded.

    ¡°I know, but ask me that with everyone present seemed right to you? Do you even know who you are? You were openly stating that you spent the night in a small bed and you didn¡¯t stop to wonder how odd that will sound to the other people walking with you?¡±

    Patrick asked. He got the gist but he wasn¡¯t about to apologize.

    ¡°Fine, now that we are alone, can you do something about that ce? A full renovation will be much appreciated.¡±

    He stated, resting his head on the car seat.

    ¡°What? Why? Do you have ns of spending more nights there? Is that why you want me to renovate it? I can¡¯t let you go back there. I don¡¯t know if thatdy bewitched you or something but do you need me to remind you that she is not just a thief but a foreigner too? If you have any thoughts towards her, you better kill them, it won¡¯t end well for either of you.¡±

    Patrick let out.

    ¡°I have no thoughts towards her, stop making things up,¡±

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like it, especially when you go seek her out when you are drunk. Need I remind you that you are going to be married soon so you shouldn¡¯t be messing around with a woman pregnant for another man,¡±

    Patrick told him.

    ¡°Please stop reminding me that she is pregnant, I got everything you said, I won¡¯t go near her again unless it is absolutely needed,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°I will keep reminding you if that will make you stay away from here, you have only acted like this towards a woman before Lance and we both know what happened, so understand why I am worried,¡±

    Patrick said. Lance knew what he was talking about but he didn¡¯t want to talk about it.

    ¡°I understand but don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen,¡±

    He promised. He didn¡¯t know if that was a promise that he would be able to keep, he couldn¡¯t remember much aboutst night but he could remember how possessive of her he had felt.

 Chapter 22

    Sophie stared in awe as guard after guard came into her cell room taking out all the things that were inside, she didn¡¯t know what they were up to and they refused to answer her. If this was the king punishing her then not only was he an evil man, he was also petty too. She did nothing wrong. He was the one that came to meet her when he was drunk and insisted onying on the bed with her even when she tried to send him back. Last night had been hell for her, she barely got any sleep being squished up against him and when she finally fell asleep, she was woken by him while he was trying to leave. The way he had asked her if anything happened between them the night before, if anything, it was enough to confirm that he really has no memory of what happened that night two months and a week ago. She wondered if it would have been different if she had not sneaked out that night before he woke up, maybe it would have been easier to tell him about the baby being his.

    ¡°And be faced with getting the baby collected from you?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    The voice in her head queried. She was right, It was better that he didn¡¯t know they slept together and she made sure to tell him that nothing happened between themst night. He looked relieved by her answer and left without even apologizing for crashing into her bed the night before. She didn¡¯t really expect a king to apologize to her.

    Sophie looked around the now empty room, wondering what he nned on doing, he couldn¡¯t possibly want her toy on the bare floor with nothing in the room right? She was still pondering over the thoughts when the guards and some help came back with things, not the same that they took away but new things.

    ¡°Please step aside while we dress this ce up, watch her,¡±

    One of the guards instructed and she was shown out of the room but wasn¡¯t left on her own. She stood with two guards with her outside of the room she was in. The dungeon wasn¡¯t huge like a regr one, it was just a ce where the kings kept the people they wanted to handle personally. Most times women.

    She was given a chair to sit on while they worked. It didn¡¯t take long for them to be done and they all left. They didn¡¯t even bother to lock the door.

    ¡°Now what?¡±

    she asked when they all left, at least he wasn¡¯t punishing her. The room now looked better than any room she has ever had in all her thirty-one years alive. She should be grateful that he wasn¡¯t punishing her but he trying to make her life livable even though she was still stuck in his dungeon, still, a prisoner with a huge case over her head so even if she wanted to be, she couldn¡¯t be happy that he was being kind to her or maybe he was doing this because he ns oning here a lot, she didn¡¯t like that idea either. She wanted nothing to do with the king, it would only bring trouble for her. She didn¡¯t want any trouble.

    Shey on her new bed trying to get her mind to rx but she couldn¡¯t. For thest two years, she lived in constant fear of being discovered and sent out of the kingdom, now with all the things that are happening, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she would be sent away soon. Once the king finds out she lied about who she was, she was sure he would throw her out of the kingdom. Or if he finds out the baby belongs to him, he might take her child and still send her away. She didn¡¯t want any of that to happen. She didn¡¯t want to overthink either so she decided to just live each day as ites without worrying about what will happen the next day.

    Sophie did not see nor hear from the king for the next couple of days, she was able to tell the time by following when Emily or other pce maids brought her food. They made sure to feed her three times a day and even give her things to snack on. She couldn¡¯t tell if the snacks were the king¡¯s instructions or if they were doing it out of the goodness of their heart. She couldn¡¯t ask them as they refuse to speak to her, not even when she says thank you. They juste in, drop the food at her door, knock to alert her, and leave. All day she sat bored out of her mind with nothing to do, she asked for them to give her books to read to keep her mind off things but they didn¡¯t bring anything like that to her. She gave up after asking for the third time and concluded she only got the things the king asked them to give her. If only he woulde around now so that she can personally ask him to give her something to do while he kept her here.

    She already took her bath and had breakfast, she just sat alone feeling bored out of her mind when the door opened. She stood up expecting to see the king but it was one of the pce guards.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±

    The guard stated and Sophie looked at him like he had lost his mind.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    She requested but she was already walking towards him.

    ¡°Out,¡±

    That was all he said and for a moment she let herself hope that the truth was out and she would finally be free but that couldn¡¯t be the case. She was sure so she crushed that hope.

    ¡°Out? Where are you taking me?¡±

    She asked when she stepped out of the room. It was the first time she was leaving the room since she got in. Even after they started leaving her door unlocked, she knew better than to leave.

    ¡°To the clinic as the king instructed,¡±

    The guard responded as he led her out of the dungeon. The questions running through Sophie¡¯s mind were much but she couldn¡¯t voice them out as she was hurriedly led into a waiting car. She looked around from inside the car. It was the first time she was seeing the outside world during the day since she became a prisoner, she didn¡¯t know how long she would be locked away again before she would be let out so for now, she would fill her eyes with the outside world so that she can remember when she is back to her dark ce. Okay technically, it is not a dark ce but it was lonely and she was locked away.

    When they arrived at the hospital, she was sent directly to the doctor¡¯s office even though there were other people outside waiting. She spoke with the doctor, answered all his questions and someone came to draw her blood for tests. She only left the doctor¡¯s office for a scan and came right back after the scan. The doctor gave her the vitamins that she needed and told her to get enough sleep and try to keep herself from thinking too much. She agreed to it even though she knew she could not stop herself from thinking too much when she had nothing to do but stay bored out of her mind all day.

    On the drive back to the ce, she decided to try her luck with the guard that took her to the hospital, he seemed nice and approachable.

    ¡°Can I ask you for something?¡±

    She said and he turned to her.

    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Can you please get me books? I am always bored out of my mind and the doctor said I have to stop overthinking, I can¡¯t stop if I don¡¯t have anything to do so, please, get me some books,¡±

    She pleaded.

    ¡°I will talk to the king about it and if he allows it, then I will send some to you. Though I am not sure you will be needing them anymore,¡±

    The guard said. He kind of confirmed what she already knew that everything she got was approved by the king. But she didn¡¯t know what he meant by ¡®she might not need them anymore.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t bother to ask as the car entered the pce. She wished she didn¡¯t have to go back to that ce, no matter how good they make it look, it didn¡¯t change what it was. However, the car did not drive in the direction of the dungeon, nope, it took a turn and drove towards the left wing, she looked at the guard in confusion as they drove into the emerald house. The house was separated from the main pce and only the king and the people he gave ess to could enter, it had its own gate and fence, and the king could enter through his bedroom. She has been inside only once when the king had been drunk and passed out inside and the guards had sent her there to clean up after him. Her mind went on overdrive wondering what was happening. Why did they bring her here of all ces and what did the king have nned out for her?

 Chapter 23

    The change of environment was so sudden that Sophie didn¡¯t know what to make of it, it makes no sense that the king would want her to be moved out of prison and then he made sure to turn the dungeon into a mini hotel room just for her and now, he moved her to the emerald house. Sophie stood in awe as the guard opened the door to the entrance.

    ¡°What am I doing here? Why did you bring me here? Is the king here? Is he drunk?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help asking. The guard has been nice to her so she expected him to answer all of her questions and yes, he did.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot of details, the king is not here right now and he was the one that gave the instructions that you be moved here, I am sure you will find out soon, good luck,¡±

    The guard said and turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait! Are you leaving me here alone?¡±

    She questioned. Yes, once he leaves, she would be alone because the ce was separated from the main pce but connected to the king¡¯s chamber by a single door and only a few people have ess to it; the guards that look after the ce are only at the gate and not inside. The first time Sophie had found out the ce was connected to the king¡¯s chamber. She had wondered what they had been thinking of making a separate house linked to his room until she had found out what the ce had been used for. The ce was reserved for the king¡¯s mistresses and she didn¡¯t like the thought that formed in her head when she realized she was meant to stay there. No way was the king about to make her his mistress.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go inside, I am not allowed to when the king is not here, you can go in, the ce has been taken care of and ording to the king, you can pick any room and also the things you would need have been provided, if you want anything else, you can write it down and when the maid assigned to bring you foodes you can give it to them and they will pass it to the king, only when he approves can we grant it, have a nice day,¡±

    The guard said, turned around, and left her standing there with her mouth agas, they were out of their mind, both the king and his people. Why else would he bring her here if he wasn¡¯t out of his mind? The fact that he knew she was pregnant and he still wants to make her his mistress, he was really out of his mind if he thought she would be his mistress.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe what is going on right now,¡±

    Sophie let out as she walked into the emerald house. The house wasn¡¯t bigpared to the rest of the pce, but it was still big regardless. It had a big living room which was the first ce that is seen when the door opens, and then there are three rooms. When Sophie found out what the ce was for, she asked one of the co-workers why it had multiple rooms and they told her that the king sometimes keeps multiple mistresses but since Lancelot took over, he has not had any mistresses, not like he needed one when he changes women so much and he never brings them to the pce. She only knew about his adventures with women because he had bragged about it to her when he had been drunk. That was before she slept with him. Maybe if he had remembered them being together, he would have bragged about it too. Sophie walked to one of the three closed doors and opened it, the room was nice and clean but it was directly close to the door that connects the king¡¯s chamber so it was an automatic no for her, she picked the one further away from the king¡¯s room and walked in. it was nice and clean too and the bed looked so big, must be because of what it was used for. She could imagine the kind of things the kings who ruled and took mistresses did in this room. She told herself not to think about it too much for her sake.

    The mental image of the kings before Lancelot going down and dirty in the room before other women was not what disturbed her, it was the image of the current king walking into the room she was in andmanding her to strip and please him. She would never be able to say no to the king. Not to mention she still desires him after the night of pleasure he gave her that put her in her current situation. Sophie shook off every thought of the king and instead took a shower, by the time she was done, someone brought her lunch. She thanked them and ate before taking a nap that didn¡¯tst long. When she woke up from her short nap, she decided to explore the other parts of the emerald house. Aside from the rooms, there was a living room and a dining room connected to it that didn¡¯t look like it had ever been used. There was also a mini fridge in the dining room. She opened it out of curiosity and saw that it was stocked with sparkling water, milk, and soft drinks. There were three restrooms in each of the rooms. Each of the rooms had wardrobes and each of the wardrobes had clothes in them, female clothes. The whole idea behind it was that the king¡¯s mistress was not tock anything for as long as they were useful to the king.

    ¡°I am never going to be his mistress,¡±

    Sophie let out as she walked out of thest room and went to sit in the living room. She would do anything else but to be the king¡¯s ything is where she draws the line. It would only end up badly for her. Not only would she be forever known as the king¡¯s mistress, but he might also send her out of the kingdom once he no longer desires her.

    Sophie expected the king to show up but he didn¡¯t not and she spent the whole of the evening by herself, at least she could watch tv and also unlike the dungeon, she could actually step out of the house only that she couldn¡¯t get out of the gate and she didn¡¯t even want to. If only this was all there was and she didn¡¯t have to face any more troubles, it would have been perfect but she knew everything was just temporary and that her problems were far from being over. In fact, they barely even started. Thest time the king spoke about the diamonds, he didn¡¯t believe what she had told him, and the other question he asked about the identity of the father of her baby, she knew he would not give up until he finds out. She was sure he thought he had a hand in helping her take the diamonds and finding him would lead him to the diamonds. If only he knew the person that he wanted to know about so much was himself. He would never believe her and she was still too early in her pregnancy for a DNA test to be done so she was going to do her best to not tell for as long as she could hold.

    ¡°I wish he would never ask,¡±

    She let out as she turned off the tv and walked to the room she had picked, the one further away from the entrance that linked the house to the king¡¯s chamber. She knew that would not help her case but at least she tried. Whatever he has nned she would have to wait for him toe around to find out, for now, she would live as if her life was okay.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Lancelot, I am this close to shaving off my hair and it is all because of you,¡±

    Patrick yelled out as they walked into his chamber, but Lance ignored him The man has been on his case all morning ever since he told him he had given instructions for Sophie to be moved out of the dungeon. He had reasons for making that decision and he wasn¡¯t going to back out no matter what Patrick says.

    ¡°Now, you are ignoring me!¡±

    Patrick let out in frustration.

    ¡°I am not ignoring you Patrick, I am tired and want to rest, I have been up all day and about the affairs of the kingdom and now I just want to rest,¡±

    Lance said as he took off his clothes and walked towards his bath.

    ¡°I will let you rest if you let me, need I remind you that you are not allowed to take a mistress until two years after your marriage and you are not even married yet, your marriage is barely two months away. A month and eight days to be precise, you can¡¯t take a mistress now, it is too close to your wedding. If you had mistresses before, you would have been told to do away with them already, now you didn¡¯t have one but suddenly you are getting one?¡±

    Patrick was out of his mind. He was saying nonsense, Lance had no thoughts of making Sophie his mistress and he was already rethinking his decision to get married.

    ¡°She is not to be my mistress, Patrick, I don¡¯t know where you are getting that from,¡±

    He corrected. There was a moment of silence as he showered but he knew it won¡¯tst. He wished Patrick would just trust his judgment. After he spoke with the driver, he noticed that his story wasn¡¯t adding up, he was switching things up and barely giving a direct answer to his questions, he figured there may be more to what he had said the night of the incident than he didn¡¯t let on, like he had not been expecting him to question him again which led Lance to think that there might be some foul y. No, he wasn¡¯t just letting Sophie off the hook, she was still the main suspect but she was a pregnant woman and the dungeon as good as he tried to make it, wasn¡¯t a ce for a pregnant woman and he needed a ce where he was sure no one would interact with her and the best choice had been the emerald house, nowhere did he think of her as his mistress while making that decision, Patrick had been the one to put the idea in his head, not like he was going to act on it, he wasn¡¯t one to take another man¡¯s woman.

    To be honest, he wasn¡¯t ready to have any woman right now, Patrick would be even madder if he knew what his thoughts were right now. Lance knew his decision might hurt the kingdom but he couldn¡¯t push through with the marriage thing when he couldn¡¯t even stand his soon-to-be wife, it would be better to end it before it even began than to get married and live unhappy with a nagging woman who might need him and he won¡¯t be there. Lance got out of the shower and picked up his towel, he wiped his body before tying the towel around his waist and stepping out of the bathroom. Patrick was on the floor with tab in hand and typing away, his hardworking best friend who he was giving a hard time with his decisions. He felt bad for always making Patrick almost lose his mind but there was nothing he could do to stop it as he was constantly changing his mind. He admits that he still has a lot to learn and unlearn and that not everything would turn out well in the end but that doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t do it.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°You know, right now you look so at peace just typing away, can we just stay like this until you have to leave? No nagging,¡±

    Lance walked to his wardrobe and wore his robe.

    ¡°If you listen to me or act like a king, we won¡¯t have me nagging, honestly your majesty, you are making a mistake by taking a mistress, it is not right,¡±

    Patrick bemoaned.

    ¡°Patrick, did I tell you that I am taking a mistress or did you just assume that because I can¡¯t remember saying I want one,¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t say the word but you had a prisoner move from prison to your dungeon and right after that, you spent a night alone with her in the dungeon, and dayster, you move her to a ce specifically reserved for the king¡¯s rxation, a ce where the king¡¯s mistress of the moment are kept, do you think I need words to read what is there?¡±

    He made sense with how he spoke but he was wrong and it was his duty to correct him. He got on his bed and looked at his best friend who was now standing and ring at him.

    ¡°Yeah, I know how it all sounds like but I am not taking her as a mistress, I just want her to be in a ce I can easily ess,¡±

    He exined but Patrick didn¡¯t look convinced.

    ¡°Care to exin the kind of easy ess that we are talking about here? Do you need easy ess so that you can go fuck her whenever you want? Is that it?¡±

    How did the man manage to turn everything he says into sex talk? He never even thought of that until he said it.

    ¡°Listen, Patrick, I think you are projecting here, I haven¡¯t slept with Sophie and I don¡¯t want to, I can¡¯t say the same for you though, you seem to be more interested in talking about sex, do you want to getid? Is that it because I can arrange for you to get some,¡±

    Lance told him. Patrick wasn¡¯t having any of what he was saying.

    ¡°You are twisting things,¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am? I can say the same for you Patrick, you keep twisting what I am saying and making it seem like I am doing this to get inside her panties when that¡¯s not what I want. She might have stolen something important to the kingdom or at least helped someone do it and I am trying to get it back, I don¡¯t want to go about it the harsh way seeing that she is carrying a child, what¡¯s not clicking?¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°I get what you are trying to say, your majesty,¡±

    ¡°No, Lancelot, just keep calling me Lancelot! We are alone and talking as friends,¡±

    Lance corrected.

    ¡°Sure, Lancelot, I get what you are saying but you are not getting me, even I misunderstood your intentions what do you think others in the kingdom would think? If words get out that the king is housing a possible criminal in the emerald house? What do you think the elders would do? Think about it, Lancelot,¡±

    Yes, Lance knew the elders might not like how he was handling things but he didn¡¯t care he was king and at the end of the day, his words were final, plus he made sure words won¡¯t go out.

    ¡°I will handle the elders if they find out Patrick, I made up my mind to deal with Sophie my own way, stop pestering me about it,¡±

    He warned.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°I am not pestering you. I just don¡¯t want you to do anything that you might end up regretting, you have a lot going on already.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know, thank you for your concern, Patrick but aside from the diamonds that are missing, Sophie isn¡¯t much of a problem and I have reasons to believe that she is saying the truth about not taking it or having anything to do with it being missing,¡±

    He disclosed. He wasn¡¯t so sure yet but he just couldn¡¯t help but think that she was innocent, aside from her being pregnant, he really had nothing else to tie her to the supposed theft, because he had the guards search the disgraced queen¡¯s house to be sure she didn¡¯t hide it there and there was nothing there. She would not have hidden it somewhere else. Except, her baby daddy had been able to go there but the disgraced queen said there was no one with her. Lance knew he shouldn¡¯t believe everything so blindly but Sophie has worked close to him for two years and she has never stolen from him even though she had a lot of opportunities each time he was drunk.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say anymore, you are right, you are the king so I am just going to let you have it as long as you promise to keep your hands to yourself and also get the truth out of her so that this will be over,¡±

    Patrick said in a defected voice.

    ¡°Patrick? Are you the one she is seeing? Are you the father of her child? Is that why you don¡¯t want me near her?¡±

    Lance asked. It didn¡¯t sound like it but he just had to know. Clearly, the one who got her pregnant was within the pce so it can be anyone. Sophie was a pretty woman and anyone would desire her, even his trusted special adviser.

    ¡°The things I want to say to you right now but you are the king so I can¡¯t,¡±

    Patrick let out.

    ¡°By all means say what¡¯s on your mind Patrick, I don¡¯t mind and no one will hear about it except the two of us,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°Right, fuck you, Lancelot! You think I have time to be eyeing the maids in the pce? Did you remember that it is prohibited for any rtionship to happen amongst the pce workers?¡±

    He let out. not what Lance had been expecting him to say but at least it shows he is not the one that got Sophie pregnant.

    ¡°You are different from the others, you are not just a pce worker Patrick, you are my special adviser and my best friend, there is a huge difference between you and the others,¡±

    He pointed out.

    ¡°Whatever you say, Lancelot, I damn well wasn¡¯t sneaking around with a maid, I can¡¯t say the same for you though seeing how you are all toofortable spending the night with her in a damn dungeon, who knows, you might be the father, all thosete nights you call her in to tend to you and sometimes when you are drunk,¡±

    Patrick used. Lance paused for a moment. Yes, he always asks for Sophie whenever he is drunk, the reason being that he was morefortable with her than anyone else but he was sure he never slept with her, even if he doesn¡¯t remember, he would have known if something happened the next morning, no way he would sleep with her and not know.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch her, Patrick. I am sure of it.¡±

    He told Patrick.

    ¡°How are you so sure? You can barely remember anything once you get drunk,¡±

    Patrick used.

    ¡°I am sure of what I am saying Parick.¡±

    He let out, feeling defensive.

    ¡°Hm,¡±

    ¡°Enough of that talk, I assure you that I haven¡¯t slept with her and I am not taking her as my mistress, I have no need for a mistress, not right now, I just don¡¯t want her alone in that dark ce nor do I want her where anyone can get free ess to her until I can resolve the issue of the missing diamonds, after that I will let her go, if she is innocent. She can¡¯t stay in the pce with a kid anyway,¡±

    He shared.

    ¡°I am just going to take your word for it, I will let you rest now, good night,¡±

    Patrick said and left. Lance let out a weary sigh after Patrick left and tried to close his eyes to sleep but his mind went to Sophie, he was sure she would be having different thoughts now as to why she was moved. He was damn tired and needed to rest since he has to be up early tomorrow as he had a meeting with some elites from a neighboring kingdom. He closed his eyes to force himself to sleep but gave up after trying and failing for thirty minutes. He didn¡¯t want to drink tonight as the hangover would be bad for him by morning but the alcohol in his chamber kept calling for him. He decided to take a walk to see Sophie, that way he won¡¯t have to drink.

    Lance got off the bed and walked to the door that connected the house to his chamber, he hasn¡¯t been there in a long time.

    ¡°I should go back and sleep,¡±

    He tried to stop himself but, in the end, he opened the door and closed it behind him. He took a short walk and came to the living room, of course, she would be asleep. It was way past ten pm already. He wanted to leave but the door to one of the rooms opened and she stood there in surprise, she was wearing a rather revealing nightie and he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.

 Chapter 26

    Sophie stood there in shock. She should have known he would show up but it was sote at night. She only came out of the room she was using to get water from the mini fridge in the dining room. She never thought she would find him there. He was watching her. No, he was checking her out, she looked down and realized she had on the nightie she found in the wardrobe in the room. It was revealing, she hurriedly closed the door and quickly grabbed a robe she also found in the wardrobe. She wore it as fast as she could as she couldn¡¯t keep the king waiting. Even though he was an uninvited guest who came at the oddest hour, he was still the king and the king must always be respected.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    she let out when she came out of the room again. He was now seated.

    ¡°Woman, how do you like your new ce?¡±

    The king asked. Sophie willed herself to stay calm and not overthink things until he say otherwise, one thing was sure, she was not going to be his mistress, ever. She told herself that all day and she nned on letting him know.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should like it, my king, seeing how I am not sure why I am here,¡±

    Sophie answered and heard him scoff.

    ¡°Why do you think you are here Sophie? Surely, you must have an idea?¡±

    He asked as he stood up and walked close to her. Sophie knew he was ying with her and hated him for it. She wished she could at least curse at him but she knew that could lead to her being beheaded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I am here, my king. I have no idea what goes on in your mind my king,¡±

    She responded politely even though all she wanted was to swear at him and tell him to go fuck himself if he thinks she would ever be his mistress.

    ¡°Okay, let me make it clear, I know you might have some crazy thoughts going on in your head giving the history of this ce but I assure you that none of what you are thinking is it, I had you move here because I wanted you in a ce I can easily ess,¡±

    He informed her which did nothing to help. It only raised her suspicions about his motives.

    ¡°Your majesty, if you don¡¯t mind being more borate. What is it that you want me to do here?¡±

    She asked. Their eyes met for a moment but she quickly looked away, she didn¡¯t like the look he was giving her.

    ¡°Nothing, I want you here in a ce I can easily meet you and where I don¡¯t need to worry about people seeing me go in and out,¡±

    He told her. So, in essence, what he was saying is that he ns oning to see her a lot which further proves her thought about him wanting to make her his mistress real.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be your mistress, my king,¡±

    Sophie let out. She knew she had no say as no one can say no to the king but she wasn¡¯t about to ept whatever he threw at her without a fight.

    ¡°Why does everyone keep assuming that?¡±

    The king let out.

    ¡°Everyone?¡±

    Sophie asked in shock. So, he already told people about wanting her to be his mistress, oh the shameless man.

    ¡°Everyone being you and Patrick, why do you guys assume that I want to take a mistress? I can assure you that I don¡¯t need a mistress woman so dead that thought,¡±

    He warned. Sophie was too stormed for a moment to say anything. She just stood there wondering what else he would want her to be here for if not as his mistress.

    ¡°Then why am I here?¡±

    She asked when she finally got her voice back. The king red at her like she had lost her mind, and she bowed her head.

    ¡°I already told you. I want you somewhere I can easily ess. You and I have unfinished business and you are pregnant. the dungeon and the prison are no ces for pregnant women so I thought of being a good man and finding a better ce where I can easilye in and ask you questions and also somewhere no one else can have ess to you unless I give the go ahead and this ce fit so perfectly, that¡¯s why you are here woman. I have no intention of making you or anyone else my mistress,¡±

    He exined. Sophie let out a sigh of relief. Yup, it was a sigh of relief, no way she was disappointed by what he said. She would be a fool to be disappointed. She never wants to be a mistress and hopefully, never wants to be desired by him.

    ¡°Did I make you speechless or did you want to be my mistress?¡±

    The king asked and Sophie realized she hadn¡¯t said another word. She lifted her head and realized the king got too close forfort. She took a few steps back before answering him again.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I dare not wish for such, I have no desire to be your mistress, my king,¡±

    ¡°Good then, because I don¡¯t need a mistress, what I do need right now, is a sleep partner and you will do just fine,¡±

    He said which earned him a confused look from her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    She questioned.

    ¡°I mean I want a sleeping partner just like we didst time, only this time I am sober, surely that¡¯s not hard right?¡±

    He asked.

 Chapter 27

    ¡°My king, you can¡¯t spend the night here and I can¡¯t be your sleeping partner,¡±

    Sophie let out. the man was out of his mind, he just told her a few minutes ago that he wasn¡¯t about to make her his mistress and now he wants to spend the night with her? Makes no sense unless he lied earlier.

    ¡°Why not? I own this ce and can sleep anywhere I want,¡±

    He reprimanded.

    ¡°I know you are the king and can sleep anywhere but why would you choose here? You just said you have no intentions of making me your mistress but then you want to spend the night with me? It doesn¡¯t add up,¡±

    She let out but he ignored her and walked past her. She covered her face with her hands to calm herself.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡±

    He let out. she turned to him and shook her head.

    ¡°No, I am not,¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t say no to me, I am the king! Don¡¯t worry all we are going to do is sleep, I just don¡¯t think I will fall asleep alone,¡±

    He let on.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Okay, if you can¡¯t fall asleep then you can get the future queen to move in so that you can have someone to sleep with, I think the best sleeping partner should be your spouse or a future spouse,¡±

    She advised. He didn¡¯t look pleased. Well, that makes two of them, she wished he would be offended to the point that he would leave. He wanted to get her in trouble, that was his n.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about any queen, there is no queen until I say so, are youing or do you want me to drag you?¡±

    He asked in amanding voice that she couldn¡¯t say no to. He was the king and wasn¡¯t used to being told no. She so wanted to punch him back to his senses but that might lead to her untimely passing so she walked ahead of him into the room suddenly feeling stressed. She stood by the door not wanting to get close to the bed that had beenfy earlier.

    ¡°Come on,¡±

    He let out and she reluctantly walked to him and took the hand he reached out. He led her to the bed and pulled her with him.

    ¡°See, not that hard,¡±

    He let out. yeah, for him it was not that hard, he just neededpany because he didn¡¯t want to be alone, he didn¡¯t think about anyone but himself. He didn¡¯t stop to think that his actions were making her ufortable. Sophie let out a breath as he pulled her closer to him so that she was halfying on his chest, he wrapped his arms around her as if he didn¡¯t want her to get away, as if she would.

    ¡°So much better, now go to sleep,¡±

    He whispered. If only it was that easy for her to go asleep wrapped in his arms but it wasn¡¯t. Her stomach was in nuts, her heart was beating ten times faster than normal and she was sweating even though it wasn¡¯t hot in the room. Her heart was beating so fast for fear of what might happen in the next moment, fear that she might not be able to resist him if he tried anything.

    ¡°Rx Sophie, I am not going to do anything that you are thinking right now, I have two choices, go back to my room and get alcohol to help me fall asleep or stay here with you, sober. I chose thetter because I don¡¯t want a hangover by morning, let¡¯s just sleep, okay?¡±

    He asked and she nodded. If he says that¡¯s all there is, then she just has to believe him. She could always sleepter when he leaves, not like she had any work.

    ¡°Can I ask a favor in exchange for this?¡±

    She let out. she expected him to rebuke her and tell her to shut up but he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Tell me,¡±

    He said.

    ¡°Thank you, I get so bored and I would really love it if you can let the guards or the maids bring me books, it would help a lot,¡±

    she requested politely, his arms around her tightened

    ¡°Sure, if that¡¯s all you want, I will have them bring some books for you, romance, right?¡±

    He asked and a thrill of cold sensations went through her whole body, he was so close that she could feel his breath on her hair and the fact that he was caressing her shoulders. How did he ever think it was a good idea for them to be like this? If someone were to walk in on them right now, they would never believe anything they say if they deny that they have a thing going on.

    ¡°Anything would do,¡±

    She replied. She didn¡¯t want romance specifically, she just wanted anything that would keep her busy.

    ¡°What else do you want? Anything else?¡±

    He asked and she was tempted to request for her freedom. She knew he would never grant that request so she opted for something more realistic.

    ¡°I would be grateful if I get some knitting equipment, knitting is a good way to pass time,¡±

    Sophie told him.

    ¡°Sure, I will get that too, is that enough?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡±

    She whispered. She closed her eyes to try and sleep as there was nothing else that she could do. She decided not to overthink anything. He gave a clear reason as to why he was here with her and it would be better for her to not think about anything else for her mental health, sake. The fact that he still hasn¡¯t asked her about the diamonds after that first time. Maybe he was taking his time. She wasn¡¯t so sure but his silence must mean something. Also, the fact that he finds herfortable enough to want to spend the night in herpany should count for something. Like maybe he believed her or maybe he figured it out. His soft snores broke her train of thought.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he can fall asleep so easily when I just here having a hard time,¡±

    Sophie whispered and lifted her head slightly as she didn¡¯t want to wake. He was fast asleep and she decided to take the opportunity and get away from him. Jokes on her because the minute she tried to remove his arms from around her, his grip on her tightened. It was clear he wasn¡¯t going to let her go. She gave up and smuggled closer and closed her eyes hoping sleep would get her soon because there was no way out.

 Chapter 28

    For the second time, Lance found himself waking up beside the woman who he shouldn¡¯t even be thisfortable within the first ce. Unlike thest time, this time he had been sober when he asked her, no,manded her to let him share a bed with her, she had no choice but to allow him because no one can say no to him, except Patrick. That mudafucker has zero respect for him. Lance couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he slept better with her around, maybe it was her or maybe he just needed someone close to be able to fall asleep. The first night he slept with her, he didn¡¯t have any nightmares andst night was the same too. Not to mention he wasfortable in her presence. He watched her sleep. The woman was a hell of pretty. She caught his attention the first time she started working at the pce and she had been respectful, polite, and well spoken, he didn¡¯t have to repeat himself twice for her to get what he wants, not to mention she never grumbles or anything when he calls her at any time of the day even on her day off. She kind of grew on him that it got to the point she was the only one he called to attend to his needs. Maybe that¡¯s why he was sofortable around her. She turned in her sleep and the robe she wore on top of the revealing nightie he sawst night flew open exposing her goodies to his hungry eyes.

    He willed himself to look away and not be tempted by the shape of her body and how well her breast pressed against the fabric of the nightie, he could see her perky nipples and was very tempted to touch them, how he was able to spend the night with such a gorgeous woman and not take her was beyond him but now that he was awake, he had to remind himself who she was and why it would be a bad idea to start anything with her.

    Lance finally got himself to look away from her and got off the bed, he meant to leave without waking her but she must be a light sleeper because he heard her move and turned to see her eyes open and watching him.

    ¡°You are awake, I was just leaving,¡±

    He exined. She wasn¡¯t fully awake as she only nodded and he just stood there awkwardly for a moment staring at her still exposed body. It was hard for his body not to react to her not when she looked the way she did.

    ¡°I will see you soon,

    Lance said and left the room before he did something he might regret. He shouldn¡¯t be sofortable sleeping and waking up with her butst night, he knew he would not fall asleep if he left, so he had just stayed. It was as if she was his sleeping pill. Last night all he wanted to do was sleep but this morning, he suddenly wanted more. He was slowly losing his mind. Lance walked towards his room hoping that Patrick was not there yet but when he opened the door, he was met with a very angry Patrick with his hands folded across his chest.

    ¡°Where are youing from?¡±

    He let out as if he didn¡¯t already know. Lance ignored him and walked by him. He wasn¡¯t ready for his full talk right now but he knew that would not stop Patrick.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you right now Lancelot,¡±

    Patrick let out.

    ¡°What did I do?¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What did you do? Really? You spent the night with her again Lancelot! What has gotten into you?¡±

    Patrick let out. Lance couldn¡¯t answer that because even he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore why he found peace with her, all he wanted to do yesterday night was wee her but somehow, he had done more than that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just know I sleep better when she is around,¡±

    He responded truthfully.

    ¡°And you want me to believe nothing is going on with you two? Do you know what a rtionship with her can cause the both of you? If you are not thinking about yourself in this case, at least think about her and the kingdom. She is a foreigner, Lancelot, if anything goes wrong, she would be forced to leave the kingdom,¡±

    He informed. Lance was aware of that fact.

    ¡°I get everything you are saying Patrick but I promise you that we just slept,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what you just did now but will it keep being that way? Are you going to lie that you didn¡¯t feel anything while in the same room and on the same bed with her? I have only ever seen you act this way towards another woman and we both know how that ended. I have every reason to be worried, Lancelot,¡±

    Patrick let out. he was wrong, this was different from thest time, Sophie and the other woman arepletely different and he didn¡¯t want to think about the other woman so early in the morning.

    ¡°Please can you not bring her up? This is totally different, okay?¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°How is it different? Make me understand your majesty, you keep going back to her, I know you don¡¯t lie but I find it hard to believe that what you just want from that woman is to sleep in her arms, it makes absolutely no sense to me and it won¡¯t make any sense to anyone you tell it to,¡±

    Patrick fired at him.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all there is, whether it makes sense to you or not, I sleep better with her, no nightmare even when I am not drunk, I sleptst night and only woke up this morning, slept like a newborn, do you know what that means to me?¡±

    Lance responded. Thest person he expected to judge him for this was Patrick since he knew just how hectic his nightmares were and the fact that they led him to drink so much just to avoid them.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you are getting married Lancelot, your wife to be should be the one doing those things for you, not some thief,¡±

    Patrick let out.¡±

    Lance didn¡¯t like how he called Sophie a thief, there was no proof that she stole those diamonds.

 Chapter 29

    ¡°She is not a thief, at least not until it is proven beyond doubt that she stole,¡±

    Lance reprimanded.

    ¡°See? This is what I am saying, you are already defending her, innocent until proven guilty doesn¡¯t work for her my king, she is the one you handed the diamonds to, whatever happened to it is her fault, you are not even concerned about finding it when you know just how important it is to the kingdom. I am sure you haven¡¯t even asked her about it because all you want is to quote ¡°Get so peaceful sleep¡±

    Patrick let out. Lance couldn¡¯t respond because he was right, he hasn¡¯t asked Sophie about it again and he was also right about the diamonds being important to the kingdom which is why he ns on getting a recement before anyone finds out that it is missing.

    ¡°I am going to get a recement, it is not like it is one of a kind, I know it will cause me money but I don¡¯t mind,¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    He said. He knew Patrick was about to go crazy on him again and the man didn¡¯t disappoint.

    ¡°You are out of your mind, What has she done to you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, she hasn¡¯t done anything Patrick, you are just overthinking things and blindly refusing to see things from my point of view,¡±

    He replied.

    ¡°Yeah, you know why? It is because your point of view is not clear, you are losing focus because of her, and I am losing brain cells because of the both of you, no make that three because your wife-to-be won¡¯t let me catch a break, which brings me to why I am here now, we have to meet with her before any of your meetings today or you might not have a special advisor anymore as she threatened to have me beheaded,¡±

    Patrick disclosed. Lance didn¡¯t want to meet that woman, nothing he does ever pleases her and she always has the craziest questions and suggestions.

    ¡°I am a very busy man, Patrick, you tell her that,¡±

    Lance told him.

    ¡°You will have to tell her that yourself because I told her you will wee her once she gets to the pce and she arrives in,¡±

    he paused to check his watch and Lance stared at him in disgust, the least he could have done is tell that nagging woman that he was busy like he was.

    ¡°She will be here in thirty minutes, unless you want her to meet you in your chambers, you have to get ready and go meet her at the dining room where I already instructed the maids and chef to prepare breakfast,¡±

    Patrick informed. Lance red at him. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he ate at the diner. It was reserved for special events and meeting with Roseline doesn¡¯t qualify as a special event.

    ¡°You did all that without telling me? I am the king!¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°Yes, you are the king which is why I am telling you now, maybe her presence would knock you back to reality, hopefully,¡±

    Patrick didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Lance couldn¡¯t stand that woman and her being in the pce would not change that which is why he needed to man up and face the elders and tell them he wasn¡¯t ready to be married. Thirty-three was still rtively young, he could always get married in his forties just to produce an heir; if not, he preferred to stay single forever. He could get any woman he wants when he wants them so why settle for being with a nagging spoiled princess?

    ¡°I am only meeting with her to get her off your back and not for any other reasons. And for Sophie, I have no ns of sleeping with her, I am willing to amodate her until she is proven guilty or innocent, either way, she would leave the pce like I told you before. I will ask her again about the diamonds when I meet her,¡±

    ¡°It would be better if you don¡¯t meet her again, let her be there and let the police do their job, she can always be taken for questioning and brought back to the emerald after,¡±

    Patrick suggested but Lance didn¡¯t buy the idea, they would yell at her and be harsh towards her and he didn¡¯t want that.

    ¡°I will do it myself and that is final, if anyone is going to be questioned at the police station and also by me, it would be the driver, he has a lot to answer for because thest time I spoke to him, his story wasn¡¯t adding up if they are questioning him, I want every of the conversation recorded.¡±

    He instructed.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡±

    ¡°Also look into finding any surveince cameras along the way, if we are going to find out what happened that day and not just blindly use someone then we should do it properly, I would have said the car¡¯s ck box but I don¡¯t know if that would still be intact,¡±

    Lance let out. he should have thought of all these on that day, would have saved him a lot of stress but he had been so focused on her and the fact that the driver had painted her as the viin made him lose focus, now he wanted to do things the right way because there is no way a fragile woman like that can overpower him and shoot him, if he insisted there were other people, then he would have not been able to get away alive.

    ¡°I will check just to be certain. The driver has been at the hospital since the whole thing happened. If his story is indeed true then there is no need for the ck box to be missing or tampered with since it would help his story, except he has something to hide.¡±

    Patrick said and Lance rxed, d that Patrick was finally seeing things the way it was.

    ¡°Thank God my Patrick is back,¡±

    Lancemented.

    ¡°I am not your Patrick young man, also I never went anywhere if you didn¡¯t notice,¡±

    Patrick scolded.

    ¡°Yes, old man, I get you, can I take a break now?¡±

    Lance asked even though he knew he ought to go take a bath to go get breakfast with that crazy princess.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°You don¡¯t get a break until you meet with your wife-to-be, the prime minister, the minister of health, and also the ruler of the neighboring kingdom so you can only get a break by maybe nine or ten today,¡±

    Patrick listed out his schedule for the day. Surprisingly, aside from his supposed wife-to-be, he wanted to meet with the others he mentioned. Which was so not like him, he always hated the meetings and only met with those people because he had to for things to be done. Maybe because he had a good night¡¯s rest and he wasn¡¯t hungover for once, he couldn¡¯t help the smile that formed.

    ¡°What are you smiling about? Are you suddenly excited to meet your wife-to-be?¡±

    Patrick asked. Way to ruin his mood.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Patrick, I can tell you that woman has nothing to do with my smile. In fact, the thought of her is enough for me not to smile for a whole week,¡±

    He replied as he walked away from Patrick to his bathroom. He didn¡¯t want Roseline in his space so he had to be at the dining table before she got to the pce and he had just about twenty-five minutes to do that. He hurriedly took a shower in hopes of taking a proper one once he returned and walked out of the restroom naked with his towel in hand. Patrick already picked out his outfit for the day and all he had to do was put them on and make sure they were okay and off they went.

    ¡°How long do I have to pretend to be into what she is saying?¡±

    Lance asked as they walked towards the dining area.

    ¡°About one hour because you have to be in the throne room to receive the other ruler,¡±

    He disclosed. One whole hour to spend with that crazy woman.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Right, can we reduce it to thirty minutes, I don¡¯t want to stay that long in her present,¡±

    He requested.

    ¡°No can¡¯t do that, you have a lot to answer for and your wedding is close, it is time you guys get familiar with each other because whether you like it or not, it is customary for you guys to spend the first full month of your marriage together, you have to get used to her,¡±

    Patrick informed. Not like Lance wasn¡¯t aware which is why he should call the whole thing off as soon as possible. He already made up his mind that he wasn¡¯t going to go through with the n of marrying her but until he can speak with the elders, he just needs to y along.

    ¡°One hour it is then,¡±

    He said as he walked into the dining area and was greeted by everyone there. Peck of being the king was that he didn¡¯t need to respond to their greetings, he just took his seat and requested for the newspaper to be passed to him. He only got into reading the morning papers because he needs to know what was going on in the kingdom and also around the world. There was nothing exciting in the papers so he dropped it and looked over to where Patrick stood giving the others instructions. If Sophie had not been in trouble, she would have been one of the maids right now, the only one who would have had a genuine smile on. One of the many reasons he had gotten so used to her was that she always managed to smile genuinely no matter what she was made to do. If and when he can clear her name, hopefully, she is innocent like she ims, then maybe he would make an exception for her and let her have her baby in the pce, give her some time to get back, and then she can continue working in the pce. There were plenty of ces where she could live peacefully with her baby within the pce while she worked. He knew it wasn¡¯t a good idea but things have to change somehow, he wasn¡¯t the one that made the rules that the pce workers can¡¯t have kids around. Maybe it was time to change that because it was clear to him that Sophie had nowhere else to go and also, she might not want the child¡¯s father involved or maybe the man doesn¡¯t want to be involved. It might be the reason she refused to reveal his identity. Lance¡¯s eyes met Patrick and the man frowned, if only he knew just what he was thinking about, his frown would be deeper.

    ¡°When is she going to show up? I can¡¯t just sit in front of breakfast waiting for her to show up,¡±

    Lance let out and Patrick walked close to him.

    ¡°I am sorry my king but the princess canceled because something urgent came up,¡±

    Patrick revealed. It was good news for Lance as he didn¡¯t want to eat with her in the first ce but he couldn¡¯t show it as it mighte out as odd to the people in the dining room with him.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    He asked as if he was concerned.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t say, she just said to tell you that she was sorry and she would make it up to you next time,¡±

    Patrick told him. Lance scoffed. Thest thing he needed was her making anything up with him.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to, I can eat now, right?¡±

    He asked and Patrick nodded. Without saying another word, Lance ate his breakfast after which he went to the throne room to receive the ruler from the neighboring kingdom who was the same age as histe father and expected him to address him as father. Lance made sure to make it clear he wasn¡¯t going to do that. After the meeting with the ruler, he met with the minister of health to discuss the problem the health sector was facing, the meetingsted longer than he had thought, it took the rest of the morning and almost all part of the afternoon but it was fruitful and they came to a good conclusion that would favor both the poor and rich of the kingdom.

    Lance was beyond exhausted after he met with the Minister of Health but then he still had to meet with the prime minister who arrived about an hour ago, he took a short break to eat before the next meeting which was a closed-door meeting started. By the time he finished and checked his time, it was already past ten pm. He wished the minister a good night¡¯s rest and walked out. His legs were shaky and he was beyond exhausted and all he wanted to do was take a bath and sleep.

    ¡°Cancel everything scheduled for tomorrow, I might die if I have to do this all over again tomorrow,¡±

    he told Patrick as they walked back to his chambers.

    ¡°Yes, my king.¡±

    Patrick responded.

    ¡°You can go get some rest too, I will go by myself from here, see you tomorrow,¡±

    He told Patrick who was reluctant at first but gave in. Lance walked ahead towards his chamber with the guards following behind him. He entered his chamber, took off his clothes, and walked to the bathroom to freshen up after which he put on his night robe andid on his bed hoping for sleep toe and for once, thanks to how tired he was, he fell asleep.

    Contrary to what he had told Patrick the previous night, Lance woke up the next morning and he had emergencies to attend to that couldn¡¯t wait. He spent the whole day working and only came back to his chamber to sleep. Over the next couple of days, he got busy with the kingdom affairs and could barely have time to rest, he decided it would be best to meet with every head one at a time and speak to each one of them, it was exhausting but it was more effective than gathering them all and having them gang up against him.

    Today, however, he hosted some important people and had a little too much to drink, nope he wasn¡¯t that drunk yet but he knew if he add just one more ss then he would be truly wasted which was why he tried to get himself to sleep but jokes on him because sleep refused to make an appearance, he gave up trying to fall asleep and got off the bed to go grab a bottle, he down half of it and staggered to the door that led to Sophie, only her can help him right now, he did his best to stay away but he couldn¡¯t do that tonight.

 Chapter 31

    Sophie woke up with a banging headache. She knew the reason for her headache was due to the fact that she had been overthinking things but she just couldn¡¯t help it. The king was giving her mixed signals. After the night they spent together, she went days alone without seeing or hearing from him. The only people she came in contact with were the maidens who came to give her food. No one else was allowed into the apartment and the maids were still not allowed to speak to her so she couldn¡¯t ask them what was going on in the pce. The king kept his promise though and the maids brought a couple of books for her and also some knitting equipment. She already started reading the books but for knitting, she still has not found the will to start.

    Sophie still had no idea where she stood, the king never spoke to her about the missing diamond since that first night and also, he never sent anyone to question or anything, it was as if hepletely forgot what happened and he was just keeping her around. She didn¡¯t know what to make of it either.

    It was one thing to be holding her because she is a potential thief and it is another thing to be holding her like he was doing, providing all she needs, sending her to the clinic for checkup when he doesn¡¯t even know he is the father of her unborn baby. The highlight of it all was him telling her he feelsfortable in her presence. Over thest couple of days, she has been having the same thoughts over and over again, each time, she ends up giving up and just going with the flow but that didn¡¯t stop her from thinking about it and the fact that she was always alone did not help her case.

    ¡°Water,¡±

    Sophie let out as she got off the bed and staggered out of the room to get water, she checked the clock on the wall and it was past midnight, another day has just begun, and she silently prayed it would go uneventful too because she knew thest thing, she needed right now was drama.

    Sophie grabbed the bottle of water and downed half of it, the refreshing feel washed down her body, easing her aching head. She let out a sigh of relief and made to go back to her room with the remaining water when the door that linked the apartment to the king¡¯s chamber flew open and the king walked in.

    ¡°Fucking hell, herees drama,¡±

    She let out. Just when she thought he had finally stoppeding to her at the craziest time, he had to show up now. Midnight.

    ¡°Hey, you missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    He asked as he walked in, she bowed to him in greeting. The smell of alcohol hit her at that moment and she frowned. He was drunk again. Drunk and back in her space.

    ¡°Why are you drunk again?¡±

    She let out walking towards him as he staggered towards her, she met him halfway and caught him when he almost fell, his heavyweight almost taking both of them down. She managed to drag him to the sofa.

    ¡°Why are you always a drunk mess my king? It is not good for your health,¡±

    She cautioned.

    ¡°Right, another person nagging me, just when I thought I already escape Patrick,¡±

    The king let out sloppily.

    ¡°If you wanted to escape anything, you should have stayed in your room and slept off the alcohol,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡°Right, you and Patrick have the same thing against me, why are you behaving like him right now? Patrick nags, you shouldn¡¯t,¡±

    He let out. Sophie felt bad for the king¡¯s special adviser, it must be hard dealing with the king like this every time, not to mention they were almost always together.

    ¡°I see the reason he nags you.¡±

    She grumbled. She knew hising here meant work for her so she walked to the restroom and grabbed a clean towel and a bowl of clean water. When she came back into the sitting room, he was on the floor and talking nonsense that she couldn¡¯t make out. She squatted near him and lifted his head. His drunk eyes met hers and for a moment, she was lost in the beauty of his eyes. She shook herself and got to work, thankfully, he didn¡¯t throw up or at least he hasn¡¯t. She wiped his face with the wet towel, he kept talking nonsense. She ignored him and finished cleaning his face, she brought him cold water to drink in a bid to get him to sober up. She knew he would not listen to her if she told him to go back to his room so no need to do that, she just needed to get him out of the floor and somehow manage to bring him to her room. She already knew why he came to find her anyway.

    ¡°Time to get you out of the floor,¡±

    She let out squatting next to him again, he reached out for her hand and pulled her face close to his.

    ¡°Why are you so pretty?¡±

    He asked, catching her off guard. Her breath caught in her throat when he lifted his hand and traced her lips with his fingers.

    ¡°Your lips are so pretty, so kissable,¡±

    He whispered.

    ¡°Do not talk about my lips,¡±

    She whispered, lifting her hand to remove his from her lips but he didn¡¯t let her, he grabbed her hand with his free hand instead.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why? I am just saying it is kissable,¡±

    He moaned, yup, moaned. Sophie felt her legs turn to jelly, thank goodness that she was squatting because she would have copsed to the ground if she wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t,¡±

    She whispered. She was slowly losing it and knew she might not be able to pull away if he decides to kiss her now. She tried to put some distance between them but the king had other ideas as he pulled her to the floor with him, she tried to get up but he beat her to it, pinning her to the ground.

    ¡°What he**

    She couldn¡¯t finish what she was saying as his weight descended on her and his mouth covered hers in a sloppy drunk kiss¡­

 Chapter 32

    Sophie froze and stayed unmoving for a good minute while the king continued to press his lips to hers, she couldn¡¯t let him kiss him especially not when he was drunk again, thest time she let him touch her while he was drunk, he got her pregnant and currently have no memory of that happening, she pushed him away and watched as shock registered in his eyes, she wiped her lips with her hands and tried to get away from him but he pulled her back and once again mmed his lips on hers, she gasped in shock and he took that opportunity to invade her mouth and im her tongue, she was hit with the taste of alcohol, she withdrew so fast when she remembered that she was pregnant and alcohol wasn¡¯t good for the baby, yes it wasn¡¯t direct consumption but she didn¡¯t want to do anything that would harm her child, she put as much distance between him as she could.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking kiss me with that alcohol-filled mouth of yours,¡±

    She let out as she wiped her mouth clean, he started coughing, and she had no choice but to run back to his side and lift him up as much as she could.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the restroom so that we can wash your face and you can get some sleep so that the alcohol can leave your system.¡±

    Sophie said as she tried to lift him up but he was resistant and refused to move.

    ¡°We have to get you out of here before you start throwing up,¡±

    She let out but it was as if she was talking to herself as he removed her hand from his andid back on the floor talking nonsense. Mainlyining about her pushing him away and not wanting his kiss, if only he knew she would have let him kiss her all he wants if he was sober. He started jerking like he wanted to throw up, she let out a sigh and tried to get him up.

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t, please, let¡¯s get you to the restroom please, I can¡¯t clean up all your mess please, don¡¯t make a mess I beg you,¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Sheined but the crazy man did not listen to her, neither did he make any attempt to move from where he was, she gave up trying to get him to the restroom and instead ran to the restroom to get a bowl so that he can throw up in and she can flush it down, when she came back, she let out a disgusted sigh when she saw him.

    ¡°I told you not to make a mess, why do you have to make things hard for me? What did I ever do to you?¡±

    She let out in frustration. She was so close to tears and he seemed not to be done yet as he started throwing up again before she could get him the bowl, she gave up trying to do anything and just stood there and watch him mess the whole ce up, the smell of the alcohol and vomit made her nauseous too, she ran to the restroom to throw up everything she had eaten, she stayed the restroom for more than ten minutes trying to get herself back together, she knew it was because of the pregnancy that she was throwing up, this wasn¡¯t the first time she would clean up after the king or watch him throw up, she hated that she had to deal with him with the way she was feeling now but she had no choice, not like she could call someone else toe and clean up after the king.

    ¡°Fuck my life,¡±

    She let out as she walked out of the restroom.

    ¡°What the hell have you done?¡±

    She yelled out when she saw what he has been up to in thest few minutes that she was away. He moved from where she had left him and has messed another part of the living room up, she didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at the scene in front of her, if she had a phone, she would definitely have taken photos of him as proof of his nasty behavior, but sadly, she had no phone and therefore, there won¡¯t be any photo proof.

    ¡°Wait, there might be,¡±

    She let out as she walked to him and squatted in front of him, he was muttering a bunch of nonsense that she couldn¡¯t make out.

    ¡°Just how much did you drink that you are this gone?¡±

    Sheined as she searched his robe for his cell phone, she knew he would have it with him because the other times he had spent the night with her, he had been with his phone.

    ¡°Found it,¡±

    She let out when she saw it and stood up with it in her hand, she knew she would not be able to unlock it but that wasn¡¯t a problem because she didn¡¯t have to unlock the phone to take a photo or make videos.

    ¡°Your majesty, say cheers,¡±

    She called as she took numerous photos of him while he kept on talking nonsense and making crazy gestures.

    ¡°Video time,¡±

    She let out as she took a video of him and his mess, now all she needs is from him to see how pathetic he looked so that he can finally give up on drinking so much or stoping to her when he was drunk. He started throwing up again and she caught him on camera, she finally dumped the phone after being satisfied with the one she had taken and set to work to get him cleaned up, after many failed attempts, she was finally able to get him up and to the washroom to wash his face and mouth, she didn¡¯t let him sit down before she dragged him with her strength to the room next to the one she was using, no way was she going to be in the same room with him, not after he kissed her. She was scared he might do more and she might not be able to stop him.

    When she finally got him to the room, she went back to the living room to clean up the mess he made. It took her about an hour plus to be done with cleaning the ce and making sure there was no smell left. After she was done, she walked to her restroom and took a bath. She felt so tired and prayed that he would sleep and not disturb her throughout the night.

    ¡°Fucking man child,¡±

    She cursed as she got on her bed. As soon as she hit the bed, her mind went to the drunk kiss earlier. As much as she didn¡¯t want to think about it, It just kept reying in her head and preventing her from sleeping.

    ¡°Sophie!!!¡±

    He yelled out just when she was about to fall asleep, she let out a grunt of pain and tiredness, the least he could do is let her get some sleep after all the stress he made her go through but clearly, he wasn¡¯t about to let her have it, she stood up from the bed and walked to the room he was in.

 Chapter 33

    ¡°What do you want now, your majesty?¡±

    She inquired, standing by the door, he looked restless.

    ¡°Water, I need water, woman,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°If I get you water, will you finally let me get some sleep? I hate to break it to you, your majesty, but I am human too and I need to get some sleep,¡±

    Shemented but he seemed not to even be concerned about what she said as he continued to request for water, she so wanted to go back to her room and ignored his nonsense for the rest of the night but she knew she would not be able to get any sleep so it was better to go get that water and shut him up, she walked to the fridge and got a bottle of water and strolled back to the room he was in, he was up already and sat on the bed, she handed him the water and waited until he drank to his contentment before collecting the bottle back from him.

    ¡°Can you sleep now so that I can get some sleep too? It is literally two am in the morning and I still haven¡¯t slept thanks to your needs,¡±

    Shemented. He ignored her and insteadid on the bed, she took that as her cue to leave and did, she walked back to her room and dumped the bottle of water on the stool next to her bed. As soon as sheid on the bed, he called her name again.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    She yelled out when she got to where he was.

    ¡°I want this off, it smells,¡±

    He let out, pointing at his robe, she couldn¡¯t believe the man.

    ¡°What? You couldn¡¯t take off your robe on your own? Lancelot dude? It is past two am in the early hours of the day, I am a fucking pregnant woman, pregnant with your child fucker, I deserve to get some sleep, especially after dealing with the mess you made, now you want me to take off your robe too?¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She let out in frustration. She knew he would not remember what she said so she didn¡¯t need to fear that he might find out the baby she carried belonged to him.

    ¡°Take it off,¡±

    He went on. She had no choice but to walk to him and take off the damn robe, he didn¡¯t stop after she took it off, he stood up and took off his shorts too and she was faced with his naked body, she quickly turned around as her body heated up at the sight of him naked. He was out of his mind and he wanted her to lose her mind too, why else would he get naked in front of her?

    ¡°Get on the bed and cover-up, Lancelot,¡±

    She told him with her face still turned away from him, she heard him murmur some words she couldn¡¯t make out before he got on the bed, she slowly turned to make sure he was covered, and thankfully he was, she took his robe and hung it where he could easily find it when he finally wakes up.

    ¡°I beg you, don¡¯t call me again, I need to sleep too,¡±

    She pleaded as she exited the room for the third time, hoping that it would be thest of the night.

    ¡°If he calls me again, I am going to kill him, since he wants me dead, I will kill him first,¡±

    She let out as sheid on the bed again. This time, she had an even more disturbing image in mind, his dick had literally been staring at her earlier, he was huge even though he wasn¡¯t aroused, she remembered just how it felt to have him inside her, she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that she wanted to feel him inside her again even though she knew it would be impossible when is sober, she didn¡¯t want him to touch her when he was intoxicated, she has been there once and it hurt that he had no memory of what happened even though it resulted in her being pregnant.

    ¡°Stop thinking about it already,¡±

    She scolded herself as she tried to sleep, it took a while and when she finally fell asleep, his phone went off, she opened her eyes and was hit with a sharp pain in her head that she had to close her eyes again, the door to the room she was in flew open and she jumped out of the bed.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    She said and bowed her head in greetings, her head was still aching so bad, and bowing down made it worse.

    ¡°Sophie, what did you do to me?¡±

    The king asked and Sophie had to sit down to prevent herself from copsing to the floor, she couldn¡¯t understand his question, why did he look mad at her? She didn¡¯t do anything to him.

    ¡°What do you mean my king?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°I woke up and I was naked except for the bedcover, what did you do?¡±

    He asked in anger.

    ¡°What do you mean what did I do? I removed the robe like you wanted and had it up in the room where you slept, you are wearing it right now so I don¡¯t know what you want me to say,¡±

    She responded in a calm voice even though all she wanted to do was scream in his face.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question, what did we dost night? Why was I naked? Why did you leave the room?¡±

    He questioned. No way he wanted her to answer those questions at once. She let out a sigh and tried to answer him without losing her cool. Being sleep deprived threatened to make that impossible.

    ¡°I only took your robe off because you keptining that it was smelling when you were the one that messed it up in the first ce,¡±

    ¡°And you left me naked? Just like that? We didn¡¯t sleep together? Or do anything intimate? Is that what you are trying to tell me?¡±

    He asked. She couldn¡¯t lie that nothing intimate happened when he kissed herst night so she kept quiet.

    ¡°I see you have lost your voice, I am going to ask you onest time, Sophie, and I need you to answer my question, what happened between usst night?¡±

    He asked and Sophie had to resist the urge to curse at him, he had the mind to ask her what happened the night before after keeping her awake for most of the night just because he was the king and he could get what he wants, she however could not resist the re that she sent his direction.

    ¡°Do you really want to know what happened? Maybe you should consider not drinking at all before bedtime,¡±

    She suggested in the calmest way her sleep-deprived and rightfully annoyed self could allow, she just wanted him gone so that she can get some much-needed sleep but he stood there just looking at her.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question, Sophia, what happenedst night between us?¡±

    He barked out, shocking her. Sophie bowed her head again, her banging head did not help her current situation. She needed to rest and the only way to get rid of him so that she could get that rest was to tell him the truth.

 Chapter 34

    ¡°You kissed me, if that¡¯s what you want to know but nothing else happened after that,¡±

    Sophie told him with her head still bowed.

    ¡°I kissed you or you kissed me? Don¡¯t lie to me Sophie, it will not end well for you,¡±

    He let out. Sophie lifted her head for a moment and met his eyes, the fact that he was the king and could get away with anything doesn¡¯t mean he can gaslight her about what happenedst night when she had been the sober one who had put a stop to his madness, something that would never have happened in the first ce if he didn¡¯te to her. He didn¡¯t even let her tell him what he did to her after the kiss, how he made her work throughout the night catering to his needs.

    ¡°Why would I lie about something like that?¡±

    She asked, still not taking her eyes away from him, she wanted to but if she did, he would assume she was really making things up, he was already doing it and she needed him to drop that narrative before he runs with it and make her pay for something she didn¡¯t do.

    ¡°You are talking back to your king and looking directly into my eyes? Where did you drop your respect, woman? I am the king!¡±

    He let out and she was done, consequences be damned, she stood up and walked up to him king sure the distance between them wasn¡¯t all that much.

    ¡°The fuck you are, no one is arguing that fact, your majesty but don¡¯t fucking try to gaslight me into taking the me for something that is clearly your fault, you fucking came to me while being disgustingly drunk, kissed me with alcohol-infested mouth even while knowing I am pregnant and alcohol might harm my child, then you went right ahead and messed the whole ce up that I had to spend hours cleaning, let¡¯s not stop there, I couldn¡¯t get a wink of sleepst night and now you want me to take the me for your fault? Fuck you and your kingdom your majesty,¡±

    Sophie yelled out each word with all the pent-up anger in her, she couldn¡¯t stand here and let him talk to her like that just because he was the king, she cared not for what he might do to her or maybe she did but her anger was above her caring right now.

    ¡°So now you are talking back and even using swear words? Have you lost your mind?¡±

    He yelled out. if he expected her to bow or give in because of his raised voice then he was in for a shock, she didn¡¯t know what came over her and she knew she might regret everythingter but right now, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to remain silent, maybe it was theck of sleep or maybe it was her hormones, she just didn¡¯t want him to win over her.

    ¡°I am talking back, yes, what do you expect? When you are using me of something that is not my fault, you,¡±

    She let out poking him in the chest.

    ¡°You came herest night on your own, you kissed me, you made me not catch a single sleep by your stupid demands, and you have the mind to tell me I am lying to your face? Fuck you Lancelot, I don¡¯t care what you can do or who you are, you messed with my mental health first so don¡¯t fucking act a fool right now, none of this would have happened if you just fucking stayed in your room, and away from me,¡±

    She let out. He caught the hand that she used to poke him and held on to it. She didn¡¯t even struggle to let go nor did she try to break eye contact.

    ¡°You, how dare you?¡±

    He roared in anger.

    ¡°Yeah, how dare me, amoner, talk back to the king? Behead me then or send me back to prison, do your worse, I will rather be dead or be back in that damn hellhole than be near you and be subjected to your constant presence which is more torture than any physical pain can cause,¡±

    Sophie let out. He wanted to silence her but she refused to let him do that. She already started and may as well hold off until the end even though she didn¡¯t want to die or go back to prison.

    ¡°Can you stick to your words if I did as you just said, are you sure you won¡¯t be crying and begging?¡±

    He asked in a much calmer voice and he even let her go, she put some distance between them.

    ¡°Do your worst, Lancelot, I am not scared of you, I mean I was, but not anymore, what more can you do to me anyway?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    She let out.

    ¡°You have lost your mind, I can see that, I am going to let you reflect on what you have done wrong Sophie, talking back at me, calling out my name, and looking me directly in the eyes, you will hear back from me soon, watch your back,¡±

    He let out and walked by her out of the room, she followed behind him as she still had more to say to him.

    ¡°I will be waiting for your worse, your majesty, bring it on, and while at that, fix your alcohol issue,¡±

    She fired at him. He stopped moving and turned back to her, his eyes ring daggers at her, she finally gave in and ran back into the room and shut the door behind her when he started walking towards her, she waited by the door for him to bang on it but after about five minutes of waiting and he didn¡¯t move, she slowly opened the door and peeped out, the house was empty, she looked around to be sure he was hiding to make her go out but he was nowhere to be seen so she finally let out a sigh of relief and stepped out of the room.

    ¡°What have you done Sophie?¡±

    She let out as she sank to the floor and held her head with both hands, she dared to talk back to the king, called him names, and even told him to do his worse, oh, there is no way he would spare her now, he would definitely send people toe get her before the day runs out, she sold herself out.

    ¡°I should have kept quiet and also lied about the kiss, I would have avoided more troubles for myself,¡±

    Shemented bitterly, wishing she had a time machine to go back and undo things but since that was not possible, she just had to live with the consequences of her actions, she just has to wait for him to send his people toe get her and no matter what happens, she would do her best not to beg or make a scene.

 Chapter 35

    Lance walked angrily into his chamber, half expecting to see Patrick waiting for him so that he can give instructions to send that crazy woman, Sophie away but when he needed Patrick to be around, the man wasn¡¯t there. He tossed his phone on his bed and stamped around his bedroom in anger, the way she had the mind to talk back at him in such manners and even call him names when all he did was ask her what happened between them the night before. He woke up naked and alone with no memory of what happened the previous night, at first, he didn¡¯t think anything about the fact that h was naked but then when he got out of the bed and noticed that he hade to Sophie, he had to rethink and still couldn¡¯t remember a thing, his first thought had been that he slept with her and that would exin why he had been naked, he waited for her toe back to the room but she didn¡¯t so he went out to look for her and found her in the other room which pissed him off, if they slept together then why did she have to leave him alone and naked and go to a different room? Was she trying to mock him and that¡¯s what he wanted to ask her? Yes, he might have asked her in a harsh tune but he expected her to give him a definite answer of what happened as he had been so sure they slept together but she didn¡¯t give him an or at least the answer that made sense, she went on and on about what he didn¡¯t care about right now and when he had pressed her for the truth, she had to lie that he kissed her? He couldn¡¯t have done that, if anything happened between them, he was sure she was the one that initiated it and not his drunk ass.

    ¡°Fucking crazy woman,¡±

    He let out still pacing left and right, he knew he should calm down and try to fix his hangover at least but he was too mad at her. It took everything in him not to call the guards to send her out of the emerald house, she didn¡¯t deserve what he was doing for her.

    ¡°What happened? Why do you look so pissed when it is still so early in the morning?¡±

    Lance turned at the sound of Patrick¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t even know when he walked in.

    ¡°It is none of your business,¡±

    He fired at him. He knew better than to tell Patrick what happened. The man would only nag him nonstop and that¡¯s thest thing he needed right now.

    ¡°Okay, you have a meeting by eight am and the time is almost seven, you should get ready,¡±

    Patrick told him.

    ¡°You are not pushing it? What happened?¡±

    Lance asked. It was unlike Patrick to just back down so easily.

    ¡°You look hangover and thest thing I want is to make it worse, go take a bath and I will have the cook bring so soup to help with the hangover,¡±

    Patrick responded.

    ¡°Right, today is important,¡±

    He responded and walked to the restroom, his mind wandering back to the woman who was responsible for his current mood. He would deal with her after his meeting, he has been too kind to her and it was time to treat her like the potential thief that she is. He took his bath, a cold bath to help clear his head, and got ready for the meeting which would take ce in his throne room. He had breakfast and some medications to help his headache and went in for the meeting thatsted for over five hours.

    ¡°I will just stay here,¡±

    He said to himself when Patrick led the guests out of the throne room after the meeting ended. He brought out his phone to check his mail and he somehow ended up in his gallery.

    ¡°What the heck?¡±

    he let out when he opened the first recording on his phone and heard Sophie telling his wasted self to look at the camera. He looked like hell and felt some kind of shame.

    ¡°Okay, this is a lot,¡±

    Lance said to himself as he continued watching what he had done the previous night, what made that woman even think of recording him and why did he even look the way he did? He looked so pathetic throwing up all over the ce and rolling on the ground. To be fair, she had every right to be mad at him this morning if this was what he put her throughst night and this morning he confronted her again, he suddenly felt bad for how he had spoken to her earlier today, she didn¡¯t deserve to be the one cleaning his mess, he should have stayed away from her. She was right, and Patrick was right too, he should stay away from her so that she can breathe freely.

    ¡°I am not going to go near her again unless it is rted to what is going on,¡±

    He told himself as the door to the throne room flew open and a very angry-looking princess Roseline stood at the door, he didn¡¯t expect to see her, didn¡¯t even know she was in Otano,st he remembered, she went back to her kingdom. Lance just stared at her while she walked in ring at him. Like she had no reason to be mad at him when she was the one that canceled on him thest time.

    ¡°I know you are the king and all but how hard is it for you to make time for me when we are supposed to be married soon? You don¡¯t call, you don¡¯t check on me, when I call you don¡¯t take my calls and when I ask for us to meet, you either don¡¯t show up or you just send that fucker assistant of yours, I have seen his face more times than I have seen the face of the man I am supposed to be marrying in a few weeks¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Sheined. The woman before him was beyond beautiful and everything of a princess, with diamonds endowing her body and hair, a flowery and expensive smell but Lance couldn¡¯t helpparing her to the other woman he also somehow made angry this morning, both beautiful but one¡¯s beauty calls to him and draws his attention even when she doesn¡¯t wear or own anything expensive. He realized this woman and that other woman had a lot inmon, first on the list being that they were both mad at him, second, they were both the same height and even though they might not have met, they kind of had the same mannerism when they are angry talking.

    ¡°Why are you just sitting there and staring at me like I am some kind of crazy woman? Are you not going to say anything?¡±

    She let out, Patrick walked in at that moment and the angry woman turned her attention to him.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°You, what are you doing here again? I told you I don¡¯t want to see your face around me anymore, I hate seeing your face,¡±

    She yelled at Patrick who paused his movement and looked his way as if asking for help. Even though he wanted to watch Roseline tear Patrick apart, he had to save his friend.

    ¡°Roseline, I don¡¯t know who made you mad woman but you are taking it out on the wrong people,st I check, this is my pce and my kingdom and I don¡¯t remember giving you the right to speak like you are doing right now, and correction, Patrick is not just a mere assistant, he is a noble man as he has the reputable ce as the king¡¯s special adviser so you will speak calmly and with respect when you talk to him, especially when you are in my presence and my kingdom.¡±

    Lance told her in a firm authoritative voice.

    ¡°Oh, really? You think just because you are the king you can do whatever you want? You don¡¯t get to do that and I don¡¯t care who that fucker is to you,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡°Fucker? Are you sure you are a princess? Who raised you without manners?¡±

    Lance yelled out.

    ¡°My parents did, just as they taught me not to let anyone especially men speak over me, oh, don¡¯t even try to pull your title with me, you are not the first king I have seen, I won¡¯t bow in fear just because you are king, especially not when we are literally close in age, I am a busy woman yet I make out time for you just for you to cancel on me?¡±

    She questioned. He already knew she was feisty but he expected her to at least act normal, as other princesses do but this one is clearly a wild princess, no wonder she was still unmarried even though she was thirty, nope, he wasn¡¯t age-shaming her or anything, he didn¡¯t believe in marrying early either.

    ¡°Wait,st time, I waited for you and you were the one who canceled,¡±

    Lance let out when he remembered how she made him wait thest time without showing up.

    ¡°That was one time, you did it to me multiple times than I can count, just one time doesn¡¯t make us even and I had logical reasons unlike you,¡±

    She fired at him. Patrick seemed to find the exchange amusing, not just him but the guards in the throne room were all trying not tough too. He red at them.

    ¡°Every one of you out!¡±

    He barked out to them. They didn¡¯t wait to be told twice before they all started leaving, including Patrick who he was so sure knew he wasn¡¯t referring to him when he had asked the others to leave.

    ¡°Patrick? Where do you think that you are going?¡±

    he let out and his adviser stopped in his tracks and turned around to him.

    ¡°You asked us to leave my king,¡±

    ¡°I asked them to leave and not you, you can¡¯t leave me here with this crazy woman,¡±

    Lance let out and heard Roseline scoff in anger.

    ¡°Now I am a crazy woman? Last I checked, I was on my own, doing my fucking own thing when your people came and said you wanted a wife and for once, I wanted to be a good daughter so I agreed, I mean how bad can it be? That¡¯s what I thought but now? It is bad, it is so bad that I don¡¯t think I want to do this anymore, I don¡¯t want to be married to a narcissistic man who only sees himself and thinks of himself, I hate your kind a lot,¡±

    She went on. He couldn¡¯t even figure out where she got the notion that he was a narcissist when he was the most selfless person who put other people¡¯s needs above his, he was literally the king and part of his job description was to always put the needs of his people first, he was wrong about one thing though, princess Roseline wasn¡¯t a spoilt brat like he had first led himself to believe, she was however worse than a brat.

    ¡°You will not stand in my throne room and talk like that to my face, you will show me some respect or I will have my adviser send the guards back in to throw you out,¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°You do that, at least I will have a reason to tell my people as to why I don¡¯t think a union between the both of us is necessary,¡±

    She fired back at him. It was clear she wasn¡¯t going to back down and he didn¡¯t want to either, if only she knew that he was also rethinking his decision to marry her too.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough, no one is throwing anyone out and no one is leaving either, I told the maid to prepare a feast in the beautiful garden, it is a beautiful day with nice weather and you too can take the time to talk things over and get the bad blood out, you can¡¯t say no,¡±

    Patrick added thest part when he saw both of their faces. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but with them.

    ¡°Patrick, I don¡¯t like you but I will rather spend my time in your presence than with that man who thinks he is above everyone,¡±

    Roseline let out.

    ¡°And I will rather spend my time doing my kingly duties than be stuck in a conversation with you mydy, so humor me,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°You both please, don¡¯t make me lose even more hair than I have already because of you, let¡¯s just be civil for today and act like the king and the future queen that we are, okay?¡±

    Patrick begged.

    ¡°Fine, I am sorry your majesty, forgive my bad manners and let¡¯s have a conversation, I have something important to discuss with you as our wedding is so close already,¡±

    The switch up, the voice change, mannerisms, and everything shocked him so that for a moment he couldn¡¯t say anything, how could she go from what she had been a while ago to some kind of proper princess now? He didn¡¯t know which he disliked the most, her feisty attitude or this.

    ¡°What? Did I shock you? I can be a proper princess too, I have been taught how to be a proper princess all my life and I will be turning thirty in two months, that is a lot of years of lessons, so don¡¯t be shocked,¡±

    She let on.

    ¡°Wait, your birthday wasn¡¯t two months ago?¡±

    Lance asked as his attention turned to Patrick who wasn¡¯t even looking at him because he clearly knew what he did wrong.

    ¡°No, it is in two months, why did you think it was two months ago? Wait? You got me that diamond bracelet two months ago, did you send it as my birthday present? Did he tell you that? And here I thought, wait, he told me you just felt like gifting me something nice, you lunatic,¡±

    Roseline directed her anger at Patrick and rightfully so, that mudafucker fooled him into believing Roseline turned thirty; two months ago and he had sent her a present and even a bouquet of flowers.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 37

    ¡°You both left me with no choice, I was just trying my best to get you both to do things for each other, don¡¯t make me out to be the bad person here because I am not,¡±

    Patrick said in his defense.

    ¡°Patrick, you tricked me, that¡¯s not what friends do, now I have to buy another present for her actual birthday,¡±

    ¡°You are worrying about that? Shouldn¡¯t you be more worried about not knowing the birthday of the woman you are supposed to be marrying? At least I did my homework and know some things about you but aside from the fact that I am a princess, what do you really know about me, Lancelot? I don¡¯t think you know anything about me and you don¡¯t even look like you want to know anything about me,¡±

    She sounded pissed all over again and this time, he couldn¡¯t even respond in anger too because she was right, but that wasn¡¯t going to make him fault himself because unlike her who has a lot of time to do those things, he barely had any time to himself as he was always busy with the affairs of the kingdom. Too busy to sit around trying to know more about one woman.

    ¡°Let, ¡®s just have that feast Patrick suggested and you can tell me the things that I don¡¯t know about you, deal?¡±

    Lance asked and got up from where he sat. He reached out for her hand but instead of taking it, she ignored it and walked right ahead of him out of the throne room. He was tempted to turn back and just sit back but Patrick looked at him with pleading eyes.

    ¡°You and I have a bone to pick with each other,¡±

    he told him before he followed her out. Patrick followed beside him too.

    ¡°I did what I had to do, please be nice to her today, she is extra sensitive because she lost a deal to her brother,¡±

    He was informed; which was some kind of shocking news to him and got his interest.

    ¡°What kind of a deal?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the whole details but it is part of the reason she is here today, apparently, they made a part and her brother, the crown prince won because he had the upper hand and now, she has to see you as part of the penalty of losing, don¡¯t make her angrier than she already is,¡±

    Patrick advised. which made Lance want to get on her nerves more. He had almost thought he meant a business deal but turns out it is just a part between step-siblings, even though he had not been very close to his siblings, they still had those when they were much younger, especially when the queen mother had still been alive and made sure they yed together.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking, let me tell you that the deal is money rted and it is huge, Roseline might not look it but she is quite industrious, she owns a few businesses of her own which are doing well, when you marry her, you will know just how much of an asset you got,¡±

    Patrick disclosed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need an asset, Patrick, I am all the asset I need, I just need a wife who will bear children and host parties,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°Right, I forgot for a moment but be nice,¡±

    Patrick said as a warning. They walked into the garden where the mini feast had been set for the two of them.

    ¡°You just need to ring the bell if you need anything else,¡±

    Patrick said when he took his seat. Roseline walked in right at that moment.

    ¡°Howe I got here before you when you left first?¡±

    Lance asked. She rolled her eyes and spoke to Patrick instead of him.

    ¡°Can I get a ce to stay? I don¡¯t like the hotel I arrived at earlier,¡±

    ¡°Of course, princess, it will be arranged,¡±

    Patrick responded and she thanked him before Patrick left and they were alone. Lance didn¡¯t know what to say to her and she didn¡¯t look like she would start a conversation as she picked up her cutleries and started eating without looking at him, he followed suit and they both ate in silence.

    ¡°So, tell me, princess, what do you like and dislike?¡±

    He asked after they were done eating. He came to the conclusion to engage her and get to know her, maybe he would find a reason to continue with the wedding.

    ¡°I hate when people talk to me when I am eating, except it is really needed, I hate being called princess, Roseline is my name,¡±

    She told him.

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s two things you dislike, what are two things you like?¡±

    ¡°I like being left alone and I like not having to answer to anyone,¡±

    She responded and he nodded.

    ¡°You know, you would already know these things if you have not been turning down my offers for us to meet, I tried my best because I didn¡¯t want to be married to aplete stranger but you were not ready to do your part so I just let it be,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡°I told you, I had things to do,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like I don¡¯t also have things to do?¡±

    She blurted out in annoyance. Yeah, there was no having a conversation with her. She was clearly in a bad mood. The deal she lost to her brother must have been bigger than he could know. He tried to ask her a few more questions but each time, her response got worse so he decided to just end it.

    ¡°You know what? We are not getting anywhere like this, so how about we schedule a date, you are still in Otano till the end of the week right?¡±

    He asked and for once she didn¡¯t give a sharp and sassy response.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Good, I don¡¯t think you are in the mood to have a conversation today, you go take a rest today and we will meet to talk some other time,¡±

    He told her.

    ¡°That will be best,¡±

    She responded. She stood up and without even saying goodbye, she left. Lance just sat there after she left, too dumbfounded by her audacity to say or do anything.

    ¡°What did you do? Why did she leave?¡±

    Patrick asked a few minutes after she left.

    ¡°What do you mean by what I do? How do you know I did something?¡±

    He asked, ring at Patrick.

    ¡°She told me to ask you why the date already and that¡¯s what I am doing right now,¡±

    He replied.

    ¡°Oh, she could have just told you I told her we can meet again sometime within the week when she is not in a bad mood, prepare a date night for the two of us, not within the pce though,¡±

    he told him. Patrick looked shocked at first but he was so quick to mask the surprise look.

    ¡°Wow, this is good, I will be happy to organize it and let you know the details,¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    He replied.

    ¡°Good, what else do I have to do today?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Nothing, your schedule is clear today,¡±

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go for a ride,¡±

    He told him as they walked out of the ce together, it felt nice that he could get a break even though it was only for half a day.

 Chapter 38

    Sophie didn¡¯t see or hear from the king again for the next couple of days and honestly, she liked it and hoped he would stay away continuously and note near her again. The day the stuff happened and he had said he woulde back for her. She had expected the guards to show up and throw her out of the emerald house and back to prison but nothing like that happened. That day went by as usual with only the maids who came to give her food showing up at the right time. There was no talk of what happened with the king, and neither did any of the guards show up to throw her out. The next day and the other day that followed were also spent panicking, wondering if the king was taking his time and plotting how he would send her away in the cruelest way, but after three days of no news from him, she began to rx again. Today, she decided to clean the house, she woke up early and went about tidying everything in the three rooms and then the living room, when she was done, she took her bath before she ate the breakfast that was brought to her, if only they would just let her make her own food in the kitchen that was in the house, it would have been nice but she asked Emily, she didn¡¯t reply to her.

    ¡°I kind of want him to show up so I can ask him but then, I still eat regardless, he should keep staying away,¡±

    She told herself. Being alone almost all the time with no one to talk to, she kind of developed a new habit of talking to herself.

    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t show up,¡±

    She said again just a moment before she heard the gate being unlocked.

    ¡°It is not time for lunch yet, maybe they have something to do here,¡±

    Shemented. She willed herself not to be worried that the king might finally want to punish her. She waited, whoever it was, she was sure it wasn¡¯t the king.

    ¡°I spoke too soon,¡±

    Sophiemented when the king walked in. For once, he didn¡¯te through the connecting door which is why she didn¡¯t think he was the one and it was daytime.

    ¡°Are you surprised to see me during the day and sober?¡±

    He asked. She so wanted to scoff and tell him it doesn¡¯t make any difference but she didn¡¯t want to be rude to the king today.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡±

    She greeted, ignoring his question.

    ¡°Sophie, I saw that video you did, what were you trying to prove by recording it?¡±

    He asked as he walked by her and took his seat, she turned to face him. Now that she had time to think about it and he was sober, she couldn¡¯t think of why she had thought it was a good idea to record the king while he was out of it but she had to give him an answer.

    ¡°Your majesty, I had nothing to prove but I hoped you will match it so that you can have an idea just how much trouble I had to go through just for you that night,¡±

    She told him. Okay, that came out a little too bold and way out of ce.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    he asked, looking around the ce.

    ¡°This ce looks better in the day,¡±

    Hemented. She didn¡¯t respond. She wanted him gone so that she can be alone again.

    ¡°Sit down Sophie, I have a few questions for you. I went to see the driver yesterday and I want to verify something,¡±

    He said. She took a seat, putting enough distance between them. She wasn¡¯t scared of being questioned because she knew she had nothing to hide but she was scared that he might not believe her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so scared, if you have nothing to hide, there is no reason to look like you want to run and hide,¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He told her. She didn¡¯t even know her fears were visible.

    ¡°Sophie, tell me the truth, just between us, do you really have no idea what happened that night?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, I have no idea what happened, it was all him.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just return to the pce after what happened? Why did you stay away for days until you were found?¡±

    His questions were crazy because if she had returned that day, she would still have been sent to prison.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t, one, I am not from here and since I came here, I have only worked in the pce, I don¡¯t know anywhere else, also, I was scared that I would be beheaded if I returned without the diamonds.¡±

    She answered his question and there was a moment of silence.

    ¡®You didn¡¯t shoot him, of course, you didn¡¯t do that, he confirmed that you didn¡¯t but he said you had people with you,¡±

    He went on.

    ¡°People? I don¡¯t know anyone in this kingdom except the people in the pce and we are not even close,¡±

    She blurted out. How could that driver lie like that? She had no one here, if she did, she wouldn¡¯t be in the pce in the first ce.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anyone? We both know that¡¯s a lie, I mean, someone is responsible for the pregnancy you are carrying,¡±

    He said and she was tempted to tell him he was the one responsible but she knew better than to spill, he didn¡¯t even believe he kissed her and med her for it, if she told him he was the one that got her pregnant, he would certainly not believe her and might even send her away this moment.

    ¡°See, you don¡¯t even want to tell me who got you pregnant,¡±

    He continued when she remained silent.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t matter, my baby daddy isn¡¯t going to be in our lives and he has nothing to do with what happened,¡±

    ¡°Wrong, if you reveal who he is, that might help clear your name faster as he would be investigated. You are making things hard for yourself by keeping his identity a secret but I am not going to force it out of you. What I do know is whether you are guilty or not, you will have to leave the pce as you can¡¯t continue working here. As soon as the investigations are done, you will either be freed and sent away from the pce or sent to prison, there is no in-between.¡±

    He recounted what she already knew. Having him say the words that she already knew still brought her to the reality that she had no n in ce on how she would raise money to survive, at least he wasn¡¯t sending her away from the kingdom.

    ¡°I know I am innocent and I will be ready to leave as soon as the timees,¡±

    She told him. He didn¡¯t say a word in response but she could feel his eyes on her, she couldn¡¯t look at him directly and just stayed like that with the ufortable silence almost choking her.

    ¡°Did I really kiss you, Sophie?¡±

    He asked. His question shocked him and she looked at him directly, she was right about him watching her. She nodded because she couldn¡¯t get the words out. She expected him to say he doesn¡¯t believe her or something but instead, he just kept looking at her and this time, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes away even if she wanted to, she felt trapped by him, he kept looking at her, not even breaking eye contact and for a moment she deluded herself into thinking that he might get up, close the distance between them and kiss her, she knew if he did that, she would not be able to resist him not with the way he was looking at her right now and how she was almost melting just from his gaze.

    ¡°I am getting married to Princess Roseline soon, in a couple of weeks,¡±

    He announced, once again shocking her and bringing her out of her crazy thoughts, it was like a wake-up call. It was what she needed to hear to bring her back to reality but she didn¡¯t even know why he felt the need to tell her that. They were nothing to each other.

    ¡°I am aware of your uing wedding, my king,¡±

    She told him. Everyone in the kingdom knew about his uing wedding, he was literally the king.

    ¡°Right, everyone knows but I am telling you just so you don¡¯t have any thoughts that anything could happen between us just because I kissed you when I was drunk, I am going to marry her,¡±

    He said. If only he knew that he did more than kiss her about three months ago but that doesn¡¯t matter to him and it shouldn¡¯t matter to her. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered at all if she wasn¡¯t pregnant right now.

    ¡°Okay,¡±

    She answered. She didn¡¯t know what else to say, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered by him getting married when she already knew about it and also knew that nothing would ever happen between them. The only reason he slept with her was because he had been drunk and out of his mind.

    ¡°Okay? That¡¯s all you have to say?¡±

    He questioned. What else did he want her to say?

    ¡°Don¡¯t answer that,¡±

    he said when she tried to respond. He stood up and started walking away but stopped and turned back to her.

    ¡°Hopefully, you are innocent like you imed, if not, you will pay for lying to me too,¡±

    He let out, turned around, and left just like that.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    She let out when she was alone. She could finally breathe down again now that he was gone but it didn¡¯tst.

    ¡°What will I do?¡±

    She let out. She was close to tears but she knew tears would not fix her problem.

    ¡°It is going to happen anyway and I have always known it, I am just going to wait and not kill myself before that time,¡±

    She said, trying to cheer herself up. What else could she do? Not like she could beg the king to loan her money.

    ¡°Or, maybe I could,¡±

    She let out; as an idea formed in her head.

 Chapter 39

    After Lance left Sophie, he went back to his room to get ready for the date with Roseline, he really wanted to back out but he needed to figure out if there was any reason to still keep the wedding ns, he already told Sophie he would be marrying the princess, even though she didn¡¯t answer, he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, why should I care what her response is?¡±

    He cautioned himself as he got dressed. He didn¡¯t like her answer. Her tiny ¡®okay¡¯ when he had told her was making him angry, it shouldn¡¯t. they were nothing to each other, just because he kissed her when he was drunk and just because he found peace when he slept with her in his arms doesn¡¯t mean they were anything to each other, okay, he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he had wanted to kiss her earlier just to know how she tasted like without the alcohol in his system, it took everything in him to not kiss her, especially when she had been looking at him like she wanted him to kiss her too then he blurted out that he was going to marry the princess and all she said was okay? He was crazy to be feeling like this just because of her response, more reason he needs to findmon ground with Roseline.

    ¡°I thought you will cancel today again; I was ready to show up in your chambers and give you a piece of my mind, dump water on your bed, and run away,¡±

    Roseline said as a form of wee when he walked into the restaurant Patrick had reserved for the date, he cameter than he had anticipated and he had told Patrick to call her that he might be a littlete due to an emergency meeting. The way she weed him was crazy though. Her thoughts and process were beyond weird.

    ¡°Why would you have such thoughts? Again, what kind of princess are you? Aren¡¯t princesses supposed to be prim and proper?¡±

    Lance asked as he took his seat and the waiter or host came close to him with the wine ss.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want any alcohol in my system,¡±

    He told him and turned his attention back to Roseline. She looked extremely gorgeous today, not like she has ever looked bad, he just couldn¡¯t figure out why he wasn¡¯t drawn to her despite how beautiful she was physically, beauty was supposed to be one of the first things that attracts someone to him, like how he was able to pick out Sophie from the others the moment she started working with him because her facial features stood out from the other beautiful maids who work in the pce. Thinking about it now, he has always been drawn to Sophie from the moment he met her.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    Roseline asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. He could figure out why he was thinking about her here now when he was in the presence of the woman he was to marry, but she still managed to find her way into his head.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Nothing much, just thinking about how beautiful you look right now,¡±

    She said,

    ¡°Yo! That¡¯s cringy as fuck but thank you for thepliment,¡±

    She replied. He took a moment to look at her really well, what a weird way to respond to hispliment but then, he told himself already that he would tolerate her manners today, he needed to.

    ¡°That¡¯s a weird way to respond to apliment but we will take it,¡±

    Lance said.

    ¡°Ohhh, you are different today, you must really want to marry me after all,¡±

    She responded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to marry me?¡±

    He asked and he expected her to answer him immediately that she of course wanted to marry but she took her time.

    ¡°I want to marry you, if not why would I be here?¡±

    She asked but he didn¡¯t like how she answered his question with a question too.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s continue from where we stopped the other day, we agreed that you will tell me more about yourself,¡±

    He said. He wanted to carry on and see where it would lead them.

    ¡°Yeah, ask me anything aside from the questions you already asked. I hate repeating myself,¡±

    She replied. The way she expected him to remember all the questions he already asked. The woman was impossible. He kind of missed when he thought her to be nothing more than a nagging woman, now she was worse.

    ¡°Why are you so weird? You don¡¯t act like how a princess is supposed to, not to mention, you nag a lot, the way you respond to me even though you see that I am clearly trying to set the mood here and create a morefortable atmosphere for both of us,¡±

    He cautioned.

    ¡°My king, this is how I am, whatever you see is what you get, nagging? You are not the first person to tell me I nag, I hear that a lot but it gets things done the way I want and that¡¯s cool, as for my mannerism, I might be royalty but I lived a pretty normal life outside of the kingdom until myte twenties, like I only returned to Elenra like four years ago, from eighteen to twenty-five, I was abroad for studies and doing my own shit, yes, I didn¡¯t forget how to be a princess but I think for someone who is going to marry me and whom I intended to spend the rest of my life with, I should show my everything or do you want to be introduced to the princess part of me and only meet the me that I am showing you now after we get married? Which do you prefer?¡±

    She asked. Okay, what she said made sense, he would rather she show him everything about her so that he would know what he was getting into than for her to pretend only for her true self to be revealed after their wedding is done deal, not like divorce was an easy thing, especially being royalty, it was near impossible. He needed to get to know her well before he made his final decision about her.

    ¡°Right, you are right, I want the whole package so that I will know what I am getting myself into, it is pretty clear already that we don¡¯t like each other,¡±

    ¡°Yup, that part has been clear since the first day we met but we don¡¯t need to like each other right? My parents never liked each other when they got married but they manage to make it work, so I am pretty sure we can make it work one way or the other,¡±

    She responded and he nodded. Their food was served and they ate in silence. The only time that didn¡¯t feel crazy for him but once they were done eating, it was time for them to hold a conversation again and now he didn¡¯t know what to ask the crazy woman that she would not give a nonsense answer to.

    ¡°What do you do? Aside from what is rted to your family?¡±

    He asked and for once, she smiled, she had a really pretty smile.

    ¡®I wish you would smile more, you have a beautiful smile,¡±

    Hemented before he could stop himself, she threw him a look.

    ¡°Way to ruin the mood, anyway, I am a designer, I made the dress that I am currently wearing,¡±

    She said and stood up for him to have a good look, the dress was indeed pretty.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s nice, so you own a designing shop?¡±

    He asked as their dessert arrived.

    ¡°What? A shop? I own a luxury home and I have a fashion school too. These are things you could have easily found out if only you have the smallest in someone other than yourself,¡±

    Here she goes again, ruining everything with her mouth. She just had a way of faulting everything.

    ¡°Did you expect me to know those details? Woman, I have a kingdom to run, I don¡¯t have time to stalk your little business,¡±

    He snapped at her.

    ¡°It is not stalking if it means you won¡¯t ask me things like that when our wedding is only a couple of weeks away, also, I already told you, my business is not little, just check Rosaline, R-O-S-A- L-I-N-E, on the inte, it is a whole fucking brand,¡±

    She corrected, spelling out her brand name. not like he would be checking it out.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be rude to tell me that,¡±

    Lance told her. He suddenly didn¡¯t want to eat the desert, so he dropped his spoon and stared at her.

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want me to be rude, how about you speak nicely about my business? I don¡¯t like when people talk down about the things I love and hold dear, that¡¯s another thing you should know about me,¡±

    She let out and dumped her spoon too, it was clear that it would be better to end their date right now before things get even worse.

 Chapter 40

    ¡°I hope we can fix this need to want to tear each other apart over our next dates,¡±

    Lance suggested.

    ¡°What? We have to keep meeting? I wasn¡¯t aware,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡®You are still in Otano right? We should meet every day until you have to go back home, that way we will learn all things about each other, you said it also that we can¡¯t get married as strangers,¡±

    Lance reminded her.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever you say,¡±

    She replied. There was no getting through to her, she was just too stubborn.

    ¡°I will drop you off at your hotel,¡±

    Lance invited as he stood up and she did too.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, I have my people with me and I can find my way back to the hotel, let¡¯s not pretend to be close when we are not,¡±

    She responded.

    ¡°Yeah, my bad,¡±

    He said and before he could say anything else, she just picked up her bag, and off she went. Before he came out of the restaurant, she was already gone.

    ¡°That¡¯s one heck of a woman,¡±

    Hemented. He got into his car too and the driver took him back to the pce. The next day, he called her to meet him at the archery, he had been in a meeting all day so he couldn¡¯t leave the pce, after they yed a few times and talked, he invited her over for dinner and they managed to get through without much issues aspared to the other day, since his driver and guards went to pick her, they also went to drop after. Lance couldn¡¯t say they connected more after the second date but it was better than the first and he hoped the next would be better.

    Lance got dressed once again for a date with Roseline, over thest couple of days, they made out time to speak to each other and see each other even if it was for an hour, she was staying at one of the biggest hotels in the kingdom so it was easy for them to meet for dates. He would have liked for her to stay in the pce so that he doesn¡¯t have to leave to go see her everything but she couldn¡¯t sleep in the pce until after they were married as it was part of the kingdom¡¯s belief, it made no sense to him but still, he let it be. He went for a more casual look today as they were only going to be having dinner at the hotel, she was leaving tomorrow which is why they were having the dinner.

    ¡°You are early today,¡±

    Roselinemented when she walked in, over thest couple of dates, he had gotten used to her attitude, he couldn¡¯t say he liked it but at least it was not as annoying to him as the first date. He still couldn¡¯t see himself being married to her, it was just so hard to picture her as his wife without them quarreling or fighting over something each day. Like one would expect her to already learn how to greet him properly when they meet but nope, he always has to be the bigger person and do the right thing.

    ¡°It is good to see you too, Roseline,¡±

    He said in response.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh, right, good evening your majesty,¡±

    She replied which would have been okay if it wasn¡¯t dripping with so much sarcasm, he just couldn¡¯t do anything right with her.

    ¡°Just sit down princess,¡±

    He said.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t need you to tell me that, anyway, tell your assistant to stop calling me or I will have him arrested.¡±

    She informed and it took him a moment before he realized it was Patrick that she was referring to.

    ¡°I have told you he is not my assistant, he is my special adviser,¡±

    Lance corrected. He couldn¡¯t remember asking Patrick to call her, in fact, they haven¡¯t spoken so much in thest couple of days as Patrick had things to attend to outside the pce.

    ¡°Right, you mentioned, anyway, tell him to stop calling me,¡±

    She said again.

    ¡°Why would he call you? What did he tell you?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the annoying part, he keeps calling to check up on me and ask how I am doing or if I need anything, like he is my older brother or something,¡±

    Sheined. Lance couldn¡¯t believe she was already getting a dose of Patrick even though they were not together yet. The man was a pest when he chose to be.

    ¡°That¡¯s the typical Patrick, expect more if we end up married,¡±

    Lancemented.

    ¡°If we? Our wedding is literally like three weeks away, there is no if, we are getting married,¡±

    She responded. She didn¡¯t even sound convinced herself and he wasn¡¯t even feeling as if his wedding wasing up, nothing at all, not even the dates could fix them. They had no chemistry and all they did was bicker, eat and talk about anything and everything except their marriage and when it is mentioned, it always leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn¡¯t see himself marrying her. They ate, talked and it was time to leave.

    ¡°I will see you back to your room and you can¡¯t say no,¡±

    Lance told her as he stood up and reached out for her hand, she surprisingly took it without any word and he led her out.

    ¡°We truly are the worsebination because why don¡¯t I feel anything holding your hands,¡±

    Shemented. He noticed but he decided not to say anything about it. Trust her to point it out.

    ¡°We mid as fuck, but let¡¯s keep going,¡±

    He responded and she startedughing, she had a niceugh, and even though they didn¡¯t like each other, he couldn¡¯t deny that she could easily be someone he would hang out with, aside from marriage and rtionship, they could hang out as friends. Maybe if he did call off the wedding, they can be annoying friends just like he and Patrick.

    ¡°Okay, we are here, I can¡¯t say I had fun because half of the time, I wanted to throw my spoon at you but thank you,¡±

    She told him when they got to her suite door.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡±

    He didn¡¯t mean it but she nodded.

    ¡°Sure,e in if you want,¡±

    She invited and he followed her into the big suite.

    ¡°Want a drink? I notice you don¡¯t drink,¡±

    Shemented. He decided not to have a drink when she was around because he didn¡¯t want her to know he had a drinking problem. Not like he was ashamed of it; he just didn¡¯t want her to know.

    ¡°I am staying off alcohol for now, so no,¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what do you want to do? Why did you ask toe in if you aren¡¯t going to drink?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°Hmm, there are other things a man and a woman who are supposed to be married can do you know,¡±

    Lance suggested. Walking slowly towards her, she took a step back and he stopped.

    ¡°What are you nning on doing?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°Do you ever just shut up?¡±

    He questioned as he closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his palms, he half expected her to pull away but she didn¡¯t, he leaned closer and imed her lips, he paused to see if she would pull away, she didn¡¯t, neither did she make a move. He was so tempered to pull away and just let her be but he decided to just keep going, kissing her and asking for entrance into her mouth but she kept her lips closed, he gave up and pulled away.

    ¡°The fuck?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°What? Can¡¯t I tease you?¡±

    She asked before pulling him back for a kiss, this time she was in charge, he decided to pay her back by keeping his own mouth closed but she decided to y dirty and pinch him which caused him to open his mouth and her tongue diving into his mouth. Nothing, he felt nothing, he tried kissing her back, deepening the kiss and making it even more intense but still nothing. Instead, at that moment, his mind went back to Sophie and he wondered how kissing her had felt, maybe he should have given in to the thought earlier and actually find out what kissing her would taste like, he already knew even without doing it that he would have liked it. Just having her next to him was enough to make him feelfortable, he was damn sure kissing her would make it even feel like he is in heaven.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    Roseline asked after she pushed away. He kind of forgot what was happening between them and instead, his head was filled with another woman.

    ¡°Did you suddenly disappear from your body or are you just a woody man with no single romance bone?¡±

    She asked and he red at her.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    He fired at her.

    ¡°I mean, you and I just shared a kiss and it felt like I was kissing a log of wood, that¡¯s the worse kiss I have ever had,¡±

    She let out while wiping her lips.

    ¡°You, did you just, what?¡±

    Lance let out. He couldn¡¯t even get the words he wanted to say out. did she justpare him to a log of wood?

    ¡°What? You can¡¯t get the words out?¡±

    ¡°You watch what you say to me, a wood? If you think you have kissed a lot, I can tell you I have kissed twice as many people and this is my worst too and you think I am to me?¡±

    He fired at her. He hated how he had to defend himself against her.

    ¡°Well, I guess we have a lot more to work on than we thought because I am a very active woman who loves sex, if we can¡¯t even get that out of our union? What is the need?¡±

    She let out. she was right for once and before he could tell her what was on his mind, she started talking again.

    ¡°I think we can work on it though, not like we have a choice, goodnight, your majesty, see yourself out,¡±

    She told him and without giving him a chance to respond, she turned and walked into what must be the restroom. He wanted to tell her toe back so that they could finish the discussion but he was tired of her presence already, so he turned around and walked out of her hotel room. His bodyguards were waiting for him at the entrance. He got into his car and on the drive back to the pce, he finally made the decision. She might think she doesn¡¯t have a choice, but he does. He wasn¡¯t going to marry someone he can¡¯t even share a bed with. he brought out his phone and sent a text to Patrick to tell the elders toe to the pce for a meeting tomorrow, they were the only people he answered to, not like they are going to influence his decision in any way, but they were the reason he agreed to it and they should be the first to know. Sure enough, he got a response from Patrick within a couple of minutes after he sent the text. For once, Patrick didn¡¯t ask what was going on and why the sudden meeting. He would regret it when he finds out the reason the meeting was called but Lance was way past caring.

    Lance walked into the room full of the elders of the kingdom with the goal of telling them he no longer wanted to be married, he had no reason to be married. The alliance he wanted with the other kingdom seemed not to be needed anymore, he already knew that anyway, and pushing through with the marriage would not be good for him. It was better he called it off now than wait till a few weeks to it. Three weeks¡¯ notice was better than a week. He knew he should have at least told Patrick first but the man would only talk him out of it and he didn¡¯t want that.

    ¡°My elders,¡±

    He greeted, them when he walked into the throne room.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    They all chorused. Lance knew by the end of the meeting they would be mad at him but he had to do what he had to do. He has been king for five years now without a queen and he was sure he could continue being king without one. He should never have let them talk him into marriage.

    ¡°Thank you for honoring my invitation, I have something very important to discuss with you people,¡±

    He disclosed, paused, and looked at their faces, they were looking at him expectantly. They were about to get the shock of their life and he was ready for whatever they wanted to do or say.

    ¡°I called you here to let you know of my intentions to call off the marriage ns I have with the princess of the neighboring kingdom and before you talk, let me finish what I have to say, the reason that made me agree to marry the princess seems not to be needed by me anymore and the princess and I are notpatible at all, I have been meeting her for a couple of days now and I met with her yesterday evening and the time we spent together was enough to make me conclude that I no longer want to marry her,¡±

    He finished. The whole room was quiet and all the elders turned their attention to Patrick who was looking dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t even speak.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at him, he has no idea, I made the decision myself and wanted to let you all know that I will be sending a message to them on behalf of the kingdom that the marriage will no longer hold,¡±

    Lance told them. They were all looking at him with so much disapproval as he expected.

    ¡°Your majesty, if we are allowed to say a word,¡±

    One of the elders said.

    ¡°Of course, you can talk, but just know, nothing you say will make me change my mind, I already made a decision and I don¡¯t intend on backing down,¡±

    he warned.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right, your majesty, this will bring shame and a lot of bad press to the kingdom and that¡¯s not what your majesty or Otano stand for,¡±

    The elder said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any shame in stopping a marriage of sham where the supposed bride and groom can¡¯t even share a kiss. Why should I marry someone I can¡¯t even kiss? How would we be able to bear children if we can¡¯t even pull off a kiss?¡±

    Lance asked. He was struggling so badly not to say a curse word as it would be deeply frowned upon by the already offended elders.

    ¡°I am sure with time and when the wedding finally happens then you both can work things out, you can¡¯t back out now, it would ruin the rtionship we have with her people, it is not good for the kingdom, think about the kingdom your majesty,¡±

    Another elder let out. He was much bolder than the first.

    ¡°I always think of the kingdom and my people but this wedding, no, I don¡¯t need it, I have been king for five years and the kingdom has been doing fine without a queen, I need more time to find a suitable bride, I am not rushing into any marriage with a princess whose presence I can¡¯t even stand, need I mention that she feels the same too, she doesn¡¯t like me at all and keep talking over me, that¡¯s not the kind of person I want as the queen of this kingdom,¡±

    Lance responded to him.

    ¡°We know about that. That¡¯s why when we suggested that you get married, we told you that it was your choice, we found the woman and you agreed, this has been going on for months now with so many preparations in ce as it would be the first royal wedding in a long time, now you can¡¯t just wake up and decide that you no longer want to be marriage mere weeks to the said wedding, that¡¯s unheard of, please have a rethink,¡±

    Another elder said. The way he made it seem as if they gave him a choice, yes, they told him it was up to him and then the next meeting, they came up with a full list of potential brides for him, back then, he had been eyeing working with the neighboring kingdom but not anymore, not after he found out he had a lot more to lose if he formed an alliance with them. The only fault he had was not calling the damn thing off weeks ago or even months ago when he found her constant nagging irritating.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°You don¡¯t get the gist, do you? I know what we talked about; I know what we decided but I don¡¯t see the point of marrying someone I don¡¯t like when I am not going to gain anything from her. If we get married, her kingdom would be gaining more from us, On top of us not liking each other, there is no guarantee that we will bepatible in bed either, We shared a kiss and it was the worst kiss I have ever had, I already said no one can talk me out of what I already decided so let¡¯s keep it at that, there will be no royal wedding unless I find a suitable bride that I can bed too,¡±

    Lance dered in a voice that left no room for argument, he could tell that they had more to say but he didn¡¯t care, he was done talking to them, he got off the throne and walked out of the throne room expecting Patrick to follow, if only he could avoid the ear full that Patrick was about to give him, one thing was sure, he wasn¡¯t going to go back on his words, he had nothing to lose if the marriage doesn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°Your, majesty,¡±

    Patrick called after him as they walked through the hallway to his chambers, he ignored him but the annoying man didn¡¯t want to take a hint.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just walk out on the elders like that,¡±

    Patrick scolded him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t scold me in public Patrick, I am the king and I can walk out on anyone,¡±

    He responded and increased his pace. Partick followed after him in silence, he finally took the hint but Lance knew it wouldn¡¯tst.

    ¡°Why did you do that Lance? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that¡¯s what you wanted to talk to them about?¡±

    Patrick asked as soon as they were alone. Lance ignored him and took off the royal garment he had on, he walked to his wardrobe and changed into a casual pair of trousers and a white shirt, he was done today and anything he had on or today would have to be pushed to tomorrow or any other day if he feels like it.

    ¡°Your majesty, why did you do it? Why are you calling off the wedding when it is just weeks away and why didn¡¯t you feel the need to tell me?¡±

    Patrick asked again. Lance took a seat and red at him.

    ¡°Patrick, need I remind you that I am the king. I get to make my own decisions. I don¡¯t need to tell you everything,¡±

    Lance corrected.

    ¡°You are wrong, you have to tell me everything. I am your special adviser for a reason and I had no idea the bomb you were about to drop, did you see how they all turned to me once you said what you said? They expected me to be aware,¡±

    Patrick argued.

    ¡°I am aware that you are my special adviser Patrick and let¡¯s be real here, you were against the wedding thing too.¡±

    Lance used. He could still remember Patrick telling him that it was a bad idea five or six months ago.

    ¡°Yes, I did, I told you it was a bad idea but you went ahead with it. Why are you backing out now? Don¡¯t tell me you are doing this because of her. You can¡¯t seriously want to call off the wedding which is just a couple of weeks away for her right?¡±

    Patrick used.

    ¡°Who are we talking about here Patrick? Because I want the wedding off for me and not for anyone else,¡±

    ¡°You know who I am talking about Lancelot, Don¡¯t try to pretend like you don¡¯t,¡±

    Patrick let out.

    ¡°I am doing this for myself and not for anyone, I don¡¯t know what you think you are getting at,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°Yeah, you expect me to believe that when you were with her yesterday too,¡±

    He used and for once he was wrong because Lance made sure not to go see Sophie, in fact, he hadn¡¯t seen her for days now. Yes, he did think of her even while kissing Roseline but he made up his mind not to go near her. He intends to keep it that way, not just for her but for himself too.

    ¡°You are wrong, I wasn¡¯t with herst night, I haven¡¯t seen her for days now, I spentst night in my room after I came back from the date with Roseline, You don¡¯t get to say things that aren¡¯t true about me.¡±

    Lance fired at him.

    ¡°I am sorry, I am, I didn¡¯t mean to lie on you, Your Majesty,¡±

    Patrick apologized, not like Lance needed an apology, he already did what he wanted and whether the elders like it or not, he wasn¡¯t going to back out and he was sure Roseline would thank him for freeing her from his bullshit, they were not in any waypatible and he couldn¡¯t push it, he tried but it didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°So, you are just going to call off the wedding like that? Barely a month to the said wedding? Did you at least talk this over with Roseline? Does she know or will she also find out like I did?¡±

    Patrick questioned.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her and I don¡¯t have any reason to, plus, I am sure she would be happy to finally be free of me, she never liked me anyway, you seem to be forgetting I met with the said woman yesterday and that did it for me, I can¡¯t marry a woman that I can¡¯t even have sex with, I am sure she would agree too,¡±

    He told him.

    ¡°That was the first time, you guys tried, If you want to call off the wedding then you should have at least told her yesterday then it would not be a shock that you suddenly called off the wedding, I am not the one getting married to you but I already feel offended, how do you think she will feel when she hears about it? Especially when she has been in Otano all week, the minute she gets on the ne back to her kingdom, you decide that you don¡¯t want the wedding anymore? How do you think she would feel when she hears the news?¡±

    He asked. Like he even cared what she thought, she literally called him a woody man, it still made him mad thinking of the words she told him after their kiss.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Like I should care about she feels, Patrick it is none of my business how she takes it,¡±

    Lance responded. He didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation right now but he knew telling Patrick off when he was in best-friend mode would not work.

    ¡°Right, not going to lie, she was right about you in some of the things she said the other day,¡±

    ¡± What the heck do you mean by that Patrick?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°She was right about you being a narcissist, like your actions today just prove you don¡¯t care about what other people think or feel except yourself which is totally wrong seeing how you are the ruler of a kingdom,¡±

    Patrick said which pissed Lance off. The fact that he was his best friend doesn¡¯t give him the right to say such words to him.

    ¡°Patrick, watch your tongue, watch what you say to me, you are my best friend doesn¡¯t mean you cross the line, I am the king and I make decisions based on what is good for the kingdom, and the one time I decide to put myself first shouldn¡¯t cause amotion between us, you of all people shouldn¡¯t be saying such words to me because you know just how much I gave up for this kingdom, you know damn well how I moved my life, changed my goals and dreams just toe back here and save a dying kingdom so before you call me self-centered, put yourself in my damn shoes,¡±

    Lance yelled out. He had enough and he didn¡¯t want to be in Patrick¡¯s or anyone else¡¯s presence for now. He wanted to be left alone and there was only one ce not in the pce where he could be alone. He got off where he sat and grabbed his phone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me,¡±

    He warned when Patrick started following him out of the room.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    ¡°Take a hint, Patrick, and fucking leave me alone, don¡¯t follow me,¡±

    Lance yelled out at him before stepping out of his chamber and banging the door close, the guards at the front of his chamber were all shocked but he ignored them and powered down the stairs.

    ¡°No one should follow me,¡±

    He instructed in a harsh tune when some of the guards started following him. He saw the driver and stretched out his hand for the car keys.

    ¡°I will drive you my king,¡±

    The driver said but Lance shook his head. When he said he wanted to be alone, he meantpletely alone.

    ¡°I will drive by myself, hand me the keys, no one should dare follow me, except the person who wants to be beheaded,¡±

    He instructed, collected the keys from the driver strolled to his huge parking lot, got into the car, and drove off towards the pce¡¯s huge exit. He didn¡¯t stop when he got to the gate as it was already open, the guards inside must have informed the men at the gate, he didn¡¯t care, he just zoomed out of the pce. He needed peace and a clear head and he had a ce in mind where he could get it, kingly duties be damned for now.

 Chapter 43

    Sophie looked up from the book she had been reading when the door that led to the king¡¯s chamber opened. She expected to see the king but instead, his special advisor walked in. Sophie got up fast, dropped the book, and bowed to him. He was second inmand and answered directly to the king so he was treated with the same respect as the king, not to mention, he used to be the king¡¯s best friend.

    ¡°Sophie?¡±

    He called out her name.

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡±

    She let out. She didn¡¯t like how he called out her name. It sounded like he was here to give her an earful.

    ¡°Listen to me and listen really well okay? I am just going to say what I have to say once and not more than once, do you copy?¡±

    he questioned authoritatively.

    ¡°Yes, my lord.

    ¡°Good, now I don¡¯t know what you and the king have but it won¡¯t work, I am trying to talk some sense into him but he won¡¯t listen to me so I am talking to you instead. I want you to be the one to discontinue whatever rtionship you have with the king,¡±

    He let out and Sophie raised her head to look at him. He looked serious, not like she expected him to be joking, Patrick never jokes around. She has not even seen him smile once.

    ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean by rtionship because the king and I have no rtionship,¡±

    She told him and heard him scoff in disbelief.

    ¡°You want me to believe that? Sophie, stop trying to seduce the king, You have done enough, you stole from the kingdom, and for the king to punish you, he is busy making all the wrong decisions just to amodate you,¡±

    Patrick let out in a raised voice that made Sophie recoil in fear.

    ¡°No, I am not trying to seduce him, I would never do that, I am here because he sent me here and he came here out of his will but I have never tried to seduce him and I will never try to do so,¡±

    Sophie told him, wondering why he was using her of things she didn¡¯t do, just like the king had done a couple of weeks ago,st she saw the king, he told her he was going to marry Roseline and she didn¡¯t remember telling him not to, she didn¡¯t even say anything other than okay. He wasn¡¯t trying to amodate her, he told her himself that once the investigations were done, he would send her out of the pce, she had other things to be worried about that she is not letting herself think about for both her mental health and her baby¡¯s sake and seducing the king was nowhere on that list.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe anything you say, woman, I am warning you as whatever you both have might attract consequences to not just you but the king and the kingdom too, it is better to take my advice now.¡±

    His words didn¡¯t sound close to advice, it sounded like he was warning her.

    ¡°I told you already, I don¡¯t have any kind of rtionship with the king, my lord, I do not have anything to do with him and thest time we spoke, he told me that once the investigations are done and I am proven innocent, I would be sent away from the pce and if I am guilty, then I will be sent back to prison,¡±

    Sophie recounted what the king had told her.

    ¡°He told you all that? Or you are just making it up?¡±

    Patrick asked. The man was just as crazy as the king with their crazy way of thinking and making assumptions, no wonder they were friends.

    ¡°I am not making anything up, why will I lie against the king? I don¡¯t know what you think the king might have with amoner like me, but nothing you think is true, I didn¡¯t do anything, and whatever decisions the king has been making have nothing to do with me in any way,¡±

    She went on. She couldn¡¯t let him keep using her but she made sure not to raise her voice. Patrick wasn¡¯t the king and he might not be as lenient as the king either.

    ¡°You better not be making anything up Sophie, you better be telling the truth because if I find out that you have been lying to me, trust me, you will not like what I would do to you,¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    He threatened. Everyone just wants to threaten her now, she was like their punching bag, first, the king and now his adviser, Who knows who might be next? The elders or the whole kingdom?

    ¡°Yes, my lord, I am telling the truth, If you doubt me, you can confirm what I said from the king, I mean he has no reason to lie, if I am indeed his mistress or whatever rtionship you think we are in, won¡¯t he say the words? He is the king, right? He doesn¡¯t have to lie about having a mistress,¡±

    Sophie let out in a calm voice.

    ¡°Not in this case, the king can¡¯t have a mistress before his wedding and there might not even be a wedding no more,¡±

    Patrickmented. He said thest part more to himself but she heard him anyway, the king wasn¡¯t going to be married? Was that why Patrick thought she was seeing him? Surely, he didn¡¯t really believe she had that much power over the king.

    ¡°The wedding is off?¡±

    She asked even though she knew it might be in her best interest not to get involved. Maybe she was being too nosy.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t concern you in any way. As long as what you told me is the truth, you don¡¯t have to concern yourself with anything like that and should instead be thinking of ways to clear your name,¡±

    Patrick said and walked away from her before she could respond.

    ¡°Okay, that man is fucking rude,¡±

    Sophie let out when she was alone again. He came to her, used her of things, and he found out they were not true but he didn¡¯t apologize just like the king didn¡¯t apologize when he saw the video of how he behaved. Men were just too full of themselves.

    ¡°I hope no man show their face near me for the next couple of days or even years,¡±

    Sophie let out and she meant every word. Men were always at the scene of the crime when ites to ruining her life, first it was her dad who started the destruction, then even after he passed, the mistake he made still followed her and the evil men he associated with and pissed off came after her and even then was able to escape them, the king fucking got her pregnant with him having zero memory of that happening and to make it worse, on the day she found out she was pregnant, another man decided to make her already hellish life even worse by stealing from the kingdom and framing her for it, yes, she had every reason to hate men as it stood and God help her if the king picks today to show up near her, she would not be held ountable for what she might say or even do to him.

    ¡°He called off his wedding and I am to me for it too?¡±

    Sophie let out. She threw the book in her head away in frustration. Why did she have to be med for a decision he made that she wasn¡¯t even aware of in the first ce? Why did he even call off the wedding? If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was only two weeks and some days away, or at most three weeks away, that such short notice to call it off when the n for him to be married had been going on for as long as she could remember, why did he have to pick now when it was so close to calling it off? Sophie felt bad for the princess, she wasn¡¯t the coolest person and honestly, Sophie didn¡¯t want to judge her based on just one encounter but when they had met, the princess had been cranky and brutal towards her. She concluded she must have been in a bad mood that day.

    ¡°Why did he call off the wedding? Is he in love with someone else or does he have someone else he wants to be married to instead?¡±

    Sophie asked herself.

    ¡°Whatever, I am sure that person is not me or anyone I know, so it should not be my business, I have my own problems to worry about,¡±

    She let out. She should really be focusing her thoughts on things that concern her and her baby, She might think it is still far away but every day brings her closer to when her baby will be born and so far, she has no money, no n, or whatever. Maybe it would be better for the king to reach a decision concerning whether he would let her go free or lock her up in prison, and to be realistic, none of them was looking like a way out for her because if she ended up in prison, she might not have ess to her baby and they might decide to put her up for adoption, on the other hand, if she is freed and is not able to get a paying job within the kingdom, she might starve to death before her baby is even born.

    ¡°It is a mess,¡±

    She let out as tears welled up in her eyes. She felt like her problems were too endless with not even a single loophole where she could get through and solve them.

    ¡°Or maybe I should just tell him the truth,¡±

    She let out.

 Chapter 44

    Lance paused and checked his progress so far, he was tired but for thest two hours, he had seen a lot of progress. He felt relief, the anger and anxiety he felt earlier were almost gone now, he really needed this time away from everything, If only he could do this more often but being king means he has to give away his free time and a lot more other things; the fact that he gives away so much and yet, when he does decide to put himself first, it bes a problem. Painting was what his life had been all about before he gave it all up and came to Otano to take over from his father. These days, he never has time to paint, he gave it up willingly, he gave up his whole life and they still want him to do more.

    ¡°Yikes,¡±

    He let out and dropped the brush he held. He wasn¡¯t doing anything special right now, he was painting a meadow, the only thing that came to mind when he got here. This ce was the only ce he could find some kind of alone time, Of course, that crazy advisor of his knew this ce, Lance was hoping the man would take a hint and leave him alone but knowing Patrick, he would probably be on his way here already.

    ¡°Lancelot,¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the devil,¡±

    Lance snorted when he held Patrick¡¯s voice, two hours was all he could get for himself, he picked up his brush again, determined to ignore him.

    ¡°Lancelot,¡±

    Patrick called again, this time, he was in the room Lance was in, standing right behind him, Lance still chose to ignore him.

    ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep ignoring me,¡±

    Patrick let out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak to you right now Patrick, I specifically said no one should follow me,¡±

    Lance let out wishing Patrick would take a hint for once and just leave him be.

    ¡°Well, you said that to Patrick the special adviser, not Patrick the best friend, I am here as your friend and not a special adviser or personal assistant,¡±

    Patrick replied. He took a seat next to the canvas Lance had dumped. There was no difference between Patrick the advisor and Patrick the best friend, they did the same thing, and that was to make him see things clearly, One of the main reasons Lance had chosen Patrick as his special advisor, was that Patrick knew how to put him in his ce, he knows how to make him do things, back then, Lance had seen it as a good thing, but now, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore; Patrick was no fun, he always wants to follow the rules and always find a man to talk Lance into doing things but not this time, this time, he wasn¡¯t going back on his words no matter what Patrick says.

    ¡°Lance, I know you are angry but one thing is sure anger won¡¯t fix anything,¡±

    Patrick tried. So much for him being Patrick, the best friend.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, You came as a friend, right? Why are you still acting like my special advisor?¡±

    Lance asked without looking at him.

    ¡°Not going to lie, Lance, I can¡¯t different them anymore, maybe I never could, I just know that it is my ce to tell you when you are doing the wrong thing and I can¡¯t keep quiet about it no matter how you try to shut me up,¡±

    Patrick continued.

    ¡°I have no intention of shutting you up, you can keep talking but just know that nothing you say would change my mind, I am not marrying thatdy and that is final, take my words for it,¡±

    Lance told him. He gave up trying to focus on the canvas before him and dumped the brush.

    ¡°Now you havee to ruin my mood, I was doing good until you came in, why didn¡¯t you just stay at the pce?¡±

    Lance let out in frustration.

    ¡°You left the pce without a bodyguard or a driver, you are here unprotected with the pce vehicle, I am looking out for your safety, In case you have forgotten, you are the king, not just that, you might not believe it, but you have a lot of enemies, you can¡¯t just leave the pce unprotected.¡±

    Patrick scolded.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So, what you are trying to tell me now is that my people can hurt and harm me? Is that it?¡±

    Lance asked in anger. He could prove his point without trying to make it seem like he was in danger of being killed once he stepped out of the pce.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean, Lancelot, The people have no reason to harm you, but you have enemies, you keep forgetting what happened four years ago,¡±

    Patrick let out. Yes, Lance remembered what happened four years ago but that was a long time ago and since then, he has made sure the security of the kingdom increased, he also made it harder for foreigners who seem fishy toe into the kingdom. Of course, those who attacked him were not all foreigners and he had reasons to believe that Justin might have sent them but none of them that were caught lived to tell who sent them so they never found out; that happened only two months before his father died. Right after his father died, he was crowned the permanent king, so whatever his brother nned did not work, What Lance did make sure to do, was tighten security around the kingdom and also make sure his older brother could nevere to the pce, even though the crazy clown had found his way around and entered the pce, he had a spy who turned out to be his mistress, Lance found out she was pregnant, after the baby was born, the mistress left the kingdom and left the baby with his brother who refused to take responsibility as a result, the child was sent to the care home.

    ¡°See how you are suddenly silent when I mentioned the event of four years ago?¡±

    Patrick let out. Lance snorted.

    ¡°Patrick, four years ago, I was still new, so many things that my brother did were still in ce, nothing was working then, yes, there was a small issue,¡±

    ¡°You call that a small issue? You almost died, people died that day,¡±

    Patrick yelled out, cutting him off.

    ¡°I know people died, I know what happened, I was there, you are talking as if the people that were killed were innocent, they were the ones who came to harm me,¡±

    Lance yelled right back.

    ¡°See, that¡¯s what I am saying, Anyone would still have that in mind, You think something like that is easily forgiven? No, Lancelot, no! Your brother can also be looking for a way to get you, You literally took his throne and banished him from the pce forever,¡±

    Patrick reminded; Lance paced around trying to calm down, Patrick didn¡¯t just make it sound like he stole from Justin, his brother who almost ruined the kingdom.

    ¡°Why are you making it sound like I stole it from him? He was doing a horrible job and Father asked me toe to take his pce, I gave up my whole life for that fucking throne, don¡¯t make it sound like it was just handed to me or I was waiting on the sideline to take it,¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, You seem to be misunderstanding everything I am saying, I know what happened, I was there, I am just saying that it is not safe for you to leave the pce or go anywhere without the pce guard and a team of well-trained men, it is for your safety, my king,¡±

    Patrick said each word as if he was talking to a toddler, fuck the man. Well, it did make him calm down a little.

    ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t even want to listen to you right now, I already know why you are here, I am just going to tell you that whatever you say, I won¡¯t change my mind about my decision, if things do not go well like I already know it won¡¯t, I would be the one trapped in the marriage and not you,¡±

    Lance told him. Patrick didn¡¯t look like he was going to take the hint and leave him alone.

    ¡°This is pretty, I forgot just how good you are at painting,¡±

    Heplimented, pointing at the piece he was still working on, Lance ignored him, he knew Patrick enough to know that the man was just looking for ways to get to him, What was better thanplimenting what he was doing? They stayed like that for about two hours with him painting and Patrick just sitting and asionally saying a few words that he ignored. Patrick gave up after a while and there was only silence. Lance knew he was just plotting and he would hit him soon.

 Chapter 45

    ¡°Are you nning on spending the rest of the day here?¡±

    Patrick asked, breaking the silence. So much for silence. Lance still ignored him.

    ¡°You know, you can¡¯t ignore me forever, right? You will have to speak to me,¡±

    Patrick pressed on.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you think it is a good idea to call off your wedding and then ghost everyone, I know you don¡¯t want me to bring it up again but I have to, Lancelot, You should have at least told her when she was still here, she doesn¡¯t deserve to hear about it from someone else when she was with you throughout the week,¡±

    Patrick said. This time, his words got to Lance and he stopped what he was doing to give him a look.

    ¡°Patrick, you are here, aren¡¯t you? If you are so concerned about her, why don¡¯t you go to her kingdom and break the news to her yourself, I mean, it isn¡¯t out just yet, I only told the elders, go tell her, You have one day because by the end of tomorrow, I want the official news out, I don¡¯t need a queen at least not right now,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°You should have thought of that; months ago, I am your friend, Lancelot, I won¡¯t lie to you, if you let this happen, it is going to be one of your worst decisions ever and it is going to affect the kingdom¡¯s reputation negatively, you think that you might not get anything from the union but the truth is, having her people be our people too might have been good for us, not might, it would be good for us, we have a great rtionship with her people, now I am not so sure if that will continue if you push through with calling off the wedding when it is just weeks away,¡±

    Patrick said. Lance already knew all these but that won¡¯t make him change his mind, If he pushes through with the wedding andter wants to be separated, it would do more harm than the wedding not happening would cause.

    ¡°I am still not going to change my mind, Stop trying to talk me into doing what you think is right Patrick, I am my own person, and I get to make decisions that would affect my life by myself. if the people or whatever doesn¡¯t like it, they can suck it up, I am not going to y along, I am not a puppet,¡±

    Lance stated.

    ¡°Right, you are not a puppet, that is true but aren¡¯t you seeing the problem here?¡±

    ¡°What problem?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°You initialed the union, it was you who agreed to marry, you who approved of the princess and you who picked the wedding date, Everything happened because you allowed it, you should have thought hard about it or even asked to meet the princess first before you made the decision, if you had done all that, we won¡¯t have to deal with this now,¡±

    Patrick blurted out. He spoke the truth.

    ¡°Yeah, so you are saying everything is my fault?¡±

    Lance red at him.

    ¡°Yes, everything is your fault, Lancelot, I am not going to sugarcoat it, you did everything, approved everything,¡±

    Patrick responded.

    ¡°You are right, it is my fault, and I will take the me, When you call the princess, tell her it is all my fault,¡±

    Lance concluded.

    ¡°That¡¯s it? You are really not going to reconsider? People are going to think you are doing all this for her, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. She might not be the reason but that¡¯s what they will assume, you already favor her so much,¡±

    Patrick let out. Once again, he brought Sophie into the conversation when he made it clear plenty of time already that his decision had nothing to do with her.

    ¡°I am tired of this conversation; can you just give up?¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°Yeah, I will, That¡¯s not the only reason I came here, I have news concerning her, now I don¡¯t know if I should share or if I should just shut up, but I want her go as I still think she has a hand in your decision somehow,¡±

    Patrick ranted on; Lance didn¡¯t even know what he was talking about and honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask what I am talking about?¡±

    Patrick asked when he saw that Lance didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Why do I need to ask before you talk? If it is that important, you would already be talking, I am already in a bad mood, Patrick, in case you haven¡¯t noticed,¡±

    Lance stated firmly.

    ¡°Right, it is important news for you Lance, The driver was lying, that maid is innocent,¡±

    Patrick announced. Lance suddenly became interested in what he was saying, he remembered that Patrick had said he would investigate himself to find out if the driver made things up.

    ¡°Why are you not giving full details?¡±

    Lance fired at Patrick when he didn¡¯t say a word after the bomb he just dropped.

    ¡°And you want me to believe you don¡¯t feel anything for that woman? Your whole mood just changed when I said she is innocent, just so you remember that you said you would send her away once she is found to be innocent,¡±

    Patrick reminded him, not like Lance forgot what he said about sending Sophie away but at least, he was right about her innocence, thankfully, he didn¡¯t let her stay long in that prison.

    ¡°Tell me how you know she is innocent,¡±

    Lance pressed.

    ¡°Well, that man, whoever put him up to it must be some kind of amateur because the ck box was still intact, of course, that didn¡¯t give nothing away, but sometimest year, all the cars in the pce were taped, not all, yours aren¡¯t taped but the others are, if the driver had as much as touched the ck box, he would have seen the tape recorder, he didn¡¯t and honestly, no one remembered that; the person that checked the car ck box saw it because it was ced next to it and passed both to me, just one look and you would see, your woman is innocent,¡±

    Patrick disclosed. Lance didn¡¯t care if his car was taped too, that wasn¡¯t important, he red at Patrick, the man made it a point to address Sophie as his woman.

    ¡°She is not my woman, Patrick, why can¡¯t you get that?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Lance queried.

    ¡°Sorry, here,¡±

    Patrick dipped his hands in his pocket brought out a small-looking thing and handed it to Lance who stared at it wondering how he was supposed to see what he was talking about with the small thing.

    ¡°What am I doing with this? How do I see what you are talking about with this?¡±

    Lance asked when Patrick didn¡¯t make any move to show him what to do.

    ¡°Bro, you act ancient, That¡¯s a memory card, you are supposed to insert it in aptop or phone to get the recording,¡±

    Patrick informed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot but I do know my phone doesn¡¯t have a ce where this can be yed, Get me aptop, why bring the disk if you don¡¯t bring what I will view it with?¡±

    Lance questioned; Patrick was already on his way out before he finished. Lance sat down and waited for him, he came back a few momentster bearing aptop which he set on the table, and collected the card back from him, Lance waited in silence as Patrick fixed it for him.

    ¡°I was shocked when I checked, I was so sure she had a hand in it one way or the other,¡±

    Patrickmented before the recording went up, Lance expected to see a clear video but it was kind of blurry but the voice was clear.

    ¡°I am just going to move it to the important part,¡±

    Patrick said before he forwarded the tape: Lance heard Sophie¡¯s voice, he could recognize her voice anywhere, she was asking the driver why they were still not there yet and there was silence before the car seemlye to a stop and the driver asked Sophie to give her the diamond, he couldn¡¯t make out the video well but from what he could see, the driver had a gun, he threatened her with a gun and had the mind toe back and lie on her, he felt livid at the thought of how scared, Sophie might have been, he couldn¡¯t watch anymore, he mmed theptop shut and stood up.

    ¡°Take me back to the pce, straight to the cell, I want to speak with that Bastard.¡±

    Lance let out in anger. He couldn¡¯t keep his emotions in check, that bastard endangered her life, she could have died that day, and yet the bastard had the mind to tell him to his face that Sophie was the culprit.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Just let the officers do their job, Lance, there is no reason for you to meet him, now you know she is innocent, all you need to do now is send her away,¡±

    Patrick said as he stood up too; Lance directed his angry gaze at him.

    ¡°The heck I will, don¡¯t fucking tell me what to do, you will take me to him, I want to speak to him myself and that is final!¡±

    He said the words with so much authority that he left no room for argument.

 Chapter 46

    ¡°I still think going to see him in the mood you are in right now is a bad idea, Lancelot, I know he was evil and all for what he did to her but can you just let the right authorities do their job, they already have evidence against him,¡±

    Patrick pressed, when they arrived at the pce, he was hesitating on passing the pce gate. Lance wasn¡¯t having it, he wasn¡¯t going to let him talk him out of going to see that bastard, on the way to the pce, he had finished watching the video just to get a grasp of the whole situation and let just say, it got worst with each new details he finds out, the fucker, threatened her, left her in the middle of nowhere even though he knew it waste, she could have been kidnapped or worst, killed in the wild. How she was able to locate the disgraced queen¡¯s house, was still a mystery well, at least she did something good for once. Not like the queen has ever done anything to him personally, it was his father that sent her away, while he was still a child, she was married to his father¡¯s older brother who was king but passed away before he had a child as a result, his father took over the throne. ording to his father, the queen started causing trouble in the pce which was why she was sent away. A house was built for her in the outskirts of the kingdom, she had a choice to stay or find her way and she chose to stay. Lance didn¡¯t want to think about her situation right now as it wasn¡¯t what was important to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to talk me out of anything right, Patrick, take me to him, I get to decide what I do after I have spoken to him, that idiot lied to my face, not once but multiple times, I am not going to let that slide,¡±

    ¡°Right, I should just stop advising you at this point, I should even quit because you don¡¯t even listen to me anymore,¡±

    Patrickined as he started the car again. He was driving because he had the driver take the car that Lance had driven earlier. Lance turned his attention to him; they seem to be disagreeing on things a lot recently but that doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t listen to him. He just wasn¡¯t on his side recently and he didn¡¯t like it at all.

    ¡°The problem is, you want me to do things the safe way, you want me to marry Roseline even though I told you already that she and I can¡¯t work, yes, I understand it is all my fault, I should have at least made sure we could be married before the whole process started, that was my mistake but I don¡¯t want to make the mistake of marrying her and then living my whole life in regrets, I don¡¯t want to marry and still be having other women, yes, I am the king and I can get as many women as I want but if I am getting married, I want to be loyal to her as I know she would be to me, that won¡¯t happen with Roseline,¡±

    Lance paused. Patrick didn¡¯t say a word and just continued driving but Lance knew he was listening.

    ¡°I tried, I tried, we went on dates for one whole week, she has a nasty attitude, but that¡¯s not the problem, I could have easily overlooked that but I can¡¯t overlook the fact that we are notpatible at all, you might not agree but the princess would want the same too, she too knows we are a lost cause,¡±

    Lance told him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what we are talking about right now though, I already removed my hands from that case, you have made up your mind about that, and I hope you don¡¯t regret it,¡±

    He responded without sparing Lance a look.

    ¡°I won¡¯t regret it, about this other one, I am afraid you can¡¯t talk me out of it either, but It doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t need your advice anymore.¡±

    Patrick didn¡¯t respond to him and instead focused on driving. He woulde around. They arrived at where the driver was being held, Lance didn¡¯t wait for Patrick before he started walking towards the entrance, he knew the instant the people around saw him as the atmosphere changed and everyone was on their feet greeting him, he waved and walked to the officer at the entrance.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    The man said in shock.

    ¡°There is a man that was brought here a while ago, I want to see him,¡±

    Lance let out. the man spared him a look before bowing again.

    ¡°Your majesty, what man?¡±

    He asked. Lance realized he didn¡¯t even know the name of the driver, he turned around just as Patrick walked in, he watched Patrick speak to the officer and waited. Now he wished he had just summoned the bastard to the pce, he didn¡¯t think of that before. He should have or maybe he should have just listened to Patrick because now people were gathering just to say their greetings to him and he couldn¡¯t just ignore everyone so he had to y along and wave, Patrick seemed to be taking his time on purpose, when he finally finished, Lance was happy to go.

    ¡°This way, your majesty,¡±

    Patrick said; it took a moment to follow him because he got taken aback by his use of his title after they had been practically arguing for hours.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    Patrick called again.

    ¡°What? I was just taken aback by the fact that you are calling me Your Majesty again after practically calling me an idiot for the past couple of hours,¡±

    Lance whispered to him as the officer led them in, Patrick looked his way for a moment and just shook his head. Lance couldn¡¯t ask him what he meant by that as they were joined by the police chief, Lance red at Patrick.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to see the police chief, I need to meet that bastard in person, I didn¡¯te here for pleasantries,¡±

    He barked out.

    ¡°You are not here for that, your majesty, the chief will take us to the interrogation room where the criminal is being kept so that you can question him,¡±

    Patrick politely replied. Lance resisted the urge to tell him to stop faking his politeness, he turned to the police chief who bowed.

    ¡°Your majesty, this way please,¡±

    The man said and pointed in the direction that they should go, Lance followed them.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°I want to speak to him myself with no camera on,¡±

    He instructed and was let into the room where the bastard was sitting and just looking around like he was bored out of his mind; the sight of him reminded Lance of the things he had said to Sophie, the way he had left her on her own in the middle of nowhere, he hadn¡¯t seen the video after she left the car but he heard her voice, heard her pleading with the man to not leave her there but the bastard had mocked her and left her there for the worst. His anger was revived when the madman smiled and bowed to him like he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, Lance turned to make sure they were alone in the room and once he was sure, he approached the fucker, lifted him off the chair and punched him on the face, not once, but severally until his face bled.

    ¡°You idiot, I told you if I found out you were lying to me it would be the end of you, you lied to my face, made an innocent woman suffer and you have the mind to be smiling like you didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡±

    Lance yelled out to him as he let him go and the fucker copsed to his knees in front of him. Lance took a breath to control his anger but it was pointless as he just had to look at the man¡¯s face to be reminded of what he heard, he walked to him lifted him up again, and made him look directly at him.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°So? Now that your secret is open, are you finally going to tell me what the fuck happened and why you stole from me and framed an innocent woman?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    The man looked shocked, like he wasn¡¯t expecting his secret to be known; he was quick to mask the shock but Lance already saw through him, he knew what the fucker was going to say next, and sure enough, he didn¡¯t disappoint, like every other criminal, he lied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Your Majesty, I am innocent, please spare my life,¡±

    He pleaded. If Lance hadn¡¯t watched and heard the things he had said to Sophie, he would have believed he was innocent with the way he spoke but bad for him that he already knew he was lying.

    ¡°You liar, how dare you lie to your king? How dare you lie to my face? You better start talking, better start naming the people who were involved in the theft with you or you will be facing the consequences on your own, not only did you steal from the kingdom, you med it on someone else. If I hadn¡¯t been observant and not quick to judgment, that woman would have faced an even harsher life than she already did. Your lies put her through hell, you have to pay for that too.¡±

    Lance let out and punched him again. The punch sent him to the floor, his face bled, he was on his knees and crawled to Lance, holding his legs.

    ¡°Please, my king, believe me, I am telling the truth, whatever she said to you was a lie, she was the one, she did everything,¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I know what you did, you can¡¯t lie to my face anymore, I told you thest time we met that when we meet again, the secret would be open but you refused to believe me, I gave you the chance toe clean and confess what you did but you chose to be a hardened criminal; now get ready to be treated like the criminal you are, there will be no mercy for you, stealing and framing someone else with your crime, possession of a gun when you are not licensed to own one, you have a lot of charges against you. If I were you, I would cooperate and let everyone involved suffer,¡±

    Lance told him. The fuckers no longer tried to act innocent, instead, he reminded silent.

    ¡°This is for Sophie and everything you put her through,¡±

    Lance let out and punched the bastard again, twice. He straightened himself while the bastard, doubled over in pain, without giving him a second look, Lance left the interrogation room, and he met with Patrick, the police chief, and some other men who were waiting for him at the entrance.

    ¡°I want him dealt with until he lists out those who were with him, I don¡¯t want him to get out or face any form of release, am I understood?¡±

    Lance asked and the Police chief nodded, he walked away knowing that Patrick would follow, he got into the car and expected Patrick to say a word concerning what happened but the man just wordlessly started the car.

    ¡°You will call the princess and let her know of the development, that¡¯s the least I can do for her, the announcement should be made tomorrow that the wedding is off, I will bear the consequences of whatever happens so don¡¯t worry about it, I know after the announcement is out, there will be a lot of uproar and meeting, sign me up for all of them, this is what I choose, I will be there all through the heat,¡±

    Lance instructed as they drove back to the pce.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°As for that bastard, I want him dealt with, I already told the police chief before, I don¡¯t want them to go easy on him, he has to spill everything he knows. Also, he and everyone involved must get max punishment for their offense, make sure it doesn¡¯t take long,¡±

    He went on.

    ¡°Even though that¡¯s not part of my job, I will do what I can,¡±

    Patrick responded. At least he wasn¡¯t trying to talk him out of things. There was a moment of silence but it didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°So? Now that you know she is innocent, when are you going to send her out of the pce? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I am not trying to tell you what to do, but with everything that would happen once the news of your wedding cancetion is out, it would be best if she is out of the Emerald House and the pce for good because, no one would believe that you and she aren¡¯t having an affair, even I find it hard to believe, I spoke with her and she said the same thing you said so I just have to believe,¡±

    Patrick let out. the fact that he spoke with Sophie didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    ¡°Why did you find the need to speak to her? I told you numerous times that we are not involved in any way, why don¡¯t you take my word for it? When did you meet her? No one is allowed to see her, I made that clear,¡±

    Lance blurted out. he knew he shouldn¡¯t be offended as Patrick was no other person, he was next to him and could get away with a lot of things but that shouldn¡¯t give him a reason to speak to Sophie, knowing what he might have told her made it even worse. He knew he didn¡¯t say nice things to her.

    ¡°I had to, you were not giving the right answers, you kept saying nothing was going on but you spent a night with her in the dungeon, moved her to the emerald house, signed her up for antenatal; let me speak on that first, you are not the father of her unborn baby, why did you feel the need to register her for antenatal? She is not your responsibility; do you know the kind of rumor that could lead to? With your ns now, it could even be worse.¡±

    Patrick told him.

    ¡°I did what I had to do to make sure she and the baby were okay, she fainted, Patrick, right before she was brought to me she had been hospitalized, I had to make sure she waspletely fine, she is pregnant, all pregnant women need to be registered for whatever you call it, you are speaking like I took her there myself, plus, as long as she lives under me, she is my responsibility, that being said, you still haven¡¯t told me the reason you went to see her,¡±

    nce reminded.

    ¡°I asked her what your rtionship was, I told her to talk some sense into you since she seems to have some power over you but she told me I was wrong and that she would leave once you want her out, now the question is, when are you going to send her away?¡±

    Lance wasn¡¯t ready to answer that question. He couldn¡¯t just send her away just like that, she had no one else in the kingdom, heck, he didn¡¯t even know any of her family members and he was sure she didn¡¯t have any in Otano. It would be heartless to just send her away when she did nothing wrong; if she wasn¡¯t pregnant, he would have sent her back to work as a pce maid but she was pregnant and a pregnant woman can¡¯t work and live in the pce.

    ¡°I have not decided on that yet, I will decide that on my own,¡±

    ¡°There you go again, just send her away, how hard can that be? What is there to decide?¡±

    Patrick asked. He sounded angry.

 Chapter 48

    ¡°What do you have against Sophie? She doesn¡¯t look like someone to get on your bad book, why do you seem to hate her?¡±

    Lance couldn¡¯t resist asking. Patrick was acting like he had a beef with Sophie and wanted her gone from his side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate her, she didn¡¯t do anything to me but she might cause trouble for you and I don¡¯t want that, which is why I want you to send her away now that she hasn¡¯t done anything yet; keeping her close would only bring problems to you, I don¡¯t know why you refuse to see it,¡±

    ¡°What kind of trouble can she bring to me? You have to give me examples,¡±

    Lance queried.

    ¡°Oh, Lancelot, you have a soft spot for her, let¡¯s face it, you might not have a rtionship with her right now, but give it time and you will be making love to her or even falling in love with her, that¡¯s if you aren¡¯t already in love with her, you just beat up a man for her,¡±

    Patrick was out of his mind, he was talking nonsense, Lance had no ns of sleeping with or falling in love with Sophie.

    ¡°I am not going to do any of those, I beat that bastard up because he made her suffer,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°You said the words; now if you don¡¯t care about her, why do you find the need to beat up a man for her? I mean she isn¡¯t aware of it and might never know, what was the reason to beat the man up? He is already going to jail for the crimes, I heard what you told him. You said and I quote ¡®This is for Sophie,¡¯ and punched him, tell me why you would do that if you have no feeling for her,¡±

    Patrick pressed. Lance decided he had enough, no matter what he said, Patrick was hell-bent on sticking to his theory that he had something going on with Sophie.

    ¡°I have had enough, think whatever you want,¡±

    Lance let out. he expected Patrick to say more but the man suddenly went silent; Lance decided to just let the matter die down like that. They didn¡¯t say anything to each other again and when they arrived back at the pce, Lance went to his chamber and sent Patrick away. He spent the rest of the day in his room alone with alcohol.

    The next day was hell of hectic after the news of his wedding being canceled was made official, the panic among his people was greatly felt, it was all over the papers and numerous calls were ced to the pce which he made sure there was someone to answer the questions being asked. He spent the day in meetings, the elders and the kingmaker were pissed that he went ahead with his ns but he told them his mind and made sure they know who the king was and who made the rules, when they left the pce, they were all sulking but he didn¡¯t care. He did what he had to do. They would get over it soon and it would be old news but if he marries Roseline, he would have to live with her for a long time and that would be worse than any outburst.

    After the busy day he had yesterday, Lance canceled all his meetings for today and decided to spend time alone in his room; nope, he wasn¡¯t justzing around in his room, he had things to read through and sign. In fact, he was currently ssed up and reading through a deal that was to be made with the Arab king who recently visited Otano and wanted them to partner in a business that would see both kingdoms having an alliance and doing things together even though they were far from each other, so far, what he has read seem to be for the good of his dear kingdom, he already liked what he thought would be the oue if he decides to say yes. It would favor his people if it worked out.

    ¡°Where is he? I want to speak to him right now,¡±

    Lance lifted his eyes when he heard the voice, he recognized that voice, dropped the file he had been holding, and prepared for what was toe, he never thought that she woulde all the way to Otano to confront him, actually, he thought she would not mind and would just be happy that he was the one to call it off but he was wrong, she sounded angry too. He got up from his study table and walked toward his bed area, waiting for her to show her face.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be in the*** Sorry, Lancelot, I tried,¡±

    Patrick said when the door to his room burst open and a very angry Roseline walked in, she charged towards him and pushed him hard.

    ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡±

    She yelled out and pushed him again.

    ¡°Do you have to be so violent about everything?¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°You can leave us, Patrick,¡±

    Lance told his special advisor who looked very d to be asked to leave, now he wished he hadn¡¯t said that, they would both dealt with her screams together; anyway, it was toote to call Patrick back as the man was already out of the door the second, he told him he could leave.

    ¡°You expect me to be calm after the way you yed? How could you?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Roseline yelled, she pushed him again and this time, hended on the bed.

    ¡°Stop,¡±

    He let out when he got up.

    ¡°Stop? Did you stop to think when you fucking made the decision to call off our wedding two weeks to the day? Did you fucking stop to think?¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting like you wanted to marry me so bad? What? I did us both a favor, we don¡¯t like each other, we can¡¯t stand each other and we can¡¯t even force chemistry because we don¡¯t have any, so tell me, why should we be married?¡±

    Lance yelled out. She was making him mad; she was acting like he didn¡¯t try to see if things could work out between them.

    ¡°Well, you could have told me before you made it a public announcement, I deserved to know, I went back home to my people thinking everything was good and okay but then my brother called me out this morning, he and my parents think I did something that made you change your mind, I don¡¯t like being made a fool of, I don¡¯t want this marriage either but you should have told me before doing anything,¡±

    She yelled out each word, okay, she was right, even Patrick told him he should have told her, maybe he should have.

    ¡°Wait, I told Patrick to call you,¡±

    ¡°Patrick? Your fucking assistant?¡±

    ¡°Special advisor, are you doing it on purpose? I have told you that he isn¡¯t an assistant, don¡¯t be so disrespectful,¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°Is that what is important right now? I don¡¯t fucking care what he is to you, that¡¯s a you and his problem, I saw his call and didn¡¯t take it because I didn¡¯t want to listen to his nonsense again, I told you to tell him to stop calling me, didn¡¯t I? why would I take his call again and how am I supposed to know he was calling to tell me that my wedding was canceled?¡±

    Roseline yelled out.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t me me then, we tried to tell you but you didn¡¯t take your call, next time, you should take your calls, you don¡¯t know what news might be waiting for you on the other end of the phone,¡±

    Lance told her. He could tell his words made her even angrier.

 Chapter 49

    ¡°Fuck you, is that all you have to say? Why didn¡¯t you call me yourself? My parents, who might I say are already disappointed because I am thirty and unmarried thought I came to your kingdom to make you change your mind, they think I did something, I haven¡¯t seen my mom look so disappointed not even when she found out I got a tattoo at eighteen or when she found me having sex with the gardener¡¯s son in my room on my neenth birthday, she looked so hurt and disappointed and I couldn¡¯t even defend myself because I was too shocked for words,¡±

    Roseline let out. the little details she gave about herself told him she had been a wild teen.

    ¡°You had sex with a gardener¡¯s son?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t resist asking. He wanted the full tea even though she was currently looking like she wanted to kill him.

    ¡°Is that what you picked from everything I said? That¡¯s not what is important right now, Lancelot! You have to fix the mess you made, you have to tell my parents and my fucking brother that it was all you, that I never made you do anything,¡±

    She blurted out.

    ¡°You made me do it though,¡±

    He corrected.

    ¡°Wait? What? I made you do what? Don¡¯t lie on me, you did everything by yourself, we went out for a whole week and you didn¡¯t see the need to tell me to my face that you don¡¯t want to marry, you had to wait like a coward until I was out of your kingdom to tell the world, that¡¯s a shameful thing to do,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡°Roseline, you and I both know a marriage between the two of us won¡¯t work, not only are we notpatible at all, we can¡¯t even have sex,¡±

    Lance reminded her, since she seemed to have forgotten the disaster that was their first kiss.

    ¡°I told you we would work on that, you never said anything about not wanting us to be together after the kiss, you should have told me, it was our first time, when you left, I thought about it, and promised myself that I would do better that I will try and make things work between us, I was ready topromise, I was ready to do anything to make us work, but you just had to go ruin everything,¡±

    She fired at him, and for the first time since she walked into his chamber in anger, she looked genuinely hurt.

    ¡°What happened already did, Roseline and there is no going back, you can¡¯t make us work, I don¡¯t want to be married to you and that is final,¡±

    Lance responded. It was harsh but it was the reality, he couldn¡¯t go back and announce that the wedding was still on; he didn¡¯t want to, either.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°So, the rumors are true?¡±

    Roseline asked. The sudden switch-up came as a shock for him, he didn¡¯t even know what rumors she was talking about.

    ¡°What rumors?¡±

    He was sure it would be something baseless and stupid.

    ¡°That¡¯s you have a woman, while I was here, I heard a rumor that you have a woman in some ce that only you have quick ess to, I didn¡¯t really mind because kings are known to keep mistresses, but you call off our wedding because of your other woman? That¡¯s crazy,¡±

    She let out. for a moment. Lance couldn¡¯t get any words out, he didn¡¯t even know something like that was being circted, of course, he expected people to talk once he moved Sophie to the emerald house but he didn¡¯t expect it to get out of the pce.

    ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Oh, you are not denying it, so it is true? So, the real reason you tried everything to make us ipatible was because of her? The reason you couldn¡¯t even kiss me properly was because of your loyalty to her? Why didn¡¯t you just marry her in the first ce? Why did you fucking add me in the mix just to humiliate me?¡±

    Roseline blurted out, her whole mood changing again, this time, she looked and sounded even angrier.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you heard but I don¡¯t have a mistress, yes, I do have a woman in the emerald house, like you heard but everything else is wrong, she is not my mistress,¡±

    He corrected but she didn¡¯t look like she believed him. Well, he didn¡¯t mind if she believed him or not, it would not make or change anything, Sophie had not hand in why he chose not to marry her. Whether she was in the picture or not, he couldn¡¯t see himself marrying Roseline. the more he spoke to her, the more his decision sounded better. She wasn¡¯t for him.

    ¡°You are lying, you are bloody liar, Lancelot, you are a coward too for making a mess, knowing fully well that you already have a woman, you are a messy man for trying to get me too even though you have another woman,¡±

    She yelled at him.

    ¡°What the fuck are you saying? Do you even hear yourself right now? Let¡¯s say you are right, let¡¯s say I have a mistress, do you think that will stop me from marrying or having other women? I am the king, I get whatever woman I want and whatever number I want, I am not obligated to stick to one woman, think about it,¡±

    Lance told her. She was underestimating him and he hated it. Of course, he had no ns of keeping other women once he got married, it is what other kings before him did but that¡¯s not what he wanted to do.

    ¡°Not if you are in love with the said woman, not if she has you wrapped around her fingers,¡±

    The princess yelled right back at him. Love? He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he felt that emotion. It was a long time ago and it didn¡¯t work out, he didn¡¯t even want to think about it. Somehow, this woman thinks he is in love with someone, Sophie? That¡¯s the only woman he was keeping, the woman who the rumors were about. He wasn¡¯t in love with her. She wasn¡¯t even in his league, if he ever got with her, she could only be his mistress, not only was she from the lowest part of the society in the kingdom, but she was also a foreigner, it would never happen.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are saying, Princess, I don¡¯t have anyone that I am in love with, I don¡¯t have a mistress, I called off the wedding because I don¡¯t want to trap us both in a fruitless marriage that is already doomed to fail even before it started. I am saving us both from future embarrassment and problems and I am done talking about this or trying to exin anything to anybody, I am not obligated to exin things to anyone, my words are final.

    Lance told her.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡±

    She let out. turned around, and walked away, he let her go; he sat on the bed, hoping she would note back, he didn¡¯t want to deal with her again.

    ¡°What did you do to her? What did you say to her?¡±

    Patrick asked as he almost ran into Lance¡¯s chamber as if he was being chased. Lance red at him, if he was here to scold him again, he would not be getting any reaction from him because he was done with the topic already as he told Roseline.

    ¡°Lancelot, what did you tell her and why did she request to go see Sophie?¡±

    Patrick yelled out, and his words got Lance on his feet.

    ¡°What do you mean? Why would she want to see Sophie?¡±

    ¡°You tell me, you are the one who spoke to her, just so you know, I couldn¡¯t stop her and right now, she would probably be at the emerald house talking to your woman,¡±

    Patrick disclosed. Lance already at the door that leads to the emerald house, turned around at Patrick¡¯s words.

    ¡°She is not my woman, what are you on?¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°Well, ording to your almost wife, she is your woman, the one who might be the reason you don¡¯t want to marry her, I told you that¡¯s what everyone would think, if you had just listened to me and sent her away after you found out she was innocent,¡±

    Patrick let out, Lance wanted to go get Roseline out of that ce but he needed to put Patrick in his ce too, he was acting as if it was so easy to send a woman who is a foreigner and only ever lived in the pce into the kingdom on her own while she was pregnant with the child¡¯s father absent, he might not be a good person but he couldn¡¯t do that to Sophie, not now. Or maybe he wanted her close to him where he could see her. He didn¡¯t care, he just wasn¡¯t ready to send her away and no one can make him do that.

 Chapter 50

    Sophie felt bored out of her mind but that wasn¡¯t the problem, she just couldn¡¯t rub off the fact that something wasn¡¯t right and that she might be in some kind of trouble. Ever since Patrick, the king¡¯s right-hand man came to her, she hadn¡¯t seen or heard from the king. She tried to ask those who came to give her the basic things she needed about what was going on in the pce and the king but no one said anything to her. She couldn¡¯t directly ask if the king did call off his wedding as Patrick had suggested. She hoped not because that would mean trouble for her. No one would believe she has anything to do with the king, she was in the house where mistresses are kept and well taken care of, she didn¡¯t need a prophet to know that the people who attend to her think she is the king¡¯s mistress. She wanted to shout to them that she was not but it was a waste of time as they wouldn¡¯t even say anything to her in the first ce.

    Not knowing what a new day would bring to her made her constantly feel unrest, she still didn¡¯t know if anything was being done to prove her innocence, she had no idea what was going on and she felt hopeless and all she could do was think and wait.

    Sophie got out of the bed when she heard a noise as if someone was entering the apartment, it wasn¡¯t time for dinner yet so she knew it wasn¡¯t the pce maid.

    ¡°Please, no,¡±

    She let out as she walked out of the room, she hoped it wasn¡¯t the king, she really didn¡¯t want him around her. As she got out of the room, she came face to face with someone she never thought she would meet in a million years.

    ¡°My princess,¡±

    Sophie bowed in greeting to the gorgeous woman who was to be the wife of the king, the woman was a living breathing, beautiful goddess and everything a man would ask for in a woman, not to mention she carried herself with a confidence that Sophie knew she would never have, she hasn¡¯t spent a lot of times in the presence of the future queen but the few times she has, she got to witness a great amount of confidence personified and charisma too, it was beyond what she could describe, she was beautiful, wealth and well spoken, it was a whole lot of package and she wasn¡¯t surprised the king had picked her as his bride, it would have been stupid not to pick her. She had every feature of a queen and she was here; standing in front of Sophie and looking at her in a not-so-friendly way. Yup, something was definitely wrong.

    ¡°So, it is you, I know you; I have seen you before, you work for the pce, right?¡±

    The princess asked.

    ¡°Yes, my princess,¡±

    Sophie responded politely even though she wasn¡¯t sure why the future queen would be here and asking her that, her conclusion was that she was here because her wedding was close and she was doing a tour, the fact that she was alone did seem off as she should either be with guards and maids or the king himself. Sophie didn¡¯t ask as it wasn¡¯t in her ce. She just prayed it wasn¡¯t what she was thinking because the princess didn¡¯t look like she was in a good mood at all.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why you could easily get him? I was wondering who it was that could get that man wrapped in her fingers, I have to admit, you are pretty and a desirable woman, no one would resist you,¡±

    The princess said while looking her over. Sophie felt ufortable but she couldn¡¯t tell her to stop looking her over. She couldn¡¯t dare.

    ¡°My princess, I don¡¯t quite understand what you are talking about,¡±

    Sophie responded even though she had an idea what the princess might be talking about, she wanted to believe it wasn¡¯t it but from the way she was looking at her, it would be a miracle if it wasn¡¯t what she was thinking.

    ¡°Oh, I know, you wouldn¡¯t understand but you do know the king and I are supposed to be married right?¡±

    She questioned. She took a seat and crossed her legs; she smelled so good and everything she had on screamed expensive.

    ¡°Yes, my princess, I am aware,¡±

    Sophie answered politely, she kept looking at the door and hoping the king would walk him toe get the princess.

    ¡°Good, So when did you upgrade to the status of his mistress because I could have sworn thest time I saw you, you were a pce maid, did you seduce him? Or did he have his way with you and decided you were too good in bed to be a one-time fuck?¡±

    Sophie¡¯s eyes widened at her words. She prayed it wasn¡¯t but it was clear the princess was there because she thought she had a rtionship with the king, her worst fear was happening right in front of her, if the princess who doesn¡¯t live within the pce and the king special adviser thinks she is having an affair with the king, surely, a lot more people would think the same way too.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, I never seduced the king neither are we having any kind of affair,¡±

    Sophie corrected.

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Sophie,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Sophie answered.

    ¡°Alright, Sophie, you don¡¯t have to lie to me, I am not here to fight you, maybe,¡±

    The princess said. She didn¡¯t sound like she wasn¡¯t going to fight her though.

    ¡°I am not lying to you,¡±

    Sophie replied. There was a moment of silence.

    ¡°You know what I hate the most? People trying to make a fool of me, you and I both know a man can¡¯t just keep you in a ce like this, and have everything you need provided for you when you have no rtionship especially when the said man is a king,¡±

    The princess let out in a raised voice.

    ¡°You are wrong,¡±

    Sophie let out.

    ¡°Really? So, you mean to tell me the king doesn¡¯te here or he doesn¡¯t fuck you? Wait, is saying fuck too explicit? Should I call it lovemaking? Would that be better?¡±

    The princess asked. Sophie didn¡¯t like where the conversation was going at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about my princess, the king and I have no such rtionship,¡±

    Sophie let out. the princess was hell-bent on not believing her and it was starting to feel like she was just repeating the same thing over and over again for nothing. When she expected the king to show up, he was nowhere to be seen. Why did he even think it was a good idea to send his wife-to-be to her? The man was out of his mind. Okay, maybe he didn¡¯t send her but still, he had to know one way or the other that the future queen was here and asking her questions.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°Are you sure? Because that man just called off our wedding and I have reasons to believe you are why he did it,¡±

    The princess said. Sophie opened her mouth to talk, but no words came out, she was too dumbfounded, she had thought Patrick was just saying nonsense when he had talked about the king calling off his wedding but the princess was saying the same thing but what she couldn¡¯t understand was why they both think she was the reason the king would do that.

    ¡°What? You can¡¯t say anything? Are you happy? I know you must have told him you don¡¯t want to share him with another woman, that¡¯s why he called it off, you guys must be strong for him to be throwing away a union that would benefit his kingdom for you,¡±

    the princess went on.

    ¡°My princess, I don¡¯t know about the king calling off his wedding, the king and I have no such rtionship, I am more like a prisoner here, something happened that I don¡¯t know if I can tell you about but one thing is sure, the king did not call off your wedding for me,¡±

    Sophie said in a firm voice. She couldn¡¯t let them keep ming her for something she didn¡¯t have a hand in. Aside from the drunk kiss and when he kissed her forehead, the king and her had not shared anything intimate that would suggest that she was his mistress, plus she had no power over the man, if she did, she would never have been sent to jail. The only thing linking her and the king was the baby which he wasn¡¯t even aware of. Thinking of the baby, Sophie subconsciously cradled her abdomen, she removed her hands almost immediately.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know he called off the wedding or you are pretending you don¡¯t know, girl, don¡¯t do like that, it is not nice,¡±

    The princess replied.

    ¡°I am not pretending, I honestly didn¡¯t know the king called off your wedding and also, why would the king even think of calling off his wedding even if I am his mistress which I AM NOT,¡±

    Sophie yelled out thest part.

    ¡°You are pregnant,¡±

    The princess let out. The sudden talk about her baby shocked Sophie, she wasn¡¯t even showing yet so how did the princess know? Only the king and a few other people knew about her pregnancy, did they tell her that?

    ¡°He is the father right; this is the reason he doesn¡¯t want to marry me, right? He knows you are already carrying the heir and marrying me would ruin the baby¡¯s future, that¡¯s why he is calling off the wedding, he doesn¡¯t wantpetition between the child of his mistress and any other kids he would have, is that it?¡±

    Princess Roseline asked. She was right about Lance being the father but was so wrong about everything else, the king didn¡¯t even know the baby belonged to him; heck, he didn¡¯t even remember sleeping with her and she was sure even if he knew he owned the baby, he would never let her baby be the heir, not just him but everyone in the kingdom would be against it, not only was she not from the kingdom, she was also a nobody, if she was royalty or at least noble like the woman before her, waiting for her answer, she might have had a chance with him. She was none of those so, it would never happen and she already made sure she never thought about a life where the king would ept her and the baby and they live together forever.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say, right? Is it top secret? Wow, the king is expecting a child with his mistress who used to be a maid in the pce, wow, I want to be petty so bad and spread the news,¡±

    The princess and Sophie knew she had to do something to stop her from continuing with her train of thought or else it would be bad for her.

    ¡°My princess, you are wrong,¡±

    Sophie blurted out.

    ¡°Wrong? About what? You being the king¡¯s woman or you being pregnant with his heir? Which is it? Fill me in because I would like to know,¡±

    The princess said, folding her hands against her chest and giving her full attention to her. Sophie fidgeted, it was one thing to lie to the king about the identity of her child¡¯s father because that mudafucker was clueless but it was another thing to lie to the woman currently watching and observing her as she looked like she could see through her; Sophie knew she had to be as convincing as she could ever be to make the princess believe her and get off her case.

    ¡°My princess you ar***¡±

    Her words were cut off when the door that connected the king¡¯s chamber to the emerald house flew open; both the king and his special adviser walked in. Their entrance shocked the princess. She opened and closed her mouth multiple times to say something but ended up closing it each time without a word, all she could do was point.

    ¡°Roseline, you shouldn¡¯t be here, you shouldn¡¯t bother her, she has nothing to do with what happened,¡±

    The king let out as he walked closer to them.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°The fuck she is not, youing in through that door which I assume is some secret door just proves a lot of things,¡±

    Roseline let out. She walked past them all and opened the door the two men had used before they could stop her.

    ¡°Oh, wow, the king¡¯s chamber is connected to this ce,¡±

    She yelled out as she walked back. Sophie just stood there. She couldn¡¯t say or do anything. The two men didn¡¯t do anything either. The princess came to stand in front of them, pping her hands.

    ¡°Wow, now Lancelot, what were you saying again about her not being your mistress, you have a door that connects this ce to your room, you cane in here at will and you still want to lie? Why not just say the fucking truth, you didn¡¯t call off the wedding because weck some chemistry, you called it off because you don¡¯t want to lose your woman, which I wouldn¡¯t have a problem with if you had just been a man enough and just speak your truth,¡±

    The princess dered.

    ¡°I should not say it Lancelot but I have to say it still, I fucking told you so,¡±

    The king¡¯s special adviser let out. the king red at him before turning to the princess.

    ¡°Wow, the assistant knows about the big secret,¡±

    ¡°I am not his assistant for fuck-sake,¡±

    The king¡¯s special advisor yelled at the princess who didn¡¯t seem to be fazed by the special advisor¡¯s outburst. Sophie just stood there like a spectator, it would have been better if they all would just leave and take their issues somewhere else.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°Roseline, Patrick is not my assistant just like Sophie isn¡¯t my mistress, and I am not in love with her either, I can never fall in love with her and she is not the reason I called off the wedding,¡±

    The king exined. Sophie couldn¡¯t help the feeling she got when the king spoke about them, about not loving her, she didn¡¯t expect him to, heck she wasn¡¯t in love with him either but she kind of felt hurt? That shouldn¡¯t be, why would she be hurt by the king saying he doesn¡¯t love her and would never do; it couldn¡¯t describe what she felt but she didn¡¯t like it, she didn¡¯t like anything that was going on in the room and the way they were talking among themselves without even considering that she was still standing with them.

    ¡°You say that? You can¡¯t fool me, Lancelot, you are lying, tell me you have never kissed her, tell me you have never touched her, lie to my face that you guys have nothing going on and at no point during your decision to call off the wedding; you did not think about her, lie,¡±

    The princess let out. she was fully pissed again.

    ¡°And you, you knew he had another woman, you made it a point to call and check up on me always but you never told me he had someone, or do you two share her?¡±

    The princess yelled, this time she was talking to Patrick. Sophie felt like hell, the princess was saying hurtful things and she couldn¡¯t even defend herself.

    ¡°Heck, no, she is not my type and I don¡¯t go so low,¡±

    Patrick responded. Sophie clenched her hands in a fist, and she felt hot tears gather in her eyes, she knew she wasn¡¯t their ss but they were looking down on her and saying degrading things about her in her presence.

    ¡°Enough! The both of you stop it, Roseline, why would you open your mouth and everything thates out of it doesn¡¯t sound like what a princess would say? How can you say such a thing about your fellow woman and in her face, Patrick, I expected more from you,¡±

    The king let out and Sophie thought he was taking her side but then his next words shattered that thought.

    ¡°IF you can¡¯t go so low, then why do you assume I would> why can¡¯t the both of you listen to me when I say I have no intimate rtionship with her?¡±

    The king blurted out. everything was too much for Sophie to handle and all she could do was stand there with her hands clenched into a tight fist and tears gathered in her eyes that she was trying so hard to fight.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that but I never thought a threesome was a bad thing, I mean, I might want to try it too someday,¡±

    The princess let out.

    ¡°What did I say about you not being a proper princess again?¡±

    the King responded.

    That¡¯s already established, Lancelot, I never want to be a proper princess, I don¡¯t even get the fucking concept; anyway, if you guys aren¡¯t having an affair, then why is she here and why are you looking after her so much? Why isn¡¯t she working like the others? Why is your room linked to this ce? There are so many questionable things for me to just believe in you, not to mention men can go really low and also, have you seen her? Which man would not want her?¡±

    the princess asked.

    ¡°This man, I don¡¯t want her, I don¡¯t love her, I don¡¯t care about her, do you not understand me?¡±

    his raised voice shocked even the princess and there was a moment of silence.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I think we have established that the woman isn¡¯t the king¡¯s mistress, princess, I agree with him now, why would he leave all the potential women of substance within the kingdom and outside to set for a mere maid? I shouldn¡¯t have doubted it,¡±

    The king¡¯s special adviser chirped in. Sophie wasn¡¯t one to hate someone but right now, she felt so much hate in her heart for the man, he was vile and insensitive.

    ¡°Then send her away, Lancelot, if she is nothing to you like you im, if she is not the reason our wedding is off, then send her away,¡±

    The princess said.

    ¡°I have told him that before, he might not have the hots for her but he definitely has a soft spot for her which he has refused to admit to himself.¡±

    Patrick said again.

    ¡°Shut up, Patrick, don¡¯t start with that right now, and I am not sending Sophie away just because you want me to, I don¡¯t owe you anything, you and I have no business and you have no right to tell me what you do,¡±

    The king roared.

    ¡°And you want me to believe your nonsense? Yeah, right,¡±

    The princess replied. They were just going back and forth anding to no conclusion and it was painful to watch them throw hurtful words about her. Sophie couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the three of them were just talking. They were talking about her in her presence without even stopping to think that she could hear everything they were saying, they didn¡¯t even see her as a person if they did, they would at least respect her and not talk about her in her presence. She had enough and wanted them gone. She didn¡¯t own the emerald house but for the moment, it was hers and she wanted them out of her space. She gathered her courage and spoke in anger and frustration.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    She let out which got their attention. Good.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on with the three of you but can you all stop making it about me? Can you stop talking like I am not here? I might not be in your ss or have a title but I am human too, I am a person!¡±

    Sophie yelled out. She hated that she couldn¡¯t keep her emotions in check, she wanted the tears gone, and crying in front of these people who think it is okay to talk about her in her presence made her feel little, she hated it so much.

    ¡°You made her cry, fix it,¡±

    the princess let out, pushing Lance towards her; Sophie backed away from them, if only she could walk away.

    ¡°He is not the only one at fault here, the three of you are saying hurtful things about me without thinking about my feelings, like I don¡¯t matter, like I am not human too; I get it, I understand, I am beneath all of you and I get but I think it is best if you all just leave, go and talk about me all you want, call me all the awful names and all but please don¡¯t do it in my face.¡±

    Sophie said. She made sure to point at the three of them and then the door, she half expected one of them to rebuke her for being rude but none of them said a word, and neither did they move to leave. The princess did move, but she came to stand in front of Sophie. Sophie wiped her eyes, ready for whatever the princess had to say to her again.

 Chapter 53

    ¡°I am sorry, I should never havee here, I am sorry about the things I said; I am sorry we talked about you and made you sad, I will leave now, I hope your life gets better and that mad king does what is right by you, bye,¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    The princess said. Sophie didn¡¯t expect the words she said and before she could respond, she already turned her back on her on her way out, she dragged Patrick with her and then it was just her and the king who didn¡¯t make any attempt to leave.

    ¡°Are you not going to go after her? She will get the wrong idea even more, just go tell her we have nothing going on and fix your rtionship, I don¡¯t want to be tied to something I know nothing about,¡±

    Sophie let out without looking at the king. He didn¡¯t move or say anything so she finally lifted her eyes to him; he was watching her wordlessly. She averted her gaze and took a couple of steps away from him even though they weren¡¯t even close in the first ce.

    ¡°Roseline and I have no rtionship to fix, I was going to marry her but I changed my mind. We didn¡¯t have a rtionship but a courtship that was supposed to lead to marriage but I broke that, she might not like it right now but she wille around. She has nothing to lose,¡±

    The king said. He spoke as if the princess didn¡¯t juste to confront her thinking she was the king¡¯s other woman, if it was nothing, the princess would not have confronted her. The man was clueless and insensitive.

    ¡°It is not in my ce to say this but I am going to say it anyway, you can¡¯t just wake up, just a few weeks before your wedding and call it off without thinking about how your decision would affect your partner, you can¡¯t just make such decision and let the other person suffer,¡±

    Sophie let out. she felt bad for the princess, she didn¡¯t deserve what the crazy king was doing to her. The fact that he didn¡¯t see how he was wrong made it even worse.

    ¡±Are you speaking from a ce of experience? Has it happened before? Is that what happened with the father of your kid?¡±

    The king asked. She knew what he was doing, he was turning it against her and making everything about her to prevent him from listening to what she was saying and seeing the wrong in his ways.

    ¡°My baby daddy doesn¡¯t even know I am carrying his child, so, no, it is not what happened and we are not talking about me right now, you hurt the princess with your decision, you should fix it,¡±

    Sophie told him

    ¡°What about you, did I hurt your feelings too when I told you I was going to marry her?¡±

    He asked and she stared at him in shock, wondering why he would think that, why would her feelings be hurt when they had no rtionship, she wasn¡¯t delusional to think the king would ever look at her or even see her, the only reason he even touched her was that he was drunk. She would never put herself through the pain of ever dreaming of a life with the king.

    ¡°Sophie? I asked you a question, did you feel hurt when I told you that I am going to marry Roseline?¡±

    The king asked again. He took a step in her direction and she took four steps back. He stopped walking. Why the hell was he suddenly acting the way he was doing, she would have preferred if he just left; for him to leave, she needed to give him answers.

    ¡°No, nothing like that happened, I wasn¡¯t hurt, why would I be? ¡±

    Sophie let out. she did her best to avoid looking up at him.

    ¡°Liar,¡±

    He mouthed.

    ¡°I am not lying*** don¡¯te close please,¡±

    She let out when the king started walking towards her. He didn¡¯t listen to her, she tried to get away from him, toote because she hit the wall and he crowded her space.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡±

    He let out. he was too close, her heart was already beating abnormally, and now with him so close, it became worse.

    ¡°Why are you like this all of a sudden? Why do you want to know something like that? What would my answer do for you?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s up to me to decide, you are to answer my question,¡±

    He responded.

    ¡°And I already did, I told you I didn¡¯t feel hurt, I have no reason to be,¡±

    Sophie told him.

    ¡°At least look at me when you are lying to me, you have no problem looking into my eyes before,¡±

    The king said and lifted her face with his hand; Sophie lowered her gaze and avoided his eyes.

    ¡°Let me go,¡±

    She managed to say. But he didn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°Sophie, tell me the truth,¡±

    He whispered. She didn¡¯t like that he was whispering, his voice was doing things to her, things she would rather it didn¡¯t do, he was bigger and stronger than her so she couldn¡¯t push him away, she knew whatever she told him might fly off his head, but she had to tell him so that he would leave her alone and go after his woman. She gathered all the courage she could muster and looked him in the eyes, she wanted to look away immediately after their eyes met but she held her ground.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel hurt when you told me that, why would I feel hurt when you are the king and I am just your maid, wait, not maid, a prisoner, I am just a prisoner. Why would a prisoner feel hurt knowing the king is getting married?¡±

    Sophie held his gaze long enough but she couldn¡¯t keep looking at him so she looked away after her words.

    ¡°You are not a prisoner and you are lying, you want me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He asked. He still wasn¡¯t letting go. In fact, it was all clear that he was trying to get a confession from her, want him? Every woman wanted him, he was the most desirable man she had ever seen, who would not want to be touched and loved up by the king, his strong hands caressing any woman¡¯s body would send her to heaven. Sophie knew that touch, has been to the heaven he could send her with his hands, before. Want? She wanted him but was she going to admit that to him? Never! He needed to be out of here and with the princess.

    ¡°Sophie, answer my question,¡±

    He pressed, his breath caressing her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡±

    She lied. He let go of her and for a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief thinking he was finally going to leave. He didn¡¯t, he let her go,ughed, and backed her against the wall again when she tried to escape.

    ¡°Not so fast woman, I know you are lying, you want me, I can tell, your intake of breath when Ie close to you, the way you can¡¯t look at me directly, your whole body tells me you want to have a taste of me,¡±

    Oh, fucker, if only he knew, if only he knew she already had a taste of him, he was doing everything to break her and make her admit to wanting him; she couldn¡¯t let that happen, it would only end up badly for her.

    ¡°Why? You can¡¯t answer that?¡±

    He whispered asked; both of his hands cradling her face and his fingers stroking her chin softly, he was making her lose her mind; even if she wanted to say a word right now, she knew it would be nonsense or her agreeing with him because hepletely crowded her mind.

    ¡°I want to confirm something, Sophie,¡±

    He whispered. His breath caressed her face. He lifted her face even more and his fingers grazed her lips. She hoped he wasn¡¯t about to kiss her but with the way he was looking at her and caressing her lips, he was going to do it, and being the fool she was, she would let him, she already knew that, already knew that despite knowing that she would never be a part of his life, she would give her lips, and her body to him over and over again, because even though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, he owned her, from the moment he had pulled her to bed with him months ago, from the moment his mouth had found hers, the moment all her secret fantasy of him had happened, she became his even though he didn¡¯t remember. She remembered his words that night clearly, while he made love to her and showed her just what it was like to be with a man of his caliber, he called her his through it all; made her feel so special and wanted.

    ¡°Sophie, I am going to kiss you, you can¡¯t stop me because I own you,¡±

    He whispered seconds before his lips imed hers and just like she already knew, she couldn¡¯t stop him.

 Chapter 54

    Sophie knew she had to stop him, he had her backed against a wall and was kissing her hard, even though her brain wanted her to push him away, her heart and her body wanted a different thing; she couldn¡¯t stop him because she wanted him, wanted his kiss. She wanted it enough to turn her back on all that could happen if they ended up in bed together again, she was already in trouble whether she kissed him or not; that was what she told herself as she leaned further into the kiss and gave into it with a greedy fervor, her mouth opening hungrily beneath his. Sophie felt light-headed with the way the king was kissing her and barely giving her time to breathe, she was on her tippy-toes trying to match his energy. He must have noticed her struggling because he lifted her into his arms and sat on the couch with her in his arms without breaking their kiss. She held onto him, finally feelingfortable enough to enjoy the kiss even more; she could hear the small moan of pleasure he made as the kiss deepened. He crushed his lips against herself and a fierce heat began to flood through her body, from breast to belly and beyond. He flipped her around so that she was lying on the couch and his mouth found her again without even pausing, it was as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of her just like she was for him. He only paused for a second for breath before devouring her mouth again, the beeping of his phone broke them apart and he looked like he didn¡¯t want to answer whoever was calling but after a few more rings, he gave in and let her go, she shifted away from him and tried to catch her breath and make sense of what just happened, one minute the princess was in the room and then she was crying and the princess apologized and left; before she knew it, she was having a full make-out session with the king; she couldn¡¯t lie, she forgot who he was when he kissed her. She watched him take his call and knew he was leaving after the call ended. He turned to her and she shyly looked away; how could he look at her with so much desire, she never thought she would see him looking at her like that while he was sober. He finally finished his call and she waited for him to stand up and leave but he just sat there and before she knew it, he closed the distance between them and reached out for her, his hands cradling her face.

    ¡°I have to go,¡±

    He whispered and she wordlessly nodded. He leaned in and kissed her deeply.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think we are done just yet, I have to go now but I will be back and we will continue right where we left off,¡±

    He whispered while still holding her face, Sophie still breathless from the mind-blowing kiss they just shared couldn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have been holding back, how did I do that?¡±

    The king questioned, still caressing her lower lips, he tilted her head slightly and kissed her again, drowning her in the ocean of pleasure that only his mouth could give her. She held onto him and kissed him right back.

    ¡°I so want to stay but I have to go, fuck, Sophie, what did you do to me?¡±

    He asked before he kissed her again, she could say the same for him, he did things to her too, and he was making her lose her mind; she still couldn¡¯t believe that he was kissing her even though he was sober and also talking about wanting to stay with her, kissing her and refusing to let go, maybe she was dreaming. Instead of ending the kiss like he wanted to, he kissed her again, this time, the kiss was more intense and even deeper, she knew it was going to a whole different level and at this rate, they might end up in bed together but she didn¡¯t do anything to stop him, in fact, she didn¡¯t want him to stop, she encouraged him to carry on and she was there with him.

    Frantically, her fingers slithered over to his chest and began to knead at the silken skin, feeling the mad hammer of his heart against her palm, his heart breast was in sync with hers. She moaned into his mouth and his hands skimmed down from the base of her throat to her breast, slipping his fingers into the shirt she was wearing and capturing her sensitive and aching mound like the skilled lover that he was. She felt him stroke one of her sensitive nipples between finger and thumb until she gasped aloud, moaning into his moan. He broke the kiss and lifted her shirt, she raised her hands and her shirt was off, she sat there while his eyes took in her breast that were without a bra. She normally had great boobs but being pregnant added to it and now they were full and round. She watched him take in her boobs and could almost see him drooling; she felt powerful knowing that her body was making him react the way he was doing.

    ¡°Wow, how did you hide those, how have I not sucked on those,¡±

    He muttered. She wanted to tell him he has done it before; that he has sucked her boobs before but then she knew that he would not believe her.

    ¡°Wow,¡±

    He whispered again as he leaned in and captured one aching nipple in his mouth. She arched and let out a moan as the heat of his mouth surrounded one of her boobs and his hand found its way to the other. His tongue. He let out a moan as his tongue slicked against the sensitive bud and she gasped out his name. She wanted more, wanted his mouth everywhere on her body. He gave the same attention to her other boob, her hands went to his hair, she wanted to push him away because everything was overwhelming but she held him close and moaned loudly when his teeth slightly bite her nipples.

    ¡°Oh, hell, these, I want you so much,¡±

    He let out as his mouth continued to feast on her boobs, his hands moved down towards her legs and she spread her legs. She held her breath as his warm palm navigated its way down her belly, tiptoeing tantalizingly to the fuzz of hair thaty beyond. Still, she held her breath as he stroked at the sensitive skin of her inner thigh and then gasped as his fingertips seared over her moist heat.

    ¡°Aha,¡±

    She moaned.

    ¡°You are so wet,¡±

    He said in response as he stopped sucking at her boobs for a moment, looked into her eyes as if he was making sure she could see how much he wanted her, and then he kissed her again with his fingers still between her legs, she whimpered into his mouth and wriggled as his fingers did things between her legs; still, she wanted more and at that point, she was sure she would get more. The buzzing of his phone broke the moment, she moaned the loss of his mouth and fingers on her as he stood up and straightened.

    ¡°I have to go, I have a meeting that I can¡¯t miss, I will see youter tonight,¡±

    He said and paused instead of just walking away. She could tell that he wanted to stay.

    ¡°Say something, Sophie,¡±

    She realized he was waiting for her to speak; if only he knew he made her speechless with how he was looking at her and how he touched her.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°I will see you when you get back,¡±

    She managed to say.

    ¡°Good girl,¡±

    He said and leaned in to kiss her again, his hands grabbing both of her boobs and squeezing hard on them.

    ¡°I aming back for those babies,¡±

    He let out, picked up his phone, and this time, he did leave.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    Sophie let out when she was all alone. Her hand reached out and touched her breast which was sore from his sucking and teasing and her other hand found their way to the spot his fingers had been ying with when they were interrupted. She let out a frustrated sigh as she removed her hands from her boobs and thighs. She didn¡¯t want to please herself, she wanted him to be the one to bring her those pleasures, she let out another frustrated sigh and grabbed the shirt where he had dumped it after taking it off her. She tossed the shirt on.

    ¡°You are in trouble girl,¡±

    She let out as she walked out of the living room, she needed a cold shower to reduce the heat in her. She couldn¡¯t deny she wanted him toe back so that he could finish what he started but she knew he had important things to attend to.

 Chapter 55

    Since he became king five years ago and after all the meetings he has attended, this was the first time Lance genuinely wanted the meeting to end, he had not anticipated a call from the US president and he couldn¡¯t just say no when he had been the one to ask to speak to him. He didn¡¯t expect the response to his request toe so early, but here he was listening to an older man who was speaking too fast for Lance to keep up with while his mind was somewhere else, at least, the call is being recorded and he would go over them again because he wasn¡¯t listening half of the time, his mind was still at the emerald house where he had left Sophie, if the damn call didn¡¯te in, they would have been naked and tangled up in bed by now. He couldn¡¯t believe how fast things changed between them, all he had wanted to do was kiss her, just kiss her to check if he was really attracted to her and the moment he kissed her, had a taste of her lips, he became addicted really fast. It was as if he got a revtion.

    Lance shook his head and tried to concentrate on what the older male was saying but it was worthless trying because he just couldn¡¯t focus. Especially since the man was just bragging and barely saying anything of interest. He would rather be tangled up in bed with Sophie than this. He knew Patrick would go crazy if he found out what had happened between them. He half expected Patrick to be in his room when he walked in earlier but he was not there and when he called him, he told him he had driven somewhere and would be back soon, he was currently seated in the throne room with him and listening to what the president of the United States was saying.

    Even though he wanted the meeting to end soon, it took over five hours, and by the time he bid goodbye to the president, he was ready to call it a day, it was his off day yet he still worked till evening.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me to my room,¡±

    Lance stated as Patrick walked beside him once the meeting was done.

    ¡°I have to, I have something to nag you about.¡±

    The way he said nag made Lance know that the man was going to talk about Sophie again, and he was sure he wanted to know if he had made up his mind about letting her go, the thing is, he wasn¡¯t about to let her go now when he just discovered the attraction that was between the both of them. Even if that didn¡¯t happen, he still would not have let her go.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    He asked as soon as they were in his chamber.

    ¡°When are you going to send her away? You saw what happened today, it would only get worse, not only did she get hurt, but the princess also did too, she was crying when she got into the car earlier¡±

    He informed. Lance didn¡¯t know what to do with the information, he didn¡¯t expect the princess to cry because of him. Maybe she was just stressed as she had been traveling nonstop. He brushed it aside and instead answered the question regarding Sophie.

    ¡°I am going to keep her with me Patrick, I am not sending her away, she is going to stay just where she is even when she gives birth, unless she chooses to leave by herself,¡±

    Lance meant everything he was saying, he had no intentions of letting Sophie go, especially now that he finally admitted to himself that he wanted her and she wanted him too. Not to mention, if he sends her away, what would happen to her? Surely, the people that tried to frame her would not want her alive and he didn¡¯t want to make a mistake that would cause her life. His other reason might be an excuse as she might not be in any danger but still, he was looking out for her

    ¡°So, are you finally going to admit that you have the hots for her?¡±

    Patrick asked with his hands folded over his chest while he stared at Lance judgmentally.

    ¡°Yes, I admit, are we good now?¡±

    ¡°No, we are not, Lancelot, that woman is carrying another man¡¯s child, how are you forgetting that part?¡±

    Patrick queried. Not like he forgot that she was pregnant, he felt it when he had touched her stomach a while ago, she wasn¡¯t showing yet but when he touched her stomach, he felt the small curve that proved that there was a life growing inside her so he was damn aware but she already said she was no longer with the baby¡¯s father so that wasn¡¯t a problem for him.

    ¡°You think I am not aware of that? I know she is pregnant Patrick but I am still not going to send her away,¡±

    ¡°So? You are going to keep her with you? Do you have intentions of marrying her or you are going to keep her with you and once you get married what will happen to her?¡±

    He questioned.

    ¡°I am not getting married now, am I? Why are you acting like I am getting married soon, I already called off my wedding remember?¡±

    He reminded him.

    ¡°Yes, I know but you are the king, you would be required to get married soon. The elders and council are already mad at you, best believe they will only give you less than three months before they start asking to look for a new spouse, so what would you do with her then? I am asking what your n is with her. If you have no ns then I suggest you leave her alone, you can keep her in the pce but don¡¯t touch that woman, Lancelot, you can¡¯t do right by her, it is impossible so don¡¯t fucking touch her,¡±

    Patrick warned as if he had ns to hurt her, she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, the way she reacted to him, the way she didn¡¯t have a problem when he told her he would be back to finish what they started. She was all in too so why was Patrick acting like he was forcing himself on her?

    ¡°We are both adults, I am sure Sophie knows nothing serious can happen between us, stop trying to police me Patrick, I am not going to listen to you,¡±

    He stubbornly replied.

    ¡°You never listen, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, that woman is a foreigner and pregnant, I should not even be telling you to stay away but if you refuse to listen then suit yourself, that¡¯s all I have to say, goodnight,¡±

    Patrick said and before Lance could respond, he was already out of the room. Lance knew his concerns but he wasn¡¯t about to let that stop him from exploring with Sophie especially not when she was into it too, the way she kissed him back was enough proof that they would be great together, plus whatever the elders said would not faze him, he had no intentions of getting married now, not even in the next five years, he wanted to focus on building the kingdom, what is the point of having an heir when the kingdom they would take over is not striving? He wanted to build an unbreakable kingdom that would be part of world power, then, maybe getting an heir would be his priority.

    ¡°Fuck that moral police, I am not going to listen to him,¡±

    Lance let out as he took off his clothes, he wanted to go straight to the emerald house to finish what he started but he had to shower first. When he got out of the shower, he heard his phone ringing.

    ¡°Rose? Why is she calling me?¡±

    He asked; he was tempted to not answer but he figured he at least owed her that so he picked up.

    ¡°Hey,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    he started softly, ready to hear her outburst.

    ¡°How is she?¡±

    That was the first thing she said which shocked him and then he remembered she had apologized to Sophie before she left.

    ¡°She looked okay when I left her,¡±

    He answered. She looked okay but very horny when he left her, of course, he didn¡¯t tell Rose that. He was standing in the middle of his room in just a towel, talking with the woman he almost married and they were talking about the woman he wanted; today turned out to be such a wild day.

 Chapter 56

    ¡°Aha, thank God, I thought she would still be crying, I felt so bad, I should never have gone to confront her,¡±

    Shemented. Thest part of what she said was mostly said in a whisper as if she was talking to herself. With how Roseline acted with him, he never expected her to be so soft with Sophie, or maybe because she is a woman just like her.

    ¡°You are very concerned about her, and yes, you shouldn¡¯t have gone to confront her, she has nothing to do with why our marriage isn¡¯t happening,¡±

    He told her and heard her scoff.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that to me again, I already epted my fate, I can¡¯t fight her when you two look so good together, I could feel the spark between you two, the way you were looking at her, I just knew, anyway, I ept defeat even though I didn¡¯t fight,¡±

    ¡°What are you even saying? Sophie and I don¡¯t have anything going on, at least not yet,¡±

    He added thest part because he knew now that something would happen with them and if he let himself, he would be keeping her with her for a couple of months or maybe years depending on how long the spark between themsted.

    ¡°Oh, you finally said it! but you sound like you are going to y her, see, if you know you are not going to do what is right by her, I would advise that you leave her alone, don¡¯t touch her or go near her if you haven¡¯t already, but I highly doubt that, I know what I saw; I am just saying don¡¯t hurt her, I already feel like you are going to hurt her, she looked like she has a lot going on, don¡¯t add to it, if you can¡¯t do what is right by her, leave her alone,¡±

    The princess warned. Lance didn¡¯t like that she was saying the exact same words that Patrick had told him a moment ago, they were acting like he was going to harm her.

    ¡°Why are you and Patrick teaming up against me, I thought you didn¡¯t like him, he said the same thing you just said, why do you both act like I am going to hurt her? I am not some monster you know,¡±

    Lance let out defensively.

    ¡°You are going to hurt her, you have no long-term ns with her, plus she is carrying your child moron,¡±

    Lance paused wondering how the fuck she came to the conclusion that he was the father of her child, plus how did she even know that Sophie was carrying, except maybe Sophie told her which he highly doubted.

    ¡°First of all, Roseline, I am not a moron, and also, how do you even know she is pregnant?¡±

    ¡°I am a woman, of course, I would know, not to mention I worked as a nurse assistant for two years, I know a lot of things,¡±

    Her answer was fair enough but she was wrong about him being the child¡¯s father.

    ¡°I am not the baby¡¯s father,¡±

    ¡°You are denying your child? See, I don¡¯t have a problem with it, you guys obviously love each other for you to be so willing to stick with her, all I hope for is that you don¡¯t dump her in the long run because that woman loves you a lot and it would break her if you let her go, find a way to make things right for her,¡±

    Oh, the crazy princess was out of her mind, she was making up a whole story from her own mind and thinking it was fact, Lance facepalmed.

    ¡°You are talking nonsense Princess, everything you just said is in your head, none of it is real,¡±

    He cautioned her even though he knew she would not listen.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Whatever you say, anyway, you do know that you have seeded in making an enemy out of my people, right?¡±

    He knew her kingdom would not want to associate with Otano after what he did but that didn¡¯t bother him much.

    ¡°What about you? Have I made an enemy out of you?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you tell me,¡±

    he responded. For some reason, even though she was rude and had zero respect for him, he didn¡¯t want her to be his enemy.

    ¡°Hmm, not really, if you were my enemy, I wouldn¡¯t still be in your kingdom,¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know she was still in Otano, he honestly thought she left for her kingdom.

    ¡°You are still here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t you assistant, I mean, advisor didn¡¯t tell you? He was the one that dropped me off at the hotel I am using, I have no intentions of going home until my parents calm down, you don¡¯t want to be in their presence when they are disappointed, I promise you,¡±

    She told him. He remembered Patrick talking about her crying in the car and for the first time, he genuinely felt like a jerk for not telling her before he went ahead to call off the wedding, not like it would have changed anything but it would have at least prepared her for what toe.

    ¡°I am sorry that I just dumped everything on you without prior notice,¡±

    He let out. he normally never apologizes but in this case, he felt the need to, maybe because Roseline was more epting than he had expected her to be, she came, told him her mind, went to confront Sophie, and bam! She called and she didn¡¯t sound like she was still mad at him, not to mention, she was concerned about Sophie¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°I never expected King Lancelot to apologize to me, I should have recorded this call, fuck, what a missed opportunity,¡±

    She let out which made him smile.

    ¡°I had to, I realized that I was wrong for not letting you know, plus, we might fight and dislike each other but I feel we can be friends,¡±

    He let out.

    ¡°We are good Lance, you got a beautiful woman, I hope you can do what¡¯s right by her, I have to hang up now because your assistant, I mean advisor is calling to check up on me again, I think he is in love with me,¡±

    She let out. he couldn¡¯t tell if she was joking or being serious, Patrick was caring despite how hardcore he tries to present himself to everyone, he took care of people around him which is why Lance wasn¡¯t surprised that he was looking out for Roseline but could he have other motives? Not like he was bothered, in fact, he would be the happiest person if Patrick found someone he likes because he has been alone for quite too long.

    ¡°Says a loner,¡±

    His subconsciousness chirped.

    ¡°Bye, Rose, have a great life and I hope we can keep this civil rtionship,¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have decided to do business here,¡±

    She responded and hung up on him before he could ask further questions, he wasn¡¯t even aware that she wanted to do business in his kingdom; of course, he would let her, as long as it was a legal business.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she picked talking to Patrick over me,¡±

    He mouthed and dropped his phone and walked to his closet to get his sleeping robe, hey on his bed after, contemting whether he should go back to Sophie like he promised or if he should just leave her alone like Roseline and Patrick had said. He didn¡¯t have anything to offer her except for great sex and shelter, he couldn¡¯t wife her. She didn¡¯t fit the image of a queen as expected of the queen of Otano. She wasn¡¯t royalty neither was she from a wealthy household, heck, he knew nothing about her. Even her resume didn¡¯t give much away. If she had half of the qualities that are required of the future queen, he would have married her; even though he couldn¡¯t love her, he knew they would be great in bed and that was the reason he called off his wedding with Roseline who had all the qualities of a queen. Maybe in another life, the two women would have been one person and he would have had it all without giving his heart away. He let out a frustrated sigh, torn between going to her and staying in his room.

    ¡°I should just leave her alone,¡±

    He let out but his groin was telling another story as his mind wandered back to their make-out session earlier, he already knew that sex between them would be hot and amazing. His mind went back to her magnificent breasts and how they had felt on his hands and how she had moaned out loud when he suckled on them, he remembered how damped she had felt when he had touched her most private spot. He felt himself harden as he thought of what his mouth and fingers could do to her down there

    Oh, fuck it, I want her, she wants me, why keep away from each other,¡±

    He let out and got up from the bed, he made his way to the door that led to her side of the pce and was about to open the door when his bedroom door burst open and a very worried Patrick ran in¡­

 Chapter 57

    Sophie felt stupid just sitting and waiting for the king to show up like he had said he would, it was way past nine pm already and she knew she should stop checking the time and just go to sleep but her stupid self couldn¡¯t bring herself to get out of the chair and to her room. It wasn¡¯t totally her fault, it was his fault for putting ideas in her head, ever since he left her, she hadn¡¯t been able to function properly, it was beyond what she could contain and she shamelessly wanted to feel him inside her again even though she knew that would mean making all what the princess had said about her real. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormone that made her sexual drive higher or maybe she just wanted to have the king again.

    Her mind went to the princess, she still couldn¡¯t believe she apologized to her and also that the king called off their wedding, she was so sure that it was because of her. Sophie knew it wasn¡¯t because of her. The fact that the king kissed her and wants to have sex with her doesn¡¯t mean he would go as far as calling off his wedding for her. He was the king and he was allowed to keep multiple women, she didn¡¯t know the reason he called off the wedding but she hoped the princess was okay, she felt bad for wanting the king and pinning for him while knowing there was a woman who deserved him more who was probably heartbroken because he called off their wedding. She sat in the living room, feeling guilty and at the same time wanting the king to show up so that they could continue from where they left off but with each minute that passed, it became clear that he wasn¡¯t going to show up.

    ¡°Aha, Soph,e on, he is noting,¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    She told herself as her eyes went to the clock again. She finally gave up and walked to her room, shey on her bed as disappointment set in, she hated how he kept her on the edge and eagerly waiting for him and he decided not to show up.

    ¡°It is for the best,¡±

    She tried to console herself but it didn¡¯t work, her eyes watered and she angrily wiped the tears off.

    ¡°Damn hormones,¡±

    She let out as she closed her eyes and forced herself to go to sleep. It was hard falling asleep and when she did, she saw him in her dream, he came and fucked her senseless and she enjoyed every moment. She felt empty when she woke up and realized it was nothing but a dream.

    Sophie didn¡¯t see or hear from the king for the rest of the week, at some point, she concluded that he changed his mind and decided to stay away from her which should have been a good thing but she couldn¡¯t lie about how disappointed she was that he didn¡¯t keep his promise, every night she went to bed with the thought of him and each night, he visited her in her dreams and made love to her and each time, she would wake up damp and wanting. She got nothing but disappointment, she hated waking up from those dreams and hated the empty feeling she had once she woke up but there was nothing that she could do to help herself.

    She let out a sad yawn as she got out of bed, she already knew her day would go as uneventful as it had been for a while now, thest time she had drama was six days ago when the princess came to her and since then, she hasn¡¯t spoken to anyone. She felt isted and it was beginning to tell on her, she wished there was a way for her to go back to work but she knew once she was let out of this ce, she would be sent out of the pce.

    Sophie took her bath and went to sit in the restroom waiting for the maid who usually served her breakfast toe in. When she heard the gate open, she turned to the door, waiting for her to show up but it wasn¡¯t her that came in, it was another maid who hade to attend to her once before, she was new and Sophie didn¡¯t know her at all. She didn¡¯te bearing food which got Sophie confused.

    ¡°Mydy,¡±

    The young woman greeted and Sophie stared at her wondering why she was there.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    She asked, she feared that the day had finallye for her to vacate the pce, and her heart sank further in fear when another person walked in, a guard.

    ¡°Mydy, good to see you again,¡±

    He announced. She remembered him as the one who apanied her to the hospital a while ago. She waved at him as part of her fears went away. Last time, he had been nice to her so maybe it wasn¡¯t what she thought but she still couldn¡¯t be so sure.

    ¡°Mydy, we, Riley and I are your personal guard and assistant my name is Jose,¡±

    He announced. Sophie looked from him to the young woman who was standing next to him.

    ¡°What? Since when? Wait what?¡±

    Sophie asked. Why would she be assigned a personal guard and help? She wasn¡¯t someone important in the pce.

    ¡°The king instructed and we are here to obey, as of today, Riley will be in charge of getting everything you need, she will be the one serving you directly and you can ask her for the things you want, you just need tomunicate with her and I will be in charge of your security when you are to leave the pce too,¡±

    Sophie didn¡¯t know what to say or do with the new information. She honestly never thought the king would do something like that for her and she didn¡¯t know the reason why he was doing it, has he decided to keep her there, was he going to make her his mistress now, is this his way of making it official? All those questions ran through her mind as she stood there looking at the two people. She noticed the other maids that came to give her food suddenly started addressing her as mydy and even greeting her before walking in whereas before, they just ignored herpletely, she hadn¡¯t thought much of it but with what Jose just said, she knew now that the king was up to something.

    ¡°I am going to install thisndline so that you can call when you need anything, there are only three numbers that you can call me, Riley, and the king, you can¡¯t call anyone else with the line if you want to as it is programmed like that,¡±

    Jose the bodyguard announced. If only he knew Sophie had no one to call.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even ask why as I know you would say it is the king¡¯s instruction,¡±

    Sophie said as she stepped away and watched Jose fix the line, she didn¡¯t have anyone to call even if she wanted to. The only person she really wanted to hear from was the old woman who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom, the one who helped her and was the major reason she was still alive today; she wanted to know how she was faring and also thank her for what she did for her. If only there was a way to speak to her.

    ¡°Yes, we are working ording to the king¡¯s instruction and it is not in our ce to answer the questions you have,¡±

    The guard responded politely.

    ¡°Right, when are you going to feed me?¡±

    Sophie asked. She was already hungry as she was used to getting her breakfast early.

    ¡°Riley already packed food for you, we have to leave,¡±

    He announced which got her confused again.

    ¡®Leave? Where are we going?¡±

    She asked him.

    ¡°You have a doctor¡¯s appointment today and that¡¯s where we would go,¡±

    Jose told her once he was done fixing the phone, she didn¡¯t even remember she had an appointment with the doctor.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    She asked looking from Jose to Riley and back to Jose.

    ¡°It is my job, if you don¡¯t mind,¡±

    He asked, she wasn¡¯t dressed to leave the emerald house.

    ¡°I will just go and change,¡±

    She told him and walked back to her room without waiting for an answer. She walked to the wardrobe and pulled out afortable gown which she threw on. She didn¡¯t know what to do with her hair so she just packed it into a messy bun and checked her face in the mirror. She walked out of the room about ten minutester.

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±

    She said to them and they led the way, she got into the car which was parked outside of the emerald house and they drove to the hospital. It took a while for it to get to her turn as there were a lot of other pregnant women who came for ante-natal, she waited patiently until they called her name and she walked in to see the doctor.

    ¡°Your baby is doing fine andpared to before, you are healthier which is good for the baby and you, I hope you keep it up,¡±

    The doctor told her after examining her. Sophie smiled at him. He sent her to the scan room to get a scan done. Sophie teared up when she heard the heartbeat of her baby, she wasn¡¯t born yet but she was already a fighter. The sonographer told her the baby was healthy and developing well in her womb which was good news for her. After she finished in the scan room, she also went to theboratory to do some tests, all of which took a lot of time. She ate while she waited for the results. The doctor called her into his office again once her results were ready.

    ¡°Like I said earlier and from the result of the scan, your baby is doing well and your test report shows that you are okay, let¡¯s hope it states like that,¡±

    The doctor said,

    ¡°Thank you so much doc,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my job, I have written the prescriptions that are necessary for you while you are with the child and the nurse will let you know your next appointment, you made a lot of progress, I hope you don¡¯t stop resting and eating well,¡±

    Sophie listened attentively to what the doctor had to say and nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Thank you doc, ¡±

    She said and took her leave, she met the nurse and got her prescriptions, her next appointment was in two weeks and she wasn¡¯t sure she would still be in Otano by then; she still didn¡¯t know why the king decided to get her a personal bodyguard, was he nning on keeping her in the emerald house? She didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up. She walked out of the hospital to where Jose the bodyguard was waiting for her, it still felt surreal that he was mainly serving her. Sophie was about to get into the car when she felt someone¡¯s eyes on her, she paused and turned but she didn¡¯t see anyone, she looked around but no one stood out, just a bunch of people walking out and into the hospital. she damn well felt someone had been watching her.

    ¡°Is there a problem, mydy?¡±

    Jose called and Sophie realized she had been standing there for too long, she got into the car and forced a smile.

    ¡°Not really, thank you for bringing me to the hospital,¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, it is my job, mydy,¡±

    He said and she just couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that he kept calling her mydy, she was not mydy, she was a maid on probation.

    ¡°Why do you keep calling me, mydy? You do know I am just a pce worker, right?¡±

    She asked as she fastened her seatbelt.

    ¡°Not anymore, we all know you gained favor from the king, and your position in the pce changed,¡±

    He answered honestly. Sophie didn¡¯t want to know what they thought her new position in the pce was as she was sure they all thought she was the king¡¯s mistress. Why was the king hellbent on making everyone think they were together? She was tired from walking around the hospital and she didn¡¯t want to stress herself further by worrying about what the king¡¯s intentions towards her would be, so she rested her head on the car seat and closed her eyes. Last night, her dream of the kinging into her room and making love to her was much more intense and it kept her awake for most of the night after she had woken up. She had been so close to walking to the door that connected her apartment to his room but the little self-respect she had for herself kept her sane. She hoped it would help her tonight too.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Once they got back to the emerald house, Jose left her on her own and she spent the rest of the day reading a novel and wishing that she could get the man she wanted just like the female lead in the book but she knew reality was a lot harder than books.

    Unlike the other days, Sophie didn¡¯t wait up to see if the king would show up as she already knew he might not, so after she took a bath, she went to her room, got on the bed, and fell asleep. Not long after she fell asleep, he came to meet her in her dreams again, she was so used to him showing up that she didn¡¯t even protest. he walked into her room and came to where shey; he wordlessly covered her mouth with his and she opened her mouth for him as she had missed his touch, he lifted her from her sleeping position and deepened the kiss, his hands in her hair, the dream felt so real. Granted, all her other dreams felt real, but this was different, this felt deeper and more intense, it felt like he was real and she wasn¡¯t dreaming. All she could think about was how good it would be for them if just dreaming of him felt the way he did. His hands found his way to her thighs, he lifted her nightie and caressed her pussy lips as his mouth danced and fed on hers, she knew she was wet down there and wanted him to sleep a finger inside her; she spread her legs. She jumped when he slipped a finger inside her and opened her eyes in shock. She was met with an even bigger shock when she saw him, she hadn¡¯t been dreaming, he was indeed her, or maybe she was dreaming inside her dream.

    ¡°Is this a dream again?¡±

    She let out as she found a way to get out of the bed.

    ¡°What kind of dreams have you been having about me?¡±

    He asked. It didn¡¯t look like a dream anymore, it felt too real to be a dream and the ting she felt in her pussy confirmed it.

    ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that? What kind of dreams have you been having about me that you let me kiss and touch you while you are sleeping? You didn¡¯t even look that surprised, were you dreaming of me touching you?¡±

    He asked. It wasn¡¯t the question, it was the way he spoke each word that made her realize it was real, he was really here with her.

    ¡°You are really here,¡±

    She mouthed more to herself but he heard her.

    ¡°Of course, I am, now get back here and let me kiss you,¡±

    He instructed and without hesitating or protesting, she got back on the bed. He pulled her to him and mmed his lips on her, she melted into his touch, happy to finally feel him physically after spending a whole week dreaming about him.

    ¡°All week, I had to hold back, do you know how hard that was for me?¡±

    He asked and kissed her again, his hands going under her nightie to stroke her breast, she moaned into his mouth. Pregnancy made her boobs extra sensitive and she wanted him to give his whole attention to him like he had done a week ago and also in her dreams too. She missed his physical touch so much, more than she thought. Her hands went to his hair, grabbing and holding on to him as he deepened the kiss

    ¡°Oh, Sophie, I want you so much, you bewitched me,¡±

    He let out when his mouth left her again. He stopped everything, his hands falling off her breast; she wanted to cry out in frustration.

    ¡°Tell me you want this Sophie, tell me you want me,¡±

    Why was he suddenly asking her that? Was it not so obvious that she wanted him too?

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you forever Sophie, I am the king and I am expected to marry from a noble family, if we start sleeping together, it is going to be just an affair,¡±

    The bitter truth that she was already aware of came out of his mouth, even though she already knew, she still felt a pang of pain in her chest at his words but she didn¡¯t let it show, she just nodded silently.

    ¡°Does this mean you are okay with it?¡±

    He asked. He obviously wanted her to be vocal about it.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    She whispered.

    ¡°You want me and you want this? You understand that this won¡¯t lead to forever?¡±

 Chapter 59

    Lance waited for her answer even though all he wanted to do was jump her, all week, he had thought abouting to see her, about touching her and being with her, it had been a hassle not to give in and juste in for a quickie but he held his ground as he didn¡¯t want their first time to be a quickie, he had a rough week. One of the dams in the kingdom had overflowed which led to a lot of people losing their homes and he spent all his mornings paying condolence visits to those affected and his nights finding a suitable solution to the situation. He had meetings until the early mornings and even slept outside the pce two times in a row. Thankfully, everything was almost resolved already and he could finally rx. Even in the mix of the crisis, his mind kept going back to her, he knew she would be waiting for him and he hated that he kept her waiting without telling her what was going on. On the other hand, he realized that he waspletely smitten with her, it had been so long since he felt so much pull to someone; he just didn¡¯t know how he was able to deny how he felt towards her for so long when she was one of the people that always attend to him when she worked in the pce, he saw her every day as she had been one of the people that he trusted to work with him.

    He put those thoughts behind him and focused on her, she was biting her lips and her eyes weren¡¯t meeting his, he lifted her by the chin to stare into the most beautiful sets of eyes that he had ever seen.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°You have pretty eyes, everything about you is pretty, Soph,¡±

    He said and meant every word.

    ¡°So? What do you say? Do you want to do this with me?¡±

    He asked and she nodded without hesitating but he wanted to hear her say the words.

    ¡°Tell me, Soph, I want to hear you say the words,¡±

    He persuaded, pulling them both to a sitting position.

    ¡°I want this, my king,¡±

    She whispered, she moved closer to him, rxing into him, his groin twitched when her body made contact with his, she had total control of his body reaction and he wanted her so bad; he made sure they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed, he for once turned his cell phone off, if anything happens while he was with, Patrick would have to take care of it on his behalf, he highly doubted anything would happen that would need his attention at one am. He turned his attention to the woman leaning on him, after tonight, their rtionship and her status in the pce would change forever, he already made ns to make her life here in the pce more better, she would have ess to all the privileges the king¡¯s woman is supposed to have because she was his until he says otherwise and he would make sure that she gets the treatment that is befitting of the king¡¯s woman.

    ¡°I am going to kiss you if you let me, I am going to spend the whole night making love to you and with you, will you let me, Soph?¡±

    He asked his face close to hers.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    She whispered softly, her breath caressing his face.

    ¡°Good,¡±

    he muttered and covered her lips with his, he wanted to be gentle with her, but the kiss became intense pretty fast, his tongue dived into her mouth, he pushed her to a lying position and got half on top of her, his mouth never leaving hers, her fingers found their way to his hair while their mouth mated. He released her mouth and kissed her down her neck, he removed her nightie and let out a groan of satisfaction when shey there naked, it was as if she had been ready for him.

    ¡°Perfect,¡±

    He muttered, caressing her soft skin with his palms. His eyes took in her breasts and he inhaled deeply, giving in to the temptation and covering one rosy nipple with his mouth, she moaned and arched her back, giving herself totally to his touch, he groaned in satisfaction as his hand found her other boob, he fondled and caressed it, while his mouth yed with the other, his mouth found hers again, kissing her hard, his lips trailed down her body, kissing every part from her boobs to her belle, where her baby resided, he wasn¡¯t the father and didn¡¯t know who it was that got her pregnant but he was suddenly protective of the tiny life that currently resided inside her, he gently kissed and caressed her stomach before kissing down to her most private part, he lifted her legs apart and dropped a kiss on her cunt, she moaned out loud, as his mouth explored her wet heat.

    ¡°Lance,¡±

    She breathed out his name. he liked the sound of his name on her lips, and he buried his face between her legs, fucking her with his mouth. His hands rode all the way to her boobs and squeezed hard while he feasted on the moist heat between her legs, her moans of pleasure urging him on. He knew she was close but he wanted to be inside her when she came apart, so he pulled himself off her, she opened her eyes and stared at him in want and disappointment, he didn¡¯t make her wait long as he hurriedly removed his robe and shorts, he got back on the bed, kissed her on the lips, then her breast.

    ¡°Oh, Soph, I want you so much right now, I can¡¯t hold back.¡±

    He warned her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to hold back,¡±

    She responded and pulled his face to hers, iming his lips, he lifted her legs and she spread them wider for him, without breaking their lips connection, he entered her, it was like entering into treasurend, her body weed him and amodated his length, she hung on to him, moaning loudly, her moans were making him go crazy and he knew he would notst long if he doesn¡¯t distract himself, he opened his eyes and was met with her perfect boobs moving up and down with each movement, he grabbed onto them.

    ¡°Your boobs are magnificent, I could suck on them forever, you like me sucking on them, right?¡±

    He asked and she nodded.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    He asked; he slowed down his pace, moving slowly inside her, torturing the both of them, she opened her eyes and red at him.

    ¡°I want words, not a nod,¡±

    He said and stopped movingpletely when she didn¡¯t say a word. He stayed still even though she was wriggling under him in protest.

    ¡°Fuck you, Lance, you know I love it when you suck on my breast, now fuck me!¡±

    She let out aggressively.

    ¡°Oh, aggressively, I like that,¡±

    He said and moved his hips slowly, she let out a moan, quivering beneath him, barely able to hold on, she wasn¡¯t alone, he was torturing himself too, maybe because he wanted to hold on to the way he felt right now for a little longer.

    ¡°Lance, I like it, I love it when you suck on my boobs, tease them, and y with them, please, fuck me,¡±

    She said in a frustrated and pleading voice that broke all his resolve.

    ¡°That I can do mydy,¡±

    He muttered as he leaned in and took one rosy nipple into his mouth, his new favorite obsession. He started moving inside her again, this time, there were no words spoken between them, they moved together, touching and exploring each other¡¯s body as he drove into her faster, deeper, as far as he could go, their moans of pleasure filled the room. And when it was over, theyid back in bed, with his arms wrapped around her, he dropped a lingering kiss on her lips. It finally happened, he took her, she gave herself to him and he did too. Like he had thought, it was the best. He had a lot topare with and nothing felt close to how he felt with Sophie, it was sex and at the same time, it wasn¡¯t just sex. He pulled her closer to him, closed his eyes and they bothid in silence until they fell asleep.

 Chapter 60

    He barely let her sleep, he woke up with his arms around her naked breast and wanted her all over again, his hands caressed her body, from her boobs to her butt and back to her boobs, she turned into his touch, arching her back to give him more ess, he took the stance, raised his head and took one taunt nipple into his mouth, sucking hard, he lifted her so that she was straddling him, her lips found his and he let her kiss him while his hardness danced between them. He flipped her to the side and imed her boobs again sucking on them, and her giggles of pleasure turned on even more, he liked how she wasn¡¯t shy with him or afraid to touch him back, he sucked on her boobs while his hand caressed her butt, sizing the perfectness in his hands, he got up andid over her still sucking her boobs, she loved it when he did and he wanted to give her all the pleasure. His lips found hers again and kissed hard.

    ¡°Oh, Soph, you don¡¯t know what you do to me,¡±

    He whispered into her mouth and she moaned in response, heid back and pulled her to him so that they wereying side by side, and he lifted her legs and entered her. His cock moving inside her, he held unto her waist as he moved faster inside her, his hunger for her increasing, he lifted himself so that he was on top of herpletely and spread her legs further. he kissed her, sucked on her boobs, yed with them, lifted her legs and buried his face between her legs, feasting on her. She grabbed his hair, urging him on, hepped on her wetness for a while before he climbed back up and imed her lips again as he pushed himself into her wetness.

    ¡°OHHHHH, that feels so good.¡±

    she moaned, lifting her legs higher, he shuddered with pleasure as he drove deeper and deeper into her, she gasped out his name and clutched at his shoulders like a woman who was drowning. He spoke words of sweetness into her ears as they moved together in ancient rhythm until he heard her make a helpless little cry and felt her begin to convulse around him, he let go too, bringing her over the edge with him. One sweet and erotic spasm after another racked through him, until he felt as if he had been wrung out and left to dry. Her head fell back against the pillow, he could feel the quiver of her unsteady breath as she panted and tried to catch her breath. heid next to her, breathing heavily too. this was like nothing he had ever experienced. It was more. It was better. He didn¡¯t know for how long theyid there just that it seemed like warm and satiated bliss. As if they were in their private erotic bubble. He only opened his eyes when he felt the bed shift and saw her walking away naked.

    ¡°Soph?¡±

    He called. She stopped walking and turned around, her breast heavy in front of her and calling for his attention. He was obsessed with how perfect they were, round and luscious. She shook his head, he needed to stop obsessing over her boobs even though with the way she was standing and looking at him, it was hard for him not to.

    ¡°Want to take a shower?¡±

    He asked. He was sure that¡¯s what she wanted to do. He couldn¡¯t me her as they were both sticky from the exchange of body fluid.

    ¡°how do you know that?¡±

    She asked folding her hands over her chest, her boobs popping up with the movement, heughed to distract himself from how his groin hardened. He just had her not too long ago and he already wanted her again. The woman was everything, and she seemed to be aware of it. He liked that she wasn¡¯t being formal with him, right now, he wasn¡¯t the king but just a man who wanted her so much.

    ¡°You want me to join you?¡±

    He asked, ignoring her question, he expected her to say no, they already had each other twice, and she must be tired. That was what he thought but then she gave him a look.

    ¡°You want me to join you?¡±

    He asked again to be sure and she nodded before shyly walking away, he didn¡¯t wait to be told twice, like why was she suddenly shy when they have done the deed twice already, maybe because she knew they would not just be showering and calling it a day, he walked into the bathroom and met her under the shower, her perfect butt weing him. he walked up to her and hugged her from behind, they stood like that for a moment, letting the water flow between them but he could only endure standing with her like that without doing anything for so long. He switched off the water, turned her to face him, and mmed his lips on hers, she didn¡¯t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck. He lifted her into his arms with her back against the bathroom wall, his mouth settled on her neck, nibbling and kissing her there while he held her still with one hand and guided himself into her with his other hand.

    ¡°Yes!!!¡±

    She moaned out loud when he entered her.

    ¡°This is what you wanted right? You knew I would not be able to resist taking you against the wall, you dirty girl,¡±

    He teased as he drove into her, her mouth opened like she wanted to say something but instead of words, it was moans of pleasure that came out of her mouth, he smiled and took her lips again, feeding on her mouth while he drove into her fast and hard.

    ¡°Yes, fuck, just like that, oh, yeah, oh, fuck yes,¡±

    Sophie let out when he released her mouth. Her moans urged him on, he dropped her on her toes and turned her around so that she had her back against him, she held onto the wall and he entered her through the back, he didn¡¯t slow down his pace as he fucked her fast and hard, bring pleasure to the both of them.

    After it was over, they showered together, a first for him, he had never showered with a woman before, not even with her, well, he couldn¡¯t me anyone for that, they had both been each other¡¯s first and they were too shy after to even look at each other yet alone take a bath together, that didn¡¯t change as their rtionship progressed and it didn¡¯t change until the end. He shook his head to clear her thoughts, he couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t be thinking of a woman in his past while with another, especially not her, Regina was his past, a past that he would never get back and never wanted back. The life that he thought was his until it was taken away and he was left with the pieces and a hopeless hope to carry on, he had been drowning in his self-pain and loss when the call hade for him toe back home, it had been part of the reason he didn¡¯t think twice before moving and once he became temporary king, he forgot about herpletely, until she called him, asking to be back in his life, begging and apologizing for breaking up with him and breaking his heart. like a fool, he had believed her.

    He got on the ne even though he was freshly made temporary king and went to her, he would have given her everything, even gone as far as making her his queen but then he found out the reason she had wanted him back, no, not because she loved him but because she wanted the name that came with him, wanted to be queen, he overheard her talking to someone on the phone. She somehow found out his status and his new position after it was announced that he was the new king and decided to capitalize on the feelings she knew he had for her, it was painful to hear the woman he loved and who he thought loved him say the words he heard.

    He didn¡¯t wait for her to exin because he didn¡¯t need any exnation, he heard her words loud and clear. He turned around and walked out of that hotel room, blocked her everywhere, and came back to Otano, with the promise that he would never fall in love again and that still stands even though years have passed.

    ¡°My king?¡±

    Her voice brought him back to reality and he realized his hands had stilled in her hair, so he resumed wiping them. He shouldn¡¯t be having those thoughts right now, he should be focused on Sophie and what they were sharing.

    ¡°I was carried away for a while, let¡¯s go back to bed,¡±

    He said; putting all thoughts of his past at the back of his mind. He led her out of the bathroom into the bedroom, she walked to her side of the bed andid down and he got in with her, pulling the cover over them. He wordlessly pulled her to him and dropped a kiss on her lips, then her forehead.

    ¡°Gets some sleep,¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    He told her and she responded by snuggling into him. Before long, she was fast asleep and he also fell asleep too.

 Chapter 61

    Sophie woke up in the king¡¯s arms, she couldn¡¯t help the smile that formed on her face and lips when she remembered just how well the king had loved her upst night, their first time was nothingpared to what happenedst night, the first, he had been drunk and she had to sneak out of his room once she woke up and the next day, he didn¡¯t remember anything happened between them, he didn¡¯t even spare her any look, so she couldn¡¯tpare it tost night when he had looked her in the eyes while he thrust into her. there was nothing topare to how well he treated her whole bodyst night, the best sex of her life and just thinking about what happenedst night made her horny all over again, she still couldn¡¯t believe she was able to pull such a man, he was way out of her league but here he was in bed with her andst night, he had showered her with some much praises and endearing words. She turned to face him. He was so beautiful while sleeping. She lifted her fingers to his face and gently caressed his full eyebrows, her fingers slowly caressed his whole face, setting on his lips, those lips that did things to herst night, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips, softly so as not to wake him, his breathing slowed down and for a moment, she thought he was awake but when she looked, his eyes were still close, she shifted a little and was reminded that they were both naked beneath the bed cover. She stilled when her body grazed his groin, he was aroused. Her face reddened. Even though he wasn¡¯t awake yet, he was already hard. She knew that once he woke up, they would make love again and that made her hot. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had morning sex, and just thinking about how it would be like made her want to wake him up with kisses so that it would happen sooner but she knew he was tired, he had been busy all week and couldn¡¯t get much sleepst night because they couldn¡¯t get enough of each other.

    She couldn¡¯t resist the urge to touch his face again and leave soft lingering kisses on his lips, when she lifted her head again, his eyes were opened.

    ¡°You are awake,¡±

    She whispered and removed her hand from his face, she withdrew her whole body andid on her side of the bed, feeling stupid for being caught admiring and kissing the king. She covered her face with both hands when she felt his piercing gaze on her. Her face was all red and she was sure of it.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be shy, I know I am a work of art, you can look all you want, kiss me, touch me,¡±

    He said, removing her hands from her face and pulling her back to him. He was so unserious right now that she couldn¡¯t even think of him as the same man who was the ruler of a great kingdom. At the moment, he felt like any man, no, not any man, he felt like he belonged to her.

    ¡°Sophie,¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    He muttered her name and lifted her chin so that she was looking directly into his eyes before closing the small gap between them, his mouth colliding with hers. She melted against him, enjoying the feel of his mouth on hers, she wanted to wake up like this, wake up and his kiss being the first thing she tasted in the morning. It was like heaven, she felt wanted and desired.

    ¡°I want you again, I can¡¯t get enough of you, you bewitched me woman,¡±

    He lifted her so that she was on top of him. He imed her mouth as he guided her body and he was inside her again. She rode him, his hands on her boobs, squeezing and fondling. Nothing beats morning sex. It was the best way to start the day and she enjoyed the feel of him deep inside her. It was everything she imagined and more. His hand snuck around her waist, and his mouth found her nipples and sucked hard as she continued to ride him. The feel of his mouth on her breast and the sensation of his cock inside her pussy drove her over the edge and she screamed out her orgasm. He was there with her as he came and spilled his seed inside her. They both copsed on the bed after, breathing heavily.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt the baby, right?¡±

    He asked, after a long moment of silence and just basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking. His question shocked her, she felt like a horrible mom because she had not once thought about the baby throughout the night, not like their making love could hurt or harm the baby in any way, it was so nice of him to have asked. She smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t, she is okay, I am allowed to have sex,¡±

    She answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know, so? Are you still not going to tell me anything about the baby?¡±

    He asked. Sophie moved away from him at his question, she didn¡¯t want to be answering questions like that.

    ¡°My king, I, the thing is, I,¡±

    She stammered.

    ¡°It is okay, I am not forcing it out of you Soph, it is okay if you don¡¯t want to tell me,¡±

    He said and reached out for her, she moved closer to him and he held her in his arms.

    ¡°As long as you are okay, and the baby daddy isn¡¯t going to show up here and demand for you and the baby,¡±

    He sounded so possessive saying the words that for a moment, she deluded herself into thinking he wanted her just for himself, she was quick to correct herself and dead those thoughts, whatever they have is temporary and might not evenst till she gives birth, he just doesn¡¯t want anyone to create and scene and there was no reason for him to be worried about that because her baby daddy would nevere to the pce, he was already here and with her, he just didn¡¯t know it and she intends on keeping it that way. She wasn¡¯t going to tell him, she was going to keep it a secret and when the time came for, her to leave the pce, she would take the secret with her and raise her child by herself. He would never know.

    ¡°Sophie?¡±

    He called and she realized she had not answered his question.

    ¡°There is no need to worry, no one wille to im us, we are here for as long as you want us to be,¡±

    She answered and forced a smile, she suddenly felt cold and pulled the bed cover, he noticed and helped her with it.

    ¡°Good, because I don¡¯t know if I can hold back if anyonees here and demands what¡¯s mine, I might do something that won¡¯t be nice,¡±

    Again, he sounded possessive and even called her his; yet again, she told herself that he meant until their affairst, she knew the moment his interest in her was gone, he would not mind if anyone came for her. Sheid in his arms in silence.

    ¡°So? Last night? Fun right? You want to keep doing this with me right? Until we get tired of us?¡±

    The king asked. He was being straightforward with her even though she hated the thought of him getting tired of her because she knew she would never be tired of him. She was d he was being straight-forward with her and also giving her a choice to pull out but the thing is, she didn¡¯t want to pull out. She wanted to keep doing it with him even though she knew she might get hurt in the long run.

    ¡°Yes, my king, I want to keep doing this with you, for as long as you will have me,¡±

    She responded to him and he smiled.

    ¡°Good, also, call me Lance, not a lot of people call my name, I like it when you do it,¡±

    He told her.

    ¡°Of course, Lance,¡±

    She responded. He drew her to him again and imed her lips. They made love again on the bed. He pulled her to the bathroom with him where he made love to her again before they showered together, once they came back, she thought he would just leave but she was wrong because he pulled the towel away from her naked body, pulled her back on the bed with him and once again, he fucked her senseless until all that she could think about was him and him alone. But then, he had to leave because he had things to do and a kingdom to run. She didn¡¯t like that he was leaving but she couldn¡¯t hold him back.

    ¡°I will see youter today, be ready for me,¡±

    He told her as parting words when he finished dressing up and was about to leave. she smiled. He once again kissed her before he walked away, leaving her on her own with the memories of what they shared through the night and this morning. She covered her face with her hands as her face reddened. Her whole body tingled as a result of the attention that he had given her. No part of her body was left untouched by him.

 Chapter 62

    ¡°Why are you in such a good mood? You are acting suspiciously,¡±

    Patrick asked when it was just the two of them in his office. he had meetings to attend to and had been busy since morning but for some reason, he was tired but went through each meeting with a genuine smile, he honestly was expecting Patrick to question him soon but he took so long that he had begun to believe the man decided to back off. He thought too soon.

    ¡°Why is my being in a good mood suspicious? Can¡¯t a king just be happy? Do you have a thing against happy people,¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but up until we arrived at the pce yesterday evening, you were in a foul mood, sulking and being a grumpy jerk,¡±

    Patrick reminded him. It was normal for him to be that way, he had been tired and also burnt out, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to stay that way. He couldn¡¯t stay that way.

    ¡°Patrick, I had a rough week, a crisis happened and I had to work hard to fix it. What did you expect? Now I am well rested, I had a great night and my mood has lifted,¡±

    Lance said in his defense; he didn¡¯t sleep muchst night but he felt good and rxed. Sleep deprived but the sex made up for that. Sex was a great way to rx and sex with Sophie had been the best way to rx after the long week he had. Just thinking about it made him want to be inside her again, buried deep in her heavenly wetness with her moaning out his name and burying her fingers in his hair.

    ¡°You were with herst night, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Patrick asked. Giving him a look. Lance knew he was referring to Sophie, who else would he be with?

    ¡°Yes, is there a problem with that?¡±

    Lance asked in response. Thankfully, they were alone because he knew Patrick was about to go into scolding and nagging mode again.

    ¡°You slept with her? I told you not to do it, you just don¡¯t listen to me, God, Lancelot, you are going to regret this,¡±

    Patrick let out. Lance shook his head, there was no point in trying to tell Patrick that there was no way he would regret his decision, who would regret the best sex ever? Certainly not him. In fact, he would have regretted it if he had held back andst night didn¡¯t happen. He smiled when the memories of what they didst night flooded back into his head.

    ¡°You are smiling, fuck, you are in love with her,¡±

    Patrick went on, the man was out of his mind. How did they suddenly go from sleeping with her to falling in love with her so fast? The man was just crazy.

    ¡°How can I be in love with her? Patrick, we had sex, I am not in love with her and both of us know that it is just sex, you are the only one going crazy with the idea that I will regret it and also going on about love, I have had sex with a number of women and I haven¡¯t fallen for them, stop acting like sex equals to love because it does not,¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t see the problem? Bro? you are smiling like an idiot after just one night with her? This isn¡¯t like your other sexual encounter, this one got you, and I feel bad for her because whatever you guys are doing will only affect her, she will get a lot of hits, you should stop now while it is still early,¡±

    He warned. He was crazy to think he would stop after just one night with Sophie, never, he wanted her even more now and he was going to keep having her until he got tired or she wanted out. Hopefully, she will not want out soon.

    ¡°I am not going to stop, I like her, I like having her in my bed, we fit so well, she wants me too, we are both adults and we are going to keep doing each other,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°You like her? That¡¯s a close call to falling in love with her, Lord, you are going to be in big trouble when you finally realize it,¡±

    Patrick went on.

    ¡°Patrick, I know when I am in love, it happened once and we both know how that ended. It won¡¯t happen again and certainly won¡¯t happen with a woman I know that I can¡¯t have forever, I know what I am doing, and both Sophie and I know what we are doing, we know it is temporary so calm your horses, you are no fun when all you do is nag me, let me enjoy this in peace okay?¡±

    He told him firmly. Patrick frowned.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t talk about it anymore, good luck,¡±

    He finally gave in, for now. Lance was sure he would be back talking about it soon.

    ¡°Good,¡±

    Lance said and there was silence in the office for a little over ten minutes with Patrick typing away on his tablet and Lance reading through the file he had with him. Lance was counting the minutes until he could get out of the office and go be with Sophie again, he wanted to be able to spend the whole day with her but he knew that would be impossible for a while, so he had to make do with the time they could get and make the most of it. If it was up to him, he would whisk them both to a ce where they could be together all day long until they got tired of each other. One of the cons of being a king, he couldn¡¯t just up and go for a vacation without a long period of preparation to make sure things would run smoothly even with him gone.

    ¡°Aha, I just remembered, I spoke with the princess and she said she would like to meet with you,¡±

    Patrick announced, breaking the silence, Lance looked up from what he was doing, he hadn¡¯t spoken or heard from the princess since thest time she called him after she left the pce.

    ¡°What does she want to talk to me about?¡±

    He asked. He hoped it wasn¡¯t about the wedding again, if he hadn¡¯t called it off, the pce would have been buzzing with people by now in preparations for the wedding that would have taken ce this weekend. He was d he called it off, if not, he would never have been able to have the best night of his life with Sophie. In the end, even though she wasn¡¯t originally the reason he called off the wedding, she became a part of it. They would never have shared what they sharedst night if he had not called it off.

    ¡°Business, she said she wants to open a business here in Otano, I think that¡¯s part of the reason why she was so adamant about making the marriage with you work, she had ns but you called off the wedding. I think she decided to go ahead with her ns even though you guys aren¡¯t getting married anymore,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°She is smart for not giving up her ns just because we didn¡¯t get married. Anyway, what kind of business is she nning to start here? We spoke the other time and she said it in passing, I haven¡¯t spoken to her since to find out what,¡±

    Lance asked. The princess was a whole different kind of human, the fact that she was still in Otano even after a week had passed and she hadn¡¯t said or done anything to the press, he knew they would be asking her questions and all.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t say yet, she wants to meet you in person, for some reason, she wanted me to be the one to set up the meeting with you,¡±

    ¡°She sees you as my assistant,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Lance said in a mocking tone.

    ¡°I know, she refused to change that so I just decided to run with it, I mean, I am kind of like your assistant,¡±

    ¡°Wow, Patrick? What did she do to you? Are you in love with her or something?¡±

    Lance asked. Throwing the same questions that he had been asking him about Sophie at him, he frowned. Well, now he knows what it felt like.

    ¡°You are out of your mind, you damn well know the princess and I aren¡¯t anywhere near what you are doing with Sophie, don¡¯t even think of using that tune with me,¡±

    ¡°Loosen up, Patrick, the princess is a hot catch, don¡¯t act like she isn¡¯t a catch, you don¡¯t want to fumble her,¡±

    He scolded.

    ¡°Oh, like you did?¡±

    Patrick was too good with words and Lance concluded that he could never win against the man.

    ¡°My case is different, I told you, we are notpatible in any way,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and you think we arepatible? You think a princess would settle for an assistant to the king after getting dumped by the king?¡±

    Lance couldn¡¯t believe Patrick was looking down on himself, the man was second to him in the pce, and everyone listened to him and respected him, he was cutting himself short and not seeing that he had a noble name and a princess or anyone would want to be with him.

 Chapter 63

    ¡°You are selling yourself short again, you are not my assistant, you are my right-hand man, the princess or anyone else would be lucky to be with you even though you are sometimes a pain in the ass, you are a great catch too,¡±

    Lanceplimented.

    ¡°Yeah, words, I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the princess or any woman for that matter,¡±

    ¡°Wait? Are you into men? I can definitely find a willing partner for you,¡±

    Lance said. The look that Patrick gave him could possibly make a weak man tremble.

    ¡°What? Why are you giving me dead res? Did I lie?¡±

    He asked; he knew he was trading on hot water and he might get burnt but he didn¡¯t back out, this was his way of paying his best friend back for all the times he had taunted him about Sophie.

    ¡°Why would you think I am into men? Have you not known me long enough to know my sexuality?¡±

    ¡°Well, it does change though, you might have found your true self, things change,¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t,¡±

    Patrick let out. He looked annoyed.

    ¡°Too bad, I have the perfect man in mind,¡±

    ¡°You can keep him, I don¡¯t want him, even if I am into men, why will I let you find one for you?¡±

    ¡°Why? I am just looking out for you, you should getid, you are acting grumpy because it has been a long time since you felt the intimate touch of someone special,¡±

    ¡°Like you are doing with your someone special?¡±

    Patrick asked and Lance nodded.

    ¡°Yes, you should getid, once you do, you will loosen up a little, you are too uptight these days and I think it is because you are sex deprived,¡±

    ¡°You and I both know that¡¯s not real fucker, I think she got into your head too much that you are now saying anything thates to your head, at least you finally agreed that she is your someone special,¡±

    Patrick said as if he caught him.

    ¡°I never said she wasn¡¯t, I mean even before I slept with her, she was already special, I could fall asleep and sleep peacefully when she is with me, even before that, I have always beenfortable with her around, she has been my favorite since I met her,¡±

    Lance stated. Everything he said was the truth, thinking about it now, if he had not been blinded to his want for her, they would have ended up in bed together sooner and she might not have met her baby daddy, whoever that bastard was, Lance hated him for having his Sophie first, getting her pregnant and not taking responsibility for the child.

    ¡°Yeah, you are definitely going to fall for her, my guess is you already did but you just don¡¯t know it yet,¡±

    Patrick said. Once again, he was back to the love discussion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Roseline, shall we? He asked.

    ¡°Sure,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°You can set up the meeting with her, I will hear what she has to say before I decide if she can do it in Otano, have you heard anything from her people?¡±

    Lance asked. Her brother the king and her parents have been quiet since he called off the wedding, not like he needed their allegiance but he just wanted to know how they felt about what happened.

    ¡°Roseline said she spoke with them, told them she would find a man they would like, she promised them she would be married soon, that woman was and is too good to you even though you don¡¯t deserve it, she literally supported you, you should be grateful that she is a good person, if I was in her shoes, I would make my peoplee for you,¡±

    Patrick let out. knowing Roseline as he did now, he didn¡¯t doubt for once that she would do what Patrick had said she did.

    ¡°Thankfully, you are not the princess,¡±

    He said. Maybe he should call her again, she did say they were good and could be friends, he hoped the business she wanted to do in Otano was something that he could easily allow, he wanted to pay her back for not causing a scene and for not sending her people to do too.

    ¡°I still think you should meet up with her brother, out of respect for him, what happened should not just go by like that, it doesn¡¯t have to be a physical meeting, I can set up the call,¡±

    Patrick advised. For the first time in weeks, he finally gave advice that Lance could easily agree to.

    ¡°Sure, set it up and I will speak with him, but inform Roseline first, I don¡¯t want to talk to her brother blindly,¡±

    Lance responded with a yawn, he was tired, he barely got any sleepst night and he had been busy since he woke up, he wanted to retire now but he knew that once he went back to his chamber, he would not be sleeping. He already told Soph that he would be back for her.

    ¡°I will speak to her and set up the meeting,¡±

    Patrick responded and Lance nodded. His mind suddenly became too upied with the beautiful woman he had left in bed.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°The meeting with the group of specialists that you wanted to speak with concerning the permanent solution for the dam situation are already in the pce, should I ask for them toe here or are you going to use the bigger office?¡±

    Patrick asked. Yeah, the reason he couldn¡¯t be with Sophie just yet, he had to speak with the specialists, he gave them a week to find a permanent solution to prevent the dam from overflowing again and he had to hear back from them. He didn¡¯t want a repeat of what happened, they were lucky this time and no one died but a lot of families lost their homes and personal belongings and he didn¡¯t want that to happen again.

    ¡°It is just four of them? Let them in here,¡±

    He answered. Patrick spoke on the phone and a couple of minutester, the specialist showed up and Lance stood up to wee them. They spent the next two hours going over the solutions they suggested and after a long deliberation, they came to a conclusion.

    ¡°Thank you, gentlemen men, anddy for honoring my invitation and also finding a suitable solution,¡±

    Lance said when he followed them out of his office.

    ¡°Thank you for having us and for giving us the chance to do our jobs, Your Majesty,¡±

    The only woman among them spoke, it was obvious that she was the spokesperson and she was smart too, he smiled with respect.

    ¡°Have a nice evening,¡±

    He said and they all responded and left; he turned to Patrick who was standing behind him.

    ¡°So? Can I go and rest now? Today was stressful, I need to rest,¡±

    Lance said but he didn¡¯t like the look on Patrick¡¯s face.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    He asked, hoping that whatever it was wasn¡¯t that serious.

    ¡°There is an issue with where the goods for the people affected by the flooding were stored, it has been flooded and we need to move them or nothing can be saved,¡±

    He disclosed. Lance let out a tired sigh, he should have known.

    ¡°Why are you standing there? Let¡¯s go,¡±

    He said already on his way out.

    ¡°My king, you don¡¯t have to go there, there are people there who can take care of everything,¡±

    Patrick said but Lance wasn¡¯t having that.

    ¡°Patrick, my people are the reason I am king, why would I just sit in the pce when I can be out there helping? Don¡¯t even try to talk me out of it, I am going there and I am not just going to stand and watch, I am going to help, I am not an old man. What¡¯s the point of having a young king if I can¡¯t work?¡±

    he let out.

    ¡°I understand what you mean, I am just saying it iste, we might not return to the pce today if we leave now,¡±

    ¡°Is that a problem? Won¡¯t there be a ce where I can pass the night?¡±

    He question.

    Of course, there is, I am Sorry, Your Highness,¡±

    Patrick apologized and they silently walked to the car which would take them to the ce. He suddenly remembered Sophie and let out another sigh before bringing out his phone. Thankfully, he had thought of installing a house phone in her apartment. He dialed the number hoping that she would pick up.

 Chapter 64

    Sophie was shocked when the line that Jose had installed went off, she hadpletely forgotten about it and if it had not gone off, she would never have remembered it was there, she walked to it and picked it up.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    She whispered wondering who it was among the king, Jose, and Riley who could have ess to it. She slept for most part of the day after the king had left. It has been so long that she has stayed awake all night fucking that she was all sore and tired but very satisfied.

    ¡°Soph,¡±

    The king¡¯s voice echoed over the phone, it was hard to miss his voice when it carried so much authority and power, and at the same time, it left her weak to her knees with how sensual he sounded.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    She responded.

    ¡°I am sorry, but I have some things to deal with outside of the pce and I won¡¯t be back tonight,¡±

    He told her. Her heart sank because she had been expecting him to show up anytime. Still, it felt nice that he called to tell her instead of just leaving her hanging and waiting blindly for him, plus, he even apologized. She got the king apologizing to her, it felt like a dream. She was screwing the number citizen of Otano and carrying his child, the thought of her baby left a lump in her throat, in an alternate world, she would tell the king the child belonged to him and they would end up together but this was reality and all she was going to get was this temporary rtionship that they have.

    ¡°Soph?¡±

    The king¡¯s voice echoed over the phone again and she realized he was waiting for her to respond.

    ¡°I understand, my king, please take care of yourself,¡±

    She responded to him.

    ¡°I will, you do the same and I will see you once I get back,¡±

    He said and hung up. She missed him immediately the line went dead.

    ¡°I guess I have to sleep alone tonight, cons of hooking up with the king,¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sophie let out as she walked back to her room, she contemted going to the other room due to what she had done with the king the previous night in the room she uses and the fact that he wasn¡¯t going to be there with her tonight but she decided to torture herself by going to her room, it wasn¡¯t sote yet but she saw no reason why she should stay awake, she got on the bed and memories of the night she spent with the king flooded her head. She wanted him again but sadly she couldn¡¯t have him tonight.

    ¡°Patience Sophie, patience, he would be back,¡±

    She consoled herself. She fell asleep to the memories that they shared on the bed and like he had done the week that they couldn¡¯t be together, he visited her in her dream and made slow burnt love to her. She woke up the next morning horny as fuck, she hoped he would be back like he promised because she couldn¡¯t go days without him being inside her. It would drive her crazy and she was sure of it.

    Sophie took her bath, even though she was horny and wanted the king back, she was still in a happy mood, not as happy as she had been the previous day but still happy, she sang to herself and the baby as she got ready, she nned on continuing the cardigan that she was knitting for her little one, she wished she had videos she could learn with so that it would turn out even more perfect but she couldn¡¯t ask the king for tv, she didn¡¯t want to ask him for anything. Since Riley became her personal aid, the others stoppeding to the emerald house, only Riley came in to serve her and she at least spoke to her even though she didn¡¯t stay long.

    The door to the emerald house opened and Sophie looked up from what she was doing, she expected Riley to show up with her lunch but it wasn¡¯t lunch that she brought, she had luggage with her, which she dropped in the living room after greeting her, before Sophie could ask her what it was for, she already left. She came back with Jose who carried more things, she could only watch as they went back and forth, bringing things into the living room.

    ¡°What the hell is all these for?¡±

    Soph asked when they were finally done; looking from Riley to Jose. A luggage, plenty of various snacks, bottled water, and juice, she was sure the luggage contained clothes and the most surprising of all was the TV, as if the king had her thoughts earlier. She was sure everything was from the king. Who else would have so many things sent to her?

    ¡°The king asked for these to be delivered to you,¡±

    I know these are from the king, my question is why? What are these for?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°Mydy, that question is quite difficult to answer, you have to ask the king directly,¡±

    Riley answered. Sophie was still not used to being addressed as mydy; she still didn¡¯t want to be called that.

    ¡°My name is Sophie, I have told you that before, mydy? I am not royalty and I don¡¯t have a status in this pce,¡±

    Sophie told her. She knew it was useless trying to talk her out of referring to her as that but she would keep trying. She watched as they started pacing the things that they brought in ce, she was right about the luggage containing new clothes, she carried it to the room she was using and brought everything out, they looked expensive and way out of any budget she would ever have. Sophie waited until Riley and Jose left before she decided to call the king. she knew she should just ept whatever he gives her but she didn¡¯t want gifts in exchange for sex, that wasn¡¯t who she was and it would never be, better to stop it now thanter even though it seemed like the nicest gesture for the man she was fucking, she didn¡¯t just want it to be the norm for them she wasn¡¯t sleeping with him for the things she can gain from him. She was with him because she wanted him. Against her better judgment, she picked up the phone and pressed the speed dial button. She felt anxious while waiting for him to pick up, she half expected him not to but he did after the second ring.

    ¡°Why did you tell them to bring all these? I don¡¯t need any of these things, Your Majesty,¡±

    Sophie let out once he took the call, she forgot her manners and hoped he would not reprimand her for it.

    ¡°Soph,¡±

    His voice echoed over the line and her heartbeat increased. His voice was enough to do things to her, she shook her head to clear her thoughts, she shouldn¡¯t fall in love with him, she already liked him too much for her own good and he was doing the most, gifting her things that she would never have had ess to. At least he didn¡¯t scold her. He sounded tired, he must have been busy throughout the whole day, yet he still made time out to tell Jose to get those things for her. Heck, he was making it hard for her not to like him even more.

    ¡°My king, you didn¡¯t have to, I don¡¯t need those things, I have been doing fine without a TV and so many fancy clothes, not like I am going anywhere,¡±

    She told him.

    ¡°Soph, I am already on my way back to the pce, I will see you soon and you can tell me about it,¡±

    He responded and hung up on her, Soph red at the phone.

    ¡°Well, at least, he would be back soon,¡±

    She said and a smile formed on her face. She suddenly felt excited knowing that hising back would mean more of what happened the previous day. Even though he said he was on his way, he didn¡¯t show up until after nine p. m., she was so ready for him to call and say he couldn¡¯t make it again when the door that connected his chambers to the emerald house opened and he walked in.

 Chapter 65

    Soph stood up as soon as the king walked in, she didn¡¯t know what to expect but she definitely didn¡¯t think he would walk fast to her, pull her into his arms, and immediately m his lips on hers. That¡¯s what he did. Not like she wasining, she liked how forward he was with her and held on to him as they both kissed each other breathlessly.

    ¡°All day, all through the night yesterday, I thought of this, ofing back and having you again,¡±

    He let out when they broke apart, while his hands were busy on her body, he pulled her shirt off and inhaled. She hadn¡¯t bothered to wear a bra and the man liked her boobs a little too much.

    ¡°Aha, this is it, this is what I want toe back to every time,¡±

    He whispered as he bent his head and took her nipple in his mouth while drawing her closer to him with his hand on her waist, she let out a moan as sweet shivers of pure pleasure shimmered through her, the fact that he wanted so much toe back to her made her feel powerful.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know just what was going on in my head while I helped the people, I should feel guilt for having those thoughts while trying to help,¡±

    He let out. he lifted his head and pressed a sweet kiss on her lips, Sophie wanted to know what happened and who he was helping but she wasn¡¯t so sure if he would be open to telling her and she didn¡¯t even have the chance to ask as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He dumped her on the bed and no words were spoken between them for the next twenty minutes, just moans of pleasure filled the room. He must have been tired because, unlike the previous day, he fell asleep when they were done and she watched him for a long time before she fell asleep too. With him in the room with her, she was able to get afortable sleep, she woke up the next morning to his kisses and he made love to her. He didn¡¯t have to leave early so after they took their bath, they shared the breakfast that Riley had brought for her and went back to bed, the king barely said anything and fell asleep, his tiredness got the best of him. She also fell asleep. When she finally opened her eyes, it was almost eleven a. m. Sophie turned to the king, she thought he would be sleeping but he was watching her. The stuff he talked about the previous night came to her mind again and she decided to ask him, if he decided not to tell her, she would not mind.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    She whispered.

    ¡°Lancelot, Lance, babe, there are a lot of other ways my woman can call me, I am not the king right now, I am just Lance, a man who can¡¯t get enough of you,¡±

    He said. The way he said the words, made what they had seem more special than it was, made her want to wish for the impossible; she had to remind herself that it was all temporary and all about lust.

    ¡°Lance,¡±

    ¡°Oh, what a shame, I thought you would call me babe,¡±

    He said and she shook her head. How is this the same man who canmand a whole army and who has the power to dere war and end a person? Like he said, right now, he seemed like just a man, her man. She could at least say that because he referred to her as his woman.

    ¡°What did you want to ask me?¡±

    He asked when she didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°I wanted to know what you were doing outside the pce yesterday and you talked about helping people, who?¡±

    She asked. She expected him to rebuke her and tell her to know her ce but he sat up on the bed and regarded her with a look.

    ¡°The dam overflowed and a lot of people were affected, that¡¯s what I spent the whole ofst week fixing. I got a call that the relief materials that were stored for the affected people also got affected so I had to go there to make sure everything was okay, we worked throughout the night and the early hours of yesterday, everything is okay now,¡±

    He exined. Sophie couldn¡¯t say a word, she knew just how devastating disasters like that can be for the people affected, at least, they had a good king who was willing to help, not just help but also lend a hand.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why do you look like you are about to cry?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Hormones, I get emotional easily,¡±

    Sophie responded, wiping the tears that gathered in her eyes.

    ¡°No one was hurt, right?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°Yeah, thankfully,¡±

    He responded. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. The position was so intimate that for a moment, she let herself believe that for him, she was more than a fuck buddy, that he cared about her just as much as she cared about him.

    ¡°I like this, my whole life, I only had one friend, now I feel like you can be my friend too, my woman, my friend,¡±

    Oh, if he keeps saying things like that to her, it would be so hard not to fall in love with him. At least she got her answer, he didn¡¯t just see her as someone he bedded but as a friend too.

    ¡°I want to be your friend,¡±

    She told him, and he smiled and pecked her on the lips.

    ¡°So? What were you telling me on the phone?¡±

    He asked, reminding her of the call she had made earlier before he came.

    ¡°Right,¡±

    Sophie said and removed herself from his arms and stood up from the bed, she needed to be away from him as much as possible to be able to talk without him touching her, she contemted putting on a shirt but, in the end, she opted for just talking naked. If he wants to have her, he has to listen to what she has to say and agree first.

    ¡°Why do you need to leave the bed to talk to me?¡±

    He protested. She refused to give in and let him manipte her intoing back to the bed.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I need a clear head to speak,¡±

    ¡°Really? A clear head while I suffer seeing you naked without being able to touch you? Come on Soph,¡±

    He persuaded but she stood her ground.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to buy me those things, I don¡¯t need them, okay, I do need the TV but I was doing fine without one, the snacks and basic things are okay but the clothes? They are so expensive, please don¡¯t gift me things like that,¡±

    She told him. He didn¡¯t even look like he was listening to what she was saying.

    ¡°Lance? You can¡¯t go about giving me things and getting me a personal aid and bodyguard, don¡¯t do those things for him,¡±

    She added but he remained silent, she ced her hand on her waist and gave him a look.

 Chapter 66

    The woman was daring, he could give her that, she was a whole lot of things too, including beautiful and sexy, how she could stand naked in front of him and tell him so firmly what he could and could not do for her, Patrick was right, she had him wrapped around her fingers, what to do, she was cute. Yesterday, it had taken everything in him not to drive back to the pce when he had finished but everyone including the driver and even the bodyguards had been tried after they finished taking out all the things they could save from the store. He couldn¡¯t get any sleep and once it was dawn, he had to find a temporary solution for the stuff that was saved and also find a way to dispose of the damaged ones. Patrick had told him to go back to the pce but he refused. He didn¡¯t want to be a king who only sat in the pce and gave instructions, he wanted to participate and the people, even though they didn¡¯t say a word, clearly appreciated it. He hated seeing his people suffer and he promised them he would do his best. As it stands, everyone who was affected by the overflowing of the dam was safe and once the part affected was dry uppletely, he nned on helping them rebuild everything that they lost. Right now, he was lying in bed, with his woman standing naked and ring at him. He gave her his full attention.

    ¡°Say something,¡±

    She urged. He smiled knowing that what he had to tell her was not what she would want to hear from him. He has always been generous with the women he bedded, in fact, he hasn¡¯t even done half of it for Sophie and she already wanted him to stop, wait till she finds out he had ns of finding an apartment for her outside of the pce once she decides that she doesn¡¯t want to live in the pce anymore even though he hoped that she would not make that decision soon because he wanted her close to him but if she decides to move out, he would not hold her back.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    She called. It was hard to take her seriously when she was standing naked with one hand on her hips. Her body was inviting a different reaction from him, he couldn¡¯t even concentrate on the words that she was saying. His groin twitched he was once again hard as a rock and wanted to bury his cock in her warm cunt. He wanted her again; he couldn¡¯t get enough.

    ¡°Soph,e to the bed and I will give you my answer,¡±

    He responded and she regarded him with a look that indicated that she didn¡¯t believe his word.

    ¡°No, you are trying to get me in bed knowing that we won¡¯t be talking if Ie to you,¡±

    She stood her ground. Now both hands were on her hips and her boobs jerking forward did not help his state of mind, he knew he had to give in to what she wanted if he was going to get her back to the bed with him.

    ¡°Fine, Soph, I will cut down on the present but the guard remains, you need someone with you when you leave the pce, I can¡¯t have you going out of the pce unguarded,¡±

    He responded.

    ¡°Why? Do you think I would run away if I did?¡±

    She asked and he couldn¡¯t even figure out why she had thought of that because that was not what came to his mind when he assigned a bodyguard to her, he just wanted her protected after what happened with the guard who was still in prison and who still hasn¡¯t named anyone as his aplice. Those people who worked with him were still out there and he couldn¡¯t risk Sophie¡¯s safety. The diamonds have still not been restored but at least, he wasn¡¯t denying it anymore.

    ¡°You, my woman, have a very crazy mind, I didn¡¯t give you a bodyguard because I thought you would run away, didn¡¯t even cross my mind because I know you can¡¯t run away from me, you know it too.e to bed,¡±

    He invited her again and this time, she did, she walked slowly toward him as if she was teasing him. It worked because his groin hardened even more just by watching her walk towards him in such a seductive manner, lucky for him, he had the bed cover over his body and she couldn¡¯t see what she did to him. He spoke too soon because she lifted the cover and his groin sprouted up and twitched.

    ¡°Oh my God, did I do that?¡±

    She asked. Why was she acting surprised when she had seen how much he wanted her and how he hadn¡¯t been able to get enough of her even though they had done it multiple times already? She should already know the power she had over him or maybe she knew and was just pretending not to.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what you do to me, woman, now how do you intend to fix it?¡±

    He asked. Heid his head back on the pillow with both of his hands behind his head. He watched her, she stood there for a few seconds before she got on the bed with him, he expected her to go into his arms but that wasn¡¯t what she did, she instead got on her knees on the bed and touched his groin, it twitched in her hand when she wrapped her fingers around him.

    ¡°Soph,¡±

    He let out. she spared him a look and smiled seductively, he watched as she stroked him with one hand, her other hand going to her hair to move it off her face, she bent down and took him into her mouth, he couldn¡¯t stop the moans of pleasure that he let out when her mouth circled over his aching hardness, she had goddess¡¯s mouth and it felt like he died of pleasure and was ascending to heaven.

    ¡°Soph, if you keep that up, I am going to,¡±

    He said and paused, she looked at him with her mouth wrapped around his cock, she looked so beautiful at that moment that he wanted to grab her and kiss her hard, her seductive smile did nothing to help.

    ¡°Let me pleasure you, my king,¡±

    she muttered when she took a break. If she wanted to give him pleasure, who was he to refuse? He stayed still and enjoyed the moment. She wrapped both hands around his dick and sucked on him, her hair was getting in the way so he reached out and gathered them up, holding the length in ce, she stroked him, taking him deep into her mouth, his hand on her head guiding her.

    ¡°Hmmm, yes, suck it, yes, you are doing so well, oh, yeah, baby,¡±

    He moaned. He wanted to fuck her face hard but he had to hold back, he wanted her to feel in control, and damn, she was in control, her mouth circled on his cock, sucking hard. She teased his length by stroking and lightly tonguing his ns, licking off the precum. She was so good at it and looked so fucking gorgeous while sucking on his cock. He grunted and groaned when she took the whole of his length in her mouth again, stroking and sucking. He could only endure so much of her pleasurable torture.

    ¡°Soph, I want to be inside you when I cum,¡±

    He growled. She lifted her head and smiled at him, he pulled her to him and kissed her, tasting himself on her lips, he pushed her on the bed, lifted her legs, and entered her. She cried out in pleasure, pulling his head down for a kiss while he drove into her hot wetness. Their moans of pleasure filled the room as he thrust in and out of her. Fucking her hard until they both came undone¡­This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    He copsed back on the bed and pulled her to him, their heavy breathing in sync, theyid in silence trying to catch their breath. He was satisfied for now but he knew it would only take a few minutes for him to want her again and she was the same too, he could tell that she couldn¡¯t get enough of him too. He looked at her and realized she had fallen asleep, he smiled, kissed her softly on the forehead, closed his eyes, and fell into a peaceful sleep. the kind of sleep that he could only get with her. He woke to his phone buzzing and reached out to get it.

 Chapter 67

    ¡°My king, the princess will be in the pce in about an hour,¡±

    Patrick informed which made him remember that he had a meeting with the princess, he almost forgot, she would have hated him.

    ¡°Sure Patrick, I will be waiting for her,¡±

    He responded.

    ¡°Wait, are you still in bed? I didn¡¯t want to disturb you as I know what you are up to but you are still sleeping now? It¡¯s almost three pm¡±

    Patrick let out and Lance resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

    ¡°Patrick, I will be there,¡±

    He told him and hung up, he turned to see Sophie watching him, he smiled at her and got off the bed, he needed to go take a shower and get ready to meet the princess, he couldn¡¯t shower here because he would want Sophie with him and they might end up fucking in the shower instead of bathing, he picked up his clothes where he had left them and started wearing them.

    ¡°I am meeting with the princess, after that, I will be back for you,¡±

    He said. He didn¡¯t think much about it until he saw the way she looked at him and realized his words came out wrong and she must have misunderstood.

    ¡°No, not in the way you think, I am not sleeping with the princess too, I promise, we don¡¯t have that kind of rtionship,¡±

    He swore. She looked so down that he found himself wanting to reassure her that she was the only one he was fucking, why he felt the need to exin himself was beyond him because he could have left it at what it was and she would not have the mind to say anything since she knows he could keep more than one woman but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t have her thinking those thoughts.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that, you are the king, you are allowed to keep more than one woman,¡±

    She responded. The smile she gave him was nothing like the others, this smile was forced and he wanted that genuine smile back, he stopped buttoning his shirt and walked to the bed, he pulled her up and out of the bed and held her by the waist, she refused to meet his gaze and he lifted her by her chin, he could tell she was trying to mask the sadness, he leaned down and kissed her, softly and slowly, at first, she wasn¡¯t so responsive, she just stood there but she soon gave in and melted into his touch, opening her mouth for him. It was meant to be a kiss of reassurance but it became more than that really fast and soon, he was taking off his clothes again and falling back in bed with her. He really couldn¡¯t hold himself back when it came to her and she wasn¡¯t helping matters either with how well she responded to him each time and also the way she was always ready for him. He just couldn¡¯t get enough of her.

    ¡°Woman, I don¡¯t know what you did to me, why can¡¯t I keep my hands off you?¡±

    He asked as he kissed down her gracious body that he had mastered over thest couple of times that they made love, he knew she liked it when he ate her up and he wanted to please her, he wanted to be inside her but he didn¡¯t want this to be about him only. He kissed her breast, stopping to suck hard and bite slightly, she let out a scream of bittersweet pleasure, he spent time sucking on her boobs before gradually kissing all the way to her belle then his mouth traveled down to her thigh, leaving lingering kisses of every part his mouth touched. He spread her legs apart and slowly ran his tongue over her inner thighs, he sucked hard enough to leave love bite marks on her thighs. His fingers caressed her clitoral hood.

    ¡°Oh, my God, Lance, oh, that feels so good, don¡¯t stop,¡±

    She urged him on. He curved his lips into a smile as he continued his wicked actions on her inner thighs, he pressed a kiss on her mons, and she grabbed his hair, he knew what she wanted him to do but he didn¡¯t want to give in so easily, he moved his lips over her inner thigh again, slowly kissing and licking all around her vagina and clit, teasing her. She moaned and wriggled trying to get him to settle at the spot that she wanted his mouth to be.

    ¡°Oh, Please, oh, fuck, please,¡±

    She begged. He flipped his tongue over her clitoris, licking and sucking on it.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°More, more please,¡±

    She begged. He obliged and buried his face between her legs,pping and licking her clitoris. And every part of her pussy; her moans of pleasure filling the room, she held onto his hair maybe to push him away but that¡¯s not what she did, she held onto him, wriggling and crying out in pleasure. He inserted one finger inside her, she let out a breathless moan when he added a second finger. He started to move his fingers inside her and she rocked against him, her whimpers of pleasure showing him that he was doing a good job.

    ¡°OH, fuck, your majesty, I am so close, oh, yes! Like that, yes, don¡¯t stop, just like that, oh, suck it, yes, yes,¡±

    She shrieked and he continued finger fucking and sucking on her pussy, licking her juice and essence.

    ¡°Ohhhhhh, ahhhhh, yes, don¡¯t stop, yes, take me, make me yours, yes, just like that,¡±

    She cried out. She was already his, she gave herself to him, but he liked that she was saying it again, she knew he owned her. He continued his assault on her pussy, taking every drop of juice that flowed out of her. His groin twitched, begging to be inside her but he took his time, munching and mouth fucking her cunt, her want and need for him increased with everyp of his tongue on her pussy, she was begging for him to fuck her at this point. His need increased too and he hurriedly pulled himself up, and spread her legs apart while she whined in disappointment that he didn¡¯t allow tost. He positioned himself between her legs and stroked his dick before entering her hot wetness in one long hard stroke.

    ¡°OH MY GOD!!! YES! YES,¡±

    She cried out as he buried himself deeper into her, his lips found hers and they ate at each other¡¯s mouth. His mouth left hers and settled on her neck, sucking hard and leaving hickeys all over her neck. He thrusts faster and deeper into her, she spread her legs further, taking all of him into her warm body.

    ¡°Yes, fuck, yes, fuck me like that, oh, harder, yes,¡±

    She whimpered and he did just as she wanted. His thrust increased. He lifted her two legs high and continued thrusting in and out. He knew he was close and she was too. He increased his pace, pounding her pussy hard and fast, her moans getting louder with his thrust of his cock into her pussy, they both let out deep-throated moans as they came together; he shot his loads inside her, thrusting into her and riding out their orgasm. Their moans and breathing in sync.

    ¡°I promise you, Soph, right now, you are the only woman I am doing this with, I don¡¯t have anyone else, especially not the princess, I am meeting her because she wants to talk to me about the business that she ns on opening here in Otano,¡±

    He told her a couple of minutester as theyid in bed with her wrapped in his arms. She shouldn¡¯t be doubting the hold she had over him because only a kissnded them both back in bed naked. Here he was, exining to her when he normally would not have bothered, yeah, she had so much power over him, and he kind of feared the extent he might go for her. He shouldn¡¯t let her have so much hold on him, it was just sex, and they would never be more, he didn¡¯t make the rules, his position did and he made it clear to her already.

    ¡°Why are you frowning?¡±

    she asked in a tiny voice that brought him out of his thoughts, he stared into her beautiful eyes wondering how far he was willing to go for her. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

    ¡°I only want you,¡±

    He assured her; ignoring her question, he watched as the genuine smile crept into her face and smiled too. He wanted to keep her like this, in his arms and always smiling. His phone chirped which made him remember that the princess might be waiting for him already, he got off the bed, and she did the same too, naked.

    ¡°No, cover-up, I have to meet the princess, she might go crazy and dere war against Otano if I miss the meeting,¡±

    He warned Sophie, just a glimpse of her naked body made him want her again but he had to go talk to Roseline.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my king, I will be here when you get back and you can have me to your fill,¡±

    She replied; got back on the bed and pulled the bed cover over herself. He wore his clothes again, came to her, and pecked her lightly.

    ¡°I will see you soon,¡±

    He said, turned around, and left before he lost his head and gave in to the temptation to take off his clothes again and get back on the bed with her.

 Chapter 68

    Sophie couldn¡¯t help the smile that was on her face, she just couldn¡¯t stop smiling after the king left, like he left a smile on her face with how well he made love to her and how he had assured her that she was the only one right now, it shouldn¡¯t have made her happy but it did. Being the only woman that the king desired felt like something out of a fantasy. The king, the things they have done together felt like some kind of dream and that she might wake up from the dream. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, she had that after-glow that he had left her with.

    Even though he left only a couple of hours ago, she wanted him back already.

    The whole day, whenever she thought of how he had reassured her and made sure he only wanted her, she would blush and smile happily, even her baby seemed to be aware of her happy mood because for the first time, the baby moved hard and she felt it. It was magical for her and she shared a few happy tears. She wished she could keep the joy in her for a long time even if it was not forever but she knew that it wouldn¡¯t be long before all the happiness that she felt now dried up. good things do notst for her and she was kind of scared of what mighte after the happy times.

    Sophie told herself countless times not to think about the sadness that awaited her in the future and instead focus on the happiness that she was feeling in the moment. She would be happy and when those sad timese, she would remember the happy times she had and live through her sadness, hoping that she would experience such happiness again before she dies.

    Right before it was time for her to have dinner, Sophie decided to take a bath. As she opened the door to the bathroom, she smiled as memories of the times she shared with the king in the restroom came rushing down on her. Every part of her bedroom was filled with memories. Just like every part of her body that can be touched has been branded by him. She got under the water after covering her hair with a shower cap as she didn¡¯t want water in her hair. She was barely there for a few minutes when she heard the sound of someone entering the emerald house. She concluded that it must be Riley with her dinner. Since she was hungry, she decided to hurry up so that she could eat and watch TV while she waited for the king toe back to her.

    ¡°Sophie? Where are you?¡±

    Sophie heard the king¡¯s voice, she didn¡¯t expect him to be back already. She was tempted to remain silent but she couldn¡¯t make him suffer. Her smile widened when she thought of what would happen if he came to join her in the shower.

    ¡°I am in the bathroom,¡±

    She called out and a few minutester, the door to the bathroom opened.

    ¡°Uh-oh, naked, I like that,¡±

    He said and Sophie watched him take off his clothes and toss them on the rack. He joined her in a few seconds, his arms wrapped around her waist.

    ¡°I missed you today,¡±

    He whispered, his voice tickling her ears. Her heart did a happy dance at his words, she missed him too. He turned off the water and lifted her chin.

    ¡°Did my woman miss me too?

    He asked. Sophie¡¯s face reddened when he called her his woman, she liked being addressed as his woman and enjoyed the way his fingers caressed her lips while he waited for her to answer.

    ¡°I did, I missed you so much,¡±

    She told him, and he smiled before iming her lips in a deep passionate kiss that saw them making love in the bathroom. After about thirty minutes in the shower, they both came out together, she went to where she kept her undies and pulled out her panties, she just finished wearing her pants when she felt him behind her back, she smiled and turned to face him. He was giving her a look that made her shiver.

    ¡°What?¡±

    She whispered. He smiled at her.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    She asked when he continued looking at her.

    ¡°I want you,¡±

    He responded.

    ¡°You have me,¡±

    She told him and had to resist the urge not to cover her face.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like that already,¡±

    She warned him which made himugh.

    ¡°Okay, on a serious note though, I want us to spend the night in my room, I told the maids to set a dinner in my room, I am sure they will be done already, let¡¯s go eat dinner and have fun,¡±

    He invited. Her smile dropped at his words. Sophie didn¡¯t know what to say about the invitation, she wanted to spend time with him but she didn¡¯t want anyone to walk in on them. She knew already that people within the pce might already know about them but she didn¡¯t want to give them more things to talk about.

    ¡°Why are you frowning? Don¡¯t you want to spend your evening with me?¡±

    The king asked.

    ¡°I want to, but can¡¯t we just stay here?¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you scared of something? Nothing wille for you in my room, the bed is bigger and more spacious,¡±

    The king said. he was trying to get her to say yes and she so wanted to say yes but the thought of someone walking into the king¡¯s chamber and seeing her having dinner with the king didn¡¯t sound right to her, she hated the image.

    ¡°I am not scared; I just don¡¯t want to be exposed to other people. What do you think they will say if they find me having dinner with the king in his chamber?¡±

    Sophie voiced.

    ¡°Sophie, why are you worried about irrelevant things? You should know that whoever I let into my chamber to prepare a feast for us are people who are already aware of our rtionship,¡±

    The fact that he called what they had a rtionship and not some kind of an affair kind of made her heart flutter for a moment before she realized that didn¡¯t mean anything. He just called it that probably because he didn¡¯t want to say affair, not like anything was wrong with that tag.

    ¡°Rtionship?¡±

    She asked even though she knew she should not push him and let him spell it out in words that it was an affair.

    ¡°Of course, you are my girlfriend, don¡¯t you know that fact?¡±

    He asked and she could only stare at him in shock. Girlfriend? He thinks she is his girlfriend?

    ¡°Girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Why do you look so shocked, Soph? you are my girlfriend, my woman, is that news to you?¡±

    he asked. She opened her mouth to say something but the words just didn¡¯te out, he thought of her as his girlfriend? He never asked her. She didn¡¯t even dare to have that thought or let it develop.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me to be your girlfriend and how the fuck am I supposed to be a king¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    She asked spreading both of her arms out for emphasis. She didn¡¯t even know what it entailed to be the king¡¯s girlfriend.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was supposed to ask you officially, if you are not my woman, then what have we been doing?¡±

    ¡°Fucking,¡±

    Sophie responded and covered her mouth with both of her hands, she didn¡¯t expect the word toe out so loudly, she red at him when he startedughing, she ced her hand on her hips and watched himugh.

    ¡°Are you done mocking me?¡±

    She asked when he stopped.

    ¡°Baby, I wasn¡¯t mocking you, the way you said it and how you acted after was so funny, now, back to my girlfriend not knowing she is my girlfriend, I want to fix that,¡±

    He said and closed the small distance between them and held both of her hands in his, caressing her palms softly, he looked directly into her eyes, with a smile that melted her heart on his face, it was so easy to fall in love with the man. He was everything she wanted, everything that she had right now, and also the only thing that she knew that she couldn¡¯t keep with her forever even though that¡¯s what she wanted. She wished it was that easy to keep him to herself, the way he was looking at her right now, made her wish for the impossible.

    ¡°Soph, I like you a lot and want to spend a lot of time exploring what we have between us, I know that I might not be the right man for you,¡±

    She wanted to tell him that he was the only man for her, the only one she wanted for herself but she could say the words out, she could only say it in her heart.

 Chapter 69

    ¡°I want to be with you and I don¡¯t want us to be together without abel, I would like for you to be my girlfriend, Soph, I want to be a normal thirty-plus-old man with you, not the king or any royal personal, just your man,¡±

    He continued. He was doing this on purpose, he was setting her up with the way he spoke, setting her up by making her believe the impossible might be possible.

    ¡°Will be my girlfriend, pretty Sophie?¡±

    He asked with a smile that sent her heart into overdrive.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to be the king¡¯s girlfriend,¡±

    She said.

    ¡°Just be Lancelot¡¯s girlfriend,¡±

    he urged, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say no, not when he was looking at her like that.

    ¡°Yes, I will be your girlfriend,¡±

    She said and he let go of her hands and did a little dramatic happy dance that made herugh. He was so different with her now, all the other images of him that she had werepletely forgotten, in their ce was a loving man that she wanted to keep with her forever.

    ¡°Good, now, will my girlfriend have dinner with me in my room? I want to spend my evening with her,¡±

    He urged and she smiled.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Great, go dress up beautifully, while I make sure dinner he served,¡±

    He said, leaning in to peck her on the lips and then on her forehead. He grabbed her boobs with both hands and squeezed. She didn¡¯t even remember she was naked except for the panties on her waist which didn¡¯t cover much. Her face reddened and she practically ran towards the wardrobe to grab one of those expensive dresses that he had got her. When she looked again, he was no longer in the room. She quickly tossed on a bright pink evening dress, checked her face, and applied light makeup. She was still contemting what she would do with her messy hair when he called out her name, she gave up trying to style it and just packed it up in a messy bun. She checked herself in the mirror onest time before she dashed out of the bedroom. He was waiting for her in the living room and stood up when she walked in.

    ¡°You look ravishing, mydy,¡±

    He said which made her blush, he reached out for her hand and dropped a kiss before leading her out of the emerald house. This was the first time she would go through that door since she came to live in the emerald house and he was making it all romantic. Making the butterflies in her stomach multiply each minute, she knew his room was huge. She had been in there a lot of times but this time, she saw it in a different light.

    ¡°No one will disturb us, once we are done eating, your personal maid will be the one to clear up, don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t be speaking to anyone,¡±

    He assured as he led her to the table set for them. She already forgot about that when he told her Riley was the one waiting on them. She liked Riley and was used to her already. He sat with her and gestured for her to eat, she thanked him for the food and the warm setting and he smiled. They ate in silence.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you talked me intoing here after all,¡±

    Sophie said while theyy in each other¡¯s arms after dinner, they had real food and each other as dessert, every minute in his presence was fun and they currentlyy naked in bed together with his fingers making tiny circles around her breast. She had to start a conversation to distract her from the things that his finger on her breast was doing to her. She has be a wanton woman for him. This is the most sex she has had at a go in all of her life. All her other boyfriends were good in bed and knew how to do her right but with the king, it was a whole new experience, it was as if her body was made for him and each touch unlocked a new feeling in her that she never thought she was able to feel.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°You are d you did, right? I am such a fun boyfriend,

    She still couldn¡¯t get used to the fact that they were actually dating. The king of Otano was her boyfriend. It made no sense when she thought about it but he asked and she said yes.

    ¡°Yes, I am d I did,¡±

    She responded.

    ¡°God, Soph, I want to have you with me for a long; long time,¡±

    He said the words even though she was sure he knew how impossible that was, there was a moment of silence as she let the sadness pass through her before she said the words she had in mind.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not possible, sooner orter I will have to leave the pce, I am going to have a baby soon and you and I both know I can¡¯t have a baby and still live in the pce,¡±

    She reminded him just in case the beauty of tonight and what they shared made him forget that fact.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave, Soph, I want you here with me, when you give birth, you can raise your baby here,¡±

    Sophie wanted to correct him and say our baby but she wasn¡¯t ready for what that could cause. She also didn¡¯t think it would be possible for her to live in the pce and have her baby here and raise her in the pce too. She didn¡¯t want to remain the king¡¯s mistress and didn¡¯t want her daughter to grow up with the mistress child tag. Right now, she might be his girlfriend and they might both know that fact, but others won¡¯t see her like that; they will see her as his mistress and that was about it. The king doesn¡¯t keep girlfriends, it was either a wife and a queen or a mistress, she wasn¡¯t qualified to be his queen so a mistress was all she would be getting and she was aware of that fact.

    ¡°As much as that sounds enticing, you know that¡¯s not possible, soon, you will be required to have a wife and start a family, no woman would want a woman to live next to their bedroom or for her husband to have another woman nearby, I don¡¯t want that kind of life either,¡±

    She told him her mind. There was no point in keeping that fact to herself because even he knew.

    ¡°No one said I was getting married, I don¡¯t need to get married,¡±

    He said and she had to resist the urge tough, what she did do was sit up and just stare at him, shaking her head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be for real, it is not about what you need or want, Lancelot darling, you are the king, it is a must for you to get married and produce an heir and I am sure before long you will be tired of me,¡±

    Thest part of what she said made her sad but it was another truth, soon, he would grow tired of her and then, he won¡¯t care whether she decided to stay in the pce or leave, in fact, she was sure that he would want her to leave.

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, woman? I am never going to get tired of you, I already want you again even though I have had you so many times, you turned me into an addict for you, don¡¯t say nonsense,¡±

    He scolded. He sounded so offended that he gave her false hope for a moment, one thing with false hope, it doesn¡¯tst.

    ¡°Never say never, my king,¡±

    She said, masking the sadness she felt with a smile.

    ¡°No, that smile, I don¡¯t like that smile, Sophie,e here,¡±

    He reached out and she went into his arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the future holds for us but I do know that I don¡¯t want us to end,¡±

    When he says things like that, he gives her hope, she shouldn¡¯t be falling for it because no matter what he tells her, she knew, he knew, they both knew that they couldn¡¯t be forever, it was lust talking, once that was out of the picture, it won¡¯t be hard for him to forget her.

    ¡°Can we stop talking about the future and just enjoy the moment?¡±

    Sophie requested. She would rather that they do fun things than spend their time together talking about their uncertain future.

    ¡°Whatever you want, mydy,¡±

    He said right before he imed her lips in a passionate kiss that promised more and once again, he didn¡¯t disappoint.

 Chapter 70

    Lance woke up to Sophie sleeping in his arms, he couldn¡¯t help the smile that crippled to his lips. Just watching her sleep made him feel so at peace, Lance knew for a fact that he was in big trouble with the woman sleeping beside him. She didn¡¯t even need to do anything to get his attention, all he could see was her and nothing else, being with her put his mind at ease and it wasn¡¯t just about the sex, it was her, she was good for him and he had every intention of keeping her with him for a long time and he made sure she was aware of that fact. He wasn¡¯t about to let her go when doing that would be like shooting himself.

    When spoke to the princess yesterday, he couldn¡¯t count the number of times they had talked about her and then the princess told him that he was whipped for her and pointed out how his smile grew when he mentioned her name, he couldn¡¯t even deny it. She had him in a chokehold and there was nothing he could do about it.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like that, Your Majesty,¡±

    She said covering her face when she opened her eyes and saw him looking at her, he smiled and moved the hand she had over her face away from it.

    ¡°Why? I like looking at your face, I have to look because I have to go and be a king for the next couple of hours and I won¡¯t see your face in that time.¡±

    Hemented. He didn¡¯t want to get out of bed but he had responsibilities that he had to handle; he didn¡¯t like how he could only spend evenings with her. That¡¯s why when he could get away early yesterday, he came to her early.

    ¡°You know, you act like you just met me, I have been working with you for two whole years now, like, you see my face every day, why are you acting like you just realized I am here? I have been around for two years,¡±

    She reminded him. Yeah, the fact that it took him so long to realize what he had with her was beyond what he had thought.

    ¡°I know that fact and you should know that our rtionship now is different from what we had before,¡±

    He responded.

    ¡°If you knew you were going to be all over me like this, why didn¡¯t you do it sooner?¡±

    She asked. She was right, he wished he had seen the light sooner, so many things would have been different if he had. On the bright side, he knows now and they were together.

    ¡°I am slow, okay, now I just want to look at you all day,¡±

    He told her and got out of bed even though that was thest thing he wanted to do. He made sure to give her a kiss before he got out.

    ¡°I have a couple of meetings today and I might note around early, but if I can, just know that I will be with you,¡±

    He said and walked away from her naked. He turned around when she didn¡¯t say anything back and saw her watching him.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Nothing, I think you forgot that this is your room,¡±

    She pointed out.

    ¡°Oh, I know, you are to stay here until I get back, don¡¯t go anywhere, I will let the maid know that she should serve you food here,¡±

    he told her. She had that frown on her face again that he didn¡¯t like on her.

    ¡°Why are you frowning again?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay here, I will go back to my room, I would prefer no one knows I spent the night with the king in his room,¡±

    She replied. He just stood there confused as fuck, surely, she knew it was the same person that attended to themst night, the same person who was her personal help that wasing to attend to her too, no way she doesn¡¯t know that.

    ¡°It is your personal help, Soph, not someone new,¡±

    He told her just in case she thought otherwise, as he was talking, she got out of bed and pulled her robe on.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I just don¡¯t want anyone to see me in your room so early in the morning, whether it is Riley or not,¡±

    ¡°Sophie, even if these people do not see you, they already know that we have a thing going on, this pce might be huge but it is not that big that people won¡¯t find out about us and you are not my dirty secret why do you want us to be some kind of secret, I get that there has to be some limit and I have made ns for that by only allowing a few people that I have their words work with you, why do you want to be kept as a secret so bad?¡±

    Lance asked. He just couldn¡¯t understand why she wanted to hide away.

    ¡°You won¡¯t understand, you are a man and the king, you get a free pass, I don¡¯t get the same privilege,¡±

    She fired back at him.

    ¡°What kind of privilege are you talking about right now?¡±

    Lance asked. He was so confused, all he told her was that she could stay in his room and people woulde to attend to her there, he was thinking about her well-being, she is always at the emerald house, she must be bored out of her mind and his room was huge and she could use a change of ces, if she was acting like this because he asked her to change ces for just a day what would she say if he asks her to go out and get some fresh air around the pce?

    ¡°You know, what, let¡¯s not have this conversation please because no matter what you say, I can never befortable enough to just let anyone see me in the king¡¯s room so early in the morning,¡±

    She said stubbornly.

    ¡°Sophie, what, why? You are my girlfriend, no one will bat an eye when they see you here,¡±

    ¡°Oh please, even I didn¡¯t know that detail untilst night, and even knowing doesn¡¯t mean I have to show the whole world that I am fucking the king,¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    She let out an offended tone, he didn¡¯t know why she was the one feeling offended when she was also the one picking a fight with him.

    ¡°Sophie, why do you say it like it is a bad thing?¡±

    He questioned. He really didn¡¯t want to pick a fight with her about something so trivial in the morning when they had such a great timest night and had been okay until a moment ago.

    ¡°I never said it was a bad thing, I am just saying what I already said, I am not staying here until you get back, in fact, I am leaving right now,¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop, why are you mad at me?¡±

    He asked, blocking her from leaving. He couldn¡¯t even figure out how they went from having a normal conversation to her threatening to leave.

    ¡°Why am I mad at you? Do I look mad? I just said I am not going to let everyone know I fucked the king in his roomst night, what¡¯s not clicking?¡±

    She yelled out. Okay, she was acting weird, and no way what he said made her so angry that she was now yelling at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare shout on me, woman, I am still the king and deserves some respect, Imand it,¡±

    He let out in frustration, he hated the words when they came out and hated how her expression changed, he knew immediately the words were out that he should never have said them.

    ¡°Soph,¡±

    He called her name but she shook her head.

    ¡°I am sorry, I thought you were just my boyfriend right now, sorry, my king,¡±

    She apologized.

    ¡°Soph, no, that¡¯s not it,¡±

    He said, reaching for her hand.

    ¡°I am sorry, yes, it is me, your boyfriend and you can tell me everything,¡±

    He tried to make amends but she wasn¡¯t having it.

    ¡°No, you are not, you are the king and that¡¯s the real thing,¡±

    She replied.

    ¡°Come on Sophie, I just want to know why you are so mad at me, I just wanted you where I could easily see you, I don¡¯t know why that pissed you off,¡±

    Lance said in a calm voice.

    ¡°You really want to know why? Get out of my way, mister,¡±

    She responded, he did as he was told and she matched away just like that without turning back. He followed behind her, determined to fix whatever it was that was the problem but when he held the door handle to open it, he realized she locked the door from within.

    ¡°Come on,¡±

    He said and knocked on the door, he had the keys to the door, and at first, he wanted to open it just to go talk to her and fix things but then he stopped and walked back into his room. She wanted space and a normal boyfriend would give her that. He would, of course, fix things with her once he gets back, no way was he going to let silly things cause a rift between them.

 Chapter 71

    Lance frowned when his mind went back to how things had ended with Sophie this morning, he couldn¡¯t figure out why something as small and simple as that could be the reason they had their first couple fight when they officially became a couple less than ten hours earlier. He wanted to fix things so fast and wished the meeting he was in would end fast. But he knew that even if the meeting ended, he still had other meetings to attend before he could see her again. His eyes went to Patrick and saw him watching him with a questioning look on his face, he turned away and concentrated on the meeting. He hated visual meetings so much but that seemed to be the trend now and there was nothing he could do to change that. Everyone in the world was doing it so he had to do it too.

    After two long agonizing hours, the meeting finally came to an end, not like he got most of the things that were said. It was at times like this that he was happy he had Patrick as his right-hand man because he always filled him in on whatever detail he missed when it was finally time to make a decision.

    ¡°Why are you frowning? You were frowning nonstop throughout the meeting,¡±

    Patrick asked when they were alone, he contemted whether he should tell him or not. Well, in the end, he did.

    ¡°I had a fight with Sophie earlier,¡±

    Lance disclosed ready for Patrick to mock him.

    ¡°Great you guys are already fighting; may I know what you two fought about?¡±

    He asked. Okay, that was not what he expected from Patrick, he expected him to mock him to his face and tell him to end things with her. Maybe he changed.

    ¡°Lancelot, what did you guys fight about?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Well, we spent the night together in my room, don¡¯t shout,¡±

    Lance added thest part when he saw that Patrick was going to say something.

    ¡°Go on,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°Yeah, we spent the night in my room, took a while to convince her, and then we woke up this morning, and right before I was supposed to leave, I told her to stay in my room, I wanted her to experience a new ce other than the emerald house and she got mad because she thinks I am exposing her to people,¡±

    He exined. He still didn¡¯t know how that was a problem.

    ¡°Are you exposing her to people or did you not think that she needs food and water while she awaits you in your chamber?¡±

    Patrick asked and Lance wondered what kind of person the man took him for.

    ¡°Of course, I had ns of getting her food and that¡¯s where the problem came from,¡±

    ¡°Oh, she doesn¡¯t want anyone to know she slept in your room?¡±

    Patrick asked, hitting the nail right on the head.

    ¡°Yeah, exactly that but I don¡¯t understand how it is a bad thing, I mean she is my girlfriend, why would she want to be kept a secret?¡±

    He asked. He just didn¡¯t get that part.

    ¡°Did you just call her your girlfriend? As in, you guys are dating?¡±

    Patrick asked.

    ¡°Why is that shocking? You know that I am with her, what else would she be if not my girlfriend?¡±

    Lance questioned.

    ¡°Well, it is definitely shocking, I never expected you to go as far as asking her out officially.

    ¡°Why not? I like her, she likes me, what¡¯s next? She is my girlfriend,¡±

    Lance repeated.

    ¡°And now I need to find a way to fix things with her, I don¡¯t like us fighting, it is not good for my heart and peace of mind,¡±

    He added and Patrick gave him a weird look.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He voiced.

    ¡°You are in love with her, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Again with the love thing, Lance resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Everything alwayses back to love for Patrick, he couldn¡¯t be happy in peace. Now, he couldn¡¯t even find a way to make up with his woman in peace. What a life he was living.

    ¡°Why do you always have to bring love into everything? Do I have to love her to date her? I mean, people get together for a lot of other reason that is not love,¡±

    Lance pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, people do but need I remind you that you are not people Lancelot, you are a king, it is either a wife or a mistress for you,¡±

    Lance didn¡¯t like how the women in his life only had to be bagged into those kinds ofbels, he liked the princess too and they were friends. What would be thebel for her?

    ¡°I am a human before I am a king, I have a woman right now and she is my girlfriend, she is the only one I am with. Do you even know what a mistress means?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I am sorry, Your Majesty, yes, you are human before anything else,¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just skip this part, please don¡¯t speak on my rtionship with Sophie, you might be my special advisor but your job description doesn¡¯t cover my personal rtionship, how far with what I asked you to do?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°Still pending, will get it done soon,¡±

    Patrick said and there was a moment of silence as Lance tried toe up with a way to fix things with her.

    ¡°You know, if you want to make up with her, you should go talk to her now, I mean it is still daytime and she won¡¯t be expecting you untilter, go talk to her and I will hold off your other meeting until tomorrow, they are not urgent,¡±

    Patrick said. The first sensitive thing the man has said to him when ites to Sophie, of course, speaking to her was the best way to fix things and he was sure she would have calmed down by now. He stood up.

    ¡°Thank you, Patrick, you might be a devil plenty of times but sometimes, you can be an angel too.¡±

    He said and rushed out of his office. He heard Patrick telling the guards not to follow him or bother him, he smiled and increased his pace. He wanted to make up with Sophie fast and get on her good side because he couldn¡¯t function properly with her mad at him.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Soph?¡±

    Lance called when he walked into the emerald house, he expected her to either respond or run out to him but there was silence. He got a weird feeling but didn¡¯t want to overthink things, she might still be mad at him which could be the reason for the silence. He walked into her room and listened for the sound of her, he heard a sniff and rushed into the restroom to see her sitting on the floor and crying. His protective instinct kicked in immediately and he ran to her.

    ¡°Hey, baby? What happened? Why are you crying?¡±

    Lance asked, lifting her face up. she had been crying for a while now, he hoped she wasn¡¯t scrying because of the argument they had earlier because that would make him feel like hell, but it didn¡¯t even matter, he was already feeling like hell.

    ¡°Lance,¡±

    She whispered still crying, hearing her call his name in tears broke his heart.

    ¡°What is going on baby?¡±

    He asked, while trying to console her.

    ¡°I think I lost my baby,¡±

    She cried.

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    He let out. He came at the right time because he hated to think that she would have been alone if Patrick had not told him to go talk to her.

    ¡°The baby, I lost my baby,¡±

    She broke down, he looked at her in shock, why would she think that?

    ¡°Darling, Sophie? Stop crying please and tell me what is going on, why would you think you lost your baby?¡±

    Lance asked in fear, that was not what he expected her to say, it was worst. Now he wished she was crying because of their fight because that would be easy to fix, not the baby, she couldn¡¯t lose the baby, it would break her and he didn¡¯t want that. It has to be some kind of mistake or she was just overthinking.

    ¡°Hey, baby, calm down and talk to me; why do you think you lost the baby,¡±

    He asked, looking around her for anything that would have given her that thought, surely there had to be something that triggered it. He didn¡¯t find anything that would indicate that she did. She refused to answer his questions. He didn¡¯t even know if he was asking the right questions, she refused to stop crying or say anything to him, she just kept holding onto his hands tightly.

    ¡°I felt a sharp pain while I was seated watching TV, I didn¡¯t think much of it because it didn¡¯tst but when I got up to go to the restroom, I turned around and saw blood on the spot I was sitting, I ran into the restroom and checked, I have been bleeding,¡±

    She exined between tears. His heart sank, he knew what a miscarriage was and feared that he might be part of the reason she could have had a miscarriage.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°At first, I thought it was just the normal spotting and wore a pad thinking it would stop in a few hours but it didn¡¯t stop, I just came back to check and my pad is filled, I am still bleeding,¡±

    She cried. Lance didn¡¯t know much about pregnancy and what is considered normal and abnormal so he couldn¡¯t really say. He had a feeling that the baby was okay; okay, maybe he just wanted to give her up, he lifted her crying face so that she was looking at him. Her beautiful eyes were so sad with tears running down her face, he wiped the tears with his thumbs.

    ¡°Soph, I think you are okay; I don¡¯t think you lost the baby, just calm down and we will sort everything out, okay?¡±

    His voice came out calmer than he felt, if he was being honest, he was more scared than her.

    ¡°No, the bleeding, it is as if I am on my period, I can¡¯t be on my period when I am supposed to be pregnant, this is the first time it is happening and I have been pregnant for over three months,¡±

    She exined.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you off the floor first and then we will find a way out of this, okay? Soph? did you hear what I said? you will listen to me right?¡±

    He asked and she nodded. He managed to get her up and she went into his arms, crying even harder, he patted her back softly. Praying that he was right and that the baby was okay, surely, just bleeding doesn¡¯t mean the baby was gone.

    ¡°Do you feel any kind of difort right now?¡±

    He asked and she shook her head.

    ¡°No, except for that sharp pain, I haven¡¯t felt anything else,¡±

    She responded.

    ¡°Then I think we still have hope,¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know, I am so scared, I am so scared that I hurt my baby,¡±

    She cried.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t say that, you haven¡¯t and you won¡¯t lose the baby,¡±

    He said and broke the hug just to help her out of the restroom and into her bedroom, he sat on the bed with her beside him. She didn¡¯t let go and didn¡¯t stop crying. Her cries made him feel useless. There has to be something that he could do for her but he couldn¡¯t even think of what he could do.

    ¡°Lance, I can¡¯t lose my baby, please, save my baby,¡±

    She cried. Breaking down even more. He tried to console her but that wasn¡¯t working out. Lance didn¡¯t know what else to do; his head was nk and he couldn¡¯t even think straight. He tried to get up to think but she refused to let him go and refused to stop crying, he was confused as hell and then like as if he got his senses back after losing it, he suddenly remembered what he should do, something that should have been the first thing he thought about when she told him she was bleeding. Hospital, he needed to take her to the hospital.

    ¡°Sophie, baby; I know what we should do. Let¡¯s get you to the hospital, we need to see the doctor, that¡¯s what we should do before jumping to any conclusion,¡±

    He said and managed to free himself from her. He brought out his phone and dialed Patrick¡¯s number.

    ¡°Patrick, get a car ready right now, we are going to the hospital,¡±

    Lance let out as soon as Patrick answered the call.

    ¡°what? Why? Are you hurt? Did you hurt yourself?¡±

    ¡°No, not me, Sophie is hurt, get the car ready right now,¡±

    Lance let out and hung up, he went back to Sophie and carried her into his arms as he wasn¡¯t sure she could walk on her own and she didn¡¯t say anything or protest. he didn¡¯t want to go through the long route so he took the door that led to his room. Once he was out of his room, guards rushed to him, thankfully, Patrick came right at that moment and he didn¡¯t have to talk with them.

    ¡°This way,¡±

    He said and led the way as Lance rushed with Sophie in his hands towards where the car was parked. She had her face buried in his chest and was still sobbing.

 Chapter 73

    The ride to the hospital was a very hard one, Sophie refused to stop crying so he gave up trying to make her stop and instead just patted her back continuously. Patrick couldn¡¯te with them because he had to attend meetings on his behalf.

    ¡°My king, we are almost there, we will be the ones to take her in,¡±

    One of the guards said from the front of the car and Lance red at him. Why would he let them take her when he was in the car with her?

    ¡°Says who?¡±

    He asked in an irritated voice.

    ¡°Sorry my king, that¡¯s what your lord Patrick said,¡±

    He told him. He should have known that the crazy man would give some unneeded advice when he didn¡¯t try to stop him from getting in the car with her.

    ¡°There will be no need for that, if I can¡¯t take her in why would I be here? We are entering through the private entrance are we not?¡±

    He asked. If they were talking because of the press finding out then they should know that he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Yes, my king, I am sorry,¡±

    The guard said and Lance ignored him and turned to Sophie who was still crying but not so much.

    ¡°Baby, we are almost there,¡±

    He announced and her grip on his arms tightened.

    ¡°I am so scared, don¡¯t leave me,¡±

    She cried and he nodded.

    ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere,¡±

    He told her and looked up to see that they had arrived. The guards opened the car and he carried Sophie out and into his arms.

    ¡°Out of my way,¡±

    He told the guard who stood near him and walked into the hospital with Sophie in his arms.

    ¡°Get the doctor,¡±

    He barked out. alerting everyone around and they all looked up. He knew when they recognized him. He didn¡¯t give ears to their greetings and instead focused on getting Sophie the help that she needed.

    They were shown to the doctor¡¯s office and after speaking to the doctor, he rmended that they do a few tests and a scan which they did. He didn¡¯t leave Sophie¡¯s side in everything that was done. He couldn¡¯t leave when she held onto him and refused to let go.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Now they were back at the doctor¡¯s office and waiting for him to tell them what it was that was wrong. He could feel Sophie tensed up by his side and hoped for her sake that everything was okay with the baby.

    ¡°Your baby is fine, doing great actually,¡±

    The doctor said and for the first time since the frightening sight of Sophie crying, Lance felt some kind of peace, he didn¡¯t even mind that the doctor mistook him for the child¡¯s father, it didn¡¯t make him ufortable at all, he was just relieved that the child was okay.

    ¡°What about her, and why is she bleeding?¡±

    Lance asked the question he knew Sophie would ask but she was currently holding tighter on his hand and not saying a word, she was still in shock.

    ¡°Bleeding during pregnancy happens sometimes, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean there is something wrong but it is good that you brought her for check-ups because it could be bad too, for her, thankfully, there is no cause for rm, it might stop today or in a couple of days, the child is doing fine and growing,¡±

    The doctor responded and Lance turned to Soph.

    ¡°You heard that baby? Everything is all clear,¡±

    He told her softly, she finally lifted her head to look at him, her eyes were red from crying. Lance was thankful that the baby was okay because he didn¡¯t know what he would have done to console her if anything had happened to the precious child.

    ¡°I am sorry I dragged you here for nothing,¡±

    Why did she even feel the need to apologize? She did nothing wrong.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong, don¡¯t even think of beating yourself up for something that isn¡¯t your fault, of course, I woulde with you and it is not nothing when you were bleeding,¡±

    he told her firmly. He turned and realized they probably should have this conversation with no one present.

    ¡°Thank you, doc, is there anything else we need to know and look out for?¡±

    He asked, turning to the doctor.

    ¡°Not really, but if the bleeding persists, she should be brought back but for now, there is nothing that you should know that she doesn¡¯t already know, eat well, rest well, and don¡¯t stress or overthink things,¡±

    The doctor reminded.

    ¡°Thank you, doctor,¡±

    Sophie managed to say. Lance stood up and she did too. She finally let go of his hand but he didn¡¯t let her as he took her hand again and made sure she was leaning against him.

    ¡°I can walk fine on my own,¡¯

    She said in a low voice.

    ¡°I know but I just want to be careful, you have been crying for so long, you might feel dizzy and I don¡¯t want you to fall,¡±

    He told her.

    ¡°We could get her a wheelchair,¡±

    The doctor suggested but Lance saw no need for that.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be a need for that doctor, thank you,¡±

    He said and led Sophie out of the doctor¡¯s office, his guards surrounded them as soon as they came out.

    ¡°What happened? Why did you guys multiply?¡±

    He asked. Looking around.

    ¡°There is a crowd of reports outside,¡±

    One of the guards informed him. He should have expected that.

    ¡°Right, can you move, you are scaring her,¡±

    Lance barked when he felt Sophie tense beside him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t go through the front, we didn¡¯t evene in through the front,¡±

    He told her softly, even though he knew that there were probably reporters too at that entrance.

    ¡°This way, my king,¡±

    His head guard said and led them through the back of the hospital. He was able to lead Sophie safely into the car but as they drove out of the hospital, a bunch of reporters swarmed in front of their car. He turned to see that Sophie looked so scared.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look like that, they can¡¯t see us,¡±

    He told her and she finally rxed a little. He knew that she would not be able to rxpletely until they were alone again.ing to the hospital has exposed her to a lot of people and he couldn¡¯t guarantee that their rtionship would remain a secret like she wanted now.

 Chapter 74

    Sophie lowered her gaze as she walked with Lance towards his chamber, she had asked him to let her go to the emerald house when they arrived back at the pce but he refused and told her that she had to deal with him for the next couple of days as he had no ns of leaving her on her own there. He was holding her so close with so many people around and he didn¡¯t even look like he cared, he paused when they got close to his door and collected the bag that contained the drugs and vitamins that she was given at the hospital from the guard that held it and dismissed them. He led her into the room and closed the door behind them.

    ¡°Are we going to be on the news? Those photos that were taken today, will be published?¡±

    Sophie asked. When they were alone in the room. She knew it was her fault that they got exposed to the public and now she was scared that it might lead to a ruckus in the kingdom and expose him to many talks that he might not be ready to handle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself about anything right now, Soph, just rest, I will fix anything that needs to be fixed by myself. Don¡¯t worry, okay?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He asked and she nodded.

    ¡°You can manage on your own for a few minutes, right?¡±

    He asked and she nodded, wondering where he was going but she couldn¡¯t ask.

    ¡°I need to go speak with Patrick, I will be back soon, just lie down,¡±

    The king said and helped her into the bed. She managed a smile andy still on the bed. He gave her a softly lingering kiss before he excused himself and left her on her own. The event of thest couple of hours reyed in her mind, the fear she had when she had seen the blood. How the fear amplified when she had gone to check two hourster and saw that she was bleeding so much. She had thought the worst had happened and her whole world had crumbled before her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what to do and if Lance had not shown up so unexpectedly, she might still beying on the floor in her bathroom crying. He came to her even though it wasn¡¯t his usual time of showing up as if he knew that something wasn¡¯t right with her. She didn¡¯t know why he thought to show up so early but she was d he did because if not. She might have cried herself to sleep and locked herself away when she was sure he would show up.

    She got off the bed and paced around, thankful that her baby was okay.

    ¡°You are okay,¡±

    She said and cradled her lower abdomen where her babyy. That was all that mattered to her, if anything had happened to her baby, it would have broken her. She would not have been able to face her dad either, because the guilt of him not even knowing he had a baby and her dying had made everything hard to bear.

    ¡°Thank you for being okay, baby, mummy is going to find a way to tell your daddy the truth,¡±

    She promised. On the ride to the hospital, she had been so close to telling him the truth. If only the baby news was the only thing she kept from him, there was so much he didn¡¯t know about her yet he stood with her. The way he was there for her today, even though he didn¡¯t know it was his child that she carried. If she wasn¡¯t already in love with him, she would have fallen for him today, he was the best man and was willing to go to any length to protect her and he proved that today. Yes, she finally admitted to herself that she loved him. It didn¡¯t start now. She has always had this feeling for him and being with him like this when she had thought it would only happen in her dreams made it easier to admit to her feelings even though she knew her feelings for him may never be reciprocated.

    Sophie knew the king cared for her, even if she didn¡¯t know before, he did well to make her know by how he acted today, he cared for her enough to take care of her at her lowest but that doesn¡¯t mean he could love her, she didn¡¯t want to reach too far. For them, even if she finds the courage to tell him the baby was his and he believes her, he would still need to have a family that would be epted by his people, it wasn¡¯t his fault. It was the tradition in Otano.

    ¡°I love him, I love you both but we can¡¯t be together,¡±

    She whispered as tears gathered in her eyes. She wished she fitted a little into what a queen should be, maybe it would not have been an impossible dream. She had so many ws including the biggest which she wasn¡¯t sure he would forgive if he found out. her identity. The only thing true about her was her name, everything else was borrowed and he will certainly not overlook that when he finds out.

    ¡°So much hidden,¡±

    She let out and walked to the couch, she found more peace there andid on the couch, it was as big as her bed so there was enough space for her. She closed her eyes and let the emotions that were drowning her take over. She wished there was something she could do to change their fate but it was a hopeless case. She already knew no matter what that she was going to end up alone and would probably love him forever while he would move on and start a royal family that fit with what an ideal royal family should be. Even when that happens, she would not hate him. She fell asleep to the thought.

 Chapter 75

    Lance already knew he was going to get an earful from Patrick before he even opened the door to his office. He touched his ears with both hands like a kid ready to face his dad after doing something wrong, the crazy man can be scary sometimes. Once he opened the door, the first thing that greeted him was a dead re.

    ¡°Look who finally showed up,¡±

    Patrick said as he got up and pped.

    ¡°Why are you acting like I did something wrong?¡±

    He asked and went to take his seat, he was so tired. He imagined and more tried Sophie would be, she was the one who went through all the emotional stress.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, I took my woman to the hospital as she was doing fine. How is that doing something wrong,¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Right, I wish that was all you did, I gave a simple and clear instruction and you just had to do what you wanted at the moment without thinking, I am sure if you listened to me, your woman would still have gotten the medical aid that she needed. I made the mistake of letting you in that car,¡±

    Patrickmented.

    ¡°Patrick, you already knew what I would do in a situation like that, stop acting like it is something new, I don¡¯t care what happened, I did what I did and there is nothing wrong with that, finish your long talk because I have to go back to Sophie, I only came because I know you will have a lot to say and letting wait till tomorrow will make it worse,¡±

    Lance said unapologetically. He watched Patrick lose his mind in real-time, if he wasn¡¯t so drained, he would haveughed at his best friend.

    ¡°Oh God, for fuck, sake! What were you thinking? God, I wish you had let the guards be the ones to take her in, we would have avoided a lot of troubles, now we have to deal with the press because the people will want to know who their king¡¯s woman is because you were supposed to be married to someone else and now you are out with another woman. The elders too, aha,¡±

    Patrick let out. The man was stressing himself over what happened a little too much.

    ¡°It is my private life, I don¡¯t have to answer to the press,¡±

    Lance told him.

    ¡°Are you for real right now or are you kidding me? Lancelot, you are the king, not some celebrity that can pull the it is my private life line, you are the king, the people want to know who you are with, they need to know if she is worthy of being the queen, you can¡¯t just it is my private life your way out of this,¡±

    Patrick pointed out. he was telling the truth but Lance didn¡¯t want to answer to anyone right now.

    ¡°You can just tell them that when I am ready, I will introduce her to the public, right now isn¡¯t a good time,¡±

    He said. Patrick looked at him wordlessly for a moment.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say I tell the press that and they take it, what about the elders? What are you going to tell the elders? Did you even think about all these at all? Because if you had listened, Sophie would have gotten the care she wanted and the fact that you both are together would have remained within the pce and we would not be dealing with this right now,¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Patrick let out.

    ¡°Patrick, I didn¡¯t have time to think of how it would all look like, Sophie was hurt and scared and I couldn¡¯t let her go on her own knowing how scared she had been, if the elders want to speak to me, put then on the phone, I will talk to them, no; actually, I don¡¯t want to speak with them. I didn¡¯t select their spouse for them and I won¡¯t have them try to decide for me,¡±

    He concluded. Patrick just stood there staring at him and visibly disappointed but that wasn¡¯t going to make Lance go back on his words, he didn¡¯t have to exin his rtion to anyone, he never asked them to do the same so why would anyone expect him to alwaysment on things concerning his?

    ¡°You know, before Sophie, I used to think you were hard to handle, now you have her and you are ready to break all the rules for her, I won¡¯t be surprised if one day you wake up and decide to make her queen, in fact, color me a clown if that doesn¡¯t happen, I have lost sleep thinking about what kind of troubles that will bring, see,¡±

    He said, showing him his hair.

    ¡°I am starting to lose my hair and I am not even forty yet, that¡¯s because I am always pulling at my hair, not just hair, I am losing brain cells too, Lancelot, and you are to me,¡±

    Patrick pointed at him.

    ¡°You can¡¯t me me for that, I mean, I know I am a handful sometimes but you always tend to take things a little too far, like right now, there is absolutely no reason for you to be so worked up, you can give a noment to the press and let them specte, and to the elders, you can tell them I said I will talk to them when I can, and they won¡¯t eat you up or something, you don¡¯t even have to speak to them face to face, just send them the message or send someone to deliver what I said, it is as easy as that,¡±

    Lancemented. He would rather be with Sophie right now, she was still too shaken to be left on her own for long.

    ¡°You make it sound so easy, you know what, I am just going to go by what you said and tell the press you will introduce her once it is time, as for the elders, if theye for me, I will direct them to you, your rtionship is not part of my job description anymore and as your best friend, I am saying go or it, bye,¡±

    Patrick said and walked away from the office. Lance didn¡¯t expect to get his support but he was d that his friend was on his side even though he knew the crazy man would probably switch up again. He turned around and walked out of the office.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone around me, I am not unsafe here,¡±

    He said to the guards who followed him when he left his office. He walked to the kitchen, met with the cooks, and requested that they give him some soup for dinner. He waited in the kitchen till the soup was ready. He knew they were all anxious with him in the kitchen with them but he didn¡¯t care much and he told them to act as if he wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    He said when they handed him the soup and some freshly cooked rice. He walked out of the kitchen with the food in hand and was stopped multiple times by guards trying to carry it from him. He gave them dead res and told everyone to back off, he finally got to his chamber, let out a sigh of relief and set the food he brought on the table in his room. He looked towards his bed, expecting to see Sophie there but she wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Did she go there?¡±

    He asked, listening for a sound but there was nothing. He walked around his huge room to make sure. ¡°Sophie? Where are you?¡±

    Lance asked. He got d¨¦j¨¤ vu and for a moment he was scared until he saw her lying on the couch, she was sleeping. He walked to where she was and squatted in front of her, he stared at her beautiful face. She looked peaceful sleeping like that. He lifted his hand to her face and pushed away the hair that settled there. She leaned into his touch. Yeah, she was all that mattered, he didn¡¯t care what anyone else said, he wanted to be with her and he was going to be with her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed baby,¡±

    He said and lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

    ¡°You look so tired, how did your meeting go?¡±

    She asked, opening her eyes, instead of taking her to bed, he walked with her to the table where he set the food that he brought for her and dropped her on the chair.

    ¡°Patrick, and told me off a lot, finally approved of our rtionship as my best friend but he still doesn¡¯t as my special advisor, I will tell you about it after you finish eating,¡±

    He told her as he gave her a spoon.

    ¡°The soup will help a lot, I brought rice too, just in case you want some,¡±

    he added. She smiled and ate out of the food. Not much but enough so that she wasn¡¯t starving, he then gave her the drugs as the doctor had said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    She said after she was done and he took the dishes out for the guard close by to take back to the kitchen, he came back into the room and carried her into his arms again.

 Chapter 76

    ¡°I can actually walk on my own and I am not in pain,¡±

    She said in protest.

    ¡°Whatever,¡±

    He responded and walked to the bed with her in his arms. He dropped her on the bed and got in next to her. She got out of bed immediately after he got in.

    ¡°I got to shower,¡±

    She told him and walked towards his restroom, at least she didn¡¯t try to go back to the emerald house.

    ¡°Can I join you?¡±

    He called after her.

    ¡°No,¡±

    She replied firmly. He smiled and let her do her thing. He freshened up too after she was done and before long, they were back together in bed.

    ¡°So? What happened? Are we going to be on the news?¡±

    She asked as theyid on the bed.

    ¡°Not really, Patrick will fix everything, don¡¯t worry about it,¡±

    He said. he was sure Patrick would make sure none of the photos taken earlier would be published. The press would only be getting a statement and that¡¯s it. Even if someone ends up uploading photos, they will be taken down before they go viral, he had people for those kinds of things so he wasn¡¯t worried. Not like it would have bothered him if their photos were everywhere but it was Sophie, she wasn¡¯t ready for that kind of exposure.

    ¡°I am happy to hear that, I really do not want you to go through any kind of bacsh because of what happened today,¡±

    Shemented. She was worried about him.

    ¡°There is nothing like backsh, the only people I need to deal with are the elders and I have chosen to not speak to them if they call for me because I don¡¯t want to hear about no tradition right now,¡±

    He said and reached out for her.

    ¡°You know what they say is the truth right? These rules are there for a reason,¡±

    ¡°The so-called rules aren¡¯t written anywhere, the elders made those things up just so that they can get the kings to marry and be with people they choose. I am not going to let that happen, Sophie, I am going to keep you with me, rules or no rules,ws or nows,¡±

    He stated firmly.

    ¡°You are going to marry me?¡±

    She asked and he nodded.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    He responded. He didn¡¯t know how he was going to make that happen yet but he would find a way.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not going to happen right? We are not fit, I don¡¯t fit into any of the royalty requirements; the elders are never going to let you do something like that and They have the right to, it is tradition,¡±

    She reminded him what he already knew. The thing is, he wasn¡¯t going to let some unwritten rules stop him from being with Sophie. He already told Patrick and he had every intention of sticking to his words, he wasn¡¯t going to give up Sophie just because of some unwrittenws.

    ¡°I am going to keep you with me, Sophie, you make me feelplete, I am at peace when I am with you, I don¡¯t want to lose that,¡±

    He told her his truth. She stared at him wordlessly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised. I mean, I even went to you in the dungeon, that should say something about how much hold you have on me even before we became a couple,¡±

    he reminded her. Thinking about it now, he has always been drawn to her, he just didn¡¯t admit it to himself.

    ¡°You are going to get us in trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She asked and yawned. She must still be very tired from all the events that happened today, he should let her get some sleep.

    ¡°We will talk about it some other time, you need to get some sleep, you look tired,¡±

    He said and pulled her closer to him, patting her shoulders softly. He expected her to protest but she didn¡¯t, instead, she snuggled closer to him.

    ¡°Thank you for being there for me today,¡±

    She voiced.

    ¡°Always, baby, now go back to sleep,¡±

    He whispered to her and she snuggled even closer to him.

    ¡°Goodnight,¡±

    She muttered and he kissed her hair.

    ¡°Good night,¡±

    He responded and closed his eyes. Whatever happens, whatever it was that he felt for her, he just wanted to keep her close like this for a long time and he would find a way to make it so.

    He woke up the next morning to Sophie watching him with a look that he had seen her give him multiple times but this time, it was a lot more intense, he has told himself times without numbers not to read too much into that look but right now, he couldn¡¯t care less. She looked at him like he was the best person in the world, like he was the only person she sees.

    ¡°Good morning, my king,¡±

    She greeted when she realized he was watching her too, she shyly averted her eyes. He smiled at her, happy to see that she was okay.

    ¡°Good morning my queen,¡±

    He said in response and her eyes flew open, she stared at him with disapproving eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that even as a joke, I don¡¯t like it, it puts ideas in my head that aren¡¯t good for me,¡±

    She scolded. Not like he was joking.

    ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t joking?¡±

    ¡°Still don¡¯t, okay?¡±

    She asked in all seriousness. He reluctantly agreed because he didn¡¯t want that to cause a riff between them so early in the morning.

    ¡°Soph, how are you feeling?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°I am good, thank you for yesterday, I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you had not shown up when you did,¡±

    She said. she must have been reminiscing about what happened because she looked so scared. He held her hand.

    ¡°I am d I did too, I have Patrick to thank because he was the one who said I shoulde back and talk to you about our disagreement that morning,¡±

    ¡°Wow, never expected that man to be on my side, he acts like he hates me or something,¡±

    Shemented.

    ¡°Patrick doesn¡¯t hate you, he is just very strict and hates when people break the rules like I always do, he always tries to make sure I don¡¯t do the things my way because he believes most of my ways are not it, aside from being so bossy, he is actually a great friend, you know he is my best friend right? Used to be my only friend too but now the princess is my friend too,¡±

    He told her. He didn¡¯t want to keep his friendship with the princess from her given their history.

    ¡°You are friends with the princess?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°yeah,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she forgave you for ditching her,¡±

    She was brutal with her words.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t like me too, she knew we weren¡¯tpatible too and even saw through me before I did, in the end, I didn¡¯t want to be with her because I wanted to be with you, Sophie, only you,¡±

    He gabbed. She only stared at him wordlessly, she didn¡¯t need to say anything because she had her heart out in her eyes, she felt what he did too but was scared to admit it. Maybe he was scared too.

    ¡°Soph,¡±

    He whispered.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t, we can¡¯t Lance, don¡¯t please, we are never going to be together for long, you should remember that, you told me yourself not to ask for more,¡±

    She reminded him. It felt like a long time ago when he told her that he couldn¡¯t give her more, now, things were different. He wanted to give her everything if she let him.

    ¡°I am going to find a way to keep us together, bend the rules if I have to,¡±

    He promised.

    ¡°The elders are going toe for you, you know that right? How am I the only one speaking about this? Shouldn¡¯t you be the one to tell me to not cross the line or something? Why are you the one trying to cross the line, Lance? It is not fair,¡±

    Sophie said. she looked concerned and he understood her but he wished she would have some faith in him.

    ¡°How is it unfair that I want to be with you? Are we going to fight about this too?¡±

    Lance asked. He was offended that not even she was on his side. She should be on his side, he already knew they had a lot holding them back, and he didn¡¯t need her to rob it in even more.

    ¡°I do not want us to fight about it, I just don¡¯t want you to have issues with the elders or your people because of me,¡±

    She said and rested her head on his chest. He felt himself calm down with the simple gesture from her.

    ¡°I am not going to have issues with anyone, I am simply going to find a way to keep my woman with me,¡±

    He promised and left no room for argument. He was going to find a way, if he required him to change and make new rules, he would do that because he couldn¡¯t picture a life with someone who was not Sophie. She was it for him.

 Chapter 77

    Sophie stood in front of the huge mirror in the king¡¯s chamber looking hell of pregnant, it had been two months since she almost lost her baby, or thought she did, now she looked a lot bigger at five months pregnant with a very visible baby bump. It had been two months of utter bliss with Lance, the man had been nothing but sweet and amazing to her, and every new day, Sophie fell for him a little deeper. Their rtionship has grown in thest two months and Sophie could finally see and refer to him as her boyfriend because he left no room for doubt.

    Unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t any uproar about them dating or at least none has been brought to her attention, these days, she spends more time in the king¡¯s chamber than the emerald house, she barely spent time there and almost all of her personal stuff has been moved to the king¡¯s room by the king himself. Crazy man but she loved him a little more each day. He made it so easy for her to love him. He took care of her like no one has ever done and made sure she always felt safe and owned. She loved every single moment in his presence.

    Unlike when she newly started living in the emerald house, now, she could leave the house and could take a stroll around the pce and no one would speak to her or question her. She always had Riley with her just so she would not be alone and Riley sort of became her friend.

    Sophie smiled when she remembered what she had been able to do with her little power as the king¡¯s girlfriend, about a month ago, she had talked Lance into reviewing the files of the women in the prison where she had been kept. That had helped in freeing some of the women there whose cases were minor and others who were falsely used one of those was Leah who had helped her.

    ¡°I am so happy for her,¡±

    Sophie said to herself. She felt so much joy knowing that she was able to get Leah out so that she could be with her daughter again. even though she might not find out she yed a role in getting her out, Sophie was just happy that she could get the chance to pay her back for being kind to her. If only she could do the same for the woman that sheter found out to be a former queen. She had tried to speak to Lance about her too but he had told her that was beyond him because he wasn¡¯t the one that sent her away. He did assure her that she gets aid from the pce and is also under watch. She felt good knowing she was safe.

    Sophie also found out that the king had been working on the case that made her a prisoner and he told her the driver had been trialed and set to jail because he confessed to stealing the diamonds which he had wanted to sell. The diamonds were recovered and Sophie felt at peace knowing her name had been cleared. Lance apologized to her for not believing her even though he didn¡¯t have to. He even gifted her a beautiful gold chain which she currently had on as an apology gift; she had epted with her whole heart.

    ¡°Baby? Why are you just standing there? You are going to bete for your appointment,¡±

    Lance said as he came to stand behind her. She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and leaned into his embrace.

    ¡°I was just admiring myself a little,¡±

    She told him.

    ¡°You should have asked me how you look; you know I am always ready to give you an answer,¡±

    Lance said and kissed her neck. He had the habit of leaving kisses all over her body, at every opportunity he gets and she loved it.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me toe with you?¡±

    He asked and Sophie turned so that she was facing him, he didn¡¯t let her go. The crazy man wanted to follow her to her appointment with the doctor, they talked about it,st night and she had told him no multiple times.

    ¡°I told you already that you can¡¯t. not only will Patrick have a mental breakdown, he might send me out of the pce too and we don¡¯t want that, right?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Sophie told him. She was still certain that the king¡¯s best friend and advisor didn¡¯t like her but he tolerated her enough; she was sure that if she let him go with her to the hospital, he would have a breakdown and might send her out of the pce for good.

    ¡°Patrick won¡¯t do nothing, just say you don¡¯t want me there,¡±

    He said with a pout, the way he bes someone else with her. If she hadn¡¯t been keeping up with the things he had been doing and how he became so powerful and authoritative when he addressed the public, she would have easily believed he was a cute little man who was so into her like she was with him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you want, we can be on call while I do the routine at the hospital, I don¡¯t want the people to find me keeping their king away from them,¡±

    Sophie tried but that didn¡¯t work either.

    ¡°You know I have nothing nned out for today, I purposely made today free because I wanted to go with you,¡±

    He let out. Sophie let out a sigh.

    ¡°My king, why are you so obsessed with me?¡±

    She asked in a yful tone. He pulled away and regarded her with a look that made her fear that she might have gone a little too far but when she tried to apologize, he pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his, drowning out the apology. She let him kiss her, enjoying it a little too much even though she knew she needed to reapply her lipsticks.

    ¡°You are right, Soph, I am obsessed with you, you better know that ande back fast or I am going toe to you, stand outside the hospital, and yell your name until youe out,¡±

    He said when they pulled apart. She smiled. He hasn¡¯t outrightly told her he loved her, but she felt it in each of his words and actions, in the little things that he does for her, in the way he looks at her. She hadn¡¯t said it to him too, she smiled at him again, wondering if he would ept her love if she told him she loved him right now.

    She has been on the verge of telling him a couple of times, but each time, she held back because she didn¡¯t want him to feel pressured into saying it back. This time was different, it just felt like the right time to finally tell him how she felt about him. Her heartbeat increased as she looked up into his beautiful eyes. She just had to tell him, she couldn¡¯t keep it to herself anymore, her heart felt so full of love for him that she knew she couldn¡¯t go a day more without letting him know how she felt. If those looks and everything he has done for her were to be taken as proof, he felt the same too, and even if he didn¡¯t, she still wanted to tell him. She took a deep breath and let the words that had been on the tip of her lips for so long out.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    She let out and watched him freeze. He let her go again and she got scared that she might have read him wrong and might have ruined what they had, she was starting to belittle herself and scold herself for opening her mouth and saying those words but then he smiled and she watched as his smile grow bigger,¡±

    ¡°I knew it, I knew I didn¡¯t read those feelings wrong, I know you so well, Soph, oh my, baby, you beat me to it, fuck, I wanted to be the first to say those words,¡±

    He said reaching out to take her hands in his, her smile grew too when his words sank into her head and heart, he didn¡¯t need to say the words, the look he gave her, the way he smiled. She just knew he felt the same and it made her so happy that she wasn¡¯t alone.

    He pulled her to him and kissed her again, it was as if he was conveying all the feelings he had for her through the kiss, they had shared numerous kisses since they got together but this kiss was a lot more special.

    ¡°Can you say that again, I want you to hear you said those words to me again, baby,¡±

    He said when they pulled apart. Of course, she was ready to say them over and over again.

    ¡°I love you, my king, I mean, the king of my heart, I love you so much,¡±

    She repeated. He didn¡¯t even let her finish the words before he kissed her again and she melted into his touch, she knew she would bete for her doctor¡¯s appointment if they continued like this but she didn¡¯t care, this moment was more important than anything for her. It felt so good being serenaded right now by one of the two people she loved the most in the world, the other being their child.

 Chapter 78

    Lance broke the kiss to stare at her lovingly, he had been stalling for over two months and she finally beat him to it, not like he didn¡¯t have the courage to tell her, he just didn¡¯t want to scare her away with a love deration so early into their rtionship. He loved the fact that she didn¡¯t have to worry about that and was able to tell him how she felt. It was so easy to fall in love with her and it was something that he couldn¡¯t stop himself from doing because he didn¡¯t let him, she pushed her way into his life, his bed, and then his heart, each and every step of the way, she found him.

    ¡°Why are you smiling and not saying anything?¡±

    Sophie asked and he realized that he had been looking at her for so long without saying anything.

    ¡°I am just in awe, I actually didn¡¯t expect you to be the first to say those words, I didn¡¯t think you would ever be sofortable with me since you keep telling me not to cross the line,¡±

    he reminded her and she gave him a look.

    ¡°Well, you made it so hard not to love you,¡±

    She responded so shyly, that he almost didn¡¯t hear her. He smiled and pulled her into a warm hug, she needed to go for her appointment but he wanted to let her know just how much he loved her too. He still couldn¡¯t believe that he found love, found someone who he was so into that when he was with her, everything else would not matter.

    ¡°You know I love you too, right?¡±

    He asked. Her smile widened.

    ¡°I hoped so,¡±

    ¡°Hoped so? Woman, you have me wrapped around your fingers, I can¡¯t go a day without being with you, I used to not be able to sleep except I drink but now, I just need to have you next to me and everything will be okay, you hoped? I am sure I loved you first,¡±

    He told her. She removed herself from the hug and regarded him with a look that suggested that he must be kidding her.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie, my king, respectfully, I had a crush on you the moment I saw you, do you know how almost everyone who works in the pce at one point falls for you? I mean we talk about it a lot and not a single one of us didn¡¯t have a crush on you even the ones that were already engaged, you are every woman¡¯s dream, I still don¡¯t know how I got so lucky,¡±

    She said. he felt so honored that she could be so open with him and at the same time, his ego was at an all-time high.

    ¡°What to say, I am quite the catch,¡±

    He bragged.

    ¡°Yes, you are,¡±

    Lance reached out for her hands again.

    ¡°Even though you think I am quite the catch, I can tell you I am also very lucky to have found you, you are one in a million and it was so easy to fall in love with you Soph, I don¡¯t care that you are not from this kingdom or if you are not royalty, I want to be with you and I love you so much, youplete me and brighten my world, I want you to be with me for every moment that walks this earth,¡±

    He had so much that he wanted to tell her but the words just failed him. He wasn¡¯t poetic and couldn¡¯t tell her all the sweet words that she deserved to hear from him but he hoped that she saw his heart and knew that he loves her so much.

    ¡°That¡¯s taking it to a whole new level, Lance, I love you and I know now that you love me too but we both know that love is not enough to keep us together, it is a reality that we can¡¯t change,¡±

    She looked so sad saying those words, she just didn¡¯t have enough faith in him yet, he was going to prove her wrong, he would show her that they could be together forever.

    ¡°I am not taking anything too far with you, Soph, I am telling you how I feel, I can¡¯t picture myself with anyone who isn¡¯t you, Soph, so you have to stay with me now,¡±

    ¡°Do I have to? I can just take back what I said,¡±

    He hoped she was joking because no way was he going to let her take it back, she would not even think of doing that.

    ¡°You told me you love me; you can¡¯t take it back and I am not going to let you go, keep that in mind,¡±

    He warned. If she thinks he is going to let anything keep him away from making a home with her and being with her for the rest of their lives, then she needs to think again because he is going to use his power and get the happy ending that he wanted for them.

    ¡°Why do you sound so sure?¡±

    Okay, she was teasing him.

    ¡°I am sure, have you seen the way you look at me?¡±

    He bragged and sheughed but thatugh didn¡¯tst because her expression grew serious again.

    ¡°On a serious note, though, I wish I could be as confident as you are, Lancelot, I love you, and that¡¯s not going to change but I also know that loving you is not enough to keep us together, there are so many reasons why we won¡¯t be together, I just need to ept that and I think you should too,¡±

    He didn¡¯t like how serious she sounded. Didn¡¯t like the tone of her voice and the little crack at the end. It was as if she was trying not to cry, to make it worse, she put a distance between them as if she was trying to make her point clear. She was drawing a line and he didn¡¯t want that. He reached out for her but she moved further away from him.

    ¡°Sophie, stop moving,¡±

    He told her, she did stop and lift her hand to prevent him from going closer to her.

    ¡°This, this is our reality, there is always going to be a line between us, I don¡¯t fit in your world, Lancelot, I am here on borrowed time and no matter how much I love you, that¡¯s not going to change,¡±

    He shook his head. He didn¡¯t want that kind of reality.

    ¡°Soph, I am not going to ept any other kind of reality; any reality that you are not in is not for me,¡±

    He said walking close to her.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°Believe me when I tell you that our time together is not a borrowed time, you love me, I love you, and I am going to make it work,¡±

    He continued as he stood in front of her. Now there was not much space between them.

    ¡°There is no line to cross, Sophie, the line faded that day in the emerald house when I kissed you, whatever it was that was the barricade faded that day, when we kissed, I knew, even though I tried to tell myself that it was just sex, tried to lie that I wasn¡¯t feeling anything, it didn¡¯t work. Patrick, Roseline? they both saw through me; the first time I slept in the dungeon with you? Patrick gave me an earful, and asked me if I was in love with you and all. I told him he had nothing to worry about but Patrick was right to have been worried because even though I didn¡¯t know it then, I already felt something for you,¡±

    Lance confessed and paused to just look at her and admire the beauty of the woman who stole his heart.

    ¡°Why would I, a king, go as far as sleeping in the dungeon if I wasn¡¯t crazy about you then? Even the day you went missing, I kept telling myself that I wasn¡¯t worried for you, that I was just worried about the diamonds but that wasn¡¯t it. I worried for you. When I found out you were with child, I was so jealous of the man who got to touch you, I still want to hurt him for getting you pregnant and not being around for the baby, what a jerk,¡±

    Lancemented. He lifted his hand to stop her when she tried to say something.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are with child and that child isn¡¯t mine, I don¡¯t care if you are not from Otano, I don¡¯t care if you are not royalty, I don¡¯t care about any of those things, I only care about you, you make me happy, Soph and I want you with me all the time,¡±

    He pulled her back to himself because she had been away from his touch for too long and he didn¡¯t like that. She wrapped her arms around him, her baby tummy caught in their middle.

    ¡°You are so,¡±

    She said and paused.

    ¡°I am so what?¡±

    He asked; she shook her head.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    She said. he knew she was using those words to cover up what she actually wanted to say to him but he didn¡¯t mind, he would rather she talk about her love for him than anything negative. He released her from the hug so that he could look directly into her eyes when he spoke.

    ¡°I love you too, so very much and I am going to show you,¡±

    He promised, pulling her to him and once again iming her lips. It was a kiss of love and a promise that he intended to keep. They stayed like that for a while until she suddenly gasped.

    ¡°I need to leave now, you know if I don¡¯t, I would have to wait for everyone else to be done before I can see the doctor, my appointment is less than an hour away,¡±

    Sophie said when they pulled apart, Lance didn¡¯t want to let her go but he had to. He watched her fix the lipstick that his kisses had ruined.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡±

    He asked when she just picked up her bag and was leaving, she turned and looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°What?¡±

    She questioned. He gestured for her toe back to him and she reluctantly did.

    ¡°You need to say the magic words or I am not going to let you go,¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    He threatened.

    ¡°God, I wish I could show the people how you act with me; I am sure they won¡¯t believe,¡±

    He didn¡¯t care what his people would think of his behavior towards his woman, they needed a strong king and he always made sure to be that when he needed to be but when ites to Sophie, she unlocks a new him that only her knew.

    ¡°Just say the words, you are runningte,¡±

    He reminded her.

    ¡°I love you, my king,¡±

    She said and even though she had told him a couple of times already, it still brought a bright smile to his face. He drew her to him and kissed her again even though she protested that he was ruining her lipstick.

    ¡°I love you, Soph, see you soon,¡±

    He said and kissed her before letting her go, she walked away without looking back at him but he stood in the middle of the room where she had left him just looking until she opened the door and stepped out, still he stood there wondering if it was okay to be this happy, to be so in love. He wanted to keep the feeling he had right now for a long time and to do that, he needed to propose a change.

    ¡°I am going to keep her with me and make her my queen,¡±

    Lance told himself as he changed and got out of his chamber. He had a few things that he needed to take care of in his office, they weren¡¯t urgent, he just needed something to keep him busy while he waited for Sophie to return; he had really wanted to go with her to her appointment but she didn¡¯t want him there which sucks but he had no choice but to listen to her.

    ¡°I thought you said you are taking the day off,¡±

    Patrick asked when he walked into his office.

    ¡°Yeah, I did but Sophie didn¡¯t want me to go with her to the hospital,¡±

    He said and walked to his seat, he could feel Patrick¡¯s eyes following him and knew what wasing.

    ¡°You took a day off just to go with her to the hospital? I am d one of you at least has somemon sense. That¡¯s such a terrible idea, you following a heavily pregnant woman to the hospital? It would be everywhere and we don¡¯t want that right now,¡±

    Lance knew that was what Sophie had thought too that made her turn his request down, what they both didn¡¯t know was that he didn¡¯t care about what anyone said, he wanted to be seen with Sophie, he wanted to do things with her. Today is important to her and he wanted to be there too, he only stayed away out of respect for her, okay, he did get a love deration, and that kind of felt like payment for being unable to be there with her. His smile widened when he thought about it earlier.

    ¡°Why are you smiling again? you are acting like a lovestruck teenage boy,¡±

    Patrickmented and Lance caught himself, he directed the smile at him for a moment andughed at Patrick¡¯s disgusted expression.

    ¡°What happened now?¡±

    Patrick questioned.

    ¡°Nothing, I am just a happy man,¡±

    It was hard to hide his happiness, not when everything he could think about was that Sophie told him that she loved him. Even though her fear of the unknown future almost ruined their loving moment. He didn¡¯t dwell more on that because he knew he was the one to fix that and show her that they could be together, their love wasn¡¯t forbidden in any way.

 Chapter 80

    ¡°You can be a happy man, but right now, you look too happy and I am afraid to ask what the reason is,¡±

    ¡°Patrick, don¡¯t worry,¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I am worried, I am worried that I already know why and your happiness might make me lose more brain cells than I have already lost.¡±

    Patrick was such a killjoy, the man needed to fall in love so that he too would know what it feels like.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why my happiness means you lose brain cells,¡±

    ¡°Cut to the chase and tell me what happened,¡±

    Patrick persuaded. Even though he knew telling him would mean hearing another earful as to why he and Sophie couldn¡¯t be together, Lance still told him.

    ¡°Well, if you must know, I told her that I love her, well, she said it first and I said it too,¡±

    he announced. Patrick didn¡¯t even look surprised.

    ¡°I saw thising, aha, it has been over since that day, I should have done better,¡±

    Patrick said. he was talking more to himself.

    ¡°What day?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°The day you slept in the dungeon with her, you swore that you just went to sleep but I knew it, hell, I feel like a prophet right now and I don¡¯t feel proud of it, I predict this would happen,¡±

    Patrick replied.

    ¡°I am going to give it to you, you caught on before I did, you are good,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Lance said pointing at him and giving a thumbs up, Patrick just side-eyed him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so proud,¡±

    He cautioned but Lance didn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°You are asking me what I think? You are asking me if I approve. If that¡¯s the question, I have two answers, as your best friend, I want you to be happy and I know she brings so much happiness to you but as your special advisor, I think you are making a very big mistake,¡±

    ¡°Why would you think I am making a big mistake?¡±

    He asked even though he already knew the answer to that.

    ¡°You know already,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do, but that¡¯s not going to stop me, I love her and she loves me and my goal is to keep us together for a long time,¡±

    He promised.

    ¡°So? You are thinking of marrying her? While she is carrying another man¡¯s child?¡±

    Lance didn¡¯t like how the question sounded. He didn¡¯t care if Sophie was pregnant or not, she never hid her pregnancy from him, he knew she was pregnant when he asked her out, knew she was pregnant but that didn¡¯t stop him from falling in love with her. Her child can be his child too, he already loved the unborn child just as much as he loved the mom.

    ¡°Yes, I am going to marry her,¡±

    He said firmly.

    ¡°And you think the elders will let you do that? You might be the king but they have power too, you don¡¯t juste around and do things however you want, you have been avoiding them for over two months now, they won¡¯t stand by and watch you do what you want, Lancelot, I wish there was a way to keep your happiness but we don¡¯t make the rules,¡±

    Patrick asserted. Lance refused to believe that there was nothing he could do, he was the ruler, not the elders, they were nothing but a bunch of old men who thought they could govern him or tell him what to do, well, not in this case, not in matters that concern his happiness. He can only be a good and active king if he is mentally okay and he couldn¡¯t see himself doing that if Sophie isn¡¯t with him.

    ¡°Your concerns are there but let me tell you that I am going to change whatever rules and make new ones, this isn¡¯t the Stone Age, who I marry isn¡¯t going to affect my ce as the king but I can¡¯t just marry anyone just because they fit in what a bunch of old men think should be a good wife,¡±

    Lance let out. He had respect for the elders but sometimes, their way of thinking was outdated.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t make the rule, it has always been like that, they met it like that, you can only marry from outside the kingdom if you are marrying into royalty and merging the two kingdoms, if not, you are to pick a bride from among the maidens from noble families within Otano,¡±

    Patrick said as if Lance wasn¡¯t aware of those details.

    ¡°The thing is, that rule is an unwrittenw, it is not written anywhere, and therefore, it doesn¡¯t hold any ground, I don¡¯t care whatever generation started that shit, it is going to end with me because I am going to marry Sophie and that¡¯s final, I just have to find a way to make her say yes,¡±

    He replied. Yes, that was the only thing he should be worried about; whether the woman he loves would say yes to his proposal, if she said yes, nothing else would matter.

    ¡°And you are not scared that they might dethrone you and make you leave Otano?¡±

    Patrick asked. Lance knew they would not do that except they wanted to go back to being on the verge of economic bankruptcy and a failing kingdom with zero value on the global map, they needed him and everyone knew it.

    ¡°Even you know that it won¡¯t happen, if I leave, I am not even bragging, Otano would crumble in less than a year,¡±

    ¡°You sound so confident,¡±

    Patrickmented.

    ¡°Yes, I am, I know what I have done in the five years that I have been king, I know how bad it was when I came, and I am still doing my best to keep the momentum going, if they decide to take me away from the throne just because I want to be happy, everyone will suffer the loss and I would probably relocate somewhere else and build my family with Sophie,¡±

    Lance wasn¡¯t thinking of abandoning his people but if they decide they don¡¯t want him because he chose Sophie, he would wash his hands off Otano and move somewhere far away and start his life as a normal person, be with Sophie, and grow old together.

    ¡°You are stubborn,¡±

    Patrick said. he always used that card whenever he knew he wasn¡¯t winning against him.

    ¡°You know I am,¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°Why did I ever think it would be easy to be your advisor? That¡¯s the biggest lie I ever told myself,¡±

    ¡°No one said It was easy to do, you assumed.¡±

    Lance cheered. He was tired of the seriousness in the office and also missing Sophie even though she left him about an hour ago, now how did anyone expect him to carry on living if she wasn¡¯t with him when just a few minutes of not seeing her left him missing her. He wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.

 Chapter 81

    Sophie felt her heart almost explode with love when she saw her baby moving and being all healthy. She was so thankful that she got to see her baby like this, it wasn¡¯t the first time she did a scan but it was always so fascinating to see her baby, and every time they checked, she got bigger.

    ¡°Aha, it is a she,¡±

    The sonographer confirmed what Sophie already knew, she had always known that she was having a daughter, and she felt the connection. She smiled knowing at the sonographer who continued her work while pointing out things for her.

    ¡°She is an active baby, you are doing so well and everything is fine with her, the doctor will speak to you more,¡±

    The sonographer said as she concluded what she was doing and removed the controller from her bump, she gave Sophie tissues to wipe the gel off her stomach, after which she helped Sophie out of the bed.

    ¡°Thank you for today,¡±

    Sophie thanked her as she walked out of the room, she still had a few things to do. Her next stop was theboratory, she hated that she had to have her blood drowned and honestly wanted to skip that part but she couldn¡¯t see the doctor if what he asked for wasn¡¯tplete so she had to, after getting her blood drowned, she walked to the hospital caf¨¦ to get something to eat as she was famished. Usually, Riley woulde with her but she had cramps and Sophie didn¡¯t want her to walk around while in so much pain so she had asked her to go back to the maid quarter and get a break which was why she was on her own.

    Sophie was still seated just taking a break before she had to see the doctor when a woman who would be around her age walked to her.

    ¡°Hi, can I sit with you, please?¡±

    She asked and Sophie nodded because she didn¡¯t see a reason not to, in her mind, she thought maybe the woman was in the hospital for antenatal like most of the other women in the caf¨¦ and didn¡¯t want to sit on her own.

    ¡°You are so beautiful, if you don¡¯t mind me saying,¡±

    The womanplimented.

    ¡°Thank you, I can say the same for you, is this your first time here?¡±

    Sophie asked just to keep the conversation with her so as not to appear self-absorbed.

    ¡°No, I had my baby here but this is the first time I am here for work,¡±

    The woman. Sophie just nodded even though she wanted to ask her what kind of a job she does, she decided not to ask because it was none of her business and she would most certainly not see her again.

    ¡°Mind if I ask you a few questions?¡±

    The woman asked; even though Sophie didn¡¯t feelfortable anymore, she agreed.

    ¡°Yes, you can ask,¡±

    She said, hoping that whatever the woman wanted to know was something she could tell her.

    ¡°I noticed you came in with a vehicle from the pce and you even have a driver waiting for you,¡±

    The woman said and Sophie wondered how she knew she came in with a vehicle from the pce, that made it sound like she had been watching her and might have approached her on purpose. Sophie suddenly wanted to get up and leave, she wasn¡¯t ready to answer such questions if that¡¯s what she wanted to ask.

    ¡°Do you perhaps work in the pce?¡±

    She asked. Sophie couldn¡¯t outrightly deny working in the pce as the woman already knew that she hade in with a vehicle from the pce. It was easy to identify anyway because of the signature ck color and also the pce logo.

    ¡°Yes, I work in the pce, how did you know what vehicle I came in with? Were you watching me?¡±

    Sophie asked her.

    ¡°You can say I was watching or just believe me when I saw I happen to see you get out of the car,¡±

    ¡°And you just remembered my face and decided to approach me?¡±

    Sophie questioned.

    ¡°Yeah, you have a face that can¡¯t be easily forgotten, anyway, now that I know you work in the pce, might I ask you a few questions about our king?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    She asked. Sophie didn¡¯t like the direction that their conversation was going and she honestly wasn¡¯t feeling good anymore, she needed to see the doctor so that she could go back to the pce, that was the only ce she felt safe, not just safe, she felt loved, she almost smiled when she remembered what happened between her and the king before she came to the hospital but she didn¡¯t want the weird woman sitting with her to ask her stupid questions. Sophie couldn¡¯t wait to go back to the pce, she already knew he would be waiting for her to return, he told her he loved her too and that was the best thing she had heard since she came to Otano. She never knew she could pull the king and never for once thought that he could fall in love with her but he did, she believed everything that he told her because she saw the way he looked at her, she had not read those feelings wrong and she was so happy that she finally got to tell him how she felt and was even happier when he said those words back, their future together might not look it best right at the moment, but she wasn¡¯t going to think about that, what would do is enjoy every moment that they still had together so that when that horrible futurees, she would have many happy memories to keep her going.

    ¡°I am going to take your silence as a yes and just ask,¡±

    The woman said and Sophie was brought back to the reality that she was asking her questions.

    ¡°Is it true that the king has a woman? Wait, I am sure he does but is it true that the said woman is carrying the heir to the throne?¡±

    The woman asked. Sophie¡¯s eyes widened at her questions, she finally realized which kind of work the woman was doing even without her asking. Sophie didn¡¯t even look at her properly before, if she did, she would have seen that she had her phone on the table and was recording their conversation. All the friendliness she felt disappearedpletely.

 Chapter 82

    ¡°Is that question too hard to answer? You just have to give a yes or no, is the king really expecting an heir soon?¡±

    She asked again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer any of your questions and you have no right toe sit with me and ask me such questions,¡±

    Sophie fired at the woman, it was clear that she thought her to be a fool. She must think she has no sense of her own that she can just question her and she would willingly give her all the answers. She would be a fool to do that while knowing that could expose the king and herself to so many bullshits that she wasn¡¯t ready to deal with just yet. The fact that the woman approached her knowing she was pregnant means she knew some details and wanted to find out if her baby belonged to the king.

    ¡°I just asked a simple question, there have been a lot of talks going around the kingdom about the king having a woman and the both of them expecting a baby¡±

    ¡°And that concerns me how?¡±

    Sophie let out. She knew people knew about her rtionship with the king and there had been a lot of spection but nothing had gone out of proportion yet she was hoping that it would stay that way but that might not be the case anymore.

    ¡°Why are you being so defensive? I asked a simple question, you should know since you live in the pce, or wait, it is you right? You are the king¡¯s woman? The baby you are carrying right now belongs to our king. right? You don¡¯t look like you are from Otano, are you from a royal family too? Were you the reason the king broke his engagement and called off his wedding?¡±

    The woman just went on with her questions, Sophie decided she had enough and got out of the chair, she didn¡¯t say a word to the woman and the crazy woman didn¡¯t take that as a hint because when Sophie stood up, she did too.

    ¡°Are you not going to say a word? Don¡¯t you know that your silence kind of confirms some things?¡±

    The woman went on while Sophie walked away from the caf¨¦ fast without answering, she would be a fool to fall for her tactics, she was trying to get her to say anything.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just walk away, if you do, that would be you confirming that you are indeed the king¡¯s woman and also, the baby you are carrying belongs to him,¡±

    The woman yelled. Sophie noticed that everyone else looked up at them, Sophie stopped for a moment, turned back to the woman, and gave her the middle finger, she saw the look of shock on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°You are stupid and should do a better job at being a journalist, trying to create a narrative like that by boxing me into a corner is not what journalism means, know your job better or get another one,¡±

    Sophie told her and walked away, Jude, the bodyguard who drove her, must have noticed the ruckus because she met him at the entrance.

    ¡°Something happened?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Yeah, a journalist, I need to see the doctor,¡±

    Sophie said and walked away from him. She went directly towards the doctor¡¯s office and was d when they called her name. As soon as she got there, she saw the doctor. It didn¡¯t take up to twenty minutes because everything was good with her and the baby. When she came out of the doctor¡¯s office, Jude was waiting for her and he led her through the back entrance of the hospital because there were paparazzi on the front entrance. Before she got into the car, Sophie once again felt the presence of someone who was watching her. She shook off the thought and got in the car. Once she got to the pce, she walked straight to the king¡¯s chamber. The people who lived within the pce already knew of her rtionship with the king so no one said a word or blinked when she went to the king¡¯s room but she knew there had been a lot of talkstely, she heard some from Riley who might have been careful of what she told her but she knew from how she sounded that there were talking more than that. Their main discussion would be her pregnancy, she was sure of it. She made up her mind already not to think about what anyone else said, so long as the king wanted her around, she was going to be there for him and with him.

    Not even twenty minutes after she came back, the king walked in. She just got out of the shower and was wiping her face in front of the mirror.

    ¡°Hey, babe,¡±

    He said when he walked in, he came to her, pecked her cheek and then he walked straight to the bed andy down. She turned to him and turned back when she saw him smiling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a kingdom to run?¡±

    Sophie asked even though she liked that he was with her.

    ¡°I do but I took the day off, remember? I only went to my office for a while and left as soon as I heard that you were back, how did it go?¡±

    He asked. Sophie contemted whether she should tell him what happened at the hospital or not but in the end, she decided to tell him.

    ¡°Doctor said we are both good and I ran into a journalist, didn¡¯t know she was one at first until she started asking weird questions,¡±

    She told him.

    ¡°What kind of questions?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°She asked if I knew who the king¡¯s woman was, and when I didn¡¯t answer, she asked if it was me and if the baby belongs to the king and so many other questions,¡±

    ¡°Did you speak to her?¡±

    Lance asked after Sophie finished telling him what happened.

    ¡°I told her to mind her business, told her to do a better job at journalism or quit the job if she can¡¯t. I am not a fool, I know when someone is trying to get juicy news from me,¡±

    Sophie responded as she wiped her face with the face wipe. She was so tired and just wanted to get on the bed and forget everything that happened today. The only good thing about today was the heartbeat of her baby that she felt earlier. Okay not just that, she smiled when she remembered the other good thing that happened to her.

 Chapter 83

    ¡°Now why are you smiling?¡±

    The king asked and she turned to see him watching her.

    ¡°How did you know I was smiling when I wasn¡¯t even looking at you?¡±

    She asked. She shouldn¡¯t even be surprised when he was always watching her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to see your face to know that you are smiling, you always smile with your whole body, not just your face.¡±

    He pointed out. She got up from where she sat and walked to him, got on the bed, andy next to him, he pulled her closed and wrapped her in his arms, she breathed in his fresh smell as all the tiredness she felt washed away.

    ¡°I remembered what happened before my appointment earlier.¡±

    ¡°She told him, he lifted her face with his finger under her chin, and she looked at him with her heart in her eyes.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    He whispered and kissed her, reminding her just how it felt to hear him say those words to her for the first time.

    ¡°Shit, I should have just told that nosy woman that I was, in fact, the king¡¯s woman and that he is in love with me,¡±

    Sophie voiced jokingly.

    ¡°Yea, you should have, what a missed opportunity,¡±

    The kingmented. Sophie looked at him and he looked dead serious.

    ¡°Sir, I was joking, do you know what would have happened if I had said that? You would have been summoned by the elders by now and the whole kingdom would demand answers,¡±

    Sophie blurted out.

    ¡°Yeah, I would have answered their call and also given the people their answer, I love you Soph, and I am not afraid to tell the world,¡±

    Sophie felt pleased that his love for her made it easy for him to say those words but she knew facing the people and the elders wouldn¡¯t be easy even though he is king.

    ¡°They are going to want to know about the baby,¡±

    ¡°I know¡±

    The king responded and there was silence in the room for a few minutes until the king spoke again.

    ¡°Are you ever going to tell me who the father of the baby is? I am not trying to pressure you or anything, I just want to know, okay, no, you don¡¯t have to say, I love the baby regardless and I will do my best to be a good stepdad,¡±

    He said. maybe it was time to tell him, she was scared that he might not believe her but she was so close to giving birth already, it was only less than four months away and with each passing day, it would get harder to not tell him.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me if I told you,¡±

    Sophie said in a low voice.

    ¡°You think so? Try me, nothing you would say would shock me, just tell me, that¡¯s if you are ready,¡±

    He encouraged. She kind of wished it was someone who owned the child, that way it would be easier to speak, not like she wanted another man¡¯s child.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Lance, my baby is your baby,¡±

    She revealed, avoiding his gaze, she didn¡¯t want to see the disbelief in his eyes, she wasn¡¯t even surprised when he let go of her and got out of bed.

    ¡°What? What did you just say, Sophie?¡±

    He asked. She got up too and sat on the bed with her face down.

    ¡°I said, you are the father of my baby, I haven¡¯t been with any other man since I came to Otano, you are the only man I have been with,¡±

    She told him.

    ¡°Sophie, you look at me when you speak to me, baby,¡±

    He yelled and she lifted her eyes to meet him.

    ¡°Now speak, how am I the father of the baby if you were already pregnant before we got together?¡±

    Lancelot asked. His voice was a lot calmer than the first time he spoke but she still feared the rejection that was about toe, maybe she should have just shut up.

    ¡°We slept together before we got together, one night, a couple of months ago, two months before the day you sent me to deliver the diamonds, you entertained some guest and had a little too much to drink,¡±

    She revealed. She couldn¡¯t keep looking into his eyes, she already saw the disbelief and knew it would not be long before he rebukes her and tell her to stop lying to him. She wished she had some proof or anything to back up what she was saying. The only thing she had was her baby bump which wasn¡¯t helping her case at all.

    ¡°Wait, are you serious? Which day? Do you have any idea who it was I entertained because I have had a lot of guests, if you are five months pregnant, it means it happened five months ago, you are talking about the night I entertained the prince of Darlos and his new bride?¡±

    He asked. She couldn¡¯t remember who it was that he entertained that day because it had been her day off and she spent all day in the maid quarters and barely had any idea what was happening in the pce that day until they told her that the king wanted to see her.

    ¡°My king, I really have no idea who it was, it was my day off, I got called to attend to you and was told you had some guests earlier, that¡¯s how I knew you had guests,¡±

    She told him.

    ¡°Go on,¡±

    He urged. He didn¡¯t sound angry but she was scared that it would notst long. She wished she had not said anything, they would probably be cuddling right now. Way to ruin an almost perfect day with baby news.

    ¡°Baby? I am waiting for you,¡±

    Sophie wanted to be happy with the fact that he was still calling her baby but she feared that he might be doing it out of habit. She took a deep breath and continued. There was no backing out because the words were already out anyway and she couldn¡¯t just take them back and tell him she was just pulling his legs.

    ¡°Right, so, I came in and helped you and was about to leave but then you pulled on the bed with you, and we,¡±

    She paused as she didn¡¯t know what to say next.

    ¡°Soph? what did we do?¡±

    He asked. Again, his voice was so calm as if they were having a normal conversation which only made her more anxious.

    ¡°We had sex, you were drunk and I let it happen because I couldn¡¯t resist you, when we were done, I couldn¡¯t stay there knowing that you would probably throw me out of the pce for seducing you while you were drunk and out of it, so I ran away,¡±

    Sophie finished. The silence in the room after herst words was so loud, that she was almost certain that his next words would be for her to get out of his room.

    ¡°So that wasn¡¯t a dream?¡±

    He asked after the long moment of silence. It wasn¡¯t what she had expected him to say. She looked up at him. He didn¡¯t have the look she thought he would have for her, there was no rejection or anger in his expression, he just looked confused.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 84

    Lance didn¡¯t know how to take what Sophie just told him. He couldn¡¯t believe all those months he thought he dreamt of them together, it really happened. What kind of man doesn¡¯t remember such a memorable night, of course, he remembered but just in a different way, that dream or at least he thought it was a dream hunted him for months, and at a point, he wanted to talk to her about it but he had not wanted to sound like a weirdo who a predator, on the day he had sent her that errand that started everything for them, he had wanted to talk to her about it too but they never got the chance because he had stupidly believed a driver who turned out to be a thief over her.

    She was staring at him, as if she hadn¡¯t heard what he had said earlier or maybe she was shocked about the fact that he remembered.

    ¡°Sophie,¡±

    He called but she shook her head and pointed at him.

    ¡°You mean to tell me you remembered that night but you thought it was a dream?¡±

    She asked. She looked like she was going to cry and he didn¡¯t want her to cry, he couldn¡¯t stand seeing her cry.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry,¡±

    He told her. She shook her head again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to cry, I am just a little out of it but I am okay, why would you think it was all a dream?¡±

    She asked. He knew what he was about to say would sound stupid because he ought to have known.

    ¡°When I woke up, I was alone in bed, it was still early in the morning, and there was no trace of anyone in the room so I just thought I had a very realistic explicit dream about you; I wanted to ask you the next morning just to clear all doubt because it felt so real but you avoided me all day and when you finally came, I had made up my mind not to bring it up because I didn¡¯t want to put you in an ufortable position,¡±

    Lance exined.

    ¡°Wow, all the while I thought you forgot,¡±

    She voiced more to herself but he heard her away.

    ¡°You should have stayed with me that night,¡±

    He said. if she had let him wake up to her, it would have stopped a lot of things from happening, especially the theft incident.

    ¡°Lance, you are the king, I was just a maid, I was scared, I was so scared of the consequences of my actions that I ran away, when you didn¡¯t talk about it, I did my best to put everything behind me but then I found out that I was with child and then,¡±

    ¡°And then I used you of something you didn¡¯t do, not just that, I exposed you and our child to danger, God, Sophie I messed up,¡±

    He let out, reaching for her hands and pulling her up so that she was standing in front of him.

    ¡°You had no idea, it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡±

    Lance couldn¡¯t believe she was defending him when it was all his fault, if he remembered what he thought was a dream correctly, he was the one who had pulled her to the bed with him, the one that kissed her first, the one that stupidly forgot about it and also the one who sent her to jail, it was all his fault, everything that she had to suffer was because of him, there was nothing to defend.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to defend me, my love, I know what I did, I messed up a lot, don¡¯t cut me any ck just because you love me, I don¡¯t deserve it,¡±

    He told her. Even if she gets mad at him, he would not fault her because he was totally in the wrong.

    ¡°I am not trying to defend you, Lance, I am just saying the truth, you didn¡¯t know and even though you didn¡¯t know our baby was yours, you still epted me and the baby, you still loved me, and were ready to ept my baby too,¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    She pointed at to him, looking directly into his eyes, he saw the sincerity and love for him in those eyes, and the feeling that washed through him nearly crippled him, he didn¡¯t know what he did to deserve such love from her but what he did know was that he was going to cherish it and grow with it with her by his side, he wasn¡¯t going to let her go. Never.

    ¡°Now you have to say yes, when I ask you to marry me, you can¡¯t say no, you are not allowed to say no,¡±

    Lance told her. She shook her head but he didn¡¯t let her say anything negative.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even dare say that¡¯s not possible because I am going to make it possible, I am the king Sophie, I have power and I am going to use my power to keep us together, you just have to trust me,¡±

    He told her and pulled her into his arms, she didn¡¯t protest.

    ¡°I wish I had your kind of confidence but I do trust you,¡±

    ¡°Good, just trust me and I will fight for us Sophie, for our family,¡±

    He whispered, and kissed her hair softly.

    ¡°Why do you believe me so easily? I thought you would not believe me. I thought you were going to rebuke me and chastise me for trying to pin another man¡¯s child on you,¡±

    Sophie voiced. Lance couldn¡¯t deny that if she had told him earlier, he might not have believed her, he wasn¡¯t proud of himself for it but he was d that she kept it from him until now, until he knew her enough to know that she would not lie about something like that to him, until he fell in love with her.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t I believe you, you are my Sophie and you will never lie to me,¡±

    He told her, patting her back softly and feelingplete. He loved her and their unborn child already and even though a child wasn¡¯t part of the ns he had at the beginning of the year; he was d that they were going to be parents; and that the person carrying his heir was someone he loved so much. Their baby and every other child they would have in the future would be born into a family of love; it would be different from what he had. He pulled away from the hug, and lifted Sophie¡¯s face so that she was looking directly into his eyes, there were a few tears even though she promised that she would not cry.

    ¡°You said you won¡¯t cry,¡±

    He scolded lovingly.

    ¡°No, this is happy tears, do you know how hard it was to keep the secret? Especially that day that I gave us both a scare when I started bleeding, I was so scared that I might have lost the baby and you would even have the chance to meet her,¡±

    She said in an emotional voice. He was thankful that nothing had happened to the baby that day.

    ¡°Nothing happened, our baby is okay, we are okay, that¡¯s all that matters. I need to apologize to you,¡±

    Lance said; she shook her head, trying to stop him but he knew he had to, he owed her and their baby an apology for not being the best father and lover. He should have done better.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say I don¡¯t need to apologize because even if you can forgive me easily, I need to apologize to my baby, I have been a baby daddy and she isn¡¯t even born yet,¡±

    He went along with the pronoun that Sophie has been using for their baby. Sophie smiled at him lovingly; she loved him so much because why else was she so forgiven?

    ¡°Baby, if you don¡¯t mind taking off your dress,¡±

    He said and she red at him.

    ¡°You horny king, really? Right now?¡±

    She asked. She got the wrong idea, not like he didn¡¯t want her but right now, he wanted her to take off her dress for a whole different reason.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°Please, take it off,¡±

    He pressed, not telling her what he wanted to do. She shrugged and turned her back to him, he understood and unzipped her dress, he touched her shoulder and when she looked at him, he turned her whole body around to face him. He pulled the dress off her body and took a breath. He had seen her naked so many times than he could count but each time she took off her clothes, he still felt like he was unlocking a present.

    ¡°Lance,¡±

    She whispered when he slowly got on his knees in front of her. He had to apologize to their baby. He reached out and touched her stomach. The baby jumped, shocking him, he took his hands back and stared at Sophie and then at the baby bump. Over thest couple of months, while they slept together on the same bed, he has felt the baby move a couple of times but never as strong as it is now.

    ¡°I think she likes her daddy,¡±

    Sophie said. Lance looked up at her and she nodded.

    ¡°Really? You really think she likes me?¡±

    He asked, suddenly feeling unsure.

    ¡°Lancelot, our baby loves you, even though I never told her, she knew too, she always gets excited when you are near us, feel it, she only gets this jumpy when you are close,¡±

    She reached out for his hand and pulled it over her tummy where their babyid, his eyes got watery when he felt her move again.

    ¡°She is amazing,¡±

    He whispered. It was as if his baby was weing him because everywhere he touched, she moved there.

    ¡°Yes, she is, just like her daddy, you both her amazing, I don¡¯t think I deserve you guys but you are mine,¡±

    Sophiemented. He pulled her into a hug while still on his knees, resting his head on her tummy.

    ¡°Yes, we are yours just like you belong to us, Sophie, you deserve us,¡±

    He told her. They stayed just like that for a few minutes; he felt at peace, he was going to be a father and Sophie was with him. He felt thankful that he had stayed with her that day when the princess had confronted her. If he had not stayed back, if he had tried to suppress what he felt for her, he might never have gotten the chance to meet his baby before she came into the world. He felt thankful that even though he put her through so much shit, Sophie still said yes and still chose him.

    ¡°I love you, Sophie, so very much,¡±

    He whispered against her tummy; she patted his hair softly.

    ¡°I love you too, Lance,¡±

    She responded. He stood up and cradled her face in his arms.

    ¡°I love you, I love our baby, I love our family, Sophie, so much,¡±

    He whispered to her and smiled when she did. He kissed her softly and lovingly, letting his lips show her just how much she meant to him. She kissed him back too, caressing the back of his head. He could stay like they were right now forever, just the three of them. No bastard would evere to im his woman and his child like he had feared.

    ¡°Oh, hell,¡±

    He let out and broke the kiss, shocking Sophie who stared at him in confusion. He pped his face with both hands when the thought shed into his head again. there was no bastard. No, he was the bastard.

    ¡°Aha,¡±

    Lance said and fell on the bed holding his head, he couldn¡¯t believe he had been jealous of himself and also spent time cursing at himself.

    ¡°What?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Sophie asked with concern. She looked worried. He pulled himself together and tried to talk to her but the thought shed in his head again and he ced both hands on his head. Hitting himself.

    ¡°It was me! it was me all along, I am the bastard, I am the madman? I am the crazy fucker who knocked you over and left you on your own, oh, my, it was me, me,¡±

    Lance let out pointing at himself and also dragging his hair, Sophie¡¯s face lit up when she realized what he was about and she started tough. As much as he loved herugh, he wasn¡¯t so pleased with herughing when he had literally been cursing himself and secretly harboring hate towards himself.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh, I am going through a lot right now,¡±

    He warned. She didn¡¯t listen and continuedughing.

    ¡°I was so jealous of him, so scared that he might show up one day and take the both of you away from me. I hated him so much and wanted him to stay far away from my family but all along, it was me, I was the one. I hated on myself, felt jealous of myself, and was also scared of myself, Lancelot you piece of shit,¡±

    Lance scolded himself, covering his face with both hands. He removed his hands from his face when he felt her touch him.

    ¡°Lancelot that I know isn¡¯t a piece of shit, he is a king! The number one citizen of Otano, a good king who put his people¡¯s thoughts and needs in mind; a loving man who loves me and our child, Lancelot is the best man I have met, so no, don¡¯t say things like that in front of me,¡±

    She said thest part scoldingly. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her tummy again. He felt his baby move again. it felt like a pat, like she was telling him he did well even though he wasn¡¯t feeling like that right now. He almost failed them both but thankfully, he didn¡¯t. After a while of just staying in her embrace with her hands around his shoulder, he became more aware of his environment and realized that Sophie was practically naked against him except for her bra and panties. He felt his groin harden at the thought, she must have felt the change too because she pulled away from him and pointed at him.

    ¡°Keep your horny hands to yourself, your majesty,¡±

    She said but he knew she didn¡¯t mean it because in the next moment, she had her hand on the line of her panties and was going to take it off but he wanted to be the one to do that.

    ¡°Let me baby,¡±

    He said and knelt in front of her for the second time. He was kneeling a lot now; he knew he would have to kneel again to ask her the most important question soon, he hoped when he did, she would say yes but for now, he wanted to enjoy this moment with her. He pulled her pants off and ced a tender kiss on the curve of her most private part, she inhaled deeply as her hand settled on his hair.

 Chapter 86

    ¡°I want you, Sophie,¡±

    He let out and stood up, he didn¡¯t wait for her response before kissing her heartedly. He got her response when she moaned in the kiss and opened her mouth so that their tongues could meet and mate. He already knew the addictive taste of her but that didn¡¯t make it any less exciting for him, she always excites him and he desires her. His hand found the hook of her bra and he unhook it, exposing her magnificent breast to his hungry eyes.

    ¡°So beautiful and all mine,¡±

    He mouthed.

    ¡°Yeah, for now, the baby is going to take over soon,¡±

    She joked.

    ¡°I am still the final boss, she only gets it temporarily,¡±

    He replied and took one rosy nipple in his mouth, sucking hard.

    ¡°Oh God, that feels good,¡±

    She moaned. He smiled and pulled her onto the bed with him where he made sweet love to her far into the night and then, they fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms. waking up to her the next morning and their baby greeting him good morning by moving when he touched Sophie¡¯s tummy made his heart swell with love for the both of them. His family.

    ¡°Good morning baby,¡±

    He whispered to his child and she moved again which got him smiling.

    ¡°I think I am dreaming; this is a dream, right?¡±

    Sophie asked. He smiled at her and kissed her hair.

    ¡°No, it is not a dream, why will you be dreaming when this is our reality?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s because this reality feels too good to be true, you are talking to our baby, we are in bed together, you love me and want me to be with you for a long time, too good to be true,¡±

    Sophie continued.

    ¡°You have to ept that it is our reality and I am going to keep showing you until you ept it,¡±

    He promised. She snuggled into him. He reached out for his phone to check his mail and saw that Patrick had texted him a couple of hours ago, he had to report to the office even though it was Saturday, no break for the king.

    ¡°Can¡¯t spend all day in bed even though it is Saturday,¡±

    Heined and she freed herself from the hug to look at him.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I have something to do today so I can¡¯t be with you even though that¡¯s what I want,¡±

    Lance told her. She smiled at him.

    ¡°I know, Lance, you are his royal majesty, and you have a kingdom to run, don¡¯t worry about me, I know the peaks of dating the ruler,¡±

    She replied in a light tone, she woke up in such a good mood and he was d he was part of the reason why; their baby being the other reason, so in all, it was all about him.

    ¡°You smile so prettily, mydy, I love you, and I will treat you well once I am done dealing with kingdom matters,¡±

    Lance said as he got out of bed. She pouted when he did, he smiled and kissed her.

    ¡°I wish we could just take some time out and just be alone, just the two of us, how nice would it be?¡±

    He asked and got a green light, there was a ce where they could be together, just the two of them and maybe a few guards too but they would have the whole house to themselves. He wanted that and he decided to make the necessary arrangements today, it was the weekend, the perfect time for it.

    ¡±I love you,¡±

    Sophie said which got him smiling widely, he couldn¡¯t get over her saying she loved him. For the first time ever, he had someone who truly and deeply loved just as much as he loved her. It was something that didn¡¯t happen often to people especially people like him which was why he would do everything within his power and beyond to keep her with him.

    ¡°Love you too, got to shower,¡±

    he said and dashed into the restroom to freshen up, he could have asked her toe in with him but he knew that would only make him report to his officete and Patrick might off with his head, his text already sounded urgent and if Sophie wasn¡¯t in the room with him, Patrick would have barged in. ever since he got together with Sophie, Patrick stoppeding into his room. Lance also noticed that Sophie tends to clean up the room herself so he started doing it too because he didn¡¯t want her to overwork herself. It was a cute couple habit that they now share, the only thing the maids do now is take the trash that was always left outside away.

    When he got back into the room, Sophie was fixing the bed, he let her do her thing and went into his wardrobe to get dressed.

    ¡°Soph?¡±

    He called when he walked out of his wardrobe.

    ¡°Restroom, see you, I love you,¡±

    She called out of the bathroom, he was tempted to walk into the bathroom and get in the shower with her but the thought of Patrick pulling his hair out and losing more brain cells because of him stopped him.

    ¡°I love you more, see you,¡±

    He said; picked up his stuff and walked out of his room where he could be a normal man; once at his doorstep, the normal man became a ruler and he smiled as some of his subjects who served him greeted him. He walked the distance to his office, while listening to what his assistant who he barely uses said. Patrick was all he needed so his assistant mainly ran errands for him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    Lance said when he entered his office. Like he expected, Patrick was already in and the man didn¡¯t look happy at all.

    ¡°Why are you angry on a beautiful Saturday morning? Is this your new default facial expression?¡±

    Lance asked and took his seat.

    ¡°You are the reason I am always frowning, stop pretending like you don¡¯t know. I sent you a text three hours ago.¡¯

    ¡°It is Saturday Patrick, normally, in a normal world, am I supposed to be working on Saturday?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°Yeah, you are not a nine-to-five worker, you are a king, deal with it, we have more pressing things to be worried about right now,¡±

    Patrick said in his all-too-serious tone.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about? What happened?¡±

    Lance questioned, hoping that it wasn¡¯t anything serious, he didn¡¯t want to deal with any disaster right now, his people were still recovering from the dam that overflowed.

    ¡°This happened, someone has been taking pictures of Sophie, andst night, they published a whole magazine with the various photos, adding that she might be pregnant with your child and there are also a few mentions of her not being from the kingdom,¡±

    Patrick revealed. At least it wasn¡¯t a natural disaster this time, it was something that he could easily fix, he already nned on making his rtionship with Sophie publicly official anyway.

    ¡°Can I see the magazine,¡±

    ¡°This was taken yesterday, do you see the caption?¡±

 Chapter 87

    Lance looked at the photo that Patrick showed him, it was a picture taken yesterday at the hospital, Sophie looked so beautiful in the photo that he spent over a minute just looking at the photo, if he didn¡¯t know her, he would have still been fascinated with her if he saw her looking the way she does and the caption was true, the baby she was carrying was his.

    ¡°Flip the pages and you will see more, whoever took those photos has been following her for months, there are several photos taken of her each time she goes to the hospital including one where you were with her,¡±

    Patrick pointed out and Lance flipped the pages of the magazine. There were several photos of Sophie, each was so beautiful that he stopped and admired her every moment. She was beautiful physically and model-like pretty in the photos even though she barely had makeup on. He noticed she liked her hair in a messy bun and also liked her red lipsticks, those were themon things in the photos. Also, the mostmon was the smile, she had a smile that could draw anyone to her. If she could smile so brightly in photos where she wasn¡¯t aware that she was being captured, he was sure she would even be more-prettier in normal photos. The only photo where she wasn¡¯t smiling was the one that he appeared in and he felt chills when he remembered what happened that had made her so sad, knowing what he knew now, he knew it would have been so hard for her, she had to carry the burden alone because she couldn¡¯t tell him he was the dad and being the fool he was, he kept cursing at the bastard who turned out to be himself.

    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe I am that bastard,¡±

    He voiced. He still couldn¡¯t ept that all the while he was cursing at the man who got her pregnant, he had been the one, and it would take a while for him to get used to it.

    ¡°What? Why are you suddenly a bastard? What did you do?¡±

    Patrick asked in confusion, Lance almostughed at his expression. He had to remind himself once again that he couldn¡¯t tell Patrick yet that the child Sophie carried was his.

    ¡°Nothing, I just feel I should have gotten her sooner, I wasted so much time, do you see how pretty she looks, I am so lucky she picked me,¡±

    He went on while admiring how beautiful his woman looked.

    ¡°What? You have lost your mind, haven¡¯t you? We are talking about something serious here Lance,¡±

    Patrick pointed out.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I know, I have to give it to whoever took these photos, they are so good at their job,¡±

    He answered, still flipping the pages, a whole magazine full of pictures of his beautiful woman. He got an idea from just looking at the photo, he would run it up with herter and if she agrees, she would have a maternity shoot before their baby is born.

    ¡°Stop looking at that and take what is going on more seriously,¡±

    Patrick let out and took the magazine from him. Lance finally gave his full attention to Patrick.

    ¡°Patrick, the only thing wrong here is that her photos were taken without her permission, nothing else matters, our rtionship is not some big top secret, I intended for it to be public knowledge from the beginning, I am only holding back because of Sophie and not because I am scared or worried about anything else, this, isn¡¯t a problem; taking the photos without consent is the only issue I have right now,¡±

    Lance told Patrick who stared at him in disbelief, his new default look when they are together.

    ¡°Wow, love does make a man lose his sense of reason, I don¡¯t even know what to say to you right now because you won¡¯t even listen, too busy ogling over a woman whom you literally just left a few minutes ago, drop that magazine,¡±

    Patrick let out when Lance tried to pick up the magazine again.

    ¡°Fine, I am going to get Sophie to take a couple of Photos so that I can have my own magazine,¡±

    He said and Patrick just shook his head, the man was so done with him.

    ¡°Anyway, whoever took the photos should not be allowed into any of the pce¡¯s official events, since they are going to be sneaky, let them do that and stay off the pce,¡±

    Lance warned. If what they wanted was to be sneaky, then there is no need to let them have ess to any official events.

    ¡°You know I already did that but that doesn¡¯t stop other press from talking about the photos and the possibility of the child she is carrying being yours,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°Yeah, is there a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t see the problem?¡±

    Patrick asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem there, Patrick,¡±

    Lance already knew the baby was his, even if it wasn¡¯t, he would still have imed her to be his because once he married Sophie, both she and the baby would have been his. Now he didn¡¯t even need to wife her to im his child, still, he was going to marry her because his life would be iplete if she wasn¡¯t part of it. On that note, he needed to speak with the elders soon. That was the most pressing, he wasn¡¯t going to listen to them, rather, he was going to tell them what he wanted and if they refuse, he won¡¯t hesitate to tell them to go fuck themselves. It would cause him trouble but they would get over it in no time, however, if he let anyone talk him out of being with Sophie, he would never be able to get over her.

    ¡°Patrick, I need you to set up a meeting with the elders, I am going to have the discussion with them once and for all,¡±

    Lance told Patrick who didn¡¯t look pleased.

    ¡°Is that your way of cleaning up this mess? What are you going to tell them? That you will marry her? Will you tell them too that the baby she carries isn¡¯t yours or are you going to im the child? Do you know there will be consequences if that¡¯s what you n to do? If maybe, by any chance, you both end up married, when you give birth to your children, how would you exin to them that the oldest child can¡¯t be the ruler?¡±

    Patrick was asking too many questions and was going far into the future, what he didn¡¯t know was that there would not be a problem between his unborn daughter and his other future children because his daughter would always be the right heir. He wanted to tell Patrick but he knew he would not believe him and might end up saying shit about Sophie, like her wanting to pin another man¡¯s child on him. He didn¡¯t want to hear any of those things about his woman, Patrick would find out in due time that the child Sophie carried was his heir. The rightful heir and his flesh and blood. Even if she hadn¡¯t been his, he would still have wanted her to be the heir because she was born first and she is part of the reason he got Sophie. If he hadn¡¯t found out Sophie was pregnant, he would never have let her out of prison and he would have not gotten to know her, he would have probably married the princess or someone else who he would never love. The baby stopped all that and he was grateful to her for it.

 Chapter 88

    ¡°You are silent, Lance, please think everything through before making any decision because whatever you do now will affect the kingdom in the future,¡±

    ¡°I am thinking about the future right now, what is a happy kingdom without a happy king? I am looking l out for everyone¡¯s best interest, if I am not happy, the kingdom will strive but if I am not? Well, let¡¯s not think about that, just set up a meeting with the elders, some rules have to change and I am going to make those changes, it will be easy to change because those rules are unwritten,¡±

    ¡°Them being unwritten doesn¡¯t make them invalid though, I will set up the meeting, they are going to be mad but for your sake, I hope they agree with you because I would hate to see you being on their bad side,¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Patrick said. Lance knew he was concerned for him but he didn¡¯t have to be.

    ¡°They have never been on my side, Patrick, think about it, they only agreed to me being kingdom after I showed them what I could do, if my father had not made me a temporary king before he died and given me a chance to prove myself, they would never have given me a chance after he died, they would never have thought of me in the first ce. They only let me continue because they saw what I could do and they didn¡¯t want to lose such a good king,¡±

    Lance said and Patrick nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, you are right, no need to brag because if you didn¡¯t have me as your adviser, you might not have been so great,¡±

    Lance smiled.

    ¡°Yeah, you are right, you are a great man Patrick and I am d to have you on my side even though you are a pain in the ass,¡±

    Lance said. Patrick shook his head and muttered something that Lance couldn¡¯t hear to himself.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Lance questioned.

    ¡°Nothing, just that the princess also said the same yesterday, you both got to realize that I am not being a pain in the ass, I am looking out for you guys,¡±

    Patrick said but Lance was much more fixed on the fact that Patrick was still in contact with the princess, yes he was too, she newly opened a fashion school in Otano and has been in the kingdom more times now, she practically lives in Otano now and he sees her once in a while but he didn¡¯t know Patrick had a close rtionship with her, close enough for her to call him a pain in the ass.

    ¡°Are you guys a couple?¡±

    Lance asked and Patrick red at him.

    ¡°We are not, where did you get that idea from?¡±

    ¡°Well, you seem concerned about her and that¡¯s not a regr thing for you,¡±

    Lance pointed out. He could feel it, they may end up as a couple if they aren¡¯t already, and honestly, they would look good together, the princess¡¯s carefree personality wouldpliment Patrick¡¯s uptight and strict personality. A greatbination.

    The perfect kind of couple, maybe he would talk to the princess about it; she might tell him to go fuck himself but that won¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°The princess is out of my league, we both know that, soon her people will find a new man to be her husband,¡±

    There he goes again, talking down on himself. The man had a way of downgrading himself and making seem as if he wasn¡¯t an elite kind of man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are looking down on yourself right now? Need I remind you who your father is?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°I know who my father is but I don¡¯t speak to my father, don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have feelings for her and she hates me, I am just looking out for her because of her former connection with the pce. Once she gets used to being here, I am going to let her have it and be out of her face,¡±

    No way, Lance knew something happened for Patrick to even want to look out for her.

    ¡°You at least kissed her? Come on, spill,¡±

    Lance persuaded.

    ¡°You are reaching my king, I am not saying anything,¡±

    Lance took that as a yes and decided not to push the matter, Patrick would find out soon why he was so into helping her and he would be here tough to his face when he did.

    ¡°Anyway, I want you to prepare a minimal number of protection, not too much though, I want it to be mostly us and I would love for it to just be the two of us but I know you would probably lose your mind so I am saying prepare some guard. I am taking her to my spot, we will spend the whole weekend there and be back either Sunday evening or early Monday morning; before you talk, I know what my schedule for Monday is and I won¡¯t miss it,¡±

    Lance told Patrick who just nodded without arguing which was not what he expected.

    ¡°What is this? Why did you agree so easily?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t have to argue with you all the time, I told you, I approve of your best friend, she is good for you and makes you smile, I would be a bad friend not to approve but for my job¡¯s sake and the kingdom, I am going to hold on to my disapproval as the special adviser and also make sure she doesn¡¯t have a past that might hurt you in the long run,¡±

    Lance never thought of that until Patrick brought it up and he honestly didn¡¯t want him to run a background check on her but he knew Patrick would do it anyway. He didn¡¯t want to argue over that.

    ¡°So? What pressing issues does this king need to solve today before I run away?¡±

    Lance asked. Patrick ced a file in front of him and just like that, he spent the whole morning and most of the afternoon working on kingdom matters.

 Chapter 89

    Sophie didn¡¯t think life could be sweeter than it was for her right now, there were so many reasons why she never thought she could feel the kind of happiness that she was feeling in the moment, it was something that was foreign to her. She found love and happiness in the king and what¡¯s more, he was the perfect gentleman who cared for her and he had no doubt about her or how he felt for her. The fact that he believed her so easily and even apologized for thinking their first time was a dream. She had been worried for months that he might not believe her but he did and she was grateful for that, she felt light knowing that it was no longer a secret between them but she also wished that she could bring herself to tell him about her other secret, maybe if she exins to him why she had to do what she did, he would understand and forgive her for not telling him on time. She didn¡¯t have the mind to do it now because she didn¡¯t want to ruin the happiness that she felt but she promised herself that she would tell him soon.

    ¡°Mydy, good day,¡±

    Riley said which brought Sophie out of her head; Sophie didn¡¯t even notice that she was in the emerald house with her until she talked.

    ¡°Riley, I didn¡¯t call for you,¡±

    Sophie voiced.

    ¡°I know, I wasn¡¯t busy so I came to check if you need me for anything,¡±

    Riley was diligent and Sophie liked that about her.

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t need anything but you can sit down, and tell me what has been going on within the pce, I seem to not know anything that happened,¡±

    Sophie said and Riley took a seat without a word. Sophie waited for her to speak but she wasn¡¯t saying anything and she wanted to hear what had been going on in the pce since she barely got the gist anymore since she started living with the king, even the pce maids and everyone else except Patrick now address her as mydy, she still wasn¡¯tfortable with the title but she couldn¡¯t tell them to stop because they won¡¯t even listen if she tried.

    ¡°Hi, Riley, what¡¯s up with you?¡±

    Sophie asked, she was acting like she was hiding something and it became even more clear when Sophie asked her.

    ¡°Mydy,¡±

    She mouthed.

    ¡°What is going on? What are you hiding Riley? Did something happen?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°Yes, not like it is a bad thing but I don¡¯t know if you are aware yet and I don¡¯t know if I am allowed to tell you,¡±

    Riley responded. If she had not already said that it wasn¡¯t a bad thing, Sophie would have been worried, now she was just curious as to what it could be.

    ¡°Spill, woman,¡±

    She urged Riley who looked like she didn¡¯t want to tell which made Sophie start to doubt if it was really not something bad, what she did know was that whatever it was was rted to her which was why Riley was finding it hard to tell her.

    ¡°A magazine was released and everyone in the pce has been talking about it and there is a rumor going around that the king has requested for the elders toe to the pce, don¡¯t know if the meeting will happen today but I think the magazine might be the reason for the call.¡±

    Riley exined. Sophie didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell her before she knew that the magazine was about her, she should have expected something like that to happen.

    ¡°Can I take a look at this magazine? I am assuming it is about me?¡±

    Sophie asked and Riley nodded.

    ¡°I will go get the copy I collected from one of the other maids.¡±

    She said and off she went, leaving Sophie on her own with her thoughts all over the ce, she didn¡¯t know if she was ready for the content of the magazine, or maybe she should just remain clueless, maybe that would be better for her but she was already so curious and not knowing would make her even more curious. Well, she didn¡¯t have long to think because Riley returned a few minutester with the magazine in hand.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    Sophie said when she collected the magazine, from the heading, she knew she was all the magazine was about. They had a photo of her exiting the hospital on the front page, okay, the photo did look good for something that was taken without her permission, plus for some reason, she was smiling. Sophie couldn¡¯t remember what she was smiling for, to be fair, she always had a smiley face. The headline was a whole new experience for her even though what it said was technically the truth with a question mark, it was a new experience because she had never for once thought any news would be about her, not to talk of the headline practically talking about her. It read. ¡°THE KING¡¯S WOMAN IS WITH CHILD, COULD THE CHILD BE THE FUTURE KING OR QUEEN OF OTANO?¡± Sophie has not once thought of the possibility of her child being an heir to the throne, it never crossed her mind but with the way Lance was treating their rtionship and his determination to marry her, it might be the case. She wanted so much to dream big and hope everything would work out just fine for them but she was so used to being disappointed and left alone that she feared it might happen again even though Lancelot clearly loved her so much; she kind of wished she could push the fear away.

    She turned the pages expecting to see a lot of writing but there were only a few lines in each page with lots of photos that were taken of her, all taken during her visits to the hospital for her antenatal care. It was as if whoever was taking the photos knew her care schedules and was always at every one of them. The photos looked great but Sophie didn¡¯t like the idea that someone had been watching all her movement, it made her ufortable. She suddenly remembered the few times during her visits to the clinic when she felt someone watching her. It must have been the one taking all the photos of her.

    ¡°You are so pretty, that¡¯s what everyone within the pce has been talking about, ording to some who have been in the pce longer, this is the first time everyone is so invested in a photobook that isn¡¯t official, the pictures all look so nice that it was hard to ignore,¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Riley said. Sophie didn¡¯t know what to say, she always had the looks but she never really got a lot of people talking about her appearance.

    ¡°You guys be talking about me a lot,¡±

    She jokingly said.

    ¡°We do, and it is mainly just good things, we can¡¯t wait for you to be the queen,¡±

    Okay, Sophie didn¡¯t see thating, Lance has been the only one so far who has told her he would make her queen, she never thought anyone else would want her to be queen and what more, waiting for the moment that she would be the queen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see myself as queen material though, I am just a normal woman, how am I supposed to be queen,¡±

    Sophie asked.

 Chapter 90

    ¡°Mydy , don¡¯t underestimate yourself, every who knows you says you will be a good queen and I agree too, you are kind andpassionate; just what the kingdom needs, even the king became more open and friendly after you guys got together, I am pretty new here but the people that have been here from the beginning have been talking about how the king smile more now,¡±

    Riley said; Sophie felt her heart swell with pride, she never thought of the effect that she could have on the king that would reflect to the outside world but she was d that being with her made him a lot more open.

    ¡°That¡¯s the nicest thing anyone has said to me,¡±

    She didn¡¯t know what else to say as she wasn¡¯t so used to beingplimented. Riley spent about an hour with her and they just talked about simple things like shared interests and other women-rted stuff, after she left, Sophie picked up a book that she had yet to finish, it was still early in the day so she didn¡¯t expect the king toe back yet even though she missed him already.

    ¡°Sophie? Baby?¡±

    Sophie heard the king call and dropped the book she was holding. She turned around to see him walking into the living room with a big smile on his face, no way he hadn¡¯t seen that magazine yet he was still smiling. The way he knew if she wasn¡¯t in his room, he could find her in the emerald house.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Hey, how have you been without me?¡±

    He asked,ing over to her; leaning in to kiss her and also ruffle her hair and she had to fix it back with her fingers while ring at him.

    ¡°You know messing with my hair isn¡¯t cute right, your majesty?¡±

    Sophie scolded even though she loved it when he did it.

    ¡°I will keep doing it for the rest of our lives so better get used to it,¡±

    He told her, once again letting her know of his desire to keep her with him for the rest of their lives, the more he says something like that the easier it gets for her to believe his words.

    ¡°Whatever you say,¡±

    She replied wondering why he was back early, it was Saturday but sometimes, he returnedte even though it was Saturday.

    ¡°I came to get you,¡±

    He announced and Sophie looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    She asked. She wondered if he was taking her to see the elders, after her conversation with Riley earlier, she was sure it would happen soon and she wasn¡¯t ready to face a group of wealthy old men who were major yers in the affairs of the kingdom, she really wasn¡¯t ready to stand in front of them and to be honest, she would never be ready to.

    ¡°Why do you look worried? I am not taking you anywhere that I won¡¯t be, calm down,¡±

    Lance said. She didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or worried about the fact that he could easily read her mood.

    ¡°Where are you taking me to?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°Somewhere outside of the pce, a ce where we can have fun,¡±

    He said. okay, he wasn¡¯t taking her to see the elders, which made her rx.

    ¡°Where would you take me outside the pce? Why would the king leave his pce? I am happy to stay here with you,¡±

    Sophie told him; he shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°You, mydy, are one of a kind. Yes, I am the king but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t leave the pce, I actually have a ce I usually go to when I need some peace and quietness and I want to go there with you, what do you say?¡±

    He asked, standing right in front of her.

    ¡°Do you think it is okay to bring me to your quiet ce? I mean such a ce should be for you alone, right?¡±

    Sophie asked. She didn¡¯t want to invade his private space even though he was the one asking her to go there with him.

    ¡°I am okay with it, I want to be with you, alone, It is just for two days, I just want it to be the two of us, what do you say?¡±

    He asked, smiling at her. How did he expect her to say no to him when he was looking at her like that and she knew spending time alone with him would be amazing?

    ¡°You are the king, how are you going to be alone? Surely, Patrick will not let you out in the wild on your own,¡±

    She said,

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why there are bodyguards but they stay at the entrance and we will be alone inside, please say yes,¡±

    He pleaded sweetly.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say no, when do we leave?¡±

    Sophie asked, wondering how long she had to pack before they left.

    ¡°Right now,¡±

    Well, not much time but she didn¡¯t mind, all she needed was a few clothes and her medications, she excused herself and walked towards his chamber where almost all of her things were, at this point, it was their chamber and not just his.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take a lot of things because we will be spending most of the time there in bed,¡±

    He called out, walking behind her, Sophie¡¯s face reddened at the thought of that; even though she had spent months sleeping and waking up in his arms, she still felt butterflies in her stomach each time he talked about them spending the whole time in bed together. She walked into the wardrobe, pulled out a few clothes, and also added the two-piece swimsuit that she had never felt the need to use. She hoped that there would be a pool there. After picking up all the stuff she needed, she turned to the king who was lyingzily on the bed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take anything?¡±

    ¡°No, I have what I need there,¡±

    He responded and got out of the bed.

    ¡°Are you ready to go? Give me that,¡±

    He requested for the bag that she carried, she stared at him like he had lost his mind, no way would she let him carry her bag, he was the king, and that would be crossing a line.

    ¡°My king, do you want me to be beheaded?¡±

    She questioned.

    ¡°Why will you be beheaded?¡±

    He asked as he walked up to her and collected the bag from her.

    ¡°You are the king,¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    He asked. He didn¡¯t wait for her answer and just took her hand, she wordlessly followed him out of their chamber, they were met with a few pce guard and someone offered to take the bag from him but Lance refused and he also refused to let go of her hand while they walked to the car, Sophie could barely breathe when so many eyes were on her, she was finally able to breath when they got into the car.

    ¡°That was intense,¡±

    She mouthed to herself while holding her chest to calm herself down, she heard Lance chuckle and turned to him.

    ¡°Are you driving us there by yourself?¡±

    She asked and he nodded before starting the car. Sophie rxed into the car seat when the car zoomed out of the pce, she never thought she needed to step out of the pce but now that she wasn¡¯t within the walls anymore, she felt some kind of fresh feelings, not like she didn¡¯t like living in the pce.

    ¡°You are happy I asked you out right?¡±

    The king asked, Sophie knew he was talking about the date but when she nodded, it met a lot more than that; for her, she was grateful that he kissed her, made love to her, asked her to be his, and also fell in love with her.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    She mouthed, she was getting used to telling him she loved him and she never wanted to shut up about it.

    ¡°I love you too,¡±

    He said and focused back on driving while she closed her eyes, she knew that wherever he was taking her, it would be fun as long as he was with her.

 Chapter 91

    One thing Lance was d about was that he asked her toe to his private spot with him, she made everything better, even this ce. He smiled as he watched her rx by the pool in two pieces that left her big tummy on disy. She looked so beautiful sitting there and pregnant with their child and she looked so peaceful too. He stood there smiling while he watched. They arrived in the evening yesterday so all they did was eat and turn in for the night, when they woke up, he gave her a tour of the ce after which he fed her and she went into their shared bedroom and came back wearing the two he forgot that he got her, it had taken every of his will power not to tear the tiny cloth from her and make love to her. He wanted her to have fun and he was d she was currently having fun, but it would be even better if they were having fun together. He started walking towards her, she was so obvious to his presence as she was lost in her own world.

    ¡°Are you going to spend all afternoon in the pool? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±

    Lance asked when he got to her.

    ¡°I am not even in the pool, it¡¯s just my legs and it feels too good, I feelfortable like this,¡±

    She replied, waving at him. He sat next to her. They didn¡¯t say much but the silence was peaceful andforting. He jumped into the pool after a few minutes and sheughed loudly right before he pulled her into the pool with him.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t just do that,¡±

    She let out.

    ¡°I did,¡±

    He replied and circled his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. She moved her face away when he tried to kiss her.

    ¡°Wait, you are not going to make love to me in this pool, right?¡±

    She asked, he wasn¡¯t thinking of that before but she just nted the idea in his head and now that¡¯s what he wanted to do.

    ¡°Thank you for the idea, mydy,¡±

    He said before pulling her face to him and iming her lips, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he deepened the kiss.

    Later that evening, they sat down for dinner, which he was able to pull together, his cooking was rusty because after he came back to Otano, he had no need to cook for himself but since it was the two of them and she was very pregnant, he had to do the cooking because he didn¡¯t want her stressed, she had wanted to do it but he insisted and made her seat and watch him cook. She did a little directing, and in the end both their breakfast, lunch, and dinner came out edible. She was currently eating silently and he just watched her with a smile on his face. She looked pretty even while eating. So beautiful and so his. He had to admit that he was kind of obsessed with her but he didn¡¯t mind, she brought out feelings in him that he never knew he was capable of feeling.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? You have been looking at me and not eating,¡±

    Sophie scolded, pointing at his te, he didn¡¯t even notice that he hadn¡¯t taken a bite of his food; he got carried away by the feelings that she invoked in him.

    ¡°I just enjoy watching you eat, you smile a lot even while eating,¡±

    Hemented and she smiled for him.

    ¡°Eat your food, you are getting a little too obsessed with me, your majesty,¡±

    She replied and took a bite from her food; she was wrong, he wasn¡¯t a little obsessed with her, he was a lot obsessed with her, he could spend the whole day watching her doing the basic things of life and it would be the perfect day in his life.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    He mouthed. She paused and smiled at him.

    ¡°I love you too, eat!¡±

    She added thest word in amanding voice and he obeyed, only Sophie had the power tomand him and he would obey.

    ¡°I think I ate a little too much, I feel so full, I think I might burst,¡±

    She let out as she sat down heavily on the sofa after they finished eating; what she said was even funnier when he looked at her big stomach.

    ¡°You look like you ate a lot,¡±

    She red at him at his word.

    ¡°I am pregnant, you fed me a lot, even if I don¡¯t eat, I will still look like this, and the worst part is, this will only get bigger,¡±

    Lance smiled and sat next to her, he already could picture her growing bigger with each passing day.

    ¡°I will love you even when you are bigger,¡±

    ¡°Of course, you have to, if not I will hunt you down,¡±

    She threatened and they both startedughing. He realized that since they got together, heughed so much more now, she brought so much joy into his life and he didn¡¯t want to think about how his life had been when she wasn¡¯t in it and certainly didn¡¯t want to picture a life without her in it. He sat next to her and reached for both of her hands.

    ¡°Are you about to profess your love for me again?¡±

    Oh, she knew him so well.

    ¡°You bet, now let me,¡±

    He answered.

    ¡°Of course, I am always ready to listen.¡±

    She smiled at him and waited for him to speak with the smile not leaving her face.

    ¡°You are my special someone, Sophie, the brightest star in my universe, I never thought I would feel this way about someone but you managed to work your way into my heart and now I wonder what my life was like when you weren¡¯t mine, God, Soph, I love you so much and I am going to marry you,¡±

    He said and she smiled.

    ¡°You really are determined, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She asked; Lance nodded.

    ¡°You really think I am queen material?¡±

    He didn¡¯t like that she doubted herself, she was the perfect queen for him and he was sure his people would love her once he was able to get them to overlook the fact that she was a foreigner and not royalty, that would change once they get married. In fact, it already changed, she became royalty the first time he kissed her; now he knows that it wasn¡¯t that day at the Emerald house but a couple of months before and in his room. He still beats himself up mentally each time he remembers that fact.

    ¡°You are my queen and soon enough, you will be the people¡¯s queen too, better prepare yourself for the role,¡±

    He told her.

    ¡°If my king says so, then I have to do it because I can¡¯t say no to the king,¡±

    She said in a loving tone.

    ¡°Good,¡±

    He responded, got up, and swooped her into his arms.

    ¡°Wait, put me down before you let me fall, I am quite heavy,¡±

    Sheined but he refused to listen, she weighed a little more now but he didn¡¯t mind, he would carry even when she was nine months pregnant.

    ¡°You know I won¡¯t let you fall; I am going to continue carrying you even when you are close to giving birth, I love you,¡±

    ¡°I love you too,¡±

    She replied and wrapped her arms around his neck, he smiled and carried her over to their shared bedroom and made love to her until far into the night.

    Monday morning, Lance woke up with the biggest smile on his face, he felt happy and contented and his joy increased even more when he felt Sophie move in his arms, he couldn¡¯t believe his luck, Sophie and his unborn daughter were the biggest blessings he got this year, the best thing that has happened to him in years, thest ce he had expected to find love was within the pce but the universe had a way of doing things that amazes him. The first time was when he was chosen as king even though he never was a candidate and now with Sophie who moved from a far country to Otano, unexpectedlying into his life and finding a way to make his life even more worthy of living.

    ¡°Good morning, my queen,¡±

    He greeted her with a kiss, and she smiled. He liked that she finally epted that she was his queen because that¡¯s exactly what she was. In the next couple of days, he would be meeting with the elders and having a conversation with them. After that, he would propose to her and they would get married before their child was born into the world.

    ¡°Why are you smiling so mischievously, what are you nning in your head, my king?¡±

    She asked in a low voice, he answered her with a kiss.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 92

    ¡°You will find out soon, for now, we need to get ready as we have to leave this morning, sadly, our vacation has ended and now I need to go back to being king,¡±

    He said in a regretful tone, he loved being king but he also liked how thest two days have been for them, it felt normal, and normal wasn¡¯t what he got a lot.

    ¡°Sure, we can alwayse back on other weekends, you don¡¯t have to look so sad,¡±

    Sophie consoled.

    ¡°Of course, I am stealing you away from the pce every opportunity I get,¡±

    He responded and kissed her again.

    ¡°Good morning, little one,¡±

    He greeted his little princess and the future queen of Otano. She jumped in excitement when he touched her through the baby bump. He couldn¡¯t wait to meet her in person, he promised himself that he would be a great father, making sure not to be a parent like his father had been.

    ¡°She loves you a lot, you know that right?¡±

    Sophie mouthed.

    ¡°I feel it and I love her and you just as much,¡±

    He responded and kissed the baby bump and then Sophie

    ¡°You are going to be the best dad, I can already tell,¡±

    Sophie said and Lance nodded.

    ¡°Of course I am, I won¡¯t be strict with our daughter just because she will eventually take over as queen, I will treat her like my little princess while teaching her all she needs to know to be a good queen in the future when I retire,¡±

    He promised. Sophie looked shocked.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    He questioned.

    ¡°You are going to make our daughter the queen?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°I am not going to make her queen, I will help in training her but she is already a queen from the moment she was conceived,¡±

    He told her.

    ¡°Wow, I am pregnant with a ruler, wow, I didn¡¯t know a girl could rule in this kingdom,¡±

    ¡°Yes, a woman can be queen, being a ruler is not gender-based here, in Princess Roseline¡¯s kingdom they do that but in Otano, the oldest child is the heir except in cases where the oldest isn¡¯t qualified like what happened with me and my older brother, If I had another older sibling, it would have been them and not me, but I was next and when Justin messed up I took over, of course, I will make sure our daughter is qualified and you will be there too to teach her the right ways,¡±

    He told her with a proud smile.

    ¡°I will do my best,¡±

    She replied. his phone started ringing, he rolled his eyes because he already knew who it was that would be calling him.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take your call? You know if you don¡¯t take it, Lord Patrick will be here in the next few minutes,¡±

    Even Sophie knew who was calling. He grudgingly got out of bed and took his phone.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He asked as he kissed Sophie on the forehead onest time before he walked out of the room, she didn¡¯t need to hear Patrick scolding him.

    ¡°Are you on your way back already?¡±

    Patrick asked; Lance didn¡¯t like how he sounded over the phone and he feared that something must have happened while he was away.

    ¡°No, is there something I need to know?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard some disturbing news this morning about your brother, I have had him on my radar for a while now and I just found out he is holding a meeting with the elders soon,¡±

    Patrick revealed, at first, Lance didn¡¯t think much about it but the fact that Patrick was telling him meant that it was serious, he didn¡¯t want to believe that the elders would agree to meet Justin after all he did.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they agreed to meet with him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they agreed, as far as I know, your brother has been up to no good recently, he has been going around the kingdom, and now I think he has been gathering allies,¡±

    Patrick revealed. Lance felt his blood boil.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What? Why would Justin do that and what do you mean that the elders agreed to meet up with him? What kind of games are those people ying?¡±

    Lance barked out, he had to reduce his voice a little as he didn¡¯t want Sophie to hear and panic.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the full details yet but ording to my source, he has been meeting with them individually for months now and they seem to have forgotten what he did, not just the elders, he recently visited the disgraced queen,¡±

    Patrick revealed. Where before, Lance would have immediately been mad at the former queen, now after how she helped Sophie even though she knew nothing about her, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be mad without first finding out from her, maybe it was time for him to pay her a visit, he hoped she wasn¡¯t working with Justin because that would remove any grateful feelings that he had towards her. Justin was an enemy of the throne and the elders knew better than to entertain him.

    ¡°I will go see the former queen, for the elders, send me a list of those that he has spoken with, I need to know those that have been dining with an enemy of the throne,¡±

    Lance ordered.

    ¡°You might need to know that a good number of top people, not the elders this time, he is gathering people, they were in a meeting yesterday and from what I gathered, they will still be there, he is nning something and I sadly don¡¯t know what it is, but I have a feeling he is nning on taking the throne from you,¡±

    Patrick revealed. Lance didn¡¯t want to worry but he knew his brother enough to know it was a stunt he could pull, Lance knew he needed to put a stop to whatever his ns were before it got out of hand, he wasn¡¯t about to fight Justin for a throne that was rightfully handed over to him, for a kingdom that he spent thest two years building with his blood, sweat and tears.

    ¡°Do you know the location of their meeting? It is time for me to meet with that loser,¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°Yes, I know their location and I can send it to you,¡±

    ¡°Do so,¡±

    He said and hung up, Patrick sent the location in a few minutes, and he walked back to the room he shared with Sophie.

    ¡°Soph, I am sorry but we have to leave now, I will drop you off at the pce, I have somewhere I need to be,¡±

    He announced.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    She asked with concern, he didn¡¯t want to make her worry about him so he couldn¡¯t tell her anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s not to be worried about, just get dressed and let¡¯s go,¡±

    He said and went over to wear his clothes expecting her to do the same but when he finished dressing up, she was still not dressed, he wasn¡¯t feeling good but knew he couldn¡¯t take it out on her.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡±

    He asked in the calmest voice that he could master, with how he was feeling.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to drop me off, whatever it was that you have to do sounds urgent, why don¡¯t you leave with the cars, you can¡¯t go somewhere without proper protection and there is already a limited number here, you can go ahead and the other car can take me back,¡±

    Sophie suggested. Now he wished he brought more aid, even the ones that hade with them had been sent back, it was only one car around.

    ¡°No, I can drop you off at the pce and be on my way, there is only one car around right now, I sent the other back to the pce when we arrived, if I leave you here, you will have to wait for someone from the pce toe get you,¡±

    He replied. He didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving her on her own.

    ¡°Is the ce you have to be on the way to the pce? I mean would going to the pce not make you waste time? If it will, then you shouldn¡¯t bother about me, just get someone from the pce toe get me,¡±

    She suggested again. she was right, if he had to go drop her back at the pce, he would have to travel a longer distance to get to the location that Patrick sent, and by then, Justin might have left.

    ¡°Are you sure you will be okay on your own? The only other person that would be around would be the security man at the entrance,¡±

    He told her, watching for any sign of difort but there was none, she just smiled and nodded.

    ¡°I will be fine on my own for a few hours, don¡¯t worry about me and go do whatever it is that needs to be done and I will see you when you get back to the pce,¡±

    She said with a bright smile. He didn¡¯t have a lot of choice.

    ¡°I will make the call, I love you and I will see you soon,¡±

    He said and reached out to wrap her in a hug. For her and their baby, he couldn¡¯t lose the throne and everything he had worked so hard for. He wasn¡¯t going to let anyone take from him, especially not a loser like Justin.

 Chapter 93

    After Lance left, Sophie felt lonely and wanted the car which he said woulde to take her back to the pce to arrive soon so that she could leave, she didn¡¯t feelfortable anymore and wished she had just taken his first offer of dropping her first at the pce before going to where he needed to be but whatever happened sounded urgent and she had not want him to waste time going to the pce first before going to where he needed to be. She was curious but didn¡¯t ask him because she knew he would tell her what happened once he got back.

    Sophie smiled when she thought about what they shared the night before, she knew he loved her so much but his wordsst night and how he treated her in thest two days told her all she needed to know. The man loved her and their child so much and was willing to do everything to keep their family together, all she needed to do was believe in him which she already did.

    Even though Lance told her it would not take long for someone toe for her, it wasn¡¯t until afternoon that she heard the gate open and the arrival of a car which she assumed came to get her, she was ready to leave already. Lance had told her they would being back to the ce often so she didn¡¯t bother to pack the things that she had here as she already had everything she needed at the pce. She sat up and waited for whoever was sent toe in. She didn¡¯t wait long, the door flew open a few minutester and the king¡¯s special advisor walked in, Sophie didn¡¯t expect him to be the one toe for her.

    ¡°My lord,¡±

    Sophie said in greeting as she stood up out of respect for his position, he didn¡¯t look happy.

    ¡°I see you are ready to leave. Well, we have a few things to settle before anything else,¡±

    He sounded harsh but it was nothing new to Sophie, he never liked her and never tried to hide it.

    ¡°My lord, what do we have to settle?¡±

    Sophie asked politely, hoping that whatever he was going to talk to her about would not make her lose herst drop of respect for him. She couldn¡¯t just tell him she had nothing to settle with him, he might not like her and vice versa but he was still a well-respected man in the kingdom and also the best friend of the man she loved. She had to listen to him even though that was thest thing she wanted to do, however, if he tries to talk her into leaving the king or ending their rtionship, she would not give a fuck about his status or that he is friends with Lance, she would give him a piece of her mind and not in a very nice way.

    ¡°I want us to address the reason why you felt it was okay to deceive everyone for two straight years that you have been in Otano,¡±

    He angrily let out.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Sophie asked, she didn¡¯t like the direction that the conversation was going, all she wanted was to go back to the pce and wait for Lance to return, she wasn¡¯t interested in conversing with his best friend who clearly hated her. She didn¡¯t know why he was the one who came for her when there were a lot more people who should have.

    ¡°Don¡¯t act ignorant, I know what you are, I know everything that you are hiding away, did you really think you can keep your real identity hidden forever while dreaming of being the future queen of this kingdom?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He fired at her, Sophie didn¡¯t want to panic but his words made her panic, she couldn¡¯t rub off the fear that he might know something about the life she had before she came to Otano.

    ¡°You are not making it easy for me to understand you,¡±

    Sophie let out.

    ¡°Are you for real? You lying bitch, you are so fake, as fake as your name and identity, everything about you is a lie and you had the mind to lie and deceive the king of Otano, how dare you try to act ignorant?¡±

    He roared in anger. Sophie didn¡¯t know how to respond to him, she never expected her cover to be blown so easily and of all the people to find out, it had to be the one person who hated her so much. She knew he must have done some kind of background search on her.

    ¡°You finally caught on? Did you really think you can lie your way into bing the queen?¡±

    He questioned.

    ¡®I wasn¡¯t lying my way anywhere, my lord, don¡¯t use me of things I didn¡¯t do,¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying I am lying on you? Sophie? You are trying to pretend you didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡±

    that wasn¡¯t what she was trying to do, he was making seem as if she had done something so huge and unforgivable when all she did was assume a new identity so that she could put her old ugly life behind her.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I am doing, I did what I did and I have my reasons for doing it, I am going toe clean to the king when he returns, is that okay? Can we leave now?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°The hell we will, you are out of your mind if you think you can deceive everyone and suddenly act like you didn¡¯t,e clean? No that¡¯s not going to happen, do you really think Lancelot would listen to you and let it slide?¡±

    He barked out. A few months ago, a few weeks ago, a couple of days ago Sophie would have had her doubts that he would believe her but he believed without questioning her that the baby she carried was his so she also believed that he would listen to her and let her tell him her reasons foring into the kingdom under a false identity, he would listen to her and forgive her when he finds out why she had to do what she did.

    ¡°I am going to speak to him and I am sure he will listen to me and forgive me,¡±

    ¡°You must not know Lance at all, he hates being lied to and deceived, he would never forgive you once he finds out what you did, don¡¯t get it twisted, no amount of love can make him forgive what you did,¡±

    He sounded like he wanted her to believe what he was saying but she refused to do that, the Lancelot she knew and loved waspassionate and would listen to her side of the story. Okay, she kind of feared that he might not, for the pregnancy, it was understandable but keeping the big secret of her identity away from him after all they shared might be harder for him to forgive because she had all the time to tell him but she didn¡¯t, now she regretted not telling him about it when it crossed her mindst night, she had wanted to tell him and now she wished she did.

    ¡°I will wait for him toe back and talk to him about it, is that okay? Can we leave now?¡±

    Sophie asked. She honestly didn¡¯t want to continue talking to him.

 Chapter 94

    ¡°Sophie, you are not getting me, are you? You have to leave this kingdom before Lance returns, you don¡¯t want to wait until he finds out before you leave because trust me when I say that it would be more humiliating and hard for you, if you follow my advice, I will help you leave before he finds out,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Patrick said and Sophie stared at him in shock, yes, she was scared of what Lance might think of her when he found out but she wasn¡¯t about to leave because of that, she would rather talk it out with him and leave if he still wants her to leave after hearing her out, not like shemitted a big offense or even lied to him directly, she just didn¡¯t tell him and knowing Lance, he might not even be mad at her. Now she regretted not telling him about her past life when she had the time to. If she had told him, she would not be here right now listening to this man who clearly hates her and has only been tolerating her because of Lance. Now that he wasn¡¯t around, he was trying to send her away.

    ¡°I am not going to leave, I will talk it out with the king, I didn¡¯t kill someone or anything like that, why should I leave? Why would he humiliate me because of my life that I chose not to tell him?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°You are asking me that? You lied to him, made him believe you are someone that you aren¡¯t,¡±

    Sophie stared at him wondering if he really thought what he said through, before saying them, lied to him? Made him believe she was who she wasn¡¯t? those never happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about right now, I didn¡¯t lie to him, I never spoke about my life outside of the pce and he has never asked, what? Made him believe I was who I wasn¡¯t? you make it sound as if I told him I was an heiress or a princess. I didn¡¯t do anything, in case you have forgotten, I worked in the pce as a maid and I was practically a prisoner when we got together, I didn¡¯t deceive him so you can¡¯t gaslight me into thinking I did,¡±

    Sophie let out, her voice increasing with each word and she was close to crying, damn pregnancy hormones making her emotional, she didn¡¯t want the man standing before her to get the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

    ¡°You came to the pce under a false identity, Sophie, you deceived the king and everyone in Otano, you were let into the kingdom because you had a strong passport and did not need a visa to be Otano and you misused that bying in under false names, you lied about everything to our officials, you haven¡¯t been transparent and you can¡¯t remain in the pce or even be seen with the king after your deceit, you think Lancelot would let that slide? I am doing you a favor by asking you to leave before anything happens; before this news gets out,¡±

    Sophie shook her head, she wasn¡¯t going to leave just because he wanted her to, she would rather wait and let Lance decide after he heard from her if he still wanted her around or if she should leave.

    ¡°I am not going to leave unless Lancelot tells me to, you can¡¯t make me leave,¡±

    Sophie fired at him.

    ¡°First of all, he is Your Majesty to you, secondly, you really don¡¯t have much of a choice if you really care about him and his well-being.¡±

    Sophie wanted tough in his face, Your Majesty? Yes, Lance was that but he was her lover and the father of her child, plus he gave her permission to call his name even before their rtionship got serious.

    ¡°That¡¯s my boyfriend, I can call him whatever I want, I don¡¯t care what you say,¡±

    Sophie told him firmly, she wished Lance would be back already but she knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen and she had to find a way to get rid of Patrick by herself.

    ¡°You are funny, okay, let¡¯s say he is indeed your boyfriend and you can call him whatever you want. Now what would you do if you found out that your boyfriend, who is the king, lost his throne because of you? How would you take that news? How would you stand knowing that you ruined his life?¡¯

    Patrick asked; Sophie stared at him in confusion, he was out of his mind, Lance wasn¡¯t going to lose his throne because of her; he already assured her that they could be together and that he was going to change the rules and she believed him.

    ¡°Why will he lose his throne because of me? Is that a new way you derived to make me leave? I can assure you that it won¡¯t work, I won¡¯t leave,¡±

    Sophie told him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t see how he would lose the throne because of you? Well, let me list the reasons he could be kicked out because of you, one, you are a foreigner, not just a foreigner but one who entered Otano under a false identity, two, you have a criminal record, three you are pregnant with another man¡¯s child,¡±

    He let out. aside from the first point he gave, he was wrong about everything else and she decided she would correct him, she didn¡¯t know why Lance hadn¡¯t told him yet that he was the father of her child, seeing how they are best of friends; maybe, he didn¡¯t want to do it until he knew she was ready, anyway, she decided to be the one to tell him.

    ¡°Your first point is urate and I already told you I am going toe clean to Lance, I only changed a few things, and the name is still mine, I have my reasons for doing what I did, and I am not about to tell you, I will only talk to Lance, your second point is wrong, I was used and found innocent, that¡¯s not going to make Lance lose his ce as the king,¡±

    Sophie paused for breath before telling him thest part.

    ¡°Lastly, the child I carry belongs to the king, my child is the future queen of Otano so speak of my child in a respectful tone,¡±

    Sophie warned. She had Lance¡¯s backing, he told her he would make their child the heir and she believed him, he hadn¡¯t done or said anything that would make her doubt his words; Patrick looked at her in disbelief, not like she expected him to believe her in the first ce so his reaction wasn¡¯t unexpected. He has never hidden the fact that he didn¡¯t like her and doesn¡¯t want her to be with the king so why would she expect him to believe her when he knew she was already pregnant before she started dating the king, only Lancelot would believe her, she once thought he won¡¯t believe her either but he did and he was the only one important to her so she didn¡¯t mind that his best friend doesn¡¯t, maybe when he tells him with his own mouth he might or he might request for a DNA test once the child is born which she was no problem with.

 Chapter 95

    ¡°You are joking, right? What you just said is satire, right? Because there is no way you expect me to believe what you just said, you seem to forget I know you were already pregnant before you and Lancelot got together. Are you really trying to pin the child you are carrying to him now? Is that the kind of game you decided to y?¡±

    He asked in an offended tone.

    ¡°I am not ying any game, my child is the child of the king, I don¡¯t have to answer your questions, the king knows and believes me and that¡¯s all that matters to me not you, I don¡¯t care if you believe what I say or not,¡±

    Sophie responded and watched the crazy man startughing, she didn¡¯t see anything that she said that was funny and making himugh but she just stood there and watched himugh his heart out, after a while, he stopped and red at her.

    ¡°You told Lancelot that the child you carry belongs to him and he believed you? What bull crap are you vomiting right now? We both know the child doesn¡¯t belong to him and your child can never be the future queen because you won¡¯t be in Otano long enough to even birth the child, I don¡¯t know what you did to Lancelot but don¡¯t you dare think he is dumb enough to believe your shits,¡±

    He fired at her. Sophie wasn¡¯t even moved by what he was saying because Lance already knew and he was the one who talked about their daughter being the future queen before the thought even crossed her mind.

    ¡°Patrick, your lordship, whatever you say, Lancelot has the final say, I am not going to leave unless he tells me to and my child belongs to him, I don¡¯t need to exin our situation to you,¡±

    Sophie said confidently.

    ¡°What if I told you that you need to leave if you care a little about the king? Your staying won¡¯t be good for him, he already has to deal with his older brother going about trying to get people on his side and dethrone Lancelot, don¡¯t you think your being around would make it easy for him? Do you really want him to lose everything he spent thest five years building?¡±

    He sounded so serious right now and Sophie didn¡¯t like that his words got to her; she knew who Lance¡¯s older brother was and just how much of a loser he had been when he had been king, no way would anyone want him back as the king when he nearly ruined the kingdom when the former king made him a temporary while he was ill, which had led to Lance taking over, no way they would do that.

    ¡°You are finally listening, good, you have to do what is best for him if you even love him at all,¡±

    ¡°Why would my leaving help him? I don¡¯t get it,¡±

    Sophie asked, surely no one would side with his older brother over him.

    ¡°Do you even know why Lancelot left you here alone? Do you know what he needed to take care of? I am guessing that he didn¡¯t tell you,¡±

    ¡°Yes, he didn¡¯t and I didn¡¯t push him to tell me because I know he would tell me if he wants me to know,¡±

    Sophie responded.

    ¡°His brother is already making big moves to get the throne from him, and the elders are already against him because of his rtionship with you, now connect the dots if you are smart enough or do I need to spell it out for you?¡±

    Sophie didn¡¯t like how he practically called her dumb.

    ¡°I am going to need you to spell it out for me because you already assume I am a dumbass who doesn¡¯t know anything and I have no intention of correcting you,¡±

    Sophie let it out.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t directly call you dumb but if you want me to spell it out to you, I will. The elders already hate the fact that he is with you and the fact that he isn¡¯t even listening to them, before I continue, I need to let you know that those elders have a lot of influence on the people of Otano, which is why it was easy for Lance to be king after the former king passed even though he wasn¡¯t the oldest, it was because he had the backings of the elders and because he listened to their words; the big contributing fact is because he knew what he was doing but if he didn¡¯t have their backings, he might not have been crowned king after the former king died,¡±

    He paused. Sophie already got an idea of what he was on about and she didn¡¯t like it at all.

    ¡°Now what do you think would happen if they take back their support of him? Especially now that his older brother is trying to get back the throne?¡±

    Patrick asked.

    ¡°They will not agree to dethrone him, right? That would be a big mistake given the kind of person his older brother is,¡±

    Sophie let out.

    ¡°You think so? If they turn against himpletely, they will turn a blind eye to what his brother has done wrong, they would rather have a king who will listen to them than one who would not, think about it,¡±

    ¡°I am thinking about it but what I don¡¯t get is what that got to do with me, I am sure Lancelot can fight his own battles,¡±

    Sophie responded to him, she didn¡¯t want to think about what his words were putting in her head and refused to believe that being with her would make the elders stop supporting him.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Fight his own battles you say? It doesn¡¯t work that way, he is breaking a lot of rules to be with you, there are so many reasons why your union would only hurt him in the long run, I don¡¯t know why you are not seeing it, if you guys stay together, you will never be truly happy because too many things are in the way and top on that list is the fact that he would surely lose the throne, you don¡¯t want that to happen right?¡±

    He asked. Sophie didn¡¯t like how his voice turned to one trying to convince her and how she was suddenly giving ears to what he was saying. She should be listening to him; she should wait for Lancelot toe around and they will talk it out and find a way together.

 Chapter 96

    ¡°If you stay around the king, the elders are going to turn against him once they find out what you are, you have to get out of his life and not make him lose everything he worked hard for just because you are selfish, Lancelot might not see it but you being around him will guarantee his removal from the throne, why aren¡¯t you seeing things from my point of view? Do you think I enjoy doing this? Do you think I don¡¯t like seeing my best friend happy? I am not the devil but this is a case where we can¡¯t win if we don¡¯t bend to the rules, not only Lancelot, but the whole kingdom will suffer great consequences if you stubbornly choose to hold on to him,¡±

    Patrick voiced out each word in frustration, even though Sophie told herself not to let his words get to her, she couldn¡¯t stop it. Everything he was saying made sense, and were things she already thought about but she somehow deluded herself into thinking just love would be enough to keep her and Lance together, she couldn¡¯t keep on believing that when it was their reality from the beginning.

    ¡°You are finally seeing reasons with me? Sophie, we have to sacrifice things for things to work out and you being away from the king would help him greatly, think about it as doing a favor for someone you love, if he loses the throne, think about it, he might not me you now but you damn well know that a day wille when he would regret everything that happened and even the love you think you both share right now will not be able to keep the rtionship going, do you really think you can live with the guilt of knowing being with you made him lose everything?¡±

    His words brought tears to her eyes even though she told herself she wasn¡¯t going to cry in front of him. He was right, no matter how much she loves him and how much he loves her, it would not end well if he lost his kingship because of her, he would me her in the long run and even if he doesn¡¯t do that, she would forever live in guilt she couldn¡¯t do that. She knew what she needed to do even though it was a harsh reality, it was the only way to stop him from losing what he worked hard for, the only way to keep everything the way it should be.

    ¡°Yeah, I get it now, I get it and I should leave, I will leave Patrick, you don¡¯t have to say more,¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sophie said in tears, she felt her heart breaking at the thought of not being able to see the king again, not being able to hold him or kiss him or tell him how much she loved him. She covered her face with her hands to hide her tears but it wasn¡¯t helping, she felt hopeless.

    ¡°I will help you get a life outside of this kingdom and far away from here, don¡¯t think I am doing this because I hate you or anything like that, I am doing this for my friend because I love him and care for his well-being, he might like it now and you might think I hate you but in the long run you both will realize I did what was best for everyone,¡±

    He said. Sophie wanted to tell him that she didn¡¯t need him to help her but she knew if she rejected his help, it would only lead to her suffering wherever she went, she couldn¡¯t let that happen. She was too far gone in her pregnancy to work and she needed a lot of funds so that both she and her baby wouldn¡¯t be homeless or starving, she hated that this was the only way out but there was nothing she could do. She nodded.

    ¡°I am ready, when do I leave?¡±

    She asked in tears.

    ¡°Today, Lancelot might decide toe back soon that¡¯s why I came to get you myself, I don¡¯t want him to meet you when he does,¡±

    She cried even harder, she wasn¡¯t going to say goodbye to him, and she wasn¡¯t ever going to see him again but she knew it was for the best.

    ¡°Sure,¡±

    She answered and wiped tears from her eyes. It was useless trying to dry the tears because they just kepting out. It was painful, her heart felt like it would explode, and even the baby felt it too because she became restless. Sophie cradled her baby bump, Patrick didn¡¯t speak on the baby again, she knew he didn¡¯t believe what she said, she didn¡¯t try to correct him again, there was no point.

    ¡°I am going to make a call and once Ie back, we will leave, I am taking you to the airport directly, things like your passport and other IDs will be given to you at the airport, the ne leaves tonight,¡±

    Patrick said and walked away from her. Sophie sat on the floor as the tears came even more.

    ¡°I should have known it would happen, it was bound to happen, it shouldn¡¯t hurt so much,¡±

    Sophie cried, holding her heart. It hurt so bad even worse when she brought herself to think about everything Lancelot had told herst night. It made her believe, made her wish for the utopia that he promised her. Now it took only less than twenty-four hours for that dream utopia toe crashing down. She felt the baby move and cried even harder.

    ¡°I am so sorry baby, I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to you and Daddy, I can¡¯t keep our family together because that would make Daddy lose so much and I don¡¯t want that,¡±

    Sophie whispered in tears. She wished there was some way out but there was none, if she let Lancee back and meet her, he might choose her but that doesn¡¯t mean they would be happy because she could never sit back and watch him lose everything he worked hard for, it would kill her inside to see him lose, so no matter how painful it was right now to let him go, she had to for his sake and for the sake of the whole Otano.

    ¡°We should go,¡±

    Patrick said when he walked back in. Sophie got up.

    ¡°If there is anything you need to bring along with you, just tell me and I will have them bring it over to the airport, you have to sign an agreement once you get to the airport that you will nevere back to Otano or try to contact the king ever again,¡±

    Lance said and Sophie wanted to protest but on second thought, she saw no point in doing that, contacting the king after she left would only make her miss him and yawn for something that would never be hers.

    ¡°You said you will provide anything I need, right? I don¡¯t need to take anything with me, I want to start afresh with nothing from Otano following me, except the clothes and shoes I currently have on which I would do away with once Ind at my new destination,¡±

    Sophie dered. it is not like it would be easier for her to forget Otano that way. She had the biggest reminder of her time here growing in her belle.

    ¡±Okay, then, we will leave now, thank you for seeing reasons with me,¡±

    Patrick said and Sophie had to resist the urge to curse at him. He was the one that brought an end to her happiness and even though she knew it wasn¡¯t his fault at all and that he was only trying to protect Lance, she still nned to hate him forever. She took onest look at the ce that gave her so much happiness in thest two days, the same ce that marked the beginning of long years of sadness and yawning for a love that would never be. Her eyes watered again but she blinked the tears away, she had years of tears to shed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±

    She told Patrick and walked past him when he gestured for her to go ahead, she tried to keep the tears away but it was hard, as the car sped off in the direction of the airport, Sophie covered her eyes and cried for the family that she couldn¡¯t keep together, for her happiness that she couldn¡¯t keep forever. She knew sadness would be her friend for a long time and wasn¡¯t so ready to live in it.

 Chapter 97

    Lance had a rough day and he wanted to run back to Sophie and fall asleep in her arms. He didn¡¯t meet with Justin but he met some of the people that he had gathered. They all looked shocked to see him and not one of them agreed that they were there to see his brother. He had an impromptu meeting with them reminding them who was in charge by the time he parted ways with them, they all looked remorseful even though they didn¡¯t agree to the offense.

    After he left them, he decided to use the opportunity to check on some things in the area that he hadn¡¯t had time to see for himself. He caught a lot of people unaware with his unannounced visits to various sectors in the area. By the time he finally got back in his car to go back to the pce, it was veryte.

    Even though it waste, Lance decided to just go see the former queen, he needed to hear directly from her before he made any kind of decision. If she really had ns to support Justin, he would warn her but if she didn¡¯t listen, he would have no choice but to punish her. He hoped for her sake that she wasn¡¯t involved with him in any way.

    ¡°Take me to the former queen¡¯s ce,¡±

    Lance instructed the driver who looked confused but he didn¡¯t question him. It took more than thirty minutes to arrive and when he finally did, it was already past nine pm. He told the bodyguards and driver who came with him to wait outside her house. She opened her door before he knocked. He hasn¡¯t seen her in a long time and she has aged so much since hest saw her.

    ¡°Your majesty, to what do I owe this unannounced visit?¡±

    The former queen asked. She clearly wasn¡¯t happy to see him. Lance hoped the reason wasn¡¯t because of her alliance with his brother.

    ¡°Are you not going to invite me toe in?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Dare I invite the king of Otano to my humble house? If the king pleases, he can enter,¡±

    She said and stepped out of the way. she was respectful but he knew she didn¡¯t like his presence, well that wasn¡¯t going to stop him from entering the house. He entered and looked around the small house, it felt homey for some reason.

    ¡°Your house is weing,¡±

    Lancemented as he took his seat.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, you have generously been sending a lot of things my way, especially in thest couple of months,¡±

    She replied. If only she knew the only reason that he increased funds for her upkeep was because of how she had helped Sophie.

    ¡°I hope we can continue like that, if I am generous to you, why then are you trying to turn against me?¡±

    Lance asked. Setting the mood for what actually brought him to her house.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, my king, please enlighten me,¡±

    She requested. Lance decided not to beat about the bush.

    ¡°I heard that you are nning to side with my brother who used to be king, I heard that you joined his train and that he got your support to dethrone me,¡±

    Lance let out. the former queen stared at him in confusion, he couldn¡¯t tell if she was just pretending or if she was genuinely confused. He hoped it was thetter.

    ¡°You think very little of me, well it is not your fault, you don¡¯t know me,¡±

    The former queen said. she sounded offended. She was right, he didn¡¯t really know her.

    ¡°Does that mean you are not working with Justin?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°Why would I want to be associated with someone like that? Do you know how much I suffered when that loser brother of yours was king for just two years? I might not like you but at least you are the better brother, why do you even think I would talk with Justin? Why will I even entertain him? I don¡¯t know what you heard about me but I am not someone to work with losers, what will I gain from Justin?¡±

    She asked.

    ¡°Well, I just wanted to know where you stand,¡±

    Lancemented.

    ¡°I don¡¯t stand anywhere, I don¡¯t have any power in the kingdom, if I do, I won¡¯t support a loser like your brother. I don¡¯t like you or anyone from your family but I got a lot more support when you became king, why would I side with someone who shed my funds, and didn¡¯t provide anything for me for months over someone whose reign saw me getting a better treatment? Again, I don¡¯t like you but I don¡¯t see myself supporting someone else over you, not to talk of Justin, I have never once thought of helping him, I can¡¯t even help him. You are the king, no one can dethrone you,¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Thest part of what she said was the truth, no one can dethrone him. He got the power, even if Justin tried to take the throne, he would have to fight him for it, and even at that, he still had an upper hand. The army and other forces answer to him. Justin would only be fighting a lost cause. He told the elders who agreed to meet Justin the same thing, they can only try but no one can dethrone him.

    Lance felt apologetical towards the former queen, she had every right to be pissed because he used her without evidence.

    ¡°You are right, forget I said anything,¡±

    Lance told her. he knew he should apologize but pride made him keep quiet but then Sophie¡¯s voice came into his head. He knew she would scold him for not apologizing once he told her everything that happened, better to apologize now so that he could tell her he already did.

    ¡°I am sorry I came into your space and questioned you without notice,¡±

    Lance apologized. The queen opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, as if trying to hold herself from saying something he might not like.

    ¡°You can speak your mind, I won¡¯t be offended,¡±

    He encouraged.

    ¡°If you say so; you are apologizing right now? This is nothingpared to what your men did thest time they came here,¡±

    The queen let out. reminding him of the one time he had sent some of the guards from the pce when he had found out that Sophie had been hiding with her. It seemed like a long time ago now when it was only a couple of months ago.

    ¡°I would like to apologize for that too; I should be thanking you too, for keeping Sophie safe back then, if not for you, I don¡¯t know what would have happened to her,¡±

    Lance said in a polite voice that only a few people were opportune to hear him talk with.

    ¡°Wow, you are thanking me for that? You seem to have something special with that maiden,¡±

    She observed. Lance smiled.

 Chapter 98

    ¡°Yes, and she is going to be the new queen soon,¡±

    He informed her.

    ¡°You are going to marry her? Then you must be the father of her child,¡±

    Shemented and Lance racked his brain to remember when he had told her that Sophie was pregnant but came up with nothing because he didn¡¯t say anything to her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised, I knew she was pregnant when she spent her time here even though she tried to hide it and did a pretty good job, I am d you both resolved your issues and you epted her, she is a good woman and would make a good queen,¡±

    Lance realized that he created a wrong image of the former queen from what he heard about her and not once did he try to get to know her, she was such a sweet olddy when she spoke. Once again, his father was in the wrong, what had he expected from that man anyway?

    ¡°It took a while but we are good now. Do you want to move to a ce closer to the center of the kingdom? It must be lonely out here,¡±

    Lance suggested.

    ¡°Are you forgetting that I was banned from entering into the kingdom? This has been my home for over two decades now, I am used to it,¡¯N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    She responded. He did think of her ban but now, he didn¡¯t see the need for it, his father was no longer alive.

    ¡°I am the king now and I hereby dere from this day that whatever ban you have has been lifted, pick a ce you would like to live in and I will make the necessary arrangements for you to move there, you shouldn¡¯t be here anymore, you deserve to be among the people because you saved the future queen¡¯s life,¡±

    He dered.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, it will be an honor, if the king pleases then I would like to move back to my old ce within the pce,¡±

    She requested. Lance nodded without overthinking, she could have her old ce back, that wing of the pce hadn¡¯t been used in ages; not since she was sent away.

    ¡°You can have it back, I will leave instructions for it to be cleaned and you can move in tomorrow or any day you choose,¡±

    Lance said. he checked the time; it was sote now.

    ¡°I should let you rest,¡±

    He said and stood up to leave, she followed him to her door. He waved at her when he got in the car. He couldn¡¯t wait to tell Sophie. She would be proud of him. It started raining and before long, the roads became flooded. Even though Lance wanted to return to the pce, it became impossible as the rain increased so he told the driver to pull over at the nearest hotel. He wanted to call Sophie but there was no signal at the hotel due to the storm. Lance went to bed hoping that the rain would be gone by morning so that he could go back home to her. he didn¡¯t like being away from her, he didn¡¯t like making her wait and long for him. He could barely get any sleep.

    Early the next morning, Lance was up and out of the hotel even though the hotel management wanted to host him, he promised to be back some other time. A night away from Sophie was all he could take. He tried calling her on the way to the pce but her phone wasn¡¯t going through.

    ¡°Patrick, you ditched me yesterday,¡±

    Lance let out when he met his best friend, he expected Patrick toe meet up with him but he never showed up.

    ¡°Sorry, Your Majesty, I had to take care of something,¡±

    Patrick responded. Lance nodded and continued on his way to his room, he needed to go kiss his woman first.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me, Sophie could still be in bed, I don¡¯t want her to be shocked by your presence,¡±

    Lance said when Patrick continued to follow behind him.

    ¡°Err, the thing is, I have something that I need to speak to you about,¡±

    Patrick said, Lance turned to him for a moment.

    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until I have said Hi to Sophie? I haven¡¯t seen or spoken to her since yesterday and I miss her so much,¡±

    Lance said and continued on his way.

    ¡°Actually, I want to talk to you about Sophie,¡±

    ¡°Oh, if it is about the background check you did, I don¡¯t want to know about it, I will let Sophie tell me about herself with her mouth,¡±

    Lance said, opened the door to his room and walked in, Patrick followed him still, Sophie wasn¡¯t on the bed so Lance didn¡¯t bother to tell him to go away.

    ¡°Soph? baby? I am home,¡±

    Lance announced looking around the room.

    ¡°She is not here,¡±

    Patrick said and Lance turned to him.

    ¡°How do you know that? Have you seen her this morning? Where is she?¡±

    Lance asked as it was clear that Sophie wasn¡¯t really in the room.

    ¡°My king, Lancelot, please give ears to what I have to say,¡±

    Patrick said. Lance didn¡¯t like how he spoke, he didn¡¯t like his presence in the room right now, all he wanted was to hug and kiss Sophie, after that, he could listen to whatever Patrick had to say.

    ¡°What are you on about? All I want to know is where Sophie is, I guess the emerald house,¡±

    Lance said and made to walk towards the emerald house but Patrick held him back.

    ¡°She left the kingdom, Lancelot, I sent her out of the kingdom yesterday, by now, she would be back in her country or wherever else she chose to go,¡±

    Patrick announced. Lance paused and gave him a confused look, what he just said made no sense and wasn¡¯t even funny if it was a joke.

    ¡°You did what? You sent who away? Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke,¡±

    Lance let out. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing, it was themest joke he had ever heard; he walked past Patrick towards the emerald house, hoping that what he said was a joke and Sophie was in there waiting for him.

    ¡°She is not there,¡±

    Patrick called out but he refused to listen. He walked fast towards the door and pushed the door open.

    ¡°Sophie??¡±

    He called out, walking into the rooms and pushing the doors open but she wasn¡¯t in any room, neither was she in the restroom or anywhere within the emerald house.

    ¡°Lancelot, I told you that she isn¡¯t here,¡±

    Patrick said and Lance turned to face him with his temper rising.

 Chapter 99

    ¡°What the fuck did you do Patrick?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Lance yelled out, still hoping that he was joking and Sophie was in on it that¡¯s why she was hiding away from him, how could she not be in the pce when he gave a clear instruction that they should go get her and bring her here, he only spent one night away from the pce, that¡¯s not enough time for her to leave or anything.

    ¡°I am sorry, Lancelot, you might hate me for what I did but I did what I had to do to protect you and the kingdom,¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about right now? What the fuck did you do, Patrick? I asked for Sophie to be brought to the pce. What do you mean she isn¡¯t here, what are you saying? where could she be?¡±

    Lance yelled out. He couldn¡¯t keep calm, not when the reality of what Patrick was saying would make his life hell, no way Patrick would do something like that to him knowing just how much he loved Sophie.

    ¡°I found out something about her past that would harm you and your position, I spoke to her about it and we both agree that it would be best if she leaves,¡±

    Patrick exined. His exnation made no sense to him.

    ¡°What? What did you find out? Why would you send her away because you found out about her life before she came to the pce, if anything, shouldn¡¯t you have talked it out with me? How dare you make such a decision on your own?¡±

    Lance roared in anger.

    She changed her name, the identity she has been using isn¡¯t hers, the only real thing about her is the name, Sophie, she lied for two years, I couldn¡¯t let the elders or anyone else find out she is a fraud, you were nning on marrying her and it would have gotten out. I don¡¯t want you to lose what you worked hard for because of her,¡±

    Lance felt his blood boil, he couldn¡¯t believe the reason why Patrick had sent her away was because of something that they would have easily sorted out, he was sure Sophie had her reasons for keeping that part of her life away, he hadn¡¯t told her everything about his past and they haven¡¯t been together long enough to know everything about each other. Not as if shemitted a crime.

    ¡°Did she kill anyone? Did shemit any kind of crime?¡±

    Lance asked. He hated the silence that was in the room, he needed Patrick to speak to him and not stay so quiet after what he did.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t do a crime but she lied, we can¡¯t have someone like that be queen, it would ruin your reputation,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my decision to make, it has nothing to do with you, that¡¯s not reason enough to send my woman away,¡±

    Lance roared.

    ¡°She is carrying another man¡¯s child, I understand your feelings for her but you can¡¯t marry a woman who is pregnant for someone else, she already started to lie that you are the father, I had to cut her short when she said it, she already believes her child is yours, already calls her the future queen. it would be a disaster when her child grows up and the future heir has to fight for his or her ce with a child brought into the union,¡±

    Patrick¡¯s words made Lance angrier. It was hard to keep any sort of control he had. How could he speak like that of his woman in his presence? Of course, the baby was his so Sophie wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°The child is carrying is mine, the baby is fucking mine, you son of a bitch, how could you send the mother of my child and the woman I love away without my permission? How could you do this to me knowing just how much that woman means to me, don¡¯t fucking tell me you did it for me because you didn¡¯t, Patrick, you didn¡¯t do it for me, you sent my family away while I wasn¡¯t here,¡±

    Lance yelled out. He couldn¡¯t keep his temper in check anymore, he needed to punch something or someone.

    ¡°What? The baby is yours? But,¡±

    Patrick asked, looking lost.

    ¡°Yes, the baby she is carrying is mine,¡±

    Patrick informed him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was telling the truth, I thought she was trying to pin her child on you, she was already pregnant before you guys got together, how am I supposed to know she is carrying your child? You didn¡¯t even tell me even though we were supposed to be best friends, if you told me then it would have been easier for me to believe,¡±

    Patrick was ming him, Lance couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing.

    ¡°I was going to tell you, I also found out recently, even if the child wasn¡¯t biologically mine, she would still have been my daughter, I fell in love with her mom and wanted to marry her even before I found out she was biologically mine, you had no right to send my woman away because of that or because of anything else, you tell me where I can find her right now, tell me!¡±

    Lance yelled at him.

    ¡°I have made a mistake,¡±

    ¡°Is that all you can say to me right now? You made a mistake? Of course, you did. you do everything that you have to do and find my woman, you have less than forty-eight hours to do it, Patrick unless you will never be my friend again, and for now, you are fired until further notice, I don¡¯t want you anywhere near me, I fucking hate you so much right now, just seeing your face makes me so mad,¡±

    Lancelot yelled.

    ¡°What? You can¡¯t fire me, I know I might have made a harsh decision but you can¡¯t fire me, I am your best friend, I was only looking out for you. The elders were nning to rece you with Justin, if they find out she faked her identity, they would turn against you for real, they already don¡¯t like how you aren¡¯t listening to them, it would have sealed the deal,¡¯

    Patrick tried. His exnation only made things worse.

    ¡°I am the king, Patrick, no one can rece me, what the fuck do you even mean by that? I can¡¯t stand you right now, you are fired, I will get people to do the job of finding her and bringing her back to me, I just don¡¯t want to see you near the pce,¡±

    Lance said and walked out of the emerald house, ignoring Patrick trying to talk him out of it. Once he was inside his chamber, he made sure to lock the door so that Patrick would not follow him in. The reality of what just happened dawned on him when he was left alone. There was no Sophie, no hugs, and right now, he didn¡¯t even know where she was.

    He hadn¡¯t felt this lost in a long time, this wasn¡¯t what he wanted to meet when he returned, he wanted his Sophie back.

 Chapter 100

    Two days, two whole days since shended back in the country of her birth, and all Sophie could do was cry, from the moment the ne had taken off, she broke down in tears and it has been like that for the past two days. Two days ago, her world had crashed and she was nowhere close to recovering. With the card that Patrick had given to her, she was able to pay for the hotel where she had been staying for the past two days, she barely left the room, only went out to receive room service because she couldn¡¯t starve as that wasn¡¯t good for the baby. Speaking of the baby, the little princess knew something was up too because she had been quiet, only moving a couple of times, maybe to notify her that she was okay. Aside from that, the only time she moved was in the morning as if she was looking out for her daddy¡¯s morning kisses and greetings, each morning for thest two days broke her heart and she cried the most in those times.

    She missed Lance so much and wanted to be back with him but she knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Knowing didn¡¯t make it any easier.

    ¡°I have to get out and carry on, I have to carry on for my baby¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t keep wallowing in self-pity,¡±

    Sophie told herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, even while telling herself that, she couldn¡¯t feel the push that she needed to do anything like that, how did her life go from being so happy to being this sad and hopeless, she wanted to say fuck it and call Lance, beg him toe for her, to stay with her but she knew that would be selfish, Lance worked his ass off as the king of Otano for five whole years, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to take it all from him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that to him,¡±

    She whispered as fresh tears dropped from her eyes, she wiped the tears off. She needed to get out of the hotel room, she couldn¡¯t keep on living here, it would only make her funds run off quicker and that¡¯s not what she wanted. She needed to find a cheap apartment in a good area where she could raise a child.

    She stood up and aimlessly picked up her purse before walking out of the hotel room. She didn¡¯t know where to start from but she hoped going out today would give her some sense of purpose. When she walked out of the hotel, she took a left turn and boarded a cab, it wasn¡¯t until she arrived at the destination that she had given the driver did she realized where she had asked him to take her. the cemetery where her parent and brother were buried. Thest time she saw them was two years ago, she never had the chance to go back to them because Damon had been out to get her. She paid the cab driver and got out. she walked to the flower shop near the ce and got three flowers, she had been so close to not getting any for her dad but against her better judgment, she did. Even though she still hasn¡¯t forgiven him, she didn¡¯t want to be petty. Sophie walked into the ce and walked to where her family had been buried. If not that the ce had people who cleaned and took care of the gravestones, she was sure she would have met a bushy ce because no one hade to see them. She dropped the flowers she had gotten on each of the graves. She didn¡¯t have any words to say because the pain she felt in her heart felt so fresh. Here she was, still in pain years after they left her. if only her life had gotten better. It did get better but that onlysted for a little while before the universe decided to punish her again and still the happiness from her.

    ¡°I keep failing, I am pregnant, and I finally started to be happy but like always, I lost the joy I found, the man I love, I know he would do anything to keep us together, I know he loves me but I am so scared that if he loses everything because of me, he would hate meter, that¡¯s why I left, now I am unhappy, I want to be with him, I want our family to beplete but that¡¯s impossible. I failed again just like I failed to save you Mom, and you Steph,¡±

    Sophie cried in pain. She stood there in front of their graves and cried her eyes out. when she finally left. She decided not to go back to the hotel so soon. She took a cab and stopped at a neighborhood where she was sure she would find a good apartment, she was wrong. She went around looking for a vacant ce but she was told that she would have to get an agent before she could find an apartment. She collected a few contacts and decided to call it a day because she was so tired and her head ached.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    She decided to just walk because her hotel wasn¡¯t so far and she didn¡¯t want to spend more money, she was halfway there when someone got in front of her, blocking her movement. Sophie lifted her eyes and she froze when she saw who it was. She took a few steps back, looked around, and saw his men.

    ¡°Damon,¡±

    Sophie whispered in fear.

    ¡°Hello, Sophie, long time no see,¡±

    Damon said with an evilugh that made Sophie¡¯s inside curl in fear. Thest person she wanted to see again was the man who took her whole family, the man who made her run away from home, how did he find out she was back already when she barely left the hotel? She should have known that he would find her again. She tried to walk passed him but he blocked her way.

    ¡°Get out of my way Damon,¡±

    Sophie let out.

    ¡°Sophie, it is good to see that you still remember me, I heard you were in town and I decided to pay you a visit, we have a history, I know you didn¡¯t forget.¡±

    How could she forget? He destroyed her world, if he hadn¡¯t attacked her family, she would have finally been able to take her mom and younger brother away from her deadbeat father, the monster who brought all the misfortune to them. If he had killed only her father, it would not have been as painful as it had been. Maybe she would have thanked him for taking the evil man away from the world but he had to take the life of her innocent mom and dad.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    Sophie asked, she felt proud of how she didn¡¯t let her fear show when she spoke.

    ¡°What do I want from you? Is that a joke? Anyway, I am just here to wee you and to let you know that I am aware that you are back here, I have been waiting for you and you came back like I expected, even though there is a little situation, anyway, nice to have you back,¡±

    He said as if they were some kind of long-lost friends who just got reunited.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want from me but you can¡¯te near me, Damon, please stay away from me,¡±

    Sophie let out and walked away from him as fast as she could. She was close to her hotel but she didn¡¯t want him to find out where she lived so she took a cab and told him to drive around for a while, on second thought, she got out of the cab, took another back to the hotel and checked out. she took a bus that was going to another part of the city, she wanted to be as far away from Damon as possible. When she finally found a new ce to stay, it waste and all she could do was get on the bed and sleep with hopes of going out to find a new apartment. She prayed that Damon would not try to find her again because she didn¡¯t want to deal with him at all, he was the devil and too much was already wrong in her life right now to add him to the mix, it would make her lose her mind and she needed to stay sane, for her unborn daughter who deserves a mentally stable mom now that she can¡¯t have her dad.

 Chapter 101

    Lance felt sick to the bone, his life had not been the same since he came back to no Sophie or their baby, he hadn¡¯t been able to get a peaceful sleep, how could he sleep when the woman he loved and their unborn child were out there and might be in danger. He still couldn¡¯t believe Patrick, who he trusted so much, was the same person to cause so much pain all in the name of helping him. Well, he didn¡¯t help him, he only seeded in making his life hell. Three days, three whole days looking everywhere for her but no sign of her. It was as if shended in Briscout and disappeared, that¡¯s the only thing he could find out. the country that she was from and he sent people there. He couldn¡¯t even go find her by himself because he was caught up fixing the mess that Justin had tried to create. At least that never happened. If Patrick had not been ahead of himself and sent Sophie away without his permission, he would not be in so much pain right now.

    With each day that passes, his anxiety gets even higher, he feared that whatever had made Sophie change her identity and run away from home might be after her again and she was very alone and vulnerable. He had Patrick to me for everything. Speaking of Patrick, he hasn¡¯t seen or heard from him after he told him not to show up near him again. at first, he didn¡¯t care what the fucker did but now, he was kind of worried that he might have handled everything the wrong way, he was still very mad at him for what he did and he didn¡¯t see himself forgiving him anytime soon.

    Every day for the past three days, he waited for the call that never came and every of those days, he had been the one to call the people he had sent, they got no news of her. He still hated the fact that he couldn¡¯t leave Otano as there were a lot of things he needed to do and with Patrick gone from his side, it was even harder for him to handle everything. The flooding the night he couldn¡¯t make it home had done some damage in some parts of the kingdom, a bridge constructed when Justin had been king copsed, the flood hadn¡¯t been so strong but the fact that the materials used were all bad made it happen. Thankfully, no one was hurt because it happened at night and people do not go that way at night but it affected the production sector because the bridge led to a major factor in the kingdom, so he had to find a way to fix it immediately. Reconstruction has already started. Everything happening would have been easy for him to deal with if Sophie had been here but she wasn¡¯t so he was having a hard time. He went back to drinking at night so that he could at least get some sleep. There was no Sophie or Patrick to tell him not to drink, he lost three people he loved on the same day and till now, he still didn¡¯t know how to fix everything and get them back.

    Lance walked to his medicine cab and pulled out some ibuprofen, he swallowed the pill and drank water. He went about getting ready for his meeting. He had a couple of meetings and also, and he scheduled a meeting with his brother, Justin who had first declined meeting with him but after Lance threatened to have him dragged to the pce, he finally agreed. Lance¡¯s phone rang and he hurriedly ran to where he kept it, hoping that the call he was waiting for finally came, he let out a sigh of disappointment when he checked the caller, it wasn¡¯t the call that he had been expecting.

    ¡°Princess? Why are you calling me?¡±

    Lance asked. He wasn¡¯t in the mood for pleasantries right now.

    ¡°Hmm, you are also in a mood,¡±

    The princessmented.

    ¡°Also? What are you talking about?¡±

    Lance asked impatiently.

    ¡°I am talking about your assistant, or best friend, he has been here with me for three days and has been mourning, I can¡¯t keep him with me anymore because I have to go home for a ceremony, if I don¡¯t, the queen mother and former king would literally disown and behead me, can youe to get him, or at least get someone toe to get him?¡±

    Lance was speechless for a moment, he knew Patrick stillmunicated with the princess and even joked with him about being in love with her but he never thought they were close to the point of Patrick running to her after their fight, that was thest ce he had expected Patrick to be.

    ¡°You guys are so close that he runs to you?¡±

    Lance couldn¡¯t resist asking.

    ¡°Yeah, we are pretty close, he grew on me and now I care a little too much about his feelings to watch him suffer, so can youe get him? He isn¡¯t saying anything but I know you both had a big fight, nothing else would make him this miserable,¡±

    Roseline let out. He so wanted to care but then, his mind shed back to everything that happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see his face, do whatever you want with him,¡±

    Lance said when he remembered Patrick¡¯s offense. This wasn¡¯t their usual banter, this was something bigger, he fucking sent Sophie away and Lance couldn¡¯t just forget that.

    ¡°Wait, what happened between you two? The man had been crying for days and even came to me while he was drunk and out of his mind, I say we are close but he is pretty secretive and only presents the best version of himself around me until three nights ago when he came to me all drunk and out of his mind; what happened that made him like that and why don¡¯t you want to see him?¡±

    Roseline questioned. She sounded concerned. Lance contemted telling her what happened, not a lot of people knew what happened yet. In the end, he decided to tell her.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°He sent Sophie away while I was away for just one day, I was gone for a single night and he sent my woman away and now three dayster, I still can¡¯t find her, he sent her away, and didn¡¯t even bother to know where she would go, just dropped her at the airport and told her to find her way,¡±

    Telling Roseline what happened made Lance angry all over again.

 Chapter 102

    ¡°Oh my God? He sent her out of the kingdom? Patrick, you sent the king¡¯s woman out of his kingdom?¡±

    Lance silently listened when Roseline directed the question at Patrick, he wanted to hear his answer but the fucker didn¡¯t say a word which got Lance angrier.

    ¡°He is out of his mind right now and is just here staring at me weirdly, he is broken, my king,¡±

    Lance said. she was really concerned for Patrick, Lance would have been concerned too but after what he did, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care about his feelings, if Patrick cared about him, he would never have sent his woman away.

    ¡°I am more broken, Roseline, Sophie is pregnant, she is all alone and I don¡¯t even know how to get her back, Patrick is my best friend, he should not be the one to break my family, he knew just how much that woman meant to me yet he sent her away, I just can¡¯t stand him, I fired him and I don¡¯t think I want him back anywhere near me,¡±

    Lance concluded. He did need Patrick around him but he didn¡¯t know if he could hold himself each time he saw his face and remember what he did to Sophie, especially since Sophie was still out there and he hadn¡¯t found her yet.

    ¡°I understand how you feel, Lance, I know you are hurting but you got to see things from Patrick¡¯s point of view, I am not in any way trying to defend what he did but he is so used to protecting you that he made a mistake, don¡¯t throw him away from your side because of that, I am sure if you both put your heads together, you will find her sooner. He has been miserable for days now,¡±

    Roseline pleaded on Patrick¡¯s behalf. It was hard to forgive what he did when Sophie was still out there somewhere in the big country of Briscout. The only thing he knew about her whereabouts was where her ne departed to, he didn¡¯t know anything else and three days of search had not yielded any result.

    ¡°I have been miserable too, I lost both my woman and my best friend on the same day, I have been trying to get my crazy brother off my back as that one is trying to take what¡¯s mine and I have also been working hard to make sure the kingdom is running smoothly even though I am going through hell; I haven¡¯t been able to sleep, how can I sleep when I don¡¯t even know where my woman is and how she is doing. I am not okay, whatever Patrick is feeling is nothingpared to what his decision did to me,¡±

    Lance let out angrily. His emotions were taking over him, he almost ended the call but he didn¡¯t because of who the caller was, if it was someone else, he would have hung up.

    ¡°Again, I understand that but you gotta understand his fears too, I don¡¯t know everything about your rtionship with him but I do know he cares about your well-being, I am sure he has his reason for doing what he did, just listen to him, please,¡±

    Roseline begged on Patrick¡¯s behalf.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Roseline. I trusted Patrick, he knew just how much I love that woman, I was willing to give up the throne if that¡¯s what it took for us to be happy,¡±

    Lance spoke his truth. If it hade to that, he would have willingly given everything up just to keep his family together. Of course, that would happen because no one can take the throne away from him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Lancelot, you talk things out with your man and I will make some calls and help you in locating your woman, I am sure we will find her, you don¡¯t want to lose this man because with how miserable he looks right now, he might do something to hurt himself,¡±

    The princess suggested. Lance took a deep breath, Patrick wasn¡¯t the only one affected by their riff, this was the first major fight they had had since they became friends years ago, it felt empty without him, even though he wanted to be stubborn and tell her no, he gave in.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Fine, I will be there, give me a few minutes,¡±

    He said and hung up, he sent a message to his assistant, asking him to cancel every other meeting that he had except the one with Justin. He needed to be done with him once and for all so he couldn¡¯t postpone the meeting with him. Lance decided to go on his own to the princess¡¯s apartment in the city as he didn¡¯t want to attract a crowd, so he changed into a casual outfit, took the car, and drove himself there. Once he was at her apartmentplex, he called her and she came to get him.

    ¡°Can we agree that you won¡¯t fight or hit him?¡±

    the princess requested as they rode the elevator to her apartment.

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, I am not a violent person,¡±

    He promised.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡±

    The princess replied as she unlocked the door to the apartment and let him in, he saw Patrick the minute he entered. He stood up from where he sat, he looked sad and miserable which also mirrored how Lance felt.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡±

    Patrick greeted and Lance red at him.

    ¡°Do I look like I came here as a king? Fuck you, Patrick,¡±

    He let out, walked up to him, and pushed him hard, forgetting for a moment the princess that he had made to the princess.

    ¡°Lance, you promised, no violence,¡±

    The princess yelled. He lifted both hands in surrender.

    ¡°I am sorry for what I did Lance, I thought I was doing what was best but I made a mistake and hurt you,¡±

    Patrick said in a remorseful voice.

    ¡°Yes you did, you idiot, if you had just waited for me, none of this would have happened, everything that happened is all your fault and if not for Roseline, I would not even be here, I still don¡¯t know how I am going to find my woman and bring her back to the pce, nothing is working out because I am so used to you being with me, but seeing your face make me so mad because Sophie is still missing and I don¡¯t know when and how to find her,¡±

    Lance let out in frustration.

 Chapter 103

    ¡°I messed up, I did, I am sorry, I should never have interfered, I thought I was doing what¡¯s best for everyone but I know now that I wasn¡¯t, I made a mistake, and I can fix it, just give me a chance to,¡±

    Patrick pleaded.

    ¡°How do you intend to fix it? I have been looking for her for days now, it¡¯s as if she disappeared as soon as shended.¡±

    Lancemented bitterly.

    ¡°I gave her a card before she left and also gave her my number in case she needs anything from me, I don¡¯t know if she will call because she said she won¡¯t need anything from me but the card can be traced if she has made any purchase, I just need to be in the country to do that but I couldn¡¯t leave the country without your permission and you refused to speak with me,¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Patrick said.

    ¡°Why do you need my permission to leave the country when you didn¡¯t wait for my permission before you sent my woman away?¡±

    Lance questioned. He passed his fingers through his hair in frustration, and Patrick remained silent.

    ¡°You have my permission to leave the kingdom and I aming with you,¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave the kingdom unsupervised; I will go find her myself, I will leave today and will not return until I find her,¡±

    Patrick promised.

    ¡°No, I aming with you, I can delegate duties for a while, I need to be there myself but we can¡¯t leave today, I have something I need to take care of,¡±

    Lance said when he remembered his meeting with Justin, he couldn¡¯t leave the kingdom without first fixing that.

    ¡°Why not today?¡±

    ¡°I am meeting up with Justin today, to finish everything off because I don¡¯t want a repeat of whatever happened, I don¡¯t know why you are so scared that I will lose the throne to someone like Justin, he had the throne once, and did a bad job, what makes you think he can get it back? Why do you think I will easily give up my ce on the throne? You didn¡¯t trust my words enough and acted on your own which hurt me, I am still hurting, my woman is still missing, and I want her back with me, do you get what I am saying?¡±

    Lance questioned.

    ¡°Yes, my king,¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, it is Lancelot to you, Patrick, get yourself together, you were my friend first before you became my special advisor, maybe if you saw me as a friend as I see you, maybe we won¡¯t have been in this situation right now,¡±

    Lance let out.

    ¡°I messed up, Lancelot, I don¡¯t deserve to be forgiven but please forgive me for what I did, I have no excuse for what I did to you, I should have waited, maybe the thought of losing everything got into my head and crowded my judgment, you are right, I didn¡¯t do it for you, I did it because I was scared; scared of losing everything including my ce as your best friend, it was foolish, and I am sorry,¡±

    Patrick apologized sincerely, Lance couldn¡¯t keep being mad at him when he was being so sincere, so he walked up to him and pulled him in for a hug.

    ¡°You fucker, I missed having you near me, I missed being nagged by you and it is just three days, don¡¯t ever make us fight again,¡±

    Lance warned him.

    ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t, it was hell not being able to help or do anything, I don¡¯t like it at all,¡±

    Patrick replied; they hugged for a few minutes more.

    ¡°I miss Sophie so much, my life has been empty without her,¡±

    Lancemented.

    ¡°We will find her,¡±

    Patrick said when they got out of the hug.

    ¡°This is so sweet but you both have to leave my house right now,¡±

    The princess warned, Lance kind of had forgotten she was there.

    ¡°Thank you for this, Roseline,¡±

    Lance said, turning to her, he was d they stayed civil with each other and that she found a new home in Otano.

    ¡°No need for thank you, but if you want to thank me, you can reduce my tax a little,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you are pushing it, I am not in charge of taxes but don¡¯t worry, I will put in some words for you,¡±

    Lance told her and turned back to Patrick who was silently looking at the both of them.

    ¡°Whenst did you shave?¡±

    Lance asked, looking him over.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t even eat well, shaving was thest thing on his mind, I¡¯m d you guys are okay now, I already made the call like I promised, I have a few connections in Briscout, if she is still there, they will find her,¡±

    Roseline informed him.

    ¡°Thank you, princess, I owe you,¡±

    Lance told her.

    ¡°I need to go see Justin, I am done with him, he is the reason everything happened in the first ce, I am going to talk to him but if he doesn¡¯t listen, I am going to send him out of Otano forever,¡±

    Lance stated firmly.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, your majesty,¡±

    the princess cheered.

    ¡°I am taking him with me, is that okay?¡±

    He asked the princess.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the whole point of asking you toe here, I have a flight to catch in the next two hours, I told you, if I don¡¯t go back home, my parents will disown me,¡±

    She said as she walked them both out of her apartment, Lance thanked her again and Patrick did too. On the ride back to the pce, Patrick was silent.

    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to be so silent, I like my chatty and nagger best friend back, we are cool now, all I need is to find my Sophie and everything will be okay, again.¡±

    Lance said, Patrick spared him a look.

    ¡°I will be back soon, as soon as I find her. I shouldn¡¯t have sent her away, I was mean to her for no reason, she really didn¡¯t do anything that made me send her away,¡±

    He said.

    ¡°Yeah, I figured I was part of the problem too, if I had told you that the child was mine, maybe you would have been more considerate, not saying I am excusing what you did,¡±

    Lance responded.

 Chapter 104

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe the baby is real yours, I was right back then,¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were right, we did sleep together a couple of months before the theft incident, I remembered but I thought it was a dream and Sophie thought I didn¡¯t remember so she was scared to tell me,¡±

    Lance exined.

    ¡°And I sent them both away, I don¡¯t deserve to be forgiven,¡¯

    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t but I love you, so you get some mercy,¡±

    Lance responded, they continued talking all through the drive back to the pce, and even made ns to leave for Briscout as soon as he was done with the meeting with Justin and was able to put people in charge while he was away, he had a lot of people who would make sure everything continued running smoothly during his absence. When they got back to the pce, Lance told him to go rest and get ready while he dressed up to go meet his brother, he wanted their meeting to be just the two of them.

    Once again, he drove himself to where he was meeting Justin, he didn¡¯t want to meet him at the pce because for one, Justin was banned from the pce and two, he didn¡¯t want to give him that grace of showing up anywhere near the pce. Justin wasn¡¯t there when he got in so he had to wait for him. The bastard had the mind to make him wait for nearly one hour before he showed up.

    ¡°You arete,¡±

    Lance said when he walked in.

    ¡°I am, I have things to do, what do you want from me? Why did you want us to meet?¡±

    Justin asked. Lance hasn¡¯t met his brother in person for a few years now, he still hasn¡¯t changed at all, just the same annoying prick who made his life hell when they were younger, the same prick who threatened him when he got the call from their father for him toe back home. Justin had told him he would kill him if he came back, Lance had gotten on the ne that same day because he had to show Justin that he was no longer scared of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to beat about the busy so I am going to go straight to why we are here, I want you to stop whatever shits you have been up to recently, trying to gather allies so that you can fight me for the throne, I am warning because it will never happen.¡±

    Lance told him firmly. Justin didn¡¯t look surprised which means he knew what he was saying.

    ¡°What makes you think I will listen to you? You are not the boss of me, I will do whatever I want, why are you so scared?¡±

    He asked. Lance shook his head, he was out of his mind if he ever or once thought he was scared of him.

    ¡°Justin, you are nothing but a loser, you have never done anything right all your life. What makes you think you can do anything right now? I am scared of you? Stop projecting because we both know who is scared between the two of us and it is not me. If you weren¡¯t scared of me, why then did you run away when you found out I wasing to you?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°Me? Scared of you? You don¡¯t know what you are saying, why would I be scared of a rat like you, you are nothing but a thief and I am only looking out to get back what is rightfully mine,¡±

    Justin let out. Lance so wanted tough in his face but the thought of Sophie who was still somewhere out there took all hisugh from him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to banter words with you, Justin, you had the throne and you messed things up, no matter what you do, you will never be king again, I am the king now and I have just one thing to tell you, better stop all the nonsense you have been up totely or risk being evicted from Otano permanently.¡±

    Lance warned.

    ¡°The elders don¡¯t agree though and you are nothing without their approval,¡±

    ¡°You think so? Do you think you managed to buy them off with money? And if you did, do you really think they can dethrone me and reinstate you? I think you should wake up from your dream, speaking of elders,¡±

    Lance picked up the tablet on the table in front of them and unlocked it. Lance tapped a few buttons and showed the screen to Justin who reluctantly took a look.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be true, you just made this up, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Justin fired.

    ¡°You think I have the time to make shits up? I have a kingdom to run, Justin, I don¡¯t have the time in my hand for child¡¯s y, the elders you thought you bought with the money you stole from the kingdom while you were king, willingly signed this, and need I tell you that your fate ispletely in my hands,¡±

    Lance told him. He watched his brother¡¯s expression turn to fear. When he had spoken with the elders that day, he made them all sign that he could handle the case with Justin on his own and that they would never endorse him as king. They didn¡¯t waste any time before signing and those who weren¡¯t present were also sent copies and everyone signed without stress; with what he gave them, he could decide to banish Justin forever from Otano. That was what got him all worked up right now.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°You can¡¯t send me away from Otano, this is my home, the only home I know. I deserve to be here,¡±

    he yelled.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I am warning you not to push me over the edge, the only reason I am showing up so much mercy is because of your mother, the deceased queen, if not, I would have long sent you off the walls of Otano, mom never deserved an ungrateful child like you and she would have been disappointed to see the way you turned out to be after everything she did to make you a good person, just know mom is the only reason you get a grace but if you do anything stupid, I will not think twice before sending you out.¡±

    Lance warned him. The queen¡¯s mother¡¯s love and care for him while she was alive was the only reason Lance had mercy on the fool whom she birthed.

    ¡°You have no right to do that, what? Show me mercy? You stole my inheritance and my throne, I will not rest until I get back what¡¯s mine,¡±

    Justin yelled, getting out of his seat. He started pacing around, Lance watched him go crazy without saying a word.

    ¡°You, you son of a mistress; you have no ce on the throne of Otano, you are the product of an affair, you have no right to tell me, the true son of Otano what I can or can¡¯t do,¡±

    Justin let out. His words used to hurt when they were younger but not anymore.

    ¡°Then be ready for the consequences of whatever action you decide to take, I won¡¯t be considerate when I deal with you, Justin, just try me,¡±

    He let out and got up. He already warned him. If he decides not to listen, he will have him arrested and thrown out of Otano for good. Lance didn¡¯t turn back even with Justin yelling for him toe back and telling him that he hadn¡¯t heard thest of him. He had one thing in mind now, he needed to find Sophie and bring her back to Otano with him.

 Chapter 105

    Sophie¡¯s eyes widened in fear when she heard the knock on her door, she was in a new hotel now, far from the other one she had been in when she had met Damon. it has been three days since he came to see her and she hasn¡¯t had any rest since. She wanted to leave Briscout again but she didn¡¯t know where to go, she couldn¡¯t even go back to looking for an apartment because she was scared Demon might find her again. She finally checked the money in the card that Patrick had given to her, it was enough to carry for three months or six if she managed which she intended to do but the money wasn¡¯t enough to pay Damon off neither was it enough to help her relocate to another country, far from where Damon was. She should never havee back to Briscout, she had made a mistakeing back here but she didn¡¯t know where else to choose. Moving to a whole new country would have been much more expensive. The knock on the door came again and this time, she got out of bed, hoping that it was just room service even though she didn¡¯t order anything. She opened the door and lost the ability to breathe for a moment when she saw who it was that was at the door, she tried to close the door as fear gripped her, but he didn¡¯t let her, he ced his leg between the door and used his strong hand to push it open, she ran inside and away from him.

    ¡°Stay away from me, go away,¡±

    Sophie cried.

    ¡°I told you never to return to the ce, Sophie, you were so stubborn, you didn¡¯t listen to me, and now the boss wants you, you should have stayed away, do you know how shocked I was when Damon told me he saw you? I thought he was joking but here you are,¡±

    Gavin, one of Damon¡¯s men, was the only one who had a little bit of goodness in him but he was far from being a saint and she hated him just as much as she hated Damon and everyone who knew him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to you or your boss, just go away and leave me alone,¡±

    Sophie managed to say, her voice was filled with fear.

    ¡°You are stubborn and this time, I won¡¯t show you any kind of mercy, stubborn people do not deserve mercy, you areing with me because Damon wants you,¡±

    Gavin said and walked towards her, Sophie picked up thempstand and wriggled it at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯te near me, Gavin, don¡¯t fuckinge near me,¡±

    She yelled and threw the stand at him, he caught it and threw it aside, and he turned back to her in anger.

    ¡°You remember my name, bet you also remember my fist,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He let out, reminding her of how he had hit her thest time he captured her over two years ago, he had been taking her to his boss but halfway there, someone had made him angry over the phone and he had dropped her off and told her to run away that if he ever finds her, she would not like what he would do to her. that was the night she decided to run away from Briscout and two dayster, she sold everything she owned and left.

    ¡°Are you going to hit me again? do it then, I am not scared of you,¡±

    Sophie let out. she was scared but she wasn¡¯t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her in fear. She straightened her posture.

    ¡°Aha, you are pregnant, you mean to tell me you left for two years, got yourself knocked up by a man, and came back here on your own? Why are women so dumb?¡±

    Gavin asked as if he was scolding her.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, just go away,¡±

    Sophie told him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that but since you are pregnant, I am going to be gentler as long as you don¡¯t make me angry, plus if you can call the man who knocked you up to pay up your debt, you might have a chance to leave, keep in mind that it increased even more in two years that you were away,¡±

    Gavin said and went about packing her things.

    ¡°Why are you doing that? Leave my stuff alone, go away or I am going to call security,¡±

    Sophie warned.

    ¡°Again, I can¡¯t leave you or your stuff, woman, I have a job and today I am to bring you to the boss, Damon, I don¡¯t know why that mudafucker is obsessed with you even when he clearly saw you pregnant, anyway, we got to go, you can try calling your man instead of security because of all hotels to choose from, you had to choose one with zero security system, let¡¯s go,¡±

    Gavin said and walked towards her, Sophie shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, just let me go and I will never show my face in front of you again, please, I beg you, I don¡¯t want to be in Damon¡¯s presence,¡±

    Sophie switched to pleading hoping that he would listen and let her go like he didst time.

    ¡°No, thest time I let you go, I suffered great consequences, plus, the boss doesn¡¯t fully trust me with you so even if I let you go, there are people aside, you can¡¯t get away from,¡±

    Gavin said. Sophie felt hopeless, she wanted to run but where would she run to, he just said there were others outside, it would be fatal for her to try and run but she also didn¡¯t want to be taken to Damon, he was insane.

    ¡°Youe with me without struggling and you won¡¯t get hurt, if you have someone you can call to pay off your debt, I suggest you do it now,¡±

    Gavin suggested. Sophie had someone she could call but she didn¡¯t want to call him, she wanted him to forget herpletely and to do that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone to call,¡±

    ¡°What? What about the one who got you pregnant?¡±

    He asked and she shook her head.

    ¡°You went and fucked a deadbeat without protection? You are not smart,¡±

    He let out. Sophie didn¡¯t bother to correct him what was the use of it. She knew Lance wasn¡¯t a deadbeat and that¡¯s all that really matters.

 Chapter 106

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±

    He said. Sophie lost the will to even fight him, she walked out of the hotel room with him, not knowing what she would do yet but she made up her mind to speak to Damon, that¡¯s if he would listen.

    ¡°Just continue to be like this and you will not have a problem with me but if you decide to act out, I might not be very kind,¡±

    Gavin warned when they walked out of the hotel lobby, he led her towards the car and Sophie spotted a couple of men she knew worked for Damon too, it didn¡¯t even cross her mind to try and run because she knew it would be useless to try.

    Gavin dropped her off and went away, he left her in a room and told her that Damon would be in to see him, Sophie was scared but powerless, she only hoped to speak with Damon ande to an agreement with him, if he agreed, she would give him all the money with her and also agree to work and pay him back. she waited for Damon to show up but hours after she arrived, she didn¡¯t see or hear from him. Someone came in and gave her food but Sophie was too scared to eat or drink, she fell asleep and when she woke up again, Damon was in the room. Sophie jumped from the bed.

    ¡°Why are you scared? I didn¡¯t even do anything,¡±

    He said, she hated the sight of him.

    ¡°Damon, what do you want from me? Why did you ask to bring me here?¡±

    Sophie asked as she fixed her dress to make sure no part of hers was exposed.

    ¡°Why are you acting like you don¡¯t know why you are here, you are lucky you didn¡¯t struggle with Gavin because I gave a clear instruction, if you had tried to run, you would have been bleeding right now and tied to something, but you choose the easy way, good for you, it took me three days to find your hideout, I must say, you made a poor choice,¡±

    He sat on the chair in the room as he spoke, Sophie moved further away from him.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say I know why I am here, I am not going to leave, just give me time to get a job and I will start paying back everything that my family owes you,¡±

    Sophie proposed.

    ¡°You know how much you owe me? Do you think you can pay back in time? How much do you think you owe?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I know that I can pay back, just let me go,¡±

    She persuaded.

    ¡°I should let you go so that you can run away again? you can¡¯t run from me Sophie, pay me what your family owes me or risk facing their fate,¡±

    Damon warned.

    ¡°I am willing to pay that¡¯s why I am asking you to let me go and I will work and payback, how do you want me to pay you if you hold me captive? Just how?¡±

    Sophie questioned.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see, there are lots of ways for a beautiful woman like you to pay me, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    He asked stood up, and walked towards. Sophie didn¡¯t like the way he was looking at her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You know what I am talking about,¡±

    He replied, licking his tongue in a way that disgusted Sophie, she felt like throwing up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about Damon, just let me go, I will work, I will do anything to find the money and pay you back, just let me go,¡±

    Sophie pleaded. There was no way she could pay him back if he kept her hostage and she most certainly wouldn¡¯t be his sex ve like he was trying to say, her body belonged to one man only and he was the only man she would ever let touch her, by now, he would already know she left the pce, he might still be hurting, she hoped he would forget about her and the baby soon and focus on being the king his people want him to be.

    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you alone, you bitch, you ran away for two years only toe back with a child, what did you think would happen when you decided toe back here? I know, you wanted this to happen, you know I want you. you knew I woulde for you once you return, that¡¯s why you came back here, it would have been perfect if you had returned without a child but we can easily fix that.¡±

    Sophie hated his alcohol and cigarette, what he said made no sense, she had never once thought of him.

    ¡°What do you even mean by that? First, I don¡¯t know where you got it from that I would want anything to do with you, I don¡¯t want you and would never desire you, I didn¡¯te here because of you, I came back because I didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go, secondly, you have no right to speak about my unborn child, over my dead body will I allow you hurt my child, keep your fucked up desires to yourself,¡±

    Sophie yelled out in anger, he was out of his mind with his choice of words, she might have been scared of him but not anymore, the worst he would do was hit her or kill her and she preferred that over being anything to him.

    ¡°You bitch, what gives you the right to talk back at me?¡±

    He yelled and pped her, Sophie held her face as the pain of his p floored her, she struggled to keep herself from crying she didn¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

    ¡°You invited that on yourself, don¡¯t even think of leaving this ce because you can¡¯t you belong to me now and I will do whatever I want with you,¡±

    He let out; he turned around and left the room, Sophie copsed on the floor and wept in sadness.

 Chapter 107

    After four days of looking for Sophie without any possible lead, Lance had to return to Otano temporarily because he had something important that he had to attend to. The people Roseline had spoken to were doing their best to find her, even though they were able to trace the card that Patrick had given her, they still couldn¡¯t find her because she had left the ce before they got there. Lance spoke with Patrick about it and they decided that it would be better to get the authorities of the country involved. It would be easier that way. Lance had wanted to do it on his own but as the days went by, he realized it would be impossible to find out, that¡¯s why he scheduled a meeting with the president of the country, as soon as he arrived back, he would meet up with him. He already had ns to strike a deal with them in exchange for helping him find Sophie.

    He had left Patrick behind and he was able to schedule the meeting, they have talked throughout when he has been in Otano and so far, they haven¡¯t heard anything. Every day without her felt so empty, he just wanted everything to be over and for Sophie to be back to him already, he didn¡¯t care what he had to do to get her back. when he had arrived at Otano, some of the elders had called in worried for him and he had assured them that they didn¡¯t have to worry, they even requested to meet the woman he intended to marry and he told them he needed time for that, he didn¡¯t want to tell them what was going on and he made sure no one outside the pce know what was going on within the pce. He didn¡¯t want the people to panic. His meeting was done and now he had to return to Briscout, he hoped when he got back, he would be back with Sophie. His phone buzzed in his pocket on the way to the airport, it was Patrick calling and he immediately took the call, hoping that it was good news.

    ¡°Patrick, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°Your majesty, I have some news but she has still not been found, we know now that she was adopted,¡±

    Patrick revealed. Lance¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his word.

    ¡°What? As in kidnapped? Who and why?¡±

    ¡°The one who didn¡¯t give a name, but he called with the number I told you I gave Sophie when left, he said they got her,¡±

    He exined. Lance curled his hand into a fist, who would dare to take his woman, was that the reason they haven¡¯t been able to locate her, all this while she was locked up somewhere by some crazy fucker?Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°From what I have been able to gather, he is part of a gang, and they must have picked her up once she arrived,¡±

    Patrick exined.

    ¡°What kind of gang and why would they have my woman?¡±

    Lance let out. he couldn¡¯t believe the reason he hadn¡¯t been able to find Sophie was because some loser kidnapped her. he hoped they didn¡¯t hurt her in any way because he would put an end to all of them.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know much of what happened between them yet, he called me a few hours ago, I was with the police chief so I had the phone on speaker, he didn¡¯t go into details but he said she owes them a huge sum of money and that if we want her back, we have to pay back every penny,¡±

    He exined. Lance paused for a moment and looked at his phone before putting it back on his ear in confusion, what debt? Sophie would never be indebted to anyone, what would she have collected from him when she literally just recently left Otano?

    ¡°Debt? I thought you would say ransom, what debt does she owe them? How would she owe him and them when she just left Otano?¡±

    Lance asked the question that was burning in his head. If he said Sophie owed him money then he was lying because it had been just one week since she left Otano, one week that felt like forever.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I asked but he didn¡¯t exin we are trying to track him down as the phone he used to call is trackable but it will take some time.

    He exined. Lance didn¡¯t like the ¡®it would take some time¡¯ part, and this is why he wanted to be the one to find her himself, the so-called professionals he let do the job were taking so much time and he didn¡¯t have that time, he wanted Sophie back safe in Otano as soon as possible, he didn¡¯t care if he had to pay the debt.

    ¡°If it is money that they want then I am willing to pay, I just want my Sophie back, Patrick, that¡¯s all I want,¡±

    Lance told him.

    ¡°I understand I told him we are willing to pay, no matter the price and he said he would call back to let me know the details we are paying, I am still waiting for that, I just thought to let you know first.¡±

    Patrick exined.

    ¡°Did you at least get to speak with Sophie? If they have her for real, we don¡¯t want to be scammed,¡±

    Lance said what had entered his mind; he didn¡¯t want to be scammed just because he was desperate to find her.

    ¡°Yes, I asked him, and he said something about not being where she at, don¡¯t worry, Lancelot, I already told him we won¡¯t give him money unless we are sure they really have her, in the main time, the police are working hard to track him, even the people the princess had spoken to,¡±

    Patrick exined; they were all working but Lance wasn¡¯t satisfied.

    ¡°I just want this to be over, I just want my family back, nothing more,¡±

    Lancemented, it had been over a week, nine days since hest saw his Sophie and each day felt so long, he couldn¡¯t keep doing it, he was slowly losing his mind, even the meeting he had earlier didn¡¯t go as well as he would have wanted because he couldn¡¯t even concentrate properly and had to end the meeting before time.

    ¡°I know,¡±

    Patrick said. he sounded like he has been sounding recently, guilty.

    ¡°I am on my way to the airport, I hope when Ind there, we will have some good news, see you when I arrive,¡±

    Lance told Patrick and hung up, it was a ten-hour flight, long enough for them to find that man and his gang; hopefully.

 Chapter 108

    Sophie lost all hope of ever being free from Damon, he refused to listen to all her pleas and talks, and he was hell bent on keeping her here with him. He refused every reasonable word she had said to him. He kept talking about wanting her and waiting long enough for the baby to be born because he didn¡¯t want to fuck her while she was carrying another man¡¯s child, it was bittersweet for her because it only means she would be free from him for the next four months but she was scared of what might happen within that time, she didn¡¯t want to remain his prisoner forever, she didn¡¯t want to be his toy, neither did she want her child to be taken away from her. Now she regrets agreeing with Patrick. She wished she had had the courage to stand up against him and talk to Lance herself, maybe it would not have been as bad as it was now. Maybe Lance would have found a way to keep their family together as he had promised her. She regretted not trusting his words enough and not believing in their love enough; it was all her fault and she had no one to me for her current situation but herself.

    More than four days and she still hadn¡¯t found a solution and a way to get out of Damon¡¯s captive and she also needed medical care but he wasn¡¯t even listening to her, he told her that she would stay in the room and when it is time for her to give birth that he would have someonee in and help her with that, she had so much fear for when that time wille. She gave in and started eating the food they brought to her because she didn¡¯t want to starve herself and her baby to death.

    The door flew open and Sophie jumped in fear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so scared, it is just me,¡±

    Gavin said and walked into the room, she hadn¡¯t seen him since the day he had dropped her off.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    Sophie asked. He didn¡¯t look threatened like the way Damon used to be each time he came to see her.

    ¡°Me? Nothing, I have some information for you that I was sure you might like to hear that¡¯s why I am here,¡±

    He informed. Sophie couldn¡¯t think of anything that he would have to say that she would be interested in.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Well, I called and someone ising for you, or at least someone wants to pay up your debt and get you back,¡±

    ¡°What? What did you just say?¡±

    Sophie asked. She feared that she might have misheard what he had said.

    ¡°You heard me, the man who knocked you up must be loaded, why didn¡¯t you just give me his contact? I had to find it myself, it would have saved the both of us the time we both wasted, anyway, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t help you, I called the number you left and they are willing to pay, I don¡¯t know if the boss will let you go after they pay but I do know they want to pay up and get you back, let¡¯s hope the boss obsession with you isn¡¯t as bad as he makes it out to be,¡±

    Sophie couldn¡¯t believe her ears, he called them, she knew who he called, it was Patrick, before she left, she had given him the phone that the king had given her but then when she was about to board the ne, he had given her a number to call when she was in need for anything, she kept it in her purse that they had collected from her and she never nned on calling him.

    ¡°Why did you do that Gavin?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°Why? You are asking me why. I am trying to get you out of here, don¡¯t you see it? I may be evil and all but I draw a line when ites to women, do you know what kind of guilt I had to deal with when I hit you thest time? I had to let you go because it was hitting me so badly, I have a mother, two sisters, and a wife, a child on the way that may be a daughter, I am not hurting a woman or letting a woman get hurt on my watch but some of you act dumb, especially you, foring back to Briscout, but I still have to help because if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to live with myself,¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    He let out. it was all new information to her.

    ¡°You have a family yet you took mine? You people killed my parents and my brother,¡±

    Sophie yelled at him, hating him even more for trying to act like he was a good person.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill your family, Damon did, plus your dad was an asshole, he deserved to die, don¡¯t know about your mother and your brother, also, I am not trying to act like I am a good person because I am not, anyway, I did my part, your man said he will pay, so now you have to pray that Damon decide to let you go as you may already know, the man is obsessed with you and he might go crazy,¡±

    Gavin said and turned around to leave.

    ¡°How long do I have to wait before I can leave?¡±

    Sophie questioned; he paused and turned to her.

    ¡°Hmm, that depends on what the boss wants, I don¡¯t know, bye,¡±

    he said and he was gone. Sophie sat alone in the room waiting, she kept checking the time but after three long hours of waiting and nothing happened, she got tired andy on the bed, she closed her eyes in hopes that when she opened them again, she would be let go. But when the door finally opened, it was an angry-looking Damon who walked in with a bottle of whiskey in hand, Sophie sat up on the bed, already not liking his mood.

    ¡°Damon? What do you want now?¡±

    She asked; she couldn¡¯t hide the fear in her voice as he walked silently towards the bed.

    ¡°Apparently, your man is a king? Wow, you managed to hit the jackpot? I saw a whole magazine of you, wow, all smiles and showing off, I wonder why you ran away, did youe back for me?¡±

    Sophie ignored his words, she just wanted him gone but that wasn¡¯t what he had in mind because he started walking towards the bed.

    ¡°You act like you don¡¯t want me but you do, your man doesn¡¯t know what you are yet, he doesn¡¯t know you ran away from him just so you can let me touch you, that¡¯s it right? You tell me that¡¯s it or I won¡¯t be pleased with you,¡±

    Damon said walking closer to her. He looked pissed while saying the words and her heartbeat increased in fear. He knew about Lance and was not happy with it; now he was making up scenarios in his head and he sounded drunk too which was not a good sign, the man was already a violent man without the alcohol, and now it would even be worse.

    ¡°That man doesn¡¯t know what you are, but he is willing to pay so you can be free, but I don¡¯t want to let you go without having a taste of you, I have wanted you for too long for you to just leave untouched by me, I know you want it too, you can¡¯t deny that,¡±

    He said; she watched as he started removing his shirt and even unbuttoning his trousers; she tried to get up and run from him but he was faster than her, he reached out and trapped her.

    ¡°Let me go, please, don¡¯t do this, Damon, fucking let me go,¡±

    Sophie yelled out and hit him, pushing him away, he staggered for a moment but he had her still trapped so she couldn¡¯t get away from him. She pushed him again, he pped her hard on the face, Sophie cried out in pain, determined more than ever to not let him. When he tried to kiss her, she moved her lips to the side and fought against him. He hit her again, this time, the pain was more and it distracted her for a moment, long enough for him to get on top of her again.

    ¡°You belong to me and I must have you, stop ying hard to get when you want me too,¡±

    He let out and hit her again and started fumbling with her dress, how could he think she would want to have anything to do with him when all he does is hit her? never, over her dead body would she allow a man like Damon to touch her. She fought against him trying to remove her top, and bit hard on his arms but that only resulted in him hitting her again. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she looked around and saw her only chance; she reached out for the bottle of whiskey he had brought with him which he had kept on the bed, she got it and aimlessly hit him on the head, hard enough to get him to pass out, she let out a sigh when he copsed on top of her, she pushed him away and got out of the bed.

 Chapter 109

    ¡°Aha,¡±

    She cried when she felt pain in her stomach, she cradled her baby bump, praying that her poor child was okay and unhurt. She couldn¡¯t just keep standing there, she needed to leave; she reached for the door but noticed he was rising again, she picked up the woodenmp stand near her, walked back to him, and hit him with it again a couple of time more, she stopped when he stopped moving, turned around and ran out of the room.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sophie ran out of the room, hoping that she would find a way out of the ce, she needed to be out of the house before Damon walked up or his men found out what she had done to him. She looked around and there was no one in the hallway, she ran for the front door but had to stop and hide when she saw a man with a gun. She hid behind a shelf and waited until he was out of sight before she ran away from there. It was dark outside but the darkness served as some form of protection for her. She walked as fast as her legs could carry her towards the gate, she didn¡¯t know what awaited her at the gate but she couldn¡¯t just stay within thepound, she continued walking and also looked around to make sure no one was after her just yet.

    ¡°Stop there,¡±

    A deep voice rang out, Sophie turned to see Gavin, he was holding a gun too, and pointed it at her. She couldn¡¯t see his face properly but recognized his voice.

    ¡°Sophie? What did you do?¡±

    He asked as he walked closer to her with the gun still pointed in her direction, Sophie held both hands up in the air in surrender.

    ¡°He was going to touch me without consent and I couldn¡¯t let him, you have to let me go,¡±

    She pleaded as tears started running down her eyes.

    ¡°He did? Did you kill him?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, I just knocked him out,¡±

    Sophie found herself answering all of his questions.

    ¡°If you go through that way, you will probably be dead before you get to the gate, follow me,¡±

    He instructed, and even though she would ordinarily not have trusted him, she found herself following him, he led her to a darker part of the hugepound; the only light she saw was from the furthest part, and it took almost ten minutes to arrive there, when they did, he opened a small gate and gestured for her to go.

    ¡°This ce will lead you directly out of the estate, go right and then turn left and you will see the main road, here, you will need money to get a taxi,¡±

    He said and handed her some cash which she took without saying a word.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of going to any hotel, he has people everywhere in almost all hotels, he will find you, better to call your people, that¡¯s all I can tell you; this is all I can do for you. and I hope you nevere back,¡±

    Sophie didn¡¯t know what to say, she always thought he was just as bad but he tried to get her out by calling Patrick and now he is also helping her escape.

    ¡°Go,¡±

    He yelled at her and she didn¡¯t wait to be told again, she ran as fast as she could through the gate, she heard it shut close but didn¡¯t look back or stop running, she took the direction he told her and was quick to see a taxi which she waved down and got in, the driver asked her where she was going and she told him to just drive as far away from where they were as possible while in the taxi, her mind went all over the ce to try ande up with a quick solution. She knew she had little time toe up with a n because she knew it would not be long before Damon would send men after her, she was sure the impact wasn¡¯t that great for him to pass out for long, Gavin only helped but if Damon wants him to bring her back to him, she was sure he would and she wasn¡¯t so sure she would be lucky again, at this point, it was clear that her freedom depends solely on her, even though she told herself that she would never call Lance or go back to him when she knows it would disrupt his life, she couldn¡¯t stay back anymore, he was the only one who could help her, plus he knew she was adopted and was willing to pay for her to be released. She looked around, as they dropped, hoping to see a pay phone but there was none avable.

    ¡°Please can I borrow your phone? Please?¡±

    She asked the driver.

    ¡°I am sorry but I don¡¯t do that, but I can drive you to where you can get a pay phone,¡±

    The driver responded.

    ¡°Okay, please,¡±

    She told him. He drove for about five minutes before he came to a stop near a pay phone. Sophie rushed down from the taxi and almost forgot to pay him until the driver yelled out for her; she paid him and ran to the pay phone. She quickly dialed Lance¡¯s number but nothing worked, it was as if the pay phone was dead or something. She tried a couple of times as frustrated tears fell from her eyes.

    ¡°Those don¡¯t work anymore,¡±

    A woman said from outside the phone booth, pointing at the small sign posted that stated that it doesn¡¯t work. Sophie felt so dumb and stupid, she walked out of the phone booth and walked to the woman who was kind enough to tell her to stop wasting her time.

    ¡°Please, can I borrow your phone? I need to call my husband, it is very urgent,¡±

    Sophie lied, she figured the best way to get an older woman to help her fast was to tell her that. Not like it was all a lie, if she hadn¡¯t left, they might have gotten married.

    ¡°Oh, yes, you can, also, you should wear this, it is too cold for a pregnant woman to be so exposed,¡±

    She pointed at her shirt which she didn¡¯t know was torn due to her fight with Damon, she thanked the good old woman and collected both the phone and sweatshirt she offered, she first put on the shirt before dialing Lance¡¯s number.

    ¡°Please pick up, please,¡±

    Sophie whispered with tears of frustration still rolling down her eyes; her heart jumped when she heard his voice.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    Sophie cried. She was so thankful that he took the call, it was as if he was waiting for the call.

    ¡°Sophie? Is that you? Where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°In Briscout,¡±

    She answered as more tears streamed down her eyes, she couldn¡¯t control the tears.

    ¡°Calm down, baby, I know you are in Briscout, where exactly are you right now, can you give a detailed description of where you are?¡±

    He asked, she took a deep breath so that she could answer his questions. She spoke through her tears, telling him where exactly she was using everything that she could to describe the ce.

    ¡°Pleasee get me, before he finds me again, if he does, he will hurt me and the baby,¡±

    Sophie cried.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am in your city and we areing to get you, don¡¯t leave where you are right now, can you stay on the line?¡±

    Lance asked, his calm voice made her feel some kind of peace, and knowing that he wasing to get her reduced her anxiety. She turned to the woman who had given her the phone and she nodded.

    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know for how long I can stay,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will be there, just stay put my love, okay? I love you, you know that right?¡±

    He asked and her throat tightened as she got emotional all over again, why did she ever for once think that Lance would regret choosing her? She should have trusted him more, if she did, she would never have gotten herself in the kind of mess that she did.

    ¡°Sophie? Are you there?¡±

    He asked and she nodded but remembered he couldn¡¯t see her.

    ¡°Yes, I am still here,¡±

    ¡°Good, stay with me, okay? We got your location and we are just five minutes away,¡±

    he told her softly, his voice and the words he just said made her tear up even more, the older woman just stood there like some kind of guardian angel, she didn¡¯t say a word. Lance spoke with her on the phone, she could barely hear anything he was saying because she was so overwhelmed by everything.

    ¡°Sophie!!!¡±

    She heard her name, she turned around and saw him waving and walking towards her, she wanted to run to him but she couldn¡¯t even move, she just stood there with the phone still in her ears and with tears running down her eyes, all her heart and mind could think about was that; he was here, he found her.

    ¡°Sophie,¡±

    He let out when he got to her before she could say a word, he reached out for her and pulled her into his arms; it felt like home, it was home.

 Chapter 110

    Having Sophie in his arms again felt like heaven, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, and she cried into his arms. Lance felt his heart swell with love and relief, he finally found her, and she held on to him tight, crying her eyes out, he hated seeing the woman he loved cry, she was hurt too, he was happy to see her but he was also angry at the bastard who dared to touch his woman and hurt her, he couldn¡¯t let it slide, no one hurt his woman and go free, he would make sure that bastard pay for what he did to Sophie, she was crying so hard and all he could at the moment was pat her back and tell her that it was all fine now and that she was okay and with him. She stopped crying for a moment and got out of the hug, he reached out for her in confusion until he saw the woman that had been standing and watching them, he watched as she went to her and gave her back the phone, they spoke and shared a hug before the older woman walked away, Lance felt grateful to her for lending his woman his phone but he didn¡¯t get the opportunity to tell her thank you because she walked away before he could get the words out. Sophie walked back towards him and he opened his arms, and she ran into them.

    ¡°I missed you so much, I was so scared,¡±

    She whispered in a shaking voice. He missed her just as much and was so happy to have her back with him, he couldn¡¯t put his feelings right now into words, he could only cradle her head and drop kisses on her hair.

    ¡°I missed you too, Soph, so fucking much,¡±

    Lance responded, tightening the hug, he ignored all the noise around them, and all he could think about or feel was the woman in his arms, he knew they couldn¡¯t just stand there all day.

    ¡°Baby, let¡¯s get you into the car,¡±

    He said and tried to break the hug but she refused to let him go.

    ¡°My king,¡±

    She cried, hugging him closer.

    ¡°I know baby, it must have been hard for you, you are alright now, they can¡¯t hurt you anymore, I am here,¡±

    He told her as he lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight to him. He walked with her to the car and helped her take a seat inside. Even though he didn¡¯t want to leave her side, he needed to speak with the police.

    ¡°I need to talk with the police and the others, can you stay put for a bit?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He asked, he reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes.

    ¡°I am so sorry I took so long to find you, I promise you that I will make him pay for what he did to you,¡±

    Lance promised. Sophie shook her head.

    ¡°I just want to go home,¡±

    She whispered.

    ¡°Yes, baby, we will go home, can I talk to them briefly?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°I will be back,¡±

    He said and walked to where the guards that he brought with him, the police, and Patrick were.

    ¡°I need you to find that bastard, I can¡¯t take him back to Otano but I need to make sure he pays for what he did, don¡¯t go easy on him, if I have to speak with the people in charge of this city then I would, I want that man to lose everything, I want him to suffer for his sins,¡±

    Lance told them. If they didn¡¯t do the job like he wanted, he would be forced to take matters into his own hands, he wanted the worst punishment for those involved.

    ¡°Your majesty, we promise you that we will do justice, his offenses are much, and he can¡¯t escape, we will find him and deal with him, you don¡¯t have to worry, everyone involved will get the punishment they deserve, we will not be lenient with any of them.

    The head of the police team said, he sounded convincing enough for him so he.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I want to hear, I don¡¯t want to meet that ill bastard in person because I am not so sure I can hold myself when I see him, I would kill him,¡±

    Lance told the police chief before turning to Patrick and his men.

    ¡°Thank you for all your hard work, I appreciate it, we will return to Otano today, I have my woman with me and I will leave that criminal to his own people, let them deal with him ording to theirws, I will make sure to follow up the case, I want everyone involved to get what they deserve,¡±

    Lance instructed and turned to his own people, there was no reason to stay in Briscout so he told them they were all going straight to the airport, and they all agreed without questions.

    When Lance got back into the car with her, she was already asleep, he got in the car with her and the driver drove them to the airport, throughout the thirty-minute drive to the airport, she was asleep, even when they arrived at the airport, he didn¡¯t wake her up because he knew she must be tired.

    Lance carried her in his arms into the ne, he helped her get seated and ready for flight, and she looked out of it. As soon as it was okay to move, he went over to her and carried her to the bedroom in the jet, he gently ced her on the bed andid next to her. She looked so exhausted. his heart broke at the thought of what she might have endured. He couldn¡¯t wait for them to return home to Otano so that he could shower her with love and care. The only way to help her recover fast and put everything that happened behind her was to shower her with love and care and that¡¯s what he intended to do.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    he whispered and pulled her to him, hugging her close, he closed his eyes and fell asleep too.

 Chapter 111

    Sophie woke up in fear, she opened her eyes and was ready to jump out of the bed, felt a hand around her and wiped her eyes to the right, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. Lancelot, he found her, she had not been dreaming.

    ¡°Lance,¡±

    She whispered. Looking at the man she didn¡¯t know if she deserved, he came to her when she needed him the most, he didn¡¯t make her wait for long and showed up. she thought she had dreamt about him but he was in bed with her right now with his arm protectively wrapped around her, she fell asleep in the car, all the days she spent with Damon, she couldn¡¯t sleep properly because she had been in constant fear that he mighte around and do something to her.

    ¡°You are awake,¡±

    Lance voiced as his eyes fluttered open. Sophie nodded wordlessly, she still found it hard to believe that she was with him now, safe, and that Damon would never be able to hurt her again, she had Gavin and the good old woman who let her use her phone and also gave her jacket so that she won¡¯t be cold, she tried to return the jacket after Lance arrived but she had insisted.

    ¡°Do you need anything? Are you okay?¡±

    Lance asked; she nodded.

    ¡°I am fine, just tired,¡±

    She answered looking around.

    ¡°We are still on the ne, we will arrive in about three hours, once we do, we will go to the hospital, okay?¡±

    He asked, caressing her face. She still felt like she was having a long dream and that she would hate it when she woke up to no Lancelot, it would hurt so much, she preferred to stay in the dream than to ever wake up to a world where Lance wasn¡¯t in.

    ¡°Why do you look so worried, my love, don¡¯t look so worried, there is nothing to worry about anymore, I got you, you are with me now so no one can ever hurt you,¡±

    he continued, she dared to believe that it was real, she reached out to touch him, and he held his breath, his fingers still caressing her face; he was real, he felt so real, there was no way it would be so real if she was dreaming.

    ¡°You really found me, you saved me,¡±

    She whispered. Her voice broke because of how emotional she felt.

    ¡°Of course, I found you, I got you now,¡±

    He told her. She removed her hand from him, covered her face with both hands, and sobbed into them, it wasn¡¯t a pain-filled sob, far from it, she felt grateful; she got a second chance even after messing everything up.

    ¡°No, please, no more tears, I don¡¯t like it when you cry, Soph, it breaks my heart when I see you crying,¡±

    He said; pulling her into his arms, he gently patted her back, telling her it was okay and everything was fine now. His words made her sob even more, she couldn¡¯t stop crying thinking of everything that happened to her, what would have happened if she had not had the courage to knock Damon out and run, what would have happened if that woman had not let her use her phone, what would have happened if Damon and his men had found her instead of Lance; it would have been a disaster for her.

    ¡°You are safe now, my love, get it all out,¡±

    He switched up when she didn¡¯t stop crying, encouraging her to cry it out. She continued sobbing into his arms and he held her close, patting her back and telling her it was fine now; they stayed like that for a while until her emotions let her stop crying, she lifted her head to meet his eyes, and he looked worried for her.

    ¡°Are you okay now?¡±

    He asked with so much kindness and care in his voice; so different from the way Damon had spoken to her. She almost started crying again.

    ¡°Yes, I am sorry,¡±

    She whispered. She knew she had so much to apologize to him for. He let go of her and sat up on the bed. She did too.

    ¡°What exactly are you apologizing for, Soph? That you left the kingdom without my notice or that you didn¡¯t trust me enough to believe my words? Or that you didn¡¯t trust me with your past? Which one is it?¡±

    He questioned. he sounded hurt; she hated herself for putting both of them through pain just because she couldn¡¯t trust in their love enough.

    ¡°I am sorry for everything, my king, I am sorry that I left, I am sorry I didn¡¯t trust and believe in you enough, I am sorry I didn¡¯t get the courage to tell you about my past and why I had to leave my country,¡±

    She said in a remorseful voice, he slowly turned to her, he genuinely looked so hurt by her actions.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You should have trusted me, Sophie, do you know what it felt like walking into our room, ready to see you, and finding out you were gone? It was hard, I fought with Patrick, and almost ended our friendship if the princess had not intervened, I couldn¡¯t eat, I had a kingdom to run but I couldn¡¯t do anything because you were not there, I lost all purpose, Soph, it was painful waking up every day still not hearing from you,¡±

    He told her, the hurt in his eyes increased with every word. She saw Patrick when he came to get her so she was sure they made up. she wasn¡¯t resentful towards Patrick, he was only looking out for Lance, she felt it was all her fault for not standing her ground like she had wanted. She should have insisted on waiting for Lance. She hurt the person who loved her the most in the whole world.

    ¡°I am sorry, my king, I am truly sorry that I didn¡¯t trust your words, I am sorry that my actions hurt you,¡±

    She apologized.

    ¡°How did you even end up with that man? What happened?¡±

    He asked. She knew it was time to tell him the whole details about her past and how she knew Damon.

    ¡°My dad wasn¡¯t the best, I left home when I became legal because of him, anyway, he got even worse after I went no contact with my family. When I got back in contact with them around three years ago, I found out he got worse than ever, he gambled away everything he had and even borrowed from the devil, I mean Damon; dad couldn¡¯t pay back and the interest rate increased by the day, it got to the point that they started harassing my whole family, I tried to pull my mom and younger brother away from the mess but I waste, I came back from work one weekend and found the three of them dead, he killed them all,¡±

    Sophie paused as the scene of her finding her whole family dead shed through her mind like a fresh memory, it still hurt so much and she still felt guilt for not being able to save her mom and younger brother from both her dad and the devil Damon; Lance¡¯s soft hand over hers reminded her that she wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°I am so sorry for your loss, Soph,¡±

    He consoled.

    ¡°After what happened to my family, I thought it was all over but that wasn¡¯t the case, Damon kept sending people to me and making my life hell, even threatening to kill me too, I had to run away and I found out about Otano from a newspaper that was brought to the hospital that I used to work in,¡±

    Sophie revealed.

    ¡°You worked in a hospital?¡±

    He asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes, I am a nurse and before Damon stole my family and life, I used to work as a nurse at the general hospital,¡±

    She revealed. She paused and took a deep breath before continuing her story.

    ¡°When I found the papers, I read all about the kingdom and decided it would be the best ce to go, I didn¡¯t really have anything nned out that¡¯s why I got scammed when I arrived,¡±

    Sophie further revealed.

    ¡°You got scammed? How?¡±

    ¡°Yes, got scammed out of all the money I brought with me that¡¯s why I ended up looking for a job and that¡¯s when I found out I could only work in the pce as a foreigner, I applied and got in, oh, I forgot to tell you that before I left Briscout, I adopted my aunt¡¯s name, we both bear the name Sophie but our surnames were different, I took her identity just so Damon would not be able to find me,¡±

    Sophie revealed the details she had been keeping from him.

    ¡°And because of those little details, you decided to leave me? How is that fair?¡±

    He asked, she couldn¡¯t say a word because she was guilty.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to have to choose between me and the kingdom, I didn¡¯t want you to lose something you worked hard for because of me,¡±

    ¡°You were worried for nothing, both you and Patrick were worried for absolutely no reason, I had everything under control and all both of you had to do was trust me a little,¡±

    She didn¡¯t have that much faith before but not anymore

 Chapter 112

    ¡°I am sorry that I doubted you,¡±

    Sophie whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say sorry anymore, okay? All I want is for you to trust me from now on, I got us, I got our family and I will do everything to protect what we share, don¡¯t ever for a moment think that I will regret doing that,¡±

    He told her, he caressed her face, wiping the tears from her eyes, she nodded as she couldn¡¯t say any more words and her throat felt tight.

    ¡°I love you, Sophie, so very much, I will never regret loving you, don¡¯t ever be scared that I might change, because I won¡¯t,¡±

    He continued, her eyes watered again at his words, she didn¡¯t know if she could ever be able to repay the love and kindness that he had shown to her, no one had ever loved her so dearly as he does and it made her determined to show him just as much love.

    ¡°I love you too, Lance, so much, I don¡¯t want to say sorry anymore because you said I shouldn¡¯t be I feel sorry, I should have believed in our love a little more, it won¡¯t happen again, I will love and believe in you from now on, I want to be with you, Lance, I don¡¯t want to ever be alone,¡±

    Sophie went into his arms when he reached for her and he wrapped his arms around her in a protective way.

    ¡°I love you, my beautiful Sophie, and you too, my little princess,¡±

    he spoke to their baby who made sure to move to show she was there, both her mom and dad looked at each other and smiled.

    ¡°You are my happiness, Sophie, my life, you can¡¯t leave me because if you do, my life will be meaningless, you are trapped with me, my love,¡±

    He said and gently ced a sweet delicate kiss on her cheek, then he kissed her nose, both of her eyes, and her forehead before his mouth found hers, she leaned into the kiss, she missed him so much. It wasn¡¯t a rushed or loss-filled kiss, just a slow kiss that was meant to reassure and smoothen her, it worked because she felt herself rx even more, the event and horror of the past week disappearing from her head and in its ce, a gentle sweet loving feeling settled.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    Sophie said when they stopped kissing.

    ¡°I love you even more,¡±

    He replied and pulled both of them back to a lying position on the bed with his arms still wrapped around her.

    ¡°Do you mind telling me how you were able to get away? We were preparing to send the money when I got your call,¡±

    Lance said. Sophie had Gavin to thank, if not for him, she might have rescued a little toote because if Damon had woken up and met her in the house, she was one hundred percent sure he would have hurt her, both physically and mentally, she shivered at the thought of what might have happened if Gavin hadn¡¯t helped her escape, he was truly a God sent.

    ¡°One of Damon¡¯s men helped me, this isn¡¯t the first time he helped me,st time when Damon asked him to bring me to him, he told me to leave Briscout and that¡¯s why I was able to escapest time, this time, Damon came into the room I was in ready to hurt me, I hit his head with his whiskey bottle, did even more damage with the wooden light-stand and ran out of the room, I was looking for a way out when Gavin found me, he pointed a gun at me and I thought I was going to die but he told me not to go to the gate, took me to a ce that would lead me directly to the main road and also gave me some cash to get a ride,¡±

    Sophie exined. Saying it out made her see just how much Gavin did for her.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s, I don¡¯t know what to say,¡±

    Lance said, she understood him, it was a miracle that someone who had worked for a devil like Damon for so long still had some goodness in him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all, he was the one that reached out to Patrick through the number that he had given me when I left, they took my purse and everything with me when they took me and he called Patrick without even letting me know, I only found out he did earlier when he came to tell me that you guys were willing to pay to get me back,¡±

    Sophie exined.

    ¡°Wow, he deserves some grace then, he might have to pay for his other crime but if you want, you can help him get a lesser sentencing,¡±

    Lance said.

    ¡°They have been arrested?¡±

    Sophie asked in surprise, she used to think Damon was above the authorities with how he operated in Briscout without any fear of consequences.

    ¡°Not yet, but they will be, there have been quite a couple of charges against them and this made it worse, I kind of entered an agreement with their government, I am willing to build a partnership that will see to the growth of Otano and Briscout but he has to get that crime and his men off the streets first,¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    His words made Sophie realize just how much power the man she loved held, why did she ever think he would lose the kingdom because of her? She really didn¡¯t think it through properly.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡±

    Sophie said with a yawn, she felt sleepy again and Lance noticed.

    ¡°You can sleep, baby, I will wake you up when we want tond, you still have enough time to sleep,¡±

    He told her. She felt so safe in his arms that it didn¡¯t take long for her to fall back to sleep.

    Like Lance had promised, as soon as theynded in Otano, they drove straight to the hospital even though it waste when they arrived, the doctor suggested a series of tests and scans which she had to do, and Lance went with her to every one of them even though she told him that he didn¡¯t have to, he replied by telling her not to say nonsense, not only did he follow her around like a personal bodyguard, he didn¡¯t let go of her hands. The people in the hospital already knew who she was so no one raised an eyebrow when they saw their king follow her up and down the hospital. They finally finished all the tests and scans by one am and it was time to see the doctor.

 Chapter 113

    ¡°From everything that we checked, the baby is okay even though she was a little in distress earlier, we will prescribe a new medication and advise you to rest as much as possible and also report to the hospital if you feel any kind of difort,¡±

    The doctor informed both of them. Sophie was d to know the baby was okay, she had been so scared after the sharp pain she felt when she had been trying to run away from Damon, thankfully, no harms were done to her or the baby and now she was back safe to her home; yes, Otano was her home now, the only ce she ever want to call home, the only thing that would take her back to Briscout now is when she goes to pay visit to her family¡¯s graves.

    ¡°Thank you so much doc,¡±

    Lance said to the doctor, his words brought Sophie out of her thoughts, she realized she didn¡¯t hear thest part of what the doctor had said but she didn¡¯t worry because she knew Lance heard and he would remind her if it was very important, she turned her eyes to him.

    ¡°We can go home now,¡±

    He said and stood up, she did too, they thanked the doctor and walked out of his office, hand in hand. They got into the car and were driven back to the pce, Sophie¡¯s eyes watered when she saw the walls of the pce again, she had thought she would never be able to see or be in the pce ever again. When they finally arrived at the pce, Lance refused to let her walk, he carried her in his arms to their bedroom, another ce she thought she would never see again. Lance helped her shower, after which he gave her a loving massage that helped her feel rxed.

    The first two days after she returned, Lance didn¡¯t leave her side and they spent all day together, he pampered her and made her feel so loved and special, he made sure she felt his love and care, did everything to erase any doubt she still felt, even though she didn¡¯t have any doubt after how he came for her when she needed him the most.

    Today, he had to meet with some important people so she was left alone for the first time, Riley came to her and they took their usual walk, Riley told her everything that happened while she was away and even told her that the former queen finally moved back to the pce, not the main pce but where she used to live before they sent her out of the pce, she found out Lance had lifted the ban on her and Sophie made a mental note to go see her soon to thank her in person for saving her life all those months ago.

    ¡°Mydy,¡±

    Sophie turned around at the sound of the familiar voice, she stared at him in confusion, and Riley greeted him.

    ¡°Your lordship,¡±

    Sophie said, bowing respectfully, while wondering why he was referring to her as ¡®mydy¡¯

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to speak to you in private,¡±

    Sophie still didn¡¯t trust him after thest time he sent her away so she was skeptical about sending Riley away but then she reminded herself that it was different this time, she wouldn¡¯t let him talk her into doing anything, plus he no longer had anything to hold her with, Lance knew every detail about her past life now and he was okay with everything she told him.

    ¡°Riley, please leave us,¡±

    She told Riley who nodded and walked away.

    ¡°I am sorry for what I did, mydy,¡±

    Thest thing she expected him to say was sorry.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°My name is Sophie, my lord,¡±

    She reminded him, she didn¡¯t like him addressing her like that.

    ¡°If I call you Sophie, will you agree to only call me Patrick?¡±

    He requested.

    ¡°Yes, Patrick,¡±

    She responded and there was silence for a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say to him, his apology came as a shock to her, so unexpected.

    ¡°I am sorry for what I did, Sophie for how I treated you, for sending you away, I have no excuse, please ept my apologies,¡±

    He said. Sophie still didn¡¯t know how to respond to the sudden apology, she never expected him to apologize, she just prepared her mind to be able to tolerate him and also respect him because of who he was to Lance but now he was apologizing and she didn¡¯t know how to answer him.

    ¡°You know, a word would be nice, please?¡±

    He said.

    ¡°I am sorry, I just know how to respond, I never expected you to apologize,¡±

    She told him sincerely.

    ¡°Can we get along? We both love Lancelot and will both be in his life, you don¡¯t have to like me, I don¡¯t like myself much right now after what I did, I let my fears get the better of me and I ended up hurting Lancelot, and got you in trouble too,¡±

    He went on.

    ¡°You are right, we should get along. I don¡¯t hate you Patrick, you did what you thought was best, I hope we get along, I mean, you are going to be my kids¡¯ godfather,¡±

    Sophie pointed out. She got a smile from him and she smiled too.

    ¡°I am allowed to be their godfather?¡±

    ¡°Of course, who else is it going to be? Lance only has one friend,¡±

    Sophie responded.

    ¡°Thank you, Sophie,¡±

    ¡°Thank you too, Patrick, if you hadn¡¯t given me that contact, you might not have known where I was,¡±

    Sophie said. They talked for a few minutes more, and he asked her a few questions concerning Damon and his men which would help the authorities back in Briscout, Sophie answered his questions diligently after which he thanked her and left. Later that evening when sheid in Lance¡¯s arms, she told him Patrick had stopped by and he told her he was happy she could forgive him. Sophie spent the rest of the week and the following week resting. Lance refused to let her do anything that would stress her, she also went to the hospital a couple of times just to rule out any issues and thankfully, she was okay. News came from Briscout that Damon had been arrested alongside his men, with her statement, Gavin got a lighter punishment. As for Damon, ording to Patrick and Lance, he was facing a possible life sentence because his crimes were just over the top. Sophie couldn¡¯t get her family back but she was d justice got served and no one would suffer at the hands of Damon ever again.

 Chapter 114

    Having Sophie back in his arms and his life where she belonged gave Lancelot so much peace but he knew that peace would not beplete until he did the needful which was to make her his queen; she was already his queen but he wanted to make it official, introduce her to his people who will be her people too. He wanted them to be married before the princess¡¯s due date so he set to work. He sent a message to all the elders, requesting for them to meet up with him. He already had the discussion with them before but he wanted them to officially meet his wife and also be aware of the royal wedding that was about to take ce. Of course, he gave his woman time to heal from what she had experienced which was why he scheduled the meet up for three weeks after they returned.

    He told her about it a week ago and she had been skeptical about meeting them but he reminded her that it was inevitable, the queen had to meet her people. He was able to talk her into agreeing.

    The meeting was finally happening tomorrow and he could already feel that she was tense, she had no reason to be because the elders knew better than to talk anyhow, he warned them to talk to her with grace.

    He made sure Patrick apologized to her, it didn¡¯t take a lot to get him to apologize because he already felt bad about what he did; he just didn¡¯t know how to approach and Lance hadmanded him to go talk to her, he was d he did because everything was okay between them now and Patrick was finally back being his best friend and full-time nagging special adviser, yup, they still disagree about a lot of things but not about Sophie or the fact that she would be queen, in fact, Patrick was the one that brought the idea of teaching Sophie about life as a royalty and so far, the teachings have been a lot. Sophie was a brilliant woman who easily picked up things, each time he saw her, Lance felt nothing but pride, love, and admiration for her. he never knew his luck was that great until Sophie, not only did he get a beautiful and thoughtful woman, she was also intelligent, she fits him so well as his woman, his love and his queen and she also fitted the queen roles so well, sometimes, he thinks about how he had wished that she would be the whole package, back then when he still deluded himself into thinking it was just sex between them, he was d everything turned out fine for them and that he followed his heart.

    As for his brother, Justin, he gave up and sent a letter to him apologizing, Lance didn¡¯t take his apology, he knew Justin enough to know that the only reason he gave in was because he realized that he would lose greatly, Lance refused to give him a chance get near the pce so his ban reminded, the only thing his apology was able to do was stop him from being banishedpletely from Otano.

    Sophie walked out of the bathroom where she went to take a bath and Lance inhaled deeply, she was nakedpletely, so beautiful and so his, he was tempted to go grab her and take her to bed with him but he resisted and instead watched as she dressed for bed and sat in front of the dressing mirror to do her night routine, he enjoys watching her, one of his favorite thing recently. He couldn¡¯t resist anymore, he got out of bed and walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her while she sat.

    ¡°I am trying to get ready for bed, lover boy, if you don¡¯t mind,¡±

    She said, shaking off his arms.

    ¡°But I miss you,¡±

    Hemented.

    ¡°I am right here, I love you,¡±

    She said and ignored him right after that, he didn¡¯t go back to bed and just stood near her, waiting for her to be done.

    ¡°Night meds for a healthy body and a healthy baby,¡±

    She chorused as she walked to where she kept her meds and took them.

    ¡°Lance, I am worried about tomorrow,¡±

    She voiced, he expected her to say it.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Soph, I promise,¡±

    He reminded her.

    ¡°Easier said than done, I can¡¯t help it,¡±

    She replied. He walked closer to her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave you on your own, plus the elders know better than to say anything offensive, I already told them just how important you are to me, and just how important you will be to the kingdom too, you will be their queen so they know better than to be disrespectful, so, no need for you to be worried or so scared,¡±

    Lance told her. She didn¡¯t look convinced, he turned her so that she was facing him.

    ¡°My love makes you glow, baby,¡±

    He couldn¡¯t resist saying, she rolled her eyes adorably.

    ¡°You mean the pregnancy hormones?¡±

    ¡°No, it is my love,¡±

    he countered.

    ¡°Tish, so cheesy,¡±

    He enjoyed every moment with her but he especially liked when she acted like she was doing right now, all cute and calling him cheesy.

    ¡°I love you, my darling,¡±

    He told her and she smiled.

    ¡°I love you too, I am only doing this because I love you and I want to be with you, left to me, no one will ever know of my existence,¡±

    She pointed out.

    ¡°I am sorry my love, a queen can¡¯t be unknown, your ce is by my side, you are a powerful woman, my love, the numberdy of the kingdom of Otano, you will have a lot of women, both old and young looking up to you, not just women, lots of men and everyone else in the kingdom,¡±

    He told her, she frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s so much responsibility, do you think I can do it?¡±

    She asked unsure.

    ¡°Yes, I know you can do it, baby, there is nothing that my baby can¡¯t do,¡±

    He encouraged her and got another smile from her. He leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the lips, she threw her hands around his neck, and he lifted her into his arms, she got bigger by the day but like he promised her, he was going to carry her even when she got to week forty. He carried her over to the bed and dropped her gently.

    ¡°Want to take your mind off tomorrow?¡±

    He asked, taking off his shirt and shorts.

    ¡°Yes, please, I would love a good distraction,¡±

    She responded, removing the nightgown she had put on, he smiled satisfied, and got on the bed with her, he pulled her to him, kissing her passionately.

 Chapter 115

    Sophie opened her eyes and smiled brightly when she felt the weight of her favorite person on her, even though she was so big with their daughter now, he still managed to fit his arms around her, with his hand settling protectively over her baby bump. She felt safe and loved even though she was slightly ufortable because she had been sleeping on that side for too long. She struggled to turn to the other side so that she could face the man of her dreams. As she turned, she felt a slight weight on her finger that wasn¡¯t there before, her mouth flew open when she saw it.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡±

    Sophie whispered, staring at the beautiful ring on her finger. The dim light in the room didn¡¯t do anything to stop it from looking so pretty.

    ¡°When did he do it?¡±

    Sophie asked herself as she finally turned to face her sleeping sweetheart. The crazy man had a way of making her fall in love with him even more than she already had. She fell asleep immediately after they finished making love. He must have slipped the ring on her finger while she was asleep. She admired the pretty ring on her finger, she knew what it meant and liked the idea with all of her heart. She looked at Lance and he was still sleeping. So beautiful, so hers. She leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips, she tried to pull away but he held her face close and deepened the kiss. He snuck his hand around her neck and kissed her even more passionately.

    ¡°I saw what you did,¡±

    Sophie moaned against his lips.

    ¡°I have held onto the ring for so long, I have thought hard on how best to give it to you but nothing worked so I decided to be sneaky, I hope you don¡¯t mind. Your man isn¡¯t that grand, I am sorry,¡±

    He apologized, caressing her lips lovingly. Sophieughed at his choice of words.

    ¡°My love, I don¡¯t need any kind of big words when I know you love me,¡±

    She told him.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°You like your ring, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I love it, so perfect just like you, I love you, my king,¡±

    ¡°I love you too, my queen. Does that mean you ept?¡±

    He asked.

    ¡°ept what?¡±

    Sophie asked, pretending not to know what he was on about.

    ¡°You know what I am talking about, pretty woman,¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡±

    Sophie replied, hell-bent on not giving in.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I will do it the right way, I know that¡¯s what my beautiful wife wants,¡±

    ¡°Wife? I didn¡¯t know we were married. howe I wasn¡¯t invited to our wedding?¡±

    Sophie queried.

    ¡°Well, not yet but,¡±

    He said and got out of bed naked. He helped her sit up on the bed before he knelt in front of her. naked.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you put on something?¡±

    She asked. His body was a distraction and the look he gave her showed that he was doing it deliberately.

    ¡°Sweet, darling, Sophie, I love you very much and would be honored if you agree to be my wife and queen. Youplete me, Sophie, you are my best part, my everything, please make me the happiest man by saying yes,¡±

    He told her. It was hard to take him seriously when her whole focus was his naked body. No matter how many times she sees him naked, his body still amazes her and to think that the man was all hers. So hot and so hers. All she could think about as she sat there was how to get him back on the bed and get him inside her again.

    ¡°Soph,¡±

    He whispered. She licked her lips, finding the words to say so that she could get him back on the bed soon. Of course, she would marry him. There was no other answer for her. but she liked how he was kneeling and waiting for her to speak. She liked how he wasn¡¯t trying to impress her with words because she already knew. She knew just how much he loved and cared for her. marrying him was like the icing on top of an already delicious cake. She lifted her hand that carried his ring and showed it to him.

    ¡°I am already wearing your ring, my love, of course, I will marry you, I just wanted you to kneel, it¡¯s not every day that you get a king on his knees,¡±

    Sophie said,ughing at his expression. She held his face and kissed his forehead.

    ¡°You can get me on my knees anytime you want, my Sophie when I am with you, I am not a king, I am just your Lancelot who will do anything for you. You own me, Sophie,pletely.

    He told her and she didn¡¯t for once doubt his words because he has proven himself more times than she can count.

    ¡°Good, now make love to me, I want to have you again. this time, as your fianc¨¦e,¡±

    Sophie invited him sweetly. Lance didn¡¯t wait to be told twice.

    Even though Lance had told her not to fear or be worried, she couldn¡¯t do it, she was meeting important people in the kingdom, and this would be her first public appearance as the king¡¯s woman, the mother of his child and his soon to be wife, it all still felt like a long dream, a dream that she didn¡¯t want to ever wake up from. Her hands shook when she thought of meeting the elders, looking at her hand and spotting the ring that Lance had ced on her fingersst night made her heart swell with pride and love. It was really happening, she was going to be married to the man of her dreams and be his queen. It didn¡¯t look so impossible anymore like she had thought months ago. Now she had a ring and the king head over heels for her while a couple of months ago, she had been scared that she might lose her child or get sent away from the pce. Lance didn¡¯t let that happen and even when she left on her own, he still came after her and brought her back. the universe decided to reward her for all the pain and sorrow she had to endure. She got the best reward.

    ¡°Are you ready my love?¡±

    Lance called out when he walked into their shared room, he had left earlier to wee the prime minister of a neighboring country to Otano, and now it was time for her to meet the elders of the kingdom, she looked away from the mirror and saw the man of her dream smiling as he walked up to, she got out of the chair, he opened his arms and she walked into them.

    ¡°You are ready, right? Ready or not, you have to meet them today,¡±

    Lance told her; he kissed her hair and lifted her chin, he ced a sweet sensual kiss on her freshly glossed lips but she didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°To be sincere, I am not ready but like you said, ready or not, I have to meet them, they are important people in the kingdom and it would be rude of me if I keep them waiting without seeing them,¡±

    Sophie said and Lance smiled at her with pride.

    ¡°Yes, baby, that¡¯s the spirit, remember, you can just have your eyes on me, they won¡¯t say a word, okay?¡±

    Lance instructed, as much as she would love to do that, she wanted to show the elders that she could be the queen and that she was bold and brave, she didn¡¯t want the meeting to go by and them end up just seeing as the woman who can¡¯t take her eyes off the king, of course, that was true too but that¡¯s not the first impression she wanted to make.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±

    She said with so much courage.

    ¡°Of course,¡±

    He said and they walked hand in hand out of the room, they were joined by bodyguards outside their chamber, the walk there felt like it was forever even though it didn¡¯t take up to five minutes. The door opened and they walked in, all the elders stood up to wee them. Lance didn¡¯t let go of her hands as he walked with her to the throne, he took her to her seat before going over to the throne. Before he left her, he leaned towards her and whispered to her.

    ¡°Soon, you will sit next to me on the throne,¡±

    He pointed at the queen¡¯s spot, and her heart jumped at the thought of sitting next to the ruler, he dropped a kiss on her forehead and walked away leaving her with a pinky cheek, her eyes met one of the elders, and he smiled knowingly, Sophie bowed and quickly looked away in embarrassment.

    The meeting went way better than she had assumed, whatever she thought the elders were all about before the meeting was all wrong. She used to think they never smiled and were always strict but that wasn¡¯t the case, in fact, theyughed at her mistakes but not in a harsh or mocking way. they asked her questions and she answered without lying. They asked what she does and she told them she was a trained and experienced Nurse, they seemed to approve of her profession. They asked other questions including questions about her family and what she hoped to contribute to the kingdom as the queen. She answered the best way she could, she had visions and she shared a preview with them.

 Chapter 116

    The best part of everything was that they listened to her with interest, which made it easy for her to speak with more confidence, she didn¡¯t even think about looking Lance¡¯s way as the conversations went on and when she finally looked at him, he had a proud smile on his face.

    Sophie had seen Lance smile a lot over the past months that they had been together but this smile carried so much more power, she wanted to do more to see him smile like that. After Sophie was done talking, everyone apuded her, even Patrick was pping when she looked his way. not just pping, he was smiling too. After they had that talk where he apologized, they have been cool with each other and now even talk to each other even when Lance isn¡¯t present. Getting to know Patrick, Sophie realized he was a good man, just too strict sometimes. She enjoys it when he tells Lance off or nags him because of something he wants him to do. It was always fun to watch them go off.

    ¡°You did well today, I am so proud of you,¡±

    Lance said when it was just the two of them, Sophie smiled, still amazed by how well the meeting with the elders had gone. Lance stretched out his hand for her, and she got out of her seat fast and walked to him, he got up when she got to him and hugged her.

    ¡°I am so proud of you, love, I didn¡¯t need to say anything because you did so well,¡±

    He said, patting shoulders, she felt relief.

    ¡°I did it, I am proud of myself too,¡±

    Sophie replied. The door to the throne room opened again and Sophie almost jumped out of his arms but Lance refused to let her go.

    ¡°Oh, the love birds, hi your majesty, hi future queen of Otano,¡±

    Sophie recognized the voice even before she turned around in Lance¡¯s arms because he still didn¡¯t let her go. The princess was waving at her when she did. She looked beautiful as always and had such a friendly smile on her face.

    ¡°My princess,¡±

    Sophie greeted out of respect.

    ¡°Oh my God, don¡¯t do that, your rank is about to be higher than mine, it nice to have you back, your man almost lost his mind and almost killed mine,¡±

    The princess said. Sophie looked at her and then to Lance who was also confused by thest sentence she had made. Patrick walked in at that moment; he was holding a bag that clearly belonged to the princess.

    ¡°Wait, you two are together? Since when?¡±

    Lance asked the question that was burning in her head, he finally eased out of the hug but he reached out for her hand.

    ¡°Oh, that came out, yes, I stole him from you, do you have a problem with that?¡±

    The princess asked Lance whoughed.

    ¡°Not really, I am just shocked because you two weren¡¯t getting along a while ago, and now you are together? Crazy how I find out from you and not from my supposed best friend,¡±

    Lance directed his attention at Patrick.

    ¡°We were caught up with other things that I didn¡¯t have time to tell you, I am sorry Lance,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°Whatever, babe, the princess is here to see you,¡±

    Lance said, turning to her. Sophie stared at him in confusion.

    ¡°Me?¡±

    She questioned, wondering why the princess wanted to see her.

    ¡°Yes, I figured you could use a friend, I know you have Riley but I wanted you to have someone else you could talk to and Roseline is perfect for that. Plus, I think you both have a wedding to n, it might be two if Patrick ys his game right,¡±

    Lance exined to her with the sweetest smile ever, when she looked in the direction of the princess again, she had a smile on her face. Sophie knew she would be a good friend, she turned back to Lance and nodded.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    ¡°Anything for you my love,¡±

    He said and kissed her softly on the lips, an audible aww from her new friend. He let her go and she turned to the princess.

    ¡°Where can we talk? Just the two of us? I have a lot to talk to you about,¡±

    The princess said in an excited voice.

    ¡°Hmm, I guess the emerald house, it is my favorite ce in the pce,¡±

    Sophie told her.

    ¡°Wait, not our bedroom? I thought that was your favorite ce,¡±

    Lance chirped. Sophie gave him a look.

    ¡°We are talking about a ce where I can hang out with my friend, kind sir. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to go with my friend now,¡±

    Sophie said in a cheery voice that got all of themughing. She walked to the princess who collected her bag from Patrick and together they walked out of the throne room, leaving their men behind.

    Sophie led the princess to the emerald house. The first thing they did was get to know each other a little more. Sophie told the princess about herself and also found out about the princess who was thest child of her family and the rebel. She also found out she moved to Otano permanently, partly because of her new business and mainly because of her man, Patrick. Sophie could see the love in her eyes when she spoke about Patrick. The princess had such cool tales to tell and she was hell of funny. There was no chance for awkwardness between them. It was as if they were met to be friends.

    ¡°I knew we would get along. I did well talking his majesty into letting us be friends,¡±

    The princess¡¯ words shocked her. it was surprising that she was the one who asked for them to be friends.

    ¡°You asked him to let us be friends?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    She couldn¡¯t help asking.

    ¡°Yeah, as I said, I just moved to Otano and I intended to stay here, I find peace here, my business here is doing so well and my boyfriend lives here too, I needed someone who I could rte with and you were the only one that came to mind, I asked Patrick and he told me to speak with your man, he agreed when I did and that¡¯s how we ended up here,¡±

    The princess exined.

    ¡°Thank you for choosing to be my friend, I need someone who knows about this royal life because I am an amateur,¡±

    ¡°I might not be of much help to you but I will do the best I can, ask me anything and I will do my best to help you, thank you for agreeing to be my friend too,¡±

    The princess replied. Sophie smiled. Everything was going so well for her, now she has a new friend too.

    ¡°Aha, now we have to talk about your photo shoot,¡±

    The princess announced, Sophie stared at her in confusion.

    ¡°What shoot?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t n on having a maternal shoot? Does that mean you don¡¯t have a baby shower nned? I am guessing you are about six months gone, that leaves just three months until the royal heir is born,¡±

    The princess calcted. Sophie didn¡¯t have any of those ns.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns.

    ¡°Girl, we have to change that, plus the wedding too. Since it¡¯s a royal wedding, it has to be done before the prince or princess is born,¡±

    ¡°Princess,¡±

    Sophie informed her.

    ¡°Lovely, can I be the godmother? I know we just became friends.¡±

    The princess asked.

    ¡°Of course, Patrick is the godfather, it is only right that you be the godmother, it will be an honor, Rosy,¡±

    Sophie responded.

    ¡°I like you a lot. So on to the maternal shoot,¡±

    The princess said and they went into full discussion. The idea of a shoot never came to her before but while talking about it with the princess, she ended up liking the idea and they even went as far as surfing the inte for inspiration. There was a lot to choose from. For the baby shower, Sophie told her she would speak to Lance about it before making a decision, and as for the wedding, it was a national affair so she was sure once the date was fixed, everything would fall in ce. In the case of the wedding, she couldn¡¯t really decide because even if she wanted a small wedding, she knew that was not going to be possible given the man she was marrying. Having a big wedding was the little sacrifice she would make to be with Lance and she was willing to do it. She knew just how huge and how much of a big affair it had been when Roseline and Lance¡¯s wedding that didn¡¯t happen was nned. She didn¡¯t get first-hand experience but she knew it had been a huge deal. She didn¡¯t expect hers to be any different.

 Chapter 117

    ¡°Why am I stuck here with you when I could be with my woman in bed already, it is way past nine pm,¡±

    Lanceined, throwing the files he had on the table, they were still in his office even though it was sote already. As it was approaching the end of the year, he had a lot of things to go through which was driving him crazy. He couldn¡¯t postpone anything like he had donest year because he knew when the new year runs in, he would be married and also with a newborn. He wanted to spend enough time with his family without worrying about the load of work waiting for him.

    ¡°You are not the only one stuck here, I would rather listen to my woman go off about her adventures than be here with you but we don¡¯t always get what we want,¡±

    Patrick replied. Lance still couldn¡¯t believe they were together, yeah, they looked good together and he might have had an idea that they would end up together but he didn¡¯t think it would happen so soon. Partly because they hated each other before and mostly because Patrick was someone who tends to ignore the things he likes, maybe he made an exception with the princess which was good for him.

    ¡°Not me, I always get what I want,¡±

    ¡°Really? Then why are you stuck here right now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because if I don¡¯t stay and finish my work, you will not let me have my peace, I have a wedding to look forward to, I have a child to look forward to, I want to do everything I can because I don¡¯t want to be so busy when my babyes or after my wedding,¡±

    Lancemented. He nned on taking time off after his wedding and the only things he would do in those times are things that can¡¯t be handled without him. He would do the same when the princess arrived. He vowed not to be an absent father and he was going to start it from day one.

    ¡°Wow, you are now very mature, wow, I should have thought of marrying you off sooner, maybe I won¡¯t have had to lose so many brain cells and hair because of you,¡±

    Patrick responded. Lance eyed him.

    ¡°You are not serious. anyway, I won¡¯t hold anything up against you today since you made me proud,¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    Patrick asked. Lance looked him over. He looked better than he did a few weeks ago. Roseline was definitely making him happy.

    ¡°Do I need to spell it out? you went and got a woman, that¡¯s something I never expected, I told you that you guys fit each other but you said I shouldn¡¯t say things like that,¡±

    Lance reminded him.

    ¡°Just like you told me nothing was happening between you and Sophie when she was already carrying your child, we are kind of birds of the same feather,¡±

    ¡°Real. You love the princess, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Lance asked.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Love isn¡¯t in the equation right now, maybe it will happen, maybe it won¡¯t, right now, we are just taking things as it goes.¡±

    Patrick answered. Lance didn¡¯t want to push him further. He was just happy that his best friend was finally seeing someone after years of being a single grumpy man.

    ¡°As long as you are happy and as long as you don¡¯t hurt her,¡±

    ¡°Wait, I am your best friend, you should be telling her not to hurt me,¡±

    ¡°You are not real, Roseline is my friend too and I won¡¯t mind fighting you if you hurt her, don¡¯t worry, I am going to tell her the same thing I just told you, if any of you hurt each other, I won¡¯t let that person get away with it. Just be happy, okay?¡±

    Lance stated. He stopped pretending to actually want to keep working. It waste and he just wanted to go to be with his Sophie in his arms.

    ¡°Okay, I think I have had enough for today.¡±

    He let out, got out of the chair, and did a full body stretch before turning back to Patrick.

    ¡°When will your wedding be? I think it will be best to have the wedding before the little one is born so that doesn¡¯t leave much time for us to prepare,¡±

    Patrick said.

    ¡°I will talk to Sophie about the date and yes, we will be married before the princess is born. Peck of being king is I can get what I want within a short period, I am sure the former wedding nners will be very happy to n another wedding party, this time a wedding party that will actually take ce,¡±

    Lance responded with a smile. He couldn¡¯t wait to have Sophie as his wife officially, he already saw her as his wife.

    ¡°Yes, they will definitely be able to pull something together. I will let you speak to Sophie first then I will call the wedding nner and send out the royal invite, bear in mind that a lot of people might not want to attend after the first invitation you sent got canceled.¡±

    Patrick told him. Not like Lance¡¯s mind who would or would not be attending his wedding. He was sure Sophie would want a small and intimate wedding anyway. Since he couldn¡¯t give that to her because of his status as the monarch. His wedding was a national affair so the least he could do was make sure the guest list was as minimal as it could get.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, just make sure only the interested people get invited, it¡¯s not like I am looking to find any connections and allegiance through my wedding. It is just for me, Sophie, and the good people of Otano.¡±

    Lance pointed out and Patrick nodded.

    ¡°I should let you go. you might want to take Rosy back to her house,¡±

    Lance said as he started to walk away from the office.

    ¡°Not really, she is spending the night at my ce,¡±

    Patrick revealed. Lance turned and gave him a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Good idea! You don¡¯t have toe early tomorrow, just take all the time you want and be with your woman, you deserve it,¡±

    Lance told him.

    ¡°You sure you are not looking for ways to spend more time with Sophie? Not like I am against it. I aming with you, my baby is still with yours,¡±

    Patrick pointed out. Lance chuckled to himself knowingly. Patrick might have said love wasn¡¯t in the equation yet, but he could tell it was even though he might not know it just yet. Lance knew because he had been there before. He hoped Patrick would realize it soon. He waited for Patrick and they both walked out of his office together. They met the girlsughing and still talking in the leisure room. Lance took Sophie with him after wishing Patrick and Roseline a good night.

    ¡°I love her, she is an angel and she told me she was the one that reached out to you. God, I am so happy you agreed. I really needed someone like Roseline in my life,¡±

    Sophie cheered as they walked back to their room. He looked at her with pride. He had a lot of reasons to be proud of her today. The way she had handled the meeting with the elders earlier had been remarkable. He didn¡¯t even need to say a word. He just sat there and listened to his beloved speak.

 Chapter 118

    Everyone in the room listened to her. Lance saw the look of admiration and respect that the elders had regarded her with after she finished talking to them and his heart had swelled with love and pride. Not only was his queen bold and beautiful. She was also brilliant and well-spoken. Lance was sure now that she had sessfully won the elders over and that they wholeheartedly supported her being queen.

    ¡°I knew you would get along. She is a great woman. She isn¡¯t much of a proper princess but she definitely knows a lot about royalty, when she asked me, I didn¡¯t think twice before saying yes. I already know you both will do great things together. I know you already have ns for the women of Otano,¡±

    He said. he liked how the majority of what she had said to the elders was about giving the women more representation. Lance has done his best since he became king to let the women of Otano shine just as much as their male counterparts but there is only so much a man can do. With Sophie and also Roseline helping, he believes with all his heart that they will get more representation. He might not have married Roseline, but she definitely became one of his people and when Patrick and her marry, she would be one of them officially. He hoped it would happen. Not just because he wanted Roseline to be one of his people but also because he wanted his friend to be happy just like he was happy. They have been through everything together and now it was time for them to be happy together.

    ¡°I do and she does too. You will let me, right?¡±

    She asked. He paused and made sure she was looking at him.

    ¡°Of course, your majesty. Ma¡¯am, I trust and believe in you,¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    She whispered and they started walking again.

    ¡°You did so well today. With the elders and also with your new friend, Roseline. I am so proud of you.¡±

    ¡°I am proud of myself too, I did well today and deserve a reward. Will I get rewarded?¡±

    She asked him flirtatiously, and he smiled.

    ¡°Of course, you will get a reward.¡±

    Lance responded. They bothughed and entered their room. They first showered together. Before theyy in bed together.

    ¡°When do I get my reward?¡±

    Sophie asked.

    ¡°Anytime, what kind of reward do you want? I don¡¯t want to impose but I have a good idea,¡±

    Lance told her while giving her a knowing look.

    ¡°I will get what you have in mind anyway so don¡¯t you dare think that that¡¯s what I will ask for,¡±

    She reprimanded him.

    ¡°Killjoy. Fine, whatever you want,¡±

    Lance said. She looked like she was deep in thought before she finally told him what she wanted.

    ¡°Roseline suggested I do a maternal shoot and I would really love to do it,¡±

    That was something Lance already had in mind ever since he saw illegally taken photos of herspiled into a magazine, the only reason he didn¡¯t bring it up was because of what had happened a couple of days after that day. Too many things happened that he had forgotten but now that she mentioned it again. He liked the idea.

    ¡°That¡¯s something we can arrange. Ask for something else.

    ¡°A baby shower,¡±

    She requested.

    ¡°Soph. Baby, that¡¯s also something that will be done. You are the queen. All you have to do is ask and those things will be done. Those aren¡¯t rewards, they are things you will get anyway. Everyone in the pce is your subject now. Including me,¡±

    Lance informed her. personally, he would do anything she asked of him even if it meant bringing her the sun and the moon. He would find a way to get them for her.

    ¡°But I am not the queen yet, I won¡¯t be the queen until our marriage is finalized and registered.¡±

    She reminded him.

    ¡°I know, which is why I want us to get married soon.¡±

    Lance responded.

    ¡°Me too, if you want us to be married tomorrow, I will dly follow you,¡±

    She told him which made him happier than anything.

    ¡°As much as I would like that, Soph, we can¡¯t just get married tomorrow, our wedding will be a huge national affair. I am sorry I can¡¯t give you a private wedding. I owe it to the people of Otano,¡±

    Lance exined to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that, I would take any kind of wedding just to be called your wife, what matters to me is that I get to call you my husband,¡±

    Sophie replied. He smiled.

    ¡°We will be married in less than two months, at most a month and a week from now,¡±

    Lance added and she nodded.

    ¡°I assume that¡¯s the soonest we can be married right?¡±

    She asked him and he nodded.

    ¡°Yes, that way we will have our wedding before our little one is born,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I will be a newly-wed when I have our baby, I think it will be fun,¡±

    ¡°I think so too. Don¡¯t worry, I will take a break and focus on you and our baby, I won¡¯t miss anything,¡±

    Lance promised.

    ¡°I know you won¡¯t just like I know you will be a great husband and daddy. I hit the jackpot with you, I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve you but whatever it is, I am d I did it and now I have you in my life.¡±

    She said and cradled his face in her hands. Her hands barely cover any part of his face but he loves it when she cradles him like that.

    ¡°I love you, my heart. I can¡¯t wait to make you mine forever, you are stuck with me.¡±

    She said, leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

    ¡°I love you too, my darling Soph. you are mine forever.¡±

    He said and kissed her back.

    ¡°So, about my reward,¡±

    She announced. Reminding him that she hasn¡¯t gotten what she wanted.

    ¡°Yes, baby, I am listening,¡±

    ¡°Hmm, since everything I asked for are things I will get anyway, I have decided to save and ask you for somethingter. You don¡¯t mind that, right?¡±

    She asked and he shook his head.

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind. Tell me whenever and I will make sure to do it,¡±

    ¡°I trust you,¡±

    She said and yawned. She must be so tired from all the stress she went through today.

    ¡°I think it is time for my beautiful wife to get some much-needed sleep,¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    He suggested.

    ¡°Yes, you are right. This wife of yours needs sleep but she also wants you to kiss her,¡±

    Finally, she was no longer correcting him and was even agreeing to be his wife.

    ¡°A kiss you will get.¡±

    He answered right before he imed her lips in a slow passionate kiss.

 Chapter 119

    The next month pretty much went faster than Sophie could have imagined. There was so much to prepare for their wedding and everyone was busy. She didn¡¯t have to worry about any of the preparations but she did do a lot of public appearances, some with Lance, others alone. Even though she had a lot going on with her and a lot of things to learn. She still felt so happy. The people of Otano not only epted her as their queen but they also made sure she knew that she was loved by them. All the backsh that she had feared for didn¡¯te. Of course, she knew not everyone would support her but a great number did and that made her so happy. Nothing goodes easy so it was no surprise that she had a pretty hard time getting used to her new status. Lance did his best to make everything very easy for her. He was a darling man and she felt so lucky to have him in her life. He listened to her and was always considerate of her wants and needs.

    Sophie stared at herself in the mirror as the stylist and beautician put the finishing touches to her makeup. It was her wedding day and even though she looked so huge at eight months pregnant, she still looked so beautiful.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°And now to the final touch,¡±

    The beautician said and picked up the beautiful diamond crown. Sophie held her breath as the crown was ced gently on her head. She let out a soft sigh in awe. It was beautiful, perfect, and fitted her so well. The crown was only for the wedding, after the marriage vows exchange, she would be crowned and get a new crown that she would wear for as long as Lance reigns as king. She looked at the woman in the mirror before her and had to blink back tears because she didn¡¯t want to cry and ruin her makeup.

    ¡°All done, my queen, you are ready to get married,¡±

    The beautician said with a friendly smile. Sophie admired herself some more.

    ¡°Thank you for making me beautiful and for finding a dress that could fit me,¡±

    She said to her. Sophie was dressed in traditional Otano royal bride attire. The dress was made simple due to her being pregnant but that didn¡¯t make it any less pretty. The dress was an embodiment of elegance, grace, and timeless sophistication. The gown was crafted from the finest ivory silk satin. Even though the designs were kept simple, they still had the harmonious blend of ssic romance and modern allure which could captivate all eyes that behold it and Sophie loved it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to do a lot of work because you, my queen made everything easy, I enjoyed working with you and I truly wish you a happy married life,¡±

    The beautician said and Sophie smiled at her before turning back to the mirror. She had less than two hours before she could finally be called Lancelot¡¯s wife and the queen of Otano and every minute that passed made her both excited and nervous.

    ¡°You look so beautiful,¡±

    Roseline announced as she walked in. Over thest month, they have gotten closer. Roseline was a great person and a good friend. Sophie liked her and enjoyed herpany. She learned a lot from the princess. They had a lot of things inmon and also hadmon goals which helped them get along really well and they both nned a project that would start after Sophie puts to birth. The project was meant to help the women of Otano and Sophie couldn¡¯t wait for it to kick start. Sophie asked her to be her maid of honor and the princess had agreed without any questions. She yed a major role in the overall preparations for the wedding.

    Of course, people were surprised by their closeness because they may have thought the princess would not want anything to do with the royal family after her wedding was called off. The princess who was head over heels in love with Patrick said she wasn¡¯t one to hold a grudge, especially with people who she could easily be friends with. Which was why she chose to still remain in Otano after what happened with Lance and their almost-marriage. She also said she was d she did because now she found the one for her and a home in Otano. It was a happy ending for the four of them. Hopefully, Patrick man up and do what¡¯s right by the princess.

    ¡°So beautiful, such a beautiful bride and queen.¡±

    Roseline continued. Sophie smiled.

    ¡°Thank you, Rosy, you look pretty,¡±

    Sophieplimented as the princess came to her and hugged her.

    ¡°Wow, Lance that lucky man,¡±

    The princessplimented.

    ¡°My queen,¡±

    Riley cheered when she walked in too. Riley, another friend that she was d to have met. The young woman has been a great help and friend to Sophie.

    ¡°You look so beautiful. I am sure the king will fall in love with you again if he sees you,¡±

    Rileymented.

    ¡°Such a tterer, thank you, Riley, you look pretty too,¡±

    Sophieplimented her.

    ¡°It is almost time for you to leave,¡±

    Riley announced and Sophie nodded. The wedding was being held at the cathedral after which there would be a royal feast. There have been lots of activities and celebrations over the past weeks and it will continue till the end of the month. Lance had asked her where she would like to go for their honeymoon and Sophie had picked his house in the wild where they spent that weekend without any thoughts. She liked their time there and felt it fitted well as a honeymoon location.

    ¡°I am ready,¡±

    Sophie responded. She was ready, she had been ready for months now. Even though she was ready, it still took more than an hour for her to leave the main pce. There were various activities that had to be done. Sophie enjoyed every one of the activities, especially the one where a selected number of women performed in front of her. She also got a special visit from the former queen.

 Chapter 120

    The woman who was no longer isted has be one of the important people to Sophie who saw her as a mother figure and the older woman treated her like a daughter, giving her tips and advice on how to navigate her status as the queen and also how to be a good mom. Sophie had so many good people around her which made everything easy for her and she was thankful to every one of them.

    Sophie let out a nervous sigh when she arrived at the cathedral. It was finally happening. She was marrying Lance. They announced her entrance and Sophie started walking towards the aisle where her Lancelot stood waiting for her with the most genuine expression. His eyes were filled with love and pride. She could see. Her heart felt full. Sophie felt her eyes water as she got to him. He had a bright smile ready for her and he looked so handsome in his royal regalia. So handsome and so hers.

    After today, she would finally be able to call him her husband. She still couldn¡¯t believe it was really happening. Sophie, who was a nobody, was marrying a king and the man of her dreams. She wished her family was alive to see this day. Even though they weren¡¯t here to see her on her happiest day, she knew they would be watching from up there and that her mom especially would be proud of how her life had turned out. her mom was never lucky. Maybe she saved all her luck and gave it all to her. Maybe that¡¯s why once her luck started, it never ran dry. She hoped that her luck would never run dry.

    ¡°So pretty, so mine,¡±

    Lance whispered to her when she got to him. He stretched his hand, she smiled and gave her hand to him. They faced the officiant and they exchanged their wedding vows ording to thews of Otano. After they exchanged vows. They were both led back to the pce where Sophie was officially crowned the new queen of Otano. ording to thews of Otano. After her coronation. Sophie got a thirty-minute break after the coronation and after that, she had to dress for the wedding party. She didn¡¯t see her new husband until she arrived at the venue for the reception.

    ¡°Are you okay? You look like you want to run away,¡±

    Lance told her while they had their first dance.

    ¡°I am okay, just want this day to be over so that I can be with my husband,¡±

    Sophie told him and rested her head on his chest as they danced around.

    ¡°Thank you for putting up with everything for me, I love you, my queen,¡±

    ¡°I love you too.¡±

    The wedding party went on for about three hours before the new couple were allowed to leave. Sophie enjoyed the whole party and celebrations but being pregnant made her tired easily so when they could finally leave, she was all smiles because she wanted to rest and recharge and she needed to be alone with her beloved husband to do so.

    ¡°I finally got you to myself,¡±

    Lance announceding from behind her, he wrapped his arms around her before she could turn. She smiled and turned in his arms. She rested her head against his chest.

    ¡°How does it feel to be here with me right now? As my wife? Thest time we were here, you were so sure,¡±

    Lance said. Sophie smiled. She remembered it so well. Thankfully, Lance believed and he never backed down.

    ¡°I remember. Thank you for holding on to me and also for keeping all of your promises to me, today has been one of the best days of my life, definitely top three.¡±

    Sophie told him.

    ¡°Today isn¡¯t the best day of your life? One of? Top three?¡±

    ¡°Yes, one of. The best day of my life was that day, and second best was the day you asked me to be your girlfriend,¡±

    Sophie said and blushed when she remembered the day she was referring to.

    ¡°What day?¡±

    Lance asked.

    ¡°The day you got drunk and pulled me to the bed with you,¡±

    ¡°But a lot of bad things happened to you after that day, how can it be your best day?¡±

    Lance asked in confusion. Sophie let out a littleugh.

    ¡°Well, yes. Many bad things did happen but that day led us to today, if that day hadn¡¯t happened, I might not have been pregnant and if I wasn¡¯t pregnant, you would not have asked for me to be moved out of jail and we might never have ended up together,¡±

    Sophie exined.

    ¡°Wow, when you put it like that. I can¡¯t imagine us not getting together. I don¡¯t want to imagine it. Whatever led us to this day, I am just d we are here now and that you are my beloved wife, the only woman for me. My reason.¡±

    He said and lifted her face. He stared lovingly into her eyes. Sophie blinked to stop herself from crying again. She felt so emotional. The whole day has been emotional for her.

    ¡°I love you my darling Sophie, so much, I am so happy I found you. No, I am so happy you found me, Sophie. So happy that you found me worthy of your love, I won¡¯t ever stop loving you,¡±

    He told her while caressing her face. Sophie has had him say many sweet words to her but each time he spoke, she found herself loving him a lot more and also loving every word he said to her.

    ¡°I love you too,¡±

    She responded.

    ¡°Tonight is the beginning of our forever as husband and wife. I promise you that you won¡¯t regret meeting or marrying me,¡±

    Lance promised.

    ¡°I believe you and I trust you, my Lancelot, and I feel the same too, I love you, so much. Now and forever.¡±

    ¡°Yes, now and forever.¡±

    Lance added. They stayed outside and in each other¡¯s arms for a couple of minutes more; before they retired to their room. Their life and future promise a sweet loving one¡­

    *EPILOGUE*

    Their little princess was born a little over a monthter. A healthy seven-pound baby that came into the world in all of her glory, ready to be the great queen that was her destiny. As Sophie held her baby in her arms for the first time. She couldn¡¯t help the smile that formed on her lips and the happy tears that fell from her eyes when they met with Lance who had tears in his eyes too. The memory would stay with her for a long time. After the birth, she slept for about three hours and when she awoke, her little princess was in the room with her. Sophie got out of her bed and walked to the baby crib. She picked up her little one and exhaled. Her baby was beautiful and so perfect.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±

    She muttered to the pretty child for she was the reason Sophie¡¯s luck changed forever. Both she and Lance already picked a name for her. Aurora. Which means dawn just like how her conception created a new dawn for Sophie. Sophie had a lot to be thankful for and made sure to not forget.

    ¡°My family,¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Lance whispered as he walked into the room. Sophie smiled at her brave loving husband who stood by her throughout her twelve hours ofbour and was also there when their baby first entered the world. Lance, her beloved husband; who made sure to keep every one of his promises to her. He was everything.

    ¡°She is beautiful, just like her mummy,¡±

    Lancemented as he stood in front of her, admiring their baby.

    ¡°And her daddy too,¡±

    She added.

    ¡°Yes, I still can¡¯t believe she is finally here, you did so well my Sophie, so well,¡±

    He told her lovingly.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have been able to do it all on my own. You were there with me and that¡¯s why I could pull through, you are the best man in the world,¡±

    Sophie replied to him.

    ¡°I love you,¡±

    Lance said as he wrapped his arms around his beloved wife and smiled down at their beautiful daughter. They were everything he held dear and everything he wanted to protect with his life.

    ¡°I love you too,¡±

    His queen responded and rested her head against him. Lance felt so much at peace. This was life, this was love, this was family and this was how he wanted the rest of his life to be. blissful, loving, and precious.

    THE END¡­

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