CHAPTER 18
753 Words
For a moment, Thomas Montgomery just stared at the King and squinted his eyes while waiting for him to speak. It has been a while that he didn’t visit the Palace to discuss politics with him. “Your Majesty, may I know the reason for your sudden visit?” He inquired.
“I am here for my daughter,” he replied.
Thomas chuckled at his brother’s response because, for several years, the King didn’t give a damn about his first daughter’s whereabouts. To make it worse, he abandoned his first family because of politics, and if not because of him, Bridgette Montgomery has already died at the hands of the barbarians who chased them before.
“Where is she?”
“She’s breaking her fast, and I think it’s rude to distract her right now. Why don’t we go to my library to discuss some matters as to why you come here to check on Bridgette?”
“Please lead the way, Thomas.”
“Since you are being casual, can I do the same, Arthur?”
“Of course you can. We are not in the Palace so that we can ignore the customs,” Arthur replied. “Ah, I love this place,” he added while taking notes about how relaxed his brother’s residence was. Unlike in the Palace, his movements were constantly watched, and his second wife was scary most of the time.
“Sit down,” Thomas said as soon as they reached his library. He took the seat across from Arthur Montgomery, and he noticed new lines on his face. “You look stressed,” he saw.
Arthur snorted at his brother’s remarks and sighed deeply. “I am indeed under so much stress lately,” he stated.
“If I may ask, do you mind telling me the reason why you are stressed?”
“It’s about Queen Eleanor,” he replied. “She just returned from a trip, but she acted differently from what she used to. Well, I am aware that she could be vicious, but lately, she’s reserved most of the time, and the new advisor always lurked in her shadows,” he complained.
“You believe she’s having an affair with another man,” Thomas stated the obvious.
“What do you think, Thomas? I can feel it that she has another person in her heart now,” Arthur continued.
“Surely, there are other problems worth discussing at the moment, my dear brother. You mentioned earlier that you are here for the princess,” Thomas said.
“Yes. After thorough consideration, I believe that she should return to the Palace and do her duties to the public,” he announced.
The King’s announcement caused him to raise his eyebrow. “What duties are you talking about, Arthur? You stripped her title, remember?”
“I just restored it recently so she can go back living like a princess,” Arthur replied.
“I don’t think she will agree to it,” Thomas replied.
“It’s an order, Thomas,” he said.
Thomas chose to be careful with his words, but he sensed that something wasn’t right. The King was fully aware of his first daughter’s existence, but he didn’t do anything about it. The first princess was stripped of her title and status, and Arthur Montgomery remained mum about the issue. Something was not right, and whatever it was, he vowed to discover the truth, especially when it involved Bridgette.
“Do you think she has finished with her breakfast at this time?” Arthur asked. He was beginning to be impatient, and he wasn’t good at waiting, but he persevered for a more significant cause.
“I am not sure about it. Why don’t you join us? We just started when you arrived,” Thomas said.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Arthur agreed and allowed his younger brother to lead the way into the dining room, where the first princess was having her breakfast. As he walked behind Thomas, memories involving the girl’s mother flashed before his eyes, and he immediately shook his head to ignore it. There was nothing good in his memory, and he didn’t want to remember that woman, but as soon as he that woman’s daughter, his blood recoiled.
“Who is he, Uncle?” Bridgette inquired upon staring at the man in his fine garb.
“He is your father, Bridgette,” Thomas replied and clenched his jaw after seeing how her smile faded.
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