A Night With The King

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 palace, it was very late.

Even though it was late, 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 plans 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 place,”

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 he last 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 to come 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 welcoming,”

Lance commented as he took his seat.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“It’s all thanks to you, you have generously been sending a lot of things my way, especially in the last 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 planning 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 the latter.

“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,”

Lance commented.

“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 slashed 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,”

The last 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 accused 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 nothing compared to what your men did the last time they came here,”

The queen let out. reminding him of the one time he had sent some of the guards from the palace 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.