Chapter 18 (Double Update)
Allen simply answered a simple yes as he poured another cup of tea in the prince's cup. He made sure to keep his composure as always, even though he was afraid of committing a simple mistake in the presence of his highness.
"It seems this marriage will work out for the best, Azef needs a mother figure, she will do well and once her power awakens, she will play an ultimate role," he said as he stirred the sugar, he added to sweeten his tea.
Allen felt quite sad for Winter but he also harboured hostility. She had caught herself in a marriage that was only going to be professional and loveless. The prince Allen had served as one who did not know the meaning of love, and more, never seek for it or needed it. And most of all never gave it.
The battlefield was what turned him ruthless, but even before that, the crown prince was quite inhumane and uncaring. Maybe it was because he had grown in power or the fact that he had too many enemies to handle that he had become numb to everything that happened before him.
A prince who does not care as an emperor. Allen was worried about their future.
"Make sure all the preparations proceed as planned and there aren't any pests trying to ruin anything or come into contacting distance of Winter." He spoke,
"As you wish your highness,"
"Good," was all he said but yet Allen was ready to fall to his knees.
A man who treated people like inanimate objects took lives without caring for an explanation. One so heartless, so ruthless, this was the Crown prince of the empire.
*
Anthony couldn't understand what was going on with him. It felt as though even If winter was out of his hair there was just something missing. Was this what they meant by a love so undeniable. Well, he needed to deny it, because he was not hers, to begin with.
His aide knocked on the door as he called out a small "Come in."
"My lord, the eldest Miss of house Monroe has requested an audience,"
"What? She's here?" he asked as Caleb nodded.
Anthony was quite shocked at her sudden appearance. This was not how he knew Anita to be, so she must have come quite hurriedly because there was something wrong. What was it that she needed him for now? He didn't know.
"Let her in the receiving room, I shall be there in a moment," he said.
Caleb simply nodded as he walked out quite annoyed, but his face didn't show it. The eldest lady of house Monroe was very manipulative, and it would be a lie if his master did not know, so what exactly was his master trying to get at by being with someone so treacherous and horrible. If this was the second young lady, he would have but sent her away.
Caleb let out a sigh as he felt a few years of his life flying away having to deal with the lady.
Walking to the entrance, he had opened it as she pushed him aside.
'all for the image, Caleb, all for the image,' he tried consoling himself.
"Master said he would attend to you in the receiving room in a moment, please come with me," Caleb said as he directed her to the receiving room.
Anita sat in frustration just having to think about what she had gone through the last couple of days and funnily, the duke was ignoring her letters. He would receive them but not respond, what was he playing at?
"Bring some tea," she demanded as she took off the sunhat from her dazzling golden hair. Even Caleb who was hostile to her, could see her beauty but funny enough it wasn't as charming as the second miss whose natural beauty stood out.
Shaking his head Caleb made his way out to bring some tea. What had gotten into him? He wasn't happy with the second lady but now the eldest had made an appearance he could not help but compare them.
"Nothing good will come from master involving himself with the house of Monroe,"
Anthony made his way to the receiving room only to lock eyes with her beautiful emerald green eyes. She smiled at him alluringly as she stood up,
"Your grace…!" she said in such enthusiastically as he simply smiled pointing for her to sit.
"What brings you here Anita?" he questioned,
"Ah, I am sorry to come so unannounced and unsightly, but you haven't been responding to my letters," she said.
"Ah, I had been quite busy with everything surrounding his highness's return from the war. I'm sure you've heard the same from your father?" he said.
"Oh, that was it, I thought you had grown to dislike me all of a sudden," she said as she looked down sadly.
"Well let me ease your mind and tell you it's not the case,"
"Well, I do not know if you received my letter, but His highness has taken Winter as his betrothed." She spoke.
He was aware and for some reason, it was eating him up, but he couldn't confess to that.
"Yes, that's why we had been so busy, his highness wishes to get married in the next week," he said, and Anita couldn't accept what she was hearing.
Winter. The bastard child was getting married in a weeks' time. This was certainly out of character for his highness the crown prince. She could not bear to see Winter happy, and she would never allow it.
"I do not think his highness is marrying Winter because he loves her,"
Her words seemed to spark a flame in Anthony's heart.
"What are you trying t say,"
"Well, your grace, have you given up your ambition to claim the throne?" Anita said carefully. She knew Anthony was a greedy man, but she also knew he was calculative, if things were not in his favour, he would abandon them, just like he did with Winter, and if they were he would pursue them.
"There is no need to think about that anymore since his highness returned," Anthony said dismissing her,
"But think about it your grace, if there was a way, no, if I carved a way for you, would you take it?" she asked
Caleb knocked on the door as he rolled in a tray with tea, serving both his master and the lady. Taking a step back in the case to attend to them again, he observed the situation before him. It was funny how things were unfolding. His master was not in love with the first lady but had to keep up with her so they would get married and the house of Dominic could gain a bit more influential power than that of the house of Leviton.
But funny enough, Caleb knew, though loving his master and serving him with the utmost care, his master was weak to beauty and beautiful things. And was going to be easily tempted, she had already bared her fangs and he had chosen to get bitten.
As manipulative and horrible she was, his master viewed her in a better light than the second miss, who was naïve and worst of all, an illegitimate child.
How aristocrats lived and led their lives was something quite jarring to Caleb, but he was almost certain, his master would regret his decision and worst of all, destroy himself.