"Why not we give you a title? A title worthy of Our son's widow. How about you become the King's Royal Sister?"
Once the words left the Dowager Queen's mouth, the room again turned silent. The King's Royal Sister? So, she would take her late husband's place as the royal sibling? How would that affect the royal hierarchy? Would that mean she becomes a Duchess automatically?
The Queen, hearing this, felt like she had swallowed something foul. What does Lady Primrose really want if not a title that she can show off?
"We bet that she did not really want a seat in government when she would have to work hard every day when she could have such a cushy title that did not require any work other than entertaining noble guests. How could someone so self-centered take the initiative to work for others? I bet that she will refuse the Dowager Queen's suggestion a few times and then 'reluctantly' accept. The King? We are sure that he will not say no to this alternative since he would never dare take the title of 'Prince' from his older brother's only son.
"He must have been bluffing to stop Lady Primrose from wanting a position in government. Too bad that the Dowager Queen became too sentimental and said something so thoughtless. Now that she said it, she would never dare take it back. What a mess!"
The Queen feeling the emotions of being on a rollercoaster, made her want to sigh and continue drinking her tea. She will just play the role of the spectator.
Prince Zander had been stunned to hear that his Royal Uncle would tell his mother that he would take his title away. At that moment, he felt like lightning had hit him; his life had flashed before his eyes, and a growing darkness inside him.
"Would they actually rob the only thing that lets me keep my head up? Like how they took everything away when my father passed away? How could I continue with my life if this comes to pass?" Prince Zander felt like it was challenging to breathe at hearing the King's words.
But after he heard his Royal Grandmother's words, he was stunned again and quickly realized that maybe this was his mother's plan the whole time. He understood that his mother had been used to always having it her way and manipulating the people around her was one way that she loved to control and do.
"She must be at it again! I almost thought that she was serious about running for a position in the government! Now I understand that she has never cared for a post in the government, and what she wants is a Royal Title," after thinking things through, Prince Zander felt disappointed. "I should not be too upset. This is how she has always been. I should be happy that she still finds value in having me around. Otherwise, I am sure that she would not have cared about me."
He clenched his hands into fists, making his nails dig deep into his palms. He took a deep breath, making his grandmother misunderstand him into thinking that he was worried that the King would take away his title.
"We are so glad that We were able to come up with this solution. Otherwise, poor Prince Zander would suffer more in the future," thought the Dowager Queen as she looked on lovingly to Prince Zander. "We cannot have his mother ruin his bright future."
Hearing his Royal Mother suggest that his sister-in-law become his Royal Sister left the King feeling speechless. Of course, he liked the idea since it would be a form of honoring his late Royal Brother's memory if they adopted the woman he loved until death. If he had not been so sick before, he probably would have talked to his Royal Mother about this topic long ago.
Now that his Royal Mother brought the topic up, he was a little relieved and a little ashamed. Had he really mistreated his sister-in-law all this time that he did not bother with giving her a proper title? Of course, she would feel wronged! All this time, she would eventually try to branch out herself.
"No wonder she wants to take a position in the government. If she wants a title, she shall have it," thought that King as everyone waited to hear his opinion.
As everyone waited for what the King would say next, they all would peak at Lady Primrose, who seemed to have turned into a statue. She kept her eyes wide as she looked stunned to have heard the old Dowager Queen's words. It was amazing that her face would show such a reaction, considering that she had a fierce look when the King had threatened to take away her son's title.
If Prince Zander had been paying close attention at that time to her, he would have been alarmed as he would know that his mother would be close to exploding. He would have probably jumped, knowing that she would say something that would shock the senior royals. No one else knew that the Dowager Queen defused the situation from escalating. The King sighed.
"If Our sister-in-law wants to feel like she is genuinely one of the family, then it stands to reason that she should have a title. It would not be too difficult to give her the title of the 'King's Royal Sister.' We would need to further discuss this matter with the other members of the court to designate you a title properly. We believe that a 'Duchess' title will not be too difficult to obtain," said the King as everyone in the room gave different reactions after hearing the King's opinion on the matter.
The Dowager Queen felt relieved that her Royal Son understood that taking away Prince Zander's title was not the logical thing to do in this situation. Prince Zander has nothing to do with his mother's shenanigans, so he should not suffer because of her.
"At least with this title, Our Prince Zander would be able to become a Duke someday," thought the Dowager Queen as she sighed in relief.
The Queen remained indifferent, but she was seething inside. In the end, she still won.
"Being a Duchess, on top of being the King's Royal Sister, she would have much weight in her opinion in the future. We would not be surprised if she were able to sway the views of the nobles. At this rate, why do we not just change the Crown Prince's title while We are at it?" the Queen continued to sip her tea elegantly as she began to feel highly stressed over the whole ordeal.
The thought of what this Lady Primrose could do in the future made her very anxious.
Prince Zander looked at his mother and knew that she was still not happy with the King's solution.
"If she were happy, I am sure that she would turn very pleasing and even give a curtsy to the King. Unlike how she remains very defiant while looking at my Royal Uncle. What is my mother planning?" thought Prince Zander as he pondered over what his mother's end game was.
Lady Primrose sat looking at the King with neither a happy look nor a displeased look. Finally, she spoke.
"Whatever Royal Brother-in-law says, goes."
**********
Lady Primrose left to settle in her new room. Prince Zander had followed her to see if she needed any help and see if he could understand what she was doing. As soon as they were inside the apartment, Lady Primrose frowned while looking at her surroundings. She scoffed at how everything in the room looked bland.
"Humph! Look at this place! It looks so blah!" said Lady Primrose as Prince Zander looked around at the opulent room and sighed.
"Mother, this is your usual taste. What is wrong now?" asked Prince Zander as he thought that his mother was being difficult again.
"This looks more like a guestroom than a permanent residence," said Lady Primrose as she elegantly sat down on a sofa while Prince Zander followed her to a chair.
"Mother, you asked for this when you told me to prepare for your place of stay. Did I not get it right?" said Prince Zander as he was sure that his mother was trying to find fault on the King and Queen.
"It will do for now," said Lady Primrose as she signaled for the maids to leave. "You all, leave us now."
"As you wish, my Lady," curtsied the maids before leaving the two inside the apartment and closing the door.
"Mother, what are your plans for the future?" asked Prince Zander as he tried to be direct without sounding like he was prying into his mother's business.
"Nothing that you need to worry about, Zander," said Lady Primrose as she messaged her head while she leaned back into her seat.
"Mother, do you really want to have a position in the government?" asked Prince Zander when he realized that his mother was not going to answer him while he danced around the topic.
"Do you think that I never plan for your future? I am trying to give you a better, smoother path for you to travel in life. Trust me, Zander, I do everything for your sake. All my careful planning is to pave the way for a brighter future for you. Since your late father is no longer with us, I will need to make sure that you thrive," said Lady Primrose as she continued to massage her head, making Prince Zander think that she was having a migraine again. "Zander, dear, I need to rest now. I will need to keep my mind clear for when I speak to your uncle again."
Hearing her say that made Prince Zander's continence pale. Even in private, do the people refer to the King as "King." Family of the King is no exception, much worse his in-laws. His mother was playing a dangerous game.
"Mother, I hope that you do not anger the King. It is not suitable for your health to always be arguing with him. Please be mindful of your words around him," said Prince Zander as he hoped that his mother would listen and not throw a fit now that they were in the Royal Palace of Glear.
"Zander, you worry too much," said Lady Primrose as she dismissed her son's concerns for her as being too overly protective. "No one is in here to tell him how I address him. Humph! If your father were still alive, your uncle would be the one being mindful of his speech."
Discerning his mother's words made Prince Zander frown as he was sure that his words missed the mark. He stood up from his chair to bid her goodbye.
"Mother, I will be off. I hope that you rest well," said Prince Zander as he left her alone in her apartment.
Hearing the door close, Lady Primrose looked up at the closed door and sighed.
"Zander, you need to stop being so naive. The throne belongs to none other than you. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you take back everything that was once yours," said Lady Primrose out loud as she looked at the ceiling.