Nathan ran excitedly to Violet's office after his afternoon classes as she had promised to spend the evening with him.
Nathan was already envisioning how much fun he would have with his mother as he reached the door to the office.
The two guards who stood near the door bowed the moment they saw him.
Nathan did not see Xander standing outside which meant that he was probably working with his mother.
Nathan gestured with his fingers over his lips to ask the guards who were about to greet him and announce his presence to keep quiet .
Nathan soundlessly opened the door to surprise his mother when he heard a conversation between the Emperor and the Empress which shook his entire world.
" We will disclose the secret of Prince Nathan's birth to the public.", Nathan heard the Emperor's voice.
' Secret? '
Nathan was curious and a little nervous about the secret that involved him.
" Whatever for , Your Majesty?
I cannot allow this !
This is illogical , Your Majesty.
There is no basis for making such an announcement."
Nathan realised from his mother's voice that his mother seemed quite rattled.
He wanted to go in and hold her hands but his legs refused to move.
Nathan just stood at the door and continued to eavesdrop at their conversation.
"Is the Empress afraid that this announcement will bring humiliation to you as people would realise that the Empress has no offspring?
I thought the Empress was such a person who did not care about things as people's opinion of her. Did this Emperor judge the Empress wrongly? "
' No offspring?
What did the Emperor mean?
Am I not mother's child?'
Nathan felt panic creeping in as he continued to listened to the conversation.
He wanted to run away but his legs would not budge.
"Your Majesty! Prince Nathan is your child.
He is still young.
Please reconsider, Your Majesty.
The Prince will be hurt if he knows that Lady Olivia is his birth mother."
' Huh? Th ... that woman..Lady Olivia is my birth mother? '
Nathan felt tears glistening his eyes as he tried his best not to cry.
He was shocked .
The information he just heard was too much for his brain and heart to process.
' I am not ma-ma's son?'
'Ma-ma didn't give birth to me?'
' Ma-ma is not my mommy?'
Nathan could not keep heads and tails of the conversation as numerous questions popped up in his head .
"Empress! That's enough."
"....cannot allow the Prince to go through such injustice and discrimination!"
"....please reconsider."
".....to make him understand about this whole situation."
' Why? Why is mommy still fighting the Emperor for me?'
Though Nathan could not hear every word that was being spoken , he could understand that she was against the Emperor's decision.
Nathan looked up and wiped his tears only to make contact with his mom's shocked-filled eyes.
The first thought that came to Nathan was to run away and that was exactly what he did.
"Nathan! Wait!"
Nathan kept running with tears in his eyes even though he heard his mom's panicked voice behind him.
Nathan ran out of the Empress Palace and bumped into someone who caught him just before he fell to the ground due to the impact.
" Un..Uncle Daniel?", Nathan called as he looked up the person.
"Nathan? What's wrong?", Daniel asked Nathan as he crouched down.
" Uncle Daniel!
Nathan jumped into Daniel's arms and he started bawling.
Nathan felt Daniel's hands gently patting him on the back as he carried him without asking him anything.
" Nathan!"
Nathan heard his mother's voice calling him as she walked closer to them while he was crying in Daniel's arms.
" Nathan darling , mommy's sorry.
It's all mommy's fault. Please forgive mommy."
Nathan did not look at his mother nor uttered a word when she spoke to him.
" Darling, could you look at mommy once? Let's talk , alright? Mommy will explain everything. Can you give me a chance to explain everything to you?"
" Prince Nathaniel Lee Schidmt! How dare you cry like a wimp and ignore the Empress when she's speaking to you?"
Nathan grabbed tightly to Daniel when he heard the Emperor's scolding voice which startled him.
" Your Majesty, do not make the situation any worse than it already is.
I will handle the situation here.
Your Majesty may make the announcement as scheduled."
Nathan loosened his hold on Daniel as he saw the Emperor leave from the corner of his eyes.
" Nathan darling, will you come to mommy? Mommy's sorry. Please forgive me , darling."
' Why is mommy saying sorry?
No. She's...She's not my mommy.'
Nathan felt hurt and he lost control of his emotions as he came to that realisation that Violet was not his real mother.
" You're not my mommy! I don't want to see you." , Nathan screamed at Violet which he immediately regretted.
He wanted to apologise but he was afraid to look at her in the eyes.
There was complete silence as no one spoke a word for awhile.
" What do you want to do, Nathan?", he heard Violet ask.
" I..I will stay with Uncle Daniel."
" Daniel, can you please take care of him for the time being?"
" Sure."
" Nathan, I am really sorry.
I won't come to meet you if you don't want to see me.
But remember, Nathan darling, no matter what anyone say , I will always be your mommy. And I will always love you."
Nathan and Daniel left and no one spoke the entire way to Daniel's room.
" Can Uncle Daniel get you anything, Nathan? Water? Juice?" , Nathan heard Daniel speak when he put him on the bed.
Nathan shook his head , held the sleeves of Daniel's shirt and starting crying.
" Un..Uncle Daniel (hiccup), Mommy... Mommy is not my real mommy.(hiccup)"
" Your mommy will always be your mommy, Nathan. Nothing can change that."
"No..No (hiccup). I ..I heard everything. (hiccup) The Emperor and mo..the Empress were speaking. They (hiccup) said that ..that Lady Olivia gave birth to me.
I don't like that woman. I don't like the Emperor either.
I like only mo...the Empress.
But she's not my real mother." , Nathan cried bitterly as Daniel made him sit on his laps and held him in his arms.
" Nathan, the Empress is your mother.
Your only mommy.
Your mommy loves you a lot.
She will always love you."
" But..she didn't give birth to me."
"Hmm? Does that make a difference?
Your mommy has always been taking care of you since you were born. She loves you.
Just because she did not give birth to you does not mean she's not your mommy anymore."
" But ..Lady Olivia is my birth mother?
Mo... She doesn't like Lady Olivia.
How can she like me? "
Nathan asked Daniel as he had many questions that bothered him.
The thing Nathan hated the most about the situation was that he was the child of Lady Olivia.
Nathan did not have any good feelings about that woman.
That woman was an evil woman who always hurt other people.
She never treated anyone kindly.
There was absolutely no reason to like her.
" Your mother loves you , Nathan.
You see , when you love someone, you accept them as who they are.
All the beautiful and ugly parts.
Love does not discriminate.
It doesn't keep a record of wrongs and faults. And your mother's love for you is unconditional."
" I am just afraid, Uncle Daniel."
Nathan knew that she was always sincere to him.
But so many negative feelings flooded his mind and overwhelmed him.
" Nathan , I hope you understand that family transcends blood. Love is so much more than being blood related. "
Nathan did not realise that he had fallen asleep but it seemed that he was tired from the shock and all the crying.
He just opened his eyes when he heard the creak of the door and hushed voices.