Duke Namen angrily walked back to his chamber with some of his guards following him. He was extremely annoyed.
He knew that everybody at the banquet must be laughing at him. That damn brat Cyril is the reason why the entire kingdom thinks that he is such a disgraceful man.
He entered his chambers angrily and slammed the door shut. He was completely furious and upset. There was no way that he was going to forgive Cyril for how he behaved.
He can't believe that the king actually accepted Cyril. And it was all because of him.
Namen stormed towards his bed and sat down aggressively. A few moments after that, he began pacing back and forth as his thoughts kept spinning inside his mind.
His hands were clenched into fists. Then suddenly, he stopped and sighed in frustration before falling on his bed.
"Damn that stupid brat!" He thought angrily before closing his eyes tightly. After a couple of minutes, he opens them.
But he quickly realized something that bothered him even more than his anger.
His heart felt heavy. Becoming a part of the royal family was his biggest dream since he was a little child. Now his only chance of becoming a royal family member is ruined by a random brat.
He doesn't think that he can ever forget what Cyril's words said. 'Princess Amandine can choose whoever she wants' they repeated inside his head like a broken record.
The whole situation made him very angry and upset.
"What a shame, huh? What a fucking shame! I'm going to make you all regret!" muttered Duke Namen angrily.
.....
That night, Cyril woke up in the middle of the night as usual. But this time he no longer questions himself about the differences between him and his family.
He's now sure that he was adopted... He is just thankful that they treated him as their child. But he won't bother himself about it and he may not question his parents about it too.
All that matters right now is making Amandine happy and becoming a worthy man for her. He promised to help her in every way possible until death will separate them.
And he meant everything that he had said. For he truly is ready to die for Amandine if that means making her happy.
Cyril slowly got out of bed and headed towards his window to see a beautiful view. He could see the stars and the moon shining brightly.
The sound of crickets and the chirping of birds filled his ears. He loved watching the stars. But this night, it's strange. The stars are telling him that "something is wrong". So he carefully read the stars with his telescope.
The stars are warning him that he is in danger. The constellations and the moon, are all telling him that something bad was coming.
Something bad that may harm not only him. It was something terrible. Cyril wasn't scared though because he knew very well what was coming.
But what happened next frightened him deeply.
The sky was covered with black clouds. The moon and the stars were hidden. There was no trace of the moon or stars.
Cyril was shocked. This was the first time that he had seen such weather outside the palace and never imagined that it would rain.
Then an icy cold breeze blew across his body causing his hair to blow everywhere. He started shivering because of fear and excitement. He has always hated storms.
He thought the whole world was dark due to the darkness and the storm. He thought the universe was black and cold. He was afraid of lightning and storms.
Then he saw the largest and the brightest star shine before it was completely covered with dark clouds. It was just a glimpse but Cyril understood what the star said.
"No!"
"No, it's not happening! We're not ready yet!" Cyril yelled his heart out loud.
Then, thunder roared and lightning flashed brightly throughout the entire sky. It was the darkest and coldest moment in the history of the universe.
Cyril couldn't stand it any longer. He ran into his room and locked the door. He placed his telescope on the corner of his bed and laid down on it after making sure that every single window and door in the room was tightly closed.
When the light finally disappeared everything seemed calm again. There was still a hint of moonlight in the atmosphere.
Cyril didn't sleep that night.
*******
As soon as the very first sunray peeped into his room, Cyril got up from his bed. The royal family is going to discuss the wedding soon.
Cyril dressed and walked out of his room. He found his Little sister, Eline at his door waiting for him.
"Good morning, Your Excellency" Eline greeted by lifting her skirt a little bit and bowing sincerely.
That was when Cyril reminded himself that he was no longer just a normal duke. He became a royal family member yesterday after the official announcement.
"Good morning, Eline" Cyril greeted.
Eline gave a slight bow.
Cyril then smiled at her and looked her in the eyes. Her blue eyes are like the ocean. It's so clear and beautiful. Cyril felt so glad that he grew up with a wonderful younger sister like her.
Eline is the complete opposite of him. They might have different personalities, but in the end, he wouldn't change anything about her.
"Come on, Your Highness. Let's go eat breakfast together," said Eline as she pulled his arms, leading him to the dining hall.
Cyril nodded. He agreed that it's best to get along with each other. He needs her support more than ever because of the upcoming wedding. He also wants to do whatever it takes to become a proper nobleman.
"By the way, His Highness, the King asked me to tell you to attend the meeting today. Something about the marriage arrangement?" She added.
Cyril nodded slightly and answered casually, "Thank you."
Eline smiled at her brother, who is now a chosen prince-consort.
After having breakfast with the royal family, Cyril headed to the meeting chamber alone.
All the servants bowed and left the place quickly. Everyone who passed through the hallway saw the young duke, who is also a royal walking elegantly.
There's no doubt that everyone was stunned seeing this scene. They thought that this duke was arrogant and rude. However, seeing him in person, everyone felt amazed.
Even though he has a strong resemblance to his grandfather, who was a famous warrior of the Empire. the difference in demeanor and mannerisms makes this duke more charismatic.
At the meeting chamber, King Zander was already seated on his throne. His face was expressionless but he was very tense.
The Queen sat beside him quietly, then the princess beside her mother.
Duke Ruben and Lady Britt are seated opposite the King and Queen. Duke Ruben's lips curled into a smile as soon as he saw his son entering the room.
Princess Amandine looks nervous. Cyril took a glance at her and then he smiled at her to make her feel better.
A few seconds after Cyril was seated, The King started speaking.
"So, Duke Cyril Van De Veld"
To be continued...