Nerves were on edge in the room as King Gerald looked at Corina with confusion in his gaze. She moved from the chair to the sofa and bowed before taking a seat. Alexander quickly made his way to her side, and Nadine moved to the corner of the room to simply observe the conversation as it played out.
Queen Amelia, however, had a look of terror on her face as she saw the princess wearing men's clothes.
The expression indicated to Alexander that the woman was probably the mastermind behind the secret to Corina's gender, as the king appeared to be baffled by the entire situation.
He reached over and took hold of Corina's hand, offering her a gentle smile.
"Corina, why are you dressed in such a manner?" King Gerald questioned his daughter. "Do you have a new hobby that involves a man's clothing?"
Corina shook her head. Her blue eyes looked up at her father, a look of distraught spread across her features. "Papa. You know, don't you?"
"What is it that you refer to?" The king inquired. "Is there something I should know?"
When the king asked the question, Alexander's hand squeezed hers. He knew it would be challenging for her to talk about it. He could feel her hand trembling on his own, which broke his heart. "Are you telling us you aren't aware?"
The king raised a brow as he looked between Corina and Alexander. "I have not a clue what you speak of."
Amelia looked worriedly at the floor. "I don't think it's important..." she commented. "Why don't we talk about the wedding instead?"
Alexander gasped and quickly rose from his seat. "How dare you say it's not important!" He growled in her direction, anger evident in his tone. "So, you left your husband in the dark about the sick secret? What kind of monster are you?"
King Gerald looked towards Amelia. "What is this about?"
The queen trembled as she looked back at him. Her bottom lip quivered in fear. Words refused to manifest from her throat as the tension in the room increased.
"Why don't you tell him?" Alexander questioned her with a frown on his face. "Or are you afraid of the consequences."
King Gerald stood up and approached his wife. He placed a hand under her chin and turned her head up, forcing her to look at him. "Tell me, Amelia."
Corina took deep breaths as she watched the interaction between her parents. She wanted to say something, but it was difficult to think. Her chest pounded unpleasantly, and her palms began to sweat. She had never been in such a tense situation in her entire life.
Alexander took his seat again. He looked concerned as he witnessed the princess react to the way her mother behaved. He couldn't understand how a woman could keep such a secret from the world and keep even her own husband in the dark.
"N-No," Amelia stammered, clenching her eyes shut.
"Amelia!" Gerald yelled out with a stern voice.
Amelia refused to say a single word.
After a moment of silence, Corina quickly stood. "Father! I'll tell you!" Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly as her anxiety took hold of her. "I'm a man!"
Gerald immediately looked away from his wife, turning to his daughter. "Corina! Don't joke about this," he said. But, the king realized it wasn't a joke when his wife pushed his hand away, scurrying toward the door.
King Gerald wasn't about to let his wife run away so easily. His anger had never been so great, even in wartime.
He grabbed her by the wrist and used his strength to pull her away from the door. "Amelia. Explain."
The Queen attempted to free herself from his grasp. She didn't say anything as she struggled against him to get away.
"Now!" The King demanded with a harsh tone of voice.
Amelia had a look of pure rage as she looked at her husband. "Let go."
"Did you keep it a secret from me all these years? We have a tenth son?"
Amelia didn't answer.
"You're not the woman I thought I married," the king snarled.
Amelia huffed and looked him in the eye. He still had his hands on her, so she did the only thing she could think to do—she bent her knee, swiftly hitting him in the crotch.
He let out a howl and reflexively slapped the woman across the face.
Amelia held her cheek in her hand, scoffed, and then ran out of the room as quickly as she could. Her secret had gotten out, which was a fate worse than death. There was no way she could face her husband again after the events in the room. How could she? If she returned, she'd be marked a traitor for withholding information on one of his sons.
The Queen held her dress as she ran down the long halls. She would keep running and never look back. While she was saddened for the fact she would never see her children again, she felt there was no other choice. She could be killed for deceiving the king, and the last thing she wanted was to die.
It was fine in her mind. Amelia and Gerald had a successful marriage. When they married, she wasn't interested in him, but rather in the idea of marrying a man in power. She never liked the man. She slept with him out of obligation, and was disgusted that all she gave birth to were sons. Her plan was the ideal one, but all those years ago, she hadn't dreamed the king would try to marry off her only daughter in exchange for peace.
"Despicable man," she yelled out as she ran out of the palace. "I hate you! I loathe Crystalia! I hate it all! This world can burn for all I care!"
The woman kept running. She would run for as long as it took. Somehow, she ended up in a valley, her eyes focused off to the horizon as a plan formed in her mind. "I'll have my revenge," she smirked, as she journeyed away from Luminairea by foot. "I imagine he won't know what to do without me—his wife, the traitor."
Meanwhile, Gerald leaned over, riding out the pain from the injury. His hands held his knees as he huffed and puffed. "I can't believe this."
"P-Papa," Corina cried as she moved beside him to wrap an arm around his back.
Gerald turned his head and smiled. "I'm so confused, but I'm still thrilled to see you, Corina. Are you well?"
She nodded in response, flashing her father a weak smile through her tears.
Alexander and Nadine remained silent as Corina exchanged pleasantries with the king. The lady-in-waiting made her way to the sofa and took a seat on the opposite end from the Duke.
Alexander looked at her with his mouth half open, a feeling of shock coursing through him. The scene that unfolded was much different than the one he had gone over in his head. It seemed even though he had studied military strategies all his life, game plans for matters that involved family were a different beast entirely.
"Do you think Mama is okay?" Corina pondered aloud as she helped her father return to his seat.
"I'm not sure, Corina," he sighed as he took his seat. "Here's hoping she doesn't decide to do anything rash."
The king observed his daughter seated next to the man she was about to marry. He groaned and tapped his fingers against the arm of the chair he was sitting in.
He wondered why the duke still seemed pleased with the girl, even though she wasn't a woman. It made him wonder if the couple had some political agenda for continuing things, or if there was somehow more to it.
No. He could tell—Duke Alexander Frostbloom was in love with Corina. Something about it warmed his heart, even if his daughter were actually his son.
He shook his head. He couldn't believe everything that had transpired. His world had been turned upside down in a matter of moments inside the Duke's chambers. It definitely wasn't what he had expected when he had traveled to the kingdom to attend the banquet and stay for the wedding ceremony.
"May we discuss everything?" He asked.
Alexander nodded. "It would be my pleasure."
Corina nodded. The difficult part was over. It seemed her father had taken the news well, at least as far as Corina was concerned.
The princess felt thankful her father wasn't in on the secret. She was upset with Amelia for lying to her for Corina's entire life, but she felt thankful in a way. If she hadn't been convinced she were a woman, she wouldn't have been sitting there with Alexander.
She didn't know what would happen between the king and her mother. She hoped the queen was okay as they began the conversation. She had no idea her mother had run away from the palace, and neither did anyone else present.