He decided to wear it for once to experience the feeling. As he put on the crown, his entire appearance changed.
His aura had become more sunny filling it with nobility; the aura of the king was in full display.
But he put it back in since he would look stupid wearing that in front of Serena. So he got out of the room, and as he went out the hallway, he saw that the windows were broken.
The carpet was tattered, and the walls had some cracks, which would break into pieces if an earthquake occurred.
"As a king, I should at least renovate this mansion and buy some suitable clothes. If I look more like a beggar, what will my people think?" he muttered, thinking that this problem must be solved first after proceeding with the rest.
As a king, he believed he deserved respect, not realizing that both the respect and his identity as king had already faded from the people's hearts.
When he arrived at the hall, he sat down in the old, rusty chair at the long table.
Serena then brought back some food. It was only two pieces of small bread and one bowl of soup. She placed it on the table in front of him and told him to eat.
"Are you not hungry?" Alexander asked, seeing her sit just opposite from his table.
"Don't worry; I have already eaten," she waved his hands, and her heart felt warm since this was the first time Alexander had asked her if she had eaten.
Alexander, hearing the affirmation, decided to start eating since he felt like his body was really hungry. He gulped the soup while ravaging the bread.
His attitude toward eating was more like that of a barbarian rather than a king. When he was done, he burped and felt that it was not enough.
"Are there any more bread and soup?" Alexander asked, feeling that his stomach still needed more food.
Seeing that he was still hungry, Serena felt embarrassed as she looked down, while rubbing her hands together.
"I'm sorry, husband. That's the only food left in the storage. I only managed to make that amount of money after selling some fruit in the town," she explained.
Hearing what she said Alexander could not help but feel guilty, while the original Alexander enjoyed life, knowing his wife struggled to earn money just to provide food for them every day.
What a disappointment he is. He even felt bad for asking for more of this. She's a queen, but she resorted to selling fruits from his people? This made him aggrieved.
He sighed heavily as he looked at her, he extended his hands and cupped her hands.
"Serena, I'm truly sorry for everything, for all the pain and neglect you've endured over the years because of me." Alexander's voice softened, his gaze steady yet filled with sincerity.
"From this day forward, I swear to change. I will become a better man, a better king... and most importantly, a better husband to you." He paused, taking a deep breath as if grounding himself.
"Please, look at me not as the man I once was, but as the new Alexander someone worthy of standing by your side. I promise from this moment, you'll live a life befitting of your status as a queen." he finished.
Serena was first surprised by the sudden touch since Alexander had never held her hands for years. This was the first time he had promised her with a serious look, making her heart flutter.
"I don't care about the old you or the new Alexander; the point is that you are Alexander, my husband. The one that I am engaged to," She responded as her hand squeezed his hands, feeling the warmth.
At last, the moment she had been waiting for arrived; Alexander finally opened up to her. All those years of waiting had not been in vain.
Flashback before the day Alexander mother died, she visited her mother in law in her room as she delivered some food for her.
Alexander's mother, Seraphina Veylance, was on the bed. Her eyes felt devoid of any life anymore. She sat beside her mother since, when she was a child, she had already treated her like a real mother.
"Mom, why don't you eat? You have not eaten for days now. What happens if you get sick?" Serena muttered anxiously as she picked up a spoon with broth.
Seraphina looked at her and shook her head. "I'm not hungry. " She was really not crazy at this moment.
Serena lowered the spoon and said to her, "Mom, if you don't eat, you will get sick and, worse, die. What will happen to Alexander when you die then," As her eyes were slowly accumulating some tears.
Seraphina just smiled as she lowered her head, "You know I'm really happy that you came into our life, Serena; please promise me this one last time. When I'm gone in the future, don't leave Alexander."
Although Serena was only 9 years old at the time, she kept her promise in her heart.
"Don't worry, Mother, me and Alexander will never ever be separated since you have already engaged us both. If I even break this promise, then I'm an unfilial daughter to you and father." her eyes were firm, making Seraphina ruffle her hair as she smiled.
"I feel relieved. All right, leave now. I'll eat the food so you don't need to be troubled," Seraphina muttered in a soft tone towards her.
Later that morning, she also found out about her mother's death, making her collapse as her life felt like it lost its colors.
But there is still one more: Alexander, her future husband. So she began to mature at such a young age, learning everything to take care of Alexander.
But she found that he always ignored her, and this took years. When she found out that she brought a prostitute, she felt her world was breaking down. After crying for the whole night, she shook her head and just told herself that.
This is not the real Alexander she knew as a child, so whenever she saw him bringing a woman, it still broke her heart.
She cried every night as Alexander did this every time, wondering why he was doing that when she was here, her future legal wife.
Back to the present, she could not help but release her last tears as it slid down her cheeks.
She was strong after all those years, and finally, Alexander had grown up, making her cry in absolute happiness.