Chapter 280: Pest Control And Palace Gossip
The rest of the palace staff, of course, remained blissfully unaware of their inner enthusiasm, firmly believing that Princess Evelyn was ill and confined to bed rest, with their prince refusing to leave her side for even a single moment.
But they were far too terrified of Ivan to investigate further, having already paid dearly for allowing their curiosity to wander the last time Princess Evelyn stayed at the palace.
Still, whispers travelled freely among them. How long could one remain sick like this? Was the rumour of her being crippled actually true?
It had been six days since she was last seen, carried by their prince into his bedchambers, and more than a few of them privately wondered why the princess seemed to enter the palace unconscious with such impressive consistency.
They had heard the rumours surrounding both their prince and princess, and they took great pride in discovering that their prince had been a celestial being in his past life. After all, how else could one possibly justify his greatness?
Naturally, the revelation that the woman he had chosen was also a celestial being made perfect sense to them. They had already approved of her standing beside their prince, and this merely solidified it.
She seemed kind and composed, and more importantly, she was the one person who had managed to save them from their prince’s wrath, a feat no one else had ever accomplished.
As a result, Evelyn had unknowingly earned all the brownie points in the palace without even realising it.
Which was precisely why they prayed fervently to the gods for her swift recovery, and for her not to be left crippled so that she might once again stand proudly beside their prince.
While the excitement continued in one part of the palace, on the other wing of the castle, firm and purposeful footsteps clicked against the marble floor before stopping in front of a large, intricately carved wooden door that spoke of power and timeless nobility.
King Iskara’s shield, Commander Amond Greymark, stood like an old guard of legend. He bowed his head to the new arrival before knocking on the door and stepping inside to announce, "Duke Regulus Silver is here to see you, Your Majesty."
Iskara gestured for him to allow the entry.
With that, Amond opened the double doors, allowing Regulus to enter before closing them behind him.
Regulus wore a smirk as he strolled in with easy confidence, placing a file on the desk. "Good morning, Your Majesty."
"How many times have I told you not to address me by my title when it is just us, Regulus?" Iskara remarked, casting his cousin a pointed look.
The smile on Regulus’s face reminded Iskara very much of his nephew Damien, who always seemed to wear that same grin.
Regulus settled into the seat across from him and remarked, "You seem to be in an especially good mood today. I wonder what the reason might be." He feigned ignorance as though he had no idea at all, and Iskara looked almost smug in response.
"Well, can you blame me? My son and my daughter are finally back today, at last, from their hideout," Iskara said.
Regulus’s eyes softened at his words. "Your daughter, hm? I see you have finally accepted that simple truth. I was beginning to wonder how long you would continue to show concern for her health, only to hide behind the excuse that it was for your son’s sake."
A soft, rare smile spread across Iskara’s face. "Yes....I suppose you are right. It is not as though I was hiding it." He cleared his throat subtly. "It is just that I know she has suffered a great deal, perhaps bearing scars caused by her own father, so she might not want me to..."
Iskara paused, unsure how to put the rest into words.
Regulus’s smile softened. "You do not have to think like that, Iskara. I am sure she will appreciate any parental concern you show her, perhaps even more so, considering she was deprived of it for most of her life." Regulus sighed at the thought of King Solan, silently cursing his idiocy for treating his daughter so poorly.
Iskara gave him a nod, then his dark red eyes fell to the file Regulus had placed before him. "And what is this?"
"Ah. I thought I might bring you a little souvenir, since I planned to visit the children this lovely morning," Regulus replied, humour lacing his voice.
Iskara narrowed his eyes at him before drawing the file closer and opening it to glance through its contents.
Regulus continued, "This report details my latest expedition of catching rather a lot of rats throughout the palace, all within the span of the last five days. It seems those fools are growing overconfident now that you and Ivan have loosened their leash a little longer. Proper pest control will be in order, Iskara."
A scowl settled on his face as he took in the numbers. Regulus alone had caught more than ten spies, while his own men had apprehended another ten, bringing the total to twenty already. Then there were Ivan’s and Damien’s men, who had caught a few more, pushing the number to an alarming level.
All this, despite security having been tightened so thoroughly, and solely because they believed Evelyn was here.
Their sheer audacity made his blood boil.
How dare they snoop within his home and attempt to spy on his precious son and daughter-in-law? Yes, daughter-in-law, because Iskara knew that if it were Ivan, he would never choose anyone else in this lifetime.
Star-crossed lovers or not, he had seen it in his son’s eyes long before the chaos in Dartmouth, how deeply he loved that girl with his whole heart. And Iskara wanted nothing more than to protect that love fiercely.
He would tear apart anyone who tried to steal that happiness from his son, who had finally found sunlight after such a long time.
Iskara loved Evelyn as his own as well. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy and hoped that, despite all the challenges life hurled at her, she would continue to choose his son.
He had felt a fatherly bond with her when he had met her at no more than three years old, and he wished to protect her from anyone who sought to destroy her happiness, no matter who it was. Even if that person was her own father, who had failed her in every sense.
His eyes darkened, true viciousness seeping from them like a beast poised to strike its prey. "Very well. It seems you are right, Regulus. Proper pest control is very much in order. I am certain my son will agree when he hears of this."
Regulus gave a slight nod, amusement dancing in his eyes at the sight of Iskara like this after so long.
When it came to family, Regulus was much the same, a force to be reckoned with the moment anyone dared lay a finger on those he cared for. Over time, that same quality had begun to take root in Damien, who was just as fierce when the moment truly demanded it.
Regulus hummed thoughtfully before recalling something. "Oh....I believe you must have already heard about what the children are planning for next week."
A small frown creased Iskara’s brow in question, and Regulus explained, "The ball at Minister Silas’s estate. According to my men, Damien spotted Silas snooping around the royal kitchen in Ivan’s wing. Knowing my son, I am certain he left that one loose on purpose."
Iskara chuckled at his nephew’s antics and gave a slight nod. "Hm. It seems he is aiming to catch something far greater."
He traced the edge of the file with his fingers once more, the massive ruby ring on his index finger catching the morning sun. "I already know the vultures in the royal court are circling, hoping to seize the crown princess’s seat, which still stands empty in their delusional eyes."
He let out a sigh. "It will undoubtedly drive them to do something foolish. I simply do not know how far they will push themselves in desperation before Ivan is forced to snap their necks."
This time, Regulus chuckled. "It seems that, regardless, we shall be on heavy cleaning duty once they are finished."
Iskara let out another sigh, and both fathers sat in silence, thinking of the countless times they had been forced to clean up after their sons when they were still learning how to hunt.
"Ah, they truly grow up fast, do they not?" Regulus murmured, his gaze drifting back to memories of the past.
"They do," Iskara replied with a smile. He then glanced at his watch, and Regulus noticed at once.
A grin bloomed across Regulus’s face as he asked, "Need to be somewhere, Your Majesty?"
Iskara scoffed. "Do not tell me you came all the way here early in the morning merely to deliver a report."
Regulus’s grin widened. "Oh my, it seems I could not hide my intent."
Iskara’s lips twitched, well aware that Regulus was eager to see both Evelyn and Ivan. "I suppose it is time to make a statement, Regulus. I would very much like to watch a few rats squirm under our presence."
Regulus gave a nod in agreement. Iskara then rang the bell, and the loyal butler, Barnaby, appeared at once, bowing gracefully as he awaited his orders.
"Inform my son’s wing that Duke Regulus and I will be joining them for breakfast," Iskara instructed.
"Certainly, Your Majesty," he replied, bowing once more before moving off to carry out the order.
