Back in the palace, one would think Ivan was joking about leaving despite Harold's orders until he was seen mounting his horse with a sword in hand. The news flew around the palace quickly, and before he could move even an inch, a crowd of people ran out of the palace doors, blocking his path as they looked at him in anger.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" The minister of justice bellowed at him in anger.
Seeing this interruption, Ivan frowned but didn't get down from his horse, as he eyed all of them in displeasure.
"What does it look like I am doing, old man?" Ivan snarled at him as he wiggled atop his horse from side to side.
"O-Old... man? You!" The man exclaimed with fury, but Ivan didn't wait to hear the rest of his words before he interrupted.
"You all should move out of my way. I do not mind riding over you all to get to my destination." He warned. He was too tired to argue with them. He was starving and thirsty. As someone who eats almost every hour of the day, he was not used to fasting.
"We do not care wherever you are going to, but you cannot leave the palace. There has been a clear instruction that no one should do so."
Another man said in a thick, serious voice.
"Clear instructions?" Ivan asked with a scoff.
"From who exactly? The king?"
"From Prince Harold! And we are going to obey it. Every one of us." The man replied, earning a snort from Ivan.
"Ah! You sound so obedient. How disgusting." Ivan spat out and tried to move with his horse, but the men drew closer and some dared to draw their swords at him, making anger flash in his eyes.
"I AM THE ELDEST PRINCE AND HEIR TO THE RED THRONE. IF ANYONE DARES DISRESPECT ME OVER HAROLD'S ORDERS, I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" Ivan swore in a booming voice that almost intimidated them if not for the presence of the king's guards, who were watching from the balcony on the third floor, as though whatever was happening downstairs had nothing to do with them.
"YOU DARE NOT DO SUCH A THING!" The Minister of Justice spoke once more, causing Ivan's anger to rise to the apex, but he tried to save his energy as he spoke calmly.
"Aren't you ashamed? You are the Minister of Justice yet you act so... idiotic."
"Idiotic?" The man scoffed.
"Sometimes I wonder how it is that you are a prince, but then, I cannot fault the royal blood." He sneered.
"How dare you?!" He roared as he jumped down from his horse, his sword unsheathed to strike him down, but many other swords were unsheathed and pointed at him, making him halt and look at them in disbelief.
"WHAT? YOU DARE POINT YOUR SWORDS AT ME? DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?"
"We all know who you are. It is the reason we do not want bloodshed. You have to return inside, my prince." Another noble said in a calm tone, hoping he would be reasonable and save them all from the angry Alpha.
"None of you here have any right to tell me what to do! Prince Harold left the palace with my wife, yet none of you could do anything about it! He is trying to get back to me and get rid of her outside the palace, but you want me to stay back?" He asked in disbelief and looked at each of them as though he was looking at idiots.
"Your wife? As far as we know, Lady Benedicta is in her chamber and—"
"WHAT STUPID BENEDICTA ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" He glowered at the man.
"PRINCE IVAN!" The queen yelled as she approached them. The nobles formed a path for the queen to pass so she could get to her son and hopefully speak some sense into that thick skull of his.
The queen was enraged, and Ivan could see it. But he didn't care. Because he was enraged too. And he needed an outlet to let it out before it consumed him.
Unfortunately, this was going to be a useless battle. There was no way he could leave here if they all wanted to stop him from doing so.
Maybe he could get away with striking down one or two people, but what about the rest? Over twenty people were trying to stop him. A majority of whom were well-versed in martial arts and swordsmanship.
"Follow me," the queen said to him in a tight voice before she turned around to face the nobles.
"Apologies, he had a bad sleep." She said with an apologetic bow and a tight smile before she began to walk back the same way she had taken there.
"You all... I won't forget this day!" Ivan promised them and groaned in frustration before he followed his mother while glaring at all of them.
The queen didn't stop walking. She continued until they were in her tea room, and as soon as Ivan entered, she didn't wait for him to close the door behind him when she turned around and raised her hand to slap him.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Ivan was swift this time and caught her hand in midair before it happened.
"What are you trying to do?" He asked her with a dark glare.
She looked at him in surprise and looked at the hand he was holding tightly. She tried to retrieve her hand from his hold, but he held on tightly and even squeezed it painfully, causing her to wince in pain as she looked at him in disbelief.
"It is a punishable offence to dishonour your parents!" She reminded him harshly as she tried to pull her hand back.
With one dark glare, he threw down her hand and took a step backwards. "Do not ever raise your hands at me again," Ivan warned, shocking the queen once again.
Visit freewe𝑏n(o)vel.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience