Susan and Williams looked at themselves before looking back at their father, who was staring at their mother suspiciously. Whether the woman knew she was being stared at or not, she focused on what she was doing. Since they all woke up at dawn, they found her already knitting a scarf, and she had refused to talk to anyone. Which was rare because she never just randomly did anything.
"You still aren't telling me where you went when I was looking all over for you yesterday, and now you are suddenly making a scarf? Do you think giving me this is going to make me change my mind and stop asking?
The woman stopped what she was doing and raised her head to look at him in confusion.
"Who said it was for you?"
"What?" Her husband asked, surprised.
"Then is it for me?" Susan asked hopefully.
"Should be mine. I'm the one sick." Williams chipped in.
"Ha ha! It's not for any of you!" Lady Victoria said in amusement before she resumed what she was doing while the three looked at her in confusion.
"WHO HAS IT!?" Her husband bellowed, startling all of them.
"Why did you shout?" Victoria asked as she placed a hand on her chest and looked at him in displeasure.
"I want to know who you are making a scarf for that you woke up early. You also disappeared for a long time yesterday!"
She scoffed in disbelief. "Are you accusing me of something?"
"Isn't there enough reason for you to be accused of something?"
Williams and Susan's heads went back and forth as they followed their parents' argument.
"Then accuse me all you want!" The woman said in annoyance and stood up, making to leave, but Susan suddenly gasped.
"Mo-ther... are you... meeting another man?!" Susan exclaimed.
Everybody's eyes widened, and the older woman marched to where Susan was, slapping her on the back of her head.
"OW! I only asked a question!" Susan cried.
"IT'S FOR PRINCE HAROLD!" Victoria shouted in annoyance as she looked at the three of them.
With the look on their faces, it seemed like they wouldn't have been this shocked if she had admitted she was making it for another man rather than Prince Harold himself.
"W-W-What?" Victoria stuttered defensively as she eyed the three. "Can't I make something for my nephew?"
"NEPHEW?" The three asked her incredulously.
"He... called me... aunt." She said happily and burst into excited laughter before she went to sit down on the seat she had stood up from.
Okay... that information even scared them the most. Prince Harold? Called her aunt? How? Why? When? Where?
"What is happening?" Her husband asked her in confusion. It was hard for him to process this, and the twins felt the same way.
"He said that he always saw me as his mother, even more than the queen." She giggled again in excitement before her eyes went soft as she muttered, "Poor boy. I should have been a lot nicer to him." She paused and added with passion, making them flinch. "BUT NOW! It's not too late. I can always right my wrongs and treat him better than I have always done."
This time, Sir Evan not only looked at her; he also exchanged glances with his children, who seemed to still not believe this. Had she even charmed?
"Did he try to find out any information from you?" Williams asked suspiciously.
"W-What? No! We just had a mother-son moment." She said defensively, making them even more suspicious.
"Mother-son moment? Seriously?" Williams asked, frowning.
"So he was the one you were with yesterday." Her husband questioned.
"Well..." Victoria dragged her words out and shrugged. "What can I say? You already know it."
"Now you want to openly care for him? I don't remember you ever caring for Prince Ivan." Susan pointed this out.
"Why would I care for that lad who knows nothing but cause trouble?" The woman asked with anger as her eyes went to Williams.
"If someone like him could try to kill his wife and his cousin, I don't see any reason why I should be nice to him."
"That sounds incorrect. Prince Ivan only hurt them recently, but you have not really been nice to him even before now--"
Her mother's glare shut Susan up immediately.
"I am going to hit your mouth one day since you don't know when to stop talking."
Susan consciously reached out to cover her mouth with a hand, protectively.
"Do not let anyone hear you say that. You never know what will happen in the future." Sir Evan said to his wife regarding what she had said about Ivan, and that just seemed to annoy her.
"And so? What if everyone hears me? He tried to kill my son! And his wife is still fighting for her life! He would have also killed Susan. Did you not see her neck when she came in? She looked like an animal that escaped being slaughtered."
"I don't think I appreciate being described that wa-- sorry... go on, mother." Susan went back to covering her mouth when her mother's death glare went to her.
"You are not going to show your support to Prince Ivan just because he is your sister's son, right? Besides that, we both know Prince Ivan will never sit on the throne--"
"Shhh!!" Her husband chided her.
"Do not shhh me!" The woman said, annoyed. What if something had happened to her children?
"I have always wanted to know. Why can't a Beta sit on the throne?" Susan asked curiously. "What if the king does not have an Alpha?"
"That is the reason why an Alpha must continue the bloodline on the throne. Because an Alpha must always give birth to at least one Alpha." Her father responded.
"That doesn't sound fair to the other sons, especially if they are the oldest." Williams pointed out.
"It doesn't matter. Royal Betas constantly cause trouble. Unlike Alphas, they cannot control their emotions and become wild."
"Don't you think that happens because it's their way to pour out their anger since they know they can never rule on the throne just because of something they have no control over?" Williams asked reasonably.
"Some of them were just very... chaotic. A Beta was king at one time. It didn't change anything. " His mother answered this time.
"Was there anyone a bit better than Prince Ivan at least?" Susan asked curiously. Because to her, Prince Ivan was crazy. He almost killed his wife; he attacked her and also almost killed Williams and Alvin. He had also stabbed an aristocrat and put his betrothed's life in danger.
Her father let out a curt laugh. "Prince Ivan is actually the calmest. It's the reason many people believe he may take over the throne."
Susan shared a surprised look with Williams. Prince Ivan was the calmest? How? When? Where? Why?!
"It's hard to believe." Susan shook her head.
"Well, Prince Harry would have been if he didn't pass away so early." Her mother said with a sad sigh.
"What about the King's brother? What was he like?" Williams asked, remembering that his mother had told him briefly about him when he asked her about the Beta's nightmare. She had mentioned he was under its influence and attacked his brother, the current king.
When Williams asked that, he noticed that his parents looked uncomfortable talking about it.
"He was a mad Prince. I'm not sure there is ever going to be someone else like him." Sir Evan said, looking deep in thought.
"Mad Prince? Was he crazy?" Susan inquired curiously.
"He was terrifying! When Prince Harold was younger, everyone feared he was going to be just like him. We are all fortunate that Prince Harold is a lot better than him." Their mother added, making them a little surprised. There was actually someone else scarier than Prince Harold?
"Is he that bad? What did he do?" Susan asked.
"What did he not do?" Her father countered the question.
"He was a terror to not only our kind but to humans and every other creature out there. He was the only one who dared join the court assembly on his own, even though he wasn't a member of the court. He was also the only one who dared to kill noblemen right in front of everyone because he was annoyed. No one could go against him."
Well, didn't that remind them of someone else? But maybe Harold was a lot more rational. Because he had only reacted that way when they tried to kill his wife, and the king was currently unavailable to handle things.
Their mother shivered as she said, "He had a boy's eyes plucked out for staring at him in a manner 'he didn't like', and a girl's tongue ripped out for calling his name wrongly."
"That is... terrifying," Susan said quietly, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin. "Didn't anyone do anything about him? What about his father, the king?"
"Where is he now?" Williams added.
"No one could. He was of royal blood, after all. And no one knows where he is. But for everyone's sake, we hope he already died." Sir Evan said.
"Do think someone was able to kill someone like that easily?" Williams asked.
"I can't say. No one was able to escape his wrath--"
"Oh! Wasn't there a girl who did?" Lady Victoria interrupted her husband.
The siblings looked curious now as they paid attention.
"There was a rumour at a certain time... that a girl bit him." She informed them.
"Bit him? Was she our kind?" Susan asked.
Victoria shook her head. "She was a human."
"WHAT?" The twins asked at the same time in surprise.
"I don't know how true the rest of the information is, but they said the girl seemed to be angry at him about something, so she bit him on his hand and ran away."
"And he just let her?" Susan asked.
"I heard he only remarked, 'such a strong bite for a little thing'. That was all he said before he walked away."
Williams chuckled. "That's something Princess Amber can do."
"I was just thinking the same!" Susan exclaimed in amusement, and the two started laughing.
"I'm sure she must have died that day. It's impossible to cross paths with the mad prince and your life remains the same, especially if you annoy him like that."
His wife nodded in agreement. "Poor little girl."
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