Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince-Chapter 103 — A Coward

The next morning, the grand halls of the king’s palace were adorned in luxurious silks and gleaming ornaments, all carefully arranged for the ceremonial welcome of the queen.

Servants stood in the courtyard, waiting for the royal carriage to arrive.

"Finally, there will be a queen in the palace!"

"It has been a decade since the queen’s bedroom was used."

"Hopefully she isn’t like that... evil princess."

"Shh! She might hear you."

Whispering circulated among the servants but Cynthia who stood beside the iron gate, her arms crossed, did not care. She simply eagerly waited for her brother’s arrival.

The golden carriage rolled on the ground, the wheels making sounds one couldn’t ignore and making its presence evident.

Cynthia glanced behind to see if Lucian was present as well. They haven’t exchanged a word since last night. Rather, she kept trying her best to avoid him. She didn’t need to force herself to be a good wife while being in Eldoria, right? Although she knew it would impact her plans, she had a way out of it.

A smile began to form on her face, seeing the carriage make its way inside.

The coachman rushed to open the door. Alistair stepped out, extending a hand to the new queen.

Saya nervously placed her hand on the king’s, exiting the carriage gracefully.

The servants promptly bowed before the king and new queen while Cynthia walked toward them. She smiled at them, glancing at the butler standing beside her.

"Go and get that thing," she spoke in a low voice.

"What is it, Cynthia?" Alistair asked, confused why his sister was blocking the way.

Lucian, who stood at a distance, heard the way Alistair called her. Letting out a soft sigh, he looked at Cynthia. She didn’t tell him that he didn’t say her name properly that one time when he called her out that way.

"Why are you standing so far away?" Alistair looked at Lucian, his eyes hinting at their suspicious behaviour.

"Come here, Lucian," Cynthia smiled, turning to face him.

Lucian didn’t say anything and walked beside her.

She changes expressions like nobles change clothes...

He mused, trying to hide the slight hint of repulse forming inside him. He didn’t like it when someone faked things and it seemed Cynthia was constantly doing so.

The butler returned with a plate of flowers in his hands and bowed slightly before extending it to the princess.

"What is this?" Alistair demanded, perplexed.

Cynthia smiled softly and began to lay down the flowers on the path leading towards the entry of the castle.

"Mother once told me that was how father had welcomed her. I believe it’s only natural that we welcome the new queen in this manner."

Alistair chuckled softly.

"As you wish. Let’s enter, my... Queen," the blonde-haired man smiled softly at the young woman beside him, extending a hand her way.

Saya hesitantly held his hand. She had always wanted to be by this man’s side but she never thought that dream which she believed would never come true was actually happening in reality.

She slowly stepped on the flower path, followed by Alistair who walked alongside her.

The servants began to cheer for the king and queen, the joy in their eyes evident.

Lucian followed the newlywed couple, not knowing what would be the best.

Once the couple made their way inside the palace, Cynthia followed them alongside Lucian.

She watched their backs from behind, her mind racing with reasons why her brother would marry Saya Ramsel. She didn’t hate her. Rather, she did have a fondness for her when they were younger but that soon ended with the mistakes her father made.

Ah. But then, I wouldn’t be any different from the grand duke... He also hated me because of something I had no knowledge of... However, Saya knows what happened that day...

Cynthia clenched her fist, her jaw clenched as she recalled the horrifying memories of that day.

"What’s wrong?" Lucian asked, noticing the darkened expression on his wife’s face.

"Nothing," Cynthia quickly replied, although her voice cracked slightly.

She couched to clear her throat, rushing to walk beside her brother.

Lucian studied Cynthia’s face even from a distance, trying to understand what might be going on in her mind.

"Brother, are you... happy with this marriage?" Cynthia asked in a low voice, gazing up at the man beside her.

"Are you happy?"

That question sent chills down her spine. It was a question to which she didn’t have an answer but she had to lie. She couldn’t worry him. What if he began to find her bothersome due to her problems with her husband? After all, men didn’t like it when women complained.

With a forced smile, she nodded.

"Of course. He keeps me happy."

Alistair noticed she was, as always, faking a smile. And as usual, he chose to ignore it. He didn’t have the confidence to question her about it yet. He might never be able to ask her why she always hid her true feelings, even before him because she was too precious and he feared hurting her.

Vincent often told him maybe that was the very reason why she lied so often. Because he never dared to ask her anything related to her behaviour.

"I apologize, but you are a coward when it comes to our sister, Your Majesty."

Vincent’s words echoed to his mind.

A soft chuckle escaped Alistair, turning to face Lucian who walked slowly behind them, with a safe distance.

"Why aren’t you walking beside your wife?" He demanded.

"I believe... it’s better she walked beside you."

Lucian glanced at Cynthia, unsure if he had said the right thing. He didn’t want to cause more problems than there were between them.

Alistair nodded in agreement and turned his heels, walking towards his bedroom, followed by Saya, Cynthia and Lucian.

As he swung the door open, an arrow flew his way. Before he could move, Cynthia had already caught it in her grip, the sharp blade tearing a part of her skin. Blood began to drop on the group.

"Who dared to?!—"

Before she could step inside the room, two hands gripped her wrist.

She knew one of them was her brother’s but the other one.... She glanced behind and to her surprise, it wasn’t Saya but Lucian and Alistair.

"It could be dangerous inside," Alistair spoke in a low tone, waving his hand to the guards standing before the entrance to go and verify if there was any other threat inside the hall.

"But brother!" Cynthia shouted, her lips trembling in a fear Lucian never saw.

Even when she fought demons, she remained calm and composed.

She must truly care for... the king...

He mused, unable to let go of her hand, his grip tightening.

"Cynthia. I know you are worried but let me handle this. Alright?" Alistair gently stroked her head, a wry smile on his face.

Cynthia took a shaky breath, her eyes still wide with the shock of the attack. She felt the sting of her injured hand but dismissed it, watching as the guards stormed into Alistair’s chambers to assess the situation. Alistair’s calm yet firm hold on her shoulder kept her from rushing in after them.

Lucian, however, didn’t let go of her other hand. His expression was unreadable, but his grip was steady, almost reassuring in a way she hadn’t expected. She glanced at him, meeting his eyes for a brief moment, and saw something that startled her—a flicker of concern.

"Your Highness..." she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Let go."

He remained silent, his gaze unwavering as he held her hand. Then, with an almost imperceptible nod, he released her, stepping back but keeping a protective stance beside her. Alistair, too, gave her a gentle look, as though silently urging her to trust him.

The guards emerged from the room moments later, confirming that it was safe for Alistair to enter. Cynthia was about to follow, but Alistair turned to her, his expression stern.

"Stay here, Cynthia," he commanded, a rare firmness in his voice. "You’ve done enough by saving me from that arrow. Let us handle the rest."

"But, Your Highness—" she started, the protest clear in her eyes.

He shook his head. "Please, Cynthia. You’re injured, and I can’t risk anything happening to you."

Seeing the resolution in her brother’s gaze, Cynthia finally relented, clenching her fists at her sides. Alistair gave her a small nod of gratitude before stepping into the room, Saya close behind him. Lucian lingered, casting a glance at Cynthia as if he were debating whether to speak.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger like that," he sighed.

"And what was I supposed to do?" She asked, a lingering hint of anger in her voice.

"You are injured now. You could have simply pushed the king so he could avoid the arrow instead of putting yourself in danger."

"I won’t die from an arrow scratching my hand," she scoffed.

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