The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 106: Before it’s too late (3)

After her conversation with her mother, Hazel remained in her room for an hour, enjoying that she did not need to be in a rush to take part in an event for the selection or feel like she was being watched in her room.

Before the day could be over, Hazel left her room to find her family to bring them together. They had spent enough time away from each other and could part ways once more after sitting down.

Hazel wanted to grant her mother’s wish for them to sit around like they were having a picnic since she wouldn’t be home as much as she would like to be in the coming weeks. A sacrifice she had to make and quickly get used to.

"Oh, father! Are you busy?" Hazel asked, picking up her pace to catch up to her father.

"Not at all. Is there something you need? Something you need to ask?" Nathan asked, ready to speak with Hazel. He thought she might seek her mother out for talk about marriage but he could still offer some advice.

"Mother wanted us to have a picnic so before dinner I thought it would be nice if we were to sit in the garden and enjoy each other’s company. I want to do that much for her if you don’t mind," Hazel said, hoping they would all be up for it.

"That I can do. I am on my way to the kitchen so I will have something prepared for us. Your mother is already outside in the garden, but I don’t know where your sister is. Perhaps in her room. I can get her to come out," Nathan offered since he heard that the girls were back to not seeing eye to eye.

Sitting down and enjoying each other’s company was just what they needed to try moving forward before Hazel had to return to the palace.

"No," Hazel replied, turning down her father’s offer. Letting him go would just continue to make this all awkward for the family. Her going would show her mother that she was willing to move forward with Helena once more so she could stop worrying. "I will go to her since mother wants us to speak. Let us hope that it doesn’t end any more arguing."

"I hope that it will go peacefully. I don’t want to hear any more arguing after what we dealt with today. Are you sure you want to go back to the palace? I can protect you from what anyone will say. We can even move-"

"And how will you do your business if we were to move? All the relatives would try to convince me to go to the countryside while you and everyone else stay here. I don’t need an escape plan just yet, father. I only need your support," said Hazel.

Still, she was grateful to know there was an option for her to runaway with her parents if needed. That they would drop everything for her.

Nathan smiled, once again surprised by how Hazel was. "You know, sometimes it worries me how mature you are. If we had done something to make you grow up quickly."

"Well, I always wanted to be a good big sister to help you and mother with Helena so I had to behave differently. It is nothing you did wrong so please do not ever assume that. Please," Hazel pleaded as it hurt her to have her parents starting to think this way.

They couldn’t have been any more perfect with how they raised her. She never once felt forced to do anything she didn’t like, aside from taking part in the selection, to make her family look good. She was on her best behaviour to not embarrass her family because that was what she wanted.

"I will try to have some moments where I let loose and not be so serious. Well, in secret because I don’t want to get in trouble at the palace. Maybe I will dance like how everyone says you dance," Hazel said jokingly.

"Please, save yourself the embarrassment and don’t dance like me even in private. I must continue my secret lessons so I can surprise your mother at the next ball. I also can’t embarrass you if we are to ever share a dance. Now, hurry off to get your sister," Nathan said, turning Hazel around for her to head to Helena’s room.

Hazel chuckled. "Yes, father."

Nathan remained in the same spot, watching Hazel walk off. It was hard to get used to the fact the little girl who used to follow him around so often and didn’t want to part from him so much that he had to take her alone on his business meetings was now going to be leaving his sight and become queen.

He had one drink to help him get used to this change and now he needed another as he was not coping with letting her go. The mention of a test in the palace made it harder to let go.

He had to visit the court to make it known that his daughter was not to be harmed. Jeffrey was already warned that he would take his weapons elsewhere if they brought up the test to Hazel again.

Hazel walked to Helena’s room, completely unaware of her father’s struggle to finally let her go off to get married. She occasionally looked over her shoulder expecting to find the maid that shadowed her during the selection to be there. freёnovelkiss.com

"The palace is starting to affect me," Hazel muttered. It was starting to feel like she was back there.

Hazel stopped in front of Helena’s door which no longer had the pink ribbon that was tied on it during their youth. Another sign that Helena was growing up.

Hazel knocked on the door several times and then waited for Helena to come to her.

Helena opened the door a little to peek out at Hazel. "Must you continue to knock like that?"

"You always knew that it was me when I did this. Have you been crying?" Hazel asked, stepping forward to get a better look at Helena’s puffy eyes.

Helena pushed the door forward to close it a little more. "What do you need?"

Hazel didn’t want to skip over Helena’s tears but knew her sister would not want to share no matter how much she asked. "I want to get everyone together to sit in the garden like a picnic. We kind of ruined mother’s plan but it’s not too late to fix it."

"I will be down shortly," Helena answered. She couldn’t go down as the mess she was now.

"Helena, if you need someone around for whatever is troubling you, I am here," Hazel said.

She didn’t get the feeling that Helena was crying for attention so they could all feel sorry for her and forget how she had been acting.

"I am fine-"

"You are not fine when your eyes look like that. I have never seen you cry this even when we had someone in the family die. What is it that troubles you?" Hazel asked, not leaving until she got the answer.

Helena rested her head on the door. "I am tired of arguing," she spoke softly.

She realised after Hazel pointed it out that she was trying to meddle in Hazel’s relationship with the prince by mentioning David. Helena had forgotten about her true reason for bringing up David and was more focused on Tobias being rude to her.

"I shouldn’t have spoken like that to mother."

"You being aware is a start. Open the door, Helena. Now that you are starting to be aware of your actions is the best time for us to talk," said Hazel.