The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 267: As a mother (2)

"Enough! Speak of this for another second and I will have you escorted out of the palace or should you like to spend the night in the dungeon?" Tobias questioned, seriously considering the latter.

Tobias never thought there would be a day that he would think of sending his mother to the palace dungeon, a place not suited for her, but it was her fault that this was being considered. What couldn’t she understand about not wanting to speak of this now?

"Tobias," Jeffrey warned. "Now is not the time."

"Ha," Tobias released a dry laugh. "You say that now after I advise her that now is not the time? I am sick of her pushing the limit and you allowing it to happen. This is my palace now. I don’t need to listen to either of you."

"You can still respect our opinion," Tabitha said. Just because they were no longer king and queen did not mean that they shouldn’t have opinions which were to be heard.

"I don’t care for it," Tobias replied, his answer not changing. "Have you no shame with what you want to advise her to do? You speak so confidently telling her to take in another woman. As a woman and a former queen, have you no shame?"

"I wouldn’t be bringing this up if there was a problem to begin with. Three years have gone by-"

"Sofia, please leave the table for a moment. If you would like, you can have dinner in your room and I shall visit later," Hazel said, finding it best that Sofia not be present.

Tabitha couldn’t believe that Hazel was taking it upon herself to send Sofia out. "What do you think you are doing?"

"What is right since some adults didn’t think twice about starting this now when Sofia is present. One of us must think of her," Hazel said, taking a jab at the fact Tabitha tended to ignore Sofia.

"She will not be going anywhere," Tabitha said, looking over the other side of the table. "Do not move from where you are."

"Then you leave," Hazel said, joining Tobias to send his mother out of the palace. She would enjoy seeing Tabitha in the dungeon, but she didn’t need that to get out of the palace. It would just bring more attention to not having an heir if many knew why Tabitha was sent to the dungeon.

"If you do not like what is being said, why don’t you leave?" Tabitha questioned. Hazel was quite good at running when it came time for her to be scolded.

Sofia stood to leave as she didn’t want to be there. Why couldn’t they have one peaceful dinner?

Hazel laughed as it was ridiculous that Tabitha thought she was the one who needed to leave. "I came here to enjoy dinner with my husband. I am not leaving because of you. For a moment, I thought we were heading in the right direction. That we could move on as we are family."

"When asked about my relationship with you, I would not like to have to force a smile and lie that we are close so there isn’t any talk about tension in this family. I would have liked for our starting over to be true so I could stop lying and painting you to be a wonderful woman," Hazel added.

During this depressing time in her life, the last thing Hazel wanted to do was keep up with lies about her relationship with Tabitha.

"I don’t know what has given anyone the impression that I don’t want to have a child. I would like to experience what it is like to be someone’s mother. I would like to experience sharing that news with my husband and then with everyone else I care for," Hazel said, smiling as she spoke.

She continued, "I have tried all types of medicines, wary of those around me, and I have done things that hurt. Just as the kingdom desires to have an heir, I would like a child. I would expect you to know the troubles that come with trying to have a child. How everything does not come easy at times."

Hazel laughed. "Though I suppose it is easy for everyone to speak when they are not in my position. You have two children, Tabitha. You’ve experienced the joy of bringing them into this world. Can’t you find it in your heart to care for others who’ve yet to experience it?"

"This is far more than that," Tabitha argued. If they were in a different position, she could hold Hazel and tell her that it would all be fine, but they were in a position where they had to be quick with getting heirs. "Honestly, this is why I didn’t want you-"

Tabitha stopped herself as saying that would only further upset Tobias.

"Didn’t want me as queen? I didn’t know you could predict who could quickly have a child and who could not. Unless you know something about why I am yet to have a child?" Hazel questioned.

The people Hazel trusted grew less and less each day and with how much Tabitha had disliked her and still did, Hazel couldn’t trust her. Tabitha would benefit from her not having a child. She could join in pushing for one of the women she liked to join this family and then eventually push Hazel out.

Hazel gripped her dress under the table. The terrible thoughts were coming back at a terrible time. "Please leave."

Tobias stood up from his chair, followed right behind by Jeffrey. Each wanted to defend their wives.

"We can be civil and calmly speak of this," Jeffrey suggested.

"Father, your ears are deceiving you. You fail to hear that we don’t want to speak of this matter," Tobias said, motioning for the guards to approach the table. "Decide if you want to spend the night in the dungeon or return to where you’ve come from."

"You’d embarrass us by putting us in a dungeon?" Jeffrey asked as he walked around the table to be at Tabitha’s side. "You’ve ignored that Hazel asked your mother to continue with what she said."

"To get it out of the way and then I said that I don’t want to hear anyone. I’ve said that I would like to have a child and shared that I am trying. That should be enough. None of you have ever for a second stopped to question if there are other reasons I have yet to-"

"Then are you saying that the king is the man preventing you from having a child? Would you like to sleep with another man to test it?" Tabitha questioned, her voice reaching outside the dining room. There was nothing wrong with her son. Hazel was the one failing her duty. "Have him take another woman. You can help him to choose."

"Take my mother out. I don’t care what method you use to have her out of my sight," Tobias ordered the guards. He was quite close to dragging her out himself, but he wanted to stay by Hazel’s side.

Tabitha gasped as the guards neared her and Jeffrey. "Tobias. How could you order them to do that to us? We are royalty. Have you any idea of the shame that could fall upon us?"

"I gave you the option to leave without being escorted and I thought you didn’t know about shame? Try to keep up with them before you fall as they take you out," Tobias advised his parents.

Jeffrey blocked Tabitha from the guards. "Tobias, this is madness. We have come here for a family dinner. This is your mother."

"And it is my wife that I am choosing to protect," Tobias replied, kneeling before Hazel. When would it be understood that Hazel came first?

He still loved his family but Hazel was his priority. Anyone who troubled her especially when he knew that she was facing a battle inside herself could have his sword pointed their way. It was unfortunate that it was the people most close to them who needed to disappear but Tobias was more than willing to do it to keep Hazel happy.

"I will not stay where I am not wanted. You cannot avoid the questions about an heir. Three years is far too long and should you need my help, I will not offer it," Tabitha said, stepping from behind Jeffrrey to make her way out.

Hazel will need her. Hazel was being backed into a corner and as she was, Hazel was still trying too hard to put up a fight. Now was the time to listen instead of trying to fight everyone. The next time she came to the palace, Tabitha knew that Hazel would not be as she was now if she knew what was good for her.

Tobias paid no mind to his parents leaving with the guards. "I am sorry," he apologised.

"Unless you have some strange talent to know the future, that was not your fault. I just want to enjoy dinner with you right now. We were in such a good mood before we came here and I want to keep enjoying it. We can speak of this in the morning. Please," Hazel pleaded as she didn’t want the day to end this way.

She still had it inside of her to enjoy dinner and go to bed happy.

"Very well. Bring the princess back and serve dinner," Tobias ordered the maids.