Roman hugged his toy tightly as he burrowed deeper beneath the heavy duvet, refusing to let even a sliver of daylight reach him.

*Father always gets so angry with me,* he thought miserably, his chest tightening. *He doesn’t understand what it feels like to listen to the other children talk about their brothers and sisters. He doesn’t love me. I don’t think he ever did.*

His large eyes filled with hot tears, and slowly, they spilled over his cheeks, dampening the fabric of the bedding. "I won’t talk to him ever again," Roman sobbed into the quiet room, burying his face into the plush fur of his soft toy as he turned his back toward the door.

"Roman, what happened, sweetheart?" Eilika’s melodious voice suddenly reached his ears, her footsteps stopping right beside the large bed. But unlike all the other times she had come to comfort him, he remained completely still this time, refusing to give her a response.

He felt the mattress shift as Eilika sat down beside him, her gentle hand immediately reaching out to stroke his head through the thick fabric of the duvet.

"Are you upset with your father?" she asked softly.

Roman didn’t say a single word. He clamped his mouth shut and cried silently, trying to stifle his sobs because he didn’t want Eilika to see him so vulnerable.

"Baby, won’t you even talk to me?" Eilika asked, her voice laced with a mother’s concern. "Why are you keeping so quiet? Please understand, it truly is not an easy thing to bring a baby into this world. It is not because I don’t want to give you a sibling, but because your father is carrying a very heavy burden, and he is trying his best to protect us and give me everything."

Roman finally pulled his head out from beneath the heavy duvet, his small face flushed and his eyelashes clumped together with wet tears as he looked up at his mother.

"Why are you crying, hmm?" Eilika asked softly, her heart aching at the sight of his distress. Her hands moved gently to his face, her thumbs brushing across his cheeks to wipe away the damp trails.

"Father scolded me, that’s why," he whispered, his voice trembling as he tucked his chin down. "Why is it so difficult, Mama? I won’t mind at all if you have to give more attention to the baby. I will love them so much. I promise."

"I know you would," Eilika said, her smile full of warmth and a touch of sadness as she looked at his earnest expression. "Now, come, sit up for me."

He did exactly what his mother wanted, shifting his weight and finally sitting up on the mattress, still cradling his toy tightly in his arms.

"Your father didn’t scold you, my sweet. I admit he was a little stern, but it wasn’t a scolding. Roman, you call yourself a big boy, right? So, what I am about to tell you now, you will try your best to understand, won’t you?" Eilika looked deeply into the boy’s eyes, her gaze steady and full of trust.

Roman nodded slowly, the stubbornness in his posture beginning to melt away.

"Your father is going through a trauma," she began softly.

"What is a trauma?" He blinked, confusedly staring at her as he tried to process the heavy word.

"Umm... It is when a very big, sad event happens in your life that shakes you to the core," Eilika explained, choosing her words as carefully and simply as she could for his young mind. "It is something so painful that you can never quite forget it, and it leaves behind a deep fear that takes a very long time to overcome."

Roman’s brows knitted close together as the realization washed over his young mind, his expression shifting from confusion to a deep, quiet understanding.

"Is my biological mother’s demise a trauma for Father?" Roman asked softly, his voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper. "He used to be so upset for such a long time... I thought he was finally happy after marrying you, Mama."

"He is incredibly happy, Roman. But he is also very scared," Eilika said, her hand gently squeezing his shoulder to comfort him.

"Why is Father scared?" Roman questioned, his gaze searching hers. "Birth... I heard the maids talking once. They said my mother died right after giving birth to me. Is it because of that? Is Father scared that the exact same thing could happen to you?" His tiny brows furrowed together again, the weight of the truth settling heavily on his chest.

"Something like that," Eilika whispered, her heart aching as she pulled him a little closer.

Roman shifted from his place on the mattress and threw his tiny arms around her neck, burying his face into her shoulder. He suddenly turned completely quiet, refusing to speak another word. Feeling his small body go completely still, Eilika felt a sudden pang of worry, wondering if she had done the wrong thing by sharing such a heavy truth with a child.

"Roman," Eilika murmured softly, gently rubbing his back. "We need to help end your father’s fear. The trauma he carries will take a lot of time to completely go away. So, what if we pamper your father a lot? Together, you and I can do that for him."

"Yes, we can do it," Roman agreed, nodding against her shoulder before finally pulling back. "I want Father to be happy. I know what happened with my biological mother was unfortunate, but I know it was no one’s fault."

"Exactly, baby. It was no one’s fault. But because your father doesn’t think like that, we need to help him believe it. Once we do, I am sure everything will go well. And trust me, Roman, your father cherishes you so much. So, please don’t hold onto any negative feelings. Even when he is stern, there is only love for you," Eilika asserted gently.

Roman hummed softly in response, his small face turning thoughtful as he began to truly understand his father’s pain.

~~~~~

Damian dried his face with a linen towel and draped it over the back of the chair. A servant had already brought up a fresh tray of hot tea for him and Eilika, but there was still no trace of his wife.

"I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me," he murmured to himself, staring blankly at the silver teapot. "Roman is just a child. He doesn’t understand all of this."

A soft knock on the heavy wooden door broke the silence of the chamber, causing him to lift his gaze.

"Your Grace, Sir Maurice is here to report to you," a maidservant announced respectfully from the other side.

"Ask him to wait for me in the main hall," Damian stated, his voice instantly regaining its cool, noble authority.

Once the maidservant’s retreating footsteps faded down the corridor, he stood up and walked over to the mirror, adjusting his collar as he studied his reflection.

He walked out of his chambers and made his way down to the grand main hall, his expression carved from stone.

"I have brought Elias exactly as you requested, Your Grace," Maurice informed him, bowing low the moment the Duke approached.

"Is he locked securely in the palace dungeon?" Damian asked, his voice cold and unyielding.

"Yes, but his son will likely arrive here soon to plead for his release," Maurice stated.

Dowager Duchess Georgia, who had been sitting nearby, looked at her son in utter confusion and intervened. "Are you two talking about Count Elias?" she questioned, her brow furrowed.

"Yes, Mother. He is the one who poisoned me," Damian replied bluntly. "I have a witness to prove it, which is why he has been imprisoned. A formal trial will take place tomorrow," he explained. He was well aware that Count Elias’s wife was a dear friend of his mother, and he fully expected the woman to use that bond to beg for mercy, something he was determined to prevent.

"What? Elias tried to kill you?!" Georgia exclaimed, stepping back in shock.

"Yes, and until the trial concludes, no one is permitted an audience with Elias’s family," Damian ordered coldly. "Maurice, you may return home for the evening. Thank you for your hard work."

He turned around to make his way back toward his chambers when he suddenly recalled the young prince. "Mother, is Prince August not in the palace?"

"No. He has not returned since leaving for his duties this morning," Georgia replied, her shock quickly morphing into a mother’s fierce rage. "If Elias truly tried to take your life, Damian, then do not show an ounce of mercy. Give him the death sentence."

The anger in Georgia’s eyes were evident.

"I’ll see to it, Mother," he said and went upstairs. The moment he entered his chamber, he found Roman and Eilika there. She was feeding him the cookies that Damian had brought earlier.

"Father!" Roman immediately rose to his feet and bowed stiffly. "Forgive me for running away."