III. The Impact of Her

Mother’s giggles were heard as I approached the dining hall.

The guards from the master bedroom told me that she and James were already having dinner. As I stood by the door of the dining hall, I straightened myself and knocked on the door.

The door opened and James’ page appeared, quickly announcing me into the room. As I entered, it was only Mother and James who shared the table.

“Robert, is there something wrong?” Mother asked immediately.

“Forgive me if I disturbed your dinner. I can return later,” I replied as I was about to turn around.

“No, son, you didn’t disturb anything at all,” James said, stopping me right on time. He stood from his seat and asked, “Would you like to join us? We can have a place prepared for you.”

“I appreciate your offer, James. But I will be having mine in my room,” I smiled as I kept my hands behind me.

James asked another, “Is there something you wish to tell us?”

I raised my hand, instantly showing the note. “Someone left this on my doorstep. I think this can help in the investigation of Lady’s poisoning,” I explained.

“Come forward, then,” said Mother.

I walked towards them and handed the note over to James.

“This is incredibly big help, son,” he smiled as he received it. James then opened the note and read its content.

“What did it say?” Mother asked.

James closed the letter before turning to Mother. “There is no need to worry, my love. It was a mediocre attempt to scare our son,” he replied.

She nodded with a smile but her eyes weren’t entirely convinced. She might not do it now but she might talk more about this in the future. “I would like to return to our room, darling,” she said as she stood up.

James walked to her and gently held her arm. “You go ahead. I will follow you right after.”

Mother nodded and left. Her handmaidens walked right behind her and the guards followed behind them.

“My son,” James returned to me as the doors closed, “I will talk to Gonzalo about this as soon as possible. In the meantime, I want you to be careful at all times. Whoever sent this,” he briefly raised the note, “They have their wrath prepared specifically for you.”

“Do you think that there is a possibility that they will come after our family?” I asked.

“That, I am not certain of, Robert. But we have to be cautious with our every action,” James continued. He added, “In everything we do, we have to ensure our safety. We can’t have someone stab us on our backs when we are not looking.”

I answered with a nod as I couldn’t agree more with him. This matter has escalated quickly than what I expected. And it wasn’t just about Lady and myself anymore. It was also about my family. The perpetrator might have had their anger aimed directly at me. However, they could still include my family in this mess.

And I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

“I will discuss this with your mother and sister tomorrow. For now,” James put a hand on my shoulder, “Rest your mind.”

“Yes, Fath– I mean, James.” My heart raced again as my tongue slipped.

‘Why do I keep calling him that?!’ I thought to myself, irritated.

I continued, “I shall take my leave. I know that Mother is waiting for you. I don’t want her to wait that long.” I turned around and headed for the door.

“Son,” James called, which immediately stopped me on my tracks, “You can always call me ‘father’. You know that.”

I stood silent as I stared at him, not knowing what to say. Emotions rose within me. I didn’t know what to feel in this situation.

‘This should be an exciting moment, right?’ I asked myself.

James wanted me to call him “father”. It was something that I always wanted to happen. But after I waited for such a long time, I didn’t know how to react anymore. Formally, I replied, “Have a good evening, James.” I proceeded to leave the room as I struggled to keep a calm exterior.

I was about to enter my room when Gonzalo called from behind.

“Yes, Gonzalo?” I asked as I turned around. I was baffled when he approached me with a basket in hand.

“Here is what you asked for,” he carefully gave me the basket. “Also, the owner wanted to give you this,” he handed a letter next.

My brows furrowed as I received the folded paper. But as soon as I saw my name, written in Laura’s hand, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you, Gonzalo,” I said as I put a hand on his shoulder. “You never failed to amaze me.”

He nodded as I proceeded into my room. As soon as the door shut, I put the basket on the table and sat down. I opened the letter and it read,

“Robert, this is Grandpa Ben.

“A man from your castle said you asked for our best pastries so I gave one of everything on our list. I am also aware that you wish to speak to a certain person through a letter. But I thought that would be too conspicuous. That is why I asked the man to hand this letter directly to you.

“As you read this, I am acting merely as a bridge between the two of you. I am unsure if the man will keep his word not to open the letter. After this, the person speaking isn’t me.

“Thank you for taking a stroll with me. Though I know our lives were in peril today, every single second with you was well-spent. Forgive me for making you worry too much. I even gave you the tiring job of bringing me back home.

“Rest well, dear prince.

“Cordially, me.”

The handwriting inside the letter wasn’t hers. But every word felt like it genuinely came from her. How she expressed herself, even in letters, was easily recognisable at this point. Even on paper, her gentleness shone through.

I grabbed a paper and quill,

“Dearest you,

“Ensuring your safety is my pleasure. I am more than happy to make sure that you arrive on your bed without somebody doing unthinkable things on you. To be trusted with your well-being… nothing in this world - not even being a prince - can measure up to that.

“Your brief message gave me happiness. And to send it through another fascinated me on how quick you thought of it. With all honesty, I cannot read what goes through your mind. But I guess that would make everything a lot more interesting.

“I want to tell you something. This could have waited until tomorrow but I couldn’t bear it on my own. I could not speak about it to anyone here. I have to be cautious with every step from now on. And I know this will only be safe in your hands.

“Lady was poisoned after I returned home. We didn’t know who did it. But she was saved by James. I also called him ‘father’ by accident. It happened twice today. I don’t know what it means.

“Could it be that I have forgiven him? Or is it just a slip of the tongue?

“I will wait for your thoughts until we meet again.

“Cordially, me. X”

I folded the letter as I walked towards the window. I opened it and with a simple incantation, the paper turned into a paper owl and flew to the direction where Laura was. In my mind, I prayed as I closed the window.

I hoped that the letter would directly reach Laura’s hands.

I proceeded to my bed and prepared for my sleep. The image of Laura’s face suddenly appeared in my mind as I prepared my bed. Without warning, my mind reminded me of everything about her.

Her inevitable gentleness. Her purity. Her kindness. Her heart just radiated from everything.

I was blessed to have met her in this lifetime. And I was even more blessed to have her.