Chapter 907: Rowena"s Ident.i.ty Is Uncovered
Note:
Dear Jess_R_7437, thank you so much for gifting a castle to The Cursed Prince yesterday. Hope you are enjoying the rest of the story ^^.
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< Before The Royal Library Incident >
When Prince Liam finally found Queen Serena, she had returned to her chambers to rest after the stressful conversation with the old royal doctor.
She was still troubled with the arrival of the so-called Julian and Harlow, and only wished to dispose of the two of them so that their family could be at peace once more.
Once she got rid of those two, things would go back to normal and their family would continue to live together—that was why when Prince Liam arrived, she bore no grudge against her precious son.
"Mother!" Prince Liam stood up from the floor with a worried look. "Where have you been? I"ve been looking everywhere for you."
"Ah, my son... you didn"t have to worry about me." Queen Serena smiled fondly and patted her son"s head affectionately. "I simply took a breath of fresh air and calmed myself."
Prince Liam sighed. "That... that outburst from earlier, Mother. I"m sure that you"re upset with what they"ve done—"
"They impersonated you and infiltrated the palace, Liam."
"I"ve also pretended and tricked Harlow into thinking I was her friend." Prince Liam protested. "I am just as bad, but I a.s.sure you none of us did it with ill intention. It was only... out of curiosity."
Queen Serena"s gaze narrowed at her son and she squeezed his shoulder.
"It might seem like fun and games for you, but what if they are related to some organization or a neighboring kingdom that wishes to use someone who looks like you and your father to access the royal palace?"
Prince Liam hadn"t thought of that and he understood the suspicion. However, since he managed to figure out that "Harlow" was none other than the crown princess of Ashland—he knew that his mother"s fears were not founded upon reason.
A part of him knew that it was Rowena"s secret to tell, especially since she hadn"t introduced herself at all and Liam only found it out as an accident. However, if Queen Serena knew that Rowena was a trustworthy individual and had the background to prove her claim... then maybe it wouldn"t pose a problem anymore?
"Mother... I have something to say to you." Prince Liam admitted. "Do you remember the letter that arrived all the way from Ashland?"
Queen Serena snorted.
"You mean from that ridiculous King Draco? Who does he think he is to ask princes from all over the world to band together in search of his runaway daughter? His kingdom may be prosperous, but I see no reason why you should involve yourself in such charlatan quests."
King Xander actually thought it was a good chance for Prince Liam to go out—and even wanted to teach him swordplay for that very reason.
"Father told me that I needed to go see the world, explore more and be my own man..." Prince Liam said. "I didn"t necessarily have to find the princess, versus understanding how the world works."
"Well, your father"s ideas aren"t bad, but he doesn"t understand that it"s better you stay here with us." Queen Seren
a gently clasped her son"s cheek. "You don"t have to worry about anything at all as long as we"re here for you."
"...What if the Princess of Ashland was close though?" Prince Liam said at last.
"Huh?" Queen Serena blinked at her son.
"The very guest that I have in this castle is none other than the princess herself." Prince Liam looked at his mother, face a little red as he thought about Rowena.
"The princess of Ashland? What do you mean?"
"That is why you do not need to worry about their background or anything at all, Mother. If you look at the letter and the description along with the sketch, you"d find a great resemblance between them," Prince Liam said.
"...is that so?" Queen Serena looked at her son.
She didn"t expect that this "Julian" would actually be backed by a princess... but this princess was a runaway, so she didn"t actually hold true power.
If anything, if what her son said was true—then it was actually far easier to hold the princess hostage and gain benefits.
However, Queen Serena noticed the look on her son"s face.
Her son was infatuated with the girl.
Queen Serena could still make use of this.
***
"Tell me dear... how long have you been away from Ashland?" she asked Rowena with a smile.
Rowena threw a look at Prince Liam"s direction and found herself at a shock. She had never once mentioned Ashland to him, and she thought that Julian calling her as "Rowena" wouldn"t be able to reveal to Prince Liam the truth about her background.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Rowena underestimated the reach and the lengths that King Draco would go through to find her. She was already at the very end of another continent, but his communication still reached even here.
"What"s the matter, dear?" Queen Serena smiled and held up a letter. It bore the seal of the Roseland family as the ruler of Ashland.
Rowena"s gaze focused on the letter and she bit down on her lip as the queen continued to speak over her.
"Despite the treacherous seas, numerous unknown a.s.sailants, and misfortunes that happened to a great number of messengers who wished to deliver this letter—your father never quite gave up and continued to push through until it reached the sh.o.r.es of Verona."
Prince Liam was in shock as well. He didn"t expect that his mother would reveal it to anyone—he thought it would only appease his mother and not make her want to get rid of both Julian and Rowena
"What do you mean?" King Xander frowned as he eyed the letter. "Prince Liam has introduced to us this fine young lady known as Harlow—"
"That was my pseudonym, Your Majesty." Rowena sighed at last and stood up politely. She looked at Queen Serena and met her gaze. "I truly am Princess Rowena of Ashland, the runaway daughter who has come all the way until here to avoid my father"s pursuits."
"Why?" Queen Serena asked. "I"m sure that your father—"
"A princess so far away from her home." King Xander"s eyes widened. "Young woman, you are quite brave."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty." Rowena curtsied respectfully. "I… I hope you understand that I have my reasons for leaving the palace and do not force me back."&n
bsp;
"If you were like Liam, then you would only run away but still return to the palace," King Xander said. "I can see your resolve to run away from your father."
Rowena smiled. "I wouldn"t be able to do it without my dear friend, Julian. He has helped show me the ropes on how to survive the world, and that is why I"m most grateful that His Majesty is actually searching for the truth about his true origins."
If Queen Serena actually wished to trap Rowena under the context that she was the runaway daughter of a king from a distant land—Rowena would use it to her advantage.
She"d use her name and rank as much as it could afford her.