The Union

Chronology: After Chapter 132

Everything was covered in white. Snowflakes danced in the air like smooth feathers.

With flowers in hand, Leopold trudged in the snow. His coat was thick and every part of his body was covered save for his eyes and nose.

He pulled the flowers towards his nose and relished on its fragrance.

Gardenias. Margaret had always favored gardenias. When he was still courting Margaret, he would give her this flower almost everyday.

Now that Margaret is gone, all he could do is to bring gardenias to her grave every now and then.

"We must hurry. Your knees are aching due to cold right?" Timothy said who was walking beside him. He was also holding a bunch of gardenias.

"You"re treating me like an old frail man. I am still strong"

"You were strong" Timothy smiled "Now your knees are aching"

"Heh. It"s only cold" He halted and pointed to the left "That"s it"

At the distance there was a huge oak. The oak "s size was not really its unique characteristic though. It was the tree"s isolation.

Around the oak sprawled a bed of white snow. When spring comes and when the snow had melted, the ground where they are standing right now is a wide plain at least a league across. The oak stood alone in the plain.

Leopold could still remember the day she told Margaret of his feelings. It was summer of that year under the oak. They had been close friends for more than a decade that time. Leopold had been hiding his feelings for the same length of time.

Margaret returned his feelings and the two of them became couples that day. After several years he took her as his Queen despite the protests of many people.

When they were just a few paces from the oak, a block of marble was revealed. Flakes of snow covered the marble, painting it in white. Leopold knelt and swept the snow with his palm. The inscription, Margaret Castonia, was written on the surface of the marble block.

Leopold put the flowers on the block. Timothy also did the same. He then caressed the inscription with the tip of his fingers. Memories came flooding to his mind- both good and bad but memories nontheless.

"What does she look like?" Timothy asked "I was still small when she left us that I have already forgoten her face"

"She..." Leopold closed his eyes. Margaret"s face was still fresh in his memory. "She was beautiful. Her smooth black hair was pretty. Her kind eyes were so deep that you would drown by looking. And her smile... oh her smile was the best thing in the world. Nothing makes my heart flutter more than her smile"

Leopold pulled his coat tighter towards his body. "I was rude to her when we first met. She was a servant girl and I was the heir of Castonia. I would always meet my eyebrows whenever she was around. There was something about her innocence that annoyed me. But you know son..."

He looked towards the marble block with a smile "We eventually got closer. I grew up with a servant girl with an innocent smile. The next think I know, I fell for her."

Timothy knelt beside him and hooked an arm around his back. "May I ask you a personal question?"

"You may"

"Why... didn"t you marry again after she left? It would have lessened your heartache"

Leopold sighed "Because I never ceased on loving her. The thought did come into my mind. But I just couldn"t replace her in my heart Tim. I have always loved her. Even time couldn"t dull my love. I love her now as much as I did when I first told her about my feelings."

Leopold"s kneel slumped. He let his b.u.t.t fall on the cold snow. "Even though she betrayed me, I couldn"t blame her for the act. That royal guard was good looking and his words were greasy. While I... I am hard to love. I am an evil person. My looks are also nothing special. Of course she would be stolen from me"

Timothy plucked one of flowers and put it inside the pocket of his coat. "Don"t look down on yourself. You are Leopold Castonia. You are my father. That man shouldn"t have done that to you."

Timothy"s words made Leopold smile. He felt warm and good inside. "Thank you"

Timothy patted his back and shuddered under his coat. "It"s cold. We should go back soon. I"ll give you a moment alone. I"ll just be nearby"

Timothy rose and walked away. Leopold was left alone with Margaret"s grave. He again caressed Margaret"s inscribed name.

"He has grown" Leopold said "Your son. No. Our son has grown. He looks just like him but I don"t care. Not anymore. He is now a great man Margaret. And he"s married to this lovely woman. She is a Queen. A Queen Margaret, a Queen. Can you believe that? Her name is Lucia Vanadis. She"s kind don"t worry and she loves Timothy. Our son is also beloved by many. His name alone strikes fear in the hearts of our enemies. He will soon become the most powerful person in the world. And I"m lucky enough to witness that. I"m really really really proud of our son. He..."

Tears dropped from Leopold"s eyes and into the marble block. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and continued.

"I"m so happy Margaret. I am so happy that I got to be his father. Life wasn"t good to us in the end. We have both suffered. I lost your love and you lost him. But that"s just life I guess. But now I"m happy. I"m contented at the very least. Timothy has been good to me even though I did horrible things to him"

Leopold put a palm on top of the block.

"About our other sons, I hope I can tell you about Ivan and William but I don"t know what those two are doing right now. Ivan is rebelling I think and William should still be running around" Leopold sighed "Well that"s enough. I"m a talkative old man aren"t I?"

Leopold laughed and rose. He patted bits of snow from his b.u.t.tocks. "See you next time my love. I will come back and tell you again about our sons."

He then turned his back and walked away. Timothy was waiting not far from the marble block.

"That was fast" Timothy said. They started walking back to their carriage.

"It"s cold. My knees are aching" He c.o.c.ked his head towards Timothy and grinned "And I"m an old frail man remember?"

"Now you"re admitting it" Timothy grinned back "So, what do you want for dinner?"

"Stew. Mutton preferably"

"We don"t have mutton. What about beef?"

"That"ll do. And I want it spicy"

"You really love it spicy don"t you?"

"I wouldn"t be Leopold Castonia if I don"t"

The two of them continued talking on their way back.