Meanwhile, Regina and Alden made their way through the quiet corridors to Augustus and Gregoria’s chambers.
Once outside the door, Alden knocked firmly, “Father, it’s me and Regina.”
They waited a moment before hearing Augustus’s calm, steady voice respond from within, “Come in.”
They pushed the door open and stepped inside to find Augustus seated in his chair, with Gregoria nearby as they both glanced up from their evening reading.
Gregoria leaned forward with a curious look, her gaze sharp. “What do you have on your mind, Son?” she asked.
Alden sighed before choosing his words carefully. “Mother, it’s about Julian,” he began.
Augustus set his book aside as he gave Alden his full attention. “Ah, yes,” Augustus said thoughtfully. “You mentioned something about him changing at the dinner table. What exactly happened?”
Alden hesitated and glanced at Regina before answering. “He has become… different. There is a ruthlessness to him, like when he killed Marcus without hesitation,” he said quietly. “I’m proud of his power and dedication, but I worry that he’s starting to lose touch with what’s right.”
“The problem was never just about him killing,” Alden continued, his tone heavy. “It’s how he did it, without any remorse, as if taking a life was just… fun to him.”
Gregoria’s face showed some shock, though she didn’t seem overly disturbed.
Augustus, however was unfazed. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands with a calm expression, and simply said, “So, what’s the problem?”
Alden and Regina exchanged startled glances, clearly taken aback by Augustus’s nonchalant response.
Alden struggling to make his father understand, repeated, “Father, I just said it. He took a life without hesitation, without remorse, like he enjoyed it.”
Augustus gave a small, dismissive shrug. “And?” he replied as though they were discussing something trivial. “I don’t see any problem in that.”
Alden blinked, unable to mask his surprise. “You… don’t? You think it’s fine for him to treat life like it’s a game?”
Augustus raised his voice, his tone sharper now, “Alden, are you hearing yourself?” he asked. “What’s with this twisted sense of justice you are trying to project onto your son?”
He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in before continuing, his voice growing more intense.
“Julian did not kill just anyone. He killed a traitor. A traitor who would have killed you, the king, and all the other dukes if not for Julian’s intervention.”
Augustus’s gaze hardened as he emphasized the gravity of Julian’s actions. “But instead of praising him for eliminating such a threat, you rebuke him?”
Regina who had been silent up until this point, felt her heart race as the weight of Augustus’s words hung in the air. She glanced at Alden who seemed stunned, unable to respond immediately.
Augustus’s words were like a sword aimed straight at Alden’s core, questioning not just his judgment but the very moral compass that had always guided him.
“Tell me, Alden,” Augustus continued “would you have preferred Julian let that traitor live? Would you have rather seen your life and the lives of the royal family endangered because of misplaced mercy?”
He leaned back in his chair, watching Alden with a piercing gaze. “If your son hadn’t acted, the consequences would have been dire. Do you think the world would have been better off with that kind of threat looming over us?”
Alden opened his mouth to reply but stopped, caught between his sense of duty as a father and the harsh reality of the situation. Augustus had hit a nerve, and there was no easy way to counter it.
Gregoria having listened intently finally spoke up, her voice gentle yet firm. “Alden, you know as well as I do that sometimes, hard decisions have to be made. And Julian made the right choice. If anything, we should be proud that he has the strength to do what needs to be done.”
Augustus’s voice grew calmer, his gaze shifting between Alden and Regina.
“I know you’ve spent your whole life on the battlefield, Alden,” he began.
“You are well aware of how power can change people. You understand the darkness that can creep in when someone becomes too consumed by their strength, their ambition.”
He then glanced at Regina, his expression softening slightly. “And Regina, I know how much you have struggled after giving up your royal status. How you’ve tried to create a life of peace even at the consequence of your own mother being against you.”
Alden opened his mouth to respond, but Augustus raised his hand to stop him. “I know you both want Julian to live an easy life, a life free from the battles and sacrifices that you faced, but that isn’t the world he is in now. He has inherited your strengths and your burdens, but he has also inherited his own path to walk.”
He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle in the air.
“Just like you have your ambitions, Alden, Julian has his too. You cannot simply force him to live your way, because, just like yours, it is also his first time in this world. If you try to control him, you will only push him further away.”
Augustus locked his eyes onto Alden’s. “Cause when you focus too much on controlling something,” he said slowly, “it becomes an act of destruction rather than protection, no matter if it’s because of love or hate.”
Alden felt his mind clear as his father’s words sank in, the weight of his own thoughts beginning to lift.
Regina too, found a moment of calm in the exchange, though the offer Julian had made to her still lingered heavily in her heart.
Despite the peace in the room, the conflict within her remained, her mind torn between her duties and the powerful allure of Julian’s world.
***********
Julian drifted into a deep sleep, waking early the next morning feeling refreshed and energized.
After bathing and dressing, Julian stepped out of his room and spotted Emma in the hallway.
With a teasing grin, he said, “It feels like ages since we last enjoyed ourselves, Emma.”
She blushed as she responded, “My lord, what are you saying?”
Julian chuckled and added, “Maybe next time, we’ll make it a bit rougher.”
Emma’s cheeks flushed as she remembered her first night with Julian. His dominance had taken her by surprise, but in a way that she had never experienced before. She quickly turned her gaze away, feeling a mix of anticipation and embarrassment at the thought.
