I gently seated myself in the most uncomfortable seat in the whole room. Or should I say, the only seat in this room. In front of me laid a long red carpet that reached a large ornate door and on its sides, 5 men stood with their head low. A sign of respect for the one who currently has the highest authority in this golden kingdom.

“Your highness, now that his highness the prince has left the kingdom, how do you plan to remove him permanently and usurp the throne for yourself?”

A voracious remark, befitting of his sly foxy face. He bore a malicious smile, honestly showing his greed in my presence. Yes, these men aim to commit treason and have me take the throne which was originally my right.

“Calm yourself Earl Briggan. Such impatience will only lead to a swift demise.”

How can the house of Briggan fall to such extent? Was it the influence of the Ferrum nobility?

Though I loathe them, I carefully said with authority, befitting of the mood. Even as I fraternize with such people, I do not wish nor plan to depose the crown prince.

“Then do you suggest we ruin his current influence and leave him crippled when he comes back?”

Another man spoke. His golden hair tinted with crimson clearly showed his lineage. Yasmin Ferrum, a former member of a branch family from Ferrum and the current head of the traitorous family. He had thin eyes that hides his intentions perfectly and even as he bore all the hate from these past years, those words doesn’t suit this man.

I raised my brow and imagined the frightful things this man can do, but I am sure he won’t do so. I know because I have been friends with him for a very long time. I owe it to his deceased father that my cousin and I could survive. He was one of the trusted people who knew of my circumstance.

So, why is he here? Why am I here? Amidst this treacherous nobles, the supposed remnants of the Ferrum coup who destroyed my family.

“That’s a daunting task Yasmin. Even for you, the crown prince’s reputation far exceeds the King’s, it would take years for that to happen.”

In response to his claim, I gave my doubt and denial of the plan but, he scoffed at it like I knew he would. Yes, it was part of the plan, a dialogue prepared for this meeting.

“Your highness, you belittle my skills so. Did his highness not leave for a two year journey? It would be more than enough to accomplish this ‘daunting task’. So long as news of his highness’ accomplishments from the outside won’t reach the kingdom.”

From this view, none of the men present here could see his face so he blatantly gave me a knowing smile.

You… if they somehow see this, how will they react?!

“Worry not your highness. I will make sure that this task would happen. So leave the rest to me and focus on building your influence instead. See here, only 5 houses support your rule. If we plan to usurp the throne, we need more than half of the nobles.”

With a wave, he presented the nobles who supports my reign. Indeed, these five men wishes to reestablish the Aurelis’ reign, or at least a puppet, but only one of them have no plans of treason. Their faces were filled with determination and as strong as that was, their greed burned brightly.

“I see. Very well then, I leave this matter to you Yasmin, but I hope to know what you plan on doing.”

Giving a satisfactory answer, the treacherous nobles smiled and cheered happily. I almost scowled seeing their greed satisfied with expectations. Yasmin on the other hand, was still smiling knowingly.

“I understand.”

After the pleasantries and a few reports, they all left the audience room, leaving only Yasmin and I. A maidservant then entered the room hurriedly and bowed her head.

“Your highness, her majesty the Queen is asking for your presence.”

She kept her head low to show respect to authority.

Again. Don’t tell me she broke down again. Asking Theo to leave for an outdated tradition just to keep him safe and then making herself look miserable…

I sighed, my sigh was deeper than expected. Earlier’s meeting might’ve had a hand with my accumulating stress.

“Yasmin, we’ll have this talk later. I must attend to her majesty.”

“As you wish. I hope that you watch over yourself as well, your highness.”

I stood from the uncomfortable throne. Behind me, followed the royal guards that was waiting in a room behind the throne.

Who would want to be King and sit on that uncomfortable seat? I never had the constitution nor the ambition.

I said bidding my farewell to the deathly throne.

Arriving at her majesty’s royal chambers, a maidservant opened the door and led me inside. There, I found her majesty sprawled on the bed, with a sunken face. Her whitish gold hair lost her usual sheen but her eyes…

“Your majesty!”

I ran up to her. The face of my dear cousin who protected me during the hardest times of my life is now reduced to this. I felt like killing all those nobles earlier.

“Calm down Euey…”

She sat up and waved her hand. Her voice was lower and weaker compared to her usual energetic voice. But in contrast to her weakened state, her eyes were burning with anger.

“I— yes…”

Those eyes weren’t angry at me. No, those eyes were only for those who received her ire. I sat in a chair beside the bed and leveled my body to match those eyes.

“Euey by now, we’ve proven that the curse is cast somewhere in the castle. I received word from Henry that my son hasn’t shown any symptoms of the curse.”

For the past year, his majesty the King have been stricken with sickness. A sickness unknown to the best healers im Aurelis and even to the genius Prince Theo. The King lasted for quite a while until, he finally collapsed and is currently in a weakened state, asleep and never waking up.

Now, it seems that it is her majesty the Queen’s turn. For months now, even before Prince Theo left, she has been hiding her weakened body. All just to assure her son and the citizens of Aurelis. I was then inaugurated to regency in order to fulfill the royal duties the weakened King and Queen couldn’t deliver.

“Or it may have been targeted to those with primary relations as a family to his majesty…”

My voice trailed off. It was pure speculation, nothing but a conjecture. It was only possible since Prince Theo wasn’t a child of the Argente, but a true child of an Aurelis.

“It may be so. However, I doubt such things will matter as we thought of Theo as our own son but, it would be wise to consider that possibility as well.”

I was fine either way. If it was an immobile curse or a curse of relations, it didn’t matter, as long as Theo is safe.

“He’s looking like you by the day, you know? It might be time for you to rekindle a semblance of kinship with him.”

Her suggestion was painful. I love him dearly as my son, but as someone who threw him away…

How I wish it would be as simple as saying it.

“Come now. You were at fault, but you understood and reflected on your mistakes, do you not? Besides, it’s an adult’s job to watch over the young ones and for that, protecting you was my job.”

She gently reached for my hand. Her delicate hand was thin and boney but it was warm. It loosened my tightly gripped hands that was trembling from guilt.

She was always like this. Always the calm one, always collected. She had a beauty that surpassed any women from both the kingdom and the empire. She had an air of pride that garners attention and loyalty, and wits that matched any King. Such, is my cousin.

The perfect Queen since Gods era.

“So? What happened with the meeting?”

Seeing as I was silent, she changed subject and asked about today’s meeting with the conspirators.

“They…”

I told her about today’s meeting. It’s always like this. Even as a rightful heir to the throne, I never had the talents nor resolved to be King. I grew up thinking I would only be a duke, a knight or a merchant for the house of Aurelis as I have older brothers who would inherit the throne before me. But that tragedy destroyed many lives, even as weak-willed as I am now, I will make sure to make them pay.