Blake's Pov
If there was anyone in the palace of which I knew had my back, that would be James my right hand man. He was my Enoch ,a well composed and loyal gentle man who had shown so much devotion to me for years.
He was fifteen years older than myself and had worked in the palace since he was fourteen years old. Father said he was good in his service and that was why he was placed in charge of my Chambers.
I had to make him my closet friend ,even though I know that the difference between us both was so much.
Even when I tested him with some hard and difficult secrets years back ,he proved to me that my secrets we're safe with him and I could tell him anything I wanted.
My phone rang that morning , as I was in the bathroom running some water through my skull which was burning from the severe headache I had all through the night, trying to run some business with my laptop which concerned the palace.
This call must be important ,I said to my self. James was the only one who knew where I was and if he placed a call to me,then something important might had really come up.
" Hello James , what's the matter?",I asked over the phone as I could not hear him properly.
He immediately reported that my Sister Liliana was heading down to the palace and their were plans for her and her fiance to meet with the council and discuss the crowning of the heir to the throne.
that got me very disturbed what stuff I have thought that after our last conversation Liliana wasn't going to take this serious any further. leaving New Orleans to Greenville was a way for me to make things a bit come but now I just realised that they had wanted to just something funny in my absence.
I think James or releasing the information to me and told him that I was going to arrive New Orleans immediately as fast as I could. James play that with me so call me as soon as possible as he had already over had Liliana and her fiance wear on their way and could get to the palace in less than an hour's time.
I immediately asked a few things as I got ready to return back to New Orleans that morning. I had already fixed a date with Rose that evening ,but I knew it wouldn't hold anymore. I wasn't too sure how things would turn out when I get home and if I would be able to return back to Greenville immediately.
I picked up my phone immediately and place the call to Rose and she picked up and I explained to her that there was an emergency I wanted running with my boss. I explained to her that he was leaving town and he needed me to drive him out. from her voice I could tell she was very worried and she asked when I was going to return. I know that it wasn't right for me to give her any necessary dates as I wasn't sure how long it will take me to handle the situation at home.
I told her that I wasn't sure of when I would return with my boss to Greenville but that I would try as much as possible to see her as soon as I returned, probably before the weekend. she was happy with my response and we had to bid ourselves goodbye.
As soon as I was done with the phone call, I immediately got into my car and took off for New Orleans. Delay could be dangerous and if I wasted any more time , then the council would succeed in their plans of getting rid of me.
I thought through the plan that they were likely trying to take away the kingship from our family. I knew how crafty these council men could be. I wouldn't be surprised if they equally removed my sister Lillian after making her the queen .
It is possible that they were only using her to get rid of me so that she also can be gotten rid of later on, which wouldn't be easy because she wasn't a man and wasn't the talking type who was always ready to fight her way through.
it was my duty to make Liliana and see reasons with me why she mustn't accept whatever proposal they were making towards her. I was quite sure that she had no idea what they were about doing and what she was getting herself into. I know Liliana very well and I was so sure that it was never in her character to desire taking my place.
While growing up, she has been a very understanding sister and one I could trust so much . I had no idea why anyone would want to use her against me. I was so sure that I want make every move possible to find out what exactly was going on. someone somewhere must have influenced her to think towards the dimension she was thinking.
As I kept driving back to New Orleans, thoughts of who the influencer could be kept running through my mind. I couldn't place my hands on the one who would be responsible for such and that was the most difficult part of everything.
Shortly I found myself already in the gates of the palace. I honked my car horn and it was long ,when there gate man opened up, saluting me. I drove in as quick as I could into the palace garage I'm parked my car throwing the keys towards James, who had rushed out to get my luggage.
" Leave the car James", I said.
" But my prince your luggage?", he asked.
" I came with no luggage!", I answered rushing into the palace.
Everywhere seems to be so quiet and I couldn't even find anybody among the Royal family except the maids and servants who kept on working from one angle to the other going about their duties.
I'm immediately went upstairs into my room and closed the door behind me, sitting down on the bed I could do no other thing than to ponder on what I was going to say to the council when they met.
A knock came on the door and I could recognise the voice so well, it was that of James. I asked him to come in, I was very sure that he was one of the people I needed so much at this point. if there was nothing else I could get from James at least his words of advice were one of the things that kept me going and the palace. he wasn't just an Enunoch to me but he was my right hand man.
My prince I know just how devastated and worried you feel right now, but I would want to give you just a piece of advice. Even though this doesn't solve all your problems but I am so sure that this would keep you going for a very long time", James said.
" Please tell me James, I need those words of your now than ever", I replied.
James went ahead to tell me that first what I should ensure doing is not to get myself worked up. I wondered what kind of an advice that was. this was me going through a hell out of a moment and hear my right hand man was telling me not to get worked up over what was about happening.
I only stayed come to listen to all you had to say. one thing about me was that I didn't see any reason in disrupting someone when they had something to tell me. I wasn't listening type and I would bend my ears to hear every bit of what anyone had to say to me before making my own statements.
James went ahead to tell me that the reason why he wanted me to stay calm was so as to disrupt whatever plans the council were making . He made it clear to me that if I proved to be disturbed and they gotta find out that I was so worried then it will give them the go-ahead so do whatever they wanted.
But if I acted as if or they were doing your rings get into my skin then they would only become more confused than ever and would wonder what plans I was making towards them.
He further explained that the council would find it difficult to replace me when I proved to them that I wasn't disturbed about their threats.
" You will be king someday and that is a fact, no one can take it away ,and if anyone trys doing that ,you have all the right in the world to stop them from doing so", he said.
I felt some sought of confidence from what he had just said and I was ready to face them. I asked James when they wanted to meet and he told me that they had slated a meeting in an hour's time.
I excused myself from James to go see my daughter in her chambers. I couldn't be this lucky without all his advices. I could recollect years back when James helped me out ,by advicing me that it was only right to let my father know about Veronica's pregnancy.
That was one hell of a moment ,but his words and encouragement, helped me scale through and now here he was again ,to help me out.
Flora jumped up with joy when she saw me. My daughter had to miss me this much because I was running away from all the problems at home. If I had a way to take her along with me , I would do that,but I was sure Veronica would not stay out of our lives. She was her mother as well.
I hugged and kissed her cheeks which were so soft. it was so hard for her to let me go.
" Father are you back now?" she asked.
" No my love, I came to fix somethings, but I will be back soon".
" How soon father?", she asked.
I could see the look of disappointment about to be seen on her face , so I knew I had to do something really quick about it.
" How about we visit the mall Tomorrow love, just you and I ", I asked.
" That would be lovely father, yes I love it! ", she said with so much joy in her face.
I asked where her mother was. She was always with her and would never stay too long away from her.
" Mother traveled,she said she had something urgent to do. ", she said.
I wondered where it was she must have gone to. I tried asking my daughter more questions to know exactly where she was but I guess flora didn't have much informations and where Veronica must have traveled to.
The only person I knew I could get such information from was James and that was if he had any ideas about it. I concluded that once I left my daughter's Chambers I was going to call James and ask him about Veronica's whereabouts.
James immediately walked into the room to tell me that the cancel we are already prepared and the meeting was about to start. he also mentioned that I should wait for a little time before entering as they had no idea that I was around. I agreed to what James had said and I knew that it was best for me to stick around and get to hear what they had to say before intruding.
I walked close to the council room where the meeting was being held and instructed the guards not to interrupt. this was to ensure that none of them knew I was around or that I had arrived few moments ago.
I got myself closer to the window of the room and stopped my ear in there to listen to every single details they made. My sister sat down opposite ,as they kept on telling her that it would only be best if she took over as the crowdened Princess, since I wasn't ready to provide my wife.
I immediately had to cut them shut at that time. I was so furious that I totally forgot all James had told me. the pressure that you're mounting on my sister made me feel like she didn't really want to do it but it was all because of them that was why she considered the position.
I made it clear to them that you had no right to remove me as the crowned prince and if I decide on who to marry it still wasn't the Business of the council. this led into series of arguments, as a council kept saying that there was nothing they could do than to remove me from my position and place my sister instead.
I could tell that my sister was so surprised to see me she had no idea that I was coming around that same day. the argument got hotter and other points every single person in the palace knew that there was a problem. Mother shortly joined us and she was so surprised to see me likewise noticing that there was actually a meeting going on without her knowledge.
she was so annoyed that she asked the head of the council why he had to fix a meeting and she wasn't also invited. he explains that the meeting wasn't for her but was between the council and Liliana full stop this got me even imitated the more as I told them that there was no way they were going to go for that with the meeting and Liliana wasn't going to be crowned the princess.
I dared them to make a single move in replacing me and promised them that they would all get it hot from me. Liliana was so quiet and didn't say a single word. I guess she was so scared that I was very furious and feared what I could do at that point.
The council maintains that no matter the threats I gave them it wasn't going to stop them from doing what I had in mind. the nation that the only reason why they would back out from what they were about to do was if I provided the wife.
It was at this point that Veronica came in, I was surprised to see her because Flora has told me that she traveled.
" Come on Council members , how can you say he doesn't have a wife , when I am here. Please consider the prince ,he has me and we are working on our marriage soon", she said.
I was so shocked to hear those words from Veronica. what marriage was she even talking about ? we had never had any cause to discuss getting married to each other and here she was telling the count all about this ? I couldn't say anything because in as much as there was no way I was going to get married to her, she had succeeded in calming down the situation at that point.