"What do you want, Valerie?" Oberon’s voice was low, laced with the exhaustion of a ruler who had been tested too many times.
Valerie’s mouth went dry, his carefully rehearsed words slipping away. "I... I wanted to explain myself," he managed, his voice faltering. "I know what I did was wrong, but I need you to understand why I did it."
"Ahh, there it is, the excuses," Oberon lifted his hardened expression and stared right at him. "Tell me then, Valerie, did you think of understanding your brother Aldric when the news of him murdering your fiancée came in?"
At once, Valerie’s throat dried up. He attempted to speak but there was a huge lump in his throat. He couldn’t say a word because it was a lie and Fae couldn’t lie.
Despair hit him and his eyes darted around, his mind working on an answer that would save what little dignity he had left.
"It’s different." He said.
"How different?" Oberon retorted.
Valerie licked his lower lips, the nerves kicking in. He couldn’t fuck this up. He said, "Aldric is notorious for his works, it has not surprised me that he had taken it too far by murdering my fiancée."
Suddenly the king sprang up to his feet, sweeping eveything on his desk with his hand.
He said with fiery intensity, "You mean the fiancée who was possessed by a witch who wanted vengeance after you careless action set off a diatchain event?!
Valerie was rendered speechless by his father’s outburst. This was the first time he seeing his father this way and it frightened him.
At once he fell to his knees.
"I’m sorry," Valerie whispered, the words feeling hollow and inadequate. He felt inadequate.
"I never meant to hurt anyone."
King Oberon sighed, the sound heavy with disappointment. "Do you even know why I made you crown prince and not Theodore or Andre or even my perceived favorite son, Aldric?"
Valerie could not even answer, keeping his eyes to the ground out of embarrassment.
His father answered and said," Theodore was not strong enough to protect this kingdom and I wouldn’t be surpised if he handed it to his mother on a platter of gold. Andre would have been the safest choice, but the boy is as free as the wind. Unfortunately, your mother and Queen Nirvana would stifle the life out of him. Not to mention his fascination with the humans, I wouldn’t be surpised if he began to change our ways. But you.... " He said with pain in his voice,"You had compassion and was strong enough. I thought if there was someone that would lead this kingdom and keep up with Aldric’s antics, if would be you. But clearly, I was mistaken. What happened to you, Valerie?"
Valerie’s choked with emotion, his father’s words like an arrow straight through his heart. Indeed, what happened to him?
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