Chapter 8: The Bigger Picture

Lucian's heart sank upon hearing those words. Surely, Rosaline was playing some sort of prank on him, right? There was no way that his father had arranged his engagement to Rosaline without even consulting him. He looked at Rosaline, who seemed genuinely excited, and it was then that he came to realize that she was definitely not playing.

"Engaged?" Lucian's voice was barely a whisper. "Why wasn't I informed?"

Rosaline's smile faltered. "I thought you knew. Your father and mine discussed it last night. I assumed it was a topic in your meeting today."

Lucian did his best to keep cool but couldn't. No matter how much he tried to keep it in, his rage continued to grow until he finally snapped. Turning swiftly, he marched out of the courtyard and straight for his father's chambers.

Simon didn't know if he should run after the prince or remain put. He had already been scolded once today, and he didn't want to get caught up in a father and son argument. He turned towards the starstruck Rosaline who didn't know what to do next. Everything that had happened was a bit comedic, but he knew better than to laugh during such a situation.

Did the thought of marrying her really displease him that much? Simon wondered. He was unsure of what they had going on, so he remained quiet alongside Rose.

Lucian's steps echoed through the castle halls as he made his way to his father's chambers, fury boiling within him. The guards at the door hesitated to let him in at first, but allowed him entry after seeing the storm in his eyes.

King Wallace looked up from his desk the moment Lucian walked in, but he didn't seem surprised by his son's abrupt entrance. If anything, it seemed as though he had expected this to happen.

"How could you?" Lucian called out, his voice trembling with anger. "How could you arrange my engagement without even telling me?"

The older man sighed, setting down his quill. "Lucian, sit down. Let's discuss this rationally."

"Rationally?" Lucian scoffed, remaining standing. "You've made a decision that affects my entire life without my consent. How is that rational?"

"You like Rosaline, don't you? So this isn't something that big. You're not getting married to her, you're just going to get engaged. You two can now take things easy until you're ready for marriage."

His father's words made sense, but that didn't make it right. Sure, he did like Rosaline, but he wasn't exactly certain he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And that didn't change the fact that he had gone behind his back to get him engaged to her. Who knows what he would do next, wed him in his sleep?

"I'm tired of you controlling my life like I'm a little boy. Stay away from my life, and let me live in peace!" With that, Lucian stormed out of the room, leaving his father with a mouth full of unspoken words.

King Wallace knew his son's words were right, but he just couldn't help himself. Unlike Lucian, he didn't have anyone to help him. He had been the youngest out of three sons, nobody ever expected that he would be the one to rule. His father had been a very reckless king, partying around and sleeping with different women every chance he got.

His mother on the other hand was a frail gentle woman who loved her children beyond anything, however her love for her husband was evidently greater because she took her own life out of spite for her husband's lifestyle. She couldn't bear the thought of her husband sleeping around with women everyday, and it had driven her to insanity and suicide.

After his mother's death, the first son, Lucius, had fallen sick, stricken down by a deadly disease that none of the doctors could cure. Some believed that it was a curse on the king for his ways. They believed it was the queen's ghost that had cursed her husband, but even then strong witches and wizards still couldn't save the boy.

Things had gotten worse after Lucius's death. The king had become wild with rage, and in an accident had struck his own son down, snapping little Damian's neck. Wallace was just nine at the time, and had witnessed his family being torn apart by tragedy and violence.

Things got a bit better after Damian's death. His father became a bit responsible, but his life didn't last long. After five years, the king's liver failed him, a result of all his drinking and partying throughout his life. And at the age of fourteen, without proper guidance and training on how to rule a kingdom, Wallace had been crowned. However, his turmoil didn't end there. His father's bastards had sprung forward to protest his claim to the throne, arguing that they were older and wiser than the young boy.

Growing up had been a challenge for king Wallace, and all he was trying to do was save his son from the same fate. He had nobody to teach him how to be king, he had nobody to guide him, but that would be different for his son. He wanted to help in any way he could, but his son clearly wasn't being appreciative of his support.

He knew he had times when he went overboard, but this wasn't one of them. He had made the same mistakes as his father, and the last thing he wanted was for his bastards to stand against his son when he was dead. He wanted the boy to get married and produce his own heir as quickly as possible in order to continue the proper line of succession. But he clearly wasn't able to see the bigger picture.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, Wallace returned to the work on his table. Lucian would come around someday, and he would be grateful that his old man had made this decision for him in the future.

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