The morning sun streamed through the small windows of their home as Edeline adjusted William's coat.
"Are we going somewhere?" William asked, his brows furrowing.
"Yes," Edeline replied, fastening the last button. "We're going to your grandfather's mansion."
A firm knock at the door interrupted their conversation. A knight's voice called from outside.
"Lady Edeline, the carriage is ready."
Edeline took William's hand, and together they stepped outside. As they settled into the carriage, silence hung between them. The rhythmic sound of the horses' hooves filled the air.
Breaking the quiet, Edeline gently asked, "What do you think about your stepmother, Seraphina?"
William glanced at her before replying, "She's a good lady. She takes care of me… just like Walter did."
Edeline reached out, cupping his cheek. "I know," she said softly. "But if you ever feel lonely, you must tell your father… or come to me."
William's lips curled into a small smile. "Okay, Mother."
Soon, they arrived at the grand royal mansion. The knights stationed at the entrance stepped forward, opening the doors.
"Let him meet Jonathan," Edeline instructed.
"As you wish, Lady Edeline." One of the knights took William's hand and led him inside.
The halls gleamed with gold accents, the scent of polished wood and fresh parchment lingering in the air. They reached a lavish room where Jonathan sat at a large desk, his tutor lecturing beside him.
As soon as William stepped inside, Jonathan's eyes widened. Without hesitation, he ran toward William and embraced him tightly.
"I don't know what's going on," Jonathan whispered into William's ear, his voice trembling.
William swallowed, gripping Jonathan's shoulders. "It's nothing," he whispered back. "Just pretend to be normal."
Jonathan nodded, but his hold on William tightened, as if afraid to let go.
The tutor glanced at William before silently gathering his materials and leaving the room. A knight stationed by the door spoke firmly.
"I'll be waiting outside, young master."
With that, he stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Jonathan immediately grabbed William's hand, pulling him toward the chairs. They both sat down, their expressions serious.
"How's Walter?" Jonathan asked quietly.
"He's fine," William answered before Jonathan quickly flipped open his notebook.
Do you know where Julian is? he scribbled. The knight is listening, so write here.
William hesitated for a moment before picking up the pen.
My mother said he's in my father's mansion.
Jonathan's grip on the pen tightened. Really? But why? Where are my parents?
William's jaw tensed as he wrote back. I don't know. I tried to ask my mother, but she won't tell me anything about them. But she did say… He hesitated before finishing. That my father and your father were lovers.
Jonathan's eyes widened in shock. His heart pounded, his fingers tightening around the edges of the notebook.
"Hey, Jonathan," William whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Do you want to play?"
Jonathan blinked, shaking off his expression of disbelief. He forced a small smile and nodded. "Yeah… I want to."
They stood up and made their way to the door. Jonathan pulled it open, revealing the knight still standing there.
The knight's gaze flickered to them. "Do you need anything, young master?"
"We're going to play in the garden," Jonathan said, his voice even.
The knight stepped aside, allowing them to pass. "You may go."
Without another word, William and Jonathan walked toward the royal gardens, the weight of their secrets pressing down on them.
As Jonathan and William stepped into the garden, they immediately noticed the knights standing at every corner. Their watchful gazes followed their every movement.
Jonathan clenched his fists. "The knights are standing over our heads," he muttered under his breath.
Frustrated, he turned to one of the guards. "Leave us alone! We just want to play, but you're ruining it."
The knight didn't flinch. "Apologies, young master, but we cannot. His Majesty ordered us to watch over you."
Jonathan sighed. "Fine."
He grabbed William's hand, leading him toward the secluded backside of the garden, hoping to escape their scrutiny. But as soon as they arrived, his heart sank. More knights stood there, their cold stares locked onto William and Walter.
Jonathan exchanged a glance with William. We're completely surrounded.
Edeline walked through the dimly lit corridors of the royal prison, her heels echoing against the stone floor. The scent of dampness and despair clung to the air.
In one of the cold, dark cells, Cassandra sat on the floor, her dress dirtied from the days spent locked away. As she looked up, her tired eyes met Edeline's. A bitter smile curled on her lips.
"Tell me, Edeline," Cassandra said, her voice hoarse. "What was my crime? What did I do to deserve this?"
Edeline crossed her arms. "Then tell me," she said coolly, "how did you even end up married to my brother?"
Cassandra let out a small, humorless laugh. "He was my classmate," she replied. "I thought I knew him…"
Edeline's gaze hardened. "And you knew about Charles and Edward's affair, didn't you?"
"I thought they were just friends," Cassandra admitted, lowering her head. "But after we got married, I saw them… in Edward's office."
Edeline remained silent as Cassandra clenched her fists, her voice trembling with anger and betrayal.
"Charles was sitting on Edward's lap," she confessed. "I was in shock. I thought maybe, just maybe, after having children, they would stop. That they would finally grow out of it."
She swallowed hard, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. "But instead… they only did it more. More than before."
Edeline's eyes burned with fury as she stepped closer to Cassandra, her voice sharp and unforgiving.
"This is your crime," she spat. "You knew, yet you said nothing! You let them continue meeting in secret. You have children, Cassandra, but tell me—did you never feel pain in your heart? Did it never break you that your own husband was cheating on you?"
Cassandra flinched at her words, her fingers trembling as she clutched the fabric of her dress.
"I was done… I was afraid," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Every time I questioned him about coming home late, he would get angry." Her shoulders shook as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I didn't want to be divorced. I didn't want to be abandoned."
She buried her face in her hands, her sobs filling the cold prison cell.
The silence between them stretched, thick with unsaid words and regrets. Edeline took a deep breath, clenching her fists.
"You let fear control you, and now look where we are," she said, her voice quieter but no less harsh. "Because of you, because of Charles, because of Edward—lives have been destroyed."
Cassandra looked up, her teary eyes pleading. "Edeline… I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
Edeline turned away, her expression unreadable. "And yet, it did."
Without another word, she walked out, leaving Cassandra alone with nothing but her guilt and the cold stone walls of the prison.