"What in heavens name happened to you?"
Evangeline rakes a hand through her hair "I accidentally walked into the door as I opening it. Silly, I know."
His eyes narrow as a murderous look pass over his face "Who did this to you?"
She blinks "No one." she lies.
Clover grits his teeth "It's your scumbag father, isn't it? I'm going to kill him"
He heads to the door and she runs after him, clutching his hand to bring him to a stop "Do not exaggerate, Clover."
He stares at her in disbelief "He put his hands on you and if I had to guess it would not be the first time but you are married to me now and nobody hurts what's mine."
She sighs before shaking her hear "Can you please not refer to me as if I'm some sort of possession right now?"
His eyes soften and some of the tension leaves his body "I apologize, my lady"
"Apology accepted, although I do feel slightly lightly knowing that I don't live in the same castle with him anymore."
His eyes roam over her face "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I feel amazing" she says dryly.
He scoffs "Smartass."
Her lips twitch and she shrugs "Look on the bright side, my father is gone now."
He nods once "Do you want to tell me what exactly lead to him doing that to you."
She grimace "Let's just say he's not entirely fond of the fact that you're bedding the maid which is actually funny considering he beds half of Dunstead."
His body goes rigid and he growls out "He got physical with you because my actions? What a fucking coward."
"That he is." She sighs and rakes a hand through her hair. "I'm supposed to meet the ladies later for a tea party but I don't want to raise too much questions if I wear too much makeup."
"Even if you do, they'll still notice the split lip" he reaches a hand out and gently rubs his thumb over her bruised lip "Oh, my angel."
She startles at the sudden nickname and stares up at him in surprise "We have not even been married for a week yet and you're already calling me sweet names?"
His eyes narrow on her but he continues rubbing his finger over her lip "It was a simple slip up."
She hums "Or maybe you don't actually mind playing the role of a modest husband."
"It was a honest slip up, Princess, don't think too much into it." He moves his hand up to her bruise cheek and ahe winces slightly when he rubs over the skin "I suggest you do not attend the tea party."
"Oh no, what should I use as an excuse?"
He shrugs "That your husband refuse to take his hands off you. Which happens to be half true"
Her lips tip up in a small smile "Oh? You wouldn't mind the ladies thinking you're a caveman?"
"Not at all." He leans down and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead and she closes her eyes as she practically lapse up his attended "You stay here and I'll get your everything you need."
Her first thought is to refuse but her body is exhausted from the previous night and she really wouldn't mind not having to be in people's face for a day "Very well then. If you insist."
A smirk makes it's way to his face and butterflies erupt in her stomach at the sight of it "I do insist."
He brings her hand to his mouth and kisses her knuckles before heading out of her chambers and she presses a hand to her chest to calm her racing rate.
To no avail.
Prince Clover rushes to the other side of the castle and he hardly slows down he reaches his destination, knocking once on the door before walking in "Oh good, you're both here."
His mother and father look up at him a bit startled by his sudden presence and his father scowls "What happened to your manners? This is my office, do you not knock?"
"My manners are very much intact, father but there is something I need to discuss with both of you." He closes the door behind him
His mother frowns "Is everything okay?"
No.
But instead of beating around the bush, he cuts straight to the chase "I want to apologize for what I said about not leaving Mia even with my title on the line"
His parents share a look and Henry tilts his head slightly "Why the sudden change of heart?"
He lets out a heavy breath "Evangeline needs protection and the only way I can protect is if I'm King."
His mother stands up "What does Princess Evangeline needs protection from? Is she in some kinf of trouble.?"
"Do not worry about it, mother, I have it under control."
His father pipes up "And what about Mia?"
Clover feels a stab of pain right in his heart but he ignores it "I'll stay away from her."
Henry's head pulls back in surprise and Charlotte blinks a few times befors asking "Just like that?"
He swallows "Like I said, Evangeline needs me."
He can see that he's stunned his parents, before they are looking at him with a baffled look on their faces. Charlotte turns to Henry "Perhaps you should tell him, Hen."
Clover's eyebrows furrow in confusion and Henry's jaw clenches as he stares at his wife who holds his gaze. Clover looks between them as they seem to communicate with their eyes before Henry says "Son, I need you to listen carefully to what I say next because it is of utmost important"
Unease flows through his body but he takes a seat opposite them to show them just how serious he is about this "I'm listening."
Henry nods once and clears his throat once "As you well know your mother and I were an arranged marriage as well and while we merely tolerated each other at first, we soon fall so deeply in love that we could hardly breathe without the other near." Clover watches as his parents smile softly at each and his heart warms at the sight, even though he's not entirely sure where this is heading "We were almost a year into our marriage and still there was no sign of an heir, it raised concern from the people at court."
Charlotte then says "Rightfully so, because I am infertile."
Clover's eyes widen "What?"
Henry continues like Clover hadn't spoken "I was already King when we got married but we would of been granted a divorce, because what King do not have heirs? But I coulf not leave her. I was certain she is my soulmate" Henry brings Charlotte's hand to his mouth and kisses it, the same way Clover had done with Evangeline "I still am certain."
He frowns slightly "I do not think I understand."
Charlotte takes a deep breath before saying "I'm not your mother."
He stiffens as the atmosphere in the room turns tense "You're lying."
"No, it's entirely true." Henry says with a pointed look "I impregnated another woman and was entirely lucky that it was a boy, Charlotte and I took you in as our own."
He feels dizzy as he tries to make sense of it all "But....how? How did no one not notice?"
"Your mother did not go out in the public eye for months and...the woman disappeared after we gave her a large sum of money."
Clover feels like he's going to be sick. Charlotte is not his mother. He is born out of wedlock. He's a bastard. Suddenly something occurs to him "Duke Oscar. He mentioned me having my mother's eyes, does he know?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Henry winces "He was my best friend and I trusted him which was clearly my first mistake."
Clover's eyes dart between them "I can't believe you cheated on...her"
Henry flinches like he was slapped and Charlotte puts a protective hand on his back as she says "Your father did not cheat on me. We came to a mutual agreement that, that was something he needed to do. Not only did he give Harmpton an heir but gave me a baby too."
He clenches his hands into fists in his lap at her words, because he knew that the blood that flew threw his veins did not determine who is mother is. No, the woman who's sitting opposite him, who made him chocolate cake whenever he came back from training and taught him respect and patience is his mother.
"I see." Clover finally says "And this...woman, where is she now?"
"We have no clue. We haven't heard from her in years and we truly want to keep it that way."
His eyes narrow in consideration "If so, then why are you telling me this? Why now?"
They share another one of thosd look befors Henry roughly clears his throat again "There are rumours going around, circulating your maternal status."
"What?" His honestly surprised by this, because he didn't hear any of it. But then again he wasn't one to listen to gossip.
"Right now is the most crucial time where we stick together as a family to get rid of all the rumours."
He rubs a hand down her face "The rumours clearly started somewhere. Do you reckon it was Oscar who ran his mouth?"
"He swore it wasn't him."
"And do we believe him?"
Charlotte says "Oscar is a smart man and he knew if he crossed us then there would be consequences, one of which is revoking him from marrying Evangeline's cousin. And believe me, he seems fond of the girl."
Christ.
Clover really needed to start taking note of what the hell happens around him besides Evangeline. Her golden hair is quite distracting though. Her blue eyes too.
His broken out of his thoughts when his father says "Although, one of my men said Lucien Evans is going around sniffing my business. He could've found something"
Fucking Lucien. He always seem to be at the scene of the crime and Clover is once again annoyed but tries to think with a clear mind "If he suspected I was born out of wedlock then there's no way in hell he would have let me wed his only daughter."
"True." Charlotte agress "I also think he's too cunning to show his cards before the game end."
Henry hums "Unless he has other plans in motion and this is his way of getting us off his track. We have already established he doesn't care much for Evangeline, surely he would sacrifice her if she's merely a means to an end."
Clover hated the way his father was talking about Evangeline but he knew it's true, her father doesn't give a shit about her. He nods "I could speak to her though and see what she knows."
His father stares at him "You're taking this surprisingly well. Are you going to tell Princess Evangeline about what we just told you?"
He desperately wants to talk to someone about it but he doesn't think she's the right person for it. He don't think he can handle it if she looks at him any different "I don't think so."
"Very well then, I'm sure you have other things to attend to."
Clover wants to ask them over his actual mother but he can tell right now is probably not the best time so he nods once before walking out of the office. He knows Evangeline is waiting for hI'm in her bedchamber but instead he heads the other way, to the east wing. He knocks on one of the door and it opens to reveal a tiny brunette who immediately smiles when she sees him "Clover."
"Mia."