"Father, where did you hear about the rumors? I am actually very surprised that suddenly Emmelyn became the talk of the capital. I believe she has always been keeping a low profile. She only went out to the royal gala that mother organized."
The king's face looked unhappy when he replied to his son. "Somehow some of your mother's ladies-in-waiting and a few ministers suddenly discussed about her several days ago when you went to Southberry."
"Is that true?" Mars immediately suspected Lady Preston was behind this rumor.
"Yes. So, is that true that she really is a princess from Wintermere?" King Jared asked his son back. "Didn't we annihilate the whole family? So, how could one of their daughters walk around our capital? Did she survive the war?"
Mars couldn't deny this fact. So, he figured, it was better if he came clean to his parents and tried to make them understand his situation.
"Father, yes, it's true. She is Emmelyn Rosehill, a princess from Wintermere."
"When did you know her true identity?" the king asked again."
"I have to admit that I know who Emmelyn was from the beginning and I am never worried that she would do any harm to me," Mars spoke slowly but with a firm voice, as if to make sure that his father listened to him properly.
He added, "I actually told mother about Emmelyn. She is really a princess from Wintermere and I let her stay with me despite knowing that because... I trust her."
King Jared turned to his wife and asked her with his eyes if what Mars said was true. The queen nodded.
She touched his arm gently and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Our son told me about her many months ago. I understand where she came from, and where our son stands. I think she is a good woman."
"Why didn't anybody tell me?" Now, the king looked displeased, even at his wife. He was disappointed that the woman he loved kept a secret from him.
"Father... It's all my fault," Mars hurriedly came to his mother's defense. "I begged mother not to tell you about this because at that time I was still working on getting her heart. I've loved Emmelyn since I discovered who she was, but at that time she hadn't returned my feelings."
He added, "Our love story is different from your and mother's. You both were from the same side and you love each other immediately. Emmelyn saw me as the enemy and it took a while for me to convince her to forgive me."
Seeing the king still looked unmoved, Mars let out a sigh. "I hope you can understand her situation. Her whole family was killed in a war that we waged. She has lost her home and everyone dear to her. It is only logical that she wanted revenge. But she didn't proceed with her revenge plans because she loves me."
"How do you know if she really loves you?" the king asked. "For all we know, she could be faking everything, so she could get closer to you and one day, when she gets the chance, she will get her revenge."
"I can vouch for her, father," Mars replied. "I will personally guarantee Emmelyn. If anything happened, I will take all the responsibility."
"And why would you do that?" The king asked his son again. "I can't believe you would choose her over our family when she gets her revenge on us."
"Father.. she is my family too," Mars said to his father. "She will be the mother of my children."
"You don't need her. Now that you are no longer cursed, you can have any woman to bear your children," the king retorted.
"But she is already carrying my child. I will not look for other women when she is already the mother of my first child." Mars looked at his father with a stubborn gaze. He would not concede, no matter what.
Then, he slowly dropped the bomb. "And we are already married. To me, she is family."
"..."
King Jared's eyes widened in disbelief. For a few moments, he couldn't say anything. The queen also pressed her lips in shock. She really didn't expect her son would marry Emmelyn without consulting her.
Mars quickly dropped to his knees to beg for forgiveness from his parents. "I am very sorry that I asked Emmelyn to marry me in secret. I don't want our child to be born illegitimate. Also, I honestly didn't want to subject her and our child into danger if we still cannot find the witch and kill her once and for all."
He added, "Father, I love her. I love her with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and our children in the future. You must know how it feels to fall in love with a woman. You did everything for mother. You even defied grandfather's wishes to marry the daughter of his good friend."
He knew he was touching a very sensitive subject, so he was careful with his tone and the words he was using. He wanted an understanding, not opposition.
King Jared was silent for a long time. His face looked conflicted. He loved his son dearly. Mars was the only surviving child he had with his wife. The young man was the testament of his parents' love and sacrifice to be a family.
Of course, the king only wanted his son to be happy. However, how could he just easily trust Emmelyn to marry his son?
Mars was in love and the king knew how a man in love sometimes didn't have the right state of mind.
He could be blinded by his love for the woman and didn't see if she was really not good for him. If that happened, it was the obligation of the people around him, who loved him, to make him see the reality.
His son would be the king of this big empire. He shouldn't let himself be tricked by a woman.