Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 75. The Noblewomen and The King II

Minutes passed. One by one the chairs were filled by the noblewomen. They whispered to each other, guessing and talking about what happened between the royal couple. Some went as far as asking the servants or the maid but according to Angel's orders, neither of them answered the question regarding the royal couple.

"The king has arrived!" That announcement made all of them stand up from their seats and turn their eyes to the door. As the cold king entered the room along with his assistant, Cley, they bowed and greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," they said in unison. Chancellor Allan was supposed to be with them, but he gave the Chancellor another assignment.

Without stopping his steps, Angel simply waved his hand down, ordering them to raise their heads and sit down since this was just an informal meeting, a weird meeting to be exact. At least for him since this was the first time he held a meeting over trivial things like this. Something that was not based on any political interests or benefits since they asked him to explain his decision just because their ego couldn't accept it.

As soon as he sat down in his chair, Cley gave the opening speech.
"Thank you for coming, ladies. The king has received and reads your letter. So he will give his explanation before answering your questions. Please do not interrupt him before he gives the opportunity to do so."

After Cley bowed and returned to his position, Angel spoke.
"I've heard a lot of news and rumors regarding my relationship with Princess Rose. Also a lot of your complaints about why I chose her as my wife instead of someone from Euphorion. So I'll take this opportunity to straighten things out. My marriage is indeed based on political interests. The Heart family has the abilities that will give us a lot of benefits. Their medical knowledge can help Euphorion with many things. Whether in the military or for the people. And we have seen how powerful their poison is. So letting her go is unwise. Moreover, many kingdoms have already noticed her abilities. If I don't take her, another royalty will."

Some noblewomen looked relieved with his explanation. Since it meant he married Rose only because he wanted the Heart family's abilities. But then, what he said next made them think again.

"But that's not my only reason. If you have heard the rumors about what happened at Scarlet Stone Castle, I can confirm that they are true. We had feelings for each other long before the war broke out and separated before we knew about each other. The war brought us together under different circumstances. It was a bitter reunion for both of us. But we decided to end it with this marriage."

Angel noticed his words would provoke the nobles' discontent so he added more explanation.
"Not that I forgive what they did to Pearl Gate City, but I take this as the greatest compensation for what they have done. By using their abilities to build and strengthen this kingdom. Even though all of Euphorion's enemies have been defeated and we have good reasons to attack the three kingdoms, we don't know what other kingdoms think about our victory. Some may fear us. Some might think we are a threat. So this marriage is for both political interests and my personal feelings."

"While this is not a perfect solution or even fair to everyone, this is the best way I can do for Euphorion and all people. As a king, I still have to carry out the ancient agreement as best as I can to make sure the other kingdoms don't have the reason to attack Euphorion. I think that's all I can say. If you want to ask a few things, you may say it," Angel closed his long explanation.

Instead of asking, some started whispering to either side of the group. The reason for the marriage was too strong and Angel had already stated he had feelings for Rose so they had to ask this carefully.

As for Lady Belle, indeed his statement shocked her. But her mind was still focused on the question in her head. After all, she knew Angel was an unpredictable person. No one knew what was on his mind. It could be that this statement was just a formal one.

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