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Going back, Joe convinced Gale to go with them back to Shae's house. Well, her house too. Joe achieved what he wanted, but it wasn't that all. Gale wanted to go too.
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Inside the carriage, Sloan took notice of the atmosphere. It blooms.
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My family...we're complete?
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She felt overwhelmed. She knew everyone of them felt that too. And Sloan wanted to cry, but she would ruin the atmosphere between them.
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Her parents were laughing and talking to each other, sitting opposite of her and Joe, that they seemed to not notice both of their children.
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Sloan could only smiled and sighed.
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When was the last time I felt we were like a family? Probably, she guessed, months after she almost died by the child of his father's enemy.
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"M'lady?"
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Sloan turn to gaze at Joe beside her.
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"Yes, do you need anything? Are you sleepy, Joe? You can rest in my arms. You can still sleep in my arms, I can carry you,"
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Jow shake his head. Staring at her and forming tears in his eyes. Sloan panicked.
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"What? Why are you crying, Joe???"
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Both Gale and Shae stopped when they heard Sloan opposite to them. That's when they saw Joe crying too and started to asked panickingly.
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Joe could only put his head on Sloan's arms and covered his face.
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"You're going to leave tomorrow, m'lady?"
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Ah, he heard that a while ago. That's why he was silent.
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Sloan turned to look at her parents. That's when Shae explained the situation by the words that Joe will understand. After crying for about half an hour and not accepting the fact that Sloan was going to leave, he fell asleep on the way home.
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Exiting the carriage, all the knights and maids at Shae's place was in big shocked after seeing them complete and the fact that Joe was like a baby being carried by their Captain.
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It was a chaos to Shae after that. The knights he trained kept asking if Lady Gale was now not going to left anymore. But they only kept their expectations high themselves.
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Soon after, the day of Sloan's departure arrived. Prince Sage came to pick her up, and have come to be updated to the news that the Captain of the Blue Knights, Shae, adopted a kid. And as he bet on himself, that was the enslaved child that Sloan saved from slavery at a young age.
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And the child was crying while trying to reach Sloan who was going to step in the carriage.
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Sloan can't just accept his arms and bring him with her to the palace. So she bid goodbye to her parents and Joe, carrying a reddened face.
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The timing was really bad. She wished she'll be like a sister more to him.
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Prince Sage just stared at her, who couldn't believe what she has done.
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"Your decision changed? About...Joe?" He heard his name a while ago.
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Sloan nod. "Father agreed."
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He asked once more. "I see...then...about Lady Gale and Sir Shae? Are they..."
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"No, your highness. I doubt it." Sloan turned outside the window. "It's just because of Joe. Mother took a liking to him as Joe convinced her to come with us and stayed. Mother will leave, I just don't know when. But I felt she wanted to take care of Joe. Now that we're getting married...you know?"
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Prince Sage's eyes fell on the floor as he understand their situation.
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"I wouldn't ask anymore."
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Sloan nod.
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The palace were rejoicing when Sloan came. The knights and maids and even the part of nobilities were in the throne hall standing and waited for their arriv. But she hated the crowd and turned her head to Prince Sage, hoping to be save.
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"Oh, she's not feeling well, your majesty, I'll take Sloan to her room."
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"Wha---not feeling well? Should we call the physician---" The queen said, concerned.
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"No need," Prince Sage nod.
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Sage silently offered his hand as she took it and they left the throne hall after greeting the king and the queen.
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"Don't worry, we don't need to greet the nobilities one by one. They already know who are you, and I'm certain that you know them. You wouldn't owe them explanations." Sage explained, concerned.
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Sloan sat by the window, staring at him sitting on the side of the bed of her new room.
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"Your highness, I took notice of Miss Knightley, she seemed of wanting to talk to you."
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Hearing that name, Sage couldn't give a word.
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Miss Knightley Morson, daughter of a Baron, and the one who has like him ever since. She takes everything for granted, spread words that destroyed people's lives in a young age. And her father did nothing cause he loves his daughter so much. A wicked one.
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Only some people know what she really is like, hiding his true colors. And the prince was one of it.
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"I don't want to talk to anyone outside." He spoke.
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"I see. You want to stay here for a minute then?"
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"I have something to talk to you, that's why."
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"...Alright. What is it?"
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Sage walked towards her. "I need your help on something,"
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"Something? Help? Your highness, that's new. I thought you can do everything by yourself. You presented to all of us that you're too independent."
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"..." Sloan made it look like she's mocking him. But it only made Sage rolled his eyes on her.
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He sat beside her by the window.
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"Stop it."
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"So what was it?"
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"You need to accompany me in Cephas Kingdom for the next two days."
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Slowly, Sloan's face twitched hearing it.
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Cephas Kingdom, with a population of almost thirty five million people. It's a small kingdom that was governed by a greedy king and a whiney queen. Overall, Cephas Kingdom was a chaos. It seemed like the only sane person governing there is a prime minister who managed the kingdom's funds, luckily. If it wasn't for the prime minister who was by the king's side for over thirty years, Cephas Kingdom will be eliminated by the map years ago.
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"Cephas Kingdom? Then?"
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Sage nodded and crossed his arms. "I received an invitation yesterday by the princess, Princess Sienna."
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The king and queen's second child and only daughter.
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Sloan heard rumors about her, a widely known princess who bores an intelligence by weaving dresses and a princess who took after her mother. She thought it marvelous, though she never really seen her face and made dresses from fabrics.
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"Invitation? By her highness? Why would her highness send a letter for you?" Sloan asked in astonishment. It was a rare occasion for the princess of another kingdom to send a letter to the prince of this kingdom. It could only be either of two reasons. One, the princess has a fondness of the prince. Second, she has a proposal for something about both of the kingdom.
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Instead of answering, Sage took a small paper from his pocket and hand it to Sloan.
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There, Sloan read the letter.
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Reading the letter, Sloan's face paled. Either of the two reasons weren't accurate enough.
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His Royal Highness, Prince Sage Castleton of the Dali's Kingdom
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Dearest Royal Highness,
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This letter was an invitation I made, your highness. I had heard of your matrimony just yesterday from Duke Atticus from Redmere Duchy. I'm certain that it now spreads all over the continents and different kingdoms, your highness.I was in state of discontent to have heard that you were match with a lowly daughter of a knight. I don't know what is with the queen and his majesty's minds to let them give your hand to such lowly woman. I thought that no one would deserve you, except the ones those you were even in your title, or who has the high privilege you have. Last night, I could not sleep with those thoughts and drawn in my mind that you were grieving for the reason that you can't do anything by the decision. With that thoughts, I will gladly listen to your judgements and concern according to your approaching matrimony that would soon occur. Your highness, I will be here to give you a soothe for everything you're going through. You're free to set foot on Cephas Kingdom one of these days.
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Deeply concerned, Sincerely,
Princess Sienna, Cephas Kingdom
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Sloan's eyes fell on the floor, processing what she had read. When she processed it, her eyes narrowed and gave the letter back.
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"Your highness, everyone who could have read this will seen through her highness's intentions, don't you think?"
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Prince Sage shrugged, and boldy replied, "I'm not the kind of she formed in her mind. She thought of me lowly."
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"Your highness, I'm the one she thought of lowly. And I've been meaning to ask everyone of what's wrong with me being my father's daughter," Sloan said with a snort.
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Sage went silent, crampled Princess Sienna's letter and faded through his blue flame in his hand. Sloan was amazed seeing him used his powers and became less gloomy for a second. He went crossing his arms again.
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"And I think her highness's giving you a choice."
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"What choice?" He asked.
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"If her highness was to comfort you because of our matrimony, she'll offer her hand to you thinking that her highness's is the only choice you would have to get away from me and we're certain of it..." Prince Sage listened attentively, "Say that both the king or the queen of kingdoms would agree and there would be a celebration for both of your kingdoms when the name of your soon wife would be change to her highness's name, many privileges will come along. Both kingdoms will prosper. You will not have a hard time to govern the kingdom...while you don't have a choice of being with me and it's not worth it."
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There was a silence for a moment. They just stared at each other.
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"Your highness, what do you think of this matter?"
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"No sense."
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"You'll throw away my conclusions?"
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"Absolutely."
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"That's reasonable, though."
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"You're being senseless. Everything is decided."
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"I'm just forming thoughts in my head."
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Sage sighed. "So you'll accompany me?"
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"Certainly, you asked for help. But what will I do for you?"
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"We just need to convinced the Princess that what she thought of was wrong."
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"That?" Sloan was confused.
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"That I have no judgements and concern about this matrimony or about you. She thought everything imprecisely. I don't like dealing with everyone about this matter. I ignored everyone judgely speaking about this matrimony, but the one who sends the letter was a princess with an invitation," Sage took a deep sigh. "Mostly, I don't have a choice. I need to speak with her, we need,"
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Sloan thought, maybe the prince was tired going circles. But she was only a victim of this matrimony too. The prince suffers more due to the horrible judgements. She's a lowly, who would in their right mind will match her to the prince?
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And when she thought of it, she paled again, Only the king.
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She was doubting why the king takes her as the prince's other half. Why her?
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That questions still bothers her. And one of the questions she's hoping to be answered one of these days.
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Sloan nodded, look up to the ceiling and said, "And I needed to talk to her about me being my father's daughter. Her opinions of me was bore from dissatisfactory. If father would have read it, he'll be in rage." She snorted.
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Sage smirked. "Well you should not grieve, I already burned the paper."
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"Then I guess I'll send my gratitude to you, your highness,"
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Sage stared at her for a moment and looked away.
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He suddenly thought, he can't see himself with anyone but her. The first time he informed Sloan that it's impossible for them to became infatuated with each other, she understands. Mostly because they thought the same way of not involving themselves in affectionate devotion to anyone. But what if in the future, one of them couldn't fathom one another's rationality anymore? What would it be like?
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