Among Royalty

XIX

Everyone sat in Zion's office, waiting for the parents to say something. Zion's parents sat on one side along with Aldrich's father, while Aldrich sat on a chair opposite to them and Zion lazily sat a bit more to the side.

"Okay I feel like you're going to say something similar to disowning me.... Because the tension in here is insane." Zion said. They had been sitting like that for a few minutes, while the elders whispered to themselves.

Edward got up and made sure no one was listening to the conversation, and locking the door, he sat back down.

"We will say this, and I request, please don't interrupt while we're talking." Edward said seriously.

Aldrich sighed. This is it....

"Ever since you guys were literally babies, we knew Aldrich liked men. And I had no problem with that, even when homosexuality was just accepted then and was still opposed. The opposition that the people of the community face from the society is less now, but still not completely gone." Robert said.

Zion nodded. It was true that there were a lot of judgemental people still.

"The ministers we have are quite judgemental themselves. And when it was decided by us to legalize homosexuality, they were not very happy about it. But no matter how much they tried to sway our mind we didn't back off from the decision."

"And from then, they have been trying to make us seem as bad as they can." Edward completed for Robert.

"Uncle.... Uncle Trevor has something to do with this, right father?" Zion asked, and everyone knew what the answer was.

Before Trevor was taken in, he tried his best to get the throne and make it seem as if he would be a better ruler, but everyone knew otherwise. And after spending his time in prison, his sudden quietness made everyone worry. And every body was sure he would be doing something to get back.

And so, Zion was sure about the involvement of his uncle in this..... Whatever matter this is.

"I'll get to it. The ball that you had made everyone amazed. And I'm pretty sure that might have increased his anger. But this time, I suppose he managed to sway the ministers' mind." Edward said.

"After Aldrich came here, I used to randomly get letters with no names telling me they'd expose Aldrich's 'truth'. I was pretty sure they meant Aldrich's sexuality by that, but that wasn't just the case. A day before he returned, I received a few pictures. Pictures of him with Adrian." Robert said.

Him with...... Adrian? Zion had no idea what to think of this.

I don't have a good feeling.... Well I've not have a good feeling about this since the start itself...

He felt Aldrich's eyes on him. They exchanged glances, then turned back to the elders.

"When I saw them, I knew what the sender meant by the truth. I decided to discuss this issue with Edward. And apparently, something had happened here too..." This made the Kings' head snap towards them.

"Why wasn't I informed about this, father?!!" Zion asked, shocked.

"I waited to tell you both. After we had dinner with Adrian, I got into my room and found a message on my phone with a private number. It said 'I will get what's mine'. I didn't understand what it meant and ignored at first, but it was still in the back of my mind. The next day I got a few more at different times and they were all of from private numbers." Edward said, slipping an envelope towards the Kings.

Aldrich and Zion quickly opened it to find what their fathers were talking about. The envelope contained pictures of Aldrich looking at the boy, them eating food together, and other similar ones. It seemed like they were together in the pictures though, but the royals knew it was just Aldrich being friendly.

"I understood this involved Trevor, and that he had something big planned in his mind. The next day, I met Trevor." Edward said.

Zion was extremely shocked and saddened with the fact that Edward had not said about this to him before itself.

"He talked in a very casual manner, as if we have been talking the previous years. And then, he gave me something." He said, turning a bit more hesitant now. He handed them another envelope, and sat back sighing.

"I don't even know how he got this, if this is true or not. But... Yeah have a look." Edward said.

Zion and Aldrich exchanged glances yet again. Furrowing their eyebrows, they went ahead to have a look, with Zion opening the envelope while Aldrich peeked from his shoulder.

Zion had been an attentive king, and had managed to earn the liking of everyone in and out of the kingdom. He has never turned his back on anyone, but this?

He could not even trust his eyes as he saw the contents of the paper.

This.....
How the hell did I not know this?!..

"Father.....
H-how..?!" Zion stuttered.

"I don't know, Zion. I didn't even know my dad even mentioned that anywhere. But Trevor gave me this and..." Edward paused, not knowing what to say further.

The paper indicated that the kings in the West kingdom, if were not married the time the throne was handed to them, should marry within 4 years of being in rule. If this was opposed by any king at any time, the title would be stripped off them.

"He said to 'watch out' as he was already married, and as your 4 years of being in rule is closing in, he wouldn't mind getting back what he wanted." Edward said.

"What... What about the pictures then, father? And how does Aldrich come in question here?" Zion asked.

"The elders have always gone against Aldrich whenever they got the chance. Even though Aldrich never revealed this to them, they somehow knew he was gay. I'm pretty sure the pictures I received has something to do with them, and that the pictures I received were to threaten us by saying how they'll reveal some nasty stuff regarding Aldrich." Robert said.

"And if we ignore it they'll reveal pictures in the media to degrade us, and eventually making people hate me." Aldrich said for the first time that evening. Robert nodded.

"How they got them is still a mystery, though. There has to be someone here who is leaking stuff about Adrian and his whereabouts, most probably, to them in the Drovank kingdom." Edward said.

"And in this way..... Adrian can be harmed.." Zion said what was in everyone's mind.

"Exactly." Helena muttered. She had not said anything the whole evening, but was aware of every single thing going on.

"What are we going to do then?" Zion asked.

"Well..
For you, we have a spouse. And yes Zion, we know you're bisexual, no matter how hard you tried to hide it." Edward said, making Zion flush from embarrassment.

"And for Aldrich, we have found a way to shut the elders and the media up." Robert said. Aldrich knew what was to come now, and it made him even more anxious.

"Through our plan, both of you will be at an advantage." Edward smiled.

Zion was confused as to why they were being so creepy by smiling like that. Looking at Aldrich he realised that the other king was hiding his gaze from Zion.

Strange...

"What is it then? Why don't you just say it already...?" Zion exclaimed.

"You two will have to marry." Helena dropped the bomb, making Zion's eyes as wide as saucers.

Marry?
I have to marry?

I have to marry ALDRICH?!

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A/N -- I'm sorry if some parts dont make sense lol..
I'll go back and edit all of the chapters yet again after a while 😅