You're So Golden ( Aether Harem )

𝓉𝓌𝑜

Chapter 2

People who were exiled are not welcome in the Artenia Kingdom anymore, even if that person is a noble or rich. Their banishment will last until the last breath of the ruler, but it depends on the next in line to the throne if they will keep that law. Outcasts cannot come back because if they do, that means defying the rules. They already know what will happen next if they don't obey it. Everyone does.

Angering His Majesty was the last thing people wanted.

The family of the outcasts can leave the kingdom to visit them. The former queen was the one who forced the king to implement this. At first, His Majesty didn't agree, saying no one could ever visit the people who were banished from the country but the former queen did all of her best to perceive the king. They have agreed on something, the queen met her husband's terms and conditions— the outcasts' family can leave the Kingdom of Artenia but only thrice a year and they must immediately come back after the five days of their visit.

If they don't come back on time, the royal guards will hunt them down and kill them. The rulers of the other countries don't have any say in this because if they interfere, that'll only lead to war. They didn't want that because everyone was aware how powerful the Artenia Kingdom was.

As depressing as it was, they had no choice. The queen had no choice but to agree on the king's conditions because if she didn't, then there would be no family of outcasts that can leave the country.

Aether feels so heavy upon thinking of this. It's just so unfair, everything is. It deeply hurts him to see how much the people are enduring all this pain his father and his puppets had caused.

It is indeed horrifying, everything that he saw today. The way the royal guards are treating the people, his people, and it hurts him the most because he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He's just watching whilst feeling useless.

"You should eat." The boy beside him said, the one who stopped him from doing reckless things earlier. The boy pointed at the bowl that the prince was holding. "Food is good when it's warm."

"Yeah... sorry, you're right." Mumbled the prince as he began to eat the soup. He almost threw up when his tongue met the food, he did not like the taste of it. Don't get him wrong, it's just— it's really far from good from what he was eating in the royal palace. Being born into privilege has made him guilty right now.

Even though living in the royal palace has been a complete hell hole because of the king's treatment to him, he's still having good things because he's a prince, not like the rest of the people who's born into poverty. They had nothing.

"What's wrong?" The boy noticed him stopping.

"Nothing... it's—" Prince Aether shook his head, he hid half of his face and faced the boy. "Do you want more? You can have mine."

"But you'll get—"

"It's okay." The prince gave the bowl of soup to the boy, the kid smiled so wide and took it. He really looks hungry too. That's why the prince decided to give it to him.

"Thank you so much." The boy started to eat, causing the prince to slightly beam.

"May I ask, why are you here?"

"My father, he was, uhm... exiled and I'm going to visit him today." The boy said while eating his food, Prince Aether didn't say anything so the boy continued. "He was blamed for stealing gold from the palace."

"He was a worker there?" The prince gasped, completely shocked.

"He was one of the royal guards, I guess they can't stand him. My father was a good man, unlike them." The boy narrowly stared at the royal guards across the ship, they were ridiculously laughing. The prince saw from the corner of his eyes that the boy clenched his fists. He obviously hates them, the prince noticed from the looks of the boy's face. "They set him up and we couldn't do anything about it but I know in my heart that my father didn't do it."