Royally Bounded

Chapter 19

Clara

I wrapped myself in a robe before heading over to see Viola in the guest room. I wasn't sure if she purposely chose her room to be across from Hayden and my room, but it did seem like she had the intention to be a secret agent for my mother-in-law.

I wasn't surprised that my mother-in-law was suspicious of Hayden and me. Everything was sudden, and not to mention, the maid had caught Hayden sleeping in another room. If we let anything slip out, I could be with Arnaldo in Verdeniao.

My mother-in-law still didn't like the fact that Hayden chose to gamble with the relationship Nascadia had with Verdeniao. He used that to save me from being tortured by a disgusting man, and I was starting to realize how much he had sacrificed. At some point, I felt guilty for pulling him into the mess, but I wanted to know why he did it.

Was it because he saw his Aunt Lottie in me?

I shook my head at the thought, feeling slightly disappointed if he was only seeing me as a reflection. I did find the relationship unappealing at first, but we were starting to make improvements, and nothing seemed as terrible as I imagined. I was relieved that we were changing, but a part of me felt incomplete. I didn't know exactly what it was.

"Viola, I'm sorry about Hayden," I smiled faintly at her while we sat on the edge of her bed.

"Don't worry about it, darling," she chirped. "Hayden and I have been relatives for so many years. Why would I be bothered by his attitude?"

"Has he always been this cold towards people?" I started to become curious. He had never told me about his past, and even if I asked, he would avoid the conversation.

She sighed, nodding her head. "Emma is my niece, and she married Joseph at a young age. She had pressure from his family to make sure he had successors since he was the oldest child. Hayden was the first child, but Emma had to take care of his other siblings. Joseph was busy with his position because he was still a new ruler. Both of them neglected him."

"That's terrible," my heart ached at his childhood. It reminded me of when my mother and father left me alone and dealt with only Silas. We were both more similar than I expected.

"Yes, it is," she patted my hand. "Hayden was a very smart child, but he wanted attention from his parents. He had fights with classmates because they bullied him at school. It was only Lottie that took care of him."

"Aunt Lottie," I whispered. "He told me about her."

"Lottie was a great guardian for Hayden. She gave him the attention he missed, and she was like his second mother. It's unfortunate that she passed away when he was still young."

"And that's why he has closed everyone out..." I mumbled.

I started to become more sympathetic towards him. He was only a child when everything happened. Not to mention, he started to find someone who he could rely on for help, but she ended up leaving him. He couldn't do anything to save her life, taking all the blame to himself when it had never been his fault.

That twisted his entire nature.

"Yes," Viola nodded, a frown etching on her lips. "Some people might be scared of him and find him disrespectful, but we're his close relatives. We know him the best."

"He's very protective of his family," I commented with a small smile.

"He is, but I'm more surprised to find that he'd found you to rely on now."

Her words took me by surprise, and she let out a genuine laugh. "Emma told me that she has concerns about both of you since Hayden suddenly decided to marry. I think she's wrong about the relationship."