Royally Bounded

Chapter 37

Hayden

Clara and I returned to Nascadia after the tour in Verdeniao. My mother bothered me to come back because the news was spreading too damn fast, and it was barely contained. Someone kept adding fire behind my fucking back, and it was clear that Maurice and Arnaldo were doing it privately to destroy me.

Maurice only talked to my face, and I was still fucking searching for proof to prove that he did shit. In Verdeniao, it was hard to find anything when I had no connections, and Arnaldo had control of the press. If he wanted them to speak, they would. No one else could open their fucking mouths. Arnaldo wasn't stupid to leave evidence for me to find, exactly like last time when he ruined Imperos.

We were with my parents in Bruchester with the rest of the family there. My father tossed the magazines right in front of our faces, causing a loud slam to the table surface. Clara jumped at the action, and she remained quiet to listen to him speak.

"What is this?" He questioned us sternly. He pointed at the magazine covers as his brown eyes flared out with rage.

"Magazines write bullshit all the time," I stated, tucking my hands into my pants pockets. I expected him to look unconvinced because I married so fucking sudden. "You rather to choose to believe them than your own son?"

"The news is spreading everywhere," he fired back. "The citizens are starting to doubt you, Hayden. Some publishing companies even wrote that that someone close to you told them. Even if we believe, no one else would believe you."

I let out a cold scoff when I heard his words. He only cared about fucking image since the first day. He didn't care that my mother was pregnant and went to attend some stupid event to help his name. He left her alone at the palace where she fucking had a miscarriage. She needed her husband to support her through shit, and he did nothing.

"As I care," I spat, snapping my eyes at him. "They can think whatever the fuck they want. They can move out of the country if they want. I did nothing wrong." I stood up against my father who was only several inches taller than me.

My mother came over to me, wrapping her fingers around my arm as she pleaded. "Tell us the truth, Hayden. This is serious. We have to find a solution to solve for this problem. The citizens can't stop gossiping about it. It's been a few days already."

"Why are you asking me for the truth, hm?" I turned my head to look at her and licked my lips frustratingly. "Didn't you already ask Viola to spy on Clara and me? She should have told you the entire situation."

My mother didn't press me, and she turned around, her eyes shooting daggers at Clara. My jaw clenched, and I was on the verge to knock all the furniture down. They had to make shit difficult for me when I could handle this shit.

"Clara," my mother called, her voice growing strong. "You tell me the truth."

Ivor came over to take my mother aside. "Mother, Clara and Hayden both came back from Verdeniao, and they're tired especially after dealing with the press and questions. Don't give them too much to deal with."

My mother huffed with annoyance, and Ivor settled her down to one couch. Josephine came over to embrace Clara. I was fucking pissed at Arnaldo and Maurice for doing this to me, but nothing would have happened if Clara and I had nothing for them to use against.

"You don't have to fucking worry," I told my father who was still displeased with me. He only worried about his image at the moment and not his own son. "Even if I had to die, I will fix this for you. Is that good enough?"

Our families avoided scandals because our reputations could easily be destroyed by anyone. Our enemies fed off from our troubles, and they would see it as a chance to take Nascadia.