|🌴| Shipwrecked Princess |🌺| A Novel |🌺| Complete |🌴|

🌴 Chapter Thirty-Eight 🌴

William endured the many congratulations and gifts presented to him and Rosalya. It was hard, but he did feel better now that he had told his mother about what was plaguing him. He didn't get to speak much with people other than asking about his plans as the king and when he was going to have an heir. Neither he knew the answer to, so he had just replied how they would have wanted him to.

Chandler walked up to his brother and pulled him off to the side. "I overheard you telling Mother that you have feelings for Essa. I didn't think you'd ever tell her, but I'm glad you got to tell someone else." He whispered, glancing round to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

William's eyes opened wide, surprised that his brother out of all people had heard them. "No one else heard me, did they?" He asked, worried that someone other than Chandler heard him. Chewing on the inside of his cheek. 'If someone found out I didn't love Rosalya despite getting married - that wouldn't end well for either of us.' He thought, becoming more uneasy.

Chandler could tell his brother was nervous that someone could have known he wasn't in love with his fiancé. "Yohan, but no one else. We won't tell anyone if that is what you are worried about. He doesn't like being around people so he's just over there in that tree." He pointed to the tree not too far from them, only a hundred or so feet away.

William glanced over to where his brother pointed and he would see a leg hanging out of the tree. "Yohan isn't a social person, is he? He wasn't like that the last time I saw him, before Janessa's passing that is. Even though we were the same age, when it came to Janessa he was overprotective. There were a few times we would have punched each other but Akira stopped him before that happened." He recalled, faintly smiling at the memory.

Chandler tried to envision that, which left him with a goofy smile on his lips. "I find that hard to believe seeing him now, but I was only a baby at that time so I believe you. It would be a little funny to see Yohan try and punch you over his sister." He chuckled, trying to imagine the Yohan he knew now trying to do that back then when he was nine.

William gently nudged his brother in the shoulder, pursing his lips. "Hmm, seeing all that happen firsthand must've been traumatic." To hear what happened to her was traumatic but to see it first hand. He shook his head. "I can't imagine how hopeless one would feel being unable to save her." He then paused. "I should greet him, it's the polite thing to do." He began to walk towards the tree.

Chandler furrowed his brows as he watched his brother walk toward the tree. "What about your wedding shower?" He asked, finding it a reasonable question. "You're just going to abandon everyone? Won't they notice you are gone?" He asked, securing after him.

William looked over at his brother and gently shrugged his shoulders. "When they start to leave I'll meet up with Rosie and we will thank the guests for attending." He was at his wit's ends with all this formality. 'I wish I could have gotten away sooner.' He thought to himself, taking his crown off his head.

Chandler noticed something that he hadn't taken heed to before. "You haven't called her Rosie in such a long time. Why is that?" He inquired. He couldn't recall the last time he had heard him call her Rosie. It was something he had done ever since they were children. Even when he arrived and was greeted by Rosalya, he called her Rosie then.

William stopped walking, his eyes searching the ground as if he was looking through files within his brain for the information. "I . . ." He couldn't recall the last time he had called her Rosie. He had been calling her by Rosalya for as long as he could remember. "I don't know. I suppose things have changed since then. Is that a bad thing?" He hesitantly asked.

Chandler shook his head, resting his hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. "No, it's not bad." He reassured William, throwing him a soft smile. "Just means you are growing up. In speaking, why do you want to get away from this shower so much?" He had been curious and it was a question he had wanted to ask.