Crowned Prince | hendery

18: Warning

"Is it not the duty of the crowned prince to act as the general of a warfare, your majesty!" Hendery, stood his ground and if he could, without any consequences would've hit shoulders with the king.

"Regardless of duty, you shall not leave for Maha'ali." The king was firm with his statement.

"What is the sudden change in your disposition as my duties as a prince? For as long as I lived there has not been a word out of your majesty's mouth that does not speak of my obligations to the kingdom and the consequences that they shall face in the case that I do not meet the standard that you speak of."

Taeha glances over at the modiste and her staff. She moves through the room, making sure not to interfere with the exchanges of the father and son. She gently guides them out of the room, as well as the several other castle staff that included Emily, who should not hear of the exchange the king and prince were having.

"I shall extend my apologies to you, but the prince would make sure to visit your store before the evening." That was the only word she spoke towards the modiste and the staff before closing the door to the room where the king and prince were having a heated debate.

"Do you think I would be able to show face to the king of Sui if his daughter and my son do not consummate because of the war of Maha'ali?"

"Consummate?" Hendery looked like he wanted to throw his hands in the air, but instead he only ran his hand through his hair. "Is that all we are to the kings?"

"It is your duty."

"Yet you cannot allow me to do my duty as the crowned prince to sit at the front lines. Your words are opposing one another, your majesty."

"One duty can be avoided while the other is inevitable."

"Inevitable?"

Then there was a pause between them.

"How can producing an heir be inevitable when you have avoided it yourself, your majesty."

The king appears to have been stung. Taeha in her years of watching the king of Hwei, this was the first time that she saw him flustered. As if words disappeared from his mouth and his lips went dry. Yet after he took a deep breath in and looked directly at his son, it was as if he was a new man.

"Yet I have three possible heirs to the throne, my position is solidified by the presence of an heir."

"Do you take pride in gathering heirs from women of noble origins instead of consummating your own marriage?"

"Huang Guanheng!"

This was the first time Taeha has heard the king refer to Hendery by his full name. Not to mention his sudden raising of his voice as he shouts out the prince's name. The princess was nearly merged into the wall as she pushed herself further away from the conflict that was happening right in front of her.

"I do not want to hear of my consummating when your majesty failed to do the same."

"The queen and I have been in love with people before we were set to wed, ours is a different tale. The queen was also incapable of producing a child, who made you think that we did not try even if it was against all my will and hers?"

Hendery looks offended with the mention of the king about someone else he loved when they were wed. as if he stopped hearing the moment the king talked of love that he once had.. "Father," the prince's voice goes soft, "have you forgotten?"

"My love for your mother was not forbidden," the king runs his own hand through his styled hair, "she was of a different kingdom, the people we ruled over did not think of us as siblings."