Moments

The Kingmaker - VIII

"Mom, what's going on?" Lucas asked the moment the pair of them left. His expression was grave, too grave for a seven-year-old. "Why is the crown prince trying to befriend me?"

Antonia sighed helplessly. Nothing got past this child. "Beats me," she muttered, picking up her phone. Before she got to dial her husband's number, a call came from him. She answered it.

Before she could say hello, he said, "What happened? Why was Adrian Astley in our house?""I wanted to ask you that!" Antonia appeared frustrated.

"Mom, put dad's call on speaker," Lucas said. Antonia looked at her son and nodded. She put the call on speakerphone. "Dad, I think we shouldn't talk about this on the phone. We don't know who else might be listening. Come to grandpa and grandma's place directly. We'll discuss it with him. I'll call Uncle Damien and Uncle Dean. Do you want to invite Uncle Dylan too?"

Dylan Lark was the Duke of Wiccarp, Lucas' uncle by marriage. Fabian's sister was Faye Lark, Duchess of Wiccarp.

Fabian was taken aback by his son's quick response. "Yes, you're right. Invite them. We'll take in the old manor."

Lucas took his phone and quickly made the calls. Everyone was first surprised to hear from him. He didn't explain anything so they were curious. Then they agreed to come.

Antonia and Lucas took Liam and their bags and headed to the old manor. The old manor was in the suburbs of the capital. It had a rustic, yet majestic feel to it. In it lived Lucas' grandparents. They had the bare minimum number of servants. 'Just the two of them in that large house... must be lonely,' Lucas thought.

Then he recalled something. His grandparents' house could very well be considered as an inn. People kept visiting him either to ask for help or to just pay a visit or to meet the former Great Marshall of Nova, Gregory Crane. With one look, Gregory could freeze the person in front of him. All the while his children entered, he maintained a stoic, dignified look.

Grandma Minerva was being a mother as usual. She was fussing about her sons and daughter. "Are you alright? You look pale. Faye, don't lie to me. Have you grown thinner? Is that brat not taking care of you well? And you! How often must I tell you that you shouldn't work yourself to death?" she berated her oldest son.

"Mother, you won't ask any of your other sons about their well-being, you only ask big brother all the time!" Damien said with an aggrieved look on his face.

Minerva looked at him sharply. "He is more like me than the two of you will ever be! Besides, the two of you look just fine to me!" she snorted.

Fabian smiled at his stepmother warmly. He embraced her and said, "I'm okay, mom. Just a few more months and the situation will stabilise."

For Fabian, she was the only mother he knew. Gregory's first wife had died giving birth to Fabian. Three years later, Gregory remarried. She wasn't all that high up in society, but she was not too low either. But she proved to be exactly what the family needed. She took care of him as if he were her own and not for a moment did she make him think, 'If only my actual mother were here.'

"Mum, don't worry too much. I think all that grey hair came from all that unnecessary overthinking you do," Faye rolled her eyes. Dylan had an arm wrapped around her shoulders with an expression that said, 'everything my wife says is right'. Minerva was extremely satisfied with this son-in-law.

"Your firecracker wife hasn't toned down, I see, Dylan," Minerva didn't even bother getting into a war of words with her daughter.

Dylan grinned. "I like her just as she is," he said. Even after six years of marriage, Faye blushed, still not used to her husband's public displays of affection.