The Prince and Fashion Designer

Chapter Fourteen

The Queen sat alone in her office. The portrait of her and her children hung on the wall she faced. How could she have stooped so low? She didn't alway used to be cold and unforgiving.

    "Hodge, am I mean?" she asked her longtime friend, who was standing in the doorway.

    "Cruel, your majesty." She glared daggers at him, and then realized what she was doing.

    "You're right. You're always right. What have I done? I've forced my only son and daughter away, so far away that I can pull them back."

    "It's not too late, Maryse."

    "It is. I was so focused on this tie between the two countries, that would make us rich, that I didn't see my son was in love! I pushed and pushed, and now..." she motioned around her. "look where I am."

    "You can always fix it. You know, you've never been the same since Robert died. You think it was your fault, and you take it out on the kids, who aren't kids anymore mind you. Isabelle is a women, a future Queen. Alexander is a very kind and smart man, who is very worthy of the title 'King'."

    "I know. I just—how am I going to fix it?"

    "May I make a suggestion?"

***

Alec sat in his room, angry, heartbroken, sad, conflicted, regretting yelling at his mother, and everything in-between. As he laid on his bed, he turned on his side, and looked at the chair placed directly in front of his french doors. Every morning, Magnus would sneak up behind him, even though Alec knew he was there, to kiss him good morning. Alec smiled as he reminisced. A knock on his door interrupted him.

    "Who is it?"

    "Mom."

    "Go away."

    "Please?" she begged. Alec didn't say anything, but his mother took it as an okay, and entered. She sat on his bed next to him, where she used to sit when she would sing him to sleep at night. But that was many years ago.

    "If this is about Aline, I'll marry her. There's nothing stopping me now."

    "This isn't about Aline." Alec sat up, so he was leaning against the backboard of the bed. "I want to apologize. Ever since your father passed, I've been taking out my feelings on you and your sister. I've missed so much of your life. I haven't been a good mother. I got wrapped up in money, and power, and ruling, that in the end I forgot about everything I once cared about. I shouldn't have forced you to be with Aline. I should have listened to you. I should have let Magnus be with you. What I did was wrong."

    "It was. I'm still not in a forgiving mood."

    "I don't want forgiveness. Well, maybe someday. Right now, I just wanted to tell you why I was being the way I was, and that I apologize."

    "Thank you, but that doesn't bring him back."

    "No but I have an idea."