<on hiatus> 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 - 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝟏𝟗

[three days later]

"Isn't this visit quite the surprise?" Duke Bruce chuckled at his twin children.

Nicholas and Olivia flew back to Auden to pay their parents and siblings a visit, though, the purpose of the visit was primarily to talk it out with the duke in person about Nicholas' situation in Knighton. They were in the family room and the twins sat on a sofa across their father.

"Father," Nicholas began. "Uh... do you remember the kidnapping of Princess Macy?"

"Of course," Bruce scoffed. "Why wouldn't I? Nicholas, I have impeccable memory. It's all thanks to my amazing memorisation skills that you've inherited from me that you made it this far in medical school. Otherwise you would've dropped out and focused on training the kingdom's second knight squadron as my aide."

"... sureeeeeeeee..." Nicholas and Olivia said dryly, knowing that it was better to agree with their narcissistic father than to go against him.

"Well, Papa," Olivia began, "there's something you should know about the kidnapping."

"Which is?"

"... ummmmm..." Olivia said, a little hesitant, "you see... Papa... ermmm... the princess was raped by the Joker and now she's... pregnant... with... his... child."

The duke was frozen in his seat.

"Father?" Nicholas raised an eyebrow at his father. "Are you alright?"

"Papa?" Olivia waved a hand at him. "Oh no." She got up from her seat and sat next to her father. "Papa... are you alright...?" Olivia tapped on his shoulder. "Nick, what's wrong?"

"... I think he's in total shock," Nicholas deduced. "Just look at him."

"Oh yeah," Olivia said. "He totally is. Papa!" She shook her father.

"... oh... what... what?" The duke finally said after a few minutes. He looked at his daughter. "... Liv?"

"Geez, were you that shocked?" Olivia said, looking at him.

"Very," Bruce answered honestly. "So, let me get this straight: Joker impregnated Princess Macy."

"Yes," Nicholas sighed, "he did."

"... I should've killed him when I had the chance..." sighed Bruce, running a hand through his hair.

"That's not the worst part," said Olivia with a sigh. "The princess thinks that Nicholas is the baby's father."

"God help my son..." sighed Bruce once again, burying his face in his hands. "... but... why Nicholas out of all people?"

"I don't know," Nicholas said. "I suspect that he had drugged the princess before he raped her, and thus... fertilisation... occurred."

Bruce had read his son's mind before he could even tell him.

"... Nicholas. You're not planning on marrying Princess Macy," Bruce said, "are you?"

"I have no other choice," sighed Nicholas. "This is the only way for me to properly complete my mission, and the only way for her to become queen."

"Don't make the same mistake I made, Nicholas," Bruce warned his son. "I had many regrets about what I did in the past. I don't want you to have any hesitations whatsoever because of this decision you made, because I know that you have feelings for someone else."

Nicholas looked at him in shock. He'd done all he can to conceal his feelings for the princess from his father, yet, he still found out.

"Father, how did you...?—"