"you're not raising this kingdom with some bastard off the streets!" henry's mother yelled at him as he continued getting ready to meet his girlfriend for dinner.
"excuse you, mother. she isn't some bastard off the street. she is the daughter to the duke which still holds status in this kingdom and even if she didn't hold status, you don't influence my feelings upon her." he defended, looking at his mother with a stern expression.
"she's only his daughter cause he picked someone off the streets and slept with them! she wasn't even raised within his own household!" she argued.
"and so what? she still has the blood of royal in her and i'd be damned to let her go just cause my mother doesn't want me to be happy. now, i must get going before i'm late to dinner with her and her family." he said excusing himself, leaving his mother furious.
"henry, get back here!" she shrieked after him.
henry rolled his eyes, speeding up his strides, meeting his personal servant down the hall.
"mr.hunter, is my horse ready for departure?" henry asked.
"ah, yes! mr.withers has him waiting up front for you." he replied with a vast smile.
"great. please let the others know i won't be home till late. don't hold up dinner for me since by then i would've already ate." henry explained, mr.hunter nodding with understanding.
"have a safe travel, your highness!" mr.withers waved.
"thank you, withers." henry smiled at him before hopping onto his horse and bounding off for the duchy of liberty.
.｡.:*✧
"oh, i'm so excited for you to officially meet him, father!" charlotte smiled as her father laughed her excitement.
"i'm excited to meet him. you make him seem like quite a charmer." he replies as charlotte smiles even wider.
"ah yes! he really is. he's so sweet and very courageous."
"he's also quite handsome." charlotte's sister, ana butted in, making charlotte playfully hit her.
"keep your dirty paws off my man." charlotte joked as their maid, ms.briar, came up to them.
"duke, ladies, your guest, prince henry is here." ms.briar said, making charlotte smile.
"let him in, please." the duke said, then turning his attention to charlotte.
"you did not tell me that this young man was the queen and king's son." he whispered to her as henry entered the dining hall.
"i must've forgotten to mention it over my excitement. please forgive my carelessness, father." charlotte frowned as the duke smiled at her.
"no need for apologies. i'm just glad you found someone who makes you happy."
"good evening, your majesty!" the duke greeted, bowing as henry smiled at him with gratefulness.
"good evening, duke but there is no need to bow to me. i'm here under your eyes, not mine over yours."
"well, welcome and please, make yourself at home." the duke said as they all took a seat at the table.
"would you care to enlighten us as to why you make an arrival to my quaint duchy?" the duke asked politely.
"i've come here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. i know it's quite unlawful to do this behind closed doors without all of the kingdom watching, but i thought it'd be respectful of me to come here, behind close doors and ask you myself for permission." henry plained as ana choked on her vegetables.
charlotte's face burned with embarrassment as her dad smiled over at her.
"i only see great things in you, prince henry. you have my permission to take my daughter as yours, as long as she accepts that is." the duke replies as henry smiles gratefully at him.
"of course, i would never force a lady into marriage. it's very unlawful of men to ever disrespect a woman." he says.
ana and charlotte side glance each other before henry clears his throat and gains everyone's attention.
"if you excuse me, duke, lady ana. i'd like a private word with lady charlotte." henry said, as the duke nodded and charlotte stood up from her seat.
henry and charlotte exited the dining room and into the main hall, both having smiles on their faces.
"i didn't know you were coming to ask for my hand in marriage, your highness." charlotte said, mockingly bowing to him.
henry laughed at her antics and he turned to face her.
"you know you don't need to do that every time, charlotte." he whispers, taking her hands into his. she smiles at him, letting him know that he may continue.
"i'm sorry i didn't discuss the whole marriage proposal to you beforehand, but i wanted it to be a surprise for you." he explained.
"no need for apologies. i'm quite enjoying it." she smiled at him, causing his smile to widen a bit more.
"i really do love you with all my heart and you have a great heart that i know will help me run my kingdom like it should be ran. my father told me before he passed, that when i do anything, i should always have someone in mind who would be proud of my decisions and well to me, that's you. your support means the world to me and i don't know where'd i be now if your father hadn't found you. and even my grandmother once told me that when my time came to run this kingdom, it should be with someone who i solemnly love but who would also help the people of the kingdom." he said, his face falling a little.
charlotte rubbed circles into his hands knowing that his grandmother and father were hard topics for him to speak since he lost them at a young age.
"charlotte, i want to ask you if you'll marry me?" he asked, as he went down on one knee and brought out a simple, gold ring with a small diamond flower embedded into the middle of it.
"of course, i will." she said, smiling at him as he enveloped her into a kiss.
they separated, only foreheads touching, their breathing more content and smiling.
"you make me the happiest."
"as you do i."
a/n: oof, what a cringey ending but there's a very long ago due one shot. i hope you enjoyed it.
i'll be back soon with more oneshots <3
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