379: Conditions

Conditions

She briefly contemplated remarking that the Crown Prince took after his father, but wisely decided to keep her thoughts to herself. In this gathering of powerful individuals, she was on the losing end and needed to tread carefully.2

"It's not the first time we've met," the King stated directly. "I must say, Philip has raised you well."

The King's casual reference to her grandfather by name, without using any titles, despite being older than the King, left Oriana pondering two possibilities. 'Either the King and my grandpa are close friends, or the King doesn't hold my grandpa in high regard.'

Oriana briefly entertained the thought of saying, 'I wish I could say the same about you and the Prince,' but she decided to hold her tongue. Instead, she asked, "May I know what His Majesty expects from me, as I have been brought to the palace against my will?"

"As you know, you are the Crown Prince's betrothed. Soon, I plan to announce your presence and return you to the public, and after that, we will arrange a wedding for the two of you to make you officially his wife."

"What?" Oriana exclaimed but quickly regained her composure. The King had stated it as if it were a simple matter. "Your Majesty, this cannot be done. You are aware of the situation between the Prince and me. I believe he is not willing to marry me either."

"You do not need to concern yourself with Prince's consent. All you have to do is prepare for the wedding, as it is inevitable," the King replied. He paused for a moment, observing her displeased expression. "This is unchangeable. Regardless of your feelings, what I decide is final."

"What if I still refuse this arrangement?" she inquired, her gaze expectant.

"I believe you wish to ensure the protection of your grandfather and learn more about the rest of your family," the King stated. "This can only occur when you officially become a member of the Cromwell family. Matters concerning you and the Royal family are private, and only family members are permitted to be privy to them."

Oriana understood that without the King's protection, her grandfather would once again be in danger, as Arlan might seize this opportunity for revenge.

The King's tone began to change slightly as he continued, "It's not as if you have any say in this. Everything has been decided in the past. Given your current situation, I'm sure you're aware there's no way out of it." His words contained a hint of mockery and a warning. He wanted to maintain his composure but also make her understand her reality, hoping she would comply.

'These cunning father and son,' Oriana thought, her brow furrowing as she replied calmly, "Your Majesty, everything has happened so suddenly, and I am still adjusting to this situation. I would prefer to have some time to prepare myself for the arrangements you've mentioned."

Ailwin could clearly see her attempt to stall the wedding. He understood that she had no real choice but to listen to him.

He simply smiled and asked, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

Oriana saw this as her opportunity to state her conditions. While she saw it as a way to take some control in this situation, the King used it as a chance to assess her character and intentions. What she asked for would reveal a lot about her - whether she was greedy, naive, or genuinely intelligent and deserving of standing beside his capable son.

"I wish for Master Erich to treat my grandfather," Oriana began, "and I also wish to assist him. I am not accustomed to being confined within the mansion, and I require freedom. As long as my grandfather is here, Your Majesty knows that I could run away or disrupt the arrangements you have made. Additionally, I wish to work with Master Erich. I do not wish to waste my time idling inside the mansion. Once in a while, I wish to regain my old identity as Orian which is more comfortable for me."

The King gazed at her for a moment, unable to judge her in any of the category he had decided before. All he could deduce for now was that she appeared to be a filial granddaughter primarily concerned about her grandfather's well-being. However, Ailwin was patient and prepared to observe her further to understand her true intentions.

"I agree to your request but I believe you are aware of why you have to wear veil."

"I know. I will be careful."

The King agreed to her knowing she was no fool and said, "Though we have a time for wedding, we still have to announce about you the subjects of this kingdom. We also use that day to announce your engagement with the prince."

As the King had agreed to her request then she could not say no to this. 'It's just official engagement and not the wedding itself. I can just go with the flow for now.'

"I understand, Your Majesty." She replied and said, "Then I expect master Erich to come check my grandfather right away."

King chuckled inwardly. She sure knew what she was doing. The King agreed to it.

Oriana bowed to him and left the study along with the Commander.

On the way back to her residence, she could not help but think, 'I wonder how that Jerk will react on our engagement. I know him well, he would be more furious than me,' Evil smirk painted on her lips, 'I can't wait to see him getting angry and troubled. He probably would want to strangle me but will have no other option but to put on ring on my finger. Will be a sight to behold.'

----

Inside the King's study, his personal aide entered and bowed respectfully.

"Where is he?" Ailwin asked with a stern expression.

"Your Majesty, His Highness is still in Wildridge Manor," the aide replied.

Ailwin frowned in irritation. "That rascal is still in a mood of protest." He took out a scroll that had already been prepared and handed it to his aide. "Send a messenger and deliver this to Arlan."

The aide accepted the scroll and confirmed, "Yes, Your Majesty."

As the aide left the study, King Ailwin leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. 'These two kids, what should I do to bring them closer and convince them to marry willingly, rather than forcing them into it? From what I know, they won't hesitate to kill each other at the first sight. Arlan can't be harmed by her but this girl can be in danger. Whatever it takes, Arlan needs to accept her for his own good.'

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