The Alliance Marriage Went Wrong

Hearing about marriage made Emor Tripas frown. "I'm only 22, Your Majesty. Don't you know that your husband is 23 when you finally married for real? I don't think I need to hurry."

Iria slowly nodded several times at the response of the Nardodian King. "Why are you so young, Emor? I'm 23 now but I already have a one-year-old son."

"You're a woman, Your Majesty," Emor Tripas argued. "You can't compare me with you. Did your husband has a son when he's 23?"

Iria finally let out a chuckle. "I think you are just scared of the idea of marriage." Her smile slipped a bit when she asked, "Is it because of your illness? It's still not cured?"

"I'm getting better," the Nardodian King promptly said. "I think I'll be fine soon. I only have to defeat the fear in my head."

Only?

If it was easy, he would already do it years ago!

Iria inwardly sighed as she knew that he was still the same.

"It seems like you don't buy what I said, Your Majesty," Emor Tripas pointed out with a smile on his face. "But I'm telling the truth. I have already recovered a lot. The royal doctor helped me during the last two years and I have my friends and reliable people around me. They are the ones who make me able to stand before you today."

The Qalagon Queen finally flashed a little yet genuine smile when she heard Emor Tripas. "I'm glad, Emor. For royals, reliable people are the rarest gems in the world but it seems like you don't have a problem with that."

Just when Emor Tripas tried to speak up, he felt a hand on his shoulder and when he turned around, Arin Helev was standing.

"It seems like you occupy my seat," the Qalagon King jokingly said, making the Nardodian King sigh.

"You're still possessive, Your Majesty," Emor Tripas pointed out and with a chuckle, the Qalagon King took a seat on another chair beside his wife.

"What do you think of my son?" Arin asked Emor, keeping his playful streak going on. Hearing this, there was an amusing smile on the Queen's face, making Emor sigh even deeper.

"You two make a well-matched couple," Emor Tripas remarked with displeasure written all over his face. "I don't think I deserve to be treated this way just because I'm without a wife or a child."

"Why are you so sensitive, Emor?" Arin Helev asked with the same playful smile on his face. "I only ask you how you thought of my son and I don't think it's not an unlikely question. This is Ansel's birthday party after all."

"I will answer your question once I build a family too," Emor Tripas simply said to the Qalagon King. "But if you really mean what you asked me, I think the Crown Prince is just like you. I cant wait to see him grow up."

"I hear that a lot," Arin Helev still said to Emor, making the latter sigh once again.

The King of Qalagon was enjoying himself too much!

"I already give him an earful in that matter, Arin," Iria finally chimed in. "We only see Emor again after two long years. You should go easy on him."

"I'm glad you say that," the Nardodian King said to Iria and added, "But I don't know if you say that for me or just to make fun of me. You and your husband are growing more similar to each other day by day."

The King and Queen laughed at Emor's remark but their attention was soon shifted to a couple who came to them.

"You're leaving?" Arin Helev promptly asked General Hanson as he rose from his seat. Lady Vienna was also standing beside her husband.

Hanson nodded. "Saerus is with just his nanny. It won't be good if we leave too late."

"He is not feeling well these days and he can't be left alone for too long," Vienna added. "We hope you can understand us, Your Majesties. We regard our best wishes to the Crown Prince."

Iria nodded with a little smile. "We understand, Lady Vienna. If your son is waiting, you should hurry. We're glad enough to have you and General Hanson during the main celebration."

"We will visit you soon," Arin Helev said to the couple. "It's been a while since I last saw Saerus. I already miss him."

Hanson Lorin laughed when he heard his friend. "You better keep your word, Your Majesty. Saerus miss you and the Crown Prince a lot."

Though the General didn't say or show anything, a lot of his attention was on Emor Tripas who was sitting still without saying anything. It's been years but... he rarely saw Emor Tripas since he realized his real identity and he hasn't once talked to him either. However, he also still remembered the day Aryan Tripas died.

"We will get going then," Hanson Lorin said and slightly bowed with his wife. Then they walked out of the hall.

The couple almost reached the main door of the palace when they heard footsteps behind them. The General turned around and... it was Emor Tripas. Just a few seconds and the Nardodian King was standing right in front of him.

"General, can we please talk?"

Vienna didn't fail to notice how the expression on her husband's face changed when he heard the request. She was well aware of how much Hanson used to trust this man when his real identity was revealed. The current Nardodian King even used to be the General's right-hand man!

"Vienna, can you return without me?" Hanson Lorin asked his wife after what seemed to be forever. "I promise that I'll follow you soon."

Briefly glancing at the young King, Vienna Lorin nodded and walked away from the two men.

Once his wife was out of his sight, Hanson Lorin shifted his gaze to Emor Tripas. "What do you want to say to me?"

They didn't meet at all in the past two years but they met twice or thrice before that.. Emor Tripas maintained his silence during those years. Why did he suddenly want to talk to him now?