Chapter 369: You Always Find Me
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Thousands of miles away, in the Royal Palace of Rosenhyde.
King Ophire sat on his throne as he listened to the reports from his trusted right-hand man, Duke Maldock Brodie.
"Your Majesty, more than half the fiefs have already been made aware of the teachings you have ordered." Maldock informed as he stood before the King.
King Ophire gave him a swift nod and the contented smile on his face indicated that he was pleased with how quick the progress had been.
Ever since he had received word from the Royal Tutor about the little girl's suggestion, he had first invited his Council of Ministers and held a long and thorough meeting about the same.
The Dean and a few other important members of the Royal Medical Association had also been present to express their opinions about this matter.
When their King suggested the idea he had received through Marquess Samed, it did not take long before the discussion began about it.
The wise and learned men in this Council could discern that higher efforts would be exerted in this plan when compared to the 'Distribution of pamphlets' idea.
Yet they agreed as the result would also be better with this new one.
Therefore, after some thought, it was decided that the King's suggestion would be used to spread the word about healthy living.
Since the nobles were fond of entertainment in the form of Operas and theatrical arts, it was not too difficult to find talented individuals from this field to work.
It was the Royal Steward who selected the best troupes in the Capital and brought them to the King.
Four troupes were selected and explained that their tasks would be according to the instructions received from the King who was just acting on what he had heard from the little girl from the St. Claire's family.
Soon the four tropes began their journey in the four directions of the Kingdom under the orders of the King.
Now that he was listening to the reports about their faster plans to return after having accomplished their task, King Ophire was satisfied with the outcome.
Once Duke Brodie had completed his report, he looked up at the King.
"Sire, about your…" He began speaking about something that had been on his mind but could not finish as the King had raised his hand.
This single gesture caused the man to halt in his words as he waited for the King to speak.
"I have an important appointment, Maldock. We shall speak tomorrow." King Ophire declared his thoughts and did not wait to hear about his opinion.
Duke Brodie bowed his head in acknowledgment and began walking out of the Throne room as he was well aware of his King's personality which would not change his decision once it had been made.
Therefore, he did not continue staying here and obeyed the hidden orders he had received of leaving the King alone for now.
'There is still some time for that event, I can talk to His Majesty tomorrow.' Duke Brodie surmised as he left the room.
Once the room returned to its silence as the other man had left, King Ophire rubbed his neck as he turned his head from left to right.
When his head again turned to the left, he halted in that position and then smiled.
"How long do you plan on staying hidden?" He inquired though there was no one to be seen around him.
The shadow guards who stayed hidden in plain sight were also glancing in the same direction as the King.
King Ophire's vibrant blue eyes sparkled when a portion of the wall at the end of the room opened up by sliding to the side, allowing the person standing behind it to appear.
The head of bright blonde hair was the first thing that caught one's eyes followed by the emerald green eyes which glimmered like those of a jewel.
"You always find me." The young boy shook his head in defeat at being caught by his elder brother.
"That is because you hide in the same places, my dear Draco." The King chuckled as he gestured for the boy to come closer.
Prince Draco Rosenhyde who had just stepped out of the secret passage that was built for the sake of emergencies was now walking towards the King's Throne.
These hidden pathways linked most parts of the palace with underground tunnels which were to be used when times of trouble or distress struck them.
However, since Draco was a young child, his elder brother had shown him these pathways which they used as perfect spots to play hide and go seek when they were younger.
'But we haven't done so since I sat on the Throne.' King Ophire thought about their past habits which he had to give up on as he did not have much leisure time left after attending to his Kingdom's matters.
He recalled that his younger brother still used these pathways to move around the Palaces which also helped him stay away from the sight of many nobles who entered and exited from the Palace.
Even now, Draco had used this pathway to sneak into the Throne room as he wished to surprise his elder brother.
When he had arrived at the end of that passage, he could hear that there was someone else in the Throne room with his brother so he did not interrupt them.
Sadly, his plan to surprise his brother was disrupted as his brother's keen senses had already alerted him about someone's presence near him.
"Let's go for a walk." The King suggested and Draco nodded immediately.
For the past few weeks, he had not been able to meet his younger brother due to many reasons so when he had noticed Draco's silent arrival at the end of the passage, he had sent Duke Brodie away to spend time with his brother.
King Ophire got off his Throne and stepped down from the steps by the time Draco had come close to him.
The two Royal siblings walked next to each other and once again, the King kept taking peeks at his brother.
'He has grown taller again!' King Ophire pouted as this only meant that Draco was growing into a fine young man each day.
"Big Brother, where shall we have tea?" Draco's words brought him out of his worried thoughts.
The King's suggestion of tea time at his Palace was accepted and the two walked in its direction.
Soon, they arrived at the Pavilion behind the Palace, and servants soon brought out tea for them.
The two brothers sat in silence as they drank tea, enjoying the cold breeze that moved around them thanks to the changes in the weather recently.
Thinking of these changes, Draco smiled and looked at his brother.
"What would you like to receive this time?" He inquired and did not have to expand on his answer as his brother had understood just what he meant by those words.
"I would love anything that my brother gives from his heart." King Ophire smiled while answering him.
'Same answer every single year!' Draco shook his head at the brother who was never demanding of him.
But this only increased his desire to get the best birthday present for his elder brother.
The King's birthday was a grand celebration in the Kingdom and would take place in less than two weeks.
Though Draco had already prepared something special for his brother and King, he had nonetheless asked that question to probe what might be on his mind.
Yet, this trick was unsuccessful as he had not received any helpful answer from him.
While Draco was thinking about how he could extract some proper answers from his brother to make this birthday more special, he did not notice that his brother was also lost in his thoughts.
'I would be happy if my Kingdom does not suffer another plague like the one that we experienced the last time.' King Ophire grimaced when he recalled the numerous deaths that had taken place eight years ago.
Eight years ago, his father, previous King Greggor, had still been alive and had done everything to curb the death toll that rose every day.
He had just been a Crown Prince but he had seen his father struggling with the guilt of the deaths of his people.
Two years after the devastation of the Second Great Plague, King Greggor had expired due to his ill health and old age and the Crown Prince ascended the Throne of Rosenhyde.
'I promised to keep my people safe and am willing to do everything to make that happen!' King Ophire's blue eyes sparkled with determination as he recalled the vow he had taken when he took a seat upon the Throne of this glorious Kingdom.
The young boy sitting next to the King had snapped out of his thoughts about what present to get him for his soon approaching birthday when he saw the grave look upon his brother's face.
However, King Ophire was still lost in his many thoughts about how he would make sure that his Kingdom remained safe.
'I do not mind taking the help of a little girl who seems wiser than her age if it means that my Kingdom will prosper and grow from it.' He nodded his head, unashamed that he was taking advice from a child, more so, a female child.
Draco was now curious about what was on his brother's mind and he was not afraid to question him about it.
"What are you thinking about, Big Brother?" The young Prince's voice brought the King out of his thoughts at once.
King Ophire patted his head and did not hide what had been on his mind.
"Yvonne St. Claire."
The strong wind that blew past them almost engulfed the name that had been uttered but Draco's ears had caught it, causing his entire body to freeze.
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Thousands of miles away, in the Royal Palace of Rosenhyde.
King Ophire sat on his throne as he listened to the reports from his trusted right-hand man, Duke Maldock Brodie.
"Your Majesty, more than half the fiefs have already been made aware of the teachings you have ordered." Maldock informed as he stood before the King.
King Ophire gave him a swift nod and the contented smile on his face indicated that he was pleased with how quick the progress had been.
Ever since he had received word from the Royal Tutor about the little girl's suggestion, he had first invited his Council of Ministers and held a long and thorough meeting about the same.
The Dean and a few other important members of the Royal Medical Association had also been present to express their opinions about this matter.
When their King suggested the idea he had received through Marquess Samed, it did not take long before the discussion began about it.
The wise and learned men in this Council could discern that higher efforts would be exerted in this plan when compared to the 'Distribution of pamphlets' idea.
Yet they agreed as the result would also be better with this new one.
Therefore, after some thought, it was decided that the King's suggestion would be used to spread the word about healthy living.
Since the nobles were fond of entertainment in the form of Operas and theatrical arts, it was not too difficult to find talented individuals from this field to work.
It was the Royal Steward who selected the best troupes in the Capital and brought them to the King.
Four troupes were selected and explained that their tasks would be according to the instructions received from the King who was just acting on what he had heard from the little girl from the St. Claire's family.
Soon the four tropes began their journey in the four directions of the Kingdom under the orders of the King.
Now that he was listening to the reports about their faster plans to return after having accomplished their task, King Ophire was satisfied with the outcome.
Once Duke Brodie had completed his report, he looked up at the King.
"Sire, about your…" He began speaking about something that had been on his mind but could not finish as the King had raised his hand.
This single gesture caused the man to halt in his words as he waited for the King to speak.
"I have an important appointment, Maldock. We shall speak tomorrow." King Ophire declared his thoughts and did not wait to hear about his opinion.
Duke Brodie bowed his head in acknowledgment and began walking out of the Throne room as he was well aware of his King's personality which would not change his decision once it had been made.
Therefore, he did not continue staying here and obeyed the hidden orders he had received of leaving the King alone for now.
'There is still some time for that event, I can talk to His Majesty tomorrow.' Duke Brodie surmised as he left the room.
Once the room returned to its silence as the other man had left, King Ophire rubbed his neck as he turned his head from left to right.
When his head again turned to the left, he halted in that position and then smiled.
"How long do you plan on staying hidden?" He inquired though there was no one to be seen around him.
The shadow guards who stayed hidden in plain sight were also glancing in the same direction as the King.
King Ophire's vibrant blue eyes sparkled when a portion of the wall at the end of the room opened up by sliding to the side, allowing the person standing behind it to appear.
The head of bright blonde hair was the first thing that caught one's eyes followed by the emerald green eyes which glimmered like those of a jewel.
"You always find me." The young boy shook his head in defeat at being caught by his elder brother.
"That is because you hide in the same places, my dear Draco." The King chuckled as he gestured for the boy to come closer.
Prince Draco Rosenhyde who had just stepped out of the secret passage that was built for the sake of emergencies was now walking towards the King's Throne.
These hidden pathways linked most parts of the palace with underground tunnels which were to be used when times of trouble or distress struck them.
However, since Draco was a young child, his elder brother had shown him these pathways which they used as perfect spots to play hide and go seek when they were younger.
'But we haven't done so since I sat on the Throne.' King Ophire thought about their past habits which he had to give up on as he did not have much leisure time left after attending to his Kingdom's matters.
He recalled that his younger brother still used these pathways to move around the Palaces which also helped him stay away from the sight of many nobles who entered and exited from the Palace.
Even now, Draco had used this pathway to sneak into the Throne room as he wished to surprise his elder brother.
When he had arrived at the end of that passage, he could hear that there was someone else in the Throne room with his brother so he did not interrupt them.
Sadly, his plan to surprise his brother was disrupted as his brother's keen senses had already alerted him about someone's presence near him.
"Let's go for a walk." The King suggested and Draco nodded immediately.
For the past few weeks, he had not been able to meet his younger brother due to many reasons so when he had noticed Draco's silent arrival at the end of the passage, he had sent Duke Brodie away to spend time with his brother.
King Ophire got off his Throne and stepped down from the steps by the time Draco had come close to him.
The two Royal siblings walked next to each other and once again, the King kept taking peeks at his brother.
'He has grown taller again!' King Ophire pouted as this only meant that Draco was growing into a fine young man each day.
"Big Brother, where shall we have tea?" Draco's words brought him out of his worried thoughts.
The King's suggestion of tea time at his Palace was accepted and the two walked in its direction.
Soon, they arrived at the Pavilion behind the Palace, and servants soon brought out tea for them.
The two brothers sat in silence as they drank tea, enjoying the cold breeze that moved around them thanks to the changes in the weather recently.
Thinking of these changes, Draco smiled and looked at his brother.
"What would you like to receive this time?" He inquired and did not have to expand on his answer as his brother had understood just what he meant by those words.
"I would love anything that my brother gives from his heart." King Ophire smiled while answering him.
'Same answer every single year!' Draco shook his head at the brother who was never demanding of him.
But this only increased his desire to get the best birthday present for his elder brother.
The King's birthday was a grand celebration in the Kingdom and would take place in less than two weeks.
Though Draco had already prepared something special for his brother and King, he had nonetheless asked that question to probe what might be on his mind.
Yet, this trick was unsuccessful as he had not received any helpful answer from him.
While Draco was thinking about how he could extract some proper answers from his brother to make this birthday more special, he did not notice that his brother was also lost in his thoughts.
'I would be happy if my Kingdom does not suffer another plague like the one that we experienced the last time.' King Ophire grimaced when he recalled the numerous deaths that had taken place eight years ago.
Eight years ago, his father, previous King Greggor, had still been alive and had done everything to curb the death toll that rose every day.
He had just been a Crown Prince but he had seen his father struggling with the guilt of the deaths of his people.
Two years after the devastation of the Second Great Plague, King Greggor had expired due to his ill health and old age and the Crown Prince ascended the Throne of Rosenhyde.
'I promised to keep my people safe and am willing to do everything to make that happen!' King Ophire's blue eyes sparkled with determination as he recalled the vow he had taken when he took a seat upon the Throne of this glorious Kingdom.
The young boy sitting next to the King had snapped out of his thoughts about what present to get him for his soon approaching birthday when he saw the grave look upon his brother's face.
However, King Ophire was still lost in his many thoughts about how he would make sure that his Kingdom remained safe.
'I do not mind taking the help of a little girl who seems wiser than her age if it means that my Kingdom will prosper and grow from it.' He nodded his head, unashamed that he was taking advice from a child, more so, a female child.
Draco was now curious about what was on his brother's mind and he was not afraid to question him about it.
"What are you thinking about, Big Brother?" The young Prince's voice brought the King out of his thoughts at once.
King Ophire patted his head and did not hide what had been on his mind.
"Yvonne St. Claire."
The strong wind that blew past them almost engulfed the name that had been uttered but Draco's ears had caught it, causing his entire body to freeze.
Thousands of miles away, in the Royal Palace of Rosenhyde.King Ophire sat on his throne as he listened to the reports from his trusted right-hand man, Duke Maldock Brodie."Your Majesty, more than half the fiefs have already been made aware of the teachings you have ordered." Maldock informed as he stood before the King.King Ophire gave him a swift nod and the contented smile on his face indicated that he was pleased with how quick the progress had been.Ever since he had received word from the Royal Tutor about the little girl's suggestion, he had first invited his Council of Ministers and held a long and thorough meeting about the same.The Dean and a few other important members of the Royal Medical Association had also been present to express their opinions about this matter.When their King suggested the idea he had received through Marquess Samed, it did not take long before the discussion began about it.The wise and learned men in this Council could discern that higher efforts would be exerted in this plan when compared to the 'Distribution of pamphlets' idea.Yet they agreed as the result would also be better with this new one.Therefore, after some thought, it was decided that the King's suggestion would be used to spread the word about healthy living.Since the nobles were fond of entertainment in the form of Operas and theatrical arts, it was not too difficult to find talented individuals from this field to work.It was the Royal Steward who selected the best troupes in the Capital and brought them to the King.Four troupes were selected and explained that their tasks would be according to the instructions received from the King who was just acting on what he had heard from the little girl from the St. Claire's family.Soon the four tropes began their journey in the four directions of the Kingdom under the orders of the King.Now that he was listening to the reports about their faster plans to return after having accomplished their task, King Ophire was satisfied with the outcome.Once Duke Brodie had completed his report, he looked up at the King."Sire, about your" He began speaking about something that had been on his mind but could not finish as the King had raised his hand.This single gesture caused the man to halt in his words as he waited for the King to speak."I have an important appointment, Maldock. We shall speak tomorrow." King Ophire declared his thoughts and did not wait to hear about his opinion.Duke Brodie bowed his head in acknowledgment and began walking out of the Throne room as he was well aware of his King's personality which would not change his decision once it had been made.Therefore, he did not continue staying here and obeyed the hidden orders he had received of leaving the King alone for now.'There is still some time for that event, I can talk to His Majesty tomorrow.' Duke Brodie surmised as he left the room.Once the room returned to its silence as the other man had left, King Ophire rubbed his neck as he turned his head from left to right.When his head again turned to the left, he halted in that position and then smiled."How long do you plan on staying hidden?" He inquired though there was no one to be seen around him.The shadow guards who stayed hidden in plain sight were also glancing in the same direction as the King.King Ophire's vibrant blue eyes sparkled when a portion of the wall at the end of the room opened up by sliding to the side, allowing the person standing behind it to appear.The head of bright blonde hair was the first thing that caught one's eyes followed by the emerald green eyes which glimmered like those of a jewel."You always find me." The young boy shook his head in defeat at being caught by his elder brother."That is because you hide in the same places, my dear Draco." The King chuckled as he gestured for the boy to come closer.Prince Draco Rosenhyde who had just stepped out of the secret passage that was built for the sake of emergencies was now walking towards the King's Throne.These hidden pathways linked most parts of the palace with underground tunnels which were to be used when times of trouble or distress struck them.However, since Draco was a young child, his elder brother had shown him these pathways which they used as perfect spots to play hide and go seek when they were younger.'But we haven't done so since I sat on the Throne.' King Ophire thought about their past habits which he had to give up on as he did not have much leisure time left after attending to his Kingdom's matters.He recalled that his younger brother still used these pathways to move around the Palaces which also helped him stay away from the sight of many nobles who entered and exited from the Palace.Even now, Draco had used this pathway to sneak into the Throne room as he wished to surprise his elder brother.When he had arrived at the end of that passage, he could hear that there was someone else in the Throne room with his brother so he did not interrupt them.Sadly, his plan to surprise his brother was disrupted as his brother's keen senses had already alerted him about someone's presence near him."Let's go for a walk." The King suggested and Draco nodded immediately.For the past few weeks, he had not been able to meet his younger brother due to many reasons so when he had noticed Draco's silent arrival at the end of the passage, he had sent Duke Brodie away to spend time with his brother.King Ophire got off his Throne and stepped down from the steps by the time Draco had come close to him.The two Royal siblings walked next to each other and once again, the King kept taking peeks at his brother.'He has grown taller again!' King Ophire pouted as this only meant that Draco was growing into a fine young man each day."Big Brother, where shall we have tea?" Draco's words brought him out of his worried thoughts.The King's suggestion of tea time at his Palace was accepted and the two walked in its direction.Soon, they arrived at the Pavilion behind the Palace, and servants soon brought out tea for them.The two brothers sat in silence as they drank tea, enjoying the cold breeze that moved around them thanks to the changes in the weather recently.Thinking of these changes, Draco smiled and looked at his brother."What would you like to receive this time?" He inquired and did not have to expand on his answer as his brother had understood just what he meant by those words."I would love anything that my brother gives from his heart." King Ophire smiled while answering him.'Same answer every single year!' Draco shook his head at the brother who was never demanding of him.But this only increased his desire to get the best birthday present for his elder brother.The King's birthday was a grand celebration in the Kingdom and would take place in less than two weeks.Though Draco had already prepared something special for his brother and King, he had nonetheless asked that question to probe what might be on his mind.Yet, this trick was unsuccessful as he had not received any helpful answer from him.While Draco was thinking about how he could extract some proper answers from his brother to make this birthday more special, he did not notice that his brother was also lost in his thoughts.'I would be happy if my Kingdom does not suffer another plague like the one that we experienced the last time.' King Ophire grimaced when he recalled the numerous deaths that had taken place eight years ago.Eight years ago, his father, previous King Greggor, had still been alive and had done everything to curb the death toll that rose every day.He had just been a Crown Prince but he had seen his father struggling with the guilt of the deaths of his people.Two years after the devastation of the Second Great Plague, King Greggor had expired due to his ill health and old age and the Crown Prince ascended the Throne of Rosenhyde.'I promised to keep my people safe and am willing to do everything to make that happen!' King Ophire's blue eyes sparkled with determination as he recalled the vow he had taken when he took a seat upon the Throne of this glorious Kingdom.The young boy sitting next to the King had snapped out of his thoughts about what present to get him for his soon approaching birthday when he saw the grave look upon his brother's face.However, King Ophire was still lost in his many thoughts about how he would make sure that his Kingdom remained safe.'I do not mind taking the help of a little girl who seems wiser than her age if it means that my Kingdom will prosper and grow from it.' He nodded his head, unashamed that he was taking advice from a child, more so, a female child.Draco was now curious about what was on his brother's mind and he was not afraid to question him about it."What are you thinking about, Big Brother?" The young Prince's voice brought the King out of his thoughts at once.King Ophire patted his head and did not hide what had been on his mind."Yvonne St. Claire."The strong wind that blew past them almost engulfed the name that had been uttered but Draco's ears had caught it, causing his entire body to freeze.
