CHAPTER 3

The wild night passed with a breeze as Elaine Louise Gustova slept in the arms of her brothers. It was awkward in the beginning, but as fatigue built within her, she dozed off defenselessly. Noah and Gerard chuckled and followed their sister soon after, in the land of dreams.

Meanwhile, King Kelvion had to break the news to Lady Elaine's parents. As one would expect, there were tears and sobs involved, followed by regret and anger. They wanted to blame their daughter's misfortune on someone, but that wasn't possible.

The Duke and the Duchess of Gustova went silent after the poor parents released their wails of agony. Stephanie Vulient Lanford-Gustova ran out of tears and energy, but she couldn't bring herself to rest as her husband and her King had told her.

"...As a mother," She started with empty eyes, "this is heartbreaking. However, I sensed that before this incident, Elaine went through some difficult times and could not confide in us about it."

"What are you implying, dear?" Duke Gustova held his wife's cold hands. "Was something the matter with Elaine before?"

"She was a bright and strong child." King Kelvion added with a frown. "I assumed nothing could shatter her will, even when provoked."

Duchess Gustova sighed with a tiny smile—it was a sad one. "It has already become a thing of the past. If Elaine does not recall her troubles, perhaps her memory loss would be for the best."

The King paused at Stephanie's statement, recalling his son's proposition earlier that night. "I have something to inform you of as well. Lucas wished to break his engagement with Elaine."

Duchess Gustova flinched upon hearing the news while the Duke sighed disappointingly. There were a million things the Duke wanted to say, but he managed to hold back and acted rationally. "If the Prince wills it, and if His Majesty allows it, then the decision is made."

Stephanie's hands were trembling as her heart throbbed in pain. The mother remembered faintly of her sweet daughter blushing in embarrassment when she found out that she had fallen for her betrothed a few weeks after learning of their engagement.

"I don't intend on making the final decision." King Kelvion glanced at the Duchess momentarily. "If the parties involved wishes for their engagement to be dissolved, then it should."

Insulting a royal is a blasphemy itself, but boldly saying it in front of the King of Athelis was a feat that history has not recorded.

"Forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty." Duchess Gustova did not have the patience of her husband. "I believe the Prince is prejudiced against my daughter. The two have not spent much time together, yet he discriminated against her from the beginning."

"Duchess!" The Duke stopped her by raising his voice a little, glancing at His Majesty warily until he saw a smile on his face.

"It is all right, Duke." His Majesty then sighed. "We seem to have the same opinions, after all."

The King clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That son of mine. He said Elaine was not fit to be a Queen candidate. Is he suggesting that the woman I acknowledged is not within his standards? This incident is going to make him lose points."

King Kelvion had a few children, but even his subjects caught him favouring Prince Lucas among the others—though the truth may not seem like it. As such, Prince Lucas himself thought he would become the Crown Prince of Athelis when he came of age, but the fact that the King has not appointed one until now means he still had doubts. No one knows who would receive the Crown Prince position, but it was inevitable that most have sided with Prince Lucas.

The Gustova Dukedom was neutral. However, when the King announced the engagement between the Gustovas and the Royal Family, they openly declared whose side they were on. It turned the tables because the Gustova Dukedom held a considerable amount of power within the Athelis Kingdom, causing Prince Lucas to have more supporters to be Crown Prince. It was an apparent turn of events as the Gustova Duchy held the military power of the Kingdom.

But, if the engagement broke, indeed, Prince Lucas would be the one losing out. His decision could be called foolish, and many would think the same, though no one would dare say it out loud. As a result, the solid foundation of Prince Lucas that he built over the past two years would crumble when he announces his decision.

If anyone were to pay proper attention, however, the hidden key was Lady Elaine herself. Behind closed doors, His Majesty was fond of the child. However, he would hide this preferential treatment on the exterior and consider other ladies wedded to the Royal Family's potential rulers. The fact that the King offered Elaine Louise Gustova a proposal to be married to Prince Lucas Rovét Ascania only meant one thing.

What his subjects were assuming were true. Prince Lucas would have been, without a doubt, be named Crown Prince.

The King could only scoff in his mind as he thought further into it. 'The son I had high expectations of turned out to be a fool.'

Elaine Louise Gustova accepted the marriage proposal because she also acknowledged Prince Lucas' skills. No, she was not the dumb lady that everyone thought her to be. The people said that she was the type of woman who would drown herself in jewels and wealth and fall helplessly in love at first sight with any handsome man, but those words held no truth. Only those who have personally known Elaine Louise Gustova would know her true self. Including the King of Athelis.

"I apologise for Lucas' past behaviours towards Elaine." His Majesty said with sincerity. "He does not deserve your daughter."

The Duchess felt complicated but responded nevertheless. "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. We do not deserve an apology from a respectable monarch such as yourself."

"No." The King sighed once again. "It was a delayed apology I have owed your family for a while now."

Stephanie felt relieved at His Majesty's words and finally smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I could try to investigate methods to revive Elaine's memory discreetly, but I cannot guarantee success." His Majesty mentioned. "I also think Elaine's memory loss is sensitive information that outsiders should not spread."

"We agree, Your Majesty." Duke Gustova nodded. "Regarding the cure, we are grateful for Your Majesty's concern, but please do not overexert yourself. Your Majesty has more important appointments, after all."

"Whether she is engaged to my son or not, I consider her family." His Majesty had a fatherly smile plastered on his face. "It would not be a burden for me at all."

"We cannot express how thankful we are to you, Your Majesty." Leonard bowed towards his ruler. "Really."

The King laughed it off. "All right, all right. Drop the formalities. I will be leaving as I have much thinking to do."

"Blessings and Glory to the King of Athelis."

----

Lady Elaine was breathing rhythmically while her two brothers laid by her sides, watching her sleeping peacefully. It has been so long since the Gustova siblings could spend time together, and the King pardoned them to skip their schedules for a week to help Elaine adjust back to her life.

"Should we wake her up?" Gerard whispered as quietly as he could to his older brother while admiring his little sister's beauty.

"Let her rest more." Noah softly brushed Elaine's fringe from her eyes. Then he quietly slid off her bed, causing Elaine to shift her body as her eldest brother's warmth suddenly disappeared. As a result, she snuggled even closer to Gerard, burying her face into his broad chest.

"You can stay with her until she wakes up." Noah Hugh Gustova dressed himself up more appropriately before heading out.

"All right." Gerard nodded, smiling inside. He was satisfied with the arrangement.

"Mmh..." Elaine groaned in her sleep silently. She blinked her eyes open groggily, only to see a man's firm chest before her. Still not completely awake, she turned the other way and tried to get more sleep. The man chuckled lowly at her cute reaction and wrapped her waist with his long arms, completely entangling her in his embrace.

"Brother..." Lady Elaine slurred as she started regaining her consciousness. She knocked his chest with the back of her head softly, then looked up at him gently. "Good morning." She greeted him with a warm smile.

"Good morning." Gerard patted his little sister's head. He slid his fingers into Elaine's tangled blonde hair, combing it softly as they laid in bed a little longer.

"Where is Brother Noah?" Elaine was completely awake now. Though they did not have a conversation that would last the whole night, the time she spent chatting with her brothers made them closer. Noah and Gerard were no longer labelled as 'strangers' to Elaine. Instead, they have become brothers that Elaine could trust already in that short amount of time. Their manner of speech was gentle and kind, and the way they were so overprotective, even in her sleep, made her more than convinced that she was dear to them.

"He's left to greet Mother and Father, as well as His Majesty." Gerard let her go as she tried to sit up.

"You did not go with him, Brother Gerard?"

"Who would greet you by your side if I were to leave, Little Sister?"

Elaine couldn't answer his question and just stare blankly at her brother in her seated position. Gerard stared back at her with a small smile, then sat up as well.

"This is still a little hard for me." Elaine looked away from her loving sibling, afraid that she disappointed her brother with her honesty.

"It is okay." Gerard smiled at Elaine while patting her head soothingly. He then went off the bed and called for the Royal Palace maids to clean the room and dress Elaine up for breakfast. The older brother reassured Elaine that he would come back to the room as soon as she was done with her preparations to escort her to breakfast. It was to calm her down while she was to be surrounded by strangers. Gerard instructed her to stay silent throughout the treatment so that outsiders could leak no information about her memory loss.

Once Elaine was dressed in a sky blue gown engraved with white flowers, Gerard knocked on the door. Her second brother could not hide his astonishment upon seeing his sister in that beautiful dress that seems to highlight her beauty. Elaine stood up from the bedroom bench and approached her brother slowly.

"You look stunning, Brother." Elaine smiled, complimenting his look first.

"I could say the same to you, too." Gerard smiled openly and offered his left arm to Elaine. Elaine immediately hooked her right arm around his, smiling up at him.

The maids standing behind them were as still as stone, their cheeks suddenly burning at Gerard Eugene Gustova's warm smile. 'That cold Lord Gerard just smiled?'

"You have lost weight ever since you fell ill." Gerard's brows were crinkled. "Promise me you will eat more, all right?"

"If my stomach can handle the food you all are planning to feed me." Elaine chuckled.

"Right." Gerard nodded. "Father and Mother will also be present for breakfast."

Elaine paused, then glanced at Gerard carefully. "Are they all right?"

"..." The young lord of the Gustova Dukedom patted his sister's head soothingly. "They are not. No one would be if their daughter were not to remember them."

Elaine hung her head low. "Of course."

"It is all right." Gerard urged her to walk again as if saying he would always be with her along her difficult journey. "I want you always to remember that you are not to be blamed for this situation. If you forget your memories, then we can make new ones. Do not be so upset, okay?"

"...Okay." Elaine smiled at Gerard's comforting words.

The walk to the dining room was some ways away, so the sister started asking questions regarding their family. "How old are Brother Noah and Brother Gerard?"

"Elder brother is twenty years old, while I will be eighteen this year. Father and Mother are also only two years apart, with Mother being older than Father. That is also why Father respects Mother, and in arguments, he would always lose."

"Oh." Elaine thought it was amusing. "What about me, Brother?"

"Our little sister is still only fifteen."

"What is the age for a woman to be considered an adult?" Elaine questioned further.

"It is sixteen for women and eighteen for men," Gerard answered. "So, Brother Noah already had his coming of age ceremony, and I will have one soon."

"What was the agreement of marriage between our family and the Royal Family?"

"..." Gerard parted his lips at the way Elaine said the statement. She understood the true intentions of the marriage alliance, despite her memory loss. Of course, it was to unite both families, benefitting each other to gain a more stable position in the Kingdom. If Elaine were to marry the Royal Family, she could be queen. At the same time, the Royal Family had access to the military. However, it is also within the Gustovas tradition to allow the freedom to choose in their lives. The Royal Family delivered the marriage proposal to Elaine, and it was up to her to accept it or not. Had she not welcomed the proposal, it may show disrespectful behaviour towards the Royal Family, which would have risked the Gustova Dukedom's position in High Society.

"The marriage would occur when the Prince comes of age," Gerard answered. "His Highness is the same age as you, Elaine."

Elaine nodded. "Well, anything could happen in three years."

Gerard furrowed his eyebrows at her thoughts. "You mean the Prince could break the engagement during that time?"

"Of course." Elaine glanced at her brother without much thought.

"Elaine," Noah interrupted Gerard from prying deeper into Elaine's thoughts. "Gerard."

The two siblings immediately faced forward as they arrived at their destination upon their brother's call. "Good morning, Brother Noah." Elaine greeted with a smile.

"Good morning to you too, Little Sister." Noah patted Elaine's head. A hug would still be too much for her. "How was your talk with Gerard? It seems like you were having fun."

"I asked some questions about our family. That was all."

"Well, the King and Prince, as well as our parents, began breakfast some time ago," Noah informed. "Let's not make them wait anymore."

"Of course." Elaine nodded, and the three of them entered the room.

"Blessings and Glory to the Kingdom of Athelis." Noah and Gerard bowed while Elaine curtsied elegantly. "Greetings to Father and Mother."

The Duke and Duchess of Gustova tried not to overreact and simply nodded at their children's greetings. However, Elaine surprised them—her attitude made it seem as if nothing happened to her.

"Forgive us for being late, Your Majesty." Elaine apologised.

"It was no trouble at all, Elaine." His Majesty gave her a warm smile. "Please sit." The three siblings did as they were told and sat beside each other. Elaine looked at her meal with eyes filled with interest. A bread was pan-fried in butter, and the maids set a particular type of sauce in a tiny bowl beside it. The chef placed a few slices of strawberries and bananas on top of the bread as a decorative item.

Elaine immediately took a knife and fork and begun digging into her breakfast.

"How was your rest in the Royal Palace, Elaine?" His Majesty initiated the conversation when they have finished breakfast.

"It was warm and cozy, Your Majesty," Elaine answered, putting her utensils down. "The maids took care of me well."

"That is nice to hear." His Majesty nodded in satisfaction. "What about the breakfast?"

"It was delicious!" Elaine answered enthusiastically. "The bread was soft; it was effortless to bite. The sweetness was perfect as well."

"Hm." The King smiled, entertained by Lady Elaine's cheerfulness. "Well, what do you think about Prince Lucas?"

"Hm?" Elaine froze, and her entire family did so as well. Again, they were caught off-guard by the straightforward question. "Well..."

Prince Lucas was just still and emotionless throughout breakfast. Elaine glanced at the Prince, but it did not bring about a reaction from him.

"I heard His Highness was my betrothed," Elaine answered carefully. "And that our marriage is to be held when the Prince reaches adulthood."

"Yes." His Majesty said. The King was about to speak again when Elaine interrupted him.

"If I may so boldly speak my mind, Your Majesty," Elaine predicted the outcome that the Prince would want to break their ties, but it was still just an estimation. Her gut told her it was the case, but even if it wasn't so, there is no harm in breaking the engagement herself. "I do not feel comfortable with being engaged to the Prince due to my current condition."

The Prince finally paused and blinked at her unexpected answer.

"You could get to know him better, even if you lost your memory of him." His Majesty stated.

"That is another alternative, but...." Elaine stared at the Prince. "Does Prince Lucas wish for the engagement to continue?"

"..." Everyone's eyes were on the Prince. It was evident what his answer would be. To not tarnish his reputation, he answered, "If Lady Elaine wishes to annul our engagement, then I would respect the lady's decision."

Gerard was in shock, and he looked at Elaine. 'Did she really predict this...?'

"Then, Your Majesty." Elaine looked at King Kelvion. "I wish to break our engagement."

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