132: Rejection of a father

Rejection of a father

Music Recommendation: Strange Feelings- Jung Se Rin

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A painful cry escaped from Anastasia's lips when she felt Dante's canines break the surface of her skin and penetrate far deeper than she had anticipated. The pain was unbearable, and she wanted him to pull away as a searing heat began to spread, coursing through her veins like molten fire, but his hands didn't let her move an inch, keeping her firmly in place. 

Dante's mouth continued to stay latched onto her skin as her sweet blood seeped into his mouth while the toxin from his canines mingled with the flow of her bloodstream. 

Anastasia dug her nails into his arms as she felt the blinding pain searing through her until she finally lost consciousness. 

Dante eventually withdrew his bloodied canines from her, his tongue flicking over the wound and the smears of blood around it. Gathering the remnants of the blood on his lips with his tongue, he looked down at the woman in his arms. His eyes glowed, the golden slits becoming prominent as their bond solidified.

"To think you have been fated for me for such a long time," Dante murmured, his gaze fixed on Anastasia, a woman now his through the bonds of blood, destiny, and time. 

Scooping her up gently, he laid her on the bed and removed her shoes before pulling the blanket over her and lying beside her. 

And while Anastasia fell into a deep sleep, the bond she had formed with Dante allowed her to tap into one of his memories. Like grains of sand swept by a forceful desert wind, she was transported back in time. 

The day was bright like any other, with the sun casting its glow and the birds chirping away. On the upper floor of the palace, Lady Lucretia entered her son's room, dressed in elegant attire. 

"Mother," the young boy's face lit up upon seeing her, and he eagerly made his way towards her. 

Lady Lucretia sat down on her heels and opened her arms wide before enveloping her son in a tight embrace. "Happy birthday, my lion! You have grown so old, and to think it won't be long before I won't need to kneel to hug you," she laughed. "Am I the first one to extend my wishes to you?" 

The young boy had reached the age of ten and hugged his mother with a beaming smile. He said, "Father bestowed his birthday wishes upon me first. He was here before I woke up." 

"Is that so," Lady Lucretia responded, pulling away slightly to regard her son. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "He must be even more excited than you are today. I could tell for the last month that he's been looking forward to this day."

"Are we going to cut the cake now?" the little boy asked, his black eyes shining, as this was a ritual he had partaken in for every birthday. 

"Not now, my lion. As it is a double celebration, the cake cutting will take place in the evening," Lady Lucretia informed him, and soon a servant knocked on the door. 

"Milady, King William has summoned Prince Dante to ride with him on the journey to the shrine," the servant informed her. 

Before long, the young boy departed from the palace, sitting in front of his father on his horse, accompanied by four ministers and the Mother Queen, who were eager to witness the occasion. Upon arriving at the shrine, everyone seemed in a good mood, as they couldn't wait to see what the king's first son could do. 

"Step in front of the shrine, Prince Dante," instructed one minister. "Place your hand on the stone in front of you. You will soon feel the surge of power coursing through your arm." 

The little boy did as he was told, all eyes fixed on him in eager anticipation. But when nothing happened, they exchanged puzzled glances. King William questioned, "What happened? Is it not working?" 

Stepping forward, the king placed his hand upon the stone, feeling the latent energy within. He then instructed his son, whom he had high hopes for, "Focus your mind and place your hand back here."

But as seconds turned to minutes, the realisation finally sunk into their minds that the boy was an ordinary child devoid of a Crux. He was rather an unfortunate child, denied the privilege to wield the Blackthorn lineage's powers. On the other hand, the Mother Queen's eyes widened, a look of dawning comprehension sweeping across her face as she stared at her grandson. 

Disappointment clouded King William's eyes, his jaw tightening as he realised that he had a useless son, one who lacked a Crux. Without uttering a single word, he left the shrine, striding towards where the horses were stationed before mounting his own. The others followed, while the little boy looked for his father's guidance. 

The prince, requiring assistance to mount the horse, called out, "Father?" He waited for a response, but the king remained silent for several seconds. 

"You can ride another horse. Furthermore," King William said to the little boy in a stern voice, "From here onwards, you will address me as King William, not as your father."

Though the young boy had ridden with his father on their journey here, he now sat on another horse, trotting behind his father, who looked distant. Upon reaching the palace, everyone seemed excited to welcome their future king, who was poised to sit on the throne. 

Lady Lucretia informed him, "Your Highness, everyone is waiting for the cele—"

"There will be no celebration," King William curtly dismissed her, leaving the woman perplexed. He said, "You have let me down, Lucretia. Giving me a son who cannot carry the Blackthorn blood; it is a disgrace." He then proceeded to announce, "There won't be any celebration, and all those who have gathered can depart." With those words, he disappeared inside the palace. 

The Mother Queen looked torn, her gaze conflicted, before she followed her son to talk to him, while Lady Lucretia walked to where her son stood at the back. Before the ministers could leave, she asked them, "Did something happen at the shrine?" The king had never before looked at her with such indifference. 

"Milady, Prince Dante doesn't have a Crux. It's as if he's cursed... or isn't the king's son," one of the ministers replied to her, regarding her with a hint of suspicion before departing with the rest. 

"Do you think her inferior blood might be the reason?" 

While the men's conversation carried on, Lady Lucretia turned to look at her young son, who appeared visibly pale. 

"Did I disappoint you too, Mother?" the little boy inquired. 

"You could never do that, my lion," Lady Lucretia said, wrapping her arms around her son to hug him. "I am already very proud of you. Very, very much."

However, the boy's feelings were hurt, and he remained silent. 

"I think they are just in shock. Once your father's mind cools down, he will return to his usual self and summon you to his chamber," Lady Lucretia consoled her son. 

But as the day passed and the boy waited for his father, King William didn't want anything to do with him. The next day, the king left the palace to travel to another kingdom on official matters. During that time, the young prince ventured beyond the confines of the palace, stepping into the town with a desire to explore, accompanied by a minister and four guards, who followed him as chaperones on this excursion. 

As the young prince trotted on his horse, which was a gift from his grandmother, the town's inhabitants caught wind of rumours regarding the supposedly cursed prince. Whispers began to circulate, insinuating that he might be an illegitimate son of the king's concubine. A  series of hushed conversations arose, accompanied by pointed gazes at the little boy. 

"What is he doing here? I thought he would be locked in a cell with his mother."

"Looks like he isn't ashamed of the burden he has brought to the Blackthorn family." 

"Did you hear that he is a cursed child?" 

Unbeknownst to the little boy, the murmurs and whispers persisted. He had only come here for some fresh air, away from the now foul atmosphere within the palace, where people looked upon him with disdain, continuously whispering something to each other—especially the maids and other women. 

When the young boy turned to look at a man, the very man, engrossed in something else, tripped over a stone behind him and fell to the ground. But the spectacle went unnoticed by the onlookers. Instead, what they saw was that the boy had the ability to bring harm to them. In response, they erupted in shouts, 

"Go back! Leave and return to the palace!" 

"Are you trying to plague us?!" the men and women shouted their concerns, hiding their children behind them. 

Amidst the sudden chaos, the little boy and the men accompanying him were thrown into disarray. The minister tried to restore order by saying, "Stay calm! There is nothing to worry about here—"

"Get out of here, you cursed prince!" someone yelled at him. "Don't bring us bad luck like you did to the king!" 

"Weak prince! We don't want you here!" 

Someone picked up a stone and flung it at the young boy, striking his arm with considerable force. Initiating a chain reaction, the others swiftly follow suit, grabbing objects before hurling them at the harmless and innocent boy, subjecting him to their cruelty.

The young boy tried to shield his horse from the assault, which was also bearing the brunt of the townsfolk's aggression, causing it to rear up in distress. The guards soon used their batons to control the crowd while the minister guided the wounded prince back to the palace. 

The Mother Queen and Lady Lucretia were the first ones to see the first prince wounded and bleeding. The older woman demanded, "What the hell happened out there?! Why is my grandson hurt??" 

The minister trembled under the Mother Queen's intense gaze, and he replied with a bow, "The crowd went into a frenzy, My Queen. I don't know why, but they... they suddenly started to call out derogatory names. Claiming that the prince is cursed." 

"Those dumb people. Let me go and see who had the audacity!" the Mother Queen exclaimed furiously.

Lady Lucretia quickly pulled a handkerchief from her dress pocket and pressed it onto her son's wound. Urgently, she inquired, "Dante, are you alright? Where else have they hurt you? We should call a physician, Mother Queen." 

The Mother Queen barked at the minister, "Fetch the physician! I will then decide how I should punish you for your negligence."

While the minister ran from there, the palace gates swung open widely, and one of the palace guards came running before announcing, 

"King William has returned and is on his way to the palace!"

Five minutes later, the gates of the palace swung even wider, revealing the sight of King William riding astride his horse, flanked by a small contingent of guards positioned both at the front and the rear, while a palanquin followed behind him. 

"Whose palanquin is that?" the Mother Queen inquired, her eyebrows furrowed as she strained to see. Once King William dismounted his horse, he offered a bow to his mother but paid no heed to his concubine standing behind her or to his son. 

"Good afternoon, Mother," King William greeted his mother. "The treaty has been a success." 

"Good afternoon, William. I am relieved to hear that, considering there are some important matters that need your attention," the Mother Queen responded.  2

King William appeared to be in a good mood and said, "Before everything else, I have a surprise." He then turned to look at the palanquin, as did those around him, intrigued to discern its occupant. Not a second later, a slender woman emerged from the palanquin, and he said, "Allow me to introduce my new concubine. Her name is Noor."

Lady Lucretia looked shattered because she was told she was the last woman to capture the king's heart. The Mother Queen looked slightly uncomfortable, and out of formality, she greeted the woman, "Welcome to the palace, Noor." She then addressed her son, saying, "Dante was targeted by the townspeople today; you need to do something."

King William's eyes shifted towards Dante, who quietly looked back at him. "If only he possessed a Crux, this incident could have been prevented. Yet, something went wrong, and I can't shake the feeling that he isn't truly my son. If he is, he ought to learn to defend himself rather than run back to the palace like a coward," he remarked, clicking his tongue in frustration. He then escorted his new concubine inside the palace. 

The Mother Queen couldn't believe her son was seemingly discarding her grandson as if he had no ties to him. He was a small boy! She expressed, "Forgive me, Lucretia. This wasn't supposed to be like this, especially with the rumours that are circulating."

"I—It isn't your fault," Lady Lucretia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, feeling ashamed even though she bore no blame. She said, "I will go help Dante clean his wounds until the physician arrives. Da—Dante?" She looked around, but the little boy had vanished. 

After looking everywhere, Lady Lucretia eventually found her son sitting in the secret garden. She noticed his knees were drawn close to his chest, and her lips pursed before walking to where he sat, taking a seat next to him. She gently rested her hand on his head, and she heard him murmur, 

"Everybody hates me..."

"They aren't able to differentiate between right and wrong." Lady Lucretia's heart squeezed at the sight of her boy, his emotional wounds mirroring his physical ones. She gently conveyed, "Not every day is the same, Dante. Days change, and so does one's time. Not everyone is granted the same gifts. Some are rich, and some are poor. Some possess talents, while others compensate with their hard work. And that is what you need to focus on."

The little boy turned his gaze towards his mother, his eyes reflecting a deep sadness. He asked her hopefully, "Will Father talk to me then?" 

Lady Lucretia gave a thoughtful nod and said, "Prove to him that you are capable and that you don't need a Crux to be acknowledged as a Blackthorn." She placed her hand on his chest and added, "Everything you need is right here, Dante, and no matter what, I will always be on your side. You will always be someone who makes me proud."

And although Lady Lucretia had consoled her son with those words, she couldn't foresee that in the years to come, her son would become a seasoned conqueror, filling her with both pride and worry about his safe return. Meanwhile, the Mother Queen, who already suspected Dante's fate, played her cards well, aligning herself with the appropriate side. 

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