The Upsetting Truth
The Upsetting Truth
"Rose, honey ... your relationship with Leon is impossible. You can't continue to love a man who is related to you. After all, he is your father's son ..." said Rune softly. "You have to let him go."
Rose's tears flowed even harder. Seeing the girl he liked crying like this, Rune's heart became sad. Was this what it felt like to fall in love? It felt like Rose's sadness became his sadness too.
Did Rose also feel this way towards Leon? Did Leon's sadness become Rose's sadness too? Rune suddenly felt jealous of Leon at the thought that Rose was in love with him.
Uff ... luckily the relationship between Rose and Leon was impossible because they turned out to be siblings.
It seemed that Rune just needed to wait until her love for Leon slowly disappeared from Rose's heart, and the girl would be able to see Rune and fall in love with him.
"The problem is ..." Rose rubbed her wet eyes. Her voice sounded very sad as she continued her story. "Leon and I are not siblings at all. My father lied."
"Wait ... what?" Rune was very surprised by Rose's words.
Wait a minute.
What did she mean just now?
What did Rose's father lie about?
"I don't understand," said the man in a choked voice. "What did your father lie about?"
Rose took a deep breath and looked at Rune. "Leon is actually not my father's son, but Uncle Henry's illegitimate son. He doesn't love his wife, Queen Loraine. He loved a commoner girl who later worked as a maid in my house. That woman gave birth to Leon and died when Leon was 5 years old."
"Oh ..."
"Uncle Henry was forbidden by his wife to acknowledge Leon as his son because the queen didn't want to be embarrassed. Leon was looked after by my family and was treated well and sent to school, because of Uncle Henry's request. Leon did not know that he was actually the king of Medion's real son ..."
Rose sighed sadly. "He was always ashamed of his status as a bastard, and the other kids often insulted him. He grew up feeling inferior ... Back then, when we were little, Leon used to tell me that one day he would find his father ... and get the acknowledgment that he deserved."
The girl covered her face and sobbed. "I know how important it is to him ... From a long time ago, he wanted to prove to those who looked down on him that he would be able to change his life."
"Uncle Henry also has no children after decades of marriage to his wife, and the people are getting restless because there was no male descendant of the royal family that could be his heir ... There has been a lot of debate about changing the constitution to a republic and ending the monarchy. Apart from the fact that we are now in modern times, the king also has no children to be his successor."
"Ahh .. so, your uncle asked your father to acknowledge Leon as his son?" asked Rune.
Rose nodded. "That's right. The Queen is willing to accept Leon as Uncle Henry's heir, and make him the crown prince of Medion... as long as she will not be humiliated. She said that if Leon is recognized as the son of the Fournier family, he will be accepted as Uncle Henry's heir... That way, Uncle Henry does not need to reveal the fact that Leon is actually his own biological child ..."
Now, finally, Rune understood what had happened. Leon agreed to be recognized as a son by Duke Fournier .. for him to become the crown prince of Medion.
By accepting the offer to become Rose's 'brother', Leon eliminated the possibility for him and Rose to be together. The public would see them as half-siblings. It would be impossible for them to be together and get married.
Leon chose status and power... over Rose.
"What should I do now?" asked Rose with tears in her eyes. "I love him very much .. but he wants status and power. I've asked him to refuse their request... after all, he is Uncle Henry's son ... he is not my father's son ...."
"Why didn't he force his biological father to acknowledge him?" asked Rune.
Rose shook her head. "They didn't give him that option. Leon could only accept the offer to be a Fournier and become crown prince ... or nothing."
"Hmm ..." Rune felt sad to hear Rose's story. Ahh ... her situation was tough.
Initially, Rune thought Leon was really Rose's brother, her father's illegitimate son.
He was not.
Leon was not related by blood to Rose. However, now in people's eyes, his status was Rose's brother. The opportunity for him to marry Rose was gone forever. Rune could imagine the painful heartbreak the girl was experiencing now.
"But .. even though you are not half-siblings .. if he is your uncle's biological son, wouldn't you two be cousins? Marrying your cousin would still be considered incest, right?" asked Rune again.
Rose shook her head. "In our culture back in Medion, cousins are allowed to marry. Besides, my father and Uncle Henry's blood ties are not that close. Their grandmothers were siblings, that was all."
"Oh ..." Rune looked at Rose sadly. "Do you... still love him? Do you wish him would reject the status offered to him so that you can be together?"
Rose bit her lip and nodded weakly. "I do... but he won't do it."
"Oh, Rose ..." Rune pulled the girl's body into his arms and stroked her hair.
He understood Rose's sadness. She must feel so much pain and heartbroken because the man she loved chose status and power over her.
Rune now understood why Rose wanted to show Leon that, to her, status, wealth, and power did not matter at all.
For a moment no one spoke, only silence in their living room, apart from the sound of Rose sobbing, still struggling to contain the sadness.
Rune felt sorry for Rose. For the first time in his life, he felt hurt for someone else. Oh, poor Rose ... she loved a man who didn't deserve her.
Well... maybe Leon couldn't be blamed either, he thought. Leon only wanted to be recognized by his father.. and even if he couldn't get the status he was longing for directly, by accepting this arrangement, he would become his father's heir eventually.
But.. at what cost? He would have to bury his feelings for the woman he loved, to marry a princess from the neighboring kingdom.
Rune might not understand why Leon let go of Rose and chose his status and power... Rune had everything he would ever need. He had his loving family, abundant wealth, and even immortality. He couldn't care less for other people's opinions.
Now, after he found the truth about Rose and Leon, the decision laid on Rune's shoulders. What should he do with his feelings for Rose. He was apparently in love with a woman who loved another man.
Even though the man didn't deserve Rose by choosing power and status over her, still, the fact was Rose loved him, and her love for Leon wouldn't disappear easily.
Rune remembered how Aleksis struggled for ten years to move on from Alaric so that she could love Nicolae and marry him when her husband was presumed to be dead. However, it was very difficult to do.
Rune also witnessed firsthand how much his brother, London, struggled to get his wife's love. Their journey was very difficult and L too young and immature to respond to his love, but still London's love for her burned so fiercely. He couldn't leave L no matter how annoying and immature she was.
Now, Rune had to ask himself .. would he continue to wait for Rose to get over Leon who would soon marry another woman?
What if Rose couldn't get over Leon and move on? After all, Leon was her first love, and they were in a relationship for years before all these troubles happened.
How long would Rune have to wait?
Or better yet.. should he just take his losses now and leave before he became more invested in his feelings for Rose?
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From the author:
Uff... Rune is in a difficult position. What do you think he should do?