Chapter 108: Royal Decision

The king turned to look at his wife, momentarily taken aback. It was the first time he had ever heard his wife curse with such unrestrained fury, but he barely had time to register his surprise before his own anger surged to the surface.

How could he fault her for reacting that way when he felt just as outraged by what their son had endured?

"How dare they?" the queen continued, her voice rising with every word. "How dare they humiliate my son in front of an entire college and speak about him as though he were some worthless object they could discard whenever it suited them?" She pushed her cutlery aside, no longer making any attempt to continue her breakfast. "And that Sonia Ashcroft! Who the hell does she think she is, treating my son like that and believing she can get away with it?"

"Your mother is right," the king said, his voice thick with restrained anger. He turned toward Basil, his eyes filled with concern and regret. "Why didn’t you tell us about this sooner? You were already going through so much, and she chose that moment to make things even more difficult for you. I cannot believe she would treat you so cruelly, especially when she knew perfectly well that you had never asked to be placed in this situation."

Basil pressed his lips together, unable to answer immediately. He hadn’t expected his parents to react this strongly, and watching their anger grow on his behalf stirred something painful in his chest. He had spent so much time trying to convince himself that Sonia’s words didn’t matter, that her rejection was something he could simply dismiss, that he hadn’t stopped to consider how his parents might feel knowing what had happened to him. They weren’t looking at him with disappointment or questioning why he hadn’t been good enough for Sonia. They were furious that someone had hurt him when he was already struggling to put his life back together. The realization made his throat tighten, and he briefly lowered his head, blinking away the sting in his eyes before either of them could notice.

"She had no right to treat you that way," the king continued, his voice hardening further. "That engagement was arranged because Sonia was considered a suitable match for the royal household. It was an agreement between our families, not an opportunity for her to decide that she could humiliate my son whenever she pleased. If she believes marrying into this family is some privilege she can demand on her own terms, then she clearly needs to be reminded that the royal family does not tolerate such disrespect."

He shook his head in disbelief, his anger showing in the tightness of his jaw. "And to think we were preparing to welcome her family here this afternoon so we could discuss the next stage of the engagement. We had no idea she had behaved this way toward Basil. If we had known, we would never have allowed this matter to proceed without addressing it first."

The queen reached across the table and placed a comforting hand over Basil’s. "You should never have had to endure that alone, my son. Whatever happened with your birth, none of it was your fault. You did not deceive anyone, and you certainly did not deserve to be treated that way."

Basil managed a small nod, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to meet her eyes. He appreciated their concern more than he could express, yet a part of him still wished the matter had remained buried. He had spent months trying to move past the humiliation, and now it felt as though he had been forced to relive every moment of it in front of the people whose opinions mattered most to him. Beside him, Darius’s expression had darkened considerably. His fingers tightened around Basil’s hand beneath the table, and although he remained quiet while their parents spoke, the tension in his jaw made it clear that he was far from unaffected by what he had heard. He had known about the engagement, but he hadn’t known the extent of Sonia’s cruelty or that she had publicly humiliated Basil at college.

The more he thought about it, the less patience he had for the idea that anyone expected Basil to marry a woman who had treated him with such contempt. Darius finally turned toward his parents. "Given everything we’ve just heard, I take it the engagement will be cancelled, correct? Because I cannot imagine either of you still considering this marriage after what Sonia has done. Whatever agreement exists between our families, it cannot possibly be more important than Basil’s dignity. And if anyone is thinking that I might simply take his place and marry her, let me make one thing clear. I have absolutely no intention of marrying Sonia Ashcroft either. I will never agree to a marriage with a woman who believes she can treat someone like Basil that way and get away with it."

The king looked at him without hesitation. "Of course the engagement will be cancelled. There is no question about that." His tone left no room for argument. "After the way she treated Basil, I would not allow this marriage to proceed even if she were the last suitable candidate in the kingdom. Neither you nor your brother will be forced into a marriage with someone who has shown such contempt for our family."

He paused, then glanced toward the queen before continuing. "I would have called the prime minister myself and informed him that the arrangement was over, but doing so without giving him the opportunity to hear our reasons in person would be an unnecessary insult to his office. Whatever his daughter’s behavior, he deserves to hear the decision directly from us. We will receive him and his family this afternoon as planned, explain what has happened, and inform them that the betrothal between Basil and Sonia will be formally dissolved. There will be no discussion about finding another way to preserve the arrangement, and there will be no attempt to transfer the engagement to you, Darius."

Darius leaned back slightly, his expression settling into one of grim satisfaction. "Good. That’s exactly how it should be."

The king nodded. "The matter is settled. The engagement will be cancelled. I will make that clear to the prime minister myself." His gaze returned to Basil, his expression softening despite the anger still simmering beneath the surface. "You needn’t worry about it anymore, son. We will take care of it."

Relief washed over Basil, and a genuine smile finally touched his lips. He turned toward Darius, who was still holding his hand beneath the table, and offered him a grateful smile. Darius returned it with a subtle lift of his lips, his fingers loosening slightly around Basil’s hand in a quiet gesture of reassurance. For the first time since the conversation began, Basil felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Thank you," Basil said, looking at the king and queen in turn. His voice was softer than before, carrying a sincerity that made his parents’ expressions soften. "Both of you. I know this engagement was arranged between our families, and I didn’t want to cause trouble, but I really couldn’t bring myself to marry someone who feels that way about me. Thank you for understanding and for standing up for me."

The queen’s expression immediately softened, and she reached across the table to give his hand a gentle squeeze. "You don’t have to thank us for that, sweetheart. You’re our son, and we will always stand by you. No arrangement, no matter how important, is worth sacrificing your happiness or allowing someone to treat you with such disrespect." She gave him a reassuring smile before adding firmly, "You deserve someone who respects you, Basil. Never settle for anything less."