Chapter 109: A Daughter’s Defiance

The four-car convoy made its way toward the royal palace, moving steadily along the broad road that led to the kingdom’s seat of power. Two security vehicles accompanied the Ashcroft family, one leading the convoy and the other bringing up the rear, while the Prime Minister’s car followed directly behind the vehicle carrying his daughter and son. The drivers maintained a measured pace, adjusting their speed whenever traffic threatened to disrupt their formation, while the security personnel remained alert to their surroundings. Inside the second car, however, the atmosphere was considerably less composed.

Sonia Ashcroft sat rigidly against the leather upholstery, her back straight and her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her fingers had curled so firmly into the fabric of her dress that her knuckles were beginning to pale, but she seemed entirely unaware of the pressure she was exerting. Her gaze remained fixed on the passing scenery outside the window, although she had barely registered anything along the way. Every few moments, her jaw tightened, and a fresh wave of irritation crossed her face at the thought of where they were going. She despised this journey, and she made no effort to conceal it. The palace was the last place she wanted to visit, especially when she already knew the purpose of their meeting. Her father had insisted that the entire family accompany him to discuss her marriage to Basil, and no amount of arguing had persuaded him to change his mind.

Beside her, her brother, Tobias Ashcroft, sat with his back against the seat, his expression carefully neutral as he studied his sister from the corner of his eye. He and Sonia shared an unmistakable resemblance, from the shape of their faces and the sharpness of their cheekbones to their dark eyes and carefully defined features. Anyone who looked at them would have recognized the family likeness immediately, although their expressions rarely carried the same meaning. Tobias possessed a naturally composed demeanor that made it difficult to determine what he was thinking, while Sonia had never been particularly successful at concealing her displeasure. At present, her expression was so sour that he had to resist the urge to sigh. He had been watching her since they left the residence, and she had barely moved beyond clenching her hands and glaring at the world outside her window. He stole another glance at her, wondering whether she intended to maintain that expression throughout the entire meeting. If she did, their father would undoubtedly notice, and Tobias had little doubt that the consequences would be unpleasant.

His thoughts drifted back to breakfast earlier that morning, when their father had announced that the family would be visiting the palace that afternoon. The announcement had come while they were seated around the dining table, with Jonathan calmly explaining that the king and queen had arranged to receive them so they could discuss the next stage of Sonia’s engagement to Basil. He had barely finished speaking when Sonia abruptly put down her cutlery, her expression hardening as though he had just suggested something utterly outrageous. "I’m not marrying that fake prince," she declared, her voice sharp enough to draw everyone’s attention. "I’ve already made it clear to Basil that I have no intention of marrying him, so I don’t understand why we’re still discussing this. I will not spend the rest of my life married to an impostor when the man I was supposed to marry is standing right there in the royal family."

Tobias had turned toward his sister in surprise, his fork hovering above his plate as he tried to understand what had prompted such an outburst. Their father, meanwhile, slowly lifted his gaze from the table, his expression hardening as he regarded his daughter

Jonathan Ashcroft was not a man who appreciated being contradicted, particularly when his decisions were challenged in front of the family. "Who gave you authority to make such a decision without consulting your parents?" Jonathan asked, his voice quiet enough to make the question more intimidating than a shout. "That engagement was arranged between our families when you and Basil were children. You accepted it without objection when the two of you were formally engaged at eighteen, and you have never once expressed any dissatisfaction with the arrangement. So what has changed now?"

"What changed is that I discovered Basil isn’t the real prince," Sonia shot back without hesitation, seemingly unmoved by the warning in his tone. "I have no interest in marrying someone who isn’t even a member of the royal family by blood. As far as I’m concerned, that engagement should never have been between Basil and me in the first place. I was supposed to marry the real crown prince, and that is Prince Darius. He is the person I should have been betrothed to, not someone who has been living under a false identity his entire life." She lifted her chin, seemingly satisfied with her explanation, as though the matter should have been obvious to everyone at the table. "Now that the truth has come out, I don’t see why I should be expected to continue with an arrangement that no longer serves my interests."

Tobias slowly lowered his fork, his appetite disappearing as he watched his sister argue with their father. He had always known Sonia to be proud, stubborn, and occasionally unreasonable, but this was something else entirely. Until recently, he had believed she genuinely cared for Basil. He had seen them together often enough to assume that, whatever flaws their relationship possessed, there had been some genuine affection between them. Now, she was speaking about Basil as though he were an object that had lost its value, discarded simply because he no longer possessed the status she had expected him to have. Tobias could not understand what had brought about such a dramatic change in her attitude, nor could he understand why she seemed convinced that Darius would somehow be a better choice. The royal family had made no attempt to cast Basil aside after discovering the truth about his birth. He remained their son, their prince, and a member of the royal household.

Whether or not he eventually inherited the throne had nothing to do with the affection his parents had for him. Surely Sonia understood that. Surely she could see that she was still being offered the opportunity to marry the man she had once claimed to love. Yet she seemed determined to throw everything away because Basil had failed to meet her expectations.

His discomfort deepened as he considered his sister’s sudden interest in Darius. Tobias had never been particularly inclined toward romantic relationships, and watching Sonia’s behavior only reinforced his longstanding suspicion that attraction could make people overlook the most obvious truths about themselves and others. He had little patience for what he regarded as the irrational pride and emotional impulsiveness that often accompanied such entanglements, and Sonia was currently providing him with an especially unpleasant example. She was prepared to discard a longstanding relationship, challenge their father, and potentially jeopardize the family’s standing because she had decided that the other prince was a more desirable match. Tobias could not help wondering whether she had given even a moment’s thought to what such a marriage would actually entail.

Prince Darius was not a prize to be claimed simply because he occupied a higher position in the royal succession. He was a man with his own temperament, his own expectations, and a reputation that should have made anyone think twice before seeking to become his spouse.

"Sit down, Sonia," Jonathan ordered, his patience visibly wearing thin. "And lower your voice when you’re speaking to your parents." His daughter remained standing, her chin lifted in open defiance, and his expression darkened further. He had spent years making sure his children understood the importance of discipline and the consequences of behaving without regard for their family’s position. He would not allow Sonia to disregard those lessons simply because she had decided that the existing arrangement no longer suited her.

Before he could repeat himself, Eleanor turned toward their daughter, her own expression hardening with disapproval. "Don’t make your father repeat himself, Sonia. Sit down and speak to us properly. You may disagree with a decision, but that does not give you the right to behave as though neither of us has any authority over you."

Sonia’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, Tobias thought she might actually refuse. Instead, her eyes flashed with resentment, but she eventually lowered herself into her chair, muttering something beneath her breath as she reached for her glass.

Tobias looked down at his plate, concealing the brief grimace that crossed his face.

Their mother rarely raised her voice, which made her disapproval all the more effective when she finally expressed it. Yet even after being reprimanded by both parents, Sonia seemed incapable of recognizing the seriousness of the situation. She took a sip of water, set the glass down with unnecessary force, and turned toward their father again. "Fine. I’ll sit down, but that doesn’t change anything. I’m not marrying Basil. If I’m going to marry anyone in the royal family, it has to be Prince Darius. He’s the real crown prince, and he’s the one I should have been promised to in the first place."