The Royal Mark-Chapter 197: All Yours

"I understand, Son. You did your best and I thank you for that. Please go and leave. I don’t want you to see me like this. Promise me you will take care of your sister," Queen Irina said to Andrius, who nodded and led Milda out of the dungeon.

Her ladies-in-waiting were already waiting for Milda at the entrance so Andrius made her leave first and went back to the dungeon when he realized that Drake didn’t follow them.

"Mother..." Prince Drake said hesitantly.

Queen Irina pursed her lips and turned around, walking back to the stone bench, completely ignoring Prince Drake.

"Mother, I’m sorry. But I had to do it. My conscience is eating me up from the inside. It’s heavy and it’s killing me!" Drake explained, but the only response he received from his mother was just a scoff as she crossed her arms.

"Mother, please... What you did was wrong, and I had to make it right," Drake said.

"Make it right? And sending me to my death is the right thing to do? If not for Andrius, your so-called father would be so celebrating my death soon and marrying that mistress of his and making her queen! And now you want me to forgive you?

After all that I have done for you. Giving you life that you don’t even deserve. Living in the castle with the privilege of a prince that’s not even yours to begin with and now this? Sending me to my death? You ungrateful bastard! I will never forgive you until the day I die!

I should have not let you live when I found out that my mistake resulted in you. I thought you would make the king happy and he would finally see me as his wife. But no! What did you do? You befriended his bastard daughter and sided with the man who doesn’t even share blood with you!" Queen Irina exclaimed angrily.

Andrius who just arrived back in the dungeon halted his steps from the stairs upon hearing his mother’s yelling and shouting... And he heard it all.

"W-What do you mean by all these? What are you talking about, Mother?!" Prince Drake exclaimed, his tears threatening to fall.

"Don’t you get it? Are you dumb? You heard everything! You are not Allister’s son! And do not ask who your father is, because I don’t know!" Queen Irina roared.

Drake could no longer hold his tears and he tried to grasp all the information that his mother was telling him.

"I-I don’t u-understand... What do you mean I am not the king’s son and you don’t know who my real father is?" Drake bravely asked, he must find the truth or else, he may never know once the queen is exiled.

Queen Irina rolled her eyes, walked up to him, and said, "I bedded a random man from the tavern when I found out that Allister is planning to bring Valeria to the castle once the former king dies. He was very sick at that time.

Because of that woman, I had to take extreme measures just to make sure that she would never step foot in this castle and ruin my family. I convinced the king to make Allister sleep with me to produce another male heir as a backup.

And you know what that man you called father said to me? That consummating our marriage was his duty as the crown prince, and sleeping with me for the second time was a mistake that he would never do again. He only did that to stop his father from threatening Valeria and Archmage Nadezhda.

He said it was not his fault that it resulted in having a baby girl, Milda, and not a son like what his father wanted. He was so confident that his father would die soon and that he could no longer threaten the love of his life and therefore no need to produce another heir because he didn’t want to hurt the feelings of his mistress!

You see now? He never wanted you, I had to make him drunk and put him to sleep just to fool him that something happened to us so that he would accept the fruit of that night. I had to pray and make offerings to the gods every day just so that they would make you a boy. And so they did.

But did I get what I wanted? Did it make Allister happy? Did it stop him from bringing home Valeria? No, it didn’t! Instead, he brought he home pregnant and officially declared her as his mistress!

So get out of my face and never return here! You have no use to me, traitor!" Queen Irina inserted her arms in between the cell bars and pushed Drake as hard as she could making him land on his bottom.

"That is not true! You are only saying this to make me hate you because you know that I will be guilty and hurt for doing this to you unless I hate you. I know that you love me, I am your son!" Drake wailed.

"You don’t believe? Suit yourself! I don’t care! Just don’t go here anymore. I don’t want to ever see your face ever again! Whenever I see you, you just remind me of my failures! Go away!"

When Drake didn’t move, the queen picked up the silver cup with water and threw it at him, hitting Drake on the head.

Drake was stunned that his mother could do that to him. So he ran... He ran as fast as he could bumping into Andrius as he climbed up the stairs.

"Brother..." Andrius uttered as he grabbed his arm.

But Drake was so humiliated and embarrassed to himself and also he was sure that Andrius heard everything by the look on his face.

Drake pulled his arm and continued running out of the dungeon. He doesn’t even know where he should go. He instantly felt that he didn’t belong there, Rügengard Castle was not his home.

He kept running through the long hallway with no destination in mind as his tears uncontrollably fell from his eyes until two soft small hands gripped on his arm.

"Drake... I’m here... You can cry on my shoulders..." Arla then taps one of her shoulders, saying, "See... It’s empty and all yours."

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A/N:

Special Thanks to SunTeaSplash for the gift x2!!! First gift of the year <3

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