The Royal Mark-Chapter 198: Dream Come True

Drake was taken by surprise to find Arla in the hallway, as she was supposed to be assisting Mistress Valeria with Wolfsbane and Belladonna. Additionally, she is the last person he would want to witness him in tears.

Nevertheless, he still felt happy to see her. Her offer was something that he was not expecting but he completely appreciated it so he took her offer and hugged her tight as he cried on her shoulder.

Arla rubbed his back gently which soothed him greatly. After a good cry, he gently released her and Arla swiftly took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his tears.

"Feeling better?" she asked. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Drake simply nodded and accepted the handkerchief from her, attending to his messy face.

"I apologize for you having to witness that. I’m fine now," Drake assured.

"Would you like to take a walk outside? Rylie and Baahu are assisting Mistress Valeria, while Kaizer and Dasher are with the king. As for me, I have nothing on my plate," Arla suggested.

"I think that’s a great idea. Let me show you my favorite spot by the river."

In silence, Arla followed Drake, who walked briskly, lost in thought. She respected his need for a moment of silence and patiently waited for him to initiate conversation, sensing that he had much on his mind.

When they arrived there, Drake led her to a fallen log and brushed off the leaves and dirt before gesturing for her to sit.

"Arla, if I am not a prince would you still like me?" Drake suddenly asked surprising Arla.

"Just for the record. I like you not because you are Prince Drake. I like you because of your personality. What made you ask this?" Arla probed.

"I need to share something with you, Arla. I’m not certain if it’s true, but if it is, and you feel the need to distance yourself from me afterward, I’ll understand. You deserve someone who’s better," Drake spoke, his gaze fixed in the distance.

"Just tell me, Drake. Don’t leave me in suspense," Arla urged.

"I might not be the king’s son. My mother confessed she slept with a stranger to conceive me and deceive the king into thinking I’m his..." Drake’s gaze shifted to the ground, his foot idly toying with dried leaves.

"Perfect!" Arla exclaimed as she stood up in front of Drake.

Drake raised his head, perplexed. He had anticipated surprise or skepticism, but Arla’s reaction was the opposite – she appeared excited.

He tilted his head, attempting to comprehend her excitement. Arla then clung to his knees for support before crouching in front of him.

"Do you understand what this means? You’re not a prince!" she exclaimed.

"Ah... I-I know?" Drake uttered in confusion.

"So, it means you can marry whomever you want. You’re not obligated to adhere to the castle’s rules. We can be together. I’m so happy!" Arla threw herself at Drake, wrapping her arms around his neck.

It took Drake a moment to realize that Arla was right. Their issue of his royal status had just been resolved.

He embraced Arla with his trembling hands and said, "I am happy too."

They stayed by the river for hours before Drake decided it was time to confront the king. If he wanted to be with Arla, he would have to confront the king and be bold about his decision.

"Fa– Your Majesty," Drake bowed to King Allister who was seated on his desk, reading some papers.

His eyebrows furrowed at the sudden formality in Drake’s words. "There you are son, I was looking for you earlier."

"We have to talk..." Drake uttered.

"Sure, take a seat," the king pointed to the sofa in the middle of the room.

"I have to confess something that my mother told me. I am not your son..."

The king who was about to take a seat halted and sighed before sitting down. "Irina must have taken the Wolfsbane and Belladona too. Her mind is not sound anymore."

"I think she’s telling the truth," Drake said.

"I know. But does it matter now? I saw her put something in my drink so I threw it to the plant pot when she was not looking and pretended to be sleeping. I knew that the baby she was carrying was not mine. But regardless of what happened, she was my wife and I didn’t want to humiliate her, so I accepted you."

"So it was just a matter of reputation then..."

"No. Tell me, Drake, was there a time that I made you feel that you are not my son?" The king asked and Drake shook his head.

"The moment I saw you after you were born, I fell in love with you and I told myself that I would take your secret to my grave. But then Irina is crazy enough to expose her own sin," King Allister leaned against the back of the sofa as he shook his head.

"But what if I don’t want to be your son?"

"Why? Do you hate me now just because you found out that I am not your real father?"

"No, not that. It’s just that, if I stay as a prince then I have to marry a woman from a royal family or with a noble blood."

"Ahh! My son is in love. See... We are the same. You may not be born from my blood but you are born from heart. How about we abdicate both our titles and marry the woman that we love? What do you say?"

Drake dropped his jaw as he stared at the king who was smiling widely at him as if he was telling a joke.

"You’ve got to be kidding me. You want to abdicate the throne?" Drake asked, completely flabbergasted.

"Yes, I have been thinking about it for years, but Adrius was not yet ready back then. But now, I think your brother is ready for the throne. I broke so many rules just to be with Valeria, and I don’t want to add more to my list. My best option is to step down and let Andrius lead our people. Marrying the woman I love as I retire as king would be a dream come true," King Allister said happily.