Chances to Another Life

5. The King

Good news, I was also invited to the palace by the king. Otherwise, I would have been wandering around here all day, trying to figure out how to solve the forbidden love affair between Adellia and Elliot.

On the way to the palace, I couldn't take my eyes off the two of them riding Jill together. As for me, I was brought by the soldier who volunteered to let me ride his horse.

Judging by the soldier's nonchalant attitude, I guessed that Adellia and Elliot didn't even care about showing affection in public, even in a royal setting.

I looked at the ever-changing clouds, with dark clouds moving along. I am being "trained" to become human and trying to reduce negative thoughts, but I cannot help but lose respect for Adellia and Elliot.

I mean, what is going through their minds as they enter into this relationship? Adellia must be aware that Elliot is already married, yet he still pursues her and cheats on his wife. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours in this world and my head is already throbbing from watching their behavior.

People in different worlds seem to have similar traits.

Suddenly, I found myself standing in front of a high gate with sharp-pointed fences towering above it. A soldier opened the gate. I got off and followed Adellia on foot.

The courtyard of the palace was filled with green plants that refreshed my eyes. Four silver fountains stood on either side of us as we entered the courtyard.

Five soldiers were doing something with a carriage that I assumed had been used by the king recently. They bowed respectfully to Adellia and Elliot.

The soldier escorting us stopped just before entering an inner part of the palace.

"Please continue, His Majesty has been waiting," he said solemnly with both hands on his stomach as he bowed politely.

Adellia took a few steps back and approached me. The expression on this princess's face was easy to read, when she was with Elliot she looked beautifully shy and graceful, but when she was with me she showed signs of anxiety as she played with her fingers.

I was suddenly struck with a migraine when Adellia said, "Don't forget our promise, Joe. My father will listen to you."

I had never felt like making a promise, and please don't say that last sentence in a fearful tone; it contradicts the meaning of the sentence.

"Let me assess the situation first," I whispered.

Elliot confidently entered first, and after a few moments it was our turn to step forward together.

My heart raced as I imagined pleading with the king to allow his daughter to marry a married man. Oh, how unfortunate my fate is. I don't even have the words to persuade the king to give in to a commoner like me.

We were then greeted by someone who looked like the chief servant; he led us into a super luxurious dining room. A long table stretched from one end of the room to the other, with enticing dishes neatly arranged on it.

The chairs resembled those I had seen in medieval movies. A painting depicting a crowned woman holding a scepter with the initials S and wearing an aristocratic purple robe convinced me that she was an ancestor of this kingdom.

The Kingdom of Swinggelir. Fortunately, I remembered the name of this kingdom when Adellia and I first met.

Strangely enough, I wasn't surprised and didn't say anything stupid when I saw a middle-aged man with a scar from his right eye to his upper left lip. Though it seemed so, I knew immediately that he was Adellia's father, watching us from behind the dining table as if his gaze urged us to sit down quickly so he could eat soon.

"Your Majesty," I said as I bowed. I was actually surprised that I was reflexively showing respect to someone I had just met, especially since royal figures were not common in my world before.

The king nodded. "Come here," he ordered.

My feet moved as if pulled by an invisible thread, and I found myself sitting next to Adellia. Elliot stood politely beside the king, ready to obey any command.

"The people of Swinggelir in the north have begun to rebel. Go there and solve the problem as soon as possible." The king didn't shout or yell, but I could feel an underlying tone in his voice, as if he wanted to send Elliot far away from the palace.

"Your command is my command, Your Majesty." Elliot left the dining room.

Now there were only three of us left. Adellia didn't say a word to her father, nor did the king, who I couldn't tell by his expression whether he accepted my presence or not, and his wounds always made him look angry.

Suddenly, I understood the feelings of unhappy rich people in their lives, even though they were blessed with wealth and delicious food. The roast turkey in front of me didn't stimulate my appetite because of this heavy atmosphere.

The king cleared his throat and I almost jumped in surprise. The servants then filled our plates with a full meal. But it seemed that the king wasn't going to eat it, because he was staring at both of us instead.

"Adellia, this is your last warning not to leave the palace too often. Aunt Alexa is coming tomorrow morning to teach you how to be a good wife and mother," he said.

Adellia suddenly became more depressed, her messy hair covering part of her face. I may have misheard, but I could hear teeth grinding from where she sat. She was upset.

"Father, please give me time. I will surely produce an heir for this kingdom, but I just want to be with someone I love." Adellia whimpered until her voice was barely audible.

King Swindon clenched his spoon and fork tightly in each hand; I feared my role this time would be used by him as an outlet for anger.

"Elliot will not return for months. He must finish his task, and by the time he returns, you will be someone else's wife." His voice rose an octave.

Adellia suddenly turned her face to King Swindon, her eyes red and tearful. I could see the resemblance between her and her father; they had a fearless and determined look, they were definitely not submissive like me.

"Father intentionally sent him far away to a remote area so that we couldn't meet. Why did Father do that?" Adellia might be trembling, but I was sure she wouldn't lose an argument with her father.

King Swindon's face softened as he roughly wiped his face, as if this situation had drained him of all his energy.

"My child, you know that your relationship is forbidden. What would happen if a crown princess became a homewrecker?" he said wearily.

Adellia started to say something, but immediately stopped herself. "Elliot promised to marry me!" she exclaimed.

My consolation now is the idle turkey waiting to be eaten. This royal scandal must have gone viral in my world and will eventually become a romance movie about the Crown Princess chasing love. I feel so awkward, but I can't say anything. It's like looking into the problems of the family of a stranger I just met.

"I will not allow my descendants to marry a man who has been married before. This is not just for your sake, but for the sake of the kingdom. Even people outside the palace know that you have a special relationship with the Prime Minister! What will become of my authority as king?!" King Swindon shouted until it echoed around the room.

Without hesitation, Adellia quickly ran out crying uncontrollably, leaving me alone with an angry king. She seemed to be signaling for me to take over this problem for her, to convince her father while she cried in her comfortable room.

I looked at King Swindon, whose breathing was labored; I guessed he had respiratory problems. So it makes sense why he wants grandchildren soon, besides an embarrassing scandal involving his daughter and the Prime Minister.

"Your Majesty, if I may speak freely, I do not support Adellia's actions either. However, you should also consider her life before choosing her life partner."

After saying that, I quickly looked at the golden tiles; perhaps I would be quickly decapitated by using Swinggelir's royal sword lightning attack technique. Then, I would meet Solace and protest to him why I was faced with such a world.

I felt that my neck and head were still intact, so I touched them to make sure. But that didn't make me feel relieved yet. The king stared at me, perhaps realizing that I had been here all along.

King Swindon sank back into his chair. I looked at the various dishes on the table that would certainly not be eaten.

"Joe, I know what is best for my daughter. My reputation will be ruined if she marries Elliot. I'm telling you all this because you're someone I can trust, and Adellia even feels comfortable being friends with you. Please persuade her to change her mind," King Swindon said bitterly.

I wanted to laugh out loud like a madman. I met a creature named Solace, fell into a coma, entered another world, and instead of becoming an elite warrior or at least riding dragons, I'm dealing with the love affairs of the King's daughter.

Adellia told me to convince her father, and her father wants me to convince Adellia.

I rubbed my forehead as a spontaneous gesture when I almost slapped it. I didn't know which action would anger the king, so I chose the safe one.

"It's not that I don't want to, Your Majesty; it's just that Princess Adellia is so sure of her feelings for Elliot," I said sincerely in despair.

"They have been in a relationship for a year now. Adellia is stubborn; I've run out of ways to separate them." The king scratched his scarred cheek. "But tomorrow will be different. Adellia has a special course, and you are to supervise it. If she tries to escape and meet Elliot in secret, prevent it. You are my trust."

My shoulders slumped under the weight of such an enormous burden. These people spoke of it so lightly. But it was not a good idea to blindly disobey the king's orders.

I felt like a double agent, on one side I followed the orders of the King, and on the other side Adellia surely nagged me to keep trying to convince her father. 

Reluctantly, I nodded.

"You've proven yourself to be an excellent hunter, I'll add five sacks of gold coins as your salary for guarding Adellia, and I'll give you permission to go in and out of the palace," King Swindon said. He looked bright and radiant after handing over his burden to me.

"Tomorrow morning, go hunting with Cedric. Get close to him and tell him of Adellia's charms. Cedric is a good young man; he will be the ideal partner for Adellia, not Elliot."

Afterwards, the king left the dining room with a satisfied look on his face. I ruffled my hair and thinking about my future fate. I didn't even know Cedric's face? Being told to hunt is like willingly offering myself as bait for the wild beasts out there.

I remembered the existence of a sword and arrows in my cottage. I had never held these weapons before.

In the end, I walked lazily all the way to the cottage. I thought about the least painful way to die if attacked by wild animals, and prepared for tomorrow's hunt.