Rise of an emperor: The seventh prince

Chapter 7: My day, my rules

Meanwhile Prince Arthur was in his bed chambers with Greg.

He had just come out of the washroom where he had his bath.

He quickly put on his underwear and Greg helped him put on his royal attire he collected from the royal designer earlier in the morning.

He had just finished wearing his shoes when Talbot Harris came in with Richard Neville.

"Hehe...you look so dashing, your highness." Talbot commented upon entering the room.

"You can say that again." Richard added.

"Prince Arthur is and would forever remain handsome." Greg said as he fastens the cloak round Prince Arthur's neck and steps back.

"Grayson's works are becoming more good, nowadays." Richard said, drawing the topic from Prince Arthur.

"Yes I agree with you, would immediately send him orders for him to make for me." Talbot said.

"You all are not looking bad yourselves." Prince Arthur commented.

"Thank you your highness, but..." Richard said.

"Alright alright, let's get going. We can't keep his majesty and the guests waiting." Greg interrupts their conversation, just as they wanted to take it to another level.

They then all made their way from the prince's bed chambers straight to the great hall.

Just as they arrived, the guards at the door bows slightly to Prince Arthur.

Prince Arthur smiles in reply and gives the command for the herald to notify his presence.

The music suddenly stops and the royal trumpets rang out across the entire hall.

The herald's loud voice resounded around the four wall corners of the hall.

"Your royal majesties, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Prince Arthur Tudor, the seventh prince of King Alfred the great, king of Naviel kingdom."

Prince Authur walked into the hall majestically with Greg and the others behind him.

His appearance caused an uproar to everyone including his step brothers whom had at the last minute decided to attend his banquet.

Prince Erics the eldest of Prince Arthur's step siblings immediately puts a smile on his face upon seeing his step brother walking towards them.

He then walks towards him and hugged him affectionately.

One must know that amongst the Tudor siblings from both Queens, Prince Arthur and Prince Erics had the best of relationship amongst them.

Prince Erics generally wouldn't have his siblings bully their step brother whenever he's around and this had put him on a constant rift between him and his mother, Queen Jasmine, all because of his step brother, Prince Arthur.

"Looking handsome as usual." Prince Erics comments on his step brother's attire.

"Thank you very much, brother." Prince Arthur replies with a smile on his face.

"You're welcome."

The brothers then made their way to the main banquet table where Prince Arthur bowed down in respect to his father and mother. He also acknowledged his sisters greetings, and then took his seats at the high table.

Just then Claire Wilson and her parents made their entrance into the hall, at this moment.

King Alfred upon seeing his long time friend stood up to welcome his friend and his family.

Well, king Alfred and Mr Jacob Wilson had been friends since childhood even till he became king, but Jacob had left the kingdom just after the birth of Prince Erics to do business in the neighboring kingdom of Pressia, and only just returned a little while ago.

He had not had time to pay a visit to the royal household due to some unforseen circumstances.

"Welcome my friend." King Alfred said, enveloping his good time friend in a bear like hug.

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Greetings your majesty." Lady Wilson and her daughter, Claire greets the king.

"Hello there Elaine, how you faring?"

"Fine your majesty." Lady Wilson replied smiling.

"And if i may ask, who's this beautiful lady?" King Alfred said, pointing at Claire.

"She's our daughter." Jacob Wilson replied.

"That's nice, what's your name young lady?"

"Claire, your majesty."

"Claire!" Just then a voice suddenly interrupts their conversation.

King Alfred and the others turned towards the voice and discovered that it was Princess Crystabel who was by now approaching their direction.

"Do you two know each other?" King Alfred asked.

"Yes father, she's my friend." Princess Crystabel replied.

"Okay, we will leave you youngsters to do your thing while we handle ours." the king said leading Jacob Wilson and his wife towards another direction.

Prince Arthur by this time had made his way towards Claire Wilson and his sister.

"Wow beautiful maiden, you made it." he said.

Claire face was red with embarrassment

"Your highness I...."

"What happened, cat got your tongue?" Princess Crystabel teased.

"Urgh you..." Claire suddenly blushed the more.

"Okay... okay I didn't say anything." Princess Crystabel said as she stylishly leaves the both of them to continue their conversation.

"I must say your gown really looks pretty on you." Prince Arthur commented, striking a conversation with Claire.

"Same here, you look absolutely dashing."

With that they suddenly ignited a conversation.

Meanwhile, while everyone were in a mood of celebration, some set of persons weren't.

Prince Derrick who previously asked Claire Wilson out and got rejected, suddenly became jealous when he saw here laughing and having a nice time with his step brother, Prince Arthur.

He quickly put one and twos together and suddenly concluded that Arthur was the said lover of Claire, who might have been confusing her mind towards him.

Now that was something he couldn't take.

He was going to teach that bastard a lesson.

Of all the women in the world, it has to be his woman.

Arthur who was having a nice time with Claire suddenly felt a blow on his back and immediately the whole banquet hall became quiet.

Everyone was shocked at the sudden outburst of Prince Derrick.

Prince Arthur turned and saw that it was his step brother, Prince Derrick who obviously came to look for trouble.

"What's it this time?" Arthur asked calmly.

"How dare you covert my woman?" Derrick replied with a question of his own.

Your woman?

Which woman?

Arthur suddenly turned towards Claire.

Claire on the other hand returns his gaze with a confused expression.

Sigh!

"Listen I don't know what you're talking about." Arthur finally said.

"Ha! And you think I would believe, even when the truth is so obvious?" Derrick mocked.

"Prince Derrick, there's nothing really..." Claire tried to defend herself and Prince Arthur but was cut short by the angry Prince Derrick.

"Shut up! As for you, I will deal with you later." Prince Derrick yelled at her.

"Derrick that's enough!" A voice suddenly called out behind them.

It turned out to be Prince Erics, the crown prince.

"Are you really going to support him?" Derrick asked, pointing at Arthur, while directing his question to his elder brother.

"Didn't you just hear him loud and clear? He said he has no idea about what you're talking about. Besides who's this woman of yours that you're talking about, that you want to disgrace the whole royal household for?" Erics countered back.

"Isn't it obvious? It's Claire Wilson." Derrick suddenly points at Claire.

Hiss!

The tension in the hall suddenly rose up.

King Alfred wanted to intervene in the matter, as he felt his boys were already disgracing him, but he was held back by Queen Cordelia.

"Let them handle it themselves." she whispers to him.

King Alfred sighed.

It looks like his hands were tied now, there was absolutely nothing he could do again.

Meanwhile Claire Wilson immediately flared up when Prince Derrick called her his woman.

"With due respect your highness, since when did I agree to be your woman? I clearly stated that we couldn't work together, not just once or twice, but countless times!"

Right now she just made things worse.

"I don't care what you say, but you're mine!" Derrick yelled back, refusing to back out.

'Really? You think those lines would work on me?' he said in his mind.

Derrick then grabbed Claire's hand, trying to drag her away from the hall.

"Let go...let go of me!" Claire yelled.

But Derrick's grip on her was too strong for her to escape from.

Suddenly a stronger hand force suddenly clamped down on Prince Derrick's shoulder.

"Let the young woman go." Prince Arthur said.

"And if I don't?" Derrick mocked, while trying to free himself from Arthur's grip.

"Then you would have me to contend with." another voice rang out once more.

It was Prince Erics.

Prince Derrick felt cornered, but he still refused to back down.

Instead his grip on Claire tightened the more, forcing her to cry out in pain.

"Derrick let the lady go!" Erics yelled, his temper rising.

It was important to know that among the royal princes, Prince Erics had the worst temper.

He was calm when happy, but when triggered to anger, calling him a beast would be an understatement.

"Why?" Derrick asked, still not backing down.

"Because it's my day. My banquet of honour, and since it's my day, you have to play by the rules. My day, my rules." Arthur answered.

"Shut up you bast....."

"Derrick don't forget that father is still here. You better think this through." Erics reminded his brother.

"Let her go!" Arthur added.

"Good...just good!" Derrick yelled and let go of Claire's hand.

Claire swiftly made her way to Prince Erics side, standing in between Prince Erics and Prince Arthur.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked.

"Am fine." came Claire's reply.

Just when everyone thought the matter had been resolved, Prince Derrick suddenly punched Prince Arthur, catching him off guard.

Bang!

Hiss!

The hall suddenly became rowdy.

There was sudden commotion everywhere.

"Derrick you bastard!" Arthur yelled and was about to retaliate back, when the king's voice suddenly resounded across the hall.

"Enough!" King Alfred yelled.

The hall became silent.

King Alfred strolled towards Erics and the others.

"You're all a disgrace to this royal family." he said upon landing beside them.

"Sorry father." Erics and Arthur said the same time, with their heads bowed low.

"Ha! Sorry after stealing my woman!" Derrick yelled.

"Shut up!" King Alfred yelled at him.

Derrick immediately became quiet, as he didn't want to enter the bad side of his father.

"Regardless of today being a day of joy and celebration, all defaulters must be punished." King Alfred said sternly.

Everybody in the hall became tensed.

It was well known that anyone who dared cross King Alfred never ended in good terms with him, irrespective of the person's status in the kingdom.

Even his own children wasn't spared.

"Derrick you're the root cause of all these commotions, and as such would face the penalty."

"But father..." Derrick protested but was silenced by a single glare from King Alfred.

"Guards!" the king's voice rang out.

"Yes your majesty." the guards stationed at the door replied upon entering the hall.

"Take Prince Derrick here to the stocks and have him whipped thoroughly." King Alfred commanded.

"Yes your majesty." the guards replied and immediately apprehended Prince Derrick.

"No father... you can't do this!" Derrick yelled.

But his pleas were ignored, as he was towed away out of the hall.

Before he was out of sight he stole a glare at Arthur as if telling him 'you just wait, I would get back at you'

But Arthur ignored him, treating him like he doesn't exist.

"Good riddance." Princess Crystabel said upon seeing Prince Derrick finally being punished.

King Alfred then signalled to the herald whom he then whispered something to, before leaving the hall.

"Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the king, I apologize for the unforeseen events that happened a little while ago. Please feel free to enjoy yourselves."

And with that the banquet continued till dawn, before it finally ended.