Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 233: Future Plans

Chapter 233: Future Plans

Three years passed in negotiations. Jerome wasn’t heartless. He’d send her pictures and videos of her. Pictures of her laughing, pouting, her angry face... Everything.

She should have felt content, but on the contrary, she wanted to meet the girl in person. The girl who grew up more and more to look like her daughter. She is already in her eighties. Time is not something she had and so she did something she never did before - she begged.

’Please, let me see her and talk to her before I’m buried’

She could feel Jerome’s heart wavering. After her sixteenth birthday, Jerome fixed the date even. But the unexpected happened.

That child killed her Knight.

The Rosandale Royal Court panicked. They said she cannot be announced as their Princess anymore and that it is not wise for the Dowager to meet a murderer.

Ha! Were you ever willing to let me meet her? You lot only find reasons for me not to meet her!

She decided to go against the court. First time in her eighty two years of life, she decided to go against her advisors.

I don’t care what she did or why she did it. She is my great granddaughter!

She knew Jerome won’t let her go to prison. That delicate child cannot handle prison. And that’s why she was surprised when she received the distressed call from Jerome.

’Get her to safety’ he said, ’Wolves and lions are circling me. I’ll survive, but she cannot suffer.’

The call of a very lovely grandfather. He could protect her in that fight, but he wanted to shield her entirely from the fight as he fought with the enemies. And so he was willing to send her away. She at that age, understood how sending your loved one away from you needed more courage and love than keeping them close.

He loved her and it was apparent. If I actually sent my daughter away with the man she loved with my blessings without trying to keep her with me, will she be alive today?

Jerome arranged everything overnight. He sneaked in Prince Lambert into the Esterian border. No one knew Prince Louis was in the jeep too. It was Jerome who arranged for a helicopter to transport Talia to Rosandale.

The court was not pleased and they wanted to hand her over back to Esterian authorities. ’We cannot give asylum to murderers!’ they said. ’It will spoil our chance of peace with Esteria.’

Again... Reasons! That’s all they come up with. Reasons for me to not accept my daughter’s blood, because she left the Crown to be with the man she loved. Like I will back off!

The official announcement wasn’t made and only tabloids reported the arrival of the granddaughter of Crown Princess Lillian. Some welcomed, some were angry and some didn’t care. They called her monster, a jinx and a bad omen.

Did I ask them? It is not for them to care! She is my great granddaughter and after everything I did for this country, am I not allowed to spend the rest of my life with my great granddaughter?

And everything that followed... She made a strick law in the Palace that no one is to treat her great granddaughter with contempt. They need not announce her as the Princess, but she is their Princess and she is above them by status. After her strict and stern warning that austere courtiers who put Palace rules above anything else, had to listen to her.

I will make it safe for you, wee child!

But... That girl who loved to laugh in the pictures she received, had no joy left in her. She was a shell of what she once was.

Very much like me...

She tried to get close to her. But that little girl was very polite and distant. She didn’t feel like home. She never called her great grandma from her heart.

She didn’t know how to handle that girl. She’d have tea with her and have conversations with her, but she felt like the girl didn’t bond with her. And being in the highest position for long, she didn’t know how to act with little children and she felt like she was left in an unknown territory. She never raised a child or cared for one. What does she know?

What do young kids like?

She thought by giving her work, she’d get over her depression and get used to this place. By meeting new people, her mind would be able to relax. But it only made her worse. She didn’t want what happened to her daughter happen to this little girl too. It was Louis who told her that Talia might need treatment. And... Time passed.

Here she is... Willing to take on the role herself. Unlike her daughter who ran away, this one willingly stepping up for the challenge.

How can she not love this child.? And the smile... It returned. Her eyes are smiling.

She was told that Arthur Frederick Boswell is the reason. Who cares? As long as she is happy!

She has a lot of plans for her. Very great plans. If she follows them, she can get out of her past. No one will remember her past anymore as they talk about her present and future.

And even if this girl doesn’t want to fulfil those plans, she just wished to see this girl getting happily married and she wanted to live to see this girl’s children. That’s all she wishes for now.

But she can’t lie... Seeing that child grinning like that with her grandfather and acting polite with her... There was a bitter feeling in her heart.

He is so natural at being good with children. Should I ask him to teach me?

But still... That Old man is mocking me with his smile, isn’t he? Is he saying that even after not meeting him for ten years, the love his granddaughter for him haven’t faded? Is he saying that I’m incapable of forming a bond with my great grandchild?

Despicable man!

---

Talia didn’t know what was happening but she felt like the situation was not right. She knew something made the Dowager angry, but she couldn’t understand what.

"I was overwhelmed when I saw those people waiting for me and so I walked to them... I’ll be careful not to break protocols in the future," Talia blinked her eyes at her great grandmother and smiled cutely. She knew she can get away with many things by acting cute.

The Dowager was now a little mad at her. Why would that child think that she cared about breaking protocols? But she sure has a cute smile... Is she trying to act cute in front of me thinking I am mad? Adorable!

Talia could see the Dowager loosening up and as relieved. It was then she felt her phone vibrate and she secretly looked at her phone.

Fred?

She quickly sent a message with her phone under the table and waited for his reply. Only after acknowledging his reply did she look up and sighed in relief that she was not caught.

What Talia didn’t realise that both the elders noticed the change in her expression the moment she picked up the phone. They might be old and their eyesight might not be as good as before, but they could see the love dripping in her smile as she answered the phone.

It must be her lover!

Both of them had found out and pretended to have not noticed. Even after she kept her phone back on the table, she still had that smile in her eyes.

In their old age, that’s all they wanted to see. Their precious girl smiling from her heart. She always looked so pleasant when she smiled.

"Mary Ann, why don’t you go see your grandpa’s room? I brought you some gifts," Talia’s grandfather smiled gently as he told Talia after the lunch.

Talia blinked for a moment, it then she understood and left her great grandmother’s place.

What secret does grandpa have with great grandma?

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