Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 257: She is Family

Chapter 257: She is Family

This cousin of mine, can be helpful at times.

Lambert couldn’t help but smile as he leaned on the lounge chair. In the chilly early spring breeze, under the lights of a million stars, he felt like he too can find his love.

He had dated socialites till now, thinking they’d understand the dark side behind all the glamour. That they could handle the media and paparazzi issues without getting broken.

Especially his last girlfriend, he believed in her a lot. He thought she’d be the one, since she seemed to understand when he explained about the rules to be followed in their family.

Everything was rainbows and skittles until he brought her back to Rosandale. And once she started experiencing the ’discrimination’ as she put it, she became more unhappy and started fighting with him.

’He’s your brother! How can your partner be treated lesser than his partner just because he’s a King? She gets to choose everything first? How can you let those courtiers treat me this way?’ she cried one day. He really didn’t know the answer. But he personally didn’t find it as discriminating or getting treated lowly.

’She isn’t my wife yet, how can she demand anything?’ He thought as she demanded the same respect Louis’ wife Cordelia gets. Cordelia never put a wrong foot and faced extreme scrutiny until she married Louis and even now, she is very careful in conducting herself.

How can one person be compared to the other?

He couldn’t understand her much. Their parents had always treated him and Louis the same as they grew up. They got the same gifts and same punishments and he never felt like a lesser person when in home. They were like any family who laughed, loved and fought together.

With the Palace courtiers, it has always been this way and his brother obviously is better than him in many ways even if he’s not the King. Even if theirs was a regular family, his brother would have won more accolades than him and in turn would have gained more praises from others. He never felt jealousy or anger towards his brother.

’ Why should I walk in last?’ she bemoaned. ’Why should I curtsy to everyone in the family?’

’She’s wearing the same colour as me to compete with me,’ she said once when she saw Talia wearing the same colour dress as her in a party. Talia looked better in that pale blue colour and it was obvious for him that his girlfriend was jealous.

His ex brought him out of the party and threw a big commotion, cussing Talia and he couldn’t bear it. Surprisingly, the redhead who is now with Talia, for some reason was in the garden too and she appeared suddenly and scoffed at the stupid woman who’s his ex now and then girlfriend, ’Yeah right, missy... The Royal Princess of Rosandale is so bored and has nothing to do other than looking through your window to see what dress you are wearing to upstage you...You think too highly of yourself, don’t you? Haha... I bet the Princess didn’t even think of you for a second after you were introduced to her. And... I think blue doesn’t suit you... Try green, you know, for envy? Or black - for the colour of your heart?’

Waving her hand bye, she then left.

He wanted to laugh as he agreed with the redhead, but then he knew his girlfriend won’t like it and so he held it back. Of course his girlfriend wanted to take revenge on that redhead and he pacified his girlfriend by other means.

That was a very expensive watch he had to give her and he had to answer his brother for spending too much on gifts for a girlfriend.

His previous girlfriends complained that he is very inattentive towards him and so he always tried to listen and give into this girlfriend. Also she was very good in loving him in bed. And so he thought everything is worth it. He didn’t understand her point of view much, but he liked what he got in return for the efforts he put in, and so he pampered her to his full extent.

The one that made him think on her side was when she asked ’Isn’t she just your second cousin? Why is she of higher status than you?’

Even he felt moved by her wronged tears when she said it. He felt she was right and was touched by her care for him. Who is Talia? And why would someone from Esteria has more status than him, who grew up in Rosandale? He thought about it for a day and asked his great grandmother.

But he was stupefied by her answer. ’MaryAnn was supposed to be the Queen as chosen by majority of the Courtiers and I, the Dowager. To appease me, she was Queen for a day and then abdicated.’

She said just that and sent him away. He felt like he had received a slap in his face.

Majority of the Courtiers chose her to be the Queen? But she abdicated after being Queen for a day? She let Louis to ascend? Why?

He could understand why her status is higher than his in the court. But still, he still finds her deplorable at times and would be jealous at her. But he could accept her more now.

With his ex, it all came to the breaking point when she fought with him for giving the wine to Talia. He had placed an order for another bottle of wine for his girlfriend and they said it would be delivered in a couple of days. He explained to her how Talia just survived an attempt on her life and so he left that wine for her since she liked it and she might need it. But no... His ex didn’t take any of it and only threw a tantrum.

It hit him then. Why am I still with this woman who only finds way to be difficult?

When she said that he is in love with Talia, his cousin, and is in an incestuous relationship with her, he felt his skin crawl and he wanted to punch her, but he held himself back.

How could she? But I will never lower myself to her level by hitting her!

And so he broke up with her. It is beyond jealousy when she tries to blame him for leaving a bottle of wine for his cousin who went through a terrifying ordeal. And it is not like that it was the only bottle of wine either. He felt like his girlfriend didn’t have an ounce of empathy in her and had no familial love for his family. He felt like she just wanted to ’win’ against her enemy (Talia) whom she vilified in her own mind. He agreed with the redhead.

That orangutan wouldn’t even think of his girlfriend for a second of her day while she thought about her all the time. He didn’t like Talia much and knew she is aloof and doesn’t care much, but he knew when there is trouble, she sure would help in any way she can. For her to be vilified for no reason... He couldn’t accept it.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, she still is his family.

Of course his girlfriend regretted and apologised a thousand times and tried to contact him many times by many means. But he, relieved and felt free to breathe in her absence, didn’t want to fall into that bottomless pit of emotional abuse once more.

Thinking about her made him realise something. His ex wasn’t jealous of Talia, but was envious of her stature. She knew she could never get what Talia has and so she hated her.

That redhead was right!

Speaking of.... That redhead seems interesting... She knows our culture and traditions in the Palace... She’s smart. Although she is rough around the edges, she is loyal. Hmm...

"That redhead with you..." he decided to ask for her number.

"Redhead? She has a name, you know! And why would you need her?" Talia almost choked on the wine she was swallowing when he asked about Jolene.

Isn’t she not his type?

"Gee! I just wondered why she stays late with you... Isn’t she working in her father’s company? You know about the rumours floating around about her and you, right?" Lambert knew it would be useless talking to this orangutan about that redhead and changed the topic. He would have much better chance talking directly with that redhead.

" Oh, don’t remind me that! People are vile to even think that way! " Talia couldn’t help but complain as she cringed.

Both of them sat in the terrace, in their silence, savouring their beverage.

Meanwhile, Arthur found a guitar of his brother’s while Catherine was cleaned up by the housekeeper and made them sit on the couch and started to sing them old songs. Old songs, that were old for even his parents. The already tired kids who had stayed well past their bedtime, listening to those songs, fell asleep as they were sitting on the couch.

Arthur carefully placed the guitar down and gently made the kids lie comfortably on the couch and covered them with blankets. He didn’t want to ruin his peace by accidentally waking them up when he transferred to their bed.

Let their father do it!

He leaned on the recliner with his foot up and turned the massage function on. He checked the phone and it was already over ten and he didn’t want to disturb Talia in case she slept already.

As he checked the stock market, he was surprised to see the stock prices of Belfaguer Groups going down steadily in the past week. He started investigating about Arnold Belfauger regarding the attack on Talia, but stopped poking around after Jerome asked him.

For the group to lose money now... Is Jerome responsible?

He tried to find out why a jewellery and mining company is losing stocks when the economy is going well. That just seemed odd.

He did a quick search and found out that the Belfaguer Groups invested in some companies and a few of those companies declared bankruptcy affecting the group. It is not a big hit and a conglomerate like Belfauger Groups will easily get over it and for Arthur who dabbles in economical war, it felt like someone was giving out a warning for the Belfaguer Group.

But who?

He decided to investigate it further.

At that time, his brother and sister-in-law returned and seeing the kids already asleep, Emily was very happy.

"Get to bed soon," she smiled at her husband with horny eyes and Roderick’s hand squished her butt as he gave her a smooch.

"Right after I put the kids to bed, honey."

Arthur rolled his eyes. Even this old couple have their ’alone time’ and date nights. While he...

"Can’t you tone down the jealousy, brother?" Roderick couldn’t help but chuckle seeing how grumpy his brother was. His thoughts was written all over his face.

" You still want to end the Council? I heard you’re pretty close..." he asked as he bent and fixed his daughter’s hair.

" I don’t know, " Arthur sighed. "Can’t you investigate Edward? Why is he spared? And where is he even hidden?"

No one knows where Prince Edward is when everything is going on. And not one complaint was filed against Edward.

As he spoke he got reminded that he himself has footage of Edward’s not so appropriate behaviour with Talia.

Ah, why didn’t I think of it before?