The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 62: Pride and Stubbornness

Chapter 62: Pride and Stubbornness

"Divorce your wife!"

He was fed up with everyone telling him to divorce Eve. No one had ever asked him what he truly wanted.

A year ago, after he received the royal decree to marry the third princess of Kingdom Averion, people congratulated him, telling him he was so lucky for a mere commoner knight to marry a princess.

His commoner friends believed he only married the princess because he couldn’t disobey the royal decree.

While the nobles considered Alaric an opportunist, marrying the third princess for power.

But for Alaric, what was truly the reason why he agreed to marry Eve despite the difference in their status?

Was it for his duty and loyalty to the kingdom? Was it for power? Or perhaps, he has another reason that only he knew!

Alaric smiled bitterly, his fingers playing with the small amulet hanging on his armor belt. Soon, he grabbed his tankard and downed his beer in one gulp, his sad, cold eyes taking in the beautiful view of the kingdom’s territory from the old watchtower.

"I knew it. You will be here," Caleb’s voice echoed from behind.

Whenever Alaric was troubled by something, he would always come to the old watchtower to clear his mind.

Meanwhile, Alaric ignored his knight commander, still holding his tankard. The daisy flowers lay on the table together with the jade hairpin. Despite his anger, Alaric couldn’t throw them away.

Caleb inhaled sharply as he approached Alaric.

"Aren’t you going home... to see her?"

A cold glint flashed through Alaric’s eyes as he gripped his tankard tightly. He didn’t utter a word.

Caleb smiled awkwardly, scratching his head.

"Hmm. I talked to Sera. I think she might have misunderstood something. Don’t take it–"

"It’s true. She’s not lying." Alaric said, cutting off Caleb’s words.

"A year ago... during our wedding night, I saw Eve and Gavin making out in our wedding chamber," Alaric revealed what he had seen before. He never told anyone about this.

Caleb was taken aback for a moment. There was a long moment of silence between them.

"What are you planning to do now? Will you confront her?" Caleb asked him as he sat down next to Alaric. Snatching his tankard, he poured the liquor and also drank on it.

Alaric let out a humorless chuckle. Funny as it may seem, he never backed down from any deadly battle. However, when it came to Eve, he was a coward. He was good at running away, instead of confronting her head-on.

He shook his head. "What for? To further hurt my pride?"

He didn’t know how he would react if ever Eve confessed the truth. What if he loses control and ends up hurting her just like what he did to Sera earlier?

"It’s best to avoid her," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"She can just wait for me to die in a battle," he added.

This time Caleb’s chuckle bubbled up in the tower. "Does it mean you won’t initiate a divorce? If that is the case, then Princess Eve might die first even before you."

Alaric quickly grabbed Caleb by his collar, displeased by his last remark.

"Are you cursing her to die?" Alaric snarled at his knight commander.

Caleb chuckled once more. He just deliberately provoked him to assess his reaction.

"Her Highness can easily get sick while you are strong like a beast. You even wiped out an entire army. Unless you will commit suicide then you will die easily."

Alaric tightened his grip on his collar.

"Stop choking me. If you are worried about her declining health, why don’t you go home now and see her? It’s better to confront her. It will give you peace of mind. Ask her if she wants her freedom from this marriage. If she said yes, then let go of her and move on."

Alaric pushed Caleb as he released him, his eyes narrowing in irritation. For some unknown reason, an intense heaviness had filled his heart after hearing Caleb’s last remark.

"No! I’m not going home to see her!" Alaric stubbornly said with finality in his tone. "Go and kill yourself first," he added, annoyed by his friend’s nosiness.

’Giving her freedom from this marriage? Letting her go and move on? No way! She needs to get rid of me first,’ he thought, standing up.

He was about to climb down the tower when Caleb spoke again.

"General Alaric, you’re forgetting something. Should I throw them for you?" Caleb was referring to the daisy flowers and the jade hairpin. He smiled teasingly at his friend.

Alaric abruptly halted in his steps. With his nose flaring and eyes blazing in rage, he returned to the table, picking up the flowers and the jade hairpin. Then he hurriedly climbed down the tower, leaving Caleb behind.

He cursed Caleb inwardly when he heard his laughter echoing through the tower.

’Such an annoying jerk. I’ll double his training after this.’

***

At Stormholt Manor

Eve had been staring out of her window, waiting for Alaric to come home. Nightfall came, but he hadn’t returned yet.

She was all dressed up, ready to attend the grand banquet. Alaric was supposed to fetch her so that they could go to the palace together.

"Your Highness, the grand banquet will start in a few hours. Maybe, General Stormholt couldn’t leave the palace right now," Marie spoke up from behind.

Eve nodded in response. She grabbed the quill pen and her pad.

[ I think I can go to the palace straight. I have the invitation card here. Then I’ll just meet him in the banquet hall. ]

Marie smiled and bobbed her head. "That’s a nice idea, your Highness. I shall instruct the knights to prepare the carriage. They will escort you to the palace."

When Marie left, Eve stood up, facing the mirror. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself.

This was her first time attending a grand banquet. She wasn’t used to mingling with the crowd, especially the nobles.

"You can do this, Eve! You are a princess. And Alaric is there with you. There is nothing to be afraid of." She talked to herself through the mirror, encouraging herself.

She fixed her hair and smiled at her reflection. Once she was ready, she stepped out of her chamber, her emerald eyes filled with resolve. ’I’m not the same Eve before.’