The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 95: The King and The Princess

Chapter 95: The King and The Princess

"No!" King Solomon blurted out instinctively as his daughter’s face flashed in his mind. Eve was the only thing left to her by Esmeralda.

"You said that this was a risky mission. Why would you bring my daughter with you? What if something bad happens to her?" King Solomon expressed his concern for his daughter.

Alaric was silent for a moment, observing the king.

’If he is worried about her, then why did he allow Eve to be bullied by the queen? I thought he didn’t care about Eve at all?’ Alaric pondered to himself.

"After our marriage, I was separated from my wife for a year. Now that I returned, I have to leave her again for this mission. Your Majesty, I want to be a good husband to your daughter. But I can’t do that if I am always leaving her side."

"You don’t have to worry about her safety. I promise you that she will be protected at all times," Alaric added, trying to convince the king.

"Even if I die in this mission, I will make sure that Eve will be safe."

King Solomon pinched the bridge of his nose. He was still reluctant to say yes to Alaric’s request.

"With Eve by my side, I will be more motivated to complete the mission and stay alive. Please, your Majesty... grant me your permission to bring my wife on my journey to Kingdom Zephyra," Alaric asked him again in his pleading tone. He even kneeled before him.

King Solomon could only sigh in defeat.

"Make sure to protect my daughter. If you fail, I will behead you even if you are dead! I will feed your flesh to our hunting dogs!" King Solomon threatened him.

Alaric’s face brightened up. He nodded frantically. "Thank you, Your Majesty! I have more reasons not to fail you!"

King Solomon let out a soft chuckle.

"Rise. You don’t have to kneel. I’m giving you my permission. Besides, Eve is your wife. But I have to ask her if she is willing to come with you. I have to go to her. She is waiting for me in the garden. I’d like to talk to her alone."

Alaric stood up and politely nodded. "I understand, Your Majesty. I’ll wait for you and her to finish talking. We will go back to Stormholt Manor together."

King Solomon didn’t waste any more time as he hurriedly stepped out of the Command Hall. He proceeded to the garden area where Zaldy was watching over Princess Eve.

Zaldy immediately took his leave upon seeing King Solomon approaching them.

"Eve! My daughter," King Solomon softly called her out.

Eve was frozen in her spot the moment she heard King Solomon’s familiar voice. This was the first time he called her ’his daughter’ affectionately.

She turned around to face him, tears welling up in her eyes. She had mixed emotions right now.

Upon seeing his daughter’s face, King Solomon strode toward her hurriedly. And without hesitation, King Solomon pulled her into a tight embrace.

Eve’s tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes when she was engulfed by King Solomon’s arms. This was also the first time King Solomon hugged her like this. In the past, she never felt a father’s love from the king. She always thought King Solomon hated her and her mother.

However, today, King Solomon was acting strangely. She didn’t expect him to hug her. She hesitated whether to wrap her arms around him or not. She just stayed still, trying to calm her conflicting emotions.

She had always yearned for her father’s love. She always envied her siblings whenever she would see them happily conversing and bonding with their father, King Solomon. Eve was not allowed to approach the king.

Esmeralda fulfilled both a father’s and a mother’s duty for her, trying to fill the void in Eve’s heart.

After a while, King Solomon broke the hug. He felt a sudden ache in his heart as his eyes lingered on her face. He raised his hands to caress her cheeks.

"You resemble your mother a lot," he mumbled, his voice tinged with longing.

Since he brought up her mother, Eve grabbed this chance to ask her father.

"Do you hate me and my mother?"

King Solomon was at a loss for words when confronted by Eve’s sudden question. He lowered his head, unable to meet Eve’s questioning gaze.

’Why would she think that I hate her and her mother? I never once hated Esme. It was me who should be hated by them.’ King Solomon thought to himself.

"I never hated you... nor your mother," King Solomon broke his silence.

Eve smiled bitterly. ’Even though he doesn’t hate us, it does not mean he loves us. He never acted as a father to me.’

"My King... I know my mother is just a mere servant in your eyes. However, I don’t think she is a bad person. So I want an honest answer from you. Did she really deceive you into sleeping with her? Did she deliberately seduce you?" Eve sought an answer. She hoped her father would tell her the truth.

King Solomon fell silent once more, contemplating whether to tell her the truth. He had been haunted by Esmeralda in his dreams because he had wronged her. He was the one who betrayed her and failed to fulfill his promise.

’She died because of me.’ King Solomon clenched his fists, his eyes filled with remorse.

Looking at Eve’s face, he didn’t have the heart to lie to her. He grabbed her shoulders and said, "Forgive me, Eve. It was all my fault. I failed to protect your mother. Your mother did nothing wrong. She is a very kind woman."

King Solomon paused for a moment as he reminisced his moments with Esmeralda.

"Eve, your mother didn’t seduce me. She didn’t deceive me. We were both in love with each other. It was me who hid my identity from her," he confessed.

Eve didn’t know how she would react after hearing this from her father. Deep inside, she wanted to scold him and blame him. He was such a coward. If he truly loved her mother, why had he let her suffer? The royal family had tarnished her mother’s reputation, placing all the blame on her.

However, part of her felt relieved knowing the truth. Her mother was not at fault. She didn’t mean to ruin the marriage between King Solomon and Queen Amara.

"Eve, forgive me... for all my shortcomings as your father. Distancing myself from you is my way of protecting you. I hope you understand. I have a duty to fulfill as the king of this land," King Solomon apologized to her.

Eve just bit her lower lip, clenching her fists. King Solomon was never there when they needed him. She couldn’t accept his excuses.

"How did my mother die?" Eve asked him again. There was a gap in her childhood memories. She had forgotten how her mother died.

All she knew was that her mother’s death was one of the reasons why she lost her voice. Annie couldn’t even give her the answer. And now, she was hoping that King Solomon could tell her the truth about her mother’s death.

"She fell ill," King Solomon replied, avoiding her gaze.

’He is lying! He refused to tell me the truth.’

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