The Crown's Entrapment

Chapter 761 Remaining Two Years

At Helion Camp

"Your Majesty, is it true that the competition for the Selection of the Queen has been canceled?" Samira directly asked Amon as soon as she approached him.

"Yes," he plainly answered. He had already sent out word to everyone, he even had a messenger deliver this news to his kingdom.

A while ago, he already checked on her and gave her more time to rest. He took a moment earlier to provide instructions and brief Lera on his plans, together with Rendon and Alicia. He wanted all the preparations to be ready ahead of time... A wedding ceremony to take place the moment they arrived at Helion.

"But this… this is so sudden…" Samari said with a dark expression. Amon released a sigh as he looked straight at Samari eye to eye and said, "Before I became Amon, your King… I was once Osman Sullivan from the kingdom of Cordon, a man madly in love with Lady Bella. A formal notice about this story will be released soon for all Helonian's knowledge. Please wait until then."

"If you'll excuse me, Lady Samari but I still have a lot of things to do," Amon politely said before leaving Samari alone.

This time he walked towards his mother's tent to check on her again, hoping as well to have a private word with her about things.

"Son…" He had heard Mona's voice as he entered, she gave him a faint smile and signaled for him to come closer. She was sitting up on her bed. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat beside her.

"Much better now. I heard from Casimir that you know everything. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about it sooner, and that you had to find out about my predicament like this," she started with a sigh.

"You had your reasons, Mother. But you must know that I'm still quite hurt that you decided to keep this from me. Do you really think so little of me that I wouldn't be able to handle everything?" Amon couldn't help but lash out his frustrations.

His mother pulled him closer to her and said, "No, it's not like that Son. I know that you're a strong man and I'm so proud of who you've become. It's just that… You are already carrying so many burdens that I didn't want to add to it."

"You're my mother. If not for you, I wouldn't be here nor would I be who I am right now. Why would you ever think that you're a burden? Please stop thinking that way. How can you expect me to bear the weight of an entire kingdom when I'm not even given a chance to properly care for and protect my own family? Your concerns don't weigh on me as a burden because we're family." Amon expressed. 

"Oh, I'm really sorry, my Son…" Mona commented as she started tearing up.

Amon never liked seeing his mother cry, let alone be the reason for her tears.

"If only you had told me earlier, then you would probably be expecting a grandchild's delivery by now," Amon humorously expressed, making his mother chuckle.

"Oh, you… Will you truly give me a grandchild that early?" Mona asked with squinted eyes as she broke the hug to stare at her son.

"I will Mother, and I'll be working on it right now," he answered with a stern look.

Mona creased her forehead and asked, "What do you mean right now? Are you telling me that we'll no longer move forward with the competition?"

"No, we no longer will. I have already sent word to our Kingdom and tasked Lera to arrive there in advance. She'll be teleported and assisted by one of Ebodia's mages as soon as Lera wraps things up here today," Amon informed.

"Ebodia's Mage?" Mona questioned. Amon gave her mother a reassuring smile and said, "I accepted King Ezekiel's offer, and he's willing to send a few of Ebodia's mages to help us clear out the kingdom from the monsters that Devon created. He's also on the hunt for all the dark witches, so I strongly believe in this alliance."

"You… are you… giving this King Ezekiel authority over our Kingdom? Is that what he wants in return?" her mother questioned with a frown and a dim face. Her reaction was understandable, given King Ezekiel's announcement of his intention for one empire.

"No, please ease your worries, Mother, because there's no such thing as that. I talked to King Ezekiel and he cleared everything up with me that he has no intention of conquering our kingdom. He simply wants every kingdom to be united, especially those that are in disarray and are being led by unjust and tyrant rulers. He simply wants to help those kingdoms so that their people won't suffer any further under rulers who step over their people because of their greed and lust for more power," Amon explained.

"He offered help because he heard of how I had helped Queen Xenia in the past, and he mentioned that I should treat this as only a kind gesture for what I've done for his sister while I was Osman. Aside from this, I haven't mentioned this to you just yet, but King Darius wants to turn over to me all the assets I had as Osman in the Kingdom of Cordon. He told me that I used to build fleets and that all my designs had sold so well. King Ezekiel would want some of those fleet designs if I feel burdened with all the kind gestures he's extending…" Amon added with an awkward smile.

Mona rapidly blinked at him and said, "Oh, you're such a wonderful man, my Son. It's no surprise that you have a talent for rebuilding destroyed infrastructures and even upgrading their designs."

Amon let out a timid chuckle as he scratched his head.

"So tell me, elaborate… Now that we are canceling the competition to find you a queen, does this mean that you have already found one? Who is this lucky woman on your mind to marry?" her mother pondered.

"I have already asked her to marry me, Mother. It's Lady Bella, and she agreed. Once you're able, I would like you to accompany me to speak with her brother. Honestly, I think it's also best if we meet with her parents, but that will take time. I need her to be my wife this instant as time is ticking and I don't want any more of it wasted…" Amon answered with a straight face.

Mona's face crumpled as she complained, "Why does it sound as if I'm the reason for you rushing into marriage? We can take things slow, my Son, so that we follow the procedures properly, according to the customs of our kingdom. This rushed wedding seems to be all for me, but why do I have a feeling that you also simply can't wait to have Lady Bella as your wife? Do you think I haven't noticed? You two obviously have something going on even if your memories have not fully come back. After all, you two were once lovers."

Then his mother took a deep breath and released a very loud and deep frustrated sigh. "I'm sure it will be chaos once the entire kingdom hears of this news. And, I guess, the only option now is for them to know of the truth behind your past… That's the only solution for us to placate the possible negative reactions not just inside the palace's inner courts but of the whole kingdom as well. They must know that before you become a King, you were once Osman, the Great Admiral of Cordon, who had a very real relationship with Lady Bella."

"Great minds truly do think alike, Mother," Amon said with a smirk, "With the same thought in mind I have already tasked Lera with this accordingly. She knew the story well so I'm confident that she can handle everything, and that all should be settled before we arrive back home." Amon confidently stated. 

"Ah, my poor Lera… She's been working so hard. After this please refrain from overburdening her with work so that she too can have some semblance of a romantic life," Amon's mother scolded.

"Ah, just tell her that you want to see her be happily married and also have grandchildren soon," Amon joked, trying his best not to allow the current situation to become too melodramatic. He must show his mother that he could handle this news and the situation well despite how his heart was breaking at that moment while his gaze never left her face.

He may not have shown it, but during the days which he had spent with his mother… He had felt at ease and at home, he felt as if he didn't have to worry about anything, knowing that his mother always had his back. One year of finding and being with each other was not enough. He would love to spend more time with her… and now he had to make sure that his mother's remaining two years would be nothing but wonderful and memorable.