The Royal Contract

"I called for this meeting because there is a current threat circulating about the upcoming wedding." The Duke opened the meeting, getting directly to the heart of the problem.

It was the main issue that needed immediate attention. As head of the Council, he would never allow anything to happen to the wedding. 

He might not be the current king nor probably the future ruler of this kingdom, but he was his son. He would protect him and his future wife as long as he had the power to do so.

"Do we have confirmation of this threat?" One of the council members asked. "Do we have any lead to who would be behind this threat?" Another one voiced out his concern.

Threats against the royal family and the rest of the royal hierarchy were a common occurrence in the palace. But the Council still checked every danger to the lives of its family seriously.

"Our teams are on top of the situation. They are doing all they can to find out more about the authenticity of these rumors." Fred told the other council members.

He had put the top of their investigators on the case. He did not want to take any chances that the rumor might be true this time. He would not put Alex and Dani's life on the line.

"Who is this source? How do we know that we can trust this source?" Another voice echoed in the room, making all of them turn their heads, knowing too well who arrived to join them.

The door of the Council Chambers suddenly opened, revealing the identity of the person who walked past through the double doors.

"He had been feeding us information about what is going around the city for years. So far, he had been very reliable, Your Highness." Fred answered, seeing King Edward walking towards the table.

The Duke referred to the source in the male gender just for reference, but he did trust the person behind the hidden identity. The secret informant had been working for him for years and had yet to fail his trust.

He did invite the king to attend the meeting since the event was part of the palace traditions. His blessings would be an integral part of all the programs that would take place during the ceremonies.

"Then, do everything you can to get to the bottom of this." King Edward stated as he took his place at the center of the table. "Shall we proceed with the other matters at hand?"

He did give his approval of this marriage, seeing nothing amiss with the union. But he was still wary of what it would symbolize with their people. He still had to prepare for its impact on his kingdom.

"Aside from the rumors, there are no more impediments in the wedding proceeding. Everything seems to be in order and on schedule." One of the Councilors reported what he had learned from the coordinators.

He was rooting for the new couple, just like everyone else. He was excited about their upcoming wedding. It had been a long time ever since a grand wedding occurred in the palace.

It was a celebration that would make people stop whatever they were doing and watch the ceremonies. He believed it would be the wedding of the century.

"Let us discuss the other agenda for today," Fred said, moving along with the other topic in the list of matters that required their attention.

There were still several matters not related to the wedding that was causing some problems with the kingdom. Although it was not as worse or urgent as the wedding, it still needed a resolution.

"I think that concludes the meeting today. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming. Your Highness, it had been our pleasure to have you here with us." Count Wellington announced to the group.

He was glad that the session had addressed most of the issues of the kingdom. At least for now, they could rest easy, knowing that things were running according to plan.

"Fred, could you stay for a few minutes? I wish to discuss something with you." King Edward stated in a low volume voice, directing his words to his younger brother.

"Your Highness!" The other members bade their farewell to the two remaining in the room. The king acknowledged them with a wave of his hand and a nod, dismissing the rest of them.

"Your Highness, what do you wish to discuss with me in private?" The Duke stood up from the other side of the table and walked closer to King Edward.

He went to the decanter and poured two glasses of wine, serving the other one to his brother and taking the other with him as he returned to his seat.

"Stop with the formality, Fred. We are just the two of us." King Edward always respected his brother for all he had done for the kingdom and him, particularly.

He would also do anything for his brother if he could, but his hands were tied. He either had to choose between him or his son. If he found himself in a corner, he would have no options but to choose the latter.

"Ok. Edward, what is this all about?" As the leader of the Council, he almost knew everything that was happening around the palace and the kingdom. 

He assumed that the discussion would be about the topic earlier. But he would not preempt what his brother was about to say as he waited for his answer.

"I will go direct to the point." King Edward picked up the glass of wine and twirled the liquid inside the glass, sniffing the aroma it produced in the process. "Are you suspecting my son to be involved in this rumored plot to cause chaos at the wedding?"

He was not naive about what his son had been doing in the past. He was no saint, but he wanted to believe that he was not the devil, too.

Although, his records would show that he had done many undesirable things that a king was not supposed to do.. But of late, he hoped that the young prince had changed his ways, proving himself deserving of the crown.