Villains also get Second chance

"Cassius, I was waiting for you in the town, where did you go suddenly?" asked Philip as he entered the office.

"I have called you many times, and told you that I was leaving. But you were busy enough to not notice me, I wonder what caught your attention this much?" I asked back and then the man just chuckled.

"Oh, you did not notice, the whole town was talking about Marianne.. I mean your wife."he changed his wording when my sharp eyes met his. "I mean duchess, fought for a dress with lady Isabella and even sent her to the jail, who would have thought that she would be this strong."

"She had always been strong. And I do not think the matter was about dress, she tried to save a young girl from getting fired, not only that, she even offered the girl a job in the palace. At least, that was what I heard in the town." i said with a proud expression and he laughed.

"Of course, that's what i wanted to say, she is a very strong and brave lady, sometimes i wonder, how did she live there, where women had no special rights, she would be much better at our empire, where women were given far better rights" he said with a proud expressions and my fists clenched.

"She has been given every right she needs and I wonder, what her majesty got married here, when your empire is much better than ours." i asked and he looked at me surprised, and then chuckled, "i was not trying to compare just giving my views, i am sure my sister is very happy here." he added and i looked at him, like he was a fool. Even a blind could see how his sister was shrivelling with time. I had to talk about her with Charles's father next time.

"Do you need anything else?" i asked as i stood up, 

"Are you going somewhere?" He asked me and my steps halted. If he came to know about the dinner he would surely stick to it, giving the same old excuse that family dinner was much better than eating alone.

"Your highness" I looked at the man who had taken Ian's place,

"Your highness, duke Wiltshire is here, he is requesting an audience with you."  he came before i had expected.

"Send him in"

"Philip, if you would not mind." I asked him to leave us alone.

"Oh, I did not mind at all, I can wait for you here." with that he took a seat on the nearby sofa, and sat there graciously, was he serious! Why did his mind work so differently?

"Your highness" he said, bowing his head a bit as he entered and sat in front of me.

"Cassius, I used to call that, when Elizabeth was alive. You were no less to me than my daughter, in fact, you were like a son to me which I always desired." he said in a very low tone as if he was grieving.

"But since Elizabeth is gone, and now Marianne is your wife, I have lost the right to call you son," he said with a further aggrieved tone. Then he took a pause, he must be waiting for me to console him, to tell him that he was still like my father.

My whole body burnt when he put himself in place of my father, who was such a benevolent man and he is nothing but a snake in disguise. Such a fool I was to call him father in the past! Did he never feel a bit of guilt while versing all these sentences.

"Even if i do not have the right to be called your father anymore, i am still Killian's grandfather and Isabella is her aunt." he started once again, when he realised i was not in a mood to console him.

"I know that very well, marquees and i have always let you meet him and keep a relationship with him," i said, even though i hated it, i still let them meet, though my spies were always there to keep an eye on them and inform me everything later.

"Yes, but how would Killian feel when he came to know that Isabella is in prison that also in his place, sent by his new mother." he said, putting pressure on the words mother as if reminding me that Marianne was not his mother.

"I understand your point, but I am not the one who had put her in prison, I have always supported you and her." I reeled in a poised tone and he looked at me like I had gone crazy.

"But, Cassius, she is still Killian's aunt. We are like family, and don't you think sending her into prison just for a lowly commoner and cheap dress is humiliating even for the image of repudiation, it had been just a day when the duchess had slapped her in front of everyone."

"I am afraid but everyone would take her as tyrant and a violent woman" he added and i clenched my fist, he was not wrong here, the women were taken as a gentle creature in the empire, what she did yesterday had already astounded many nobles and if they came to know about today's event it would effect the image she was trying to build, and all her hard work would go waste.

"Cassius, think about….." he started again but i raised my hand.

"I understand marquees, Elizabeth is unmarried and it would negatively affect her image, if people came to know that she had gone to prison once, she is still an aunt of Killian, and like family. I will release her now." i said as i signalled Clara to come closer.

"Call the main guard of underground prison and instruct him to let lady Isabella go,"

"Yes, your highness"

"I knew you would make a wise decision, Cassius. If not for us, then at least for your wife Marianne." he added as he stood up and in so many years, for the first time i felt that i lost the battle of wits.