Chapter 479

"Pearl…" Erik walked into the garden and sat next to Pearl, his eyes were fixated on how beautiful she was in the moonlight. Even after all these years, she was still so luminous.

"I love you," she said softly. He felt a lump in his throat begin to form, and he had to stifle the tears that wanted to flow from his eyes.

"Pearl, I have loved you every day since the first moment I laid eyes on you." He smiled and wiped his eyes.

"I know this hasn't been the most fairy tale type of life. But I wouldn't change it for anything," he said as he put his arm around her.

"I want to be your wife. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Pearl said it but didn't look at him. It was almost as if it was too painful to look into his eyes at that moment.

"You know how happy that makes me." He said with a smile.

She looked over at him. "Tell me it's going to be ok. Tell me we can breathe now."

He shook his head. "I can't tell you that. I don't know if it will be. But I know I love you. And I love my son. And I love the life growing inside of you right now. And I will die before I ever let anything or anyone come between that again."

She smiled. "Alright. Fair enough." A moment of silence passed between them. "I need to tell my real family the truth. I need to see them. I'm going to go away for a little while before the pregnancy progresses too far and I can't do it."

Erik nodded. "I'm coming with you."

"No. I need to do this on my own. And you need some time with Christian."

Erik hated the thought but he knew she was right.

"Fine. But you mustn't be gone long. And I want you, in my bed, every night before you leave and every night after you return." He ran his hand along the length of her neck. Kissing the delicate skin along her collarbone.

"I think that is fair." She giggled. And with that, he picked her up into his arms and carried her into the palace.

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"Thank you, Augustus but that will be all."

"But your majesty, you have no idea what you are doing! You are allowing the man, the monster that tried to have me killed and has had others hurt in the name of corruption into a sacred place for the crown! You must understand!"

Christian's gaze turned to ice. Erik stood behind the massive royal desk quietly as the insults spewed from his brother's mouth.

"You took me away from my father. You lied to my mother. You took the love of her life from her and you helped create that monster. Don't think for one moment you have no culpability in this." Christian felt his hands tightening into fists. He took a deep breath. "That's the problem with you regal hypocrites. There's always a scapegoat and you slide around leaving a trail of slime for someone else to be blamed for, and no one is ever the wiser. Except for me, now. Now I am the wiser. I am my father's son. And if you do not obey my wishes, you'll see the monster lives in my veins, flows in this blood as well."

"You're not even the king. I could expose you right now to the world." Auggie said through gritted teeth.

"If you do that, I will finish the job I started years ago." Erik said quietly.

"Are you threatening my life?" Augustus asked.

"Yes. I am," Erik said. "And everyone you love as well."

Christian looked over at Erik. He appeared calm, his pulse unaffected. His demeanor unchanged. He had never seen this side of him. He was both elated and intimidated. But he knew he meant it.

"You wouldn't want to do that, anyway. I will expose what you and Sebastian did to the world and that legacy will be destroyed. No one will want any relative of that bloodline in power ever again. And we are here to make that happen. This is how we change the system and the world. New bloodline. New family. Thank you for your service, Augustus. I'm certain your retirement accommodations in exile will be satisfactory." Christian handed Augustus a file of information on his new life. Augustus attempted one last time to protest but Christian shook his head.

"That will be all."

"You'll be sorry. You'll all be sorry." Augustus said before turning to leave.

"Remember what I said," Erik replied before he slammed the door behind him.

"What are you?" Christian asked Erik, pouring himself a drink.

"I am all they said and all they will never understand. I am your father."

Christian nodded. "And I'm glad for it."