No smoke without fire

The room was quiet, Francis and the queen sat in the queen's room. She was staring at Francis trying to see through him. The news that she had just received from the boy was one that she neither expected nor wanted to hear.

"What do you mean you don't remember what happened between the two of you?"

"It is as I said, my queen. I don't remember anything that happened after the kiss," he replied repeating what he had earlier told her.

"But how is that possible. The wedding night is the most memorable for both the couple. It is impossible to forget it and yours hasn't even been that far long how could you have forgotten?" she questioned making Francis unsure of how to answer her. The questions she was raising were simple but impossible for him to answer.

He was also worried and some questions about the night he spent with his husband. He too wanted to know why he can't recall the memories of that night but the only person that he could ask was the person that he was trying to avoid. He was finding it hard to accept how fast things were happening between them and the feelings of yearning that were gradually growing in his heart for the prince were not helping.

"Alright forget that, we still have to work on removing Olivia from Alexander's favor. For that you have to pretend to be angry with Alex for the decision he made on your birthday," she instructed him.

"But I don't want to do anything to upset the prince and I have nothing against princess Olivia," he said and earned a glare from the queen.

"Don't you remember what you stand to gain if you please me?" she asked and Francis nodded his head. "Are you willing to lose that for Olivia or Alexander?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Good. Then do what we agreed upon if you want the get the reward," she stated seriously.

"What do you have to do?"

"Feign anger towards Alexander and challenge Olivia's reign in the palace. I want her to lose all her influence not just on the prince but in the palace too. I want you to take her power from her and only shall remain as the ruling power after my son."

"Alright. I will do as you say," he said. The queen felt happy with his response. She felt glad that he was on her side. "Bear in mind the reward in your mind. Use it as a motivation to help you achieve your goals."

Francis listened to the queen attentively. He had no idea why the queen hated princess Olivia or why she was doing everything to make Alexander and Olivia distant from one another. He only knew one thing and that was that he had to do what the Queen asked him even if it was selfish. He agreed to everything that the queen said.

"Tell me how to execute this."

"Listen very carefully," she said and whispered the instructions in her ear. Francis heard everything keenly, he didn't let a single word get past him.

"I understand," he said and got up to leave but the Queen held him back. He gazed at the queen and wondered what else the Queen had left unsaid.

"First and the most important thing for you to do is handle Alexander. Olivia can come later, your priority should be the prince."

Leaving the queen's room Francis wondered the halls of the palace. He was thinking about his conversation with the queen. He had to do it for the reward, it was the only thing he needed the most in the world. "Francis, Are you okay?" he heard someone ask and looked up.

He looked into Alexander's eyes and felt some peace from looking at him. He wanted to hug him and get a shoulder to lean his troubled mind but then he remembered what the Queen had said to him. He pushed Alexander away from him and stared at him with as much fury as he could muster.

"Why do you care if I am fine or not?" he asked angrily. "I mean nothing to you. For you, only Olivia matters isn't that why you made that decision on our wedding ceremony. You showed me just how much Olivia means to you and not just me the whole Arimelari saw it," he said at the top of his voice attracting the attention of everyone in the palace.

Olivia and the other wives came running to see what was going on. The onlookers also stopped in their tracks to watch the drama.

"Francis it is not what you think what I.."

"I am not thinking anything. I am only saying the truth that was seen by the entire world."

"Come with me we will talk inside," Alexander offered but his offer was bluntly refused.

"Why, when you didn't feel bad about rejecting me in public and hailing your special queen then why should you explain anything to me in private," he said.

Olivia ordered those who weren't members of the royal family to leave immediately. She warned everyone against speaking a word about what they had seen. She did the best damage control that she could do to avoid outsiders from gossiping about that fight.

"Francis, calm down and please speak softly," she requested trying to get everything under control.

"And the special queen arrived at the party. She is ordering me around too and you are just standing there and doing nothing about it," he said pointing his finger at Alexander.

The prince who had been watching everything silently and trying to solve the problem peacefully finally lost it. He couldn't tolerate Francis' bad behavior

"You.." he began to say but heard Nayla's voice in his ear and he stopped.

"There can be no smoke without fire prince. Francis is not acting like that of his own accord, the tongue is his but the words belong to someone else," she said and he listened to her. He had to agree with her, Francis had been displaying an unusual behavior from the wedding ceremony. He seems to be after Olivia's position the reason for that was one which he couldn't understand.

"Also bear in mind that his love is the cure while his hate is your poison so chose your next step wisely," she advised.