Leave now

Wura smiled as she opened the door and she walked into Liam's office, she was sure that he was going to love her cake, she had made it specially for him, she would be happy as long as he did not compare her cake to one of her mother's deserts.

Wura closed the door behind her as she saw Liam who was working on his desk, he looked very serious, as he was looking at some documents.

"What brings you here?" asked Liam as he did not even look up once to glance at her as he kept his eyes on what it was that he was reading, but he knew that it was Wura who had entered his office, she had a particular scent.

"Well your highness, I heard that today is your birthday, so I decided to make you a cake" said Wura as she smiled at him as she held the cake that was on the plate with her two hands.

"Did I ask you to make me a cake?" asked Liam as he finally looked up at Wura and his eyes were very cold, and even his tone was cold, Wura had never seen him this way before, so distant, so angry… it scared her.

"Well no your highness, but I just thought to make you one since it is your birthday" said Wura as the smile on her face dropped a bit.

"I do not want a cake" said Liam coldly as he snapped at her which jolted Wura, what happened to him?? He was never like this before, he was always to nice and kind, and now he was shouting at her? It made no sense; he was perfectly fine in the morning.

"I… I am sorry your highness…" said Wura as she stuttered.

"I did not mean to upset you…I will leave now then" said Wura as she turned around to leave.

"Wait" said Liam's voice as he stopped her right in her tracks.

"Yes your highness??" asked Wura as she turned back.

"You can leave the cake right there… I will eat it later" said Liam as he did not look at Wura at all.

"Alright your highness" said Wura as she placed the cake on Liam's desk as she turned around and she left the room quickly as if someone was chasing her.

She closed the door with a THUD as Liam looked at the cake and he sighed as he still looked as cold as ever.

Wura had tears in her eyes, no one had ever treated her like that, she did not know what came over him all of a sudden, the anger, the coldness in his eyes was unmistakable, he looked like it hated her, and it hurt her.

"My dear…" came Alaric's voice as he saw Wura as he was on his way to Liam's office.

"Ahh your Majesty" said Wura as she quickly wiped away her tears, and she turned to look at him quickly.

"What is wrong my dear… are you alright?" asked Alaric as he noticed that Wura had tears in her eyes.

"I am… I am alright your Majesty" said Wura as she forced a smile.

"My dear, you are not alright, tell me, your eyes are red, you have been crying" said Alaric as Wura wiped a tear that dropped from her eye.

"I…I…" said Wura as she did not know what to say.

"Come my dear, come" said Alaric as he just could not leave Wura like this, he was sure that something had to have happened for her to look so crestfallen when she was always so cheerful.

"Alright" said Wura as she followed after Alaric.

…

"Now my dear, we are alone, please tell me what happened, what is wrong?" asked Alaric as he and Wura were in his second office that was secluded from the rest of the Castle, he had come here because he wanted to speak to Wura privately.

"It is nothing your Majesty, really" said Wura as she sniffed and she forced a smile as she smiled at him, she was sitting across Alaric in an armchair as he was sitting In his.

"My dear, your eyes and face betray you" said Alaric as he smiled gently at her and she looked down.

"Come on my dear, you know that you can tell me anything that is bothering you" said Alaric as he smiled and he waited for Wura to open up to him.

"Well your Majesty… it is just…" said Wura as she paused and Alaric waited patiently for her to find her voice.

"It is him… he hurt me" said Wura as more tears fell from her eyes.

"I had heard that today was his birthday, and so I decided to bake him a cake" said Wura as she explained.

"I brought the cake to him, and he treated me with so much coldness, so much unpleasantness, the way he looked at him, as if he was in deep anger, he has never looked at me that way before, and he shouted at me" said Wura as she explained.

"He hurt me… he really hurt me your Majesty" said Wura as she cried and tears fell from her eyes as she looked at Alaric who looked at her with sadness, and apology.

"I am very sorry that he treated you like that my dear" said Alaric as he wiped Wura's tears away with his finger.

"Ahhh, so it would seem that boy of mine has not changed, he has not opened his heart at all" said Alaric as he sighed and Wura looked at him in confusion.

"I thought he had changed, but it seems that I was mistaken, he still keeps his emotions all bottle inside, and he does not realize that it ends up eating him on the inside" said Alaric as he sighed.

"Well you see my dear, Liam does not like to celebrate his birthday at all" said Alaric as he explained.

"And I do believe that is my fault" said Alaric as Wura just looked at him as she sniffed.

"You see my dear, Liam's mother died during childbirth, my dear Vivian, my love, once she gave birth to Liam, she passed on into greater glory" said Alaric as he smiled sadly at Wura.

"I never married again, because to me, no woman would ever be able to take her place" said Alaric.

"For the majority of Liam's childhood, I used to celebrate his birthday along with the death anniversary of his mother" said Alaric as he looked at Wura.

"I soon realized that it was a mistake on my part to do so, I was insensitive, and that led to Liam resenting his birth" said Alaric.

"In a way, he blames himself for the death of his mother" said Alaric as he sighed.

"Even though I have told him countless times that if I had to choose between him and his mother, I would still choose him, because things happen for a reason, and to me he is irreplaceable" said Alaric and Wura sniffed, now she understood why he was the way he was sometimes.

"I was a bad father at the prior stages, I was the one that caused all his resentment, all his bitterness, because I could not sort out my emotions and it affected Liam very badly" said Alaric as he shook his head.

"Your Majesty, you are not a bad father, far from it, I am sure you have tried your best" said Wura as she smiled at Alaric and she sniffed.

"Thank you my dear, I am happy that you think so of me, even though as mortals we all have our own mistakes" said Alaric as he smiled and he held Wura's hand in his and Wura smiled at him, now she understood everything a bit more clearer.

"Which is why, I beg you, I beg you not to take the character Liam played to you to heart" said Alaric as he smiled.

"I truly do apologize on his behalf, he really is not like that, he is a sweet, loving, gentle boy" said Alaric.

"But this day just brings him so much bad memories, and emotions that he has kept all bottled inside" said Alaric as he smiled.

"I understand your concern your Majesty, and you do not have to worry, I am not upset any longer" said Wura as she smiled, why would she still remain upset when Alaric took time to explain to her why Liam was the way he was.

"You are a very kind and loving woman my dear, and very patient too" said Alaric as he smiled at Wura.

"I am glad that you married my son, because he needs such a woman like you to deal with him" said Alaric as he smiled.

"You flatter my your Majesty" said Wura as she smiled.

"Thank you my dear… thank you for caring for my son" said Alaric as he truly was grateful.

"You do not have to thank me for anything your Majesty, thank you for explaining all this to me" said Wura as she smiled and Alaric smiled at her.