The Blackwells Are Here

The next morning, a carriage carrying the insignia of Earl Baxter Blackwell could be seen approaching the palace. The Queen, having received the information beforehand, was deep in thought while waiting for Earl Blackwell's arrival. She knew very well the reason of this visit, something she had anticipated to happen ever since she tactfully rejected their proposal the last time. Earl Baxter Blackwell, a prominent figure in the society, carried a considerable amount of backing to the royal court and he served as one of the loyal courtiers of the palace. Therefore, although the Queen held the ultimate powers in the royal court, she still needed to be tactful in front of Earl Blackwell. 

Besides the Earl, the Queen would also be receiving his son, Lord Benjamin Blackwell. Not one to be underestimated, Lord Benjamin had time and again proven himself to be an influential figure in the society, claiming monopoly in the textile industry and was himself a brilliant businessman, second only to her nephew, Duke Kensington. The two young men would often be at loggerheads, especially since the two of them had continuously compete with one another in the recent rising industry of iron and steel. Compared to his father, Lord Benjamin Blackwell posed a greater challenge for the Queen to overcome. 

When the two men entered the Queen's main chambers, they bowed to her respectfully. 

"Ah, Earl Blackwell, you seemed to have come here in haste. Is there something the matter?" Not wanting to waste any time, the Queen immediately addressed the issue.

"Your Majesty has always been so direct. This subject didn't mean to intrude but come with a goodwill intention." Earl Baxter Blackwell smiled while responding to the Queen. 

"Oh? And what goodwill is that? Is Benjamin getting married? That's wonderful!" The Queen tried to divert the main topic. 

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. I don't have such fortune as Duke Kensington, who receives Your Majesty's grace in bestowing him a wonderful match. I'm afraid I will have to capture His Grace's intended should I decide to marry, Your Majesty." Lord Benjamin wittily remark, expressing his honest feelings before this revered lady. 

Although the Queen was slightly taken aback by this remark, she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she laughed heartily and said, "I'm afraid Lady Melissa is very much taken, Benjamin. The wedding will be set soon. Don't fret, I will find you another match."

"This loyal subject thank Your Majesty for your care and attention." Lord Benjamin respectfully responded. 

On that note, Earl Blackwell quickly said, "Your Majesty, since we are on this topic, my son and I have come here with a great wish and we hope Your Majesty could fulfil it. When we brought it up to Your Majesty two years ago, we were informed that the Prince wasn't ready to settle down. This time, we're again deeply humbled to propose for my daughter, Anastasia to be paired with the Prince, Your Majesty."

"I see. Yes, I remember Anastasia, such a lovely girl. Earl Blackwell, the children are now grown up and have their own pair of wings, especially in the area of love and relationships. Not everyone can be as obedient as Lord Benjamin or my nephew. I would not mince my words when it come to the affairs of my own son. It's a known fact to everyone of how he is towards love and marriage. However, you said the right thing, it is time for the Prince to settle down. To be fair to both the Prince and Anastasia, we must not force marriage on them if they're not willing. Both parties must consent, if not it would only bring disaster to the marriage." Queen Serina pondered aloud. 

Both Earl Blackwell and his son looked at one another and Lord Benjamin nodded to his father before speaking, "Your Majesty is always wise, both as a ruler and as a mother. May this humble subject propose a solution for Your Majesty to consider?"

"What solution is that?" The Queen asked. 

"Your Majesty, there're many unmarried noblemen and noblewomen in the capital. What if the palace organise a tea party and invite them along? It would be an informal match-making effort by the palace, and the bachelors and bachelorettes could mingle freely without restraint. If Anastasia could capture the Prince's heart during the process, that would be her greatest achievement. At the same time, even if it's not Anastasia, His Highness might fall in love with another on that day. If that happens, we would not fault anyone, but it will be Anastasia's own shortcomings. What do you think, Your Majesty?" Lord Benjamin explained to the Queen his plan, with the hope the Queen would accept. 

The Queen looked at Lord Benjamin and couldn't help but admire this young man. He truly lived up to his reputation as a brilliant strategist. However, as to what outcome he truly wanted to achieve, the Queen could not figure it out. She only knew that as simple as the plan might seem, one needed to be cautious around Lord Benjamin. Many of his opponents who had underestimated him, were often caught off-guard and failed miserably. However, she could not reject this proposal outright without pointing its flaws, which at the moment, there was none.

"Wonderful! That seems like a good plan, Benjamin. Tell Anastasia to work harder on that day to capture the Prince's attention. The palace will organise it accordingly." Queen Serina finally decided to play along for now. At least, the Blackwells would be content for a while. She had decided to speak with Duke Kensington about this for his opinion. If anyone could dissect Lord Benjamin's mind, it would be Zachary.

The Queen then invited the Blackwells to have tea with her at the royal garden, to which they accepted graciously. When they stepped into the open area of the garden, a delicious array of pastries were already placed on the table, as well as a hot pot of tea. They continued their chatter at ease, with both the Queen and the Earl mostly reminiscing the past, while Lord Benjamin listened on politely. His eyes however, betrayed his attention as they were constantly looking around, as if searching for something. Suddenly, he saw a figure at the far end of the garden, walking slowly towards the main palace. 

Anxious, he stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the tea cups on the table. His action surprised the two other occupants at the table and they followed his gaze to see what had captured this man's attention for him to react so strongly. 

When the Queen realized that Lord Benjamin was staring at Lady Melissa, she frowned and purposely cleared her throat, indicating her displeasure to this uncouth behaviour. Earl Blackwell, a man who had seen the world, sensed the Queen's reaction to his son's rude behaviour and immediately reprimanded him on the spot. He had also seen the young woman who was walking towards them and sighed inwardly. 'Fool!'

"Son, this is unlike you! Apologize to Her Majesty at once!" Earl Blackwell shot a look at his son.

Lord Benjamin, usually composed and calm by nature, was also surprised as to his sudden action. He didn't think his body would react faster than his brains when facing Lady Melissa. 'Dammit, and I did it in front of the Queen!'

"I apologize for my rude behaviour, Your Majesty. I thought I saw someone familiar and was a bit excited. I do apologize." He bowed slightly and sat back down. That's the best he could do to ease the awkward situation. 

"Oh, you meant Lady Melissa? She's been keeping herself busy at home for the past two years and rarely went out to mingle. You must have mistaken her for someone else, Benjamin." There was a warning in the Queen's voice, which didn't go unnoticed to both men. 

"Yes, yes, that must be it. Son, you often meet so many people outside, it's easy to be mistaken." Earl Blackwell chimed in. 

"Yes, it's my mistake. I apologize again, Your Majesty." Lord Benjamin said, ashamed at his own behaviour. 

'This man is known to be promiscuous, best if Lady Melissa doesn't associate with him.' The Queen frowned slightly at this thought.

The table fell silent for a moment, while all three of them looked at Lady Melissa who was walking quite a distance from where they were seated. The Queen silently felt relieved when two figures suddenly emerged from around the corner and walked towards Lady Melissa. The shorter figure began to run towards her with zest, while the taller man walked at ease. 

Upon seeing the young boy, Lady Melissa immediately kneeled down and caught the boy in her arms and hugged him tightly. She stroke his hair and began planting kisses on his face, making him squirmed in her arms. She laughed at his reaction and finally let him go. However, although he had escaped her thunderous kisses on him, the boy looked at the beautiful lady in front of him and blushed while holding her hand. The taller man proceeded to help the lady got back on her feet. 

This scene was witnessed by the three people who were seated at the table not far away. Queen Serina smiled when she saw how at ease Lady Melissa was towards young William. As for Zachary, he seemed to have loosen up as well, seeing how readily he was at assisting her just now. Unfortunately, not everyone at the table shared the Queen's sentiments at the moment.