Chapter 6: Hypocrite

Across the far edges North of the city Henry and Mary are currently residing in, high up in the mountains, the structure of a large white palace can be seen built along with the receding valley where if one look beneath, mansions, villa, towers, and other similar form of structures took a large amount of space, surrounded by thick layered walls.

Within the walls, the people inside are dress more formally and exquisitely with a combination akin to French nobles and modern suits outfits, everyone living inside seemingly going by the day without a care, guards across the wall maintaining a look out across the distances with their sharp keen eyes, amongst their vision aside the vast large of forest that separated them, the city can be seen far and wide with their tall buildings and city skyline, the place within these walls would be the image and perfect environment fitting of high society.

Within the castle walls, inside the throne room, where the spacious high halls supported by pillars, flags hanging down, portraits of kings and queens by the sides, expensive decorative designs are attached on the pillars.

Two of group of people are in the middle with a large table separating them, having a meal with all kinds of delicacies, and all around them by the pillars are Butlers and Maid ready to serve, and all accompanied by musicians playing violins to better the mood.

Across the two ends of the table are two distinct but noticeably imposing adult men with well built stature, suit up nicely, beside thems are two adult beauties dress up very delicately also, a lot of other seats are occupied by young men and women, some even kids are attending the dinner, with few noticeable blond and red hair amongst the crowd, but majority are black hairs, and right in the middle sits the ever beautiful red haired princess, Mary Red, Princess of the Royal Family, facing James up front, her fiancee.

Clink Clink Tunk

Sounds of plates and utensils clashing, taking the food in their food even elegantly, the chattering of the children echoing throughout the spacious hall, the ones most active during the dinner.

"So, Mary, how's your relationship with James?" The imposing figure across the table who's back is facing the very large door behind him asked Mary a question while everyone was busy with by themselves.

Mary who's been feeling a lot down lately, her head down, and lost in a daze immediately took notice of the voice.

"O- oh, sorry, i was thinking of something and got lost in a daze, apologies." Mary snapped out of it and apologize quickly.

"It's fine, it's fine, im just checking up on my future daughter in law, hey James make sure you to care of her properly or else you're gonna get it!" Using a calm and soothing voice to talk and assure Mary, the man then loudly shout at his son.

Despite his strong presence and dignified appearance, one akin to a man who have been through a lot as shown with some scars stemming from his hands and his ears, he was still showing a soft and cheerful side towards other parties.

"I get it, I get it, old man! Just let me eat in peace." James scratched his head in the process displaying his annoyance and arrogance.

Across the other end, facing Mary's father in law, with a stern look, unmoving, a powerful gaze as he rest his cheek on his fist that is resting on the edges of the table, this Red haired figure watch over everyone with a prideful look, behind him are the thrones of kings and queens every throne room must absolutely have, the thrones are intricately detailed with gems and gold, making the overall status and appearance of this person even more grandiose than anybody within the hall.

"Dear, eat your fill already, it's getting cold." The woman beside him lay her hands on his, expressing her worryiness and affection towards him.

Sigh

"I apologize, my queen, I also seems to have a lot on my mind lately." Finally letting go of his hand upon hearing her smooth and soothing voice to take a bite out of his untouched steak.

Suddenly.

Clink Clink

"May I have everyone's attention please?"

"James, what are you doing?" Mary asked in confusion.

Taken by surprise as James stood up from his seat, clinking his wine cup to gather everyone's attention.

The music stops to give room for the Blonde Haired Young Man to give his speech.

"Hmm... What is it, James?" James father asked in curiosity for his seemingly random action.

"Ahem, well, I guess it's just I like to talk about something regarding the engagement between me and Mary that will greatly determine the future of the Royal family."

Mary unable to follow his words, was surprised as the word Marriage came up.

(What are you doing James?!) Frustration welled up over her mind, but she didn't say anything.

"Your marriage huh, well, what's the problem with it? Isn't everything going smoothly?"

"Nothing much really, it's just, rather, I found it terribly exhausting as she still haven't given me an answer after all these years."

(No, don't do this James, please!) Mary's psyche seem to take a blow, as James raised a point regarding the relationship between the two of them.

"What do you mean?" The King raised a question with a calm yet dignified tone, and everyone's eyes quickly darted around him.

"Hmmm... I don't want to sound rude your majesty, but, Mary doesn't seem to have any intention of really proceeding with this engagement, it's been for quite some time, and she still haven't given me a proper answer."

"Mary, is this true?" The King asked.

"I- I... I mean, it's just-" Under such pressure, and with many thoughts fighting over her head, Mary stuttered her words, and incapable of giving an answer to this one too.

James looking down at Mary frantically trying to come up with something, a smile spread across his face, and to put more pressure under her, he added.

"But moreover, it appears that she's still somehow hang up on her ex, yes, despite what that scum of a man did in the past to the princess, that guy still got a strong grip over her feelings, and it honestly pains me more than anything, to see her this in a state of depression, what was his name again... yes, it's, Henry Val, isn't it?"

Mary, with her usually shy and quiet demeanour who's mood seems to be down lately, suddenly stood up upon hearing the name of her former lover in pure anger as her face quickly distorted in into an very terrifying one, and had an emotional outburts as a result.

"Tsskk- Shut up, don't utter his name in front of me, don't talk as if you know what's going on my mind!"

Everyone's attention was then pointed towards her.

"Why does everyone keep assuming that way, I don't even know that guy anymore and Im trying so hard to forget all my memories of him with me in the past!" Her loud voice echoed In everyone's ear, the sentence she blurted out was clearly heard, and seems to shaken their spirit, even the two imposing figure at the opposite ends of the table felt their core tremble a little.

"Please, Father, Mother, just give me more time, I don't know when, but still, im still incapable of giving an answer at the moment."

Her voice was roaring and demanding, it shook everyone within these halls, her fists clenched, crumpling the table cloth by her side, she looked at everyone who was also looking back at her, and through those eyes, they can clearly see the image of a still broken hearted woman despite her self denial

A woman who's heart been broken all this time, her foundation stirred the moment she heard the name of the one who caused it.

"Mary..." Mary's mother voice said her name under her breathe, her voice was weak, conveying her worryiness towards her daughter.

(Their relationship wasn't really doing well right in the end!) James father was upset as he was met with disappointment, he put his hand over his forehead to express his dissatisfaction.

The kids were shook and shaking and was very nervous throughout the whole situation as they clinging to the adults by their sides, scared for something dangerous might erupt at any moment.

"Mom, why is sister Mary so angry?"

"Who is Henry, mom?"

"Don't worry about it kids, everything's gonna be just fine" Mary's mother comforted her children, Mary's younger siblings who were hugging the queen by her waist, their mother.

Sigh

(Unbelievable, they aren't doing good just as I thought.) James Father, Mary's future father in law was bewildered after realizing the current situation, putting his hand against his forehead, to express his dissapointment.

—

After dinner, Mary can be seen walking through one of the castle gardens halls all by herself, heading to her room.

Still reeling in anger, her teeth grinding against each other, and with every footsteps loud enough to echo these halls.

Along the way, she spotted James seemingly waiting for her to take these route, while leaning arrogantly with his back against the wall.

"What do you want?" Closing her eyes upon seeing him, and still keeping her pace as if trying to ignore him.

"Don't be so cold now, am I not allowed to spend time with my Fiancee?"

"Fiancee my ass, go to one of your other woman instead!" Snarking at his remarks, using such strong words, she tried to get past him.

Unable to stand the presence of a playboy within her sight, the kind that she hated the most, due to his habit of fooling around women, she was disgusted, and found him despicable.

While Royalties are allowed to have a harem for themselves, this old and outdated norms that are somehow still practiced to this day, reaching a clear line of boundary, Mary's own morality and views leaning to monogamy, it's something she found abhorrent.

"You're a hypocrite you know that?" Without even addressing her name or title as princess, James blurted out the facts.

"What did you say?!" Anger swiftly arose her body and mind as she quickly turned around to face him, but all she saw was James standing there, smiling.

"Don't think I don't know what you've been doing this whole time, trying to forget him? Don't make me laugh! If you're really so hell bent on doing that, then why are you still putting his life in hell? I would've thought you would've stopped after our times in college, but then, I didn't expect you to be so petty and cruel, haha" James laugh at Mary.

Mary's stature was stirred, her previous furious behavior diminished.

"Are you still perhaps expecting him to come back to you, all happy with a smile on his face, despite the fact you're the one pushing him away, you're not agreeing to the engagement because you still wanted him to somehow come back, don't forget who helped you during the time when you we're at your lowest."

James hit her nail right in the head.

The memories Mary that she deeply tried to bury come rushing back like a wave, she stood frozen in her spot.

It was the images of Henry cheating on him, her trying to find comfort in James body, and the both of them working together to make Henry's college life turn into hell, casting him out amongst his circles, the status he gained back then as someone everyone admired due to his circumstances as a Conqueror was reduced to the enemy of women.

But Mary didn't stop at that, due to a great hatred and resentment she bore towards Henry, all the years that they spent together that was crushed in one night, she continued on even after College, preventing him from getting admitted by all the guilds within the city, even throughout the country, make sure the government wouldn't allow him to be licensed, and even got him fired from all his jobs he tried so hard applying for.

She was so utterly petty, cruel, and hypocritical.

And now, she's feeling the turmoil of her guilt, and cruelty coming to haunt her psyche.

James pointing them out made her truly realized the extent of her actions and the results that came after.

For during those times of her at her lowest, comforting her in every way, expectant of her to come into his arms after college, wooing her to aid in the process, she seemed to back out at the last moment and continued to this day, still hanged up on Henry.

"C'mon, just agree to the engagement, don't destroy your parents expectations of you, just like how that guy destroyed your future expectations too."

The pressure to have her make a decision quickly, as years have already passed, really took a toll on her.

Mary's future expectations of herself would that to have Henry by her side, due to his status as not nobility, with enough recognition and achievements, working as Conquerors, the easiest path people could take towards those goals, she planned to have her parents have Henry granted a title of noble to be able to marry him.

It was akin to childlike fantasies, something hard to imagine, yet.

Mary had hope.

But that future was shattered.

And Mary's parents, the king and queen would be so sure she marry James putting extreme pressure on her to make a decision.

To add in to her hypcrotical nature, her actions of finding comfort with a man who fools around women that's clearly in opposition with her morality and views towards monogamy.

The shame piled up within her, weighing her down like a mountain, the pressure of being deep underwater.

All of a sudden.

"Princess, we need your assistance! Lord James is here too, this is perfect."

"Tsk, what is it, can you see we're having a talk right now?!"

James turned around to see a soldier clad in a light outfit, he stood firm, greet them in accordance to their title and made a report.

"Your highness, a level 5 abomination just escape the Coiant Tower, and is heading towards the city, due to the abscene of high caliber Conquerors at the moment, everyone is asking assistance from the Royal Family."

Mary listened intently and without further ado, her nature of a righteous woman who took great care for everyone's safety and happiness.

"I go." Mary didn't hesitate as she go and followed the soldier leading the way.

"But your highness, your a support type, shouldn't you be asking for Lord James help?"

"Don't mind him." Mary wanting to get out of this predicament, initiated herself in this call for emergency.

"Just so you know, If things got bad, I won't be coming along unless you agreed to the engagement."

Mary heard him across the hall, but deliberately ignored him, confident she can take care of the situation.

—

The battle was nearing it's end, Mary found herself bruised and battered, the Giant Abomination with a body and head of a monkey, and tentacle for legs approaching her in great contempt and anger.

During this last moment, all she still could think about was Henry.

(Where are you... Henry? Save me...)

Upon that thought, a figure and a pillar of light that engulfed the monster emerged from the sky, killing the monster.

Mary was expectant of the appearance of her former lover coming into fruition, but that power, and figure, it was James in the end.

When the battle was finally over, a bunch of reporters interviewed them in the aftermath, the king arrived late to aid them in the battle.

Mary's foundation was almost on the brink of collapse as it was James who came.

(Why didn't Henry come, does he hate me?)

James who was facing the reporters and taking in all the majority of the questions, was boasting his achievements.

In the process, he took a gamble, Mary wasn't keen on participating or listening, but she hard the word Fiancee uttered by him.

This was a gamble he made to finalized some sort of pressure as to break Mary and have her make a quick decision.

Its a way of owning from her during their last conversation at the castle.

And to keep up with the media.

But with the appearance of Henry who came to the battlefield last, his figure was ugly, and pathetic, drenched in sweat, his appearance was unkempt properly, unlike James who was clean and strong, proud and full of vigor.

(Why did he come, why is this traitor here?!)

Mary simply finally crumbled, In the heat of the moment.

To really get out of the extreme dilemma she's subjected to currently, she made a rash decision for she still bears hold great grudge towards her former lover.

"He's a nobody"

And the following day, to finalized her revenge, she revealed all the truth, resulting in him breaking down.

Finally agreeing to the engagement, she made sure this time to completely crush him, no more hidden motives and working behind the scenes.

All to free her pitiful pathetic self.