Filed to story: Dumped by Scumbag Adored by Billionaire
“How can you be so sure?” Allen hinted that he was dumb.
Ailee hissed at her brother as a warning.
Neon searched his bed, “It’s not here,” then it hit him, “I must have lost it in the hallways,”
“Neon, wait up!”
Before anyone could stop him, the boy had zoomed out of the room and hightailed it to the hallway.
The passage was long and never seem to end but Neon was not ready to give up. That locket was the only connection left between him and his mother, and he was not ready to lose it.
Hence, the boy was so immersed in his search that he didn’t notice he bumped into someone the phone slipped from the man’s hands and fell to the ground. Thankfully, it didn’t break, Neon was relieved. Else mom Reina would think he had begun to break things few hours to his arrival – he hated to disappoint her.
“You kid, watch it!” the man barked at Neon before he even had the chance to apologize.
Neon was startled so he hurriedly apologized, “I’m sorry, sir,” He didn’t want to cause any trouble.
So to make up for his mistakes, Neon bent and helped him pick the phone. He was chatting with someone, it seems, but he didn’t put it much thought and stood, only for the phone to be snatched out of his grip immediately.
Huh? This man didn’t seem as nice as the others he had met so far in Lincolnshire. He had to leave such a bad-tempered man, Neon decided. However, the boy never expected that the man would ask him, “Did you see it?” in a not-so-friendly tone.
“See what?” Neon was confused and suddenly terrified of the man. Why was he staring at her that way? Was he supposed to see something? God, his eyes were even more terrifying, he felt like peeing in his pant. What did he do wrong, boohoo.
“Neon!” he heard Ailee call his name and the boy had never been so relieved.
Sensing that he had friends, that scary man who had tried to corner him backed away at once.
“Prince Akim,” Lord Albert said, as soon as his eyes rested on the young boy alongside other kids he couldn’t identify. But he sensed they must be important kids for the prince to be associated with them. Above all, they were close with that strange boy he has come to know as Neon.
“Lord Albert, what brings you here?” Akim asked, his eyes flickering over to Neon who almost seemed frightened. Did Lord Albert bully him? It was likely since Neon was new and was not to wonder about the palace’s hallway.
“Just went to see your grandma the queen as usual when I bumped into your little friend,” He said, adding more emphasis on “little friend”
Neon stiffened when his eyes met with that old woman but Ailee shouted at that moment, “Found it!”
She picked up his locket and Neon forgot all about the scary Lord, focused on the necklace.
Hmmm, seems he knows nothing, Lord Albert noticed the boy was quite dumb. He had been worried over nothing. Thankfully, it wasn’t Akim who saw that message else he would be beheaded by now.
But then, Fiona was right, they would always remain under the queen to survive. Unless they changed that.
“I’ll be taking my leave now, your highness,” Lord Albert waved his sleeve and walked away, Akim and Allen watching till he was gone.
“I don’t like that man,” Allen pointed out
“Why?” Akim asked him, intrigued.
“My nose keeps twitching. He smells like trouble.”
———
Bless this shameless author with your golden ticket ????
The third point of view:
Everyone was in anticipation to meet the queen, hence when the servants came to announce the queen was ready to see them, they became “proper people”.
Even Neon put himself in character as if he had been undergoing training for this moment all through his life. He only hoped that the queen wasn’t as mean as that man from earlier. Although Akim claimed that the man, he has come to know as Lord Albert, meant him no harm, he still didn’t like him. Their first time encounter had ruined any other impression he had of him.
“We are honored to meet your highness, the queen!” They all said in unison as soon as they came into the throne room as if they’ve been practicing that line.
Well, they’ve been practicing that for a while, mother Reina made sure they did so. She wanted them to make a good impression on the queen and that meant they had to be “unusually” and “extremely” polite. Well, here goes nothing.
“Your highness, you’re more beautiful in reality than I saw in pictures,” Neon praised her.
“Oh, you little one, is quite a lady charmer,” The queen laughed heartily.
Allen frowned, why was Neon taking all the attention? That was his cue to attract the queen’s attention. But now, the queen had his eye on Neon. Well, since it was that way, he’d just turn everything around.
“Yes, your highness the queen, you’re full of grace and charm, and my younger brother under my magnanimous care couldn’t agree more,” Allen hinted that he taught Neon all that he knew.
I’m older than you, Neon wanted to argue but the secret look from Reina shut him up. Well, behave Neon, don’t disappoint Mama.
Ailee facepalmed mentally, what’s with Allen and his rivalry with Neon? She couldn’t understand both of them at all.
“Alright, both of you, shut your asses right now,” Reina said under her breath, loud enough for just the boys to hear and heed. Afraid that they might say words that would piss off the queen, after all, who knew what the boys were up to.
The queen laughed, “I’ve had never been entertained this much by kids,” her eyes twinkled, “And to reward you for that, I’ll have the best Lincolnshire dessert made by our professional chefs sent to your room,”
Neon was extremely happy but Allen’s mouth twitched, dessert? He had no use for that sweet food, all he wanted was to have a solid relationship with the queen. After all, who knows when he would need her help? He needed to secure connections for his future, Allen thought, forgetting the fact that the queen would be stepping down soon.
Anyway, Allen took a step back as his mother commanded and the real talk began.
“You must be Niles,” The queen’s gaze landed on him.
“Yes, your highness,” Niles said politely, but then if one looked clearly, the man still held his head high up proudly.
Even though he was not royalty, he was still king of the Sparks group and no two kings could submit to one another unless one gave in or was conquered, and the queen knew that.
The queen stood up this time, and walked over to Niles. Getting there, she reached out and took Niles’ hand, placing it on her much smaller wrinkled palm with motherly affection, “I want to thank you specifically for taking care of my son all those years. You shielded, protected, clothed, and fed him when I couldn’t and for that, I’m forever in your debt. Do not hesitate to reach out when you need my help,”