Will you be my Princess?

Chapter 33: Peter's Past

A few weeks later the Valentino's were having dinner together after a long month. It was a bit of a surprise since their father had formally invited Peter and Cassien to the palace.

"So the investigation how has it been going?" The Emperor looked up to Cassien.

"It's...Moving forward, not as fast as we would like it to of course." Cassien answered, "There have been a lot of bumps on the road. One is that we can't find out who is distributing the Kama plants underground and we also can't get a good lead on the Duke. It's a bit hard since we haven't revealed to the public about the Duke's doings."

"If we reveal it, we will also be in a lot of trouble. When that time comes we can expect a big outcry." The Emperor explained to Cassien, "So when that time happens we need to be prepared to move as a nation to solve it."

"What will happen to the Castillo Household?" Peter questioned, "From what I know Mr. and Mrs. Castillo are running it right now?"

"It's possible we can see that Household fall in the future too once it's revealed what has been happening." The Emperor predicted to them, "Mr and Mrs. Castillo are old and they don't have the energy to run such an important part of the Empire. On top of that Lady Vivian is an inadequate candidate for running the House as well. At least that is what she has shown after never leaving her room since the incident. Do you boys have any idea why she may be hiding?"

"I doubt she knew about her father's actions. Vivian...Shes a troublesome girl, but even I know she wouldn't have known." Cassien said.

"All you boys talk about is this subject." The Empress was sitting there eating her food silently when she had enough of it,  "Why don't we discuss other matters?" She looked over at Peter with a serious look on her face, "Peter the academy we sent you, I had a discussion with them earlier."

Peter gulped his water when he heard his mother. He never had the chance to tell them he quit school. Cassien also looked up from eating his food a bit worried about what was to come.

"R-Really? Must be about the upcoming school elections for the council." He lied.

"Peter the Dean of the school told me that you never attended a single class." The Empress looked him straight in the eye.

"W-What..." The Emperor looked at Peter to see his response, "You never went to school at all? Then how about all those grades we got set in!"

"Those were mine!"

"Apparently someone was posing as Peter." The Empress answered and narrowed her eyes at him, "That whole time just what were you up to? Do you think we sent you there to play around just like how you did here?"

"I wasn't playing around I was traveling—"

"Traveling!" The Emperor gave out an angry tone to him, "Peter we sent you there to become a better person."

"Well aren't I a better person? I'm not causing any fights, I haven't technically failed school, I'm not in a gang, I've come home on time everyday, what do you mean! Just because I didn't go to school doesn't automatically make me the person I was before!" He shouted.

"Peter!" The Empress said shocked.

"Peter why can't you be more like your brother? It's always been this way. You have always gone against are wishes and done things based off your guts. Do you think that's going to keep working for you on the long run? It's important for you to get an education in order to lead alongside your brother in the future. By doing this do you understand how much you've thrown away? That was four years! Four years for you to improve!" The Emperor shouted.