Pampered by the Villainous Tyrant King

Chapter 13

A/N: I own nothing but plot. Enjoy!

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Percy closed his eyes and let out a sigh of frustration after his courtiers left the meeting room in Gardenia Palace. He had not even married his legal wife when already one of his ministers was suggesting he take in a concubine from Eldoris to balance the power of the Kiran princess as queen.

Balance what power? Percy scoffed. The rumors had already come from Kiran that their eldest princess was weak in health and personality, so people were beginning to get thoughts in their head. They thought that just because Percy was a young king, hot tempered and craving of beauty, he would be easy to manipulate. Unfortunately for them, Percy had already lived a hard first life.

In the end, Percy berated the minister for being so rash as to shove another woman in his bed when his wife had not been married in. It wasn't as though some of he other ministers weren't thinking the same thing, but this minister of labor was far too hasty and impulsive.

"Find someone to replace him," Percy ordered. "This kind of person can't be used."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Rachel replied.

Percy sighed inwardly and poured himself a new cup of tea. Meeting the crown prince of Tynan had brought back all sorts of memories that he had a headache. It had taken all his willpower to remember that the prince was no longer an enemy in this lifetime but an ally he had to entice onto his side.

For once, he had the opportunity to actually talk to the prince one on one, instead of facing each other's armies on the battlefield. In his past life, Percy couldn't recall talking much to the prince of Tynan at all, taking the diplomatic approach of using swords first. It turned out that Prince Jason was actually quite a sensible man with a strong foundation of political skills and charisma. Percy just couldn't understand how Alana had managed to capture his interest.

"Rachel."

Rachel looked up from her notes.

"I heard you asked Annabeth to be her lady-in-waiting?" Percy asked.

Sir Grover stiffened before he buried his head behind a pile of paperwork.

"I did. But Her Highness did not accept." Rachel quietly said.

Percy stood up and went to the window.

"Is there a reason why you requested that position? Did you find your current work unsatisfactory?"

Rachel hesitated. But Percy already knew that it was most likely her power hungry father who had pushed Rachel into pursuing the lady-in-waiting role. Marquis Dare's tactics were slightly more elegant than the minister who had rashly suggested taking in a concubine earlier today. But just slightly.

"It's fine. You don't have to answer. You already know that my father never took in another woman to be his secondary wife when my mother was alive even under immense pressure because he knew how hard it would be on my mother. And he loved my mother to death, marrying another woman similar to her likeness." Percy said softly. "But I don't want my wife to face that same hardship."

"Percy...do you love her?" Rachel asked, hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer.

Percy smiled sardonically. "No. I can't say that I do."

In the reflection of the window, Rachel looked up slightly, perhaps astounded at Percy's honesty. But his words weren't meant to give her a sliver of hope.

"But who knows what will happen in the future? She's an interesting woman for sure. Sir Rachel," he called out softly. "I sincerely hope that we can live by what we want, and not by what others want, and especially not by the elders of the previous generation."