Regrets That Were Once Made

Chapter 36 ~ Tied Together

2nd of July 1795

~Frederick's pov~

It had been just a day since Matilda and Henrich had left and gone to Germany. And I already felt anxious.

Henrich wasn't explicitly horrible but he always seemed to be hiding something. And by practically giving Matilda to him and letting them frolic of to a country were Matilda into the daughter of the most important leader, She was basically left as someone to fulfil Heinrich's desires.

But one thing was slightly positive about the day Matilda left. Mr Harrison disappeared mysteriously. Of course, it was obvious to most that my father disposed of him, but giving him no recognition of being rebellious. It was fitting for someone who decided to do such horrible acts in secret.

So that was basically it, Mr Harrison was brought to justice and Matilda was off in a foreign country. From that point on everything seemed completely normal. Well except for one thing, my father and I's relationship. We hadn't talked since the incident and frankly, I honestly don't know what I should do.

I didn't completely despise my father, but I still didn't completely think of him as a saint. So I didn't bother, perhaps it was normal for fathers and sons to get along. I didn't really bother, instead, I stayed quiet and talked to Charles. The only other family member besides my mother who seemed to have almost disappeared with lack of appearance, except at dinner.

"Freddy?" I looked up from my angsty glooming and looked at Charles who was holding his duck. "Yes?" I questioned slightly startled. Charles grinned and pushed my hands away from my lap as he placed Henry. I shuffled awkwardly and Henry quacked equally as startled. "He's scared of you Freddy." He chuckled childishly.

I smiled slightly and patted the duck as I observed Charles. Charles was always very childish for his age, he wasn't stupid just very sheltered. In fact, he was really smart with the usual academic things, it was just that socially, he could be compared to a 4-year-old.

I mean he was reading at a level 5 years ahead and yet he didn't even know where babies were from. Of course, this wouldn't be weird, except for the fact that I was merely 9 when my father explained how that process worked. It puzzled me greatly why we were brought up so differently, and yet only now did I question it.

Charles always seemed so unintentionally obnoxious while I was always so anxious. Not to mention how we speak and go ahead with life. Charles was always so optimistic and had an unusually happy voice. While I was more or less a hesitant and slightly negative person.

But of course, this didn't stop me from loving my brother. He was different and so was I and even though his personality confused me, he was my brother. We were both equally burdened by our lineage and almost equally oblivious to our parents past.

"Look I drew you." Charles held up a drawing of me, wearing my formal outfit. I looked closely at the drawing and smiled as he held it towards Henry's face. Henry quaked and Charles smiled sitting down on his bed giggling. I smiled slightly and heard knocking at the door. Charles quickly sprang up and raced to the door. He quickly opened it and smiled at one of my father's subjects.

"Prince Frederick your father requests your presence downstairs." The subject bowed. I smiled slightly and stood up, lifting the duck off my lap. Charles walked over to Henry and I waved back to him as I left the doorway.

I smiled slightly and then sighed once again anxiously.

"Let's just hope Mr Harrison is the only person to mysteriously disappear in this place."

~At the throne room~

I walked in like how I normally did when my father abruptly summons me. Awkwardly and hoping that I'd make it out of the meeting alive. I smiled slightly and looked around and saw my father with my mother and another girl. I walked up to them and a three turned to me.

"Frederick your finally here!" My father smiled enthusiastically. I chuckled awkwardly and he pulled me closer. "This may be all of a sudden but seeming as it is only a month away from your mother and I's anniversary, we've decided to introduce you to your suitor so that you can get married on the same day as your mother and I did." He explained. My face froze slightly and I awkwardly turned towards the girl. She had dark brown hair that was slightly lighter at the tips and rich brown eyes which looked as equally as petrified as mine.

"Oh," I replied awkwardly. My father smiled and he moved next to her. "This is Princess Johanna of Prussia." He smiled. I grinned awkwardly and my father looked at me, urging me to introduce myself.

"Oh, uh- My name is Prince Frederick of Wales," I replied nervously. Johanna smiled and my father grinned even brighter. "Oh, you two are so adorable! I can't wait until you have children of your own." My father remarked as hugged my mother. I flushed red and so did Johanna as my father gleefully smiled.

"Well then! You two should get to know each other then. You're wedding is in a month's time." My father exclaimed. "A month?" I gawked. My father nodded and he smiled. "Trust me, Frederick, it will be plenty of time. I mean it only took me a month to fall in love with your mother. Isn't that right love?" He smiled at my mother. My mother nodded and grinned in response and my father let go of his grasp on her.

"See Freddy! Now come on and go. I'll get some guards to escort Johanna to her room. But tomorrow you two will be going around London for a date." he explained. Johanna bowed slightly and I sighed doing the same.

Two guards walked towards Johanna and I walked back towards my room. I quickly glanced back at Johanna and sighed as I felt a familiar pair of green eyes on me.

The eyes of a person who I still loved but couldn't.