"Ian Phillip Stromridge, you will return here right this instant!" Phillip demanded.
Ian sighed as he stopped walking, he knew now that if he ignored his father and continued on his way there would be a huge problem on his hands.
He could not blame his father, he had just dropped some rather shocking, unsettling news, and he did need an explanation.
"Father, what can I assist you with?" Ian asked as he turned with a smile.
"Do not give me that nonsense Ian, you and I are going to speak in private, follow me!" Phillip ordered.
"The two of you stay here." he said to both Easton and Endron.
"As you wish father." Ian sighed following behind him, he had never seen his father angry in a while, it was almost hilarious.
As Ian followed his father, he was quick not to miss the look of pity Easton shot him, as if he was bidding his last farewell to his early grave.
Ian just shook his head, he was sure he would be fine, his father would not do anything to him, the most he could do was shout and show his displeasure, but his mind was already made up.
"Did you know about this?" Endron asked as soon as they had been excused.
"Yes... father... I knew." Easton said, his head bowed down, he knew he could not face his father.
"And you said nothing?" he asked.
"Ian bade me to keep my mouth shut, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place." Easton replied.
"I see... our loyalty lies to our king." he heard his father say.
"Yes, however, I did try to warn his majesty, although he was just too thrilled by the news of marriage." Easton sighed.
"Well let us hope that Phillip will not kill his son today." Endron shook his head as Easton looked up in shock.
"It is really that serious?" he asked surprised.
"More than serious, deadly, that family is terrible, they are all a bunch of outcasts, his majesty already expressed his wishes to never have to deal with them again, now his son goes and joins himself with their daughter." Endron said.
"Ian is definitely not going to go away scot free, except some sort of miracle happens."
"Oh my friend, God be with you." Easton said to himself in terror. "And God be with me especially." he added, if the king was that angry with his own son, how much more he? A simple servant.
...
"Ian, you will explain to me right this moment the nonsense you just announced in my court!" Phillip said turning ferociously as soon as they stepped foot in his garden.
"Oh father, it is not nonsense, it is the truth." Ian simply replied, he did not look scared, far from it, he seemed more calm than ever.
"What truth? What drivel truth?" Phillip asked exasperated. "You must just be doing this to spite me!" he said.
"You wanted me to find a wife, I have found one, yet you are not happy." Ian frowned.
"This not about you finding a wife!" Phillip exclaimed. "Or is this because I threatened to take your title as crown prince away?"
"If so, then I revoke it, you do not need to rush my son, you do not need to enter into an ungodly relationship because of that pressure, your title will never be taken from you, it belongs to you alone as my firstborn son." Phillip cooed, his anger seemed to have subsided and the certain softness he had in his eyes returned.
"Father, even if you revoke that decree, it will change nothing, I will still marry Lady Angelica." Ian replied frustrating his father once more.
"But why my son? Why?" Phillip asked.
"You have just been asking me why, let me ask you why you say no." Ian replied.
"Because that family is wretched! They are all a bunch of liars, cheaters, murderers, they are not good people my son, please understand me." Phillip pleaded.
Ian had never seen his father plead with him on such a level, it was almost heartwarming, almost.
"Father, I have already made up my mind, the announcement has been made and the invitations have been sent to the foreign dignitaries to attend my wedding."
That was the last thing Phillip wanted to hear, in the same moment, he exploded, his face contorted furiously.
"You did what?!" he asked in rage.
"You heard me father, this wedding is going to take place whether you like it or not." Ian responded sedately.
"Lord, give me strength, this boy will be the death of me." Phillip said as he turned around and took a deep breathe before facing Ian.
"Why would you do all that behind my back? You did not even care to inform me before inviting important people to a wedding that certainly will not hold so as long as I sit on the throne." Phillip replied, he calmed himself down, he needed to remain calm.
"I did nothing you were not aware of, I told you I had found a wife." Phillip felt like pulling his hair out hearing his son speak so calmly as if he did not understand his concern.
"You did not find a wife, you found trouble." Phillip responded.
"No, tell me my son, tell me the truth, did you sleep with her? Is she with child? Is she forcing you to marry her? Is that why you are in such haste?" asked Phillip.
"The answer to all those questions father is no." Ian replied. "I am ready to marry, I have found a woman that interests me, and I will do as I please."
"Oh my son, tell me why you wish to cause me pain?" Phillip groaned.
"Tell me why?" Phillip said almost crying.
"I do not understand what you mean father."
"You know what I mean, you saw what happened in my court, you heard all the stories I told you, that family is bad news, there is a curse running in their lineage." Phillip said. "I fear that you might end up in trouble if you marry that girl."
"Please father, when did you become a superstitious man?"
"I am not superstitious Ian!"
"Although it still does not make sense to me why you would chose that family out of all the far better noble families that have beautiful young daughters you could chose from."
"I will just state the obvious, and that is you do not even love this girl!" Phillip declared.
"A marriage without love will never last, my son you must open your eyes, you need lo—"
"Love? You mean like the same way you claimed to love my mother, yet you took another." Ian said, pain present in his eyes. This was the first time his countenance had changed from calm to hurt.
Phillip was rendered silent, so that was it, the cause of Ian's determination to refute him.
"Love is nonsense, it is insignificant, if love was not able to stop you from harming my mother in the way you did, then love is inconsequential in whether this marriage will last or not." Ian said, taking back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.
"I have my mind made up already, and nothing can change it father, even if you revoke my title or disown me as your son, I will still marry that woman." Ian said boldly.
"No, no my son, I would never do that, I love you." Phillip spoke gently, he reached out to embrace Ian but he moved away.
"If you love me as you say, you will respect my wishes, and this will be the last time I hear you disapprove of the woman I have chosen to marry, are we clear?" Ian asked angrily.
"Yes..." Phillip replied softly, the last thing he wanted to do was chase his son away, if anything, he wished for them to speak of their underlying issues. However, Ian had never been ready for them to take the next step.
"A letter has been sent inviting Duke Rivethans and his family to dinner at the castle tomorrow evening."
"You will be on your best behaviour, you will not insult my future bride or her family, and most importantly, you will not try anything to derail my plans." Ian said sternly.
He knew his father would not give up in trying to end his plans to marry Angelica, regardless, he was certain that whatever he tried to do would fail.
"You have my word." Phillip nodded.
"Good, excuse my father, I must be on my way." Ian said, he turned to leave when Phillip held his hand pulling him back.
"My son, please, forgive me, we must speak of your mother, the more we do, the easier it will be for you." he pleaded.
Ian pulled his hand from his father's grip in anger.
"Speaking about it does not make it easier, you wish to pretend as if your mistakes are not as blatant as they are. When in fact I am faced with them every single moment of every single day." Ian replied and with that Ian took his leave.
Phillip said, he was left alone in the garden. Today was unchangeably one of the worst days in his life.