Chapter 68 - Abducted (2/2)

”Oh my! I know her! She's famous and I love her acting! I personally subscribe to the international channel that plays her works exclusively. Oh, I've been dying to meet her in person. Gosh! I'm so excited now. When will you bring her?” Aunt Leila enthusiastically asked.

”Don't exaggerate, Leila. You are acting like a die-hard fan,” Lucas scoffed.

Leila snickered at him and mumbled, ”I'm a die-hard fan, so what? We are humans, aren't we? Don't tell me Royals can't be diehard fans now. Hmp!”

Cedric chuckled. Unlike his father who was too strict and lived by the book, Aunt Leila was more open and quirky. She was a really fun and enjoyable person to be with.

”Cedric dear, let's have some tea in the garden later, without your father. Let's talk about things other than politics. Geez, whenever I'm here, he talks either about politics or my life,” his Aunty whispered to him.

”Sure, Aunty,” he answered with a smile because he too had something to ask her regarding his mother's death. He could feel that there were details that his father was uncomfortable sharing with him.

The lunch ended and as promised Cedric took his Aunty to the garden to have tea.

”Something is bothering you, son,” Leila commented when she noticed that Cedric had a conflicted expression on his face like he wanted to ask something but was hesitating.

Cedric exhaled loudly and asked, ”Aunty, do you know how my mother died? I know father wanted to tell me about it but whenever he tries to, he ends up not telling anything and dismisses me instead, saying he will share it some other time.”

Leila sighed and replied, ”Because it's hard for him. He still feels guilty after all these years. Your father believes that he was responsible for your mother's death. You see, after the incident, he really wanted to abdicate the throne. He felt he was incapable as he could not even protect his own wife, how could he be relied upon to protect the whole country.”

”What really happened? I thought my mother died giving birth to me,” Cedric whispered.

”Yeah, your mother died giving birth to you while running for her life. It was a miracle that you were safe after what she experienced.” Leila remarked, as she recalled the frightful incident.

”Tell me, Aunty. I deserve to know about it,” Cedric pleaded.

”I believe you deserve to know too, but you see your father did not want you to be consumed with anger when you found out about it. Especially as those responsible have robbed you of the opportunity to feel the love and care of a mother who, even while you were still in her womb, loved you dearly.” Leila commented sympathetically.

”Please Aunty, I beg you. I want to know the truth.”

Leila heaved another long deep sigh and said, ”Your mother was abducted and it took us a week to locate her. She was pregnant at that time… You see, the one responsible was someone we never expected to do it. He was your mother's bodyguard, the one person whom your father trusted the most.”