RISE OF THE DRAGON HEIR: from amnesia to ascension

chapter 25

As soon as Thomas laid his hands on vital information concerning Victoria, he set out to work immediately, and before twenty four hours was over, he had reported back at the imperial building.

Paige finally showed up after Thomas had been made to wait to for him for almost an hour.

"I'm sorry I took so long, Tom, I was only trying to put some of my things away." Paige let out, but it didn't seem like he was remorseful about keeping Thomas waiting for that long and Thomas knew better than to believe that Paige was actually putting anything away when he had been notified of his presence almost an hour ago but chose to stay back in.

Thomas cleared his throat and waited until Paige was seated before he started speaking.

"I found something." d omas started.

Paige gave him a nod to go ahead with what he was about to say.

"His future grace, I'd suggest that you find someone else to get married to." Thomas said with fear in his voice. The fear in him was so paramount that Paige could feel it envelope the room.

Paige say up with concern and rested the weight of his head on the back of his palm.

"And why is that?" He asked him.

Thomas swallowed before he went on, wondering how he was going to put in words.

"His future grace, please you have to listen to me on this one. I would not advise that uhm, that you get married to Victoria." Thomas said, his fear finally making its way to his voice.

"And tell me why you do not want me to get married to her." Paige couldn't help but voice out his sarcasm.

"His...his future grace..." Thomas began to stutter.

"Will you spit it out already, I'm running out of patience here!" Paige let out. It was an ironic thing for him to say after he had kept Thomas waiting earlier without any valid reason.

"His grace, she is the ex wife of Saint." Thomas finally said.

Paige's pupils dilated at Thomas's words. He was frightened for a split moment, but then amusement swept over, causing him to erupt in a loud laughter.

"Thomas, what sort of joke is this?" Paige said after he had managed to suppress his laughter.

"I'm not joking, his future grace, I mean what I'm saying."

"I thought I already told you that you suck at lying, Tom, why do you still carry on with it." Paige held a smile on his face as he said that, tugging gently at his strands of beard.

Thomas realised that Paige thought he was joking with him. He too was shocked—not amused when he discovered that Saint was still alive and he had been married to Victoria once before they got divorced.

"I have my proof with me, your grace. I did my research concerning Victoria and this was what I could find out about her." Thomas said, taking out some papers from a large envelope that had printed words on them.

He stretched the papers toward Paige, urging him to take it from him.

The expression on Paige's face disappeared almost immediately and was instantly replaced with a frown.

"What are these?" He asked, his eyes glued to the papers Thomas held out to him.

"Please your grace, I want you to go through them yourself." Thomas said, hoping that what he had printed out on the paper for Paige to see would convince him to stay clear away from Victoria.

As soon as Paige collected the papers from him and began to read through them, the frown on his face deepened.

Thomas signed and sat back in his chair. While he waited for Paige to finish going through the papers, he thought about the man Jack who had Victoria had supposedly divorced Saint to go be with.

Thomas wondered if it was fearlessness or stupidity that would make thid man named Jack to inherit Saint's wife as he heard Saint had loved her very much.

After a moment of deep contemplation with himself, Thomas reasoned that it was only the latter that would make Jack remarry a woman that was a divorcee to Saint.

And all of this, he hoped to explain to Paige....

"What is the meaning of this crap, Thomas!" Paige's angered let out, pierced through Thomas' thoughts.

It was Paige's turn to frown at him, "what's the matter now, your grace?" He asked back.

"How dare you make such folly up?!" Paige said and flung the papers fiercely at his chest.

Thomas watched as the papers fell from his chest and onto the floor. He gave Paige a look of terror; Paige had not believed what was printed out on the paper.

"I must warn you, Thomas. Don't go too far with your silly jokes, it could cost you." Paige wagged his index finger at him.

"But your grace...."

"Enough!"

"I do not want to hear anymore from you!" Paige ordered him.

"I am the one who is to get married to Victoria, why are you so bothered about that?"

"Even going to the extent of fabricating false tales so I wouldn't Marty her. Haven't I already told you that I do not care is she is already married?!" Paige yelled into his face.

"That's not the point, your grace..." Thomas' started, maintaining his stance, "Victoria was once married to Saint....Saint Dragon!"

Paige could have bursted out into another round of laughter if only the situation permitted him to do so. How did Thomas think that he would buy into this kind of lie.

Saint had died aged ago and while he was still alive, he was not with any partner. It was not even rumoured that he was in a relationship with anyone else.

"I understand what's going on here." Paige said, nodding his head with understanding.

"I see that you'll go through any length to see that I do the right thing, isn't it?" Paige questioned, but Thomas wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or not.

"....even going as far as lying about Saint Dragon being alive, just to instill fear in me." He added.

"I will let that slide because you have just shown me the length of your loyalty. But I still want you to bring Victoria to me."

"She is the one I will marry and you can't convince me otherwise...."

"But your grace..."

"I said, I do not want to hear it!" Paige thundered.

"I give you till the end this week, Thomas. Bring Victoria to me." And with that, Paige stood up and walked out on Thomas who continued to stare into space with the same look of terror.