CHAPTER 39: WILL I BE A GOOD KING?

Xavier paused as he tried to control his pursing lips and hurriedly ate the porridge to cover his emotions. Aegon noticed it and sighed, as he could read through his thoughts easily.

He turned towards the elderly couple and smiled, "Then, we’ll eat here instead. It’s our honor because this is too delicious."

"Yes, dig in." Grandma Bai was obviously very happy with his words. "You can always come here if you want more food."

Aegon nodded and finished the meal along with Xavier, who was strangely silent, so Aegon had to take over the lead to converse with them.

"We’ll see if we can come again, Old Bai. We’ll help out tomorrow if we have a break," Aegon said with a smile. "Also, please don’t give up. Believe in Mother Moon. She will definitely solve everything."

"We don’t have anything left to give up, young man," Old Bai laughed, but there was no mirth in his voice. "Go along. It’s getting late. Wait! Do you have a place to sleep? You can sleep here."

"We have, but thanks for the offer," Aegon said before he dragged Xavier out. "Have a good day, Old Bai, Grandma Bai."

He gave a fleeting glance to the elderly couple and noticed the sadness in their old eyes. It made him slightly uncomfortable, so he looked away and focused on the road ahead.

"Say, Gon, don’t you think they are too naive?" Xavier finally opened his mouth and asked.

"Kind of. They are kind people who have lived a simple life. They aren’t like you or me," Aegon responded. "There’s a reason adults taught us that our status is different than others."

None of his friends had ever flaunted or used their status, and it showed just by how Xavier didn’t hesitate to help Old Bai and even ate at his poor home without even a bit of resistance.

But they were still aware of the life they had gotten just by being born into this status.

A wise man had once said:

"Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you."

And that’s what the adults taught them.

"Say, Gon, do you think I can be a good King?" Xavier asked. "I consider my father as the best man in the world. He’s the best ruler too. Yet, people die under his reign. So how will I be any better? I’m even more incompetent."

"I honestly got no clue about ruling or being a king, but I do acknowledge that Uncle Bailish is a very good king," Aegon said. "As for how you’ll be as a King, that’s something only time will tell. Though I certainly worry about the kingdom if you rule it."

"Why don’t you become the Crown Prince?" Xavier asked, ignoring his jab. "My father always said that the Throne belongs to the Chen Clan and you’re its heir."

"Fuck off! Don’t lump your responsibilities on me," Aegon smacked his back and said. "Grow some balls, brother. It’s not like you’re alone. You will have me standing by your side."

He looked around at the fields and said in a firm voice, "And I’m going to show you the kind of support you’ll get from me when you become a King."

"Huh? What are you planning to do?" Xavier was confused.

"For now, I need to meet with Uncle Bailish, or rather I need to meet the King of Moonrise Kingdom," Aegon declared.

Although Xavier was still confused about what he planned to do, he didn’t question further. He just led Aegon through the secret ways he had discovered to escape, to take him back to the palace.

After around half an hour, they were standing at the backside of the Royal Palace that was perched on a cliff, overlooking the entire capital city.

As the Crown Prince, Xavier had means to go through the many barriers and also the guards, so it didn’t take long before they were inside the palace padded with pristine white marbles and beautiful stone walls.

As the sun cast its dying radiance on the world, Aegon knew where to find the Randle Family. As the believers of the Moon Goddess, they didn’t eat after sunset, so it was easy to find them.

As they entered the dining hall, which was adorned with many beautiful decorations, a big chandelier illuminated the whole room. Surprisingly, the dining table was a small one with silver plates already set there.

They found Sansa and Bailish eating together without any intrusion from the maids as always. Both of them turned towards the door upon hearing the clicking of the door and smiled.

The past decade had put ages on their faces, but it mattered little because they still had the same presence.

"You two came just in time. Hurry up and wash your hands. I’ll serve the dinner," Sansa said as she stood up.

"It’s fine, Aunt. We already ate somewhere," Aegon said, as he took a seat at the table alongside Xavier.

Seeing their expressions, Bailish raised an eyebrow, "I’m guessing you have questions, right?"

"As always, Uncle can guess my thoughts easily," Aegon smiled.

"It’s not you but that silly son of mine," Bailish didn’t forget to scold his son who was picking up some meatballs. "Everything is written clearly on his face."

He wiped his mouth and stood up, "Let’s go to my study. Dear, can you bring some tea for us?"

"Sure!" Sansa smiled warmly at him before sliding out of the room.

Aegon watched everything and thought, ’Their relationship is as strong as ever.’

He had heard it from Xiu that their marriage was just a political one, yet the connection they shared was deeper than many love marriages.

Even though Sansa was a queen, she always did many personal things for Bailish, and the same went for him. It was quite an enviable relationship.

’Maybe I will also find a good wife someday.’

He shook off those useless thoughts and followed Bailish out of the dining room. They didn’t talk much on the way as Bailish led them to his study.

His study was off-limits to everyone aside from Sansa. Even his kids couldn’t enter it without permission, but for important matters, he would bring people there.

As they took their seats, Bailish asked, "What is this about, Aegon?"