Chapter 938: Making 'Amends'

"You look so much like your mother and I realized my mistakes," King Draco said with a hoarse voice. "How could I have simply let you waste away in that tower—you are my child and yet at that point, I couldn't tell your uncle the truth."

Jadeith frowned and approached them. "Grief has led you to keep secrets, and that is unforgivable—I hate you for it, Draco, but even more so that your daughter had to run away from you."

King Draco placed a hand on his chest. "I am a harsh man, I only wished that my daughter would be raised well and yet I made mistakes. That is why you ran away didn't you, Rowena? I was too strict on you—too... much."

Rowena stayed silent. She didn't know if she dreamed of this day or not, but everything was finally being revealed at last.

Lady Liz told her that King Draco was strict because he cared—but Julian said it was because the man was uncaring. Saw her as a pawn.

"You sent letters that said that whoever found me would marry me!" Rowena glared at her father. "I… how can that be fair? Too much? Are you for real???"

"I am truly sorry, words are not enough to let you know how sorry I am—but when you were gone, I realized how terrible I have been to you and in my desperation, sought to have you found and said what I thought would allow me to find you as fast as I could."

"So you really wouldn't let Rowena marry whoever actually found her?" Prince Liam decided to ask with a deep frown.

"I would repay them well, but even so, the decision would still have laid with Rowena in the end. But I presumed that anyone who could convince Rowena to return to Ashland would be someone who she likes."

Raphael finally stepped into the dining hall, disbelief written all over his face, and yet Rowena's eyes were on her father.

"Do you really mean that?" Rowena asked. "Or are you only saying things that you think I would like to hear?"

"Of course, I truly mean them." King Draco said earnestly. "When you were young, I thought that I would be able to steer you and raise you in a good and proper way but I made mistakes."

"And what would those be?" Rowena licked her lips, nervous and yet fervent. She was hungry in a way she couldn't explain.

The young woman didn't realize it was because she was only hungry for approval and a connection with the man before her.

A genuine relationship.

This man whom she called her father—King Draco Roseland never admitted that he was wrong or made mistakes, but for the first time in all of her life… the man was admitting his mistakes.

He told her th

e truth and also owned up to his errors. This was something she doubted could happen, and yet it was all happening right before her eyes.

King Draco coughed hard, but then smiled as he reached out to Rowena and grabbed her shoulder.

He gave it a squeeze.

"You are like me, no amount of guidance will easily be instilled with you because you are more than capable of thinking for yourself and making decisions—you truly are my child."

"Does it not upset you? I didn't listen to you and I ran away," Rowena said. "I expected you to be livid but—"

King Draco laughed. "How can I be livid at someone who is an exact resemblance of me? You may look so much like your mother, but you take on more after me. It shouldn't have been a surprise that you ran away. I did the same."

"The same?" Rowena looked at him.  "Your stories that I've read… the historical accounts of your deeds never mentioned anything like that."

"There are many things that you do not know about me, Rowena." King Draco said. "Far more things that you will discover if you could accept me back and give me a chance to make it up to you."

Rowena stared up at her father and there were tears in her eyes.  She also looked at the elf prince who was supposed to be her uncle and also felt quite moved.

It seemed so real and it had to be real.

"This explains everything, doesn't it?" Rowena whispered underneath her breath.

This was the answer that she was looking for…

"And now that we have found you at last, Rowena. I think it's about time for us to go home," King Draco said.

Home.

Rowena smiled dreamily at those words but then quickly shook her head. "We can't leave. I can't just leave this place."

King Draco frowned. "Why not? We have come all this way for you."

Rowena looked over at Liam and then back at her father and said. "My friend—you remember Julian, don't you?"

"No—wait, that thief!"

"My friend, my dearest friend, Julian," Rowena said, emphasizing the words 'dearest friend'.

King Draco blinked but then nodded. He recalled the vision and did hear that Rowena was about to save her friend. That stupid insolent brat that influenced her to run away.

"I have to take him with me. I am not going anywhere without my friend—he is only asleep now, but he will wake up sooner or later."

Prince Liam tried again. "Rowena, Julian is already—"

"What do you wish to

say?" Rowena glared at Liam. She eyed the knife on the floor and picked it up. "Surely you won't try to stop me, would you?"

"F-fine. Fine." Prince Liam knew it would break his father's heart and yet the situation was already out of hand.

King Draco himself also sighed inwardly—he couldn't believe the state of Rowena right now. He let her go and now she was crazy.

But then King Draco looked at Jadeith.  The Elven Prince's head was bowed and he looked so serious, that King Draco looked over his shoulder to check the situation

Raphael stood silently, his presence almost invisible. His face was blank and expression unreadable.