His Hidden Crown The Prince She Threw Away

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I hid my identity and lived as an ordinary husband with Lola Black.

The day I learned she was pregnant, she said it without warning: I'm marrying the heir to the Northguard Stephens Estate in three days.

I'm actually the legitimate daughter of the Grand Chancellor's household. He and I are a proper match. The betrothal gifts have already been delivered to my family's estate, and... he and I have already consummated our relationship.

When she saw me frozen in place, she added, "I'll set you up with a residence. You'll never want for anything."

I stared at her in disbelief. "So I'm to be a kept man, hidden away for the rest of my life. Is that it?"

Lola turned her face away. "He's a kind and respectable husband. As long as you don't cause a scene in front of him, I can give you everything except the title."

A sharp sting hit the bridge of my nose. I never imagined I meant so little to her.

"What if I told you... that I could match your status?"

Lola froze for a moment. A long silence passed before she spoke.

"Alaric Abbott, I know it was wrong of me to hide my identity and marry someone else. But the world doesn't run on 'what ifs.' In all of the capital, the only man who matches my standing is the heir to the Northguard Stephens Estate."

"We've been husband and wife at the foot of this mountain for three years. I know exactly who you are."

But she had hidden her identity. How could she be so sure I hadn't done the same?

I looked around. The cabin we had built with our own hands. The fields we had tilled together. I refused to believe any of this was real.

"Lola, you're carrying my child. Can't we just go back to the way things were? Please don't marry him."

My gaze locked onto the woman in front of me. If she would just say yes, I was willing to forgive everything.

But all she did was press her lips together and say, quietly, "He and I have already been intimate. I have to take responsibility for that."

My eyes burned red. My body wouldn't stop shaking. "And what about me? Don't you owe me that same responsibility? What about our child?"

Lola reached out and wiped the tears from my cheek. Her eyes were full of ache.

"Alaric, I'm only getting married. I'm not abandoning you."

"There's a three-courtyard estate on the outskirts of the city. I've already purchased it. If you like the country life, I'll have someone plant fruits and vegetables in the yard for you. Whatever you want, I'll make it happen. Trust me."

I stepped back, shaking my head over and over.

"I won't be locked away as your dirty secret. I won't let myself and our child live in the shadows for the rest of our lives."

But Lola simply walked up to me, her expression unchanged, her voice calm.

"I've never thought of you as a kept man. As long as you don't make trouble in front of my husband, you'll still be mine. Isn't that enough?"

I kept shaking my head. "No. It's not. I'm not leaving this place."

This was where Lola and I had spent three years of love. I wanted to be here when our child was born.

"Alaric, you know my wedding cannot have a single flaw. I have to erase every trace of our past. It's the only way to keep you safe."

Before the shock had even settled, she raised her hand. The guards behind her stepped forward with torches and set the entire homestead ablaze.

In an instant the fire roared to life, swallowing the bamboo cabin, the fence, the courtyard whole.

I gripped the fence and screamed. "No! Stop! Stop it!"

Lola pulled me away and pressed my thrashing body against her chest.

She held me there while I struggled and howled.

"Alaric, when the time is right, I'll make you my secondary husband. Our child can carry the title of a legitimate heir. We can be just like before."

But Lola, I am the Crown Prince. How could I ever be your secondary husband?

The homestead was gone. There was no going back.

Three years ago, I had a fight with my father and stormed out of the palace in a fit of anger, chasing after my dream of a quiet life in the countryside.

I shook off his secret agents along the way and settled at the foot of this mountain.

That was when I met Lola Black. She was on horseback, hair streaming in the wind, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. One look, and I fell hopelessly in love.

I hid my identity from her, and she told me only that she was a wandering swordswoman. With heaven and earth as our witnesses, we became husband and wife.

We had no silk robes or lavish feasts, but tilling the fields and weaving cloth side by side, we were happy.

Now the cottage was destroyed, and I was locked away in that side manor.

The only glimpse of the outside world I could steal was through a crack in the corner of the wall.

A few women passed by on the road, whispering about the wedding at the Northguard Stephens Estate.

"Did you hear? The Grand Chancellor's legitimate daughter petitioned the King himself to get a prince's Golden Circlet for the young heir. Traded three generations of military honors for it!"

"Well, he is the heir to the Northguard Marquessate. He deserves that kind of ceremony."

"They're a perfect match in status. What a handsome couple they'll make."

The Golden Circlet they spoke of had been my favorite in the palace. I simply hadn't reached the age to marry, so my father never bestowed it upon me.

On my own wedding night with Lola, all I had worn on my head was a wreath of flowers she'd woven by hand.

She had said, "My Alaric deserves the finest things in the world. Even a Crown Prince's Golden Circlet wouldn't be too good for you."

And now she had traded her family's honors to give that very circlet to Milton Stephens.

That evening, Lola brought a whole box of the pastries I loved.

She sat across from me, her expression calm. "Eat something. You haven't had a bite all day."

I picked up a piece and ate it slowly, in small bites.

But watching her act as though nothing had happened filled my chest with a bitterness I couldn't swallow.

"When did it happen?"

Lola froze for a moment. She poured me a cup of tea, her movements stiff with embarrassment, then answered in a flat voice, "On your birthday."

The blood drained from my body. A month ago, on my birthday, Lola had vanished without a word. I searched for her the entire night, combing every slope and valley, up the mountain and down.

She didn't return until the next day, windswept and dusty, claiming she'd gotten lost while looking for a birthday gift for me.

Then, beaming like a child presenting a treasure, she produced a snow lotus from behind her back.

I hadn't slept all night, but seeing how much thought she'd put into it, I couldn't bring myself to scold her. I took the flower and tended it carefully.

Now she was telling me that on my birthday, she had been with Milton Stephens in secret. Nausea churned through me.

Even so, thinking of everything we'd shared, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to give her one more chance.

"Lola, can you not marry him?"

She turned the teacup between her fingers, brow furrowed tight.

"Not marry him? Marry you instead?"

"Do you really have to force me to say something cruel?"

"He's the heir to the Northguard Marquessate. And you? A peasant who knows nothing but watering crops and tilling soil. How could you possibly be worthy of a Grand Chancellor's legitimate daughter?"

My face went white. I pressed on, unwilling to let go. "Do three years of what we had really have to be measured by status?"

A sharp, twisting pain tore through my lower abdomen. I clutched my stomach, but I still waited for her answer.

"In noble families, status and rank are everything. The line between legitimate and common is absolute."

She paused, and guilt crept across her face as she looked at me.

"The child I'm carrying might be his."

My mind went blank. I stared at her, unable to comprehend.

"Alaric, my child has to be recognized as the Marquessate's firstborn legitimate son. That's the only way you'll be safe."

The pain in my gut twisted like a knife. Cold sweat beaded across my forehead. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the box of pastries.

"Lola, you poisoned me for him? How could you bring yourself to do that?"

Lola's eyes reddened, and she apologized over and over.

"I'm sorry, Alaric. He found out you exist. Based on the timing, the child could be yours. He won't allow anyone to threaten his position."

So she laced the pastries I loved most with the Barren Elixir, and I never suspected a thing.

"Lola, my stomach hurts so badly. I just swallowed it, there's still time. Please, go find a physician."

She didn't move. My voice cracked raw with panic. "I won't marry you, alright? I won't. I don't want to live like this, worse than death. Once I'm better, I'll leave. I'll go far away. I won't stand in your way, I swear."

No matter how I begged until my throat gave out, Lola didn't flinch.

She held out her arm. "Bite down on me. It won't hurt as much."

I shoved her arm away. "Go find a physician. I'm begging you, Lola."

"Alaric, stop talking nonsense. No royal physician is going to treat someone of your station."

"The drug's already taken hold. It's too late. Just be good. Even if you can never have children again, my child will still call you father."

I gripped her hand so hard my knuckles went white. "Lola, listen to me. I am the Crown Prince. The King's own son. Go find a physician to save me. Now."

But she thought I was lying. She wrenched her hand free, anger flashing across her face.

"You've really disappointed me. There's a limit to how far a lie should go. This is the capital, not some countryside courtyard of yours. One wrong word here can cost you your head."

She flicked her sleeves and turned on her heel.

"It's only barrenness. It won't kill you. Look after yourself."

I watched her walk away, and the last shred of hope inside me died.

I curled into the corner. The feeling below my waist began to fade, replaced by a pain so sharp I could barely breathe.

I would probably never have children again. And the one child I had prayed for day and night turned out to belong to someone else.

I drifted in and out of consciousness through the night. Below my waist, everything had gone numb long ago.

The door burst open with a single kick. Milton Stephens strode in with a handful of guards behind him.

He glanced at me, drenched in blood, then settled himself at the table and poured a cup of tea as though he had all the time in the world.

"Don't blame me. After all, the child in Lola's belly is mine. Can't very well have him calling another man father, can we?"

I braced myself against the wall, barely upright. "So you'd rob me of ever having children again?"

Milton let out a short laugh. "Now that's unfair. Lola was the one who laced the food. Lola was the one who decided you wouldn't keep the child. I merely... mentioned the idea."

I stared at him, nails digging into my palms until I felt skin break.

He rose and walked over to me. "Though, you should count yourself lucky the child isn't yours. Imagine it growing up and calling me 'Father.' How would you stomach that?"

"Bring the tonic over. Make her drink it. Help build up her strength."

The guards pried my jaw open and forced the liquid down my throat. I recognized the taste. Severance Root.

I thrashed, tried to spit it out, but they held me fast, fingers clamped around my face.

Milton crouched in front of me and patted my cheek, slow and deliberate, every touch a humiliation. "Can't have you coveting Lola down the line. Can't have you producing more heirs and stirring up trouble."

"My wedding's in two days. Still need to go try on my Golden Circlet. If you'll excuse me."

As he stood, the jade pendant at his waist swung into view. He made no effort to hide it.

It was Lola's. She had told me it was the only thing her mother left her. And she had given it to Milton Stephens.

He paused at the door, as if just remembering. "Oh, right. Lola transferred the deed to this estate into my name. I hear you're fond of the pastoral life. Just remember, you're living under my roof now. Mind my rules."

My whole body went rigid. When Lola burned down the cottage, she had told me this estate was bought for me. That I could fill it with fruit trees and vegetable gardens.

From the very beginning, she had never intended to give me anything.

"Milton Stephens."

I called after him, my voice scraped hollow.

"Has the young heir ever laid eyes on the Crown Prince?"

Milton froze for a moment. "What, you're going to claim you have some connection to the Crown Prince? The one who barely shows his face in public?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "I've heard he's fond of colored sky lanterns. If we could earn even a smile from him, get him to attend your wedding, wouldn't that be a feather in your cap?"

He looked half-convinced at best. "A lowborn wretch like you would know the Crown Prince's preferences?"

"Believe it or don't. If it turns out to be false, it costs you nothing."

After Milton left, I curled into the corner of the bed. My body burned with fever, and a vicious pain twisted through my lower abdomen, but no one came.

Looking back now, meeting Lola Black was the single greatest regret of my life.

Somewhere in the haze of unconsciousness, I caught a glimpse of the seven-colored lanterns drifting past the window.

Only then did I let myself breathe, and smile.

Long ago, my father and I had made a pact: no matter when or where, if colored lanterns rose into the sky, it meant I was in danger. Someone would come to take me away.

At some point, Lola arrived. She sat at the edge of my bed for a long while.

When she saw me open my eyes, she touched my forehead. "The fever's broken. Come on, sit up and have some porridge."

I dragged myself upright, every joint screaming. "Milton was here. He forced an entire bowl of Severance Root down my throat. Did you know that?"

Lola's expression stiffened. She lowered her gaze. "I knew."

"You knew?"

I fought with everything I had to keep the tears from falling.

She reached for my hand. I pulled away.

"Alaric, he was only protecting himself. If you and I were to have a child someday, where would that leave him and his family? Where would that leave the child? It's only human nature."

I laughed, hollow and sharp. Human nature. What a convenient excuse.

Lola set down the bowl and spoke again. "Milton's been doubled over with stomach pains ever since he got home. It's possible some dark energy from you affected him..."

She trailed off, watching me, choosing her next words carefully.

"There's a venerable monk at Everhold Abbey. I need you to go to him, have him perform a cleansing rite for you, and then climb every one of the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps of the Celestial Stairway on your hands and knees to obtain a blessing charm for Milton. Do that, and we can put this whole matter behind us. All right?"

I stared at her, my eyes burning red.

"Lola Black, you and I are finished. If you want a blessing charm, go get it yourself."

I forced my battered body off the bed, trying to leave this wretched place.

But Lola blocked my path.

She ordered her servants to drag me away. They ignored my struggling, threw me onto a horse, and rode hard to the foot of Everhold Abbey.

"Take him up the mountain."

Two guards seized me, one on each side. I hauled my broken body forward, one step, one bow, one step, one bow.

Two days without food or water, freshly poisoned and wounded. I passed out and came to and passed out again along the way.

I have no memory of how I obtained the blessing charm. All I know is that the moment I saw Lola waiting at the bottom, my legs gave out and I collapsed.

She caught me and gathered me into her arms.

"Alaric, you've suffered so much. I promise, even after I marry Milton, you'll be the only one in my heart."

I closed my eyes slowly. Three days ago, I might have believed those words. Now they made my stomach turn.

"You have your blessing charm. Let me go."

But she ignored my plea and had me carried back to the cottage.

"Alaric, don't be stubborn. Tomorrow is my wedding. Milton has agreed to let you keep living in the cottage afterward. You'll stay out of each other's way. All right?"

Before she left, she added one last instruction: "The Crown Prince may attend the ceremony tomorrow. Stay in the cottage and don't cause trouble."

Shortly after she was gone, my father's covert agents found me.

I looked in the direction she had disappeared, then at this cottage that had never truly been mine, and a quiet smile crossed my lips.

Tomorrow, I hope you have no regrets.

On the morning of the wedding, the Stephens residence was draped in crimson silk, every corner bursting with celebration. Lola stood shoulder to shoulder with Milton in her bridal gown, radiant in red.

The ceremony was about to begin when a voice rang out from beyond the gates: "His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived!"