The first class of the second day was going on for about half an hour, making everyone busy, but Katherine. 

She sat on the couch in the teacher's lounge. She opened up her compact mirror and looked at her reflection. She made sure she looked presentable since she was the mother of the soon-to-be Crown Princess and future Queen.

Out of the corner of her eyes, a man leaned against the door frame, and it happened to be none other than her ex-husband and the former duke, Marshall. 

"What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, standing up and looking at him with bewilderment and a mix of hatred.

Marshall walked over to Katherine with a big smile on his lips as he crossed his arms and stood before her. "You haven't changed a bit." He sarcastically complimented. "Except for a few stress lines here and there."

Katherine forced a fake smile. "Marshall, you haven't changed either." She returned the compliment, but in a condescending tone as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Except for our foul attitude, that stayed the same, hmm?"

Marshall walked into the room and sat on the arm of a chair a few feet from her. "Katherine, the last time I saw you were at our divorce signing." He joked, knowing he had seen her a few more times after then. He crossed his arms over his chest, wondering how she'd react. "Such a momentum time."

Katherine raised her eyebrows at his words. "Has it been that long? Time flies when you don't argue about everything and constantly make it known how much of a great event it was for my brother and his wife to pass on so our daughter could rule." She sweetly remarked, trying to remain cordial.

"I will admit I was in the wrong and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been optimistic about such a tragedy. I may not have liked your brother or his wife, but that was no excuse for me to be insensitive. How many times must I apologize?" Marshall questioned, exasperated. 

Katherine narrowed her eyes even though she forced a smile. "Oh, did your therapist tell you to say that stuff?" She sarcastically commented, rolling her eyes.

Marshall frowned deeply at her choice of words, crossing his arms over his chest. "I haven't seen a therapist in years, so, no. I realized that of my own free will, not that you'd ever choose to see me differently. I've owned up to my mistakes and there is nothing I can do to change that, but I can offer to make up for them if you let me." 

Katherine placed her hands on her hips, rapidly tapping her foot on the floor. "You are something else, aren't you? You are only owning up to it because you know our daughter will accept you better. You're not truly doing it for your conscience." She snapped, jabbing her finger at him.

Marshall sighed, letting his arms fall to his side. "You don't truly know my heart, so you can't say that. I've told this to Joy many times and every time she told me to tell you, so that's what I'm doing. I don't know what you expect me to do?"

Katherine shortly laughed, not believing her ears. "If you truly felt that way then you would have never gotten remarried right after the divorce was final! I never want to remarry because it is not worth the hassle. When I got married it was forever but as we can see even forever doesn't last. The only good thing out of our marriage was Thea, which is the only reason I put up with you." She jabbed her finger at his chest.

Marshall let out a short bitter laugh and a sarcastic smile. "I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't regret marrying each other because then we would regret our daughter and that is just horrible." He bitterly responded in such a happy way.

Katherine pushed a piece of hair from her face. "I could never regret our marriage because let's admit it, we were in love. Then my brother died and things fell apart, so I suppose everything happens for a reason? I am a happy single mother." She was finally gone saying her piece and crossing her arms. "How did you meet Joy again? Oh right, she was a maid here."

Marshall rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you are implying I cheated then you are way off base. I didn't cheat, as I have stated many, many times. I started up a relationship a few weeks after our divorce was final and I moved out."

Katherine sighed, waving him off. "Ha! Everyone knows you cheated! You never flat-out told her to stop flirting with you when you were still married to me. You always had a hard time putting people in their place, unless it was me, then you didn't hesitate." 

Marshall scoffed as he shook his head and rubbed his cheek. "Oh come on, that isn't true. I've put many people in their place and she wasn't flirting. I never even gave her a second look before our divorce." He explained, once again, exasperated.

Katherine didn't believe him. "Keep telling yourself that," She scoffed, crossing her arms. "You must be a fool to not see what I saw."

Marshall pursed his lips as he gritted his teeth at her words. "What is with you and belittling me? You always call me a fool or I'm stupid, or anything else that is put in a negative context!" He forced the words out with bitterness laced in his voice.

"I'm not saying anything that isn't true. I'm just pointing it out since everyone else just straight up ignored those big red flags that are waving in the air!" Katherine exclaimed, waving her hands in the air.

Thea was walking down the hall now that class had ended. She could hear voices from down the hall and she knew one belonged to her mother while the other sounded like it belonged to her father! 

Her heart raced as she dashed down the hall. 'Is he here?' She exclaimed in her thoughts. 

She stopped in her tracks when she saw her father. "Dad, what-what are you doing here?" She asked, walking over and hugging him once he stood up. "I didn't expect you to be here until graduation day." 

Marshall hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss into the crown of her head before pulling away. "Princess! I wanted to come early and be there for you through the school year. And with the headmistress' and headmaster's permission, I get to be Alexander's help.aid."

Thea's eyes went wide and gasped. "No way, that is an awesome Dad. I can't wait to have you around all the time, and knowing every morning you will be there to greet me." 

"Excuse me?" Katherine groaned, shaking her head and pursing her lips. "I can see you are trying to worm your way back into our lives with Thea becoming Crown Princess at the end of the school year." She tried to keep her voice calm and sweet.

Marshall rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk, eyeing Katherine. "What do you take me for Katherine?" He questioned innocently. "Of course, I would never be that way. I am here to support my daughter's last year of duchess life before taking on the kingdom." 

Katherine scoffed, shaking her head and pressing her lips into a thin line. "Like I'd believe that. You just want some time in the spotlight since all eyes are on us to know that Thea will be Crown Princess next year. You did always love the attention of your peers."

Thea had forgotten how much her parents fought. "Mom, Dad, please for once can we stop being bitter and forcing nice tones? Can't we just enjoy being a family together?" She asked, hating having to be the referee for them.

Katherine smiled down at her daughter and rubbed her back. "Sorry, Thea. I am." She apologized to her daughter, looking back up at her ex-husband. "Marshall, is your wife joining you?" 

Marshall nodded knowing they did not get along. "Yes and no. She has plans to go on a vacation with her friends so she will be gone for a while. She will be back for your graduation and coronation. So, no, you won't be seeing her anytime soon, rest assured, Katherine." He replied hoping Katherine would like that.

Thea twisted her cornflower blue heart ring around her finger as she looked like her father. "Um, do you think you two can play nice? I know it's not my place to say anything, but I don't want people to get the wrong idea since I will be Crown Princess and Mom, you do always say to be mindful of our images." She was for once being honest, like Dree had suggested.

Marshall's expression softened as he looked at his daughter. "I know. Your mother, and I - things are complicated but I will try my best to not cause a scene. Besides, you need not worry about us, focus on getting through school. Right Katherine?"

Katherine forced a bitter smile "Yes, don't worry about us. We can handle things like adults and not petty children, especially in front of your schoolmates." She politely said, although her eyes told a different story.

Thea nodded, smiling at her father as she sat upon a desk. "All right. I am really glad you dropped by, it makes me very happy." She then paused for a moment. "I best be getting to my next class, I don't want to be late."

"Oh, yes, we wouldn't want that." Marshall nodded with a smile. "I'm so glad you're becoming Crown Princess, you were born for that role." 

Thea's smile wavered a little bit at what her father had said. "Dad, the only reason I am a crown princess is that my uncle, aunt, and cousin passed away."

Marshall recoiled, mentally scolding himself. "Sorry, sorry. That is insensitive of me to say. I'm trying to do better." He apologized, genuinely feeling bad.

Katherine could not believe he was doing this again. "Out of tragedy comes something, whether good or not. I wasn't happy my brother had to die for this title." She sharply remarked.

Thea looked between her parents and inwardly sighed. "Dad, I have one question?" She asked, hoping to get them sidetracked from this childish bantering back and forth.

Marshall looked down at his daughter. "What is it, Thea?" He asked uncrossing his arms and resting them on the desk behind him.

Thea fidgeted with her diamond watch as she spoke. "Where are you going to stay?" She figured he was up at a hotel, which happened to be the only hotel in the kingdom.

Marshall scratched the back of his neck. "Right now I am staying at The Cotillion Hotel, it is a luxury hotel and the people are nice. I was checked in by a nice brown-haired girl like her." He said as he looked over at Sidney and furrowed his brows. "Ironically that's the girl who checked me in."

Thea blinked, so Sidney had checked her father in. "Excuse me, she checked you in? Sidney Barnes the scholarship winner?" She asked with wide eyes.

Katherine furrowed her brows as she looked at her ex-husband. "What an odd conscience that the girl who checked you in is here at the academy?" 

"I know what you are implying: I had nothing to do with it. How on earth could I possibly have?" Marshal paused and crossed his arms, realizing what was going on by the looks Katherine and Thea were exchanging. "Let me guess: you two are going to make it tougher on her in hopes she leaves, right?"

Thea looked at her nails just because she didn't want to see how her father was looking at her or her mother. "I - uh- no - um yes - well, it's just, she and the others uh don't belong here at a school for royals and nobles and it's unfair to them since we have an unfair advantage." She stammered, trying to say something that'd please both her mother and father.

Marshall frowned, looking over at his ex-wife. "What is wrong with you Katherine? Teaching her to be awful towards those less fortunate than us? They have every right to be here. It is a tradition for the kingdom, and what better than to give someone a new life?" He chided, shaking his head disappointedly.

"What? No - I -" Thea tried to say as her voice was drowned out by her mother and father as they went at each other like cats and dogs. 'I thought they promised not to do this.' She thought with a frown.

Katharine put her hands on her lips and frowned. "You're one to talk, Marshall, you always gave my brother a hard time and were jealous he was king and not you. I didn't influence her on how to treat them, she knows that commoners should stay as they are and not reach for things they don't deserve." She quipped, her tone annoyed with him.

Marshall narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "That is not the same thing. They deserve a better life just as much as we do. I can't believe you have turned our daughter into a bitter . . . bitter . . . you. After Baylie passed you turned bitter and hardened your heart to the whole world." He pointed out, making a good point.

Katherine placed her hands on her hips and shifted to the right. "How else was I supposed to act? My brother and his family were gone. The kingdom was left without a king and queen! I had to act as regent alone, and I had to raise our daughter ready to take the throne amongst these court snakes! You have no say because you weren't here for her." She exclaimed, raising her voice as she pointed her finger at him.

"I wasn't here because you wouldn't let me and I had lost my title after the divorce." Marshall exclaimed, running his hand through his hair, exasperated with her. "The best I could do was calls, texts, and video chats which got less and less when I started a new job since you had a hand in why I lost my old one." 

Katherine narrowed her eyes even more, sending invisible daggers towards him. "Do not blame this all on me. If you were a little bit more of a man you would have pushed and butted heads, doing whatever it took for you to see our daughter. You didn't want to fight so you took the easy way out." 

Thea glanced at the diamond-style, silver-tinted door. "Can you please not yell where the whole school isn't watching? The door may be closed but the door is thin plexiglass so everyone down the hall can hear you two." She motioned violently towards the door.

Katherine looked down at her daughter and gave a heavy sigh. "My apologies, Thea." She turned to her ex-husband. "Marshall, shall we talk without arguing?" She asked in a fake polite way.

Marshall took a deep breath, letting himself cool down, and exhaled slowly. "I wasn't meaning to argue, I am sorry Thea." He asked, rubbing her shoulder. 

Katherine looked at her watch and sighed. "Thea?" She asked, gaining her daughter's attention. "Didn't you say you needed to get to your next class? No daughter of mine will be late." She walked towards the door hoping and opened it.

"Yes! I got sidetracked." Thea hurriedly hugged her father tightly and then scurried to the door. "We can have dinner together as a family tonight if you two want. It would mean a lot to me if we did." 

Marshall walked over to the open door. "Oh, I'm sorry Thea, I can't tonight. I have a conference via video chat at my job. Maybe another time?" He asked, feeling bad he couldn't oblige her. 

Katherine quickly cut in before Thea had a chance to reply. "Is work more important than your child? I'm sure they would understand if you pushed it up an hour or so." She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and letting out a heavy sigh. "If it was me, I most certainly would find a way around it."

"That's okay," Thea butted it before her father had a chance to lose his cool. "We can do it another day." She forced a smile as she spoke. "I need to get to my next class." She quickly gave them a wave before rushing down the hallway.

Marshall waved to Thea before turning around once she was out of sight. "Well, I suppose that's my cue cue leave." He walked towards the door. "Have a good day Katherine." He curtly bowed to her and walked away. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, leaving her without a chance to say another word. 

Katherine stood there and watched him leave. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, vowing not to allow him to sully her mood.

She would need to have a chat with her dear friend about her choice to allow her ex-husband to work at the school.

〰❦〰❦〰❦〰❦〰❦〰❦〰

A/N:
Sorry this took a bit, I have been really busy but here it is. I am quite proud of this chapter.

I also want to thank all you silent readers and those readers who have added this book to your reading list. It means a lot and to know this book is so popular makes me really happy.

Chapter Talk:
I had fun writing about the bitterness between Marshall and Katherine. Getting really angry and bitter was pretty easy for me there too. The whole conversation is meant to be heard in a condescending way, which is one minor of the reasons they divorced, the main being Marshal was too happy about his in-laws and niece passing away.

I do feel a little bad about Thea, she had to grow up with that and then an absent father being solely raised by her mother. Parents can easily embarrass their kids without even trying and believe me, I have been there before.

Thanks for reading!