Chapter 40 Ruth knelt before Wilfred and gently grasped the hem of his robe . She looked up at him with a hint of sorrow in her eyes . She whispered , " Your Majesty , I truly did it all for Fred . But have I really done something wrong ? " Fred , a prince of the realm , can't possibly have only one woman . Yet , Lena cannot understand this and insists on keeping him all to herself . As a man , Fred is helpless when it comes to affairs of the harem , much like you , Your Majesty . " She paused for a moment before continuing , " You are also helpless when it comes to the affairs of the harem . You are well aware of Her Majesty's loyalty and have never betrayed her . But first and foremost , you are the sovereign of the kingdom before you are our husband . To maintain balance among the various powers , you have never been truly free to act as you wish . " Even if you wished to be devoted to one woman alone , the whole kingdom wouldn't allow it . You are not unfeeling . You act for the good of all your people . " We , the women of the harem , know better than to expect your exclusive love , yet we cannot help but admire your greatness . What choice do we have ? You are not Her Majesty's alone ; you belong to the rest of us as well . So , how can Lena claim Fred as hers alone ? " Fred does love Lena . After all these years , he remembers every moment they have shared . Lena's stubbornness in breaking the engagement caused him great pain . As a mother , I cannot bear to see that , Your Majesty ! " Andrew stepped forward , offering Wilfred a cup of warm tea . However , the king's gaze remained fixed on Ruth's tear - streaked face . Slowly , the storm inside him began to settle . Some words sounded awkward or uncomfortable to others . But to those involved in the situation , they struck a deep and tender chord . # 1 % Whoever said kings were cold and unfeeling ? Who could understand the helplessness and burdens they carried ? Ruth's words softened Wilfred's heart in an instant . . After all , men understood other men in ways no one else could . Suddenly , Wilfred found himself thinking that Selena had truly been childish in this matter . What if Frederick were to become king one day ? Would she still insist on having him all to herself ? " Enough , " the king said at last . " I've had a bit too much to drink tonight and behaved rashly . " He reached out his hand and helped Ruth to her feet . She wiped her tears away , hiding the bitterness behind her eyes . When she looked at him again , her expression was full of sorrow . " Your Majesty , what I did may have been excessive , but it was for the good of our royal family . " Noticing Wilfred raising an eyebrow at her , Ruth pressed on , " You've surely heard about General Campbell's injury . " Wilfred said nothing . That matter was the greatest shame the Duke of Blackmoor's household had ever faced . Ruth continued , " I've heard that a man who is crippled in that manner can no longer do hard labor or use his strength . If that's true , then the hundred thousand troops of the Campbell Regiment , under General Campbell's command , might as well be useless . " 1/2 Chapter 40 +25 BONUS Wilfred remained silent , but his face grew thoughtful . Ruth watched his expression closely before continuing , " If Lena and Fred marry , you could still allow General Campbell to lead his troops under Fred's command . That way , the Campbell Regiment would remain under the control of the royal family . " But if Lena truly breaks off the engagement with Fred , then none of your other sons would dare marry her . If you were to forcibly take the troops back , it would surely cause a scandal . " And if Lena were to marry one of the border princes instead , and General Campbell leaves no heir , the soldiers would likely follow his sister to the border . Then , this hundred thousand - strong force would fall into the hands of a border prince . " Wilfred frowned . Breaking the engagement with Frederick meant Selena couldn't easily marry another prince . If she stayed in the capital , she'd have little chance of a good match . Marrying a border prince was truly the best option for her after the broken engagement . So , the marriage couldn't be called off ?