《Promise (Pledge till the last Breath)》 New Dawn It''s early in the morning in the Empire''s capital, Tierra. When the Gate of the Royal Place slowly opened, a young man covered in black cloth, with only his eyes exposed, came out of the palace. On this very day, the next day after the crown prince''s eighteenth birthday, he is dethroned and disowned by the royal family after remaining as crown prince for fourteen years. No one had ever seen the crown prince''s face. Everyone outside the palace knew his name only, "Alex Reyole De Frandes". There was a great deal of excitement on the road today as everyone awaited to see the disgrace of the royal family who was disowned. As the royal palace gate opened slowly, the emperor and his concubines stood behind the gate with six princes and five princesses. Almost all empire nobles were present at this time. The Emperor waves his hand at Alex and commands him to proceed forward. "This is the last time I''ll see him," said the emperor. Alex bows his head and heads towards the outskirts of the capital. Every member of the royal family had a relieved expression, except Alex''s personal maid and the head butler and his son who were crying upon seeing him leave the palace. As soon as Alex stepped out of the palace, everyone changed their facial expressions. "What do you think they''re about to do?" asked one of the concubines. "I''m afraid..." whispered another. "They''ll kill him!" shouts a third. All of them remain silent. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. A large crowd waited outside the palace walls. The soldiers were stationed on the road to make way for Alex to leave the capital. Alex took his first step outside the palace and with every step he took the crowd got more wild. The crowd threw rotten eggs, tomatoes, and stones at Alex with every step he took. Everyone cursed at him until they were satisfied. He was covered in rotten eggs, tomatoes, stones that people threw at him. Alex walked slowly towards the exit gate of the capital, as Alex reached the outskirts of the capital. "At last I did it!" Alex exclaimed in joy. Alex looked back at the capital. "Hahaha!" "Hahaha!" Alex laughed loudly. The wild crowd looked confused when they saw Alex''s behavior. He took off his black cloth covering his face, slowly turned and looked towards the royal palace. Everyone''s expression suddenly changed from anger to surprise to admiration and the crowd started shedding tears. The man who was hated by his own family, the man whose name was not mentioned even once, the man who was dethroned by his own family, the man who was humiliated and disgraced publicly, the man who none knew, the man who they threw stones at, the man they cursed was the most beloved person for the people of the capital. People were shocked upon the reveal of Alex''s identity, even the nobles standing far away were surprised upon Alex''s secret identity. Alex used to dress up as a commoner and help the people of the capital under the alias "Alan". He had said he was a merchant from far away and no one knew his origins. Alan said he would stay until his business was completed. No one knew what his business was and no one was curious about him due to his friendly behaviour. And Alan had left the capital a few days ago on another trip, so no one had the idea that he was the crown prince. In a loud voice Alex shouted, "After the stormy night, it''s the dawn of a new day. Don''t know whether it will be clearer or stormy. Don''t forget me, although Alex Reyole De Frandes will no longer exist. Farewell everyone." Alex walked slowly outside the capital. Alex waved his hand at everyone and disappeared into the horizon. "Prince Alex! Alan!" "Prince Alex!" "Prince Alex! Alan!" The people chanted his name, waving their arms and crying as he vanished from people''s sight. "Prince Alex!" "Long Live... Alex Reyole De Frandes! Long live!" the crowd shouted.. Days passed quickly and people forgot about him and resumed their daily work. After six months, the head butler who served the royal family for sixty years as well as Alex''s personal maid submitted a letter of resignation. Though the Emperor did not want to approve the resignation, Alex had already approved it before leaving the empire. "Your majesty, the resignation letter is already approved, and we''ll be leaving in a week. Before we leave, we''d like you and all the royal family members, plus Master Alex''s former fianc¨¦, to attend a meeting in four days. We have something to show that Master Alex has asked us to deliver to you all." The Emperor approved the meeting and ordered everyone in the Royal family as well as Rose to attend the meeting. After four days... Potrait After four days everyone came to the meeting hall. The meeting began at the appointed hour and everyone was seated in a circle facing each other. As the butler entered the room, he placed the large wooden box down and the emperor sat beside him. The butler stood in the center of the room and announced: "Master Alex has requested that these items be brought here today." "Now, tell us what this is," said the Emperor. "This is Master Alex''s gift," the butler replied. The butler opened the large box and took out something looking like sheets of paper but wrapped . He then handed each member of the royal family the wrapped gifts. The emperor unwrapped the gift first then everyone unwrapped the gift and to everyone''s surprise it was a portrait of themselves. "Where did he get these portraits?" asked the emperor. "Master Alex said that they were drawn by him." The emperor''s portrait was grand. In the portrait the emperor stood with a big smile, carrying a sword, looking majestic. The background was a statue of a golden lion with a crown standing tall between other lions. "I must admit," said the Emperor. "I never knew he had such talent." "He said he drew them himself," said the butler. "But he never said anything about this to me." The emperor remembers Alex bringing paintings when he was a child and when the empress was alive. He used to smile a lot when the empress was alive, but he didn''t smile anymore after her death. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Rose also unwrapped her portrait and stared at it without winking. The portrait was of a cute little girl wearing a red dress with ponytail hair and a silver small crown on her head. She held a silver wand, smiling beautifully, in a garden of flowers where butterflies fly around. Tears ran down Rose''s cheeks. She said "Thank you and sorry for leaving you broken." and cried... Everyone were busy staring at the portraits Alex had drawn for each of them. The prince and princess received a portrait of themselves as a baby while the concubines received a portrait of them with their children. "Your majesty, please take this." "I am sure you will find it majestic." The butler then moved towards a wall covered by white cloth. He asked everyone to pay attention and slowly pulled out the cloth covering the wall behind his back. It was the last portrait to be displayed and the most breathtaking anyone could imagine and draw. The portrait was of the Empress, mother of Alex who died when Prince Alex was 4 years old. In the portrait of the empress, she was smiling and carrying former crown prince Alex in her hand as when he was a baby. Prince Alex was smiling. He was a cute baby. In the portrait the empress had a tear drop on her cheek. She was wearing a silver dress, a silver crown and sitting on a golden sofa. She had Prince Alex wrapped in her arms with her silver wand next to her in Prince Alex''s arms. An image of a large tree behind the sofa and flowers on its edge was in the background. It also had a silver cat sitting near the empress with blue eyes and a red scarf around its neck which passed away a year before the empress. It was the most striking picture anyone had ever seen. The emperor was gazing at the portrait of the empress. "She was an excellent woman. She kept peace in the empire and loved her husband, her child and the people equally. She adored her son more than anything else in the world. And I don''t know why I left her alone." The emperor smiled warmly at the empress'' portrait. "Do you know where he is right now?" "He''s on his way now," said the butler. "And now the most significant farewell gift he would like you all to receive." When the butler was about to deliver Alex''s message, he asked everyone to sit in the seats. "We have something very significant to share with you all today," said the butler. "Although your majesty may not believe it, we have a surprise for you all." "What is it?" The butler took out a notebook. Here is Master Alex''s diary, in which he has written everything he wants to convey to you. So now I will read Master Alex''s words addressed to you all. Master Alex has asked me to give you all this message in person. The butler opened the notebook and started reading.. "I am writing it here because I don''t think you will believe my words otherwise. And I want you to know that you are free of any responsibility or guilt if anything should happen to me." *** The Diary of Alex I am writing it here because I don''t think you will believe my words otherwise. And I want you to know that you are free of any responsibility or guilt if anything should happen to me. Hello, this is Alex. You may know me as the former crown prince. This is my first time writing something for myself as I have always been writing for others so it is rather difficult. I don''t know how to start this diary. Since I''ll write everything that comes to mind, it might not be in sequential order, but I hope you''ll understand. Hello again everyone, these are the last words of myself, Alex. Those who are listening, I hope all of you live a happy life. I am leaving this palace and will not return here. I have lived my eighteen years of life here in the palace. However, I don''t want to say it but I am grateful to everyone for helping me for eighteen years and allowing me to live here. This empire is where I was born and where I was raised. This palace holds precious memories as well as dark memories. As a crown prince and future emperor I had to do everything carefully, like a king in chess. If the king falls, the kingdom falls. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Although I was not a king, I still had to act like one. So I could not speak up and express my true thoughts. Even now I feel like there''s someone behind me looking closely at me. It feels nostalgic about the days I have spent here. Would you know whether the words you omit can cause someone psychological harm rather than physical harm? People may be more hurt by words than by anything else. Many people in the palace spoke hurtful words behind my back. The palace maid, brothers and sisters, ministers, each of them talked behind my back and you can''t even begin to imagine how emotionally damaged I am as a result. I lost track of how many times I tried to commit suicide while nobody knew about it. Everyone in the palace treats me unfairly and poorly. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, no one acknowledged me. I was always looked down on by everyone. No matter where I was in the palace, they looked at me with contempt. I have done so many things for this kingdom, but nobody thanks me. Even when I became a crown prince, I was still treated the same way. Although I was the Crown Prince, my life decisions were already made: the food I eat, the dress I wear, the person I have to meet, the words I have to say. But nobody knows the real me, as I have to become what others want me to be. I did everything I should have done as a crown prince for eighteen years. Everyone in the Empire was under my care. The empire flourished without bloodshed. Each of my brothers and sisters lived the life they wanted. The Emperor and his concubines lived a lavish, easy life. I had to protect my country, my family, my people. I had to keep my word. I have to look after my brothers and sisters. I have to take care of the empire. I have to ensure everything runs smoothly. We built many roads and bridges, schools, we took care of our soldiers and farmers, we gave them medical treatment, we made sure they ate properly. We kept peace between the nobles. I did everything for the empire for the past eighteen years. Everything was not because it was my responsibility but it was a promise I made, a promise I have to fulfill and the last wish of my mother. Since it carries my mother''s final wishes, I cannot reveal the contents of this promise until the final moments. I dont hate anyone I know how my mother, the Empress of this Empire, lived her life in this palace. I know how she died, who assassinated her and why she didn''t want revenge against those people. In the palace, I know many things that are hidden from me. Many things which can lead to the destruction of the royal family. Brothers and sisters, sorry for the times when I got mad at you or was mean to you, but I was really happy when you were all born. You were so small and cute I thought angels descended to earth. I wish to be an excellent and responsible elder brother to you all. Even if I am unable to meet you I would be glad to give you everything you desire. You were all innocent of the backstabbing of the palace. Despite my best efforts, I could not fully protect you all from the Palace''s tricks and harms. Still this elder brother of yours wants you to be happy. May all the happiness which would come to me belong to you little ones. I had wished to be loved by everyone like they loved you dear brothers and sisters. With all my heart, I pray that my brothers and sisters grow up healthy. That you find happiness which I couldn''t find. Your future will be filled with happiness rather than conflict. Thank you for letting me be your elder brother and take care of your parents. The people I loved have flown as if they were firework over and over again and disappeared without me being able to embrace them. The life I have lived so far has been extremely challenging for me. I just wanted to live like everyone else, but I was elected as crown prince early and burdened by heavy responsibility. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The stress of having to meet with someone all the time, reading piles of documents, judging everyone, and protecting myself from threats. Although I often contemplated leaving due to mental stress, I was bound to stay in the palace for the next eighteen years. Life was never easy from the beginning to the end. After my mother there was only one person I cared for and loved wholeheartedly and that was Rose, my ex-fianc¨¦e. However, I wasn''t good enough for her to give me a glance. Rose is my second love after my mother and the last love of my life. The first time I saw her was when we were children, and suddenly she became my fianc¨¦. She was so cute. It was love at first sight but one- sided. In this world of billions of people I believed she is the one and only for me. So she could start her day fresh like flowers, I delivered flowers to her home every day and I sent a letter to her everyday with well wishes and love quotes. I sent her gifts. I did everything for her happiness. My mother used to tell me to never make a girl cry and if there is someone I love, for her happiness I should give up everything. Cause it hurts more when the person you love cries and avoids you. The past few years have been like a flower among rocks, different and alone. God must have wanted the world to be happy so he had to give all misfortune to someone and I was the chosen one. I find it funny to remember the feeling of being loved by someone after my mother died. The one who loved me has been taken by God, and the one who hates me is still alive. The only two people who stayed by my side during this time were my personal maid as well as my nanny and butler. It''s not easy to live when everyone around you hates and loathes you for being yourself. There is no joy in being alive. Taking a look back, my life was filled with darkness without even a ray of light, and even if there was light, it had already faded. To hell with this place! To hell with this time! To hell with the devil, and to hell with all his works! I am tired of living alone. I want someone who will stand by me when I feel alone, depressed, hurt, happy, shy and angry. I can''t understand why no one loves me as much as I do them. It seems like everyone else has something to offer, but I don''t. Now I hope that everyone will be happy after I depart. Live the life you wanted. Live with joy, Just remember there used to be someone who was the black star of the bright royal family. In retrospect, I feel irritated about everyone and everything that has happened lately. However, I was the one who stayed in the palace for eighteen years to fulfill the promise, not because anyone wanted me to stay. I remember my mother used to say " I think even the moon cries for someone at night because the leaf has water droplets in it in the morning." I was not welcomed, humiliated, despised, and hated by everyone before, but now hatred is behind us with the end of Crown Prince Alex, so I don''t hate anyone now. Finishing the Farewell After I am gone don''t look for me for the time being, just let me complete my final task of delivering my mother''s family heirloom to my maternal family. Upon completion of my final task, I will vanish like a ghost. You won''t hear from me again. I can remain in everyone''s minds regardless of whether I am loved or hated. Dreams are the only way I can live the life I wish for. I once saw a dream. In my dream I was a grown up man playing with my children, my mother and my wife chatting with each other in a place far from the crowd and the responsibility of a prince. My days have been filled with only happiness. Living the ideal life I have always hoped for. It was an enchanting dream from which I didn''t want to wake up. But at last it was just a dream. Even though it was in my dreams, it was the most elegant and precious memory for me. I have nothing in my possession except my life now. Without receiving anything I have always given to others. I never imagined that I would embark on a journey leaving everything behind. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Having lived between the four walls until now, the world is new to me. The world should be full of wonders, as my mother used to say. Love or hate is just a word for me. One I don''t know and another I am packed with. It''s my own wish to depart from the royal family tree. Don''t think it''s my plan, and don''t regret thinking it was you who did it. The only thing I want is to live my life as I have always dreamed and free myself from promises. So that I could choose a place where I could vanish. Even though I wouldn''t want to, I had to live in the empire in order to fulfill my mother''s final wishes. Never got anything I wanted for myself But while living for myself for some moment I found that without a crown and the prince title I can be something. And now I have fulfilled my promise. Tomorrow the empire will resume how it was before. Everyone will do their daily work. My father, brothers, and sisters will continue to live their lives as usual. Everything will go on as usual except for me. I was born in this empire but I don''t belong here anymore. I am sorry for everyone who has been hurt by my words but I cannot change my decision. I am about to leave this place now and never come back here again. If anyone has been affected by what I have done then forgive me, for I don''t care about the past and I don''t have any fear for what''s to come in the future. Abandon yourself with your memories and let the past be forgotten. As I said before, I only want to live the life I dream of. In the minds of people I am leaving only an image of myself, nothing else. I think if anyone wrote about me the title of a book about me would be "the story of the greatest disgrace," no I think it will be "The Secret foolish prince" ,ahh no it should be "Promise" as that has been the sole purpose of my existence to date. I will always be watching over you all. If the creator so desires, in this life someday you may see me again. Goodbye Everyone. Sincerely Yours, Alex Reyole De Frandes Vanish into the Horizon The butler finished reading the diary of Alex. Silence enveloped the meeting room. The emperor stared at the butler in shock. "Is that true?" After listening to Alex''s diary, everyone present felt remorse for what they had done to Alex. The emperor said "I''m sorry." "I know we were very cruel and unfair to him." "I apologize for how I treated him." "I can''t believe he really left us. And now I want him in front of me after neglecting him for so long." "I''m so sorry he had to suffer at our hands." They regretted their actions. The king asked the butler why he had hidden the diary for so long. "But why now?" Why not before? Why did he wait for six months?" "He thought that you wouldn''t believe his words otherwise." The emperor nodded. "Why didn''t he just tell us?" "It was Alex''s wish to show you all his diary after six months and to inform you that he is stepping away from everyone and will not come back to the Empire." The king asked "Did he have any other message?" "No," said the butler. The butler said those were the only things Alex had told him to relay to the royal family. The king asked "Do you perhaps know where Alex might have headed to?" The butler said "As said in the diary, Master Alex has said that he will attempt to return his maternal family heirloom as it was the last promise he made to the Empress and after that I don''t know." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Alex''s mother''s family was a allied Kingdom of the Empire. While the Empire was swallowing its neighbouring kingdom, the King of Cielo surrendered before the Empire attacked. They proposed the marriage between their princess, Princess Selena and the emperor to strengthen family ties. As a token of submission to the empire they also gifted the family heirloom of Cielo to the emperor. Princess Selena was known as the most beautiful among the continent''s kingdoms with silver hair and green eyes. She was the woman every man wanted for himself. But as if the family abandoned her the Empress family has since forgotten about her and has broken ties with her with no contact to her till her death and even after her death they didn''t contacted Alex. ***** As the king rushed out of the meeting, everyone was left speechless. Maybe he felt guilt for what he had done to Alex all these years. He rushed to his office chamber and summoned all five head ministers immediately. Within a few minutes, the five ministers arrived. "I want you all to track Alex down as soon as possible." The emperor ordered. "We have to do something about this," said one minister. "Alex may be dead," said the second minister. "But we have to find him at all costs before it''s too late," said the third minister. ''We only know he left the Empire six months ago and went to the Cielo,'' said the fourth minister. "It''s the only hope for us to find him" said the fifth minister. "Just find out his whereabouts and how he is doing for now. I will meet with myself after that." Said the emperor. The session ended with a meeting and an order to find Alex. ***** The ministers ventured out of the palace and ordered their knights to search for Alex''s whereabouts. The Emperor sat quietly in his royal chamber. The royal chamber is located northwest of the royal court, behind the throne and directly west of the council chamber. A lavish double-door entrance leads into a large hall, which is dominated by the monumental statue of the emperor himself, and can be entered. He was now worried about Alex after abandoning him for eighteen years, and guilt was killing him. He wanted to ease his guilt by meeting Alex one more time and apologizing. He was staring at a portrait of him and his wife, the late empress. The minister sent a soldier to find out what happened to Alex in Cielo, the Empress'' hometown. After 3 days the soldier sends a message to the Ministers "Former Prince Alex came to Cielo Kingdom two months ago. After delivering the heirloom to his maternal grandfather he left the kingdom." "The king said he had some talks with Alex before he departed saying now just the way God tells me to move." "The King of Cielo secretly ordered his Knights to follow Alex and his whereabouts." "The knights followed him secretly but as soon as Alex reached the outskirts of the kingdom he vanished into thin air." "It was as if he was swallowed by the earth or the sky swallowed him." "Nothing belonging to him has been spotted since that day for five months." "We will report if we find anything regarding Former Prince Alex." The Banquet The Past, Alex'' POV *** In honor of my fourth birthday, a grand feast is being prepared. The birthday party is about to start. All the influential people in our country have arrived; they are all waiting for me, and it seems that today I will be crowned crown prince. I am only four years old but my father has decreed that I would reign over this empire... **** After dressing up, I walk down the aisle, greeting each person with a cheerful smile. At last, I reach the throne room where the celebration is being held. I am in front of the door leading to the banquet hall. The doorman announces my presence as he opens the door. "The eldest prince of the Great Tierra, Alex Reyole De Frandes, has entered." For my birthday I am wearing a gold-embroidered vest, with a white tunic and breeches below. My hair is short and curly, silver, and tied up in a ponytail at the back of my head. When I step into the center of the room, everyone stands up, applauding loudly. "Happy fourth birthday Prince Alex!" They shower me with gifts: fine clothes, jewels, money... And there''s one more gift in particular which I am very happy to receive tonight. It''s from my mother. She has provided me with a new sword, made of solid steel, and decorated with silver inlay. The blade is so sharp that it can cut through stone without difficulty. "My son," said my mother, smiling proudly, "Happy fourth birthday, my lovely son." "Thank you, Mother!" I say, bowing slightly. I stand in front of my father. My father, the emperor, looks down at me as he stands on his throne. He says, "Son! Happy birthday!" As I approach him he extends his hand. I shake it and bow my head slightly. I say, "Thank you for coming today." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "I''m glad to be here," replied my father. "It''s a blessing that we''re celebrating together on such an auspicious occasion." His eyes look over the room and take note of all those present. I follow his gaze and see all the dignitaries gathered around the birthday table. They smile politely as they greet each other. From across the room, I heard someone call out, "Happy Birthday!" A miniature doll-like girl with light blue hair runs forward. She says, "Happy birthday, Prince!" Her face lights up when she sees me. A man standing nearby smiles at her and says, "Happy birthday Prince Alex. I am Duke Nicolas Flor Espada and this is my daughter Rose Flor Espada. " "Hello Duke and Rose" I replied. Due to the girl''s fascination with the banquet and her interest in exploring the hall on her own, the duke asked me and left to find her on his own. I turn away from the child and begin to walk through the crowd. Everyone turns to watch me pass by. When I reach the birthday table I sit beside my mother. "How did you like your presents?" asked my mother. "It''s magnificent," you reply. She nodded approvingly. "Yes, it certainly is and you will receive a surprise in a while." She sits back and watches the festivities unfold before her. The party has begun. Around the birthday table, conversations flow freely. From time to time, a toast is raised or a joke is made. Toasts are always made forthe emperor and empress'' health. Jokes are often told about my father''s younger brother, the prince regent. As the guests laughed and drank their fill, the servants brought food to the table. The most delicious delicacies are prepared: roasted lamb; steamed clams in butter sauce; freshly baked breads with rich toppings. Mother takes a bite of everything. But she won''t eat more than half of it. She had already eaten so much that day. Suddenly, there''s a commotion at the front door. It opens and a group of musicians enter the room. They set up their instruments and begin to play. Their music draws attention from everyone. They tune their instruments and begin with the familiar strains of "Hail to the Victor." Many of the guests stand up and raise their glasses high. They wave their hands in the air and cheer as the musicians continue to play. Then the emperor rises from his throne, and his voice booms across the room. "Let us give thanks to God!" At this command, the guests lower their glasses and bow their heads. The emperor begins to speak. "I thank you all for joining me at my birthday celebration," he says. "And now, I would like to share some words with you all." " I will announce that Prince Alex is officially crowned as crown prince today. And I will also announce the engagement between Duke Nicolas'' daughter Rose and Crown Prince Alex." When he is finished speaking, the guests rise to their feet again. One of the guests shouts, "Cheers to that!". A toast is raised to the announcement of the emperor. *** The cake was bought for the main event. As I cut the cake, everyone clapped. Within an instant, while everyone was focusing on me, a servant clutching a blade charged toward the empress. Final talk A servant clutching a blade charged toward the empress but she was quick to defend herself and parried the attack easily. The servant fell back in shock at how well the empress had defended herself against him. The empress had a very slight cut from the blade but it wasn''t deep enough. The other servants drew their weapons and stood ready to defend the queen. "Your Highness, you are bleeding," said one of the guards rushing out from behind the throne. "We must get you to the infirmary immediately!" "Yes, yes... I am fine." The empress waved off the concerned servants who wanted to help her. She then turned to address her loyal subjects. "I have no need for your pity or concern! You may all leave now." With that, the empress dismissed them. A guard rushed over and offered to escort the empress to the infirmary, but she waved him away. "Go on, go," she told him as he looked worriedly between her and the empress''s wound. "But Your Highness..." With a wave of her hand, the empress made him leave. Although the party carried on, everyone was talking about what had just happened. A sudden sound of glass shattering attracts the attention of everyone. As I looked towards the source of sound, I saw my mother unconscious on the floor. Immediately the party was dismissed. The maids carried mother to her room. The Imperial doctor was contacted as soon as possible. He diagnosed her but she was still unconscious. The doctor looked at the mother and left the room. As he walked towards father, he said "she has been poisoned." The blade had poison on it, and the small wound was the mechanism through which the poison entered the body. Even a drop of this poison is lethal." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "A poison?" said the emperor. He nodded. "The poison is called Mefite. It is a powerful and dangerous poison that will kill anything within a day of exposure to it and there is no cure for this poison yet. Be prepared for the unthinkable. At best she will live till morning and at worst she will live for 5 hours." He gave her a shot of morphine to ease the pain, but it didn''t help much. The room was silent for quite some time as mother lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Only two maids were there to take care of the mother. Father left as soon as he heard the doctor. The room is very large and spacious, with windows opening out onto a picturesque garden with flowers in full bloom. Mother gained consciousness and sat up when I approached her, but then she quickly collapsed again. She clutched her stomach with her hand as she gasped for air. "Mother... don''t leave me..." I said in a shaky voice. Mother smiled weakly, and whispered something inaudible to me before falling unconscious once more. After sometime she gained concious, Mother sits on the bed and is looking at me with loving eyes. "My dear..." she says, "I have never seen my only son so grown up." "I want to chat with my son so you two should venture out for a while." Mother sent the two maids who were only there to look after her. One maid, Luna was her personal maid whom she had taken under her care since she was very young. She was my nanny as well, and another was the head maid. She hugged me and with a shaky voice said "I heard everything that the doctor said. I don''t want to die. I want to live a long life, watch you grow up, play with my grandchildren. I did nothing wrong but I am being punished. Even when everyone knows I will not live past tomorrow nobody is coming to check on me. I want to be with your father at the end of my life, but he is nowhere near me. I can''t see my father, mother or my brothers. It''s been 7 years since I last saw them. I was abandoned by them after the marriage. I wanted my parents to know they had a grandchild, I wanted my brothers to meet their niece but they denied contacting me. It''s just you and me." Mother begins to cry "Live your life, son, and don''t seek revenge. Everything I say now is significant, so listen carefully. You..." "Promise me you will fulfill it till the end." "Now please call your father. Tell him I would like to speak with him for the last time." "I will call him, wait for a while mother." After jumping off the bed, I ran out of the room. I proceeded to the main palace, to my father''s chamber. Long live her majesty I proceeded to the main palace, to my father''s chamber. I knocked on the door and called out "Father!" but no answer came. I waited and called him for several minutes but received no response. So I peeked through the door and saw my father and the concubines chattering. Then I shouted from the opening of the keyhole. When he noticed me standing outside, he stopped talking and the door opened. He stared right at me. I pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Father! Mother is dying!" "What? Is it true?" "Father! Please come here! Mother needs you now!" "I don''t care." "Please! Come with me! Quickly!" While laughing, the father kissed the concubine and said, "If she''s dying, let her die.". It was as if father was enchanted by something and wasn''t in his right mind. It was like he was hypnotised. "Father! Mother is dying! You have to help her!" "Why should I care?" "You promised to take care of her. Remember you promised her you wouldn''t abandon her!" "I don''t care about her. I would have already sent her off if the nobles hadn''t pressured me. Now, get out of my room" he says pushing me aside. Now I know the love father showed to mother was only for show, he never loved her. I ran to my mother crying and hugged her. She didn''t resist or push me away so that was okay. But all this talk about sending her off made me angry. How could I just stand by and watch her die? I chatted with her until I fell asleep. She laughed while chatting with me. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. *** Early in the morning, I woke up and saw my mother sleeping soundlessly. I called her "Mother it''s already morning. Wake up." But she didn''t respond. I tried to wake her up many times but it was in vain. I walked out and called a maid who was nearby. She came and she also tried to wake her up but mother didn''t wake up. I started crying. The maid ran out and called the doctor. The doctor came and checked on her. "Her heartbeat has stopped and she has stopped breathing. It''s a miracle she lasted till morning with that pain. She is no longer in this world. I hope her majesty can be at peace in the afterlife." How could she have been in pain while she was talking to me while smiling? I walked to my mother and tried to wake her up again. "Mother wake up look your son is here with you. You said you would be with me until old age and wanted to play with your grandkids. I promised you that I would look after you. You must be acting, so please stop acting and wake up. I will listen carefully to everything you say, and I will obey everything you say. So please don''t leave me. Don''t leave me alone." "You said you would be there for me. Don''t leave me alone. That''s too cruel of you to abandon me. How could you make me unable to escape and leave alone?" "I have many things to say to you but now you will not listen. Mother you wait for me I will come to you and I will tell you everything, how I fulfilled the promised promise to you. I will see you soon." The news spread throughout the palace quickly. "She is no more. I''ve already notified the priest and summoned her body to be taken back to the church." The doctor said. I couldn''t hold myself back any longer and broke down. I sobbed like a helpless child and cried my lungs out. The tears that fell from my eyes were red, like a rose in bloom. They were wet with sorrow and they froze on the ground. Soon after that, the butler came and comforted me saying: "There is nothing left for us to do. Let the doctor perform his duties. We are all going to miss her." He helped me bathe and change into clean clothes. He said "We will arrange for your mother''s funeral later today. You and the other ladies will accompany her and give her last respect." The death of the empress was announced to the whole nation. However, the emperor did not approve of the funeral of my mother in a royal manner or allow the public to attend the ceremony in a royal manner. My mother''s body was taken to the church. I accompanied my mother''s body to the church while my father was nowhere to be found. Except my mother''s personal maid and some other maid, the priest and me nobody came to pay her last respects. "Peace be upon her majesty," my mother''s personal maid prayed along with other maids. As I watched my mother being lowered into the grave, I felt as though a part of me had died along with her. Nature could not stop grieving over her death, which is why it rained heavily today. The sun couldn''t see her body being buried so it didn''t appear today. Although she was strict, she was respected by the people of the empire.