《The Impact of Her - Season Two》


 Prologue

    It was chaotic.


    The Medicine King and his physicians were immediately summoned to the castle. The servants scrambled in bringing everything they could need to save the young prince''s life.


    Meanwhile, the family was told to wait by the door. The lords and ladies rushed to the monarchs'' home as soon as the news spread throughout the kingdom: that the prince was badly wounded and was losing a huge amount of blood.


    Queen Amelia and Princess Elizabeth held hands as they waited near the door of the prince''s room. Queen Amelia was on the verge of completely falling apart. The only thing that kept her standing was her daughter''s firm grip on her hands and her constant comfort.


    "Robert will get through this, Mother," Elizabeth whispered, rubbing her mother''s arms.


    But as they all focused on the unconscious prince behind the door, nobody paid to notice the silent king, staring into nothingness by the third window to the left.


    He was petrified.


    His silence could easily be mistaken for being the calm within the storm, the foundation for a structure that''s currently near crumbling down. But they couldn''t be more wrong. Because the nobility was anticipating news, the queen was in a panic... the king was sent back to his limbo.


    It was a familiar scene. An all-too-familiar one... that brought back painful memories.


    With his arms crossed, he rested his mouth onto his fist. He watched as everything around him seemed to move slower as time continued. The cries of his beloved wife, the scattering of servants, and the whispers of the lords and ladies gradually muffled around him.


    He was in shock.


    For the longest time, he didn''t want this to happen again. But alas, faith has its way of bringing you back down from your high horse.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ???


    After what seemed like forever, the chaos has died down. Some of the nobility decided to go back to their homes, and let their fellow lords tell them the news.


    Queen Amelia was brought a chair but she refused to sit down until she knew what was happening to her son. Princess Elizabeth left once to fetch her mother a cup of tea. But that, too, was rejected.


    James stayed where he stood from the moment they arrived. And he didn''t move a muscle. He wanted to walk over to his wife, console her and be her rock. But even that, he couldn''t do. He knew he also wasn''t stable enough to support her. He knew he didn''t have enough strength in him to be her pillar. And he was pained by this, but he didn''t want to add more to her misery.


    Finally, the door opened and Queen Amelia was quick to approach the Medicine King. James stayed where he was, afraid of what kind of news would be given to them.


    "Medicine King, what has happened?" Queen Amelia didn''t waste any time. "Please, tell me that you were able to save my son."


    Wiping his blood-drenched hands clean, he said, "Let us thank the gods that he was spared."


    Queen Amelia and her daughter sighed out of relief, grateful for the news.


    "With the amount of blood that he lost, I was surprised that his heart didn''t stop beating," the Medicine King continued. "I was able to close his wound and transferred some of my blood into his system. But he would still need more, and that must come from a family member. My blood won''t do any good to his recuperation. It has to come from his family."


    Queen Amelia reached out to the Medicine King, her hands shaking. "Thank you," she uttered as her tears fell. "Thank you."


    The Medicine King smiled and kissed her hands. "Be comforted, Your Majesty. All is well now. He must take his time to rest and regain his strength."


    "Yes, Medicine King."


    After the exchange, the Medicine King went on his way. But when he caught sight of James by the window, he stopped. They shared glances before the Medicine King gave him a nod of reassurance.


    James closed his eyes after a breath of relief and allowed the Medicine King to be on his way.


    Queen Amelia saw this. She slowly walked over to her husband, whom she neglected during the whole fiasco. She gently held his arms and asked, "Darling? How are you feeling?"


    As he saw her soft gaze, he grabbed onto her hands and cried silently.


    Queen Amelia stepped closer to him. She freed one hand and caressed his cheek.


    "I was horrified, my dear. Horrified," he admitted as he looked up. "I thought, for the second time, I was going to lose him."


    His words broke the queen''s heart. She pulled him into her arms and caught him as he completely broke down.


    For the second time, a king was broken down to his very weakness.

 Chapter One - Safe (a)

    A beautiful roof, painted in red, greeted me as I opened my eyes. Looking around, no one was in the room but me, laying down on the soft carpet in the middle of the room. I slowly stood up, groaning as I put my head in my hands.


    I tried to understand where I¡¯m currently at by examining the room, looking for an object that can give me the slightest clue but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t tell. Then I heard a bit of shuffling outside of the door.


    I wonder what could it be?


    I stood up with caution, not wanting to put any attention to where I was. I might be trespassing, for all I know.


    I approached the door, turning the knob as carefully as I possibly can. As my head peaked out, maids were walking around in a panic. They were running back and forth from a room at the very end of the corridor.


    Stepping out of the room and closing the door behind me, I can already tell that something serious is happening.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I tried asking one of the maids but I was ignored. I tried asking for another one but I got the same result. At that moment, I didn¡¯t know if people didn¡¯t see me or if everyone was just busy, not having any time to entertain unnecessary questions.


    ¡°AAHH!¡± I suddenly heard a scream coming from the room at the end of the hall. And with that scream, all of the people standing outside of the door rushed in its direction.


    I followed a few maids to understand what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m absolutely confused right now. I don¡¯t know what to make out of everything.


    I stopped walking when I overheard a few medical personnel having their conversation outside of the room.


    ¡°Will she get out of this alive?¡± one of them asked the one wearing a blue cloth around his back.


    ¡°We¡¯re not completely sure,¡± he shook his head. ¡°We can only hope that her will to live is stronger than what she¡¯s currently facing.¡±


    ¡°Amelia!¡± a shout was heard from behind me. I was quick to turn and saw a young man running in our direction with his guards by his side.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he continued to speak a name as he bolted straight towards the door, only to be blocked by the medical personnel outside.


    ¡°Young prince, we¡¯re not allowed to enter the room. It¡¯s the rules,¡± one of them spoke in a very calm manner. I could see right through the eyes of the medical personnel that he was terrified of the situation as well.


    ¡°Amelia!¡± the young monarch persisted in trying to get past the medical personnel to no avail, held back by his guards.


    Grunts, groans, and screams continued inside the room. Random maids go in and out of it, one carrying a basin of clear water and the other with blood-red water.


    My eyes widen, horrified at the sight of those basins. What could cause such a scene?


    Could the woman screaming in agony be in actual danger? If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t they be doing everything to stop her from bleeding?


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to my wife?!¡± the young monarch asked the medical personnel with frantic eyes. ¡°Can somebody please explain to me why my wife sounds like she¡¯s on the brink of death?!¡±


    ¡°Young prince, please, calm yourself,¡± another medical personnel tried to tone down the hysterics of the panicked young man.  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Calm down?! You all expect me to calm down when the screams of my wife can be heard from the very doorstep of the castle?!¡±


    ¡°Young prince, even if you act this way, it won¡¯t solve anything. The doctors are inside with the maids. We have to have faith with them and your wife as well,¡± the head of the medical personnel spoke.


    ¡°Faith in my wife? What she¡¯s got to do with anything?¡± the young prince continued with his questions.


    ¡°Your wife has been in labor for hours now and according to the doctors, not a lot of progress has been showing,¡± the head of the medical personnel started explaining. ¡°She¡¯s been losing a lot of blood, possibly because of an internal wound. If she doesn¡¯t have the will to live, we¡¯re not sure if she can survive this birth.¡±


    Shock hit my head and heart in an inexplicable amount. I don¡¯t have any relations with this woman and yet I feel so affected by what¡¯s happening to her. Her screams are enough to explain that she¡¯s in absolute pain.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they doing anything about it?!¡± she shouted, not able to contain his frustration. ¡°Why won¡¯t the doctors heal it right away?!¡±


    ¡°Your child is still inside her womb. Using our magic to heal your wife can have dangerous effects on the child.¡±


    The young prince stood there in disbelief and fear. Stunned and horrified, he took a few steps back. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s already lost all hope for his wife¡¯s situation.


    A few more screams and grunts¡­ then silence came upon the hallway. Everyone¡¯s eyes, including mine, were wide open in anticipation of what happened. This silence was torture for all of us. If we couldn¡¯t bear to hear the woman¡¯s shouts of pain, we¡¯d prefer that over this deafening - almost paralyzing - stillness. And even though I¡¯m not involved in this matter, even if I¡¯m not sure whether I¡¯m seen or being ignored, an abnormal sense of panic arises within me.


    Minutes felt like hours and the silence was broken by a loud cry of a baby.


    The birth was successful! The baby was born.


    But is the mother safe?


    The young prince walked directly in front of the door, waiting for it to open, eagerly anticipating news about, not only his child but his wife.


    The doorknob wiggled and within a second, the doctor walked out of the room, wiping his hands with some kind of cloth.


    ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± the young prince asked. I walked a few more steps closer to him to listen to the news. ¡°How is my wife?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I could to stop the bleeding from inside her,¡± the doctor spoke. ¡°It will now be up to her, on how she will recover if she¡¯ll be able to regain her strength back.¡±


    The young prince, still in shock and worry, nodded as he could form no words as a response. I could see thoughts racing through his mind, not knowing what to say next. ¡°And our child?¡± he asked, looking back at him in a slow manner.


    The doctor smiled and put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Allow me to be the first one to congratulate you on having a son.¡±


    The young monarch¡¯s eyes widened, even more, when the doctor proclaimed that he just had a son; his future heir.


    Everyone around us quickly bowed to the young prince, expressing their congratulations, ¡°All hail, the righteous prince and princess of the realm for blessing us with an heir to the throne.


    And for a moment, time stood still¡­ and the young monarch was torn from being excited about the birth of his child to fear for the very life of his wife.


    ???


    I groaned as I struggled to open my eyes. The rays of the sun strained my eyes a little bit as it pierced through the windows. My eyes were in a bit of pain, trying to have a better view of everything.


    My surrounding was an absolute blur to me as my eyes began pushing itself to its limits in giving me a clearer perception of things.


    As my eyesight became clearer, I saw a faint silhouette of a lady, sitting beside me. I blinked my eyelids a few more times and there she was: Elizabeth.


    ¡°Hello, dear brother,¡± she smiled, her grip on my hand tightened. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    I groaned again, feeling an immense pain on the back of my head. I buried my head in my hands, trying to soothe the pain.


    ¡°Does your head hurt that much?¡± she was fast to ask, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll go and fetch the doctor for you.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± I gathered all the strength that I have, just to be able to utter one word.


    She stopped immediately as she heard me speak. ¡°Why not? You¡¯re clearly in pain,¡± she carefully sat again, holding my hand.


    I slowly shook my head, careful not to add more pain to my already pulsing head. ¡°Where¡­¡± I tried to form a sentence at a slow pace. My body felt numb, not able to function properly. ¡°Where¡¯s¡­ Mother?¡± I let out a deep sigh. It¡¯s as if I ran a marathon just to say two words!


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about her,¡± Elizabeth reassured. ¡°James has been keeping a close eye on her ever since you two arrived here.¡±


    I looked around, trying to figure out what day it is. It felt like time passed over me.

 Chapter One - Safe (b)

    ¡°How¡­ h-how long¡­¡±


    ¡°How long were you asleep?¡± she finished my sentence, making things a little easier for me.


    I just nodded with a face of relief.


    She stayed quiet for a brief moment before saying, ¡°Would you believe if I told you you¡¯ve been asleep for three months?¡±


    My eyes widened in shock. Three months?! Was I unconscious for three whole months?!


    I guess she read the expression on my face and quickly continued, ¡°Trust me, we didn¡¯t expect you to sleep for that long. However, the doctor said you lost too much blood by the time the medical personnel was able to take a look at your situation. Your body had to regain its strength on its own.¡±


    My brain rejected the information my sister told me. I couldn¡¯t be asleep for that long! That¡¯s impossible! Yes, I was bleeding by the time James and his men arrived but I don¡¯t think that my wound would cause that much damage to me.


    I slowly sat up, groaning as I propelled myself upwards. I opened my shirt from the chest and there, I saw the wound, marked on me by the pirate.


    ¡°The wound was cut dangerously deep, according to the Medicine King,¡± Elizabeth explained. ¡°James was furious when he saw your state. You don¡¯t want to know what he did to those pirates when you all arrived back here.¡±


    I carefully put a finger on the wound, curious if it still hurts. Once my finger made contact with the stitched wound, I flinched. My face scrunched because of the sudden sting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, brother,¡± Elizabeth moved my finger away. ¡°According to the doctor, the wound is still fresh, which means it could get infected quickly.¡±


    I sighed, slouching my back towards the pillow behind me. I felt so helpless in my current state. I¡¯m being treated as a child, so fragile that I may not even be allowed to leave my bed.


    A knock came upon the door. It opened and my page entered, bowing after. ¡°His Royal Majesty is here,¡± he announced, leaving as James stepped in.


    His expression changed when he saw me. He entered with a calm demeanor but as his eyes landed on me and Elizabeth, his face softened as he walked towards us. Elizabeth stood up, giving him space to get closer to me.


    James stood beside Elizabeth. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked with sincerity¡­ something that I don¡¯t see from him that often.


    I looked at Elizabeth, hoping that she would answer for me.


    In a split second, she faced James, ¡°Robert is having a difficult time speaking. I think his wound has got something to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Is it burning?¡± James asked me another after acknowledging Elizabeth¡¯s response.


    I nodded, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. Even breathing is painful for me!


    James slowly walked closer and gently helped me sit upright, shuffling the pillows behind me. After a few seconds of that, he helped me return to my previous position, only it felt a lot better this time.


    ¡°Is that better?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Never slouch like that, especially with the wound that you have,¡± James instructed. ¡°Your wound is still sensitive. Your mother¡¯s back is in pain as well. She¡¯s in her room right now.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Mother! How is she?! Her back is in pain?! Did the pirates hurt her?! I tried opening my mouth, hoping words could come out but to no avail.


    James must have noticed my worry and panic after hearing about my mother. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Robert,¡± he quickly continued, sitting beside me to calm me down. ¡°If we¡¯re going to be honest, your mother is in a better state than you are. She just needs her rest for a few days.¡±


    Elizabeth knelt beside James, holding my hand in hers. Her presence and the fact that my mother is in good hands gave me a sense of relief, assurance. But I know I could never stop worrying about Mother because it was all my fault.


    If I was a better leader - a better warrior - smarter and stronger, none of this would¡¯ve happened. Mother wouldn¡¯t be kept in her room and I wouldn¡¯t have this wound. I wouldn¡¯t be in this depressive state if I was like James¡­ if I was better than James.


    Thoughts about that night began to play in my mind, unaware that I was already crying. I was trying to stop my tears from falling because they don¡¯t deserve to see me like this.


    Most importantly, James shouldn¡¯t see me crying because he might see this as a sign of weakness, too frail to be his heir, incapable to be the next king of his realm.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for tears, Robert,¡± he said with care, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking that what happened is all your fault, you¡¯re wrong. Nobody blames you for that night.¡±


    I opened my eyes as I looked directly at him, trying to convey my message to him just by my eyes. I want him to know that I blame myself for it and I know that the crew blamed me as well.


    ¡°Robert,¡± James looked deeper into my eyes. ¡°Nobody blames you for what happened. On the contrary, everybody aboard the ship commended you for your bravery, for your leadership. The captain told me everything,¡± he continued.


    I looked at Elizabeth in shock and she answered my expression with a nod and smile of approval.


    ¡°Yes, Robert, the captain, and his men have told me everything,¡± I slowly turned back to James. ¡°They said that you did everything you could to make sure everyone is protected. They did say you didn¡¯t want any kind of confrontation with the pirates. But when you did, you made sure that you have the upper hand in it.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe it. I was so sure that the captain and his men hated my decision because they have to put their lives at risk for us to get back home as quickly as possible.


    ¡°And because of what you did, I declared that you should be made protector of the boundaries of this kingdom.¡±


    My head bolted upwards, my eyes wide open as I heard those words.


    ¡°I know how much you wanted everyone to be safe and as the future ruler of this kingdom, you proved yourself worthy of the crown,¡± James added. ¡°Every kingdom, every immortal has heard of your bravery and strategy and they all praised you for doing so. Conquering the pirates at your age is such a feat for any kind of monarch.


    Am I hearing this correctly?


    James is giving me compliment after compliment today. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s just trying to lift my spirits up or every single word coming out of his mouth is out of sincerity.


    ¡°After you heal completely, we¡¯ll be holding a small celebration for your victory. And I will officially give you the sole responsibility over our water territories,¡± James added. ¡°There¡¯s still more for you but as for now, we want you to regain your full strength.¡±


    I nodded, finally cracking up a smile as I put my hand on his that¡¯s still on my shoulder. I couldn¡¯t speak but I have to give my full thanks in action, at the very least.


    ¡°You deserve every praise, Robert. You showed everyone that you¡¯re more than capable at your age. And we¡¯re absolutely proud of you,¡± he smiled.


    That smile of his came as a surprise to me. Don¡¯t get me wrong, James does smile but not that often when it comes to me. He has always approached me with sternness and his smile is a breath of fresh air.


    He gave my shoulder a light tap and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you with your sister. If you need anything, Elizabeth will call for Gonzalo. I¡¯ll be attending a few errands outside the castle but I¡¯ll return immediately.¡± He then turned to Elizabeth, ¡°Elizabeth, kindly check on your mother every now and then. I¡¯m not satisfied in leaving her in her state with the maids. They can be neglectful at times.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll check on Mother if Robert takes another nap,¡± Elizabeth stood up, her hands in front of her.


    ¡°Good,¡± James smiled, turning back to me. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all when I return.¡±


    Elizabeth curtsied and I gave a slow nod. James took one final look at us and walked out of the room.


    Elizabeth turned her attention to me, sitting beside me again.


    I took in deep breaths to calm my mind. I was trying to drift back into darkness when my mind suddenly showed me Laura¡¯s face. Her smiling face caused my eyes to open.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, Robert?¡± Elizabeth was quick to ask.


    I didn¡¯t want to show Elizabeth that my mind is now in a panic about Laura. Laura hasn¡¯t heard from me for months now and I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s currently thinking.

 Chapter One - Safe (c)

    ¡°Robert, what¡¯s wrong? Do you need a doctor?¡± Elizabeth asked another as I ignored her first one.


    I need to get Elizabeth out of my room. Not because I don¡¯t want her company but I have to see Laura right now. I know I still need time to fully recover but I wouldn¡¯t want Laura to worry. Sending her a letter wouldn¡¯t be enough to keep her from worrying.


    ¡°Gonzalo¡­¡± I uttered slowly. ¡°Gonzalo¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call for Gonzalo,¡± Elizabeth left my side and rushed towards the ringer at the corner of my room. As Elizabeth rang thrice, I began to gather all the strength that I have to make Elizabeth leave the room.


    Elizabeth returned to me and sat down once more. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling any pain, hold on. Gonzalo will be here any minute.¡± She quickly held my hand, caressing it. Her face now has an expression of panic.


    I closed my eyes and took slow, deep breaths, showing her that she doesn¡¯t have any reason to worry.


    ???


    A minute had passed and Gonzalo finally arrived. ¡°Your Highnesses,¡± he bowed to the both of us. ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us what you need?¡± Elizabeth asked me.


    I smiled as I held her face in my hand. ¡°Check¡­ Mother,¡± I slowly spoke, trying not to hurt myself in the process of talking.


    ¡°You want me to check on Mother when it looks like you¡¯re in pain?¡± she asked in disbelief.


    I took a deep breath in, preparing for what I¡¯m going to say, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay. Need¡­ time¡­ alone.¡±


    ¡°But Robert--¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Your Grace,¡± Gonzalo interrupted. ¡°I will not leave the young prince until you return.¡±


    Elizabeth looked at Gonzalo and returned to me, unsure of what she¡¯s going to do.


    ¡°I will¡­ call¡­ for you¡­¡± I assured her, trying to be strong amidst the strain that I¡¯m having.


    She sighed. ¡°You are such a stubborn person, Robert,¡± she patted my hair gently, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go and accompany Mother for a short while. I beg you, don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±


    I scrunch my face as I let out a quick smile, wincing out of the sting. I nodded at her remark. She knows that I completely ignore any advice that the Medicine King would say.


    She smiled and laid a soft peck on my forehead, standing up after.


    ¡°Your Grace,¡± Gonzalo bowed and Elizabeth replied with a curtsy. We had one final glance at each other before she left the room.


    As the door closed behind her, I called out Gonzalo, making him turn to me.


    ¡°What is it that you need, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Pen¡­ and¡­ paper¡­¡± I requested, trying to sit back up properly, groaning in the process.


    ¡°But Your Highness, you¡¯re still in your stage of recovery. His Royal Majesty stated the reports can wait,¡± Gonzalo replied.


    I shook my head. ¡°Blank¡­ paper¡­ and pen¡­¡± I took deep breaths every time I took a pause. ¡°Have to¡­ write¡­ letter¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Your Highness? Can you manage?¡± he continued to ask.


    I nodded. I pointed at the table by my window, showing where my pen and papers were.


    Gonzalo nodded and headed at once to the table. He then grabbed a table-tray and put my pen and paper on top of it, carefully making his way back to me. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he gently laid the wooden table in front of me.


    ¡°Kindly¡­ give me¡­ a few¡­ minutes¡­¡± I requested.


    ¡°Will you be all right on your own?¡± the look of uncertainty spread across his face.


    I nodded.


    ¡°I will check on you every now and then from outside, then,¡± he offered.


    I nodded in response so he could go on ahead and give me time to write and send the letter. As soon as the door closes behind him, I immediately grabbed the pen and began writing my letter:


    My dearest Laura,


    How are you? My deepest apologies if I wasn¡¯t able to write or see you personally right after I arrived back home.


    I was already home three months prior but due to a few emergencies and errands, I wasn¡¯t able to show myself to you.


    Rest assured, I¡¯m alive and well. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. I¡¯ll be seeing you soon. Just promise you¡¯ll wait for me.


    Robert.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell her about my current situation, that I¡¯m lying in bed, waiting for myself to fully heal, especially the cut on my chest. I folded the letter into a thin piece of paper. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m able to conjure spells in my situation because in order for an immortal to use a spell correctly, one¡¯s cultivation should be back, at the very least, to its normal state.


    I took a deep breath, mustered all my strength as I closed my hands into a fist. Saying the spell in my mind, with all the cultivation remaining within me, I was able to produce a wooden scroll container. Panting, I put my letter inside it.


    Whatever amount of strength within me, I can feel it slipping away bit by bit. I could feel myself closer to fainting but my desire to send this letter to Laura is stronger. With one final push, I waved my hand, opening a window. Blood began to ooze out of my fresh wound but I whispered one last spell unto the scroll container and it flew away on its own.


    As the scroll left my sight, I wanted to call for Gonzalo but before I knew it, I slipped back into darkness, the blood slowly dripping down my body.


    ???


    Slowly, I could feel myself regaining consciousness¡­ and a hand, gently caressing mine. After my eyes strained through a blurry vision, I was able to make out a silhouette of a person, sitting right beside me.


    ¡°Robert?¡± a gentle, all too familiar voice spoke, breaking the silence around me. It was Mallory.


    I groaned as I continued to push through a murky vision. ¡°Mallory?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, Robert,¡± she replied with eagerness, moving closer towards me.


    I blinked a few more times and everything started to become clearer.


    ¡°Are you all right? Are you in any pain?¡± she continued to ask.


    I looked up to her, confused. I pulled my hand away from her and helped myself sit up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you were bleeding this morning and I couldn¡¯t visit you, then,¡± she said. ¡°So, I waited for everyone to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gonzalo?¡± I asked, looking around the room. I saw him by the table, sleeping.


    ¡°I had to cast a sleep spell on Gonzalo,¡± she suddenly added. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let me stay, let alone enter the room.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I turned back to her, in a rage.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll act this way and I¡¯m sorry for doing such a thing,¡± she started explaining in rapid speed. ¡°I just wanted to see you badly. They wouldn¡¯t let anyone near you, even Nana Olsa. I was worried ever since they carried you back, covered in blood and unconscious,¡± words started spitting out of her mouth.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t justify your actions, Mallory. Do you know that your actions can be seen as grounds for punishment?¡± I lectured.


    ¡°Would you really let me receive some kind of punishment just for visiting you?¡±


    ¡°Well, if it were up to me, I would,¡± I said, bluntly speaking my thoughts. ¡°This kind of action is unacceptable. You know that the sleeping spell is one of the forbidden spells in our world. You should only use them for some kind of emergency.¡±


    ¡°This is an emergency!¡± she protested, standing up.


    I sighed out of frustration. I was supposed to be resting but with Mallory here, I don¡¯t think I would be able to do that. ¡°Could you please¡­¡± I spoke, trying my best to keep my composure, ¡°Leave my room so I could continue my sleep?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m staying here until the sun rises,¡± she insisted, standing her ground.


    I looked back at her, annoyed. ¡°Are you sure you want to put up this kind of argument with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Robert. And there¡¯s nothing you can do to make me leave,¡± she crossed her arms.


    I scoffed. Holding my breath, I waved my hand, gesturing at Gonzalo, removing the sleep spell Mallory casted over him.


    ¡°Robert!¡± she shouted.


    Gonzalo was quick to wake up when he heard Mallory¡¯s voice. ¡°Mallory,¡± he started walking towards her. ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to bother the young prince?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to talk to him, Gonzalo. Why won¡¯t you let me?¡± Mallory acted like a child, not getting her way.


    ¡°Gonzalo, kindly remove her from this room and guard  the door,¡± I commanded. ¡°Should she attempt anything to disrupt my rest, don¡¯t hesitate to call for the king.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Robert,¡± Mallory complained, turning back to me.


    ¡°You heard what the young prince said, Mallory,¡± Gonzalo held her by her arm. ¡°What you did is already punishable but since His Highness didn¡¯t demand any kind of punishment, I¡¯m letting you go. But just this once, do you understand?¡± Gonzalo tightened his grip on her arm, warning her.


    Mallory wasn¡¯t able to reply, fear crippled throughout her body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Gonzalo gently started walking towards the door with Mallory. All Mallory could do was glance at me before they left my room. I let out a breath of relief and closed my eyes, going back to sleep.

 Chapter Two - Recovered (a)

    Three months passed and I have fully recovered, at least in my perspective. For my family and the Medicine King, I still need to stay in bed for another month but I¡¯m not doing that. Being in bed doesn¡¯t help me heal, it makes me feel even sicker which is absolutely against the idea of recuperating.


    After giving my body a few gentle stretches, I carefully removed myself from the sheets of my bed. I still have to be very careful with my actions. My wounds, partially healed, still, sting if I use my body to the extreme. I was in the middle of fixing my bed when a knock came upon my door.


    ¡°Enter,¡± I answered, taking a last look at the bed.


    The door opened and as I turned, Gonzalo entered. ¡°Good morning, Your Highness,¡± he bowed the moment he stepped foot inside my room.


    ¡°Good morning, Gonzalo,¡± I walked towards him. ¡°How is everything today?¡±


    ¡°Everything is on schedule, Your Highness,¡± Gonzalo replied. ¡°Your parents are currently in a meeting with a few merchants and Her Grace went on her first visit to the supported school.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth went on her own today?¡± I said in disbelief. ¡°Why did he go on her own? Why didn¡¯t she wait for Their Majesties?¡±


    ¡°Their Majesties confirmed that they will be having a long meeting today with the merchants and instead of postponing the visit, Elizabeth proposed to go on her own, he explained.


    I nodded in response. Elizabeth goes out of her way to please James but this task should be done by the whole family or the king and queen, mainly. Elizabeth and I don¡¯t have anything much to prove that we¡¯re worthy of handling such important matters.


    ¡°Would you like to have your breakfast brought up here, Your Highness?¡± Gonzalo asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Of course,¡± I smiled, returning to my conversation with Gonzalo. ¡°Also, could you have my reports brought here to my room as I wait? I have a lot of catching up to do.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has insisted that you don¡¯t go back to handling reports until the following week, Your Highness,¡± Gonzalo explained. ¡°He would allow you to get out of bed but not to work and Her Majesty agreed with that as well.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do all day?¡± I asked as I gestured around my room.


    ¡°Their Majesties said you can do anything you want as long as it doesn¡¯t involve the reports and too extreme activities,¡± Gonzalo added. ¡°Also, you have a letter from Lady Loraine. It was delivered here a few days back but Her Majesty told me to only give it to you once you¡¯re out of bed.¡±


    As I was expecting: they would prefer for me not to move or do anything at all out of too much worry. I know I was gravely injured to the point that I almost lost my life but now, I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t understand why they don¡¯t believe me when I know to myself that I healed already


    ¡°Gonzalo, I know this will mean going against their orders but I implore you to bring a few reports here to my room. Also, bring Lady Loraine¡¯s letter with my food,¡± I walked to my window, opening the curtains as I reached it, allowing the light to enter.


    ¡°Are you sure, Your Highness? What if Their Majesties punish us for that? Punish me?¡± Gonzalo began to worry.


    I can understand Gonzalo¡¯s fear of punishment. Everyone in this castle always feared the punishment implemented by this kingdom. Even I am afraid of it and I¡¯m the heir to the throneStolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I turned to him with a smile. ¡°There are still undone reports in my study. You can bring those so James wouldn¡¯t notice easily. Should they find me handling reports, I¡¯ll tell them that I got them myself,¡± I reasoned. ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about getting caught with me.¡±


    Gonzalo nodded but there was still a look of uncertainty on his face.


    I smirked and walked back to him, putting my hand on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, Gonzalo. I¡¯ll do the reasoning with them. Just bring the reports here because I need to get something done within the day.¡±


    He bowed, ¡°As you wish, Your Highness.¡±


    After I gave him a nod, he headed out of my room. As for me, I sat by the window and enjoyed the beautiful view of the garden, resting my eyes before looking into reports again.


    ???


    As I ate my breakfast and read through reports, someone knocked on my door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I answered.


    The door opened and my page peaked his head, sticking out from the other side of the door. ¡°Your Highness?¡± he called out.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I read the last word from the report I was reading before looking at him, brows lifted.


    ¡°Her Majesty is here to see you. Should I let her in?¡± he inquired.


    I quickly put my fork down, as well as the report I was holding. ¡°Please, let her in,¡± I stood from my chair as carefully as I can.


    As my page disappeared, Mother entered the room and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Hello, Mother,¡± I greeted her, my arms wide open.


    ¡°Good morning, Robert,¡± she smiled, giving me a warm embrace as we met in the middle. ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± she asked, scanning me from head to toe and back.


    ¡°I feel better, Mother. I was already feeling better last week but Gonzalo said you didn¡¯t want me to get out of bed yet,¡± I replied with a playful smirk.


    ¡°I just wanted to make sure that you¡¯re completely healed before going back to your royal obligations,¡± she explained. ¡°You gave us quite a scare after what transpired in the Sea of Gliss. Your father has decided not to let you cross the sea unless every pirate is found and dealt with.¡±


    ¡°I find the both of you overreacting about this situation,¡± I let out a short laugh. ¡°Just because I got hurt the first time, doesn¡¯t mean it will happen always.¡±


    ¡°Robert, you should know that being your father¡¯s heir is important. We can¡¯t afford to lose you,¡± she added. ¡°You¡¯re very important to us, not just as monarchs but as parents, too.¡±


    ¡°Mother--¡± I was interrupted when another knock came upon my door.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Gonzalo¡¯s voice echoed as the door opened. ¡°Here are the other--¡± he entered the room, carrying another stack of reports for me. However, as he saw Mother, he stopped in his tracks, dropped to his knees, and put the reports beside him. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Mother let out a deep sigh and turned to me with one brow up.


    I bit my inner cheeks, avoiding her gaze. I know that look on her face right now and she¡¯s not amused.


    ¡°Robert?¡± a stern voice came out from her lips.


    I sighed in defeat, looking at her apologetically.


    ¡°Would you mind explaining to me why Gonzalo entered your room with a stack of reports?¡± she asked as she gestured at Gonzalo briefly.


    ¡°As I said, Mother, I¡¯ve been feeling better since last week. And instead of staying in bed or doing nothing the whole day, I figured I could go back to my reports,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Robert, your father and I already gave out orders for you to be exempted from royal duties until we see fit,¡± she scolded. ¡°Why do you keep defying our orders? Is that hard to follow?¡±


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that I want to disobey your orders,¡± I protested. ¡°But what you want me to do will just keep me sick for a much longer time. If I continued doing nothing, I will never truly heal.¡±


    ¡°But do you have to do an immediate stack of reports on your first day out of bed?¡± she continued as she pointed at the reports. ¡°In our eyes, you¡¯re not completely healed and yet you think you can handle this much mental work?¡±


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s better to immerse myself in working instead of staring out the window the whole day,¡± I said, a bit annoyed. ¡°I want to condition my body back to work as early as possible. Even James would want for me to do that.


    ¡°Why would you think that your father would want you to go back to work right away?¡± Mother responded. ¡°If you must know, he¡¯s the one who wanted you to keep resting until you fully recovered. He even went out of his way to do half of the piled reports on your desk. Your father isn¡¯t as bad as you think he is.¡±


    I chuckled, knowing where this conversation is heading and I don¡¯t want to have this argument, especially when I just got back from being injured. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re reading my words wrong. I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s the villain in this. All I¡¯m saying is as his heir, he will surely understand why I want to resume my responsibilities. As he would always say, the sooner--¡±

 Chapter Two - Recovered (b)

    ¡°The better.¡± Another voice entered our conversation, making us turn our heads to the door. ¡°It seems that your son has learned a lot after your trip to Middle Earth,¡± he continued as he approached us. ¡°Gonzalo, stand. There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± he added, passing by Gonzalo.


    ¡°I thought you were still in the meeting. How did it go?¡± Mother asked, kissing James on the cheek.


    ¡°They were getting difficult, especially with their demands. They want to benefit from the cause and at the same time, claim all the glory that will be received from the plan,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame. It would¡¯ve been a wonderful opportunity to showcase our partnership with them,¡± Mother frowned. ¡°And their products have potential to be a good source of revenue for the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry yourself too much, my wife. There are a lot of opportunities out there,¡± he smiled at her, holding her hands. ¡°Anyways,¡± he slowly turned Mother around to face me, putting his hands on her shoulders. ¡°What are you two arguing about?¡±


    Mother and I just looked at each other, waiting for one of us to tell James what was going on before he arrived.


    ¡°We¡¯re not arguing, to be exact,¡± I started, putting my hands behind my back. ¡°I was just explaining to Mother that I¡¯m fully capable of going back to work and that you would agree with me on that matter.¡±


    Mother looked up to James and he looked back at her, talking with their eyes. ¡°Well, if your mother was the one who gets her way, you would be staying in bed until we say so,¡± he said after a sigh. ¡°However, you are your own person, and if you think you can handle a few reports today then do so. But don¡¯t strain yourself. The Medicine King said that you may be feeling better but your wounds still need a bit more time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re agreeing to what he wants?¡± she asked him, confused.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he gave her a light squeeze on her shoulders, ¡°If our son thinks he can get some work done without forcing himself then we should let him. Should he feel that he overused his body today, we¡¯ll be here to tell him we told him so.¡±


    My eyes widened and my brows furrowed, surprised that James is completely on my side. Usually, when my mother and I disagree on something, he would side with her and that¡¯s understandable. A king should side with his queen as the queen does for her king. But in this conversation, Mother is outnumbered.


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t we, at least, limit the number of reports he will be doing today?¡± she insisted on her demands. Her persistence made me smile and caused James to chuckle, amused by her stubbornness.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I walked to her, holding her hands as I reached her. ¡°You need not worry about me. James said it himself: if I feel too tired, you will be there to scold me for it.¡±


    She sighed as she bowed her head, defeated. ¡°If you say you can go back to work, I trust you,¡± she smiled as she caressed my hands. She then turned to James, ¡°It¡¯s incredibly hard to win a conversation when I¡¯m against the two of you. You both have the same mind,¡± she remarked with a smile.


    James let out a smirk. ¡°Well, he is my son. He has more of my qualities than I thought,¡± he said, a statement that I couldn¡¯t agree with because I don¡¯t see any kind of resemblance between the two of us. ¡°If I may, my queen, I would like to have a word with Robert for a moment.¡±


    She nodded and turned back to me, kissing me on the cheek. She whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t work yourself too much. If I find out that you did, I will be forced to take away all of your reports.¡±


    I let out a small laugh as she took a step back. ¡°I will take good care of myself, Mother.¡±  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°All right, my darling, don¡¯t pester the child too much. He will be fine,¡± James reassured her, pulling her closer to him by her shoulders. Mother did her curtsy and after he laid a kiss on her hand, she smiled at us one more time and left.


    James walked closer to me, clearing his throat. ¡°How are you feeling this morning?¡±


    ¡°I feel better now that I¡¯m out of bed. Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± I made a quick bow, ¡°For asking about my well-being.¡±


    ¡°Please, Robert, there¡¯s no need to call me Your Majesty,¡± he suddenly put his hand up, interrupting me, ¡°I prefer you call me by my name when it¡¯s just the two of us.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Is there anything that you would want for me to do?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°No, I just wanted to see for myself if you¡¯ve recovered,¡± he smiled. ¡°Your mother worried too much about you and to make sure she wasn¡¯t overreacting about the situation, I had to come.


    I nodded again.


    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t want this to hinder your responsibilities once you take over the throne, especially when you need to go to another kingdom,¡± he added.


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Majesty--¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± he quickly stopped me again as he raised his brows, reminding me of what he just said a while ago.


    ¡°Oh, forgive me. I meant, rest assured, James,¡± I emphasized his name, ¡°This experience hasn¡¯t caused any kind of trauma on me. I won¡¯t let this matter stop me from fulfilling my role as king.¡±


    He smiled, seemingly satisfied with my reply. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re facing this with bravery and integrity. You have become worthy as a future ruler of this kingdom.¡±


    ¡°If I may, James, I would like to have a meeting with all of the crew members of the ship,¡± I continued my reply. ¡°They have served me valiantly and they deserve all the recognition as well.¡±


    His eyes widened, surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you already have close relations with the crew.¡±


    ¡°They vowed to serve me until the very end on that night. I would like to return the favor for what they did for me and Mother,¡± I explained.


    James began to think about my request. The captain showed his loyalty and was willing to sacrifice himself for me just to make sure I returned home alive. He deserves more than just a reward of gold.


    ¡°If you must then I allow it. When would you like to have them come over?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to invite them here to the castle. All I need is your blessing, both verbal and written so I could do whatever is needed without having any sort of problem,¡± I explained.


    He nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll write a royal proclamation and have it announced in the whole kingdom. The people should know about it, seeing that you want to give them glory for your safety.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, James,¡± I bowed.


    ¡°Well, I know you still have other things to do so I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± he said after a deep breath. ¡°If you feel like you can¡¯t keep working anymore, take your rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, James,¡± I replied but inside my mind, I¡¯m already rolling my eyes with this reminder. He and Mother are too anxious about it. They can see that I¡¯m perfectly fine.


    ¡°I will see you later today,¡± he bids goodbye. I gave my bow and he walked out of the room.


    Gonzalo finally walked up to me with all the reports. ¡°My deepest apologies if I arrived at the wrong time, Your Highness,¡± he quickly bowed.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for, Gonzalo,¡± I reassured. ¡°As you can see, everything turned out perfectly fine. His Majesty is on our side on this matter.¡± I gestured to the table and he put the documents there as soon as possible. ¡°You also heard that I will be inviting the captain and his crew members here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young prince. Is there something you would like for me to do?¡± he inquired.


    After a bit of thinking, I remembered one small thing that I know I would be needing his help with. ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble, Gonzalo, I would like for you to create a speech for me,¡± I grabbed one document from the pile. ¡°I don¡¯t need something too long, too formal, or too emotional. I just want you to create some sort of foundation so I could change what I need for the speech.¡±


    Gonzalo didn¡¯t answer, he started thinking about my instruction. He replied, ¡°But young prince, you¡¯re known for creating amazing speeches for His Majesty. Why would you need my help?¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°I will be attending to these reports as long as I can. At the same time, I need to have a speech prepared before they arrive. I know you¡¯re the only person I could trust.¡±


    Gonzalo nodded. ¡°As you wish, Your Highness. When would you like for me to write your speech for you?¡±


    I sat down on my chair and returned to the report I was looking through before Mother entered. ¡°The sooner you can, the better. I know you have many things to do so if you have some spare time, you can do that.¡±


    Gonzalo bowed his head. ¡°With your permission, I would like to create the speech right now, in front of Your Highness¡¯s presence.¡±


    ¡°As long as it won¡¯t be any trouble with your daily activities, you may,¡± I smiled.


    He bowed again and stood. ¡°I¡¯ll go and get some paper and a pen, young prince. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I nodded, putting my full attention to the report as Gonzalo left the room.

 Chapter Three - Assault (a)

    An hour has passed and Gonzalo has been writing right across me, nibbling on the end of the pen he¡¯s using as he thought of what to put on the speech.


    ¡°Gonzalo?¡± I called out.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness? Do you need anything?¡± his head was quick to look up in my direction.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit concerned and confused because you seem to be struggling with the speech.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to create something that you requested specifically, young prince,¡± he replied, looking down at his speech. ¡°I guess writing speeches aren¡¯t as easy as I thought it would be.¡±


    ¡°Gonzalo, as I mentioned, you don¡¯t have to create a perfect one. All you have to do is the foundation for the speech and I will do the rest,¡± I answered with a smile.


    A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. ¡°Who is it?¡± I spoke.


    The door creaked open and my page entered, carrying a scroll with two hands in front of him, his arms stretched forward. ¡°Your Highness,¡± he bowed with his arms still stretched forward. ¡°This document is from His Majesty. He said that it¡¯s what you requested of him.¡±


    Oh, it must be the decrease that we talked about a while ago. Gonzalo was kind enough to be the one to receive the document. As Gonzalo walked towards me with the scroll, my page bowed and went on his way.


    As the scroll arrived in my hands, I opened it and Gonzalo returned to his seat. I began to read through the decree until the very end, making sure that James didn¡¯t leave any important details out. After reading, I closed the scroll and set it aside.


    As I looked across Gonzalo, he¡¯s still struggling with the speech. He already has his head in his hands, sighing and groaning in frustration.


    ¡°Gonzalo,¡± I called out as I closed the report I was looking through, moving it to the side. ¡°I have another task for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young prince?¡± he looked at me with attentiveness.


    ¡°I want you to prepare my study room for my guests. I¡¯ll be having the captain and the crew members visit me and my study would be my accepting room,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What about the speech?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Leave it here so I can take a look at it,¡± I said.


    He nodded and handed the speech over to me. He took a quick bow and proceeded out of my room.


    As my eyes landed on the paper, he¡¯s only written three lines, which were part of the opening remarks for a speech. I sighed as I grabbed my pen and began writing the speech myself.


    ???


    In the midst of the silence within my room, my door opened without any warning, causing me to stand up from my chair.


    As the door opened wide, Mallory appeared.


    I sighed and sat down, returning to my report.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a way to welcome someone into your room,¡± she remarked sarcastically, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t giving you an inclination that I¡¯m pleased to see you,¡± I snapped back, not paying any attention to her.  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    She started walking towards me, sitting across me with her arms on the table. ¡°Aren¡¯t you even going to talk to me while I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°Should I?¡± I asked back, still not paying attention to her.


    ¡°Robert, why are you playing this kind of game?¡± she replied with another question. ¡°I thought, even just a little bit, you¡¯d be pleased to see me today.¡±


    I sighed and looked up to her, irritated. ¡°Can you give reasons why I should be happy to see you?¡±


    Her face painted an expression of shock, offended about my statement. ¡°How are you this heartless towards me? I¡¯m doing everything to make sure you¡¯re okay and in good spirits and yet you treat me like this?¡±


    ¡°Did you come here to annoy me and complain about my attitude towards you?¡± I said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Because I¡¯m not in the mood to do this. Having a conversation with you has been tiring and I don¡¯t need that right now.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re tired of talking with me but you¡¯re not tired of handling reports?¡±


    ¡°This is my responsibility as prince of this kingdom. My responsibilities come first before anything,¡± I replied, reverting my attention to the report.


    ¡°You have a responsibility to me, Robert. We have a relationship together.¡±


    ¡°Mallory, I¡¯ve told you many times already about the relationship we have and that relationship doesn¡¯t make you my responsibility,¡± I answered, not looking at her. ¡°And even if you¡¯re my official mistress, my responsibility will still come first before anything.¡±


    She stayed quiet after my answer. I don¡¯t want to be rude towards her but she should know her place in this castle and my life. I¡¯ve told her before that she¡¯s like a sister to me and it will stay that way until the very day I die. And now, we¡¯re in this kind of relationship, that didn¡¯t change, even the slightest.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, could you please leave me alone and let me do my work in peace?¡± I folded the report I finished and put it on the pile on my left.


    ¡°I have one other thing to discuss with you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Please make it quick. I have a lot of things to do today,¡± I said, grabbing another report to go through.


    She let out a sigh and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to introduce my friend to you later today.¡±


    My head shot up; a look of horror splattered across my face. ¡°What?¡± was the only word that I could mutter.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure about your duties so I¡¯ve decided to get it done and over with,¡± she explained. ¡°And besides, she¡¯s ecstatic to meet you.¡±


    I slammed my hands on the table, now in fists. ¡°Are you trying to get on my nerves, Mallory? I just got out of bed and the very next thing you¡¯re going to do is give me something to worry about?¡±


    ¡°Robert, we talked about this. You said that once you returned, you¡¯ll allow me to introduce my friend to you,¡± she complained.


    ¡°Yes, I did but I never gave you the right to decide on when you¡¯ll be introducing your friend to me,¡± I snarled back. ¡°You already did something against our agreement and you just keep on adding more to this mistake?!¡±


    ¡°Mistake?¡± her voice cracked. ¡°You think this relationship between the two of us is a mistake?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think, I know,¡± I emphasized.


    She looked down to her feet, trying to stop her tears. Without any more words, she ran out of the room, slamming the door closed.


    I let out a deep breath, combing my hair with my fingers. I groaned as I put my face in my hands. She¡¯s been nothing but a pain ever since I agreed to this. I can¡¯t bear this anymore; I have to put an end to this nonsense.


    I need a breath of fresh air. Maybe I should visit Laura. I know I¡¯m not supposed to be going outside on my own in this condition and I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s worried about me but I¡¯m worried about her.


    I need to see her now.


    I stood up and proceeded to my bathroom to have a quick shower and a bath.


    ???


    As I was fixing the wrap on my chest, a knock came upon my door. ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door creaked and a voice greeted, ¡°Your Highness.¡± It was Gonzalo.


    ¡°Ah, Gonzalo,¡± I greeted before putting my focus back on my wound. ¡°What news do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve successfully finished arranging your study. Would you like to come and see?¡± he asked.


    I groaned after I gave myself a slight stretch, finishing the wrap around my chest. ¡°Where are my parents?¡± I asked, not answering Gonzalo¡¯s question.


    ¡°His Majesty went with a few lords to the town to oversee brewing trouble with the traders. Her Majesty went on to visit your Aunt Bethilda,¡± Gonzalo replied. ¡°Is there something wrong, young prince?¡±


    I stood up and walked towards him. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking a quick trot. I need a bit of fresh air,¡± I put the remaining wrap on his hand. ¡°And as before, I would like to go alone and no one should know.¡±


    Gonzalo nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t disobey you with what you want, Your Highness. But I do have to ask if you¡¯re sure you¡¯re capable of leaving the castle in your condition.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Gonzalo,¡± I smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do this if I know to myself I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll be back before you even know it.¡± I pulled my hand back.


    He nodded. ¡°Should I have a few servants prepare your champion for you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll cater to Lady myself,¡± I answered.

 Chapter Three - Assault (b)

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, young prince, I would like to accompany you to the stables,¡± Gonzalo requested.


    ¡°Well--¡±


    Our conversation was cut short when my door suddenly bolted open, my page entered, panting. ¡°Your Highness,¡± he quickly bowed, ¡°My deepest apologies for barging in like this but there¡¯s a situation regarding the young princess.¡±


    Elizabeth?!


    ¡°What do you mean? What happened to my sister?¡± I asked without hesitation.


    ¡°She¡¯s currently in the garden but an unknown man entered and he¡¯s been harassing her,¡± my page said. ¡°They said she tried to have a decent conversation with him to make him leave but he is now resulting into violence.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have any guards with her?!¡± I exploded, grabbing my coat. ¡°Where is she right now?! Why would you allow for this to happen?!¡± I continued my rant as I started sprinting to the garden, my page, and Gonzalo right behind me. The two guards by my door followed us as well.


    ¡°There were guards with her but the man put a petrifying spell on them. She¡¯s now left to her own devices,¡± my page continued to report.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she use her magic against him? She¡¯s the daughter of the ruling monarchs!¡±


    ¡°The man put some kind of hex on her so she won¡¯t be able to use her magic. She¡¯s now holding a sword against the man and the man is doing the same.¡±


    Without any sort of thinking of a plan to save her, I started running through the halls to the garden.


    No one puts a sword on my sister¡¯s face without facing me.


    ???


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, if you don¡¯t leave me alone, I will not hesitate to put this sword into your chest!¡± I heard Elizabeth screaming as I got closer to where she was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, let¡¯s fight to the death!¡± the man screamed.


    Using my magic, I transported from the nearest hall where I¡¯m currently am to right in front of Elizabeth. I drew my sword as soon as I arrived in front of her.


    ¡°The young prince!¡± the man exclaimed. He suddenly drew a spell on me but I immediately blocked it with a shield that could protect me and my sister from any kind of hex. The spell bounced back and hit him, putting the hex on him.


    He tried conjuring another spell¡­ but nothing came out of him. After trying too many times, he looked at his hands in horror.


    ¡°What did you do to me?!¡± he shouted at me.


    As the man continued to struggle with his powers, shouting and screaming in horror, I took the time to turn to Elizabeth, asking in a panic, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I began examining her being.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right, brother. My magic is simply¡­ blocked,¡± she said, trying to calm herself. ¡°He cast some kind of spell on me and I can¡¯t use my powers.¡±


    I took one step back and put my hands together, closing my eyes. And as I gestured my hands into a way of opening two doors, I was able to remove the spell that was put on her. ¡°Now, you can use them again. But I would like for you to go to where Gonzalo is,¡± I pointed using my eyes.


    She turned and saw Gonzalo with my page and some of the castle guards, waiting by the nearest hall. She looked back at me and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I have to take care of this matter before anything happens to you.¡±


    ¡°Robert,¡± she held me in place. ¡°You are still unwell. Using too much magic may cause your wound to open.¡±


    ¡°You will pay for this!¡± the man shouted as he began charging towards us.


    I put my hand in a stop formation, casting a spell that immediately threw him back to where he was, causing him to fall to the ground, back first. ¡°I can take care of myself. You, on the other hand, need to get out of this situation right now,¡± I returned my attention to her as the man continued to groan. ¡°Go now,¡± I repeated, gritting my teeth.


    She nodded, disappearing in smoke. After a quick second, I saw her standing beside Gonzalo. I gave Gonzalo a look to remove Elizabeth from the scene.


    Receiving a nod of understanding, Gonzalo turned to the guards and in no time, they walked away with Elizabeth. I turned back to the man, still groaning as he stood up.


    ¡°Meddling wretch,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed to interfere if you treated my sister with respect,¡± I snarled, keeping my hand near my sword.


    ¡°Sister?¡± his face, mixed reaction of shock and horror.


    I sighed; my hand landed on my face. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you only realized that now.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± he pointed at me with his sword. ¡°You¡¯re Prince Robert.¡±


    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t have time for introductions. I need to be somewhere else right now,¡± I interrupted. ¡°If you would be kind enough to leave the premises, that would be very helpful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until Elizabeth returns here,¡± he protested. ¡°We have unfinished business to talk about.¡±


    ¡°As I heard, my sister said you were harassing her. I came here to remove her from a situation she didn¡¯t want to be in, a situation where she¡¯s clearly in danger,¡± I explained.


    ¡°She deserved that kind of treatment because she didn¡¯t want to agree with what I want,¡± he stomped his foot on the ground, acting like a child.


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want her to agree to marry me,¡± he said, getting a snicker out of me. ¡°I¡¯m the son of one of the lords of the court and I longed to be her husband.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm,¡± I nodded, my hand, curled into a fist, in front of my mouth as I tried to suppress my laughter.


    ¡°I already asked His Majesty for her hand but he refused, saying Elizabeth¡¯s hand is reserved for a prestigious marriage,¡± he continued his complaint. ¡°The only way now to marry her is to get her to request that to the king.¡±


    ¡°If you know my sister very well, you can tell she¡¯s not interested in such a marriage,¡± I replied in amusement.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I came here to persuade her,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°You thought harassing her would change her mind?¡± I added, stifling back a laugh. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d just give up and leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I won¡¯t be ordered around by some prince who doesn¡¯t have his powers,¡± he snarled.


    ¡°You have two options,¡± I started, putting my hands behind my back. ¡°Either you can leave peacefully or I send you to the dungeon. I would love to take your life but seeing you¡¯re of noble birth, judgment would be up to the king,¡± I continued.


    ¡°If you think your puny threats make me quiver, you¡¯re mistaken,¡± he answered.


    I took a deep breath in as I¡¯m starting to lose patience. ¡°Again, those are your two options. Kindly choose now because you¡¯re wasting my time.¡±


    ¡°How about you shut--¡± he flew far back as I cast a spell of wind. As he landed on the grass, I removed the shield around me. I warned him but he didn¡¯t listen. I turned to Gonzalo, giving him a nod to come with the guards. As they all arrived at the scene, the guards didn¡¯t waste any more time and arrested the man.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you all right?¡± Gonzalo asked as he arrived by my side with my page.


    I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. I put my hand on Gonzalo¡¯s arm, clung to him as I coughed out blood.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Gonzalo shouted in horror, holding me on my side.


    ¡°One of you, fetch for the Medicine King!¡± my page panicked.


    ¡°No!¡± I was able to stop them as I let it all out of my body.


    ¡°But, young prince, you¡¯re coughing out blood,¡± Gonzalo objected.


    I groaned as I stood back up, covering my mouth. ¡°I am all right, gentlemen. I¡¯m just¡­ a bit¡­ in shock,¡± I took deep breaths in. ¡°I must have overused my body with magic.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we return to your room so you could have some rest?¡± Gonzalo offered.


    ¡°I can manage, Gonzalo,¡± I smiled, clearing my throat. I turned to the guards. ¡°Make sure this man is sent to the dungeons. Once His Majesty returns, tell him what happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± they nodded in unison, dragging the man away after.


    ¡°Gonzalo,¡± I turned back to him, ¡°Make sure he¡¯s all secured but not to the point of being mistreated,¡± I instructed.


    ¡°As you wish, young prince,¡± he bowed.


    ¡°And please make sure that my sister is well taken care of,¡± I then turned to my page.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± he bowed.


    I nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you all to it. I have other matters to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± they bowed together.


    I proceeded to the stables as quickly as possible. I already took a long time with this situation.

 Chapter Four - Reunited (a)

    The market wasn¡¯t as crowded as before, which made my travel time easier and faster. People still stare but they didn¡¯t crowd over us; another good thing.


    As I arrived in front of the bakery, I tied Lady to the bench. I was about to enter when a woman wearing an apron appeared. She seemed to be one of the workers.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I politely interrupted as she was busy putting out the garbage.


    ¡°Yes, good sir?¡± she smiled as she turned to me.


    ¡°Is Laura here today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s currently working right now,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Oh, if she¡¯s busy, please let her know that I¡¯m waiting here outside,¡± I smiled, my hands behind my back.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded and went back inside.


    I proceeded to sit on the bench and wait with Lady. But before my butt could touch the wooden seat, ¡°Robert?!¡± My head quickly turned in the voice¡¯s direction, seeing Laura at the door.


    She ran to me as I stood up, hugging me as soon as she reached me. ¡°Thank the heavens you¡¯re all right,¡± she remarked, her embrace getting tighter by the second.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± I lightly tapped her back, struggling to talk and breathe. ¡°However, can you loosen up a bit? I can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she quickly pulled away. ¡°I was just so worried about you,¡± she continued as I gasped for air. ¡°You didn¡¯t even write more--¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I shouted as she jokingly poked my chest where my wound was. I turned away from her, curling into a bow in pain.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry again!¡± she quickly held onto my arm in concern. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I let out a deep breath after holding it in, trying to ignore the pain. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a wound, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°A wound?!¡± she screamed in horror. ¡°You went on a voyage and you returned wounded?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Laura,¡± I held onto her arms which she quickly shook off.


    ¡°Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down when you have some sort of wound on your body?!¡± she continued her rant.


    ¡°Laura, Laura, please,¡± I smiled as I held her arms once more. ¡°You¡¯re making a scene. Please calm down so I could explain everything.¡±


    She stopped talking and took a few deep breaths in.


    ¡°Now, can I tell you the story without you shouting in response?¡± I asked.


    She sighed, nodding after.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a seat, then.¡±


    ???


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was wounded,¡± I ended the story.


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you just saved yourself along with your mother?¡± she asked, the look of concern never left her face.


    ¡°Laura, I had to make sure everyone onboard leaves with their lives,¡± I explained. ¡°And that means even if I have to put my life at stake.¡±


    She looked down, gulping before asking, ¡°Can I see it?¡±  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    I opened a few buttons from the top of my shirt, enough to expose the wrap that goes around my chest and back.


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± she gasped, her hands covering her mouth.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Laura,¡± I assured, closing up my shirt. ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± I looked back at her.


    She was still in shock, her hands still hovering over her mouth. A tear suddenly escaped her right eye.


    ¡°Oh, Laura,¡± I wiped away the tear that fell from her green eyes. I grabbed her hands, caressing them with my thumbs as I held them in mine. ¡°I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? I returned in one piece. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    She nodded, sniffing.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t cry,¡± I wiped her tears away. ¡°A beautiful face such as yours doesn¡¯t deserve those tears.¡±


    She continued to cry with her head down. It just shows how precious she is. Crying for the well-being of someone she doesn¡¯t fully know shows her heart. This person needs to be taken care of in the best way possible.


    ¡°Well,¡± she finally talked, sniffing and wiping her tears. She looked at me as she continued, ¡°If you say you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You have my word,¡± I laid my hand on her head.


    Moments later, someone else showed up from the door. ¡°I knew it was you,¡± Grandpa Ben smiled as he caught sight of us. ¡°Laura doesn¡¯t just leave her workstation if the visitor isn¡¯t someone important to her,¡± he walked towards us.


    As he started heading to us, Laura quickly wiped any trace of tears on her face just to hide the fact that she was crying a while ago.


    But as soon as he arrived in front of us, he quickly asked, ¡°Why were you crying?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Laura faced him, trying to act like there¡¯s nothing wrong.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, Laura,¡± he answered, hands on his waist. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened, Grandpa Ben,¡± Laura insisted. ¡°I just¡­ had something in my eye.¡±


    Knowing that he won¡¯t get a straight, honest answer from her, Grandpa Ben turned to me and gave me a stare that¡¯s explicitly saying, ¡®Do you mind telling me what¡¯s going on?¡¯


    I let out a sigh and began, ¡°Laura was crying out of worry but it¡¯s nothing serious, Grandpa Ben.¡±


    ¡°Worry?¡± he asked as more confusion rose on his face. ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    ¡°I went on a voyage and I was already home months prior,¡± I continued. ¡°I just needed to take some time to recuperate for¡­ medicinal reasons.¡±


    ¡°Why? Were you hurt?¡±


    ¡°He has a bandage wrapped around his chest,¡± Laura finally entered the conversation.


    ¡°What?¡± Grandpa Ben exclaimed; his eyes furrowed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in bed? Aren¡¯t you in any kind of pain?¡± he immediately started asking questions.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better, Grandpa Ben. I just need to watch out for my actions,¡± I smiled, showing that I¡¯m in good shape - at least in my mind. ¡°The doctor said if I overused myself, the wound can still bleed.¡±


    ¡°May I see it?¡± he asked as he sat down beside me.


    I nodded and opened a few buttons to show the bandage.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked as he examined the bandage.


    ¡°We had the misfortune to come across the path of pirates,¡± I replied as I tried to shrug off the experience. ¡°One decided to¡­ make a mark on me.¡±


    ¡°I have a few medicinal herbs that might help,¡± Grandpa Ben offered as he stepped back, giving me space to close my shirt. ¡°I can give them to you in raw materials or I can concoct my special herbal medicine for you.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, Grandpa Ben but I don¡¯t want to be of any kind of trouble for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, it¡¯s not going to get in the way of overseeing the bakery,¡± he smiled, letting out a quick chuckle in the end. ¡°And it¡¯s the very least I could do; both for you and to ease Laura¡¯s worry.¡±


    I turned to Laura, waiting for her approval. Although she¡¯s a bit apprehensive about what Grandpa Ben was saying, her eyes say different.


    ¡°If it¡¯s for her sanity, I will accept it,¡± I answered, turning back to Grandpa Ben. ¡°Is there some sort of recipe for it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, would you like to do it yourself?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can ask the Medi-- I mean, our healer to do it for me,¡± I caught myself just in time to rephrase my reply as I almost used the term ¡°Medicine King¡±. Mortals don¡¯t have those, only healers. Medicine Kings are part of the myth of the immortals and I can¡¯t show any evidence that I¡¯m not of their realm. He might stop me from seeing Laura.


    Grandpa Ben replied with a nod. He then turned to Laura. ¡°Dearest, why don¡¯t you take Robert on a quick stroll? He does need to have a bit of fresh air after being confined in his room for months.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a bother if she¡¯s still busy,¡± I interrupted Grandpa Ben. ¡°I just wanted to see her and show her that I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been working hard since the earliest hours of the morning. I think she deserves to have a bit of a rest. She¡¯s been using work as a distraction ever since you last saw each other,¡± Grandpa Ben laughed a bit, turning to Laura right after. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and get Leo while we wait for you here?¡±


    Laura nodded and proceeded to the back of the bakery.


    Grandpa Ben sat beside me, putting his cane right in front of him with his hands resting on top of it. We both stayed quiet for some time until he started a new conversation, beginning with, ¡°Robert, I hope you don¡¯t take this the wrong way.¡±


    His serious tone caused my body to turn in his direction, paying attention to what he¡¯s about to say. He continued after a sigh, ¡°Please be careful with Laura as I¡¯m being cautious with letting her spend time with you.

 Chapter Four - Reunited (b)

    His request spurred confusion inside of me. My brows met as I grew more confused and nervous as well. I¡¯m not sure where he¡¯s trying to revert this conversation into but I¡¯m starting to worry. Does he think I¡¯m being a bad influence on Laura?


    Am I a distraction to her?


    Or could it be that he knows something about my true identity? Has he seen right through my disguise? Has he seen through the facade used by ancient immortals to keep us safe in their realm?


    We stayed silent once more. After the silence became deafening, Grandpa Ben proceeded, ¡°I know what you truly are. Your guards didn¡¯t spend any effort hiding your true being the last time you visited this place¡±


    My eyes widened. Was he referring to the little fiasco that happened the last time I visited this place? Did that ungrateful vendor continue spreading rumors about me?


    ¡°Also, the guard you sent to watch over us was quick to heal Laura when she accidentally cut herself whilst you were gone. That didn¡¯t help as well,¡± he smirked as he teased.


    My insides quivered with all sorts of emotions. I was worried, nervous, scared, everything in my body is in a panic. What am I supposed to answer to what he just said?!


    I think Grandpa Ben sensed that I was shaking quietly on where I was sitting because he suddenly let out a laugh. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about, Robert,¡± he put a hand on my shoulder, giving me a bit of a shake, ¡°I just want to remind you that Laura is everything to me. I trust that you won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Ben, the last thing I would want to happen is to put her in harm¡¯s way,¡± I replied as soon as he ended his sentence. ¡°I would protect her from anything, even me.¡± My words can be just words spoken by any other mouth but the moment I let my words enter his ears, I¡¯m making it clear that Laura isn¡¯t just someone that I want to play with.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know and comforting to hear,¡± he answered, satisfaction can be seen all over his face.


    Moments later, Laura finally arrived with Leo walking right beside her, gently pulling him by his rein.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± she asked as she walked towards us, leaving Leo with Lady.


    I nodded, standing up with Grandpa Ben.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the herbal medicine ready when you return,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Ben,¡± I said.


    Laura walked to Leo with me behind her. As she was about to go up, I offered help by holding her on her left side and my other hand on her right arm.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled as she sat firmly on her saddle.


    After checking everything on her and Leo, I hopped on Lady and turned to Grandpa Ben.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spend too much time out there. Laura still needs to come back before noon,¡± Grandpa Ben reminded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of that, Grandpa Ben,¡± I nodded quickly.


    Laura and I looked at each other, sharing a nod of understanding. As we bid one more goodbye to Grandpa Ben, we proceeded to the hills, Laura leading the way.


    ???If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    We¡¯ve been sitting under the tree for quite some time now and all we did was enjoy the cool breeze with silence in between us. Our horses continued to frolic in the fields together, eating grass and enjoying each other¡¯s company like we¡¯re currently doing.


    For all the while we¡¯ve been here, I¡¯ve stolen glances at her, trying to see if she¡¯s going to start a conversation between us. So far, all I saw was her, appreciating the wind with her eyes closed. She seems to be enjoying our time together even though we haven¡¯t spoken a single word to one another since we left the bakery. I want to talk to her but at the same time, I don¡¯t want to interrupt her calmness.


    I didn¡¯t realize that I¡¯ve been staring at her for too long when she suddenly said, ¡°How long are you going to be staring at me?¡± Her eyes were still closed.


    Her words kept me frozen because I wanted to move but I couldn¡¯t.


    She opened her right eye for a brief moment and smiled, closing it again, ¡°Robert, if you¡¯re going to spend our time together staring at me, you¡¯re just going to strain your eyes and neck.¡± She added, ¡°Also, it¡¯s a bit creepy.¡±


    I was able to bring myself back to reality. I gave my head a shake as I sat down firmly on my spot. ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve been staring at you too much.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been staring at me ever since we got here,¡± she replied as she opened her eyes. ¡°If there¡¯s something you want to tell me, just say it. You don¡¯t have to stare at me,¡± she continued, turning in my direction.


    I sighed and laughed nervously. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s completely fine with what I was doing or she¡¯s simply being kind and trying to brush it off.


    The silence was beginning to come between us again when she suddenly sparked another conversation, ¡°I want to apologize for overreacting a while ago.¡±


    I frowned in confusion, turning to her.


    ¡°I know I overreacted when you told me about your injuries. I apologize if I caused too much commotion for you,¡± she continued, smiling her beautiful smile. ¡°My reaction wasn¡¯t needed and I guess it was because I worried too much about you. But still, that is unacceptable and I do hope you can forgive me.¡±


    I smiled, moving closer to her. ¡°With all honesty, you did overreact when I told you the whole story,¡± I answered, sharing a quick laugh with her. ¡°I can take a good guess that all those passers-by were wondering why you were crying. I think some of them would¡¯ve asked us what¡¯s wrong. They might be thinking that I was saying hurtful things to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a negative thinker, Robert,¡± she playfully punched me on the shoulder. ¡°I wasn¡¯t that much of a crying mess.¡±


    ¡°But you were,¡± I smirked.


    She tried to hold back her laughter but as I continued to tease her, she gave in and gave out another hysterical laughter, ending it with a soft giggle.


    ¡°I guess I was a crying mess a while ago,¡± she admitted, defeated. ¡°I was just terribly worried especially when you told me the whole story about your journey.¡±


    What she said gave me a sudden realization. ¡°Speaking of story-telling, I¡¯m still curious about how you became Grandpa Ben¡¯s adoptive daughter.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve forgotten already. I didn¡¯t know you still want to hear that story,¡± she answered. ¡°And besides, it¡¯s a long one. It would just be a bore for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can keep up,¡± I said with enthusiasm. ¡°And the reason why we¡¯re spending time together is to get to know each other, correct?¡±


    She looked at me, begging me not to force her into telling. However, when she saw that I couldn¡¯t be persuaded, she let out a sigh of defeat. ¡°Grandpa Ben found me begging for food on the streets,¡± she started. ¡°He simply took me in for a few days. When he saw that I have no one, he officially called me as his adoptive daughter.¡±


    I smiled at the thought of Grandpa Ben taking in a stranger and making her a part of his family. Not everyone has that golden heart and Laura is very lucky to have him as her adoptive father.


    ¡°That was very kind of Grandpa Ben to do,¡± I replied. ¡°But I do wonder: doesn¡¯t he have a family of his own?¡±


    ¡°He did mention that the only family he ever had - or close to what a real family is - was the rich family he used to work for,¡± she explained.


    ¡°He worked for a rich family? I didn¡¯t know Grandpa Ben¡¯s life has so many doorways,¡± I remarked. ¡°Can you tell me about that one as well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ remember the exact details about that part of his life. I¡¯m not even sure if I still remember the important parts,¡± she said, her lips in a firm line as she started to think about it.


    ¡°You can tell me what you remember,¡± I smiled. ¡°I just think that it¡¯s quite a story to tell.¡±


    She began to think for a few seconds and started, ¡°Well, he did mention that he used to take care of the children of that rich family. He treated them as his own and they treated him as one of them.¡± She continued, smiling as she told the story, ¡°He even met the only woman he has ever loved within the household. That time of his life was his peak. Everything was going well for him.¡±


    ¡°If everything was going well for him, why did he leave?¡±

 Chapter Four - Reunited (c)

    Her smile slowly turned into a bit of a frown. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to leave but circumstances made him leave. When his master died, he said the children changed. They didn¡¯t know how to handle the immense grief caused by their father¡¯s passing so they decided to step away from all kinds of emotional bonds,¡± she explained, sadness came out very clearly in her voice. ¡°When that happened, he knew his presence wasn¡¯t needed anymore.¡±


    ¡°What about the woman he fell in love with?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They left together and had a life after that. However, Grandpa Ben said she worked for a different family while he pursued to have a business of his own,¡± she answered. ¡°It¡¯s such a bittersweet ending for them but Grandpa Ben said they made some sort of promise. They promised that should their paths cross once more, they will never part until they take their last breath.¡±


    Being separated from the person you¡¯ve ever loved is heartbreaking to hear. And to know that Grandpa Ben was able to overcome that, to accept the fact that he and his beloved have chosen different paths for themselves is bravery and selflessness in itself.


    Love has done a different thing for Grandpa Ben and my grandfather. Grandpa Ben seems to have given his beloved her freedom without any hesitation. My grandfather didn¡¯t want to lose my grandmother and when she did, he couldn¡¯t handle the pain, the heartbreak.


    This is one thing that I have to keep in check in the future, should I fall in love with my future queen. Should she feel that our marriage has no other purpose than to serve the alliance between our kingdoms, I will gladly give her her freedom as long as she accepts mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± I shook my head, speechless. ¡°I know Grandpa Ben has a heart of gold but I didn¡¯t know he could be that selfless.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Ben has a lot of¡­ magic - I guess we could call it that - under his sleeves,¡± Laura smiled once more. ¡°He¡¯s of many things that no one can understand. I¡¯m his daughter and I still find many surprises about him. One of those is how the bakery became to be.¡±


    ¡°As I heard correctly, you mentioned that Grandpa Ben pursued his dreams of having his own business,¡± I turned my whole body towards her direction. ¡°How was he able to do so?¡±


    ¡°A few years after Grandpa Ben left the children, one of them searched for him. The man was close to his death and the business was a secret to his siblings,¡± Laura said. ¡°The bakery was everything to him and he knew that Grandpa Ben wanted a small business of his own. He entrusted the bakery to Grandpa Ben. Everything about the bakery was given to him.¡±  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Grandpa Ben must¡¯ve been thankful because one of the children remembered him,¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the other siblings didn¡¯t try and take the bakery from him.¡±


    ¡°Eventually, after the death of that man, they found out about the bakery and tried to take it from Grandpa Ben,¡± she replied.


    ¡°What did Grandpa Ben do? How did he fight back?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Their plot to take away the bakery didn¡¯t happen. The townspeople loved the late prince and they saw that Grandpa Ben took care of the bakery,¡± Laura replied. ¡°The other siblings knew that by doing so, the people would riot and it could destroy their reputation. And who wants a tainted reputation for the rest of their lives? After that was resolved, Grandpa Ben moved the bakery here to stay away from the other children. If I was Grandpa Ben, I would hide from those heartless people.¡±


    I chuckled with her last remark. Grandpa Ben has come a long way from where he began. He¡¯s someone to look up to. Even as an immortal, I applaud him for being brave and for standing for what he loves.


    ¡°Am I amusing you with my stories?¡± she asked, giving me a nudge on the shoulder as she noticed me smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m just amazed at how brave and kind your family is. Grandpa Ben may be the only family you have but his roots made you quite the person you are today,¡± I answered. ¡°You just need to work on being kinder to other people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually trust others because all my life, giving my trust has never ended well for me,¡± she explained.


    ¡°I do hope you can trust me because we already told each other almost everything about our personal lives,¡± I explained. ¡°Spending time with you will help us to get to know each other more. And like I said before, I love having you with me. For some reason, I feel that way.¡±


    She simply smiled and said, ¡°I guess trusting you won¡¯t be a bad idea after all.¡± She then let out a little giggle after.


    ???


    We have finally returned to the bakery and the trip back home was fun. During our journey back, Laura told me different stories about Grandpa Ben¡¯s adventures. I remained silent throughout the journey because I started to feel the same emotion that I had the last time we spent time together.


    I told her again that I enjoy her company, that I love having her with me. But her response doesn¡¯t signify that she feels the same way. I¡¯m not quite sure if I¡¯m just overthinking and she does feel the same or she doesn¡¯t. Whatever the answer is, I need to know today.


    I need to have a straight answer.


    After putting Leo at the back of the bakery, Laura returned to me. ¡°Robert?¡± she called out, causing me to stand. ¡°Thank you again for accompanying me. I¡¯m glad that we¡¯re able to know more about each other.¡±


    I nodded with a firm smile to keep any kind of frustration within my mouth. Unpleasant words can have their way through one¡¯s heart in such a quick manner.

 Chapter Four - Reunited (d)

    ¡°Is there something wrong, Robert? You¡¯ve been quiet,¡± she asked.


    I simply shook my head, faking a smile as hard as I could.


    ¡°If you say so. I have to get back to work,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ll send Grandpa Ben outside to hand you that herbal medicine he mentioned a while ago.¡±


    She began to walk towards the bakery when I blurted out, ¡°Do you even feel the same way as I do?¡±


    My sudden question stopped her from walking. She slowly turned around, baffled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times about how I feel whenever we¡¯re together,¡± I replied, standing still. ¡°The last time I was here, you simply giggled. Today, your answer¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just vague or you don¡¯t feel the same about me.¡±


    ¡°I thought my actions were answers already to what you said,¡± she answered, her eyes widened with shock.


    ¡°Those ¡®answers¡¯ - that¡¯s what you call them - aren¡¯t enough,¡± I complained, my hands on my waist. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you giggled. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because you feel the same way or you just think that I¡¯m foolish to feel that way.¡±


    ¡°Robert,¡± she started to walk back to me. When she finally reached me, she immediately looked me in the eye. ¡°I reacted in such a manner¡­ because I feel the same way as you do.¡±


    I was gutted. I felt all fuzzy inside, butterflies went crazy in my stomach. My heartbeat raised out of excitement and now, containing a smile is the challenge.


    I cleared my throat before proceeding with a question, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you tell me directly?¡±


    ¡°Robert, I¡¯ve met a lot of horrible people in the past and I can¡¯t just trust someone again. I was afraid when I felt that I was getting too comfortable with you,¡± she explained. ¡°I was too afraid and I¡¯m still afraid to admit to myself that I feel the same.¡±


    I moved closer to her, our faces near to each other. I held her cheek and asked, ¡°Why would you be afraid of something such as that?¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± someone shouted from the bakery, interrupting our conversation. I looked to the door and saw Ronald coming out of the bakery. Ronald would always shout at Laura. Is he always like this?Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you, Ronald. Give us a few more minutes to talk,¡± she said, not bothering to turn around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a few minutes! I need you to get back to work now!¡± he shouted once again.


    Laura rolled her eyes and finally turned around. ¡°All I¡¯m asking for is a few more minutes! Is that hard to do, Ronald?! If I were you, I¡¯d return inside and mind my own business!¡± she snapped.


    Ronald was taken aback by Laura¡¯s reply. I don¡¯t think Laura has ever shouted at Ronald before. If she has done it in the past, her screaming wouldn¡¯t be some kind of horrific manner for the man.


    Grandpa Ben then came from behind him, asking, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Laura has arrived but instead of going back inside, she¡¯s asking for a few more minutes,¡± Ronald complained as he turned to Grandpa Ben. ¡°We need her now. More and more people are starting to arrive.¡±


    Grandpa Ben then saw me standing behind her. ¡°Oh, hello, Robert. Don¡¯t leave just yet, I¡¯ll fetch your medicine for you,¡± he greeted. He then turned to Ronald, ¡°As for you, give them a few more minutes. I have to get something for the boy.¡±


    ¡°But Grandpa Ben--¡± Ronald wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence. Grandpa Ben didn¡¯t waste his breath on arguing with him. He simply pulled Ronald by the collar and walked back inside.


    As soon as Grandpa Ben and Ronald weren¡¯t within our sights, Laura returned her attention to me. ¡°I was afraid of what I feel because I never trusted anyone the way I trusted you,¡± she started explaining. She added after a pause, ¡°The last time I trusted someone with everything, I was betrayed. I told you, all my life, I¡¯ve been cautious in trusting people.¡± She looked down to her feet after.


    Cupping her gentle face in my hands, I slowly lifted, making sure that our eyes would meet. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid of me, Laura,¡± I said as I laid my forehead on hers. ¡°That¡¯s the last thing you should think about when it comes to me.¡±


    For a moment, we stayed in that position. She closed her eyes as she moved her head down once more, drowning her face more into my hands. I caressed her cheeks with my thumbs, my forehead still on hers. We stood silent in front of passers-by but I didn¡¯t care. At that moment, it was only me and her. And nothing else mattered.


    She let out a sigh, slowly removing my hands from her face. ¡°I have to go back inside,¡± she took a step back. ¡°I will see you soon, I guess,¡± she added and turned around, making her way to the door.


    ¡°Tomorrow, then?¡± I quickly asked. I won¡¯t let her leave without knowing that I can see her tomorrow.


    She stopped walking and slowly turned her head in my direction. ¡°Tomorrow,¡± she smiled. After that, she proceeded to go inside.


    That response, accompanied by her smile was enough to give me the feeling of rush, excitement.


    Controlling my grin, Grandpa Ben finally came out and handed me the medicinal potion. As I received the potion, he remarked, ¡°I guess everything turned out well for the both of you today.¡±


    I looked up to him and he had a teasing smirk on his face. I chuckled and simply nodded.


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you here any longer. Have a safe trip back.¡± And with that, Grandpa Ben went back inside the bakery.


    I jumped onto Lady and started my journey back to the castle.

 Chapter Five - Flipped (a)

    I couldn¡¯t be happier with what just happened today. Finally, a confirmation that I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling a certain way whenever I¡¯m with Laura. All this time, I¡¯ve been battling with my demons, thinking that for her to feel the same way is impossible. Now, I don¡¯t have to worry too much over it, knowing we have mutual feelings.


    In honor of my achievement today, I¡¯ve decided to celebrate my happiness over tea while enjoying some peace in the garden. However, the silence was interrupted when someone spoke from behind me, ¡°Robert.¡±


    I turned around and saw James walking towards me. I don¡¯t want anything to ruin my peace any further so I¡¯m keeping all of my thoughts inside me and have an attempt at a decent conversation with him.


    ¡°James,¡± I greeted, standing up as I put my cup down on the table beside me.


    ¡°Please, sit down. There¡¯s no need for formal ceremonies,¡± James stopped me, putting one hand in front of him and the other behind his back.


    I nodded and took a seat whilst he sat across me. ¡°Would you like some tea?¡± I offered, holding the pot up.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± he smiled, making himself comfortable in his chair as I pour him a cup. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you like having tea in the garden. Only your mother and sister do this daily,¡± he continued, resting an arm on the table.


    I put the pot down. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to give it a try. It is quite a beautiful day to have tea,¡± I said, giving him his cup. ¡°Clouds have been gracious enough today to make it the perfect weather for tea outside.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re correct about that,¡± James agreed. ¡°I¡¯m going to be trying this every once in a while, and hopefully, I get to this with you,¡± he added with a smile. ¡°How¡¯s your day, so far?¡± he asked after taking a sip.


    ¡°Everything is just as it is. Reports and royal duties,¡± I replied, taking a sip from my own. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking of what I¡¯m going to do today because I¡¯ve finished almost half of the documents currently sitting in my study.¡±


    We stayed quiet for a few seconds when James suddenly said, ¡°How about we go on our fishing trip right now?¡±


    I turned to him, eyes wide open out of surprise. ¡°Right now? Aren¡¯t you busy during this time of the day?¡±


    ¡°Robert, if I was busy, I wouldn¡¯t be joining you for tea right now,¡± he smirked. ¡°I have no other responsibilities today. I was supposed to have a meeting with my advisers but they weren¡¯t able to arrive on time so I asked Gonzalo to tell them the meeting is moved to tomorrow,¡± he continued.


    I nodded before taking another sip.


    ¡°Come,¡± he quickly settled his cup down on the table, standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go fishing.¡±


    I looked up at him, still shocked. ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t be any hindrance to your work today?¡±


    ¡°I promised to make time for our fishing trip after you arrive from Middle Earth, remember?¡± he smiled.


    With a bit of hesitation, I put my cup down on the table and walked with him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those, I will have some of the maids take care of it,¡± he added as we headed back to the castle.


    I¡¯m not going to lie: I¡¯m both shocked and amazed at how dedicated James is to spend time with me. Mostly, this time of the day when he¡¯s on his busiest: handling meetings from one to the other. But for him to act as a father does make me happy.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Perhaps, this could be the beginning of a new relationship between James and me. I still have my doubts regarding his actions but as I promised Mother, Elizabeth, and Nana, I have to give James a chance.


    ???


    It was a good day for fishing. There¡¯s nothing to hear but the gentle current of the river, the wind gently blowing around us. There were frogs close by, a few of them croaking loudly. The sun was out but it wasn¡¯t that hot as the clouds slowly passed under its light, giving us shade every once in a while.


    James and I have been sitting on a rock for quite some time, waiting for something to bite. The guards are having their own time together, not far but close enough to keep an eye on us and to make sure of our security.


    The silence between us is so thick, you can pierce a sword through it and it will bleed. But for the first time in such a long time, the silence doesn¡¯t feel hostile. We are spending time together but not in the way where we need to talk. Somewhere, we understood one another, read each other¡¯s minds that it¡¯s better if we keep our words to ourselves.


    My thoughts were interrupted when James finally spoke, ¡°I trust that you have taken care of all the needed work for today.¡±


    My inner thoughts groaned, irritated that we¡¯re talking about royal duties during our time together but I¡¯m not surprised as well. James has occupied himself with everything about responsibilities towards the crown. However, I did hope that he would talk about something different.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± I said, not wasting my time to even look in his direction. ¡°Before I do anything else, I make sure that my duties come first.¡±


    ¡°You have learned a lot, Robert. You don¡¯t know how proud I am of you,¡± he replied with pride. ¡°Every kingdom in our realm has been raving about you. If only you could hear their praises, you¡¯d be glad that I chose you as heir and I raised you the way a future king should be raised in.¡±


    My mouth turned into a firm line on what he just said. I didn¡¯t know neglect and making sure a child is stripped off of relationships is the best way to rear a child, especially a monarch that will soon take the throne.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also made the arrangements for our celebration for your victory over the pirates on the Sea of Gliss,¡± he added. ¡°The kingdom has been very pleased with your heroic gestures during your voyage.¡±


    ¡°James, what happened at the Sea of Gliss was your success and my failure,¡± I answered, trying not to sound irritated. ¡°I put Mother¡¯s life in danger and almost got myself killed. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s considered to be my victory.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on yourself, Robert,¡± he adjusted his positing, putting his right knee close to his chest. ¡°Leading men to battle and in such an unexpected situation isn¡¯t an easy feat for any princess of your age to achieve. What you did was worth celebrating.¡±


    I kept silent, biting my cheeks to prevent myself from saying anything. It isn¡¯t worth it to fight about. I should be more thankful that James is finally giving me some kind of recognition for my efforts. It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been asking for and it has arrived. Or maybe I should just let him do what he thinks is necessary and let this conversation end here.


    ¡°Have you planned your celebration with them?¡± he asked, changing the topic.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m yet to get into the details. I have so many things to take care of, too many aspects to consider. I want that day to be special, not only for the crew but also for their families,¡± I explained.


    ¡°If you like, we can hold both celebrations on the same day. Therefore, we can plan everything in one go,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I quickly protested. ¡°I want them to have their day of celebration, a day where they¡¯re the ones who are honored, praised.¡±


    ¡°I completely understand,¡± he nodded. ¡°Everyone deserves their own time to be in the spotlight. Have you decided when you will be holding the event?¡±


    ¡°Having it before mine would be a good idea,¡± I said as I adjusted my fishing rod. ¡°The captain and his crew are the true heroes of the battle. They have fought valiantly and they deserve the recognition for their bravery and loyalty to the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I will inform you once we made the final decision on when your knighthood celebration will be held,¡± he smiled.


    Contented on what we agreed on, I let out a light smile. The thrill of excitement and relief flowed throughout my entire body. These emotions are foreign whenever I¡¯m with James, even if we¡¯re just a few inches away. We¡¯ve always been hostile to one another. But to be able to spend time with him without us holding each other by the neck and to be able to feel comfortable around him is both bizarre and something to look forward to starting today.


    ¡°Oh!¡± he shouted as something started tugging on his bait. ¡°I think I caught something!¡±


    ???


    ¡°The advisors said that the orphanage was very thankful for the approved proposal, James,¡± Elizabeth smiled, slicing through her piece of fish.

 Chapter Five - Flipped (b)

    James caught a big fish during our fishing trip and Mother decided that the best way to celebrate his catch is to have the fish for dinner. It was surprising enough to please all four of us and the way the fish was cooked: amazing.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t thank me. They should thank Robert,¡± James said, looking in my direction.


    I stopped with my actions, looking at all of them with wide eyes. ¡°My apologies, my mind was somewhere else when I heard my name.¡±


    James chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I sent the proposal you approved to the orphanage and Elizabeth said that they were very pleased with the decision,¡± James explained.


    My brows furrowed as I felt even more baffled by what James just told me. Approved proposal? He hated that decision. He said it¡¯s not right to send it back to the orphanage. How come he¡¯s all of a sudden telling me that the orphanage is thankful for their request being approved by the crown?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± is all I can say at this point.


    ¡°Robert,¡± Mother called, making me turn in her direction. ¡°I saw that you approved their request for additional support with their finances. Although it wasn¡¯t a smart decision to make in regards to our economy, I¡¯m proud that you¡¯re willing to give them what they needed to make sure everything that they need will be provided for,¡± she continued.


    Turning back to James, I answered, ¡°When you received that report, you said it couldn¡¯t be sent back and it shouldn¡¯t be approved. Why did you go through with my decision if you were opposing it in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I thought about what you told me and I realized that you were indeed right,¡± he pulled his hand back slowly. ¡°They are our people. As much as we¡¯re taking care of them, they are taking care of us by being loyal to the crown. Your mother is correct about one thing: if we always approve of everyone¡¯s request for additional income, the economy might turn upside down,¡± he explained, ¡°But our advisors are currently looking for ways to give everyone what they need without sacrificing the economy.¡±


    I am still confused about what just happened. I wasn¡¯t expecting that James would even consider going through with that approved proposal. But I¡¯m satisfied and relieved that he did because the orphanage has been one of the most loyal people to the monarchy. And they have been giving all of their time and effort to children with no families, something I¡¯ve always admired since I was little.


    ¡°Now, enough about that. Let¡¯s discuss Robert¡¯s knighthood,¡± James started a new topic as he returned to his food. ¡°I would like to discuss it with the three of you, especially Robert since this is such an important step for the prince.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is,¡± Elizabeth nodded with an excited smile.


    ¡°Have you thought of what you want for your celebration, dear one?¡± Mother quickly asked.


    ¡°Um, I haven¡¯t given it any thoughts yet. James and I agreed that he will be the one to take care of the knighthood ceremony as I handle the one for the crew,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Celebration for the crew?¡± Mother asked, turning to James for answers.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I mentioned it to you, Amelia?¡± James replied, puzzled. ¡°Robert believes that the ones who should be celebrated and decorated with honors are the captain and his crew. He wants to make sure that they receive their respectful rewards for their bravery and loyalty.¡±


    Mother and Elizabeth looked at me, amazed and astounded. I lowered my head to avoid their stares, trying to keep all of my focus on the fish in front of me. My hands began to shake in embarrassment. I don¡¯t want to be seen as such a kind and perfect human being but the captain and his crew deserve all the praises for what they did for my mother and me.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I would be more than happy to help Robert with the preparations for the crew,¡± Elizabeth replied, enthusiasm radiating from her. ¡°I would like to extend my gratitude for making sure my mother and my brother returned safely from their voyage.¡±


    ¡°Would that be okay with you, Robert?¡± James asked, turning his head to me.


    I nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± James remarked, happy that everyone got along with one single decision.


    ???


    It¡¯s been a couple of hours after lunch and all I did was look out the window and admire the view of the garden. Although there¡¯s nothing new about the view, the undying beauty of nature is refreshing and relaxing. I should be doing other princely duties but my mother did say she preferred that I do nothing today. I decided that having some peace all to myself would be the best way to pass the time. My peace, however, was disrupted by a sudden knock on my door.


    ¡°Enter,¡± I slowly faced the door, crossing my legs.


    As the door opened, my page entered and quickly bowed. ¡°My deepest apologies, Your Highness, for disturbing you. Mallory is here, she wants to have a word with you.¡±


    I groaned as my face landed on my hand. The only time of the day where I don¡¯t want to be bothered by anything but Mallory managed to make it worse. I¡¯m not surprised at this point because she¡¯s been doing this consistently ever since we had our agreement.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry at me, Your Highness,¡± my page knelt, humbling himself in a panic. ¡°I tried telling her that you don¡¯t want to be disturbed but she insisted.¡±


    ¡°Let her in, please,¡± I said along with a sigh.


    He stood up in haste and left the room. Mallory quickly entered and closed the door, doing a curtsey after.


    ¡°Mallory, I have the utmost confidence that my page told you that I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed right now,¡± I began the conversation with an agitated tone.


    ¡°Yes, he did,¡± she quickly replied.


    ¡°Why would you still insist on bothering me?¡± I continued. ¡°I still need time to rest and instead of being an understanding person, you insisted on disturbing my only time of peace for today. Are you that inconsiderate?¡± my teeth gritted as I grew even more frustrated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m bothering you but I have to talk to you about something,¡± she began walking towards me, her hands in front of her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t this conversation wait for another day?¡± I complained.


    ¡°This is very important. It¡¯s about something you agreed to,¡± she quickly answered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head to the right.


    She stood in front of me, quiet with her eyes looking in every direction. She was thinking of something, in a bit of a panic.


    ¡°Mallory, please stop with the theatrics and tell me the reason why you¡¯re here,¡± I groaned, patience growing thinner and thinner by the minute.


    ¡°Do you remember the promise you made before leaving for Middle Earth?¡± she stuttered, cautious with her words. She wasn¡¯t showing her usual confident side which was odd.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall any promises made before my voyage,¡± I bluntly replied, my brows creased out of confusion.


    She looked at me with shock which turned to disappointment in a matter of seconds. ¡°Robert, are you deliberately doing this to make me angry?¡±


    ¡°Mallory, if I want to make you angry, I would do more than just tease you about a small matter,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But in all honesty, I don¡¯t remember making any promises with you before I left.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Do you remember that conversation we had in the garden?¡±


    Oh, how could I forget, Mallory? Playing the whole conversation in my head makes me even more irritated with her. She doesn¡¯t respect my boundaries and the conditions I made for the relationship that we have. My blood continued to boil to the point that I can¡¯t control it anymore.


    ¡°What about that conversation?¡± I asked, doing my best to keep myself calm.


    ¡°You agreed that I can introduce my friend after your voyage,¡± she answered without letting me finish the last word of my question.


    My mind froze as she said that. I suddenly remembered agreeing to that and now that she¡¯s asking me about it, I am beyond terrified. Inside, I began to tremble, my heart raced as I tried to find my way out of this situation. On the outside, it may seem like I have everything under control but on the outside, I am in turmoil.


    ¡°Why are you bringing up this topic?¡± I asked, sounding unbothered as much as possible. She mustn¡¯t see that I¡¯m secretly in a panic.


    ¡°Do you remember it now?¡± she asked victoriously.


    ¡°Yes, I remember it well, Mallory,¡± I gruntled. ¡°How can I forget the day that you did not consider the agreement we made before this relationship?¡±


    My snarky remark caught her off guard, making her take a step back.

 Chapter Five - Flipped (c)

    ¡°Now, please answer the question: why bring up this matter?¡± I repeated.


    She played with her hands for a brief moment then took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°I brought my friend here. She¡¯s waiting downstairs at the stables.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± my hands gripped onto the armrest as I leaned forward, removing my legs from their previous position.


    ¡°You said I can introduce you after your trip--¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that you can just decide on your own,¡± I started walking towards her, scolding her as if she was a child. She¡¯s completely acting like one right now. ¡°What made you think that you can simply make such a decision without asking me first?¡± my hands on my waist as I stood in front of her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to ask you because I was immediately sent to the Mortal Realm to find some kind of herb--¡±


    ¡°Mortal Realm?¡± I interrupted. ¡°Are you telling me that you brought a mortal being here?!¡±


    ¡°I told you she was from--¡±


    ¡°I know where she¡¯s from!¡± I shouted, my hands in the air out of frustration. ¡°All I¡¯m asking is why would you bring someone from the mortal realm here?!¡±


    ¡°Because you said I can introduce you to her!¡± she replied, her voice in a panic, fear painted across her entire face.


    Unbelievable.


    My mouth hung from my face in utter contempt. Not for a second will, I believe that Mallory is this idiotic to even think that what she did is close to acceptable. I would have thrown her to the dungeons immediately if I wasn¡¯t involved in what she did. I can¡¯t hurt her because it¡¯s not something I stand for. But she continued to push me to my absolute limit since we started whatever this is that we started.


    ¡°Mallory,¡± I scratched my forehead as I struggled to find the proper way to say what I needed to say. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what kind of food you¡¯ve eaten today¡­ but were you even using half of your brain when you made this decision?¡±


    She stood there, unmoving. She just stared at me, looking at me with confusion.


    ¡°You disobeyed the rules that I set for this relationship,¡± I continued, trying to be as calm as possible, ¡°Now, you disobeyed the rules of this realm, which is punishable by death.¡±


    ¡°I am well-aware that bringing a mortal to our realm is an unforgivable crime--¡±


    ¡°Then why would you do it?!¡± I screamed up to the top of my lungs. ¡°You know what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong. Why are you making everything worse?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m trying to show you how much I love you, Robert!¡± she replied, desperation evident in her voice.


    I stared at her, not knowing what to say.


    She continued, her composure is slowly failing her, ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m willing to break all the rules just so I could show you how much you mean to me.¡±


    I scoffed in disbelief, turning around as I¡¯ve had enough of this conversation. We¡¯ve been going around in circles regarding this matter. It has become tiring and annoying to repeat what I told her numerous times.


    ¡°Robert,¡± she called as she rushed over to me. She stood in front of me, blocking my path, ¡°You always say that the rules of this kingdom will never permit us to be together. Well, this is my way of showing you that I¡¯m willing to die for you just to be with you. No woman can do that for you but for me.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Mallory, stop! Enough with these delusions!¡± I answered, raising my voice as I gripped her arms tightly, giving her a bit of a shake. ¡°No matter what you do, whether I¡¯m a prince of a lowly peasant, I will never be yours,¡± I emphasized. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that? How long must we dance around this matter?¡±


    Her eyes widened as they began to water. She stood frozen, stunned. ¡°Why are you like this?¡± she spoke after staying silent for a while. Her voice began to crack. She shook my hands off as she continued, ¡°Every time I do something to prove my love for you, you would always say you will never be mine, that we¡¯ll never be together. Why are you this heartless?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not called being heartless, Mallory. It¡¯s called being honest, realistic,¡± I said after a groan. ¡°From the very beginning of this pretentious relationship, I warned you about being too attached and wishing for too much. I told you, I agreed to this just so you can tell yourself that somehow, we had something more other than being friends. But you should never expect that my true feelings for you will change.¡±


    ¡°Robert,¡± she gently called, holding onto my hand. ¡°My love for you is stronger than the storms your father can do. Isn¡¯t it powerful enough to change your mind? To change your heart?¡±


    To hear the desperation in Mallory¡¯s voice, to see that she¡¯s putting all of these efforts into something that will never lead to anything is heart-breaking for me. I didn¡¯t want to do this to her because I know how much pain she¡¯ll be having. But she did ask for this, she has her share of fault in this situation.


    I let out a sigh as I looked away from her. I can¡¯t bear to see her in tears, especially because of me. ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet your friend,¡± I changed the topic, slowly pulling my hand away from her grip. ¡°Making your guest wait is rude and improper.¡± I began walking to the door but I was quickly pulled back. This time, she¡¯s holding onto my arm.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question yet,¡± she said as I slowly turned back to look at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t my love powerful enough to make you love me?¡± she repeated with desperation this time.


    The silence was again present within the room¡­ but it wasn¡¯t because of peace. It was silent because of pain and denial. It was loud enough to be heard across all kingdoms.


    I sighed as I swallowed a big gulp, slowly removing her hand from my arm. ¡°Mallory,¡± I began, not having the strength to face her. Seeing her in tears isn¡¯t something my heart and my conscience can bear. ¡°I will never love you in the way you love me. But you will always have a place in my heart¡­ as my sister.¡±


    She took a few steps back as she heard my response. She said nothing, did nothing but wept behind me. The very thought of tears streaming down her face is heart-breaking. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in as guilt started to wash all over me.


    I¡¯m fully aware that we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if I didn¡¯t agree to what she wanted. She wouldn¡¯t be begging for the entirety of my affections. She wouldn¡¯t be crying because of heartbreak if I stood my ground. The day I allowed this arrangement between the two of us¡­ was the ultimate push for us to be acting this way towards each other.


    I cleared my throat, looking down on my hands as I rubbed them together, a failed attempt to compose myself and to get some strength to turn the conversation into a different one. ¡°Come,¡± I said, breaking the agonizing silence. ¡°We mustn¡¯t keep your friend waiting.¡±


    I began walking towards the door when Mallory suddenly remarked, ¡°Why bother?¡±


    I turned around, baffled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She slid her arm across her nose, wiping it dry as she continued to sniff. ¡°What¡¯s the point of introducing you if you keep on reminding me that our relationship isn¡¯t real?¡±


    I groaned. Now, she¡¯s saying there¡¯s no need for this? I¡¯m not the one who told her to make this decision in the first place.


    I walked back to her, my hands behind my back. ¡°Mallory, you brought your friend here for a reason. For sure, she still has other things to do but she chose to accompany you today,¡± I explained, trying to reason with her. ¡°Also, I did agree to this and I¡¯m not going to leave you alone in this.¡±


    She continued to keep her head down, sometimes looking away as she avoided my gaze. Observing her face and actions, I could tell that she wasn¡¯t convinced. I fear for Mallory and her friend. She mentioned she left her friend to wait at the stables. If one of the servants discovered her, Mallory will be punished and her friend will lose her life.


    Mortals aren¡¯t allowed to know the existence of immortals, more so step foot in our realm. Those who did lose their eyes or the worst care for that is death. Only the ones who survived that punishment requested for their memories to be washed away. And not many immortals have that power. Thankfully, Gonzalo has that ability and took care of the situation in the mortal realm.

 Chapter Five - Flipped (d)

    ¡°Mallory, if you¡¯re willing to accept punishment for your actions, I will not stop you,¡± I warned. ¡°But I don¡¯t think your friend deserves to pay with her life because of your actions.¡±


    Her head quickly turned to me. Fear has dominated her previously weeping face. ¡°Are you going to tell His Majesty?¡± she quickly asked, her eyes wide open.


    ¡°I won¡¯t but if one of the servants finds her there, they may tell the king,¡± I added.


    She was suddenly torn. She¡¯s too broken to proceed with it but I can see her genuine concern for her friend.


    I offered her my hand, causing her to look at me with a confused look on her face. ¡°Come, now. You don¡¯t want to be seen as a rude friend.¡±


    She looked at my hand before looking back at me again.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this, Mallory,¡± I added, trying not to sound as demanding as possible. ¡°You have to make a decision right now. Her life is absolutely in peril right now.¡±


    After hesitating for a few more seconds, she finally held onto my hand and we made our way to the stables.


    ???


    As we arrived at the stables, no one was waiting for us. I looked around once more, making sure that I¡¯m not missing anything or anyone.


    ¡°I thought you said your friend¡¯s here,¡± I said, turning to her.


    ¡°I hid her somewhere here. I¡¯ll go ahead and get her,¡± she replied as she walked away.


    ¡°This won¡¯t take long, right?¡± I asked, putting my hands behind my back.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She didn¡¯t answer and began checking each empty stable. When there was no sign of someone hiding inside the stables, she went back to where she started and began knocking three times on the wooden gates.


    ¡°Mallory?¡± a voice suddenly came from the very last stable, one where Elizabeth¡¯s horse was being kept.


    Mallory rushed over to that stable. As she looked over the gate, she talked to someone I can¡¯t see, ¡°What are you doing in there?¡± Mallory quickly opened the gate, careful not to let the horse escape. I started to hear shuffling where Mallory was.


    ¡°You told me to hide,¡± a faint voice replied as I heard more shuffling from the stable.


    I turned around, giving them privacy to speak with one another.


    ¡°I told you to hide but not in an occupied stable,¡± Mallory scolded.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry,¡± her friend answered, her voice still fainted, almost like a whisper.


    I finally heard footsteps coming towards me after they stopped talking and the wooden gate was closed. As their footsteps started to come closer, my heart began to beat faster. Sweat started to form in my hands as they remained closed behind my back.


    ¡°Is this him?¡± I heard her friend whispered.


    ¡°Yes, this is him. Should you find him a bit distant, that¡¯s just the way he is,¡± Mallory responded, chuckling nervously after.


    I scoffed at what I just heard. Being distant isn¡¯t the way I am. Being distant is just something I use to prevent myself from getting embroiled in trouble. For Mallory to tell her friend that this is how I normally act is a bit annoying.


    They finally stopped behind me and Mallory stood in front of me. She whispered as she moved closer, ¡°What am I supposed to say? How are we supposed to act?¡±


    As I looked into her eyes, there was a glint of hope while some part of her is lost within the situation. But I could tell that she¡¯s hoping that we would act like a real couple in front of her friend. It may not be the best thing to do but it¡¯s what¡¯s right and I can¡¯t embarrass her.


    I grabbed her hands, slowly bringing them closer to my lips. ¡°The least I could do,¡± I spoke after laying a soft peck on her hands. ¡°The very least I could do is treat you as my beloved.¡±


    She began to smile, her eyes started to water out of happiness.


    ¡°But after this, don¡¯t expect that I will be doing it for the rest of our time together. Do you understand?¡± I added.


    Her smile quickly turned into a firm line as she nodded.


    I gently put her hand on my arm as I slowly turned around to face her friend. But turning around¡­ was the biggest mistake I¡¯ve ever made.

 Chapter Six - Mistake (a)

    As soon as I caught sight of her friend, the universe stopped. Not a sound was heard, not a muscle moved. Right then and there, I was frozen, trying to understand what¡¯s happening.


    Not having a clue of what¡¯s going on, Mallory began introducing us with a smile, ¡°Robert, I would like for you to meet Laura. Laura, this is Robert, the man I was telling you about.¡±


    Laura¡¯s eyes were wide open, I couldn¡¯t tell what she¡¯s feeling right now. Is she in shock? Is her blood boiling out of rage? Is she as confused as me right now? What are the odds that Mallory¡¯s friend is the same person that I¡¯ve been very careful not to hurt?


    ¡°Robert?¡± Mallory¡¯s faint voice became clearer as she continued to call out to me. ¡°Robert?¡±


    I blinked twice as I returned to reality. From the corner of my eyes, Laura took a deep breath in and started avoiding my stare, looking around the stable.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Mallory continued to ask, putting her hand on my right chest.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Um, yes.¡± I then looked at Laura, trying to keep in my thoughts and the urge to tell Mallory that I know her. ¡°Forgive me for staring¡­ madam,¡± I spoke, my heart shattered into pieces as I acted that I don¡¯t know her.


    Laura cleared her throat as she replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, good sir. You didn¡¯t do anything¡­ wrong.¡± She continued to avoid my stare.


    ¡°Robert, Laura over here is a baker,¡± Mallory entered the conversation, ¡°She made those cookies that I gave you before.¡±


    ¡°Well, the cookies are truly exquisite,¡± I forced a smile, trying to have a conversation with Laura. My face, however, doesn¡¯t want to cooperate. Every time I tried to talk to her, my cheeks began to shake, out of panic and worry.


    ¡°My apologies, Mallory, but I need to return to the bakery,¡± Laura turned to Mallory, a forced smile trying to hide other emotions from coming out of her face.


    ¡°Oh, so quickly?¡± Mallory asked, letting go of me as she walked towards her.


    ¡°Yes, I have so much to do and I need some¡­ time alone,¡± Laura replied. ¡°For me to rest, I mean,¡± she added.


    ¡°Shall I accompany you back to your realm?¡± Mallory asked.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any need for that,¡± she shook her head, still forcing herself to smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb you and Sir Robert here,¡± she finally turned to me and glared.


    ¡°Um, why don¡¯t you stay for a little longer? I have something to give you,¡± Mallory answered as she headed to the entrance of the kitchen.


    ¡°You can give me that some other time. I just really need to go home,¡± Laura quickly protested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Laura, it will only take a few seconds--¡±


    ¡°Just let her go, Mallory,¡± I intervened, my eyes closed out of frustration. My reply made everyone quiet. I don¡¯t want this to go any further and I¡¯m sure Laura feels the same.


    ¡°What?¡± Mallory asked from behind me.


    I turned my gaze to Laura and she reciprocated, looking back at me. ¡°Let her go,¡± I repeated, softly this time.


    As she looked at me, she almost let her guard down. Her eyes were wide open as she held back her tears at the very sight of me. Her mind must be a deep ocean of questions by now. Her inner strength to hold back the tears can only go for so long. Her breathing sharpened when it was previously calm. Or at least, trying to be.


    ¡°But--¡±


    ¡°Mallory,¡± I stopped Mallory again. ¡°If she wants to go, let her.¡±


    For a few more seconds, Laura and I shared glances once more, painful glances. We just stood there, staring at each other. But in her eyes, the pain is undeniably there.


    I could feel the pain.


    ¡°Robert? Laura? Are you all right?¡± Mallory asked as she walked towards us.


    Laura, please say something. I implore you to say something. Tell her the truth. Let¡¯s stop pretending that we¡¯re strangers.


    ¡°Of course, we are,¡± Laura stuttered, shaking her head as she returned to reality.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mallory asked. ¡°Ever since you saw each other, both of you look stunned.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time we met. Don¡¯t put any meaning behind our shared silence¡± I entered the conversation, my annoyance towards Mallory has started to show.


    My response became an open door for the silence to come and join us again. This is one of the worst days of my life, second from the day I was informed of my marriage.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take this as my moment to leave,¡± Laura spoke, letting out a quick chuckle. A forced chuckle is painful to hear. She¡¯s giving her absolute best to act as if there¡¯s nothing wrong.


    ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t stay for a little longer?¡± Mallory attempted to convince Laura to stay again.


    Laura gave her a gentle smile before engulfing Mallory into a tight embrace. ¡°Maybe some other time,¡± she answered, pulling away after.


    Mallory smiled at her. ¡°I will see you some other time.¡±


    Laura nodded, her smile in a tight line. ¡°It was¡­ a pleasure¡­¡± she struggled with her sentence as she slightly turned to me. ¡°A big honor¡­ to finally meet you, Robert.¡±


    I held my breath as I bowed to her. ¡°The pleasure is all mine,¡± I responded, keeping my voice low to prevent it from shaking. As I heard footsteps leave, I slowly stood upright, letting a shaky breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Mallory stepped closer to me, the two of us looking at the entrance. ¡°She was excited to meet you. For some reason, she started acting strange upon seeing you,¡± she continued.


    My heart continued to break as I stared blankly at the entrance, regretting every decision that I¡¯ve made that led me into this situation.


    ¡°Robert,¡± Mallory held onto the cloth of my sleeve, giving it a bit of a shake. ¡°Why did you let her go so easily?¡±

 Chapter Six - Mistake (b)

    I removed her hand, looking at her with an irritated expression. ¡°Why would you prolong her agony? She¡¯s completely uncomfortable in front of us,¡± I said.


    ¡°I was going to get the memory adjusting powder I bought,¡± Mallory replied, playing with her fingers. ¡°You said you don¡¯t want anyone to know about our relationship. So, I figured I could get some kind of concoction to erase her memory of this meeting.¡±


    My nostrils flared as I turned my back in an attempt to calm myself. So, all this pain, all of these frustrations will go to waste because she already planned to wipe away every trace of this agonizing meeting at the end? She could¡¯ve just not decided to do a stupid decision.


    Mallory walked towards me and stood in front of me. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Robert. I¡¯ll simply visit her tomorrow and take care of everything,¡± she added, clearly in a panic.


    ¡°Just leave her alone, Mallory,¡± I spatted, no longer having control over my temper. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she suffered enough already?¡±


    My response took her by surprise. She took a few steps back, keeping a wide space away from me. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I scoffed and headed to Lady¡¯s stable. After removing the lock, I swung the gate door open, allowing Lady to roam free.


    ¡°Robert, where are you going?¡± Mallory asked as soon as I jumped on Lady. There¡¯s no time to prepare Lady¡¯s saddle. I need to catch up with Laura as soon as possible.


    ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± she asked as she followed me out of the stables. When I still didn¡¯t look at her, she stood in my path. ¡°What is this? Why are you like this?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m ending this joke of a relationship that we have!¡± I shouted.


    Tears immediately ran down her face. ¡°What?¡± her voice, fainted as it started to crack.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mallory¡­ but it¡¯s for your good,¡± I answered. ¡°This arrangement will only destroy you.¡± And with that, I went on my way.


    ¡°Robert¡­¡± Mallory called, her voice failing her. ¡°Robert? Robert!¡± she suddenly started shouting, running after me. She continued to scream after me until I reached the gate.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Mallory outside!¡± I ordered as I passed the gate. As I was a few paces away from the gate, I heard the metal bars closed, locking loudly.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Robert!¡± Mallory shouted for the last time as I disappeared from her sight.


    The only person that matters to me right now¡­ is Laura. And the only thing I¡¯m praying for is that I hope it¡¯s not too late.


    ???


    I rode to the shop as fast as I could. As soon as I arrived, I jumped off Lady and ran towards Ronald who was fixing and sorting a few things in front of the shop.


    ¡°Ronald,¡± I called as I approached him. He turned around and as soon as he caught sight of me, his face changed from baffled to absolutely annoyed. ¡°Is Laura inside?¡±


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Laura¡¯s wealthy suitor,¡± he remarked sarcastically, clearly not amused to see me.


    ¡°Have you seen Laura?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t obvious enough, now is not the time to ask me questions, especially regarding the whereabouts of my fellow workers,¡± he replied sourly, focusing on what he¡¯s doing.


    ¡°I understand that your hands are full right now and I don¡¯t want to waste your time,¡± I answered. ¡°But if you could tell me where Laura is, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite busy right now,¡± he answered, a hint of annoyance in his voice.


    ¡°I know but--¡±


    My sentence was cut short when he threw a piece of wood to the ground, facing me with a face full of anger.


    ¡°I am not the keeper of my fellow workers!¡± he shouted. He pointed quickly to whatever he is doing and continued, ¡°I am currently in the middle of something so why don¡¯t you turn around, get on your horse and leave?!¡±


    Without warning, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him to the wall. Behind me, I could feel some people have started to crowd and stare.


    ¡°What is your problem?¡± he shouted, his voice started to shake, shock and horror painted across his face.


    ¡°Look, here, I¡¯ve been patient with you,¡± I growled as I moved closer to him. ¡°I¡¯ve been respectfully asking you and I think I deserve to be answered with the same kind of respect.¡±


    He gulped, looking at me with wide-open eyes.


    ¡°I suggest you answer me right now or the next thing you¡¯ll be feeling on your back is shattered glass from that window,¡± I threatened, giving a glance at the window within arms¡¯ reach. I continued, ¡°Let me repeat my question: where is Laura?¡± My wound began to pulse as impatience ruled over my body. It felt as if it reopened and will continue to reopen if I continue to pin Ronald on the wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Laura is. She¡¯s not here,¡± he said, terrified but still, a hint of arrogance can be heard. ¡°She was here a while ago but she simply fetched Leo and left again.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re telling me the truth?¡± I gritted, my eyes narrowed as I pinned him harder.


    ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know,¡± he complained. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to finish my job for the day without being scolded by Grandpa Ben.¡±


    Seeing that there¡¯s no point in continuing this conversation, I slowly put him down. ¡°Was that too hard?¡± I asked, sarcastically.


    He gave me a sarcastic smile, chuckling as he continued whatever it is that he¡¯s doing.


    I took a deep breath in as I turned around, clasping my chest as the stinge of pain started to intensify. The adrenaline from my anger has died down and now, the only thing I can feel is pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Grandpa Ben¡¯s voice came out of nowhere. I turned around, forgetting the fact that my wound started bleeding. As soon as Grandpa Ben saw my situation, he screamed at Ronald, ¡°What did you do?! Why is Robert bleeding?!"

 Chapter Six - Mistakes (c)

    Ronald quickly turned in my direction as Grandpa Ben rushed over to me.


    ¡°Grandpa Ben¡­¡± I struggled to breathe because of the pain. ¡°This¡­ is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing?! How can you tell me this is nothing when you¡¯re bleeding all over?!¡± Grandpa Ben screamed in panic. ¡°Come and have a seat. Ronald, go to my study and fetch my medicinal herbs,¡± Grandpa Ben instructed as he gave me a hand towards the bench.


    Ronald let out a scoff before following Grandpa Ben¡¯s orders. Ronald certainly has an attitude. I don¡¯t understand why Grandpa Ben is putting up with him. I¡¯m not sure if this is how he treats everyone else but if that¡¯s the case, he shouldn¡¯t be working, especially since Grandpa Ben¡¯s character is very different from him.


    ¡°Slowly, son,¡± Grandpa Ben said as I sat down on the wooden bench, mindful with my actions in order not to add more pain to the already agonizing feeling that I have.


    Moments later, Ronald finally arrived with a basket full of little sacks made out of cloth.


    ¡°Can you tell me what happened here?¡± he asked Ronald, furious.


    As Grandpa Ben rummaged through the basket for a specific herb, Ronald and I looked at each other. He was worried, scared, unsure of what he¡¯s going to answer.


    Grandpa Ben finally found what he was looking for and turned to the two of us. ¡°Well? Can¡¯t one of you answer my question?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Nothing serious, Grandpa Ben,¡± Ronald smiled nervously as Grandpa Ben asked me to open the top of my shirt. ¡°Robbert and I are just getting to know each other.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? Also, this may hurt a little,¡± Grandpa Ben asked, giving me a quick warning before proceeding. With absolute care, he patted a small lump on my wound. As soon as the herbs made contact with my skin, they stung, making me wince.


    ¡°What Ronald said was true,¡± I tried to smile as the herbs took effect on my wound. My response resulted in Ronald letting out a big, quiet breath of relief.


    Oh, Ronald, I¡¯m not yet finished with my response.


    I continued, ¡°Laura and I are in a bit of an argument. She walked away during a heated discussion and I don¡¯t know where she went.¡± I can¡¯t tell Grandpa Ben the real reason why I¡¯m looking for her. It¡¯s better that I make up an excuse. ¡°I headed here and asked Ronald if he knows where she is.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Ronald, luckily, was outside so I decided to ask him. However, his arrogance got the best of him so I shoved him onto the wall,¡± I smirked while Ronald stared at me in horror. ¡°But other than that, everything is okay.¡±


    Grandpa Ben stood up and turned to Ronald, slowly approaching him.


    ¡°Grandpa Ben, I can explain,¡± Ronald put his hands in front of him in a panic.


    Grandpa Ben suddenly hit Ronald behind his head. ¡°Ronald, I¡¯ve been warning you about your behavior,¡± he began to scold Ronald. ¡°Just because you¡¯re second in command, that doesn¡¯t give you the right to treat others as if they¡¯re beneath you,¡± he continued, his hands on his waist. ¡°Go back inside the bakery!¡± he pointed at the door.


    Ronald looked at him in disbelief. Realizing that there¡¯s no chance of explaining his side, he surrendered and went back inside. As Ronald made his way back into the bakery, he turned to me and mouthed, ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I hate you even more,¡± I teased, making Grandpa Ben turn back to him.


    Grandpa Ben gave him another hit on the back of his head. ¡°Shut that hole in your mouth and go back inside!¡±


    Ronald walked back inside the shop, rubbing the back of his head.


    ¡°My apologies about that, young Robert,¡± Grandpa Ben sat down and continued to tend to my wound. ¡°Ronald has always been like that. I never knew what to do with him exactly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you continue to bear with him, Grandpa Ben. It¡¯s clear to me that you¡¯ve been frustrated with him for a long time now,¡± I remarked, wincing.


    ¡°Ronald isn¡¯t all that bad, Robert,¡± he replied as he put one last lump of herb on my wound before closing the sack. ¡°Ronald is a good person; I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in his mind right now. He¡¯s been acting¡­ a bit strange for the past few months now.¡±


    I nodded, wincing as the herb continued to stinge. Letting my wound sip in some of the juice from the herb, I closed the top of my shirt.


    ¡°However, what you did to Ronald isn¡¯t excusable at all,¡± he continued as we looked at each other. ¡°I know Ronald can be rude at times but we shouldn¡¯t do that to others. In situations such as that, we should always be the bigger person.¡±


    I sighed as I nodded. ¡°I do apologize for how I acted, Grandpa Ben. I was just in a rush to catch up to Laura, my frustrations got the better of me.¡±


    ¡°I understand that Ronald¡¯s actions were horrendous but we shouldn¡¯t treat them with hostility,¡± Grandpa Ben continued. ¡°Those who act in such a way were treated in such a way. Most of the time, I would stay silent but whenever I see his actions crossed a line, that¡¯s when I act. You, on the other hand, must learn to control your temper, especially with people such as him.¡±


    ¡°I will, Grandpa Ben. Again, my apologies.¡±


    ¡°Here you are,¡± he handed over the little sack. ¡°Should your wound start bleeding again, just use this herb and it will fix everything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Ben,¡± I smiled, receiving the small sack of herbs.


    ¡°Also, I came out here to see if Laura¡¯s with you,¡± Grandpa Ben continued. ¡°I saw her arrive a while ago and I thought she was already back to her work but when I checked, she was nowhere to be found. I didn¡¯t know you were also looking for her,¡± he chuckled at the end.

 Chapter Six - Mistake (d)

    ¡°We just¡­ had a little bit of an argument and I wouldn¡¯t want this day to end for us in that manner,¡± I explained, my lips in a firm line.


    ¡°Well, she did fetch for Leo and rode away. I guess if anyone knows where she went, that would be you,¡± Grandpa Ben answered, smiling as he put a hand on my shoulder. Grandpa Ben is so sure that I know where Laura would be. Perhaps I¡¯m not thinking enough. Perhaps, I¡¯m in so much of a panic, I forgot to put myself in her shoes. ¡°Well, I need to go back inside. Should you find Laura, make her come home,¡± Grandpa Ben stood up, me following suit. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to come home, let her be.¡±


    I nodded with a smile. Grandpa Ben is amazing in his ways, approaching this kind of manner with calmness and kindness. The world would be a better place with more people like him.


    Grandpa Ben proceeded back inside of the bakery. I hopped on Lady and began making my way to the hills. It¡¯s the one place where I know she would be right now.


    ???


    A few moments later, I finally arrived at the hills and I started looking around in search of Laura. After a few more searching, I finally found her on one of the hills, under a tree with Leo enjoying the grass just right in front of her.


    I slowly made my way to her and as I arrived behind her, I hopped off of Lady and walked towards her. She was just sitting, looking towards the big, open field in front of her. I already sat down beside her but she continued to act as if I wasn¡¯t there.


    Her cheeks were wet, clear evidence that she has been crying. Her eyes are puffy and she¡¯s quietly sniffling to hide it from me.


    ¡°Laura,¡± I finally called out to her after letting out a deep breath.


    She immediately turned to the side, wiping her face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    I cleared my throat, readjusting my sitting position. ¡°Well¡­ I figured that you would be here after that¡­ disaster in our stables,¡± I replied as she returned to staring at the view.


    ¡°Mallory might be looking for you,¡± she answered. ¡°You should go back.¡±


    ¡°I ended everything with Mallory. It wasn¡¯t even real, to begin with,¡± I explained.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Even if you say it isn¡¯t real for you, she loves you and she loved you throughout that relationship,¡± she sniffed, running her hand under her nose after. ¡°In some way, that relationship was real.¡±


    ¡°Laura, if it was real, I would¡¯ve been in love with her, too,¡± I interrupted her, not wanting her to believe what she¡¯s currently saying. She believes that I have different feelings for Mallory when this couldn¡¯t be farther than the truth. ¡°Mallory is like a sister to me, that will never change.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you kept it from me,¡± she said, finally turning to face me. ¡°You lied to me,¡± her eyes narrowed as she said those words with silent fury.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, Laura. I never lied to you,¡± I moved closer. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you anything about that because it¡¯s not worth telling anyone. That relationship meant nothing to me.¡±


    She shook her head as she stood up. She was about to walk away when I quickly wrapped my arms around her.


    ¡°Please, Laura, allow me to explain myself,¡± I begged, holding her tightly as she cried quietly in my arms.


    After a few struggles, she finally broke free from my grip, turning around before giving me a push. ¡°And you have the nerves to say such flowery words to me. You have the nerves to get mad when I don¡¯t answer you in the way you¡¯re expecting me to,¡± her teeth gritted as she tried to speak without shouting. ¡°How could you do this to me? How could you lie to me like that? How dare you use that kind of tactic to gain my trust just so you could crush it in an instant?!¡±


    ¡°Laura, I meant what I said to you, every word,¡± I hold onto her arms, keeping her in place. ¡°You¡¯re the one that I want to be with all the time. What I had with Mallory was nothing but a joke, a mistake that I¡¯ve regretted since the day I let it happen,¡± I explained, trying to get every single word out. ¡°She¡¯s my childhood friend and yes, I¡¯ve known her for my whole life but I never saw her differently. She¡¯s been a sister to me and no matter what happens, our relationship as friends will never go beyond that.¡±


    And she stared at me, her nostrils still flaring as she breathed heavily. Her jaw clenched before she gave in to her emotions and began to cry as she slowly sunk to the grass, my hands still holding onto her arms.


    I never wanted for her to feel this way. I never wished to see her in this situation. She doesn¡¯t whail when she cries. Her tears are shed in silence, which breaks my heart even more because I know she¡¯s trying to keep it all to herself.


    I moved my forehead close to hers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me,¡± I whispered. I pulled her into me, wrapping her in a warm embrace. I continued as I rubbed her back, ¡°I never lied to you and I will never lie to you. I¡¯m sorry if I hurt you. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    As I continued to hold her in my arms, she never stopped crying onto my shoulder but not once did she hug me back. And I understand why she doesn¡¯t want to hold me. She doesn¡¯t even want to see me. I shouldn¡¯t be expecting that she would reciprocate my embrace.


    ???


    On our way back to the bakery, Laura was riding in front of me. I was able to convince her to return to the bakery and she did stop crying before we started to make our way back home. But she hasn¡¯t said a single word to me throughout our journey home. I didn¡¯t try to start a conversation with her, respecting the fact that she doesn¡¯t want to talk either.

 Chapter Six - Mistake (e)

    When we arrived, Ronald was fixing the sign for the bakery. Laura was the first to hop down and when I did, I quickly held on to Leo so he wouldn¡¯t run away.


    Ronald turned around as he heard the horses whinny and started to walk towards Laura. ¡°Laura, where have you been?!¡± he started screaming at her. ¡°You were needed an hour ago! Why did you leave? What were you thinking?!¡±


    I stepped out of Laura¡¯s shadow, greeting Ronald with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Hello, Ronald. How¡¯s the signage?¡±


    Ronald quickly took a step back, startled by my presence. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ n-none of your business,¡± he stuttered, trying to put up a brave face in front of me.


    I stood beside Laura and Grandpa Ben came out from the shop. He started looking around for Ronald and when he saw him with us, he immediately marched towards us.


    ¡°Ronald,¡± Grandpa Ben gave Ronald a slight nudge on his left arm, making Ronald jump. ¡°Did you do what I told you to do?¡± he asked, irritated.


    ¡°I¡¯m already finished, Grandpa Ben,¡± Ronald complained. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to push me. You could¡¯ve just called my name.¡±


    ¡°I told you to get back inside right after you finish the sign. Why are you still here?¡± Grandpa Ben replied. ¡°Go back to the kitchen,¡± he pointed to the bakery.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ronald gave us one final glare of hatred before mouthing towards me, ¡°You deserve to be in the Realm of Darkness.¡±


    I chuckled before answering with a teasing smile, ¡°No need to worry, little one, you¡¯ll be the first one to go there.¡±


    My remark was enough to make Laura snicker, which only angered Ronald even more.


    This time, Grandpa Ben hit Ronald on his arm. ¡°Will you just return to your station and quit bothering other people?¡±


    Defeated, Ronald quickly went back to the bakery, rubbing the back of his arm.


    Laura slowly turned to me. ¡°Thank you for¡­ making sure I return home safely,¡± she said with a faint voice, gently grabbing Leo from my grip.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°You can leave now. They might be looking for you,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Who¡¯s looking for me?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°Are you pertaining to my family? Why would they be looking for me?¡±


    Laura looked at me, unsure if I¡¯m being serious with my questions. ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, Robert, it¡¯s near dinner time. For sure, they will be looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± I quickly shook my head. ¡°In that case, I would like to see you tomorrow morning before the sun rises.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I would like to watch the sunrise with you before I do anything else tomorrow,¡± I explained, trying to convince her to agree.


    She took a deep breath in, thinking. ¡°I will see what I can do,¡± she replied. Her face wasn¡¯t giving any implications that she¡¯s interested in seeing me tomorrow. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t move too fast.


    ¡°Or we can do it some other time. If you want to have some time away from me, I understand,¡± I answered, smiling gently.


    She simply nodded, not looking me straight in the eye.


    With all the remaining courage within my body, I walked closer to her and laid a soft peck on her forehead. ¡°I will see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± was all she said before turning around and proceeding to the back of the bakery.


    I hopped on Lady and went back to the castle.

 Chapter Seven - Meltdown (a)

    Arriving at the stables, I started preparing Lady¡¯s food for the night when someone came barging into the stables. ¡°Robert!¡±


    I groaned upon hearing that voice, a voice that I wouldn¡¯t want to hear for the rest of the night. I started walking towards Lady as I asked, ¡°What is it that you want, Mallory?¡±


    ¡°Why did you end our relationship?¡± she continued to rant as she approached me. ¡°We had a deal about that, Robert. All of a sudden, you¡¯re ending everything for some unknown reason?!


    I sighed before turning around, ¡°It¡¯s for your own good, Mallory.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you all think!¡± she started throwing tantrums like a child when they don¡¯t get their way. ¡°All I want is you,¡± she held onto my arms.


    I removed her hands as I replied, ¡°Mallory, I don¡¯t want you the same way that you want me. From the very beginning, I knew that the kind of relationship that we had will only do us harm.¡± She shook her head as I explained my side, not wanting to accept the truth. I added, ¡°It¡¯s better to end it now before it ends up hurting somebody else.¡±


    I grabbed my water container and walked back into the castle, not even bothering to take a second look at her. She¡¯s done enough damage today. I don¡¯t want any more of her idiocy to destroy the rest of my evening.


    ???


    Walking alone in the halls of the castle, Gonzalo was already waiting for me. ¡°Good evening, young prince,¡± he greeted as he followed closely behind me.


    ¡°Good evening, Gonzalo,¡± I greeted, handing over my water container to him. ¡°Are there matters that I missed while I was away?¡±


    ¡°As of the moment, there¡¯s nothing, Your Highness,¡± he replied quickly.


    ¡°What are the plans for tonight¡¯s dinner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve heard from the cooks, they will be focusing on meat tonight as requested by His Majesty,¡± he said as we made a right turn to another corridor. ¡°However, your family won¡¯t be joining you for supper tonight.¡±


    I stopped walking, turning around. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is still in his office, he said he has a lot of things to look into. Her Highness took a very early rest, she said she¡¯s been feeling a bit dizzy. And Her Majesty already proceeded to sleep,¡± he explained.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Mother is taking an early sleep? That¡¯s a bit odd. Most of the time, whenever James is still in his study and working, Mother is usually in the study, keeping him company. Mother rarely makes this kind of decision.


    ¡°Kindly have my food sent to my room. I will proceed to my parents¡¯ room to check on Her Majesty,¡± I answered.


    ¡°As you wish, Your Highness,¡± he took a quick bow and we went our separate ways.


    ???


    As I approached the door of Their Majesties¡¯ bedroom, I knocked on the door thrice and when I didn¡¯t receive any response, I entered. As I opened the door, I saw my mother, already in her bed as a maid attended to her.


    ¡°Mother?¡± I called out, closing the door behind me.


    She opened her eyes and looked in my direction. ¡°Hello, dear one,¡± she smiled.


    I walked towards her, kneeling by her side when I reached her.


    ¡°Please leave us for a while, Dehlia,¡± she turned to the maid. She took a bow and grabbed the basin of water, leaving the room.


    ¡°Is there something, son?¡± she asked me as soon as we¡¯re left alone. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    I smiled as she asked. Always a mother before a queen. ¡°Mother, I should be the one asking you those questions,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I am all right, Robert. I¡¯m just a bit tired, that¡¯s all,¡± she smiled faintly. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been working too much. I do need some time to give myself a rest.¡±


    She may be smiling and telling me that there¡¯s nothing but through her tired eyes and a faint smile, she wasn¡¯t being honest with me. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re not feeling well. You always work but you never had days such as this,¡± I replied, both concerned and confused. ¡°Can you tell me what made you so ill that you had to retire early?¡±


    She let out a sigh as she pulled me up, making me sit beside her. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Robert. When I arrived home, I suddenly felt very weak and cold,¡± she explained as she held my hands. ¡°I tried to ignore it but as I continued to work, I felt even worse as the day went by.¡±


    ¡°Did you eat something unusual? Was it something that you drank? Could it be something that you smelled?¡± questions blurted out of my mouth in the hopes of finding the reason behind my mother¡¯s illness.


    My continuous questions made her giggle so softly. ¡°You sound so much like your father when you worry too much,¡± she smiled. ¡°You may not agree with me but you¡¯re so much like him.¡±


    I shook my head as I sighed, ¡°Mother, if you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to call for me. I will come to you as soon as possible and I will bring you whatever it is that you need.¡±


    ¡°Robert, there¡¯s no need for that. I have Dehlia to take care of me,¡± she answered, cupping my face with her hands. ¡°And once your father finishes his work, he will be the one to take care of me.¡±


    Why does Mother have to wait for James to finish his duties? Mother is much more important than his royal duties. Without his queen, he would be nothing. He should be right here, right now but instead, he¡¯s locked up in his study.


    ¡°Mother, we both know that James is always occupied with his duties,¡± I replied. ¡°In his absence, allow me to look after you.¡±


    She nodded in defeat. ¡°If you must, Robert. Now, go and have your dinner. Let Dehlia back in.¡±


    I kissed her hands. ¡°Take as much rest as you need,¡± I forced a smile to comfort her, assuring her that everything will be fine and that I will always be here for her.


    ¡°Of course, I will,¡± she chuckled.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave Mother without James here but as long as a maid is looking after her, perhaps that¡¯s enough to assure me that she will be okay. I will still check on her early in the morning.

 Chapter Seven - Meltdown (b)

    As I stepped out of the room, Dehlia was already waiting by the door, a basin with fresh water in her hands. ¡°Dehlia,¡± I left the door a bit open, ¡°Her Majesty has called for you.¡±


    She smiled and bowed, entering the room after. As I closed the door for her, I proceeded to my bedroom.


    ???


    On my way to my bedroom, I saw my sister heading in my direction, in her night robe. ¡°Elizabeth, is there something wrong?¡± I asked, stopping on my tracks.


    She looked at me as she rubbed her eyes. ¡°Oh, hello, little brother,¡± she smiled, walking towards me. ¡°I got thirsty and I was looking for my maids but no one was answering me.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have one or two handmaidens with you in your bedroom?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Well, for some reason, they decided not to follow that rule,¡± she yawned, giving her body a bit of a stretch. ¡°Now, I have to walk along these dark hallways in search of someone.¡±


    I giggled, holding her hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t you return to your room and continue your rest? I¡¯ll have Gonzalo bring you some water.¡±


    ¡°Can you have him talk to the maids as well? I don¡¯t demand a lot during the night but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have to follow the rules,¡± she asked, a bit irritated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stress yourself too much, Elizabeth. I¡¯ll have it taken care of,¡± I reassured.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled. ¡°What were you doing in our parents¡¯ bedroom?¡±


    ¡°I paid a visit to Mother. She contracted some kind of sickness and she¡¯s not even sure how she got it,¡± I explained. ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°I was in the library when the guards informed me that Mother has returned from our aunt¡¯s castle,¡± she replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to greet her because she proceeded to the study and I went to my room immediately after.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Who¡¯s looking after her?¡± she inquired. ¡°Linda or Grace? Or is it our dearly beloved Ms. Turpentine?¡±


    We shared a laugh as she brought up Ms. Turpentine¡¯s name. Ms. Turpentine is the second-in-command when it comes to the handmaidens. She¡¯s known for being quite strict with everything, including us. She always carried a scowl on her face but she never acted that way in front of Nana Olsa. For some reason, she¡¯s afraid of Nana which is good because someone can still put her in her place when she¡¯s getting out of line. ¡°Dehlia¡¯s taking care of her.¡±


    Her face suddenly painted an expression of confusion. ¡°Dehlia?¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Yes, Dehlia.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Robert, we don¡¯t have a maid named Dehlia,¡± she replied, still confused.


    ¡°Well, maybe she¡¯s a new member of the household,¡± I answered, keeping myself open-minded. Although, now that she has mentioned it, I¡¯m bothered with Dehlia¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Robert, we almost have a hundred household members here in the castle and for the entirety of our lives, our parents would introduce newcomers,¡± she moved closed to me as she spoke in low volume, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little suspicious that Mother has a new handmaiden and we weren¡¯t informed?¡±


    I started thinking about what she said but unless we have an exact explanation from Mother, we can¡¯t assume anything about the new handmaiden. ¡°Well, maybe she was going to tell us but because she was already feeling ill when she arrived, she didn¡¯t get the chance to do so,¡± I explained. ¡°After all, she had to take her rest as soon as she arrived.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Perhaps, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t be worrying too much unless she¡¯s done something unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Mother to introduce us to her,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back to my room. I have a massive headache,¡± she groaned, holding onto her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Gonzalo bring you your drink of water,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Thank you, little brother,¡± she smiled as she hugged me. ¡°I¡¯ll be going back to sleep. Tell Gonzalo to leave the water on my bedside table.¡± She left a kiss on my forehead and returned to her room.


    I, on the other hand, proceeded to mine.


    ???


    As I was approaching my room, Gonzalo was already waiting for me by the door. ¡°Your dinner is inside, Your Highness,¡± he bowed as I reached him.


    ¡°Thank you, Gonzalo,¡± I nodded as I opened the door.


    ¡°Is there anything else I could help you with, young prince?¡± he asked as I stepped inside.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, Gonzalo,¡± I replied, turning around after I stood behind the door. ¡°But I would like for you to bring some water for my sister. Her handmaidens were nowhere to be seen and she needs it right away.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Your Highness,¡± he bowed.


    ¡°Also, please have a word with the maids. It¡¯s a rule in this castle that at least two maids would accompany a royal,¡± I continued. ¡°Just because I let you do other duties than guarding me at night, that doesn¡¯t mean they should try and do the same.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I will talk to them first thing in the morning,¡± he replied, bowing once more.


    I then slowly closed the door and headed towards my writing desk where my food was placed. But then, something caught my eye. In the middle of the room was a bouquet, beautifully arranged inside an unfamiliar violet vase, which was put on my tall table. I didn¡¯t request for flowers to be put inside my room so this is unexpected. I walked towards it to inspect it. This must be some kind of misunderstanding. It might even be for Mother.


    But the flowers weren¡¯t just any kind of flowers. They were roses, red roses. But where did all of these flowers come from? I walked around it and saw a note on the other side of the table. I quickly opened it and it reads:


    Hello, Robert!


    How are you? My apologies if I haven¡¯t sent you any letters yet. But I received news that you have a certain interest in red roses so I¡¯ve decided to send you a bouquet as a sign of my apology.


    Also, I wasn¡¯t sure of how many you would want so I chose the most beautiful roses in my mother¡¯s garden.


    I hope these flowers could add a bit of color to your life.


    Your dearest friend, Lorain.


    A smile slowly formed on my face as I closed the letter. Turning back to the bouquet, it was very thoughtful of her to send flowers. And she really made an effort to send me flowers that I love. I never told her what my favorite flowers are but maybe my mother has. Holding onto the letter, I proceeded to my writing desk, sat down, and began eating my dinner.


    ???


    As I put down my used utensils on my soiled plate, I let out a loud burp. That was certainly a scrumptious meal. Three enormous slices of meat, accompanied by some soup, wine, and my favorite dessert, sugared fruits.

 Chapter Seven - Meltdown (c)

    Everything was peaceful when I heard someone shouting outside my room. Confused, I stood up and took a few steps forward. Who could be screaming during this time of the night? Before I knew it, the door swung open and Mallory barged in. Her face was wet from all the tears but she wasn¡¯t just sad. Her face carried so much fury with a hint of confusion and heartbreak.


    ¡°I would like to have a word with you,¡± she gritted, her hands balled into fists by her sides.


    Gonzalo rushed into my room, catching his breath. ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. I tried to stop her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right, Gonzalo,¡± I let out my hand in front of me, signaling him to stop and calm down. I picked up my tray and walked towards him. ¡°Kindly bring this down to the kitchen. Mallory and I need some time alone,¡± I continued, handing over the tray.


    ¡°Are you sure that you can handle it, young prince?¡± he asked, worried as he received the tray. ¡°I could send for the guards if you wish.¡±


    ¡°I can manage, Gonzalo. I will call for you if I need anything,¡± I reassured.


    He bowed his head and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.


    I let out a sigh before proceeding, ¡°Why would you bother me even at the safest place that I have in this castle?¡± I walked back towards her, standing a few feet away from her. ¡°What is it that you need that can¡¯t wait for the sun to rise? And why would you be shouting during this time of the night when you know some people are trying to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know why I¡¯m acting this way?¡± she asked with a sarcastic smile, taking a few steps forward. ¡°It¡¯s because you ended our relationship without any explanation and at such an unexpected time. What do you even call that?!¡±


    I groaned.


    Isn¡¯t this conversation already finished back at the stables? Can¡¯t she do anything else with her life other than bothering me?


    ¡°I have nothing more to say to you. Like what I¡¯ve said before, it was for your sake,¡± I said, walking towards the flowers. ¡°That kind of relationship will never do us any good. I don¡¯t know how many times I have to repeat this for you,¡± I continued as I paid more attention towards the flowers than to her.


    ¡°Where in the world did those come from?¡± she asked.


    I turned around, looking at her. ¡°They are from Lorain,¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve mentioned her already to you,¡± I added.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°And you¡¯re smiling when you mention her?!¡± she raised her voice, her face close to turning red. ¡°You¡¯re happy that she gave you flowers but I gave you my heart and you hated me for it?!¡±


    ¡°Mallory, this matter is not worth fighting for,¡± I answered, trying to stay as calm as possible. ¡°I assure you that you¡¯ll find someone new. And that person will be the one to love and want you the same way that you do, possibly even more,¡± I took a few steps forward.


    ¡°But that someone is you,¡± she rushed towards me, clinging onto my arms. ¡°I want you, Robert, and I will love only you.¡±


    ¡°The problem is I don¡¯t feel the same way, Mallory,¡± I said, carefully removing her hands from my arms. ¡°As I said, I only see you as a sister, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just learn to love me for real? You learn to do other things, you can do the same in loving me,¡± she cried, resorting to begging once more. She looked desperate for love and it breaks my heart when I see her in this depressive state. She doesn¡¯t have to do this, she just has to wait for the right person.


    ¡°I would be lying to myself if I try to love someone that I don¡¯t. I¡¯d be lying to you and as a friend, I wouldn¡¯t want that for you,¡± I explained. ¡°That would be unfair for the both of us and it will just end up hurting one another.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± she stomped her foot.


    ¡°Well, I do,¡± I raised my voice, trying to reason with her. ¡°I care for you as a sister and doing that to you would be unthinkable. I¡¯m already going to torture myself for the rest of my life by marrying someone I don¡¯t want. I prefer to suffer alone in that kind of pain rather than bringing you along.¡±


    ¡°If you will not love me--¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll do what? You¡¯ll tell Nana? The townspeople?¡± I interrupted her threats, matching them with my own rage that has slowly built up inside of me. Her eyes widened upon my remark. ¡°And what will you be getting out of that decision? Tell me, Mallory.¡±


    She stood there, completely still with stunned eyes. She didn¡¯t move a muscle. Her eyes were just staring at me as if she¡¯s waiting for me to give her the answer.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, if you do that, there¡¯s only one thing that you¡¯ll gain. One thing only,¡± I moved closer to her. ¡°If you tell the people, our reputation will be ruined and we¡¯ll lose everything. And you, along with all the other household members will lose what they currently have. And my care for you as a friend will end. Are you sure you¡¯re willing to do something so foolish just to force someone to be with you?¡±


    ¡°Robert¡­ I just want to have you,¡± she replied, her voice cracked as she tried to stop her tears from running down.


    ¡°Mallory, I don¡¯t have anything else to say to you. This conversation, this matter is finished,¡± I groaned. ¡°Please leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°I am not leaving until you come back to me,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Are you sure about that decision?¡± I raised an eyebrow, not giving the slightest hint of fear and worry with her threat.


    She nodded as she stood her ground.


    I walked to the corner and rang my service bell. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± I replied as I headed towards my bed. In no less than a minute, Gonzalo arrived with guards and took Mallory away. She was shouting, objecting to their actions but after a while of hearing her struggles, peace was restored.


    ¡°Are you all right, Your Highness?¡± Gonzalo quickly asked.


    ¡°Yes, Gonzalo. I just want to sleep. It¡¯s been a long day,¡± I replied.


    He bowed and headed to the door. ¡°Good night, young prince,¡± the door creaked as he slowly closed the door.


    After I was left alone, I took a quick bath and headed straight to my bed. As I closed my eyes, I prayed that I would see Laura in my dreams, the only place where nobody can tear us apart.

 Chapter Eight - Bethilda (a)

    I opened my eyes and I was sitting under a tree, on top of a hill. It was a quiet and peaceful day. The birds were singing and the wind was blowing ever so gently. All I could see was grass that stretched as far as the eye could see, tall trees stood everywhere; and shadows of mountains from far away.


    But why am I here? What am I doing here?


    Then, I heard muffled voices from afar and it headed to where I was. I stood up and quickly climbed the tree, climbing higher as I possibly can. When there were no more branches to climb, I sat down and kept quiet.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself, son?¡± a deep man¡¯s voice asked, thrilled and excited.


    ¡°Yes, father. This is the best day ever!¡± a child¡¯s voice squealed out of happiness.


    The laughter of children continued as the footsteps came closer to the tree. The father and son were then joined by a woman, who seemed to be his wife and a little girl, their daughter perhaps. The mother laid a plaid blanket on the hill, grass and sat in the middle.


    ¡°How about we run down this hill and back up again?¡± the father smiled at his children, enticing them to join.


    The children looked at their mother, waiting for her approval. With a smile and a nod, the children squealed as they ran after their father.


    The portrait of a perfect family.


    The sounds of my surroundings became fainter and fainter until I was engulfed in darkness, reawakening back to reality. As my eyes opened, the moon¡¯s beautiful glow pierced gently through the drapes. I looked around my room and as I did, I grew confused. That dream¡­ felt real.


    Do I know that family?


    I let out a deep breath and turned to the side, closing my eyes once more as I tried to ignore it.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ???


    My sleep was disrupted once more. I opened my eyes and scanned the room but all I could see was darkness. The rays of the moonlight continued to push through the curtains. Everything was quiet but then, I heard voices out in the hallway. That was odd because nobody walks in the halls during this time of the night unless it¡¯s Gonzalo on his patrols or an emergency. I stood up and headed to the door. As I stepped out of the door, no one in front of my room but in the other hall, I heard a door close.


    I rushed over the sound and saw Linda come out of the master bedroom, carrying a basin of water. ¡°Linda?¡± I called out, walking towards her.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± she curtsied.


    ¡°You were from the master bedroom?¡± I asked, crossing my arms.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Her Majesty currently has a high fever so His Majesty summoned for me and the other maids to look after her,¡± she explained.


    ¡°She summoned you?¡± I asked, baffled. ¡°But where is Dehlia?¡±


    ¡°Dehlia?¡± she asked back.


    ¡°Linda?¡± a voice called her from behind. We turned to look and it was Gonzalo.


    ¡°Her Majesty needs it now,¡± Gonzalo reminded.


    Linda nodded and turned to me, bowing before walking away and keeping her head down.


    ¡°Do you need anything, Your Highness?¡± Gonzalo asked as he approached me.


    ¡°No, thank you, Gonzalo,¡± I replied. Not wanting to cause any delays to Mother¡¯s recovery, I returned to my room. All I could think about was Mother¡¯s situation. Is James even in the room with her? Mother said he will be taking care of her and now, Linda is the one attending to her.


    A rustling came from outside my window. I rushed to the window and as I looked out, James was pacing back and forth in the garden. He looked worried, in distress, thinking something very deeply.


    ¡°He knows about Her Majesty¡¯s condition,¡± Gonzalo suddenly spoke, closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Then why is he down there? Shouldn¡¯t he be in their bedroom, looking after her?¡± I replied as Gonzalo walked towards me, all of my frustrations started to come out.


    ¡°He¡¯s been with Her Majesty for hours, Your Highness. After his work, he rushed to her and took care of her the whole night, never leaving her side,¡± Gonzalo explained. ¡°When she was asleep, he summoned Linda to watch over her for a moment. He¡¯s been acting this way ever since he left the room.¡±


    But why would James be acting this way? Is Mother¡¯s illness worse than what she told me? Could she be keeping something from me?


    ???


    Weeks have passed and Mother is still ill. James has forbidden us to visit her to prevent the disease from spreading. He said he wasn¡¯t sure of what her illness is and it could be contagious. He has to make sure that nothing will happen to Elizabeth and especially, to me.

 Chapter Eight - Bethilda (b)

    On a more personal note, Laura and I have yet to see each other again. I haven¡¯t visited her yet because I don¡¯t know if she still wants to see me after what happened. Maybe, this is for the best. Maybe, this is the sign that I have to forget her and everything that ever happened involving her.


    My solemn thoughts were interrupted when the trumpets started to play a fanfare outside, the bells started ringing as well. I quickly prepared myself and rushed to the Grand Hall.


    ???


    When I arrived at the stairs, I saw a lady wearing a big gown with a humongous fancy hat. Her face was absolutely covered with some kind of white paint. Red color circles on her two cheeks. She was talking to James, holding her large fan with her. She looked like a monarch but I couldn¡¯t tell what her title was with all the lavish things on her. I fixed myself one last time before walking towards them.


    Gonzalo caught sight of me from the hallway and announced, ¡°His Royal Highness, Prince Robert, son of Their Royal Majesties, King Robert and Queen Amelia.¡±


    James, Elizabeth, and the visitor quickly turned their heads in my direction as I walked down the carpeted steps.


    ¡°Oh, jolly, jolly, jolly!¡± she repeated, which has become annoying. ¡°He looks exactly like you, James,¡± she continued as I stood beside my sister.


    ¡°Well, he has Mother¡¯s eyes,¡± Elizabeth added, smiling.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, uninterested in Elizabeth¡¯s opinion. ¡°But he looks just like your father,¡± she said as she walked towards me. ¡°Come, deary, give me a kiss!¡± she continued as she came closer, kissing me deeply on my cheek. ¡°Such soft cheeks!¡± she pinched my cheek, a little too excited and utterly painful.


    ¡°I respect that you¡¯re very thrilled and happy about me having so much resemblance to my father. However, I have to admit that I don¡¯t know you and for you to physically touch me without my permission is offensive,¡± I answered, stroking my cheeks to relieve some of the pain. I continued, formal and firm. ¡°It can also be called trespassing and harassment.¡±


    All of them were silenced with my remark. I could feel James and Elizabeth grew a bit nervous because of my answer, fearing that it can cause some kind of conflict.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Oh, ho ho!¡± she suddenly threw her head back as she burst out laughing, scaring the three of us. ¡°Oh, James, he even speaks like you,¡± she turned to James, still giggling. ¡°Darling, I am your aunt, Duchess Bethilda,¡± she bowed. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit your mother.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the person she visited yesterday,¡± I crossed my arms.


    ¡°That is correct,¡± she winked.


    ¡°Are you aware that when she arrived from visiting you, she got ill?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Robert,¡± James called me out, giving me a look of warning.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, James,¡± the duchess turned to James. ¡°I find it amusing because he reminds me a lot like you when you were his age. Now, where¡¯s my darling Amelia?¡± she asked.


    ???


    ¡°Bethilda, it¡¯s so kind of you to come and visit us,¡± Mother smiled as she held hands with Bethilda while lying on her bed. James stood on Mother¡¯s left side while Bethilda sat on the other side. Elizabeth and I stayed behind James.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to visit my beloved sister and your family, my favorite and the best family in the world,¡± she replied. ¡°When I heard about your terrible condition, I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I needed to visit you right away.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re always welcome here in our home. Make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can,¡± Mother answered. ¡°And do spend some time with Robert and Elizabeth. It¡¯s been a long time since they last saw you.¡±


    A knock came on the door and Gonzalo entered. He bowed, ¡°Her Majesty, Queen Marta of Middle Earth is here to see Her Majesty and Prince Robert.¡±


    We all turned to Mother, confused.


    ¡°Why is Queen Marta here, sweetheart?¡± James enquired. ¡°Were you expecting her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re supposed to have a meeting about Robert¡¯s marriage to Princess Lorain. Kindly accompany Robert to the meeting,¡± Mother held onto James¡¯ sleeve.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Mother,¡± I stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this myself. It is about my marriage.¡± I took a bow and left to attend another visitor.


    ???


    ¡°Is it a custom in your kingdom to make your guests wait for an incredibly long time?¡± a disappointed voice was heard in the main hall as I rushed down to meet Queen Marta.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± I called out as I walked down the stairs, my hands behind my back.


    ¡°Ugh! Finally!¡± she sighed, closing her fan as she walked towards me whilst giving the guards a death glare. ¡°I supposed that time runs rather slower here than the usual,¡± she snarked.


    ¡°I do apologize for the delay, Your Majesty. We¡¯re currently in the middle of an emergency--¡±


    ¡°Emergency or not, you and your people should value the worth of time! You and your mother should¡¯ve greeted me by the door in the same manner that I did for you when you went to our kingdom,¡± she complained. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a grandiose entry, the least you could do is give me a warm, friendly welcome. But what happened? I endured a long journey here just to be greeted by no one,¡± she continued with her rant, not giving me a chance to speak. ¡°This meeting must be dealt with as soon as possible in order for it to be a success.¡±


    ¡°But does a simple meeting mean more than taking care of their mother who¡¯s ill and currently bed-ridden?¡± a voice suddenly spoke from the top of the stairs. I turned around to see James approaching us.

 Chapter Nine - Sudden (a)

    ¡°Well, certainly not,¡± Queen Marta stuttered because of James¡¯s sudden presence. ¡°But your queen gave me her word--¡±


    ¡°A promise is a promise but when one family member needs immediate care and attention, he or she deserves all the proper care and attention they need,¡± James replied, interrupting Queen Marta. He stood beside me and continued, ¡°If your family had this kind of situation, we would humbly understand and move the meeting to another day.¡±


    ¡°In doing so, it shows you and your family don¡¯t value time at all,¡± she smirked as she opened her fan, trying to cower James with her insensitive remarks.


    ¡°On the contrary, we do value time in this kingdom,¡± James stepped forward with a confident smile. ¡°We value time with the people important to us. Meetings can wait and can happen at any time but when our family is in some kind of emergency, family comes first before anything.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ your son could¡¯ve taken care of this meeting on his own,¡± she stuttered, trying to think of a better comeback on what James said. ¡°He should¡¯ve been the one who took the journey to discuss important matters with me. He¡¯s well-capable of taking care of himself.¡±


    ¡°Robert has been taking care of his mother ever since she fell ill. He never left her side even though he hasn¡¯t got enough rest,¡± James reasoned. ¡°He knows what to value in life and he values time with his mother. You, of all people, should understand that the most. Am I right?¡±


    Queen Marta cleared her throat, looking down to the ground after being embarrassed by the situation. She¡¯s a ruling monarch. She¡¯s a mother and she did mention that she misses the time when her children are by her side. She should¡¯ve understood this situation from the very beginning.


    ¡°Well, if you say that this is an emergency, I guess I have to¡­ reconsider. My apologies for being inconsiderate,¡± she bowed her head as she closed her fan, grasping them tightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Your Majesty. We understand where your point is coming from,¡± James nodded.


    ¡°But we have to start immediately. I still have a lot to take care of back at home,¡± she instantly went back to her queen-ly actions after apologizing.


    ¡°This way, Your Majesty,¡± James answered with a smile, leading the way to the accepting room.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ???


    ¡°I came here to discuss the wedding. All the details have yet to be fully talked about,¡± Queen Marta started as a maid poured tea on her little cup. ¡°The theme, the food to be prepared, the place where it will be held, the dress for the bride, the suit for the groom, outfits for the guests, even the priest that will conduct the ceremony,¡± she continued, sipping some tea after.


    James and I cleared our throats, adjusting ourselves in our chairs as we listened to Queen Marta list everything that needs to be prepared.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious to know if there¡¯s still a wedding that will happen because I don¡¯t sense any kind of urgency on your part,¡± she added. ¡°I understand that the wedding is to be held by the time the young prince has turned twenty-one thousand years of age but that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t prepare.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to give our deepest apologies for not putting enough attention on the wedding, Your Majesty,¡± James said, leaning towards her. ¡°As of the moment, we have a lot in our minds right now. As you can see, my wife¡¯s condition isn¡¯t of the best.¡±


    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve given us the responsibility to plan everything. It wouldn¡¯t have taken this long to discuss every important detail,¡± she replied, smirking with an eyebrow up.


    Her reply didn¡¯t sit right with me. Is she implicating that we¡¯re irresponsible with this matter? As a fellow monarch, she knows we have so much to take care of and had the audacity to insult us in our own kingdom. I don¡¯t want to believe that she traveled all the way from her little throne room just to humiliate us.


    ¡°Was that a suggestion or are you insulting my family? I asked, raising an eyebrow as well.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, young man?¡± she turned to me in disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t think I appreciate that tone of yours.¡±


    ¡°Robert,¡± James turned to me, stopping me but that little warning of his will not work with me. I will not sit on this chair and watch someone say such words against my family.


    I leaned in and put my arms on the table. ¡°As I recall from the marriage negotiations, we agreed that we plan the wedding together, dividing all matters equally,¡± I started. ¡°Your side suggested that you will handle all the gold needed and we, on our behalf, will take care of the wedding details. It seems to me that you, wanting to do the plans yourself is an insult to my family.¡±


    ¡°An insult?¡± she put her cup down. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve said anything to offend you or your family, young man.¡±


    ¡°It is an insult, Your Majesty. No matter how hard you try to deny it or say it, it sounded like an insult,¡± I moved closer, ¡°You see, if you do everything for this wedding, you can brag to all the other kingdoms that you took care of everything while we sat around and did nothing.¡± I continued, ¡°And everybody will see us in a bad light which will destroy our reputation, something we¡¯re very careful with.¡±


    My answer stunned her. With wide-open eyes, she gently took another sip of tea.


    ¡°So, allow me to ask you once more: are you suggesting this idea or are you degrading my family¡¯s name so your kingdom could have all the glory?¡± I repeated the question as I laid back on my chair.


    There was nothing but silence within the room, tension accompanied it in its entry. I don¡¯t speak out during these kinds of meetings but when it comes to my family, it¡¯s a different conversation.

 Chapter Nine - Sudden (b)

    She then took a deep breath, clearing her throat. ¡°It seems your son can already handle certain negotiations himself,¡± she turned to James. After taking one last sip, she stood up and we did the same. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no reason for me to break the deal on what we agreed on. Your son is very intelligent, very capable. You must be proud,¡± she smirked at James. ¡°Now, if you gentlemen would excuse me, I have a kingdom to attend to.¡± We all did our respective bows and she just walked away, keeping her head up high. As soon as she stepped foot out of the room, the door slammed shut.


    James turned to me, impressed. ¡°You did well.¡±


    ¡°She sounded like she was insulting us,¡± I replied as I looked at him. ¡°I never wanted a mother-in-law such as her but since there¡¯s no way of getting out of the marriage, it¡¯s the least I could do. I will never tolerate such behavior.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true monarch,¡± James smiled. ¡°Well, your mother¡¯s waiting. Let¡¯s return to her bedroom.¡±


    We shared a nod and went on our way.


    ???


    After I made sure that Mother was taken care of, I decided to send a letter to Princess Lorain about her mother¡¯s abrupt visit. I had a hunch that Queen Marta may tell her children, especially Lorain, of her experience here. She might turn the whole story around, telling her children that we were arrogant monarchs when in reality, she embodied that.


    I wrote,


    To Princess Lorain,


    I hope you are doing well. It has been a long time since we last communicated. I am sending this letter as a way to clear any misinformation your mother could possibly do once she arrived from our kingdom.


    She visited us - absolutely a surprise to us - to discuss matters regarding our marriage and she has acted with a bit of arrogance, which is very disrespectful. She doesn¡¯t care about the fact that my mother is currently ill, which is why we haven¡¯t made plans for our wedding. She insulted us in a manner that she thinks isn¡¯t degrading someone.


    I know she¡¯s about to be my in-law but I do hope you forgive me for standing up for my family. It sounded quite offensive against her but I won¡¯t let anyone talk down on my family. And that includes you as you¡¯ll soon be a part of our family.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Send me your response as soon as you can.


    Prince Robert.


    Folding the letter and stamping my seal, I called my page and instructed him to have the dragon messenger send this to the Middle Kingdom as it is very urgent. After he left, I headed straight to the stables and made my way to the bakery. I know that I hurt Laura and I¡¯m not quite sure if she even wants to see me but I have to try.


    ???


    Arriving at the bakery, I peeked through the window to see if Laura was inside. Not being able to see as the glass isn¡¯t that clear, I entered and started to look around but to my dismay, she was nowhere to be found.


    I began to look for Grandpa Ben but even he was nowhere in sight. And I am not asking Ronald so it¡¯s best to ask a different person.


    I walked over to another worker, ¡°Excuse me, madam?¡±


    She turned around and quickly smiled at me. ¡°Yes, sir? What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if Grandpa Ben or Laura arrived today,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young man but Grandpa Ben left an hour ago and hasn¡¯t returned yet. I¡¯m not sure what time he¡¯ll return but he¡¯ll be here later,¡± she answered politely.


    ¡°And Laura?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Laura hasn¡¯t arrived yet since this morning. I¡¯m not sure why but it¡¯s either she accompanied Grandpa Ben or she¡¯s ill,¡± she explained. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with? Perhaps a message that you would want to pass on?¡±


    ¡°Is it okay if you tell them that I visited? Especially to Laura, I would want her to know that I came to see her,¡± I requested.


    ¡°May I know your name, good sir?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°Kindly tell them it¡¯s Robert,¡± I replied with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I will tell them once they arrived,¡± she smiled and returned to the kitchen. I let out a sigh and walked out of the bakery but did one last glance before leaving.


    ???


    When I arrived back at the castle, all the maids were running around. I looked at everybody, confused. I tried to ask some of them but they wouldn¡¯t answer me. I made my way to the master¡¯s bedroom when I saw James looking out the window.


    ¡°James?¡± I called as I approached him.


    ¡°Robert,¡± he turned to me, his hands behind his back. ¡°The gate master said you went out for a quick stroll. Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why are the maids running around as if they¡¯re all a bunch of bees?¡± I asked, a few maids running past us.


    ¡°Your aunt has demanded some changes within the castle for your mother¡¯s health,¡± he replied, letting out a sigh.


    ¡°Changes? What kind of changes?¡± I twisted my face slightly to the left, my brows furrowed.


    ¡°She has given a long list of demands but to keep it short: she¡¯s turning the castle upside-down,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Did you tell her that she¡¯s not allowed to enter my room?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°She¡¯s your aunt. Let her be,¡± he tried convincing me. ¡°And besides, it is for your mother¡¯s health.¡±


    ¡°James, my room is my place of solitude and once someone enters my room without my permission, it will be deemed as trespassing,¡± I replied, furious. Without another word, I rushed to my room, hoping that it¡¯s not too late and that she hasn¡¯t entered my room yet.

 Chapter Ten: Protests (a)

    When I arrived, the door was wide open. My guards stood on the other side of the hall. Maids ran in and out of my room, carrying different kinds of cloth. I stepped into the room and everyone was touching my things whilst Bethilda stood in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Leave my room before I send you all to the dungeons!¡± I shouted, causing everyone to stop. All the maids fell on their knees, their foreheads touched the carpeted floor.


    Bethilda turned to my direction as well. ¡°Robert!¡± she greeted with arms wide open. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful? Your room needs a lot of adjustment, it¡¯s too¡­ well, dark,¡± she walked towards me.


    Looking around the room, it didn¡¯t feel mine anymore. The curtains were changed from thick, dark red drapes to thin, light yellow ones. My bed was made into a blue monstrosity from its white predecessor. They were removing all of my red velvet carpets only to replace them with dark blue ones. Princess Lorain¡¯s flowers were moved to the window. My writing desk was moved to the right, under my royal portrait.


    ¡°As much as you¡¯re my aunt, you are trespassing and touching everything in this room without my permission,¡± I replied, trying my best not to explode. ¡°Before I fully lose my patience, I would like for you to take all the maids and your materials out of my room and to never step foot here ever again.¡±


    She giggled, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Robert, I¡¯m your aunt. Your relative, a part of the family,¡± she smiled. ¡°As I¡¯ve heard, you allow family members inside your room as I think I do have the right to be here.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I shouted, my voice echoed from my room to the hallway. She quickly removed her hand. ¡°You are a relative but you are not a part of the immediate family. You have no right to step into my room without my permission,¡± I continued, stepping closer to her and she walked back. ¡°Before I disrespect you completely, leave my room now!¡±


    The maids rushed out of my room and Gonzalo finally arrived, standing behind me. ¡°Your Highness, I heard you shouting. Is there something wrong here?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t his father tell him about the changes I¡¯m making in this castle?¡± she turned to Gonzalo, confused. ¡°Dear child, I¡¯m doing this for your mother,¡± she returned to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you told my father. All I want is for you to get your big, fat behind out of my room now!¡± I screamed again.


    ¡°Your Highness, please calm down,¡± Gonzalo held onto my shoulder and arm. He then turned to Bethilda, ¡°Your Grace, forgive the young prince. But what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t the norm here. Even if Their Majesties are sick, they never did overall changes in this castle, most especially with the rooms of the princess and the prince.¡± He added, ¡°And before they do so, they would ask permission from Their Highnesses before proceeding.¡±


    She cleared her throat. ¡°If that is what His Highness wishes for,¡± she replied, lowering her voice. ¡°My deepest apologies for intruding your personal space, young prince,¡± she curtsied. She left my room, her head low.


    Gonzalo then turned me around to face him. ¡°Are you all right, Your Highness?¡± he asked.


    I let out a deep breath out, hanging my head down before answering, ¡°Now that she¡¯s not inside my room, yes. I feel much better.¡±


    ¡°I will have the maids come back to put everything back to normal and to remove everything that the duchess brought in,¡± Gonzalo said. ¡°I will oversee everything as well.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Thank you, Gonzalo. I will stay here to make sure everything is returned to its proper place,¡± I nodded.


    He gave a quick bow and left my room. I looked around my room in disgust. How dare she touch my things and assume that she has the right to do so?! How rude and inconsiderate of her!


    ???


    An hour passed and my room has been returned to its original state. As the maids were leaving my room, Elizabeth barged in, burning red and full of rage.


    ¡°Brother, may I share your room with you for the rest of Aunt Bethilda¡¯s stay here?!¡± she asked, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, walking towards her.


    ¡°Aunt Bethilda entered my room without permission and changed everything!¡± she complained. ¡°Everything has changed to a lighter color and it¡¯s painful to my eyes! She thinks because I am a princess, everything in my room must be all prim and proper!¡±


    ¡°But Elizabeth, you are the embodiment of prim and proper in this castle,¡± I teased. ¡°I thought those kinds of things never bothered you.¡±


    ¡°I may be all prim and proper but that doesn¡¯t mean my room has to embody that! And if I wanted that to be the design of my room, I would¡¯ve done it myself!¡± she replied.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to have a word with James,¡± I answered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t respect our privacy and our free will. I would¡¯ve stayed silent but now, it¡¯s not something worthy to be tolerated.¡± I then turned to Gonzalo, ¡°Where is James right now?¡±


    ¡°As of this moment, I believe he¡¯s in his study, Your Highness,¡± Gonzalo bowed.


    I headed to the master¡¯s bedroom, Elizabeth and Gonzalo by my side. James better has enough explanation before we lose all of our patience regarding this matter.


    ???


    When we got close to the door, we overheard a woman¡¯s laugh which was clearly Bethilda¡¯s voice. We barged in and the doors swung open, creating a loud thud as they hit the brick walls.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± Bethilda squealed.


    ¡°Oh my isn¡¯t enough to express it,¡± Elizabeth snarled.


    ¡°Robert! Elizabeth!¡± James shouted as he stood up from his chair. ¡°What did I tell you about knocking before entering?¡± he continued as he walked over to us.


    ¡°What did we say about interfering with the designs of our rooms without our permission?!¡± I snapped back, walking towards them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your children are entirely concerned about the well-being of their mother, James,¡± Bethilda entered the conversation, standing behind them. ¡°These changes are very important for the recovery of the queen.¡±


    ¡°I suggest that you close your mouth before I shove a shoe in it!¡± Elizabeth threatened, grabbing her shoe in the process. Gonzalo quickly held her back. Elizabeth wasn¡¯t in her forgiving mood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare disrespect your aunt in such a way!¡± James shouted at Elizabeth.


    ¡°And you have no right to shout at Elizabeth when we were the ones who were aggravated!¡± I stood in front of Elizabeth. ¡°This woman,¡± I pointed at Bethilda, ¡°This lady that we¡¯ve never seen before has the audacity to barge into our rooms and act as if she has the right to make changes, changes that we don¡¯t approve of! She disrespected us!¡±


    ¡°I asked for your father¡¯s opinion and permission,¡± Bethilda interrupted once more. ¡°He agreed to it.¡±


    ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed, you old hag, the rooms you entered were our rooms,¡± Elizabeth replied. ¡°That means that entry to our rooms requires our permission!¡±


    ¡°I am the king of this castle, the head of this household. My permission, my decision is above all else!¡± James fired back.


    ¡°In that case, you¡¯re not worthy of being a ruler because you don¡¯t listen to people lower than your stature!¡± I spatted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your children have a manner of respect for hierarchy, James,¡± Bethilda continued to give her unnecessary remarks.


    ¡°One more word from that mouth of yours and I swear, I will not hesitate to get one of the apples in the garden to close that hole in your mouth!¡± Elizabeth shouted once more as I stopped her from moving any closer.


    ¡°Elizabeth!¡± James shouted at her once more.


    ¡°You have no right to stop my sister from expressing what she feels!¡± I pointed a finger at James. Gonzalo held onto my arm as well. ¡°Mother would rearrange our rooms but she never did so without our permission,¡± I continued. ¡°And third, you were never a proper father to us so why would your decision come first before ours?¡±


    No one spoke after my response. James was stunned. Bethilda was confused. And Elizabeth held me back, putting a hand on my chest.


    ¡°Elizabeth. Robert,¡± a weak voice called from the door. We turned around to see Mother, supported by Linda and the two other maids as she walked into the room.

 Chapter Ten - Protests (b)

    ¡°Mother!¡± I rushed to her, supporting her and stopping her from walking.


    ¡°Mother, what are you doing?¡± Elizabeth asked as she followed along with James and Bethilda. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out of bed.¡±


    ¡°Amelia dear, you should be resting right now,¡± Bethilda added. ¡°Linda, kindly escort her back to her bed.¡±


    Mother stopped her maids before they could even obey. ¡°I was told that my children were having a quick yet loud conversation with you and their father,¡± Mother said, pausing in between words. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to come here to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart, you should go back to bed,¡± James replied, walking towards her. He knelt in front of her after. ¡°Matters such as this shouldn¡¯t bother you right now.¡±


    ¡°Bethilda,¡± Mother turned to her sister, taking a deep breath, ¡°As much as I appreciate the changes that you¡¯re doing for the improvement of my health, I would like for you to put their rooms back to the way they were.¡±


    ¡°But Amelia--¡±


    ¡°Dearest sister, my children can manage their rooms,¡± Mother took a few steps forward, the maids and I still supporting her. ¡°What you can do is to make sure their rooms are always clean. I beg of you, please do what I say before Elizabeth explodes.¡±


    Bethilda looked at us, baffled. She wasn¡¯t expecting that Mother would take our side on this matter. She bowed her head, ¡°Of course, sister. I¡¯ll have the maids take care of the princess¡¯ room right away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled. She then turned to Elizabeth and me. ¡°As for the both of you, can you calm yourselves and watch your words?¡± she scolded. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like what your aunt did but there¡¯s no reason for you to be disrespectful.¡±


    Elizabeth let out a deep sigh. ¡°I will be staying with Robert as I wait for my room to be fixed. His room was lucky enough to avoid this issue.


    ¡°Elizabeth,¡± James called her once more.


    Mother smiled, caressing Elizabeth¡¯s face. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be sour about this. Your room will be restored by tomorrow.¡± She gave the three of us individual kisses on our forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll head back to my room now. Please, stop shouting.¡± Linda replaced me, supporting Mother by her hand and arm. Mother slowly turned around and carefully made her way back to her room.


    When Mother was far enough from James¡¯ study, I turned back to Bethilda. ¡°If Elizabeth¡¯s room isn¡¯t restored by tomorrow, I¡¯ll see to it that Mother will not be pleased about it,¡± I threatened. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Elizabeth,¡± I held Elizabeth¡¯s hand, walking out of the study with Gonzalo right behind us.


    ???


    As the maids prepared my bed for Elizabeth, I prepared my couch, making it comfortable enough to sleep in. My couch wasn¡¯t as big as Elizabeth¡¯s. I do envy her sometimes but I don¡¯t usually use it.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me stay here, brother,¡± Elizabeth smiled as she approached me.


    ¡°You¡¯re always welcome here, Elizabeth,¡± I smiled, fluffing the pillows as a final touch.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t bear the sight of my room,¡± she groaned, sitting on the couch. ¡°The way she changed it, it¡¯s like I returned to the time when I was only a thousand years of age. It looked ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°I got here just in time to stop her from destroying my room,¡± I replied, sitting beside her. ¡°Where were you when it was happening to yours?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I was in the library, as usual. I was going to take a quick nap when I saw the commotion happening inside my room,¡± she answered. ¡°When I saw it, the only thing that crossed my mind was to run to yours.¡±


    I let out a smile at her story. Elizabeth being in the library wasn¡¯t surprising. She¡¯s known as the child who adores reading the most. We¡¯re both studious but she preferred reading different topics.


    I stood up, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take that nap that you were supposed to have? I have something else to do.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I can take a nap here?¡± she asked, worried.


    I laid a kiss on her forehead as a reassurance. ¡°I will see you later. Take your rest.¡± I turned around and proceeded to the stables.


    ???


    As I was walking down the hallway, I came across Gonzalo. ¡°Gonzalo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± he bowed.


    ¡°Are you doing anything right now?¡±


    ¡°I just finished showing the maids where to put the materials,¡± he replied. ¡°Also, I talked to the maids regarding the situation with the princess. Should I bestow any punishment from you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for punishments. As long as they learned their lessons, that¡¯s enough,¡± I answered. ¡°And speaking of Elizabeth, would you check my room from time to time? My sister is taking a nap. I know I have my guards placed there but I would like for you to make sure nothing happens to her and to my room.¡±


    ¡°Of course, young prince,¡± he said. ¡°I would do what you ask.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I proceeded to the stables.


    ???


    ¡°Lady, you never failed to impress me,¡± I smiled as I brushed Lady¡¯s mane. ¡°We¡¯ve been together since I was child. We rode plains and muddy terrains. And you still look majestic.¡±


    ¡°You treat a horse with so much love, so much care,¡± a voice came from behind me, a voice that I wouldn¡¯t want to hear right now. ¡°Should I become a horse, would you treat me just the same?¡±


    ¡°Mallory, I¡¯m not in the mood to have another argument with you,¡± I said, focusing on Lady. ¡°I have too much in my mind right now, too much in my life right now. I have no time to waste on having another discussion with you.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of Laura?¡± she asked, footsteps approached me from behind.


    Keeping my mouth shut, I focused on taking care of Lady. She¡¯s now aware of my feelings for Laura but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to explain anything to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Laura, isn¡¯t it?¡± she repeated, standing beside me.


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± I finally turned to her, irritated. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? If I said it¡¯s Laura, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°That day that I introduced you to her, I saw how you both stare at each other,¡± she started. I went back to brushing Lady as she continued, ¡°I saw the horror in your eyes, the pain in hers. I¡¯m not that stupid to not notice your actions and feelings hidden behind your eyes.¡±


    I walked to the well, carrying a bucket. ¡°And what do you want for me to do?¡± I asked, drawing water from the well.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my friend anymore. Did you know that?¡± she asked.


    I pulled the rope to bring up the bucket. ¡°Does it look like I care if she¡¯s not your friend anymore?¡± I asked, turning to her with an eyebrow raised. I removed the rope from the bucket and returned to Lady.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care because you¡¯re happy about it,¡± she said, following closely behind me. ¡°You¡¯re happy because I won¡¯t be in your way. I won¡¯t be a problem to your growing relationship together.¡±


    ¡°If you want to think about it in that light, that¡¯s your opinion,¡± I answered, not paying any attention to her. To keep my patience intact at this moment was a struggle. I don¡¯t know what she does with her time but it¡¯s like she always has time to bother me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even affected by it?!¡± she raised her voice.


    ¡°Should I be affected by it?¡± I asked, turning around to look at her. ¡°It¡¯s your decision to break your friendship with her. I didn¡¯t tell you to do that. You¡¯re the one who made that decision. Just like the decision you made to introduce us to each other.¡±


    ¡°I chose you over her!¡± she shouted, poking her finger on my chest as she pointed at me. ¡°She stole you from me!¡±


    ¡°I would like to remind you that I didn¡¯t tell you to choose me,¡± I put my hands behind my back. ¡°And she didn¡¯t steal anything from you. She didn¡¯t steal me from you. I have feelings for her and I don¡¯t have any for you,¡± I explained. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between you and her.¡±


    ¡°Robert, can¡¯t you just--¡± she stepped closer towards me, her hands in front of her.


    I stopped her, pushing her away from me but not hard enough to make her fall onto the floor. ¡°I would like to say these words again because clearly, you really don¡¯t understand what I¡¯ve been telling you all this time: I cannot love you in the same way you love me because I don¡¯t love you like that,¡± I gritted out of frustration. ¡°The only thing I can offer you is friendship. You¡¯re a sister to me and that¡¯s the only kind of relationship that I can offer.


    ¡°But Robert--¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± someone shouted from the kitchen. Gonzalo came rushing in, panting. ¡°Your Highness, Her Majesty is calling for you right now,¡± he said, trying to catch his breath.


    I put the brush down. ¡°Please return Lady to her place. Give her food and water,¡± I instructed before running to the master bedroom.

 Chapter Eleven - Unsettled (a)

    When I finally arrived by the door of the master bedroom, I took some time to compose myself before walking in. As I entered, Mother was in a bad state, even worse than before. She looked paler than a while ago.


    I tiptoed in but she felt my presence and turned to my direction. ¡°Robert,¡± she spoke with a faint smile and a weak voice.


    I walked faster and sat beside her as I reached her. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m right here. Gonzalo said you called for me.¡±


    ¡°It took you a long time to get here. Where have you been?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was in the stables, taking care of Lady,¡± I said, holding her hand in mine. Is there something wrong, Mother?¡±


    She then turned to the maids, ¡°Please give us a moment alone.¡± The maids curtsied and left the room, carrying their basins of water and cloths.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked once more.


    ¡°Robert, dear,¡± she started as she held my hands. ¡°Can you promise me that you¡¯ll watch over your father and your sister?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, my brows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean? What are you talking about? Why are you saying such things?¡± my questions kept on coming out of my mouth as fear began to build within me.


    ¡°Robert, I know that I won¡¯t be by your side any longer and it¡¯s all because of this unknown illness that I have,¡± she explained, not forgetting to take pauses to catch her breath. ¡°So, I¡¯m asking you, begging for you to watch over our family as I will watch over you all from the other side.¡±


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say that. Stop saying goodbyes. You¡¯re not going to die,¡± I replied, leaning closer as I cupped her face with one hand and held her hand with the other. ¡°This isn¡¯t some kind of disease that you can¡¯t survive. This is just a different type of fever that wasn¡¯t taken care of immediately.¡±


    ¡°Robert, this¡­ is my body. And I know¡­ that this is how my body tells me¡­ that my time is nearly over,¡± she answered. ¡°So, can you give me your word? Can you promise me that?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t understand where you¡¯re getting these ideas from. I know you¡¯ve been sick for more than a few days but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to die,¡± I repeated, refusing to accept her explanation of death. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overreacting about this situation too much?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Robert, if this were just a simple fever, it wouldn¡¯t have lasted for more than five days,¡± she protested. ¡°You know very well¡­ that whenever I get sick¡­ it doesn¡¯t last for two days¡­ and I don¡¯t lie in bed¡­ whenever I¡¯m ill. This one is different. Even you can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I understand how you¡¯re feeling about this but please, until we aren¡¯t sure of what illness you have, death shouldn¡¯t be in our conversation,¡± I requested.


    ¡°But can you promise me that?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°Mother, please. Stop doing that,¡± I kissed her forehead, gripping her hands tighter. ¡°You¡¯re not going to die. Do you understand?¡±


    She then laid a gentle kiss on my hand. ¡°I love you with all my heart, dear one,¡± she smiled, cupping my right cheek with her hand.


    ¡°I love you more than you love me, Mother,¡± I smiled back.


    ¡°Now, kindly tell the maids to come back in,¡± she said. ¡°Go and do whatever it is you need to do.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I can stay with you until you go back to sleep,¡± I offered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Robert. Your father and Aunt Bethilda will be here shortly,¡± she reassured.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± I forced a smile. I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving Mother in the presence of Bethilda. Also, I¡¯m not amused about the fact that James spends more time with his duties rather than staying here for a longer time to look after my mother, his queen. I know he has a lot of things on his plate right now but isn¡¯t the queen as important as those duties?


    I bowed and carefully let go of her hand before I headed to the door.


    ???


    It¡¯s late in the afternoon and with everything that¡¯s happening right now, my mind has a lot of things to think about. It¡¯s exhausting. I¡¯ve walked around the garden for quite some time now, trying to avoid thinking about everything, wanting for my mind to rest, even just for a while. I would like to talk to Laura about this but it seems she doesn¡¯t want to be found at the moment.


    ¡°Robert,¡± a faint voice from my left interrupted my time of peace. As I turned around, James was walking towards me. Can¡¯t anyone in this kingdom give me some time alone? ¡°Can I have a word with you?¡± he asked as he stood in front of me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I want to be alone?¡± I responded, trying to be as polite as possible.


    ¡°I can join you on your walk. I just need to talk to you,¡± he insisted. I let out a sigh and nodded, walking once more with James beside me. ¡°I didn¡¯t like the way you and your sister treated your aunt,¡± he started. ¡°That was very disrespectful of you.¡±


    ¡°James, as I recall, you told me that respect is given to those who are worthy of it,¡± I said, my hands behind my back. ¡°She didn¡¯t respect our boundaries. She gave us the reason not to respect her. Why are you defending her? Shouldn¡¯t you be defending our side? Your children¡¯s point of view?¡±


    ¡°I would be on your side. However, you and you sister made the wrong decision in handling the situation,¡± he replied.


    I asked, ¡°Did you talk to Bethilda about this?¡±


    James replied after a brief moment of silence, ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°See? You didn¡¯t even bother to scold her for her mistake,¡± I snapped as I stopped from walking. I faced James as I continued, ¡°Just because she¡¯s a guest in this castle and a relative, that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s exempted from our rules. The rules - your rules - apply to everyone.¡±

 Chapter Eleven - Unsettled (b)

    ¡°I understand that what she did was unacceptable but you should still treat her with respect as a relative,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I would like to make one thing clear between the two of us, James: I respect everyone that crosses my path,¡± I moved closer to him, ¡°But when someone gives me a reason not to, then I¡¯m sorry. That person won¡¯t have any kind of respect from me. The same goes with Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°Robert, please,¡± he said, calmly stopping me from walking away.


    I groaned.


    I¡¯m trying my best to have a calm conversation with you, both as a king and as a father,¡± he continued. ¡°Let us not treat each other with hostility just because of what your aunt did.¡±


    ¡°James, you¡¯re making me act this way,¡± I replied. ¡°And please, I don¡¯t want to talk about anything right now. I just want to be alone in silence.¡±


    James let out a sigh as he nodded. ¡°I understand. I will see you at dinner.¡± He lightly tapped me on my arm and walked away, not saying another word.


    I sighed as I sat on a nearby bench, putting my head in my hands. I grasped my hair and pulled on it as I let out another sigh of frustration. A lot has happened and I don¡¯t know how to process everything in such a short amount of time.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Gonzalo walked towards me.


    I looked up. ¡°Yes, Gonzalo,¡± I answered.


    Gonzalo then handed a letter, folded into a small square. ¡°The messenger just arrived from Middle Earth and has brought this from Princess Lorain.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled, receiving the letter. ¡°Has my study been kept in order today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young prince. Your room and your study haven¡¯t been touched after the recent¡­ events,¡± he nodded.


    I stood up. ¡°Good. I would like to attend to this letter in my study. How¡¯s my sister? Is she still asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Her Highness is still taking her nap.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Kindly accompany me to the study.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young prince.¡±


    I then led the way, keeping the letter safe in my hand.


    ???


    As I sat down in my chair, Gonzalo began to prepare my quill and paper before I wrote a response to Princess Lorain. The letter reads:You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    To my dearest Robert,


    By the time you¡¯ve read this letter, I¡¯m quite sure Mother has returned to the kingdom. Allow me to be the one to apologize for her unacceptable behaviour. She¡¯s very welcoming when it comes to other people visiting the castle. However, I¡¯m well-aware that when she visits other kingdoms, it¡¯s an entirely different thing.


    I believe she¡¯s acting this way because she¡¯s from a line of royals where they have been utterly superior to other monarchies in the realm. I wouldn¡¯t tell you to get used to her ways but that¡¯s how I deal with her presence.


    That¡¯s the treatment she has given my brothers and I ever since we were little. With all honesty, the very reason that I agreed to marrying you is so that I can finally escape the turmoil I¡¯m in under her wing.


    I hope she didn¡¯t gravely offend you and your family. I also hope that I would be able to do something to make peace with you and your kingdom if she ever has done anything to offend you.


    Until my next letter, waiting for your response.


    Your dear friend,


    Princess Lorain.


    A heavy feeling crept up my heart as I folded her letter. She suffered so much from her mother and all I knew was the surface. I can¡¯t imagine living with that kind of person every day. James is rather similar as her mother but I would choose James rather than Queen Marta.


    My dearest Lorain,


    You don¡¯t have to apologize for your mother¡¯s actions. How she chose to act around other people is her own will and there¡¯s nothing we can do about that. You shouldn¡¯t take the blame for her indecencies.


    As your future husband, I have no choice but to understand and bear her. She is, after all, my mother-in-law and your mother. I still have to respect her.


    And don¡¯t you worry about your future with me. Once we officially marry, I will make sure that you won¡¯t have to suffer the same darkness that you¡¯re experiencing under her rule. Everything will be taken care of for you. I¡¯ll make sure of it.


    Sending you all my love and to your mother, understanding.


    Robert.


    As I folded the letter and stamped my seal, a knock came on my door.


    ¡°Allow me, young prince.¡± Gonzalo walked to the door and opened it, stepping outside for a moment. After the letter was perfectly sealed, Gonzalo returned to the room, closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± I asked as he walked back to me.


    ¡°It was your page, young prince,¡± Gonzalo said, his hands behind his back as he stood in front of me. ¡°He said that someone¡¯s looking for you in the stables. She said she knows you and she wanted to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Please tell Mallory that I¡¯m not interested in talking with her right now.¡± I then handed over the letter to Gonzalo, ¡°Have the messenger send this to the Middle Earth. Make sure that this letter will land directly to the princess¡¯ and only in her hands.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, young prince. And the girl waiting for you at the stables?¡± he enquired.


    I looked at him, confused. ¡°Gonzalo, I just told you what to tell her.¡±


    ¡°Tell who, sir?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Mallory the one you¡¯re talking about?¡± I crossed my arms.


    ¡°No, Your Highness. I never mentioned it was Mallory. Mallory has been sent to the marketplace,¡± he replied.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not Mallory then who¡¯s looking for me?¡± I questioned. ¡°Didn¡¯t my page state any name?¡±


    ¡°According to your page, the girl wouldn¡¯t tell her name. She just kept on insisting that she knows you,¡± Gonzalo explained.


    With a sigh, I stood up and headed to the stables. Gonzalo followed closely behind me, which would be for the best because I¡¯m not sure who else could be looking for me other than Mallory.


    ???


    When we arrived at the stables, I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing with my eyes. I stayed frozen in my place. My heart raced as the unexpected visitor slowly turned around. It was her. It was Laura, sitting beside Lady. When she saw us arrive, she immediately stood up and bowed in front of me.

 Chapter Twelve - Overwhelmed (a)

    ¡°Gonzalo, you may leave,¡± I said, my eyes not leaving the sight of Laura.


    ¡°Are you sure, young prince?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Gonzalo,¡± I smiled at him. ¡°She¡¯s a friend of mine. Take care of the letter.


    He then bowed and left me with Laura.


    ¡°Laura?¡± my mouth finally spoke as I approached her. ¡°Come now, Laura. There¡¯s no need for that,¡± I helped her up. I lifted her face and smiled at her, pleased that she¡¯s here right now. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do curtsies when it comes to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Robert. You know I have to do that,¡± she replied, fiddling with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m in your realm, in your kingdom. I have to show you the respect that is given to you here.¡±


    ¡°Laura, you¡¯re no different from me. Therefore, I say that you don¡¯t have to be all ceremonial whenever you visit me here,¡± I explained, unable to contain my grin on my face. ¡°You¡¯ve been shaking ever since I got here. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She sighed before answering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve been avoiding you. I was too heartbroken from what happened. I needed some time away from everything¡­ including you.¡±


    Her words pierced through my heart, so deep like it¡¯s the sharpest blade in any kind of realm. She was so hurt, she had to stay away from me. The person I vowed never to hurt. But I understand why she had to do that. I don¡¯t blame her for it.


    ¡°Laura, I should be the one who¡¯s apologizing,¡± I protested. ¡°I¡¯m the one who lied to you. I didn¡¯t tell you anything about Mallory. I¡¯m the one who hurt you. I understand why you had to avoid me. There¡¯s no need to explain.


    She smiled but evidently, she was still shaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re still trembling. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?¡± my brows furrowed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time here in your realm because I sneaked in. I didn¡¯t enter through the main gate,¡± she answered.


    My brows furrowed more, my head moved back a bit as I asked, ¡°If you didn¡¯t enter through the main gate, how did you get inside?¡±


    She let out a mischievous smile, grinning like a child who¡¯s done something. Her child-like innocence came out to the surface, replacing the nervousness she¡¯s been feeling.


    ¡°Laura, tell me,¡± I demanded, not taking a no for an answer.


    ¡°I went over the wall by your garden. Luckily, no one was there so it was an easy entry,¡± she explained, smiling and giggling but still cautious. ¡°The thorns hurt, though.¡±


    ¡°Thorns?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mm¡­ let¡¯s say I landed on a bush¡­ of red roses,¡± she lowered her head and played with her fingers.


    ¡°You landed on Mother¡¯s roses?!¡± I asked hysterically.


    ¡°Hush, Robert. You don¡¯t want to catch the attention of anyone,¡± she quickly covered my mouth. She slowly removed her hand as she continued, ¡°I planned to land safely on the grass but as I was supposed to jump, I slipped and fell on the bush instead.¡±


    ¡°How badly are you hurt?¡± I asked, checking every part of her body.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gravely injured, Robert. I just have minor scratches on my legs,¡± she said, trying to calm me down. She raised her skirt just above her calves, enough for me to see the cuts and scratches.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯m going to get something to mend your wounds,¡± I led her to the wooden bench beside Lady.


    ¡°Robert, there¡¯s no need for anything. These will go away on their own,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Laura, I am not letting you walk around with scratched legs. The least I could do is put something on it to make sure it doesn¡¯t get infected,¡± I scolded.


    ¡°But Robert--¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her as she continued to argue. Seeing that I can¡¯t be persuaded, she sighed out of defeat. I headed back to the kitchen, hoping that Nana Olsa had something for thorn cuts.


    ???


    When I returned, Lady moved closer to Laura and they were having their own time together. ¡°Let¡¯s mend those cuts,¡± I knelt in front of her as I opened the box.


    ¡°Oh, let me do it, Robert,¡± she leaned towards me, about to take the box from me.


    ¡°Laura, no,¡± I immediately moved the box away. ¡°I will do it. You, on the other hand, should sit down and stay still. Do you understand?¡±


    She then gave a nod and sat upright.


    I raised her skirt to her calves so I could see where the cuts were. I began cleaning the cuts when dragged footsteps headed towards the stable. Our heads turned to the entrance and we saw Mallory.


    Her head was down upon entering. But as she raised her face, her eyes landed on us. ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t know you two planned to surprise me today,¡± she remarked, sarcastically.


    I let out a sigh before putting my focus back on mending Laura¡¯s legs. ¡°We¡¯re not going to have this conversation with you, Mallory.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad,¡± she started walking towards us, ¡°I¡¯m in the mood to talk. And since the two of you are here, I think it is only proper for me to say what I need to say.¡±


    ¡°Robert, let me do this, please. I don¡¯t want any trouble with Mallory,¡± Laura whispered as she put a hand on mine, stopping me.


    ¡°Laura, I can do this. Don¡¯t pay any attention to her. She just wants to get into your head,¡± I smiled at her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that sweet, Laura?¡± Mallory entered the conversation, mocking Laura. ¡°Prince Robert is willing to step down from his royal ladder and care for your wounds, a commoner¡¯s wounds,¡± she continued. ¡°How adorable¡­ and sickening.¡±


    ¡°Mallory, will you please leave us alone?¡± I turned in her direction, looking up to meet her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak with you or even see your shadow today.¡±


    ¡°How about tomorrow? Would you like to see me tomorrow?¡± she retorted.


    ¡°Robert, why don¡¯t you and Mallory have a moment to yourselves? I¡¯ll take care of myself,¡± Laura smiled, still trying to convince me to let her bandage her wounds.


    ¡°Yes, Robert, why don¡¯t you let her do it herself? You don¡¯t care about people lower than you, right?¡± Mallory snarled.


    ¡°Mallory, please. You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± Laura turned to Mallory, talking to her calmly and kindly.


    ¡°Oh, so now you have the strength, the nerve, to talk back to me?¡± Mallory raised her voice as she spatted on Laura. ¡°Just because Robert is taking your side, that doesn¡¯t give you the right to look me in the eye and tell me what to do!¡±


    ¡°Mallory, I¡¯m not trying to start an argument with you,¡± Laura explained, frightened by Mallory¡¯s sudden outburst. ¡°I was only trying to reason with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your explanations! I don¡¯t need to hear your stupid, faint voice so it¡¯s better that you hold your tongue and keep your thoughts to yourself!¡± Mallory continued to scream at Laura.


    ¡°What do you want, Mallory?¡± I stepped in between them, putting Laura behind me to protect her from Mallory. I would¡¯ve kept my composure but Mallory wouldn¡¯t stop. Now, she¡¯s taking all of her pain on someone who doesn¡¯t even deserve it. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°You know what I want, Robert, but you won¡¯t give it to me!¡± she began to throw a tantrum, a tactic that she¡¯s been using to try and get her way done. ¡°Instead, you gave it to someone you only knew for a few months!¡± she turned to Laura, giving her a death glare.


    ¡°Mallory, would you please leave us alone? We don¡¯t need you here! Nobody needs you here right now!¡± I shouted back as I walked towards her, which caused her to step back. ¡°I¡¯m doing my best not to hurt you but if you keep on pushing me to my limits, I don¡¯t know what I can do to you.¡±


    ¡°Robert? Robert,¡± Laura called me, holding me back. ¡°Calm yourselves. Mallory,¡± she looked to her, ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to argue. I¡¯m here to visit Robert. I don¡¯t want to see you hurt. We¡¯re just asking you if you can give us some time to talk.¡±


    ¡°Ah! So, it¡¯s the two of you against me. Is that it?¡± Mallory answered. ¡°Let me tell you something: I¡¯m not afraid of you. Even you, Robert,¡± Mallory started walking towards us. I hid Laura behind me, afraid that Mallory planned to do something to her. ¡°Even if you use your powers on me, Robert, I¡¯m not afraid of you. And there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of Laura. She¡¯s too kind, anyone can easily push her around.¡±


    ¡°Mallory, please leave us,¡± I repeated, my teeth gritted.


    ¡°Is my presence intimidating? Is it scaring the two of you? Are you shocked that I¡¯m able to answer back?¡± she raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, smirking.

 Chapter Twelve - Overwhelmed (b)

    ¡°Your presence is anything but intimidating. It¡¯s disturbing, annoying would be the proper term,¡± I replied, not being affected by her taunts. ¡°Nobody in this room is intimidated by you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, Robert, stop with the act,¡± Mallory scoffed. ¡°We both know that once Laura leaves you alone, you can easily hurt anybody.¡±


    ¡°Mallory,¡± a soft voice came from the kitchen entrance. We turned our heads to see Nana Olsa, trying to stand firmly as her crooked staff assisted her weight. ¡°I believe that exchange of words is enough for today,¡± she began to approach us.


    ¡°Nana, this doesn¡¯t concern you. It¡¯s better that you return inside. You don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re talking about,¡± Mallory snarled at Nana.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you show Nana some respect?¡± I scolded Mallory. ¡°Don¡¯t vent all of your frustrations on her. She¡¯s not involved in this.¡±


    ¡°Why defend her? She¡¯s not your family?¡± she answered. ¡°Who are you to tell me how to treat her?¡±


    ¡°Mallory, don¡¯t make me break my promise to your mother,¡± Nana threatened, putting her and over the other as she stood near us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your stupid promises to my mother! I can take care of myself,¡± she replied to Nana, showing every single speck of arrogance in her body.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I would like for you to leave the castle grounds,¡± Nana remarked, holding her head up high. Mallory was silenced immediately. ¡°You said you can take care of yourself, am I right? Then, leave. We don¡¯t need you here if you¡¯re going to be a pain to everyone,¡± she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t need an ungrateful child to look after.¡±


    Mallory took a few steps back and looked at each one of us with teary eyes. Her eyes widened, full of hurt and betrayal. She tried to hide the pain she was feeling but her tears didn¡¯t help. As soon as she began to cry, she ran away with her hands covering her face.


    ¡°Nana, are you all right?¡± I approached Nana. ¡°I apologize for how Mallory treated you. You didn¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    ¡°You and your friend over here need to stop seeing each other,¡± Nana immediately cut me off as she turned to us. ¡°Otherwise, Mallory will never stop bothering you, especially your friend.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we can¡¯t be friends anymore, Nana?¡± I asked in disbelief. Laura and I just reconciled. Now, we need to stay apart again for Mallory¡¯s sake? Why do we have to adjust to her needs? Why can¡¯t she just understand and move on?


    ¡°If that¡¯s what is needed for Mallory to leave the both of you in peace, it has to happen,¡± Nana explained. ¡°As the future king, you have to think of the benefit for the many, not just yourself.¡±


    ¡°Nana, there must be something else that we can do,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Robert but as of now, that¡¯s the only thing you can do. Keep in mind: I¡¯m not always here to keep her and her emotions in check so as much as possible, you have to make certain decisions to prevent her from doing what she did,¡± Nana continued. ¡°If she continues on this path, she will end up dying in an asylum. She will end up like her mother.¡± Nana let out a few coughs before walking back to the kitchen.


    ¡°Robert?¡± Laura walked up to me, turning me around to look at her. ¡°I understand what Nana wants to happen. We both know it¡¯s for the best.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re agreeing with what Nana said,¡± I grabbed onto her arms and shook my head in disbelief.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Robert, she didn¡¯t suggest it. She told us exactly what to do,¡± she said. ¡°And Nana has a point: Mallory will only continue to bother us - especially you - if we keep on seeing each other.¡±


    I quickly held her hands in mine. ¡°Promise me we¡¯ll meet each other at our hiding place. It¡¯s the place that we can go to where no one can bother us. The world wouldn¡¯t even care about us. Please, promise me,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Robert, I would love to but Mallory can follow you anytime you leave the castle,¡± she replied. ¡°We can¡¯t risk anything.¡±


    I let her hands go, stepping back, confused and angered by her words. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re willing to sacrifice me for Mallory¡¯s sake?¡±


    ¡°Robert, we have no other choice. You know very well that she won¡¯t stop if we continue to do this,¡± she replied, continuing her explanation. ¡°You will never have any peace, as well as me. You have to understand.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. I thought she was going to disagree with Nana but to my dismay, she¡¯s convincing me to do what Nana told us to. She¡¯s willing to make the sacrifice of not seeing me - maybe even forget me - just so Mallory would leave me alone. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m supposed to be thankful or hate her for what she chose.


    ¡°Robert, you have to see it from Nana¡¯s perspective--¡±


    ¡°Just leave,¡± I answered, turning away from her.


    ¡°Robert, please understand--¡±


    ¡°GO! LEAVE!¡± I shouted as I turned back to her, pointing to the entrance. ¡°This is what you want for us to do, right?! Then go! I don¡¯t want to see your face ever again!¡±


    Her eyes widened, frightened.


    As soon as I realized what I did, it felt like a big rock hit me. I was gutted. My heart was ripped from my chest and someone stabbed it until it was shredded into pieces.


    ¡°Laura, I¡­ I didn¡¯t--¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Robert. I¡¯ll go,¡± she started walking away from me, very slowly. Her hands, folded in front of her chest.


    ¡°Laura, wait--¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± She quickly ran away, not even looking back.


    What have I done?


    ???


    Sitting on the edge of my bed, my head slumped into my hands. Disappointed. Frustrated with myself. As the silence surrounded me, I continued to regret and buried myself in guilt. Queered by what I just did to my saving grace. She was only concerned for my well-being. She only wanted what¡¯s best for me and I didn¡¯t understand that. Instead, I screamed at her. How could I be so cruel and insensitive to do that to someone such as her?


    What have I done?


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Gonzalo called from the outside after a knock.


    I raised my head from my hands. ¡°Enter, Gonzalo,¡± I answered, staring at my hands.


    The door opened and footsteps walked in my direction. ¡°There¡¯s someone who would like to speak with you, young prince.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be bothered right now, Gonzalo,¡± I said after a sigh, still looking down at my hands. ¡°Whomever this person is, please tell them that I¡¯m not in the mood to speak with anyone right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the messenger, Your Highness,¡± he replied as softly as possible. ¡°He said he has a message from Princess Lorain. He said he has to say it to you directly.¡±


    ¡°Kindly tell the messenger that I¡¯m out of sorts right now,¡± I finally looked at Gonzalo. ¡°I will receive the princess¡¯ message after I¡¯ve composed myself.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, young prince,¡± he bowed and walked away, gently closing the door behind him.


    As I let out a deep breath, I fell on the bed, not knowing what to do anymore. Making Laura leave was a decision out of anger. I understand what her motives were but it was too late for me to realize. But I only saw what I needed: her. Perhaps the decision that she made has some sort of wisdom that I¡¯ve yet to uncover.


    I think I should visit Mother. I know she shouldn¡¯t be bothered but she¡¯s the only one I can talk to about these kinds of matters.


    ???


    As I approached the door of the master bedroom, I reached out to open it, only to stop when I overheard someone talking from the inside. I put my ear gently on the wooden door.


    ¡°Amelia, why do you continue to refuse treatment?¡± a husky voice spoke. It was the Medicine King.


    ¡°Good sir, even if I accept your treatments, it will all be for nothing,¡± Mother answered, her voice strained. ¡°We will all die sooner or later. Why should we put effort into specific treatments if death will be the bottom line of everything?¡±


    Why is Mother refusing to receive any sort of treatment from the Medicine King? It¡¯s quite clear that he wanted my mother to get well but she doesn¡¯t seem to be enthusiastic about it. And what kind of treatment did the Medicine King pertain to?


    ¡°Amelia, I made it very clear that this treatment can be your last chance of survival,¡± the Medicine King explained firmly, trying to convince her to agree. At this point, he¡¯s begging her to go through with the treatment. ¡°It may not completely heal you but it can slow down whatever kind of virus is inside your body.¡±

 Chapter Twelve - Overwhelmed (c)

    ¡°Good sir, you can see my state. An immortal, weak and fragile, unable to leave her bed. How can I go to another city with my condition?¡± she questioned, a hint of humor and sarcasm in her voice.


    ¡°Amelia, this matter isn¡¯t to be taken lightly,¡± he scolded. ¡°Your situation is already a matter of life and death. If you agree to this treatment, I can go and get the materials needed so we can begin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already too ill for myself to handle. As much as I can, I add a little bit of humor in everything that I do to lighten up the mood around me,¡± Mother explained.


    ¡°With your condition, humor isn¡¯t needed. Humor isn¡¯t a priority,¡± the Medicine King continued to scold her. ¡°You need to take this seriously and accept treatment. James already agreed to this treatment. Don¡¯t you want to get better for your family?¡±


    ¡°Good sir, I think we¡¯ve discussed enough for today. I would like to take my rest now,¡± Mother said after she let out a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear such words right now. I¡¯m already weakened by this unknown disease. I don¡¯t need another reason to feel sicker.¡±


    ¡°Always remember to take the herbs I¡¯ve given you. I will come back tomorrow.¡± As the Medicine King bid his goodbye, I quickly stepped away from the door. As the door opened, he immediately noticed my presence. ¡°Oh, young Robert. It¡¯s good to see you,¡± he smiled, closing the door gently.


    ¡°A good day to you as well, Medicine King,¡± I bowed.


    ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡± he asked, walking up to me.


    ¡°No, I just arrived,¡± I smiled. ¡°I wanted to pay Mother a visit but I didn¡¯t want to interrupt your conversation with her.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just knocked, young prince. I would¡¯ve given you time to speak with her,¡± he replied. ¡°She¡¯s about to take her rest. She must have a lot of it to strengthen herself.¡±


    ¡°I just want to sit beside her for a little while. Watch over her as she sleeps,¡± I answered. Should I tell him that I overheard what he told Mother? Because if Mother isn¡¯t agreeing with him, she might agree if I ask her to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave, then. I will see you soon, Robert,¡± he lightly tapped my shoulder before walking away.


    I was about to open the door but I turned around and chased after him. ¡°Sir?¡± I called out.


    He was quick to turn around.


    ¡°Medicine King, I would like to ask you something,¡± I said, finally catching up with him.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Do you have any clear diagnosis on what kind of disease my mother has?¡± I started. ¡°Also, I overheard you mentioning some kind of cure for her. Can you tell me more about it?¡±


    He let out a deep sigh. ¡°Your mother¡¯s case is a complicated matter. Discussing it would take a long time and I need to get back to my office.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to the entrance,¡± I quickly replied. ¡°But as we walk, I would like to discuss Mother¡¯s condition with you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I thought you were going to visit Her Majesty?¡± he said, confused.


    ¡°I would like to know everything first, good sir,¡± I insisted. ¡°She¡¯s not only the queen and consort of James. She¡¯s also a mother to my sister and me. And I would like to see her get well,¡± I continued to persuade him.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    We stared at each other for a brief moment before he finally surrendered. ¡°There¡¯s no need to escort me to the entrance, young prince.¡± He then pointed to the window, leading the way as we stepped to the side. As we reached the humongous window, the Medicine King began, ¡°With all honesty, Your Highness, no one knows what¡¯s happening to your mother. Her Majesty is in perfect health and for her to suddenly become ill and for this long has left me baffled indeed. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. I believe my medicinal herbs are helping her but it won¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°And what of this treatment that you discussed with her?¡± I repeated my previous question. ¡°Forgive me for listening to your conversation with her. But just like you and His Majesty, I would want to get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, young prince. I understand where you¡¯re coming from,¡± he nodded in assurance. ¡°For unknown yet dangerous diseases such as this, there¡¯s one treatment. One kind of cure that the ancient Medicine Families have been using. It¡¯s proven to be very effective.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why isn¡¯t my mother agreeing to this cure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your mother strongly believes that she got ill because it¡¯s her time to die, which is something I¡¯m almost certain that all of us don¡¯t agree with,¡± he answered. ¡°She believes that if she¡¯s to die, she should die without any struggle or effort.¡±


    Mother is the strongest woman I know and she continues to be strong. But she¡¯s acting foolishly in this situation, especially with her condition. I can¡¯t believe she would think that it¡¯s time for her to rest for eternity.


    ¡°I¡¯ve suggested this treatment to James and he has agreed to it. I would proceed with it since I have the king¡¯s blessing. However, I do need the consent of the patient before doing anything,¡± he added.


    I asked, ¡°Is the cure some sort of herb?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young prince,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Can you tell me what it is?¡± I asked as I stepped closer, eager to find the cure.


    ¡°Young prince, even if I told you, the queen doesn¡¯t want to take it. Getting the herb will be for nothing,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, good sir. I¡¯ll persuade her as hard as I can. But I need to know the herb,¡± I replied, persistent.


    He shook his head out of doubt but I¡¯m not about to give up. I will not rest easy unless I know I¡¯ve done something to help cure Mother.


    ¡°Please, Medicine King,¡± I begged once more.


    He sighed. ¡°The Medicine Families called it ledoras. It¡¯s an ancient herb that the primordial deities used to cure any kind of illness, both from simple scratches to life-threatening situations. And since your mother¡¯s case is currently a mystery to us, the ledoras is our only hope.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where it is?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°Its specific whereabouts are unknown but it¡¯s said to be found in the Mountain of Heavenly Falls. That¡¯s all I know about the ledoras herb,¡± he explained. The Mountain of Heavenly Falls is known as the place for those who pledged their lives in solitude, focusing on protecting everything holy and pure. If the ledoras herb is within the mountain, it must contain some kind of primordial power.


    It could cure Mother in an instant!


    ¡°That¡¯s all I know, young prince. But for now, I take my leave.¡± He was about to start walking before I stopped him once more.


    ¡°Are you sure that the ledoras herb still exists?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Its existence has been a mystery ever since the primordial deities left our realm,¡± he said. ¡°There are only claims of the ledoras being seen.¡±


    So, he suggested treatment with no definitive answer, no assurance of success? He offered my mother a treatment when he¡¯s not even sure of the herb¡¯s existence?! I wanted to scream at him so badly but I don¡¯t want to waste my energy on it. I simply nodded and he bowed, walking away.


    I took a deep breath in and proceeded to the master bedroom.


    ???


    I carefully sat beside Mother, looking at her as she slept. Even though she¡¯s ill, her beauty never faded. Her cheeks may have sunken a little but her rosy skin still glows. The areas around her eyes have darkened but her long, beautiful lashes still gave her a look of everlasting beauty.


    After looking at her for a few seconds, I turned around and began to think about the ledoras herb. Does it still exist? How do I find it? Where is it located in the Mountain of Heavenly Falls? What does it look like?


    So many questions raced through my mind regarding the ledoras plant when a hand suddenly held onto my shoulder. My head quickly turned to see Mother open her eyes.


    ¡°Hello, son,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Mother,¡± I immediately turned to her, holding her hand. ¡°Did I disturb you?¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t because I wasn¡¯t even asleep, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°But you were asleep. The Medicine King told me you were taking a nap,¡± my brows furrowed.


    ¡°That was just an excuse to make him leave,¡± Mother smiled. ¡°His words made me feel even worse than I already am.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling, Mother?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°To be honest, I was feeling a bit better this morning. However, the Medicine King ruined everything for me,¡± she rolled her eyes as she mentioned the Medicine King.

 Chapter Twelve - Overwhelmed (d)

    ¡°Mother, I think you should reconsider what he told you. He just wants you to get better,¡± I answered.


    She looked at me in surprise, baffled as well. She remarked, ¡°Did you eavesdrop again?¡±


    I smiled and replied, ¡°I was about to knock on your door when I heard the two of you talking. And allow me to say this, Mother: you¡¯re acting like a child. Not accepting help from other people and being stubborn.¡±


    She giggled gently, careful not to hurt herself. ¡°Robert, I¡¯m not being stubborn, I¡¯m being realistic. And since you already have an idea of what we talked about, I have my reasons for rejecting his suggested treatment.¡±


    ¡°He said that you believe your time has come,¡± I raised a brow at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can think in such a way. Aren¡¯t you worried about leaving Elizabeth and me?¡±


    ¡°Robert, we all must accept if our time has arrived,¡± she then reached out a hand on mine. ¡°The Medicine King has been treating me like a child when I only tried to reason with him. Acceptance is key to everything, including death.¡±


    Mother, please stop saying that you¡¯re going to die,¡± I blocked her declarations of death. ¡°You¡¯re going to get better and you will get better. Do you understand me?¡± I leaned in closer.


    ¡°Robert, I know the truth and I¡¯m not afraid of it,¡± she smiled. ¡°I will humbly accept the fate of death instead of suffering endlessly.¡±


    ¡°Mother, just because fate has decided, doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t change it,¡± I protested. ¡°We mustn¡¯t let fate decide what¡¯s best for us. This is your life, Mother. You should be the one controlling it, not the other way around.¡±


    ¡°Robert, even if we do something, death is inevitable. So, what¡¯s the point of even trying?¡± she argued.


    ¡°Mother, are you in a rush to leave us?¡± I asked. ¡°The point of us wanting you to get treatment is that you can live longer so that we can be together for a long time.¡±


    ¡°And still die in the end,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°Mother, can you please stop that?¡± I groaned.


    ¡°My dear son, sooner or later, you¡¯ll realize why I act and think like this,¡± she smiled in an attempt to comfort me. She might not know this but she¡¯s everything to me. I can¡¯t afford to lose anyone in my life, especially my mother. She¡¯s been the constant rock of this family for years. And now that I feel like my life isn¡¯t going the way I expected, I need her more than ever.


    We need her more than ever.


    ¡°How about you take your rest, Mother?¡± I smiled. ¡°I will come back later.¡±


    She nodded, her face still has that gentle smile. She¡¯s been very brave during her illness. She must retain as much strength as she possibly can. I laid a soft peck on her forehead.


    Her eyes slowly closed as she drifted to a peaceful slumber. After watching over her for a few more minutes, I quietly left the room and headed back to mine. Mother has been thinking too much about her condition to the point where she believes she¡¯s about to return to dust. But for me, she only needs some rest from everything. And I think I¡¯ll take a quick nap as well. I have nothing much to do today, anyways.


    ???


    My eyes squinted as the soft light from the afternoon sun greeted me. It already peeked through the window, ready to see me. I sat up and gave myself a bit of a stretch. And even though I have rested, my mind, heart, my soul is still uneasy. I still have this clenched feeling within my chest. Being reminded of what I did to Laura continued to hurt me.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The guilt has overpowered my body, I can¡¯t think properly because of it. I¡¯m too mad at myself. I hate myself for what I did to her. I¡¯ve become some sort of monster, all because she didn¡¯t agree with what I wanted. And I hate myself for that because that¡¯s how James has treated me.


    Am I turning into him? Or am I like him?


    The two sides of my conscience have been in a constant battle, trying to give me the perfect solution to my problem.


    Chase after her, you imbecile. You have offended her and you¡¯re not going to do anything about it? The right side scolded.


    Then the other side quickly refuted it. Why would you go after her? She did choose to leave you rather than fight for you!


    The other side intervened without hesitation. Robert, you know better than this. You want to make things right, you know you do. You know you want to go after her.


    That statement was quickly silenced by the other as it snapped. Be rational. She chose that path. You simply opened the door for her.


    I groaned as I engulfed my head into my hands, not knowing what to do anymore. Even my conscience is having a hard time deciding on what I should do! Should I go after her or not? Should I apologize or just let it be? Should I pursue some kind of relationship with her or move on? Everything just came rushing in, not giving me time to process.


    I was close to insanity when Elizabeth suddenly entered the room.


    ¡°Hello, little brother,¡± she smiled, closing the door. ¡°You seem like you needed some company,¡± she walked towards me.


    ¡°Hello, Elizabeth. Where did you come from?¡± I asked, lifting my head with a smile.


    ¡°Um, the same way you entered this world? From our mother¡¯s womb?¡± she replied, smirking as she sat beside me.


    Elizabeth always comes up with the best sarcastic answers. It¡¯s both hilarious and sometimes, irritating. ¡°What I meant was where did you spend most of your time today?¡± I repeated after a groan.


    ¡°Do ask your questions properly next time,¡± she giggled. ¡°And as always, I was at the library. It¡¯s the only place I can be away from Bethilda.¡±


    ¡°Have you visited Mother yet?¡± I asked. ¡°I was with her before I took a nap. She slept before I left.¡±


    ¡°I did go to check on her but she was still asleep. Bethilda said Mother woke up to take her medicine and then went back to sleep,¡± she explained. ¡°Bethilda also told me not to disturb her and to give her time to rest.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s also meddling on how we take care of our mother,¡± I snarled. ¡°She¡¯s our mother, our queen. We have the right to see her.¡±


    ¡°Let her be, Robert. We¡¯ve been so frustrated about her but she doesn¡¯t feel the same thing,¡± she said, putting her arm around me. ¡°That¡¯s a bit unfair on our side, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I sighed as I nodded. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right about that. What are you planning to do now?¡±


    She let out a deep breath, removing her arm from me. ¡°I would probably sleep and rest my brain. I would like to wake up before dinner is served. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any sure plans, as of this moment,¡± I scratched my nape.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and go to the library? It will help you pass the time until dinner,¡± she suggested, smiling.


    ¡°Elizabeth, you know that--¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like reading books but sometimes, books could be the best of friends that you can make,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Books as friends?¡± I scoffed in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not a possibility.¡±


    ¡°Robert, books aren¡¯t as horrible as you think they are. You¡¯re thinking too much out of it,¡± she explained.


    ¡°How come you submerge yourself fully into books? All I can think about is boredom,¡± I groaned. ¡°I tried reading once and I couldn¡¯t last for another minute.¡±


    ¡°What made you feel that books are a bore?¡± she asked, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°Elizabeth, there are not as many pictures as I want there to be!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°I would prefer to have more illustrations in our books. The words aren¡¯t that enticing, even.¡±


    Elizabeth gave out a bit of a laugh before saying, ¡°Brother, books are made to inspire, to nourish your mind. Books aren¡¯t meant to be some kind of museum.¡± She continued, ¡°Words are meant to be poetic. They are meant to be in such a way so your mind can think. Books are supposed to take you to different places, places where you can¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°I will try next time,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°I suggest that you do that as much as possible. Even the wisest men in this world read books because even they don¡¯t know everything,¡± she comforted.


    I stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Nana. Will you be all right on your own? Shall I send some of your maids here?¡±


    ¡°My maids are outside. I told them to wait for your permission to enter,¡± she answered as she went under the covers.


    I kissed her cheek and headed to the kitchen, giving the maids permission to enter my room and accompany my sister as she took her nap.

 Chapter Thirteen - Struggle (a)

    As I wait for Nana, I have indulged myself with this giant cake that was in the middle of the table near Nana¡¯s station. It was too delicious to share, I would prefer to eat it on my own. I was too occupied with the cake when a voice suddenly asked from behind me, ¡°Robert, what are you doing?¡±


    I turned around to see Nana, shocked. ¡°Oh, hello, Nana,¡± I greeted as I moved back an inch.


    She moved closer and an expression of horror rose on her face. Her eyes widened as she asked, ¡°Robert, what did you do to this cake?¡±


    ¡°It was on the table and nobody was taking notice of it so I thought I could have a few bites,¡± I replied. ¡°Would you like some?¡±


    ¡°Nobody is touching it because no one was supposed to touch it!¡± she answered, examining the whole cake.


    ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be for dinner?¡± I asked, baffled.


    ¡°This was for dinner but this was for the lords! Your father invited them over to celebrate their success on their trade,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± I stood in a panic. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Nana, I didn¡¯t know! I¡¯ll fix it right now!¡± I continued, trying to grab the cake, which Nana quickly moved away from me.


    She let out a sigh. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry, Robert,¡± she walked up to me and rubbed my back in comfort. ¡°I¡¯ll have the bakers make a new one. You can finish the cake if you want to.¡± She turned to the bakers, ¡°William! Philip! Kindly make another cake and please put a sign that it mustn¡¯t be touched.¡± The bakers nodded and went straight to work. She sat beside me, ¡°And since you were already enjoying yourself, how about I join you?¡±


    ¡°Allow me to get you a plate and fork,¡± I smiled, standing up. I walked to the cupboard behind us and grabbed what we needed. As I returned to the table, I put the plate and fork in front of her.


    ¡°Thank you, son,¡± she said as she took the knife and took a slice from the cake.


    I sat back down. ¡°I think Elizabeth would like some of this when she wakes up,¡± I suggested. ¡°Can we have some delivered to my room? That¡¯s where Elizabeth is sleeping.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Robert! We can¡¯t finish this whole cake by ourselves, anyway. Krisha?¡± she called out to the maid sweeping the floor. She put the broom on the side and approached us. ¡°Would you be so kind to get me a plate and fork?¡± Nana smiled at her.


    Krisha nodded and proceeded to do what Nana asked for.


    ¡°How¡¯s your day so far?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to talk about what I usually do here in the castle then I would say, nothing exciting,¡± she giggled before sharing a laugh. ¡°Are you asking about Mallory¡¯s well-being as well?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I sighed before a nod, taking another bite from the cake.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong if you¡¯re concerned about her well-being, Robert. I know you treat her as your sister,¡± Nana continued as she rubbed my back as comfort.


    Krisha finally returned with a plate and fork. Then, Nana put two slices of cake on the empty plate. ¡°Bring this to His Highness¡¯s room,¡± Nana instructed, handing the plate over to her. ¡°The princess is asleep in the prince¡¯s room. Tell her His Highness sent this for her,¡± she continued.


    Krisha nodded and put the plate and fork on a tray. Then, she went on her way.


    I replied, crossing my arms on the table, ¡°I feel like¡­ I have no right to ask about her anymore. I do care for her, I see her as my sister. But at the same time, I¡¯m fearful of the thought that if she found out that I asked about her well-being, she might misinterpret it. It could make her think that I¡¯m in love with her when I¡¯m not. She expects too much from me.¡±


    I never hated Mallory, even though she has managed to irritate and frustrate me for quite some time now. I still regarded her as a sister, a friend and my care for her will remain in me for the rest of my life. Whether she accepts it or not, I will continue to look after her as I always have.


    ¡°Have you tried explaining everything to her? She¡¯s an understanding person, Robert. She has proven that countless times,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I explained everything to her, Nana, countless times. And during those times, I was patient with her, trying to open her eyes to the truth but her heart wouldn¡¯t accept it,¡± I said. I took another bite before adding, ¡°I never wanted to push her away. But her actions aren¡¯t much of a help.¡±


    Nana put her hand on my arm as she looked at me directly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to torture yourself because of this. As a future king, you must accept that you can¡¯t control everything. You have to have grace and understanding with anything that will happen in your life,¡± she explained.


    I nodded.


    She smiled as she touched my face, giving it a light tap after. ¡°Now, are you going to eat more of this?¡± she pointed at the cake, not even half done.


    I chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can have another bite, Nana. This cake is a bit heavier than the usual cakes you make.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I¡¯ll cover the cake so if you get hungry again, you can always come back and have a bite. Unless one of the cooks got to it first,¡± she winked.


    ¡°Thank you, Nana,¡± I stood and kissed her on her cheek.


    ¡°Is there anything else that you would be doing today?¡± she asked.


    Now that Nana has mentioned it, I haven¡¯t planned anything today. Then, I suddenly remembered what Elizabeth told me, which was to go and give reading a try. It¡¯s not what I really want to do during my spare time but it shouldn¡¯t hurt either. ¡°I would probably go to the library and read something.¡±


    ¡°The library?¡± Nana¡¯s eyes widened as she turned to me. ¡°Why would you go there when you hate reading?¡± She then walked to me and put her hand on my forehead. ¡°Are you sick? Is there something wrong with you today?¡±


    I smiled as I removed her hand. ¡°Nana, I¡¯m fine. I simply don¡¯t have anything to do today and Elizabeth suggested that. I know it sounded strange, even I¡¯m surprised that I came to this decision. I don¡¯t know how long I will be able to bear the silence and endless sight of words.¡±


    ¡°You will last, son. I¡¯m sure you will,¡± she encouraged, putting her hands on my shoulders, which she pulled instantly.


    I sighed and nodded. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to the library, a place suggested by my sister who¡¯s an incredible enthusiast of books,¡± I groaned as I made my way to the exit.


    ¡°I wish you all the luck and patience, young one,¡± Nana remarked. I let out an uninterested chuckle, knowing that my next destination isn¡¯t something that I should be happy or excited about. The very last place that I would want to stay in - except for James¡¯ study - is the library


    ???

 Chapter Thirteen - Struggle (b)

    The door creaked, echoing as I slowly pushed it open. A familiar friend greeted me: silence that stretched across the room. Absolute silence is music to my ears but it can also make you insane, especially when you¡¯re surrounded by nothing but books.


    I scanned the bookshelves, looking for an interesting book title to read. Elizabeth said that reading can be fun and exciting if I put my mind to it. Whilst looking for a book to read, an untitled book caught my attention. It was a blue book with no title whatsoever.


    I grabbed it from the shelf and walked to the chair by the window as I opened it. There was no title on the inside, either. I quickly turned the pages up to the very first chapter as I sat down, the light from the outside illuminated the whole room, not leaving one corner unilluminated. I laid back onto the chair and began to read, ¡°In an ancient village, lying in between two majestic mountains¡­¡±


    ???


    I¡¯ve been reading for a while and lost track of time very quickly. Two things were certain: the moon is already up in the sky and I¡¯m currently reading a chapter titled Ye Love of Old. This book told stories about the legends of our realm. Mother has always told to me stories before I go to bed. I didn¡¯t know they were this well-known and even studied by the wisest people that came and went.


    And I have to admit: I enjoyed reading today, which is completely unbelievable because I always hated it. It¡¯s all thanks to my tutors who would make me read large books about history, my lessons, and a monarch¡¯s duty. Those books gave me the reason to avoid books and, sadly, it happened. My sister was right, it wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was. However, my happiness was interrupted by a sudden and rather unwanted entry: Bethilda. After she entered the room, I cleared my throat and continued reading.


    ¡°Robert!¡± she called out to me, almost screaming. Her voice echoed throughout the room. ¡°Robert, dear!¡± she continued, her shoes patted onto the floor as she quickly approached me.


    I sighed, putting the book down. With hesitation, I turned in her direction.


    ¡°Oh, jolly! I never thought I¡¯d find you here. I haven¡¯t seen you anywhere in the castle, either,¡± she remarked as she stood in front of me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you loved to read. James mentioned that you never liked the library.¡±


    ¡°As a fellow monarch, I do not doubt that you know that silence should be observed within a library. Even an uneducated person would know that through common sense. You, of all people, should know better,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°I should be the one asking why are you here? My sister mentioned you were taking care of Mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, forgive me for disturbing the peaceful atmosphere,¡± she leaned her face closer to her fan, lowering the volume of her voice. ¡°I forgot that the library is where silence is deeply observed, especially in your castle,¡± she explained. ¡°I¡¯m here because I have nothing else to do and I feel like I¡¯ll die of boredom if I don¡¯t find anything to keep me occupied.¡± She then sat on the chair right across from me.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, my brows furrowed and my eyes widened.


    ¡°Just taking a seat, child,¡± she replied, smiling.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing and I¡¯m not a child,¡± I quickly replied. ¡°What I meant by my question is why are you taking a seat?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could have a little chat,¡± she crossed her legs as she leaned back into the chair. ¡°I can see that both of us are here because we have nothing better to do so why not have a bit of a talk?¡±


    ¡°I came here to be alone and to have some peace, to rest my mind from everything that has happened today. I¡¯m not here, waiting for someone to talk to,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Well, son, sometimes, talking is better than reading. I don¡¯t understand what you can get from these old things,¡± she scoffed as she grabbed the book I was reading and waved it in the air. ¡°All they do is fill your mind with nonsense, making you hope in unrealistic things and forcing you to believe in imagination. There¡¯s no realism in that aspect,¡± she continued as she dropped the book back on the desk with no sympathy, disgusted that she even touched it. ¡°Talking with others can help you learn more about the world and you can get better lessons than from words on a page.¡±


    My ears couldn¡¯t believe what just came out of her mouth. A fellow monarch doesn¡¯t appreciate or believe in the magic of books. As a part of the royal family, we¡¯re obligated to read and dissect books. Examining almost every word on each page was the reason why I hated reading. But now, as I tried it once more, I appreciate the worlds that it showed me. But for someone such as Bethilda to think that reading is useless, I¡¯m not quite sure if I should pity her or loathe her for her opinion. All I could do is give her a blank stare as I tried to process what I just heard.


    ¡°Would you rather fill your mind with nonsensical hope and daydreaming than learning something that you can use in the real world through personal communication?¡± she leaned in closer, smirking.


    ¡°First of all, it was my sister who suggested that I read and she¡¯s one of the wisest people here in this kingdom. Frankly, I didn¡¯t want to because I hated books because of how my tutor used them for my studies,¡± I started, pulling the book closer to me. ¡°She said that books offer something different to a person and now that I¡¯ve read something¡­ I agree with her. A book can remind you of something that you think you already lost a long time ago. It gives you back the lost hope, the lost imagination, the lost child in you, which is why I have to disagree with your thinking that reading destroys one¡¯s brain.¡±


    She looked at me, stunned by my response. She was about to say something but I continued talking.


    ¡°And second, what I don¡¯t like about other people is when they try too hard to shove themselves into me when I show no interest in what they¡¯re about to say. I prefer to daydream than to listen to someone who thinks she¡¯s above everything that indicated learning,¡± I added.


    She remained silent and just stared at me, caught off-guard. She then grew nervous, moving her fan faster and she cleared her throat.


    ¡°Now, if you¡¯d excuse me,¡± I stood up, putting the book behind my back. ¡°I would like to return to my bedroom and continue my reading there. Have a good evening, Aunt Bethilda,¡± I smiled in contempt as I walked away, thankful that I escaped her once more.


    ???


    Now, on my soft mattress with my back resting against the headboard, a few pillows behind my back to keep me comfortable as I¡¯m nearing the end of the book. When I arrived, Elizabeth was no longer here, probably had her dinner with James. So, I had the chance to have some peace all to myself. The door began to open and as I looked, it was Elizabeth. ¡°Hello, dear sister!¡±

 Chapter Thirteen - Struggle (c)

    ¡°Oh, hello, little brother! I didn¡¯t know you were here,¡± she smiled as she closed the door. She was about to approach me when she suddenly stopped. Her gaze landed on the book in my hands. ¡°Am I seeing this clearly? Are you reading?¡± she asked in disbelief and amazement.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes,¡± I smiled proudly. ¡°This book has proven me wrong. Everything that I thought about reading was completely washed away by this one,¡± I explained as she walked towards me.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m proud of you, young one,¡± she replied, sitting beside me. ¡°You¡¯ve finally found something better to do when you¡¯re not cooped inside your study, handling reports.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you,¡± I answered as I poked her arm. ¡°Anyways, where have you been?¡± I asked, putting the book on my bedside table. ¡°When I returned, you weren¡¯t here.


    She let out a sigh. The enthusiasm, the happiness on her face was immediately replaced by worry. ¡°I visited Mother¡­ and I didn¡¯t like what I saw. She looked more and more ill with every single day that passed,¡± she explained. ¡°I don¡¯t think this fever of hers is just a fever. I fear that this might be something else, one that¡¯s fatal for her.¡±


    I put my hand on hers, gently rubbing them with my thumb. I¡¯m carrying the same sentiments as Elizabeth. From the very beginning, I never believed that it was only a fever. And the Medicine King confirmed it to me. I don¡¯t think Mother has disclosed it to Elizabeth yet but I can understand why she wouldn¡¯t want to tell us. She doesn¡¯t want us to worry. I would love to share my thoughts with Elizabeth but if Mother hasn¡¯t told her anything yet then I shouldn¡¯t either.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we hope for the best instead of the worst?¡± I said in an attempt to comfort her. ¡°You¡¯re the one who keeps reminding me that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Robert, I tried to think of other reasons why Mother is ill but¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of anything but the bad. Ever since she got sick, I already feared for the worst,¡± she answered, fear now evident in her face.


    I sat up and moved closer to her, holding her in my arms. She may be the eldest child but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t protect her with everything that I have.


    ¡°Every single one of us fears the worst for Mother. I may not be showing it but I think about her condition all the time,¡± I answered, comforting Elizabeth. ¡°I don¡¯t show it because she would worry more and I wouldn¡¯t want that. All we can do is be strong for her - with her - and pray that whatever kind of illness she currently has will end soon.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°How can I be strong when the person giving me strength is weak?¡± she asked another, a tear fell from her eye. ¡°Mother has been my source of strength, the rock that has kept me steady. To see her in such a condition where she can¡¯t even sit properly¡­ it¡¯s too much for me. It¡¯s tearing me to pieces,¡± she continued. ¡°As more days pass by, as I continue to see her like that, I grow weaker with her. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡±


    I understand why Elizabeth has such a strong bond with Mother. As a princess, she has spent most of her time with her, learning her ways and watching Mother do her duties as the queen. I was raised by my tutors but that doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t have any bond with her. On the contrary, Mother was my first teacher. She taught everything before I was taken out of her care and then to my tutors. She has always guided me in everything that I do.


    I gently rubbed Elizabeth¡¯s back as she tried to stop her tears. ¡°Hush now, dear sister. Everything will be all right. I can assure you that,¡± I gave her a comforting smile.


    She smiled slightly as we hugged. At this moment, we¡¯re each other¡¯s support and source of comfort. We don¡¯t expect much from James because as king, he already has his hands full.


    And even though we¡¯re raised in different environments, we have this strange yet undeniable connection that nobody - not even the two of us - could explain. We would be there for each other no matter what. Most of the nobles in our court are confused because they expect that we won¡¯t have much of a relationship - a deep one, in our case - because of the values we were taught from an early age. But we don¡¯t pay any mind to what other people say. My sister needs me now more than ever and I will always look after her as she does the same for me.


    ???


    The time for dinner has arrived and I¡¯ve been sitting here on the balcony as I looked out to the distant mountains, watching every member of our household finish their outdoor chores for the day. The cool evening wind was very gentle when it touched my face. It whistled as it passed me by. A crescent moon smiled from the heavens, together with the stars as its usual companion.


    The door creaked open. I quickly turned and it was Elizabeth. ¡°I thought you were going to have dinner,¡± my brows furrowed, baffled.


    ¡°I told Gonzalo to bring our food here to your room,¡± she said, closing the door behind her. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to join James, Bethilda, and the lords of the court. It¡¯s sickening to join those kinds of people during a meal,¡± she continued as she walked towards me. ¡°And besides, I knew you wouldn¡¯t want that as well.¡±


    I let out a smile as I agreed with her statement. When she finally reached me, we both looked into the distance then gazed back at the garden. ¡°Our household has done such a good job in making sure our garden is beautifully lit during the night,¡± I remarked. ¡°A simple garden can be made into something magical.¡±

 Chapter Thirteen - Struggle (d)

    ¡°I completely agree with you, brother,¡± she replied, putting her arm on my shoulder as she leaned into me. ¡°You have the perfect view of the garden so for me to be able to see this is refreshing. I do envy you sometimes, all because of this view,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°But what¡¯s more magical to see is the Mortal Realm and the people who live there,¡± I added.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± she asked as she looked at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been observing them for quite some time now and it amazes me how they see life. They may live a simple life but it is happy and they¡¯re content with what they have,¡± I explained, smiling as words came out of my lips. I can¡¯t help but think about Laura as I continued to talk about the Mortal Realm.


    ¡°That¡¯s the same with our people, Robert,¡± she said. ¡°Our people have found numerous ways to survive, making a life for themselves where they are content with what they have. That¡¯s why I love joining our parents in their town visits. I¡¯m able to see their smiling faces even though they live plainly and continue to work hard to meet their needs,¡± she continued. ¡°I believe they¡¯re the people who know more about life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure they don¡¯t have any regrets when death comes knocking at their doorstep,¡± I replied with a smile.


    ¡°Everybody has regrets, little brother,¡± she smiled as I looked at her. ¡°You just have to accept it, forgive yourself, and move on with a happy heart.¡±


    As we stared at the distant mountains once more, Laura invaded my thoughts. Could she still be mad at me? Will I see her again? Or has my pride and arrogance pushed her away for good? I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to her but it seems that time hasn¡¯t permitted me to do so. I would like to visit her. But Grandpa Ben may already know something about what happened and he, too, might be upset with me.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    My thoughts were disrupted by a sudden knock.


    "That must be Gonzalo with our food. Would you like to join me?" she offered as she headed to the door.


    "Maybe later. I''d like to enjoy the view a little longer," I smiled.


    "Okay, then," she smiled.


    As Elizabeth took care of our dinner, I reverted my attention to the garden and something caught my attention. Someone was walking within the bush maze in our garden. Some kind of lantern can be seen moving within the maze. I wonder who that could be. Nobody goes into the maze alone and especially during this time of the night.


    I was heading out of the room when Elizabeth asked, "Where are you going?"


    I stopped and turned, "I''m going to check something. I''ll be back shortly." I then rushed to the garden.


    ???


    When I entered the maze, everything was quiet. There was no rustling of leaves or footsteps that can be heard. "Is anyone out there?" I called out as I got deeper into the maze. As I passed by an eagle statue within the maze, I grabbed the torch from its talons. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± I called out again before taking a turn.


    I know this maze very well as it has been used to train my mind and Elizabeth¡¯s. We spent half of our childhood, discovering the right path of this maze. And not everybody in the castle was given the same chance. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± I called out again. ¡°If there is someone here, you¡¯re not supposed to be here, especially during this time of the night. You can get lost if you¡¯re not familiar with this.¡±


    Then, from a distance, I finally heard something: a brief crunch of grass from a short distance from me. Without a moment to lose, I followed the direction where it came from. I followed the path that I know and I arrived at the intersecting part of the maze. One road in front of me, one on the left and one on the right. I know which path leads to the exit¡­ but I¡¯m not sure on which road to take to follow the noise I heard.


    Footsteps then started coming from my left so I followed what I heard, trusting my instincts and my ears. As I walked further into the path, I stumbled upon one of the arcs that were designed within the maze. Under the arc, a figure stood there and was talking to someone hidden behind the bush on the right.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I called out as I approached the silhouette, holding out my torch in front of me


    The figure quickly turned in my direction and walked towards me. As we got closer to each other, I began to recognize who it was. It was Nana.

 Chapter Fourteen - Permission (a)

    ¡°Nana?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Hello, my dear boy,¡± she smiled as we finally met. On her left, she carried a black, metal lantern while her other clutched onto her wrap.


    ¡°Nana, what are you doing here at this time of the night? You can get lost,¡± I said.


    She chuckled. ¡°Robert, you must have forgotten that I know this maze like the back of my hand. I¡¯m one of the people who planned this maze. Therefore, there¡¯s no chance that I could get lost,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Nana, even if you know this maze from the inside out, it¡¯s still dangerous,¡± I replied, emphasizing the danger that she¡¯s put herself into. ¡°You¡¯re in here, all alone. Someone can sneak behind you and do something horrible.¡±


    ¡°Son, I¡¯m more than capable of taking care of myself. You underestimate me too much,¡± she answered as she held onto my arm. ¡°What brings you here?¡± she asked as we walked away from the arc.


    ¡°I saw your lantern from my balcony. I didn¡¯t know it was you but I had to make sure who was taking a late-night stroll in the maze,¡± I said. ¡°I was absolutely worried because anyone who¡¯s not familiar with this maze can get lost so easily.¡±


    ¡°You need not worry anymore, son,¡± she smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the castle. It¡¯s starting to get colder.¡±


    ¡°Just hold onto me, Nana,¡± I replied as I led the way back to the entrance. ¡°Who were you talking to, by the way?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to anybody, son,¡± she answered. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m all alone here.¡±


    ¡°Nana, I saw you talking to someone by the arc. You can¡¯t deny that to me,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°I was just talking to myself, Robert,¡± she quickly responded. ¡°You know me, son. I¡¯m of old bones and gums. Sometimes, when I have no one to talk to, I would talk to myself. I guess that¡¯s what happens when you reach such an old age such as mine,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°But Nana--¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much, Robert. I appreciate that you look after my well-being but you shouldn¡¯t worry yourself about this,¡± she smiled at me with assurance. ¡°Let¡¯s just go back inside.¡±


    I just nodded and continued walking. But I know that she was talking to someone a while ago and whoever it was, I have to find out. I feel something uncertain, like there¡¯s a secret that¡¯s being prevented for me to find out. A secret that I need to unfold in order for me to understand a few other matters within my life.


    ???


    Woke up to the sound of birds, chirping right outside my window and the rays of the sun entered through the window. After a quick stretch, I sat up and saw that my sister was nowhere in sight. She¡¯s probably in the library again or having her breakfast with James and Bethilda.


    A knock came upon my door.


    I turned to the door. ¡°Enter.¡±


    The door opened and Gonzalo entered. ¡°Good morning, Your Highness,¡± he bowed as he reached me.


    ¡°Good morning to you as well, Gonzalo,¡± I smiled, ¡°On time and polite, as you¡¯ll ever be. I salute you for your undying patience and never-ending service to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, young prince,¡± he bowed once more.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What news do you have for me today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was sent by His Majesty. He requested that you look after Her Majesty while he¡¯s gone for a quick voyage with the lords of the court,¡± he informed.


    ¡°Did he mention any specific day on when he¡¯ll return home?¡± I asked.


    ¡°His Majesty said it could last from three days to a month. But he did assure that he will return immediately once everything is done and settled,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that,¡± I smiled as I stood up. ¡°I have been looking forward to taking care of Mother.¡±


    ¡°Also, the duchess, your Aunt Bethilda, is looking for you and your sister. She said she would want for you to join her for tea this morning,¡± Gonzalo added.


    I groaned as Gonzalo mentioned Bethilda¡¯s name. It¡¯s the very start of my day and hearing her name has added a bit of a sour tone to my day. My head twisted as I asked, ¡°Must we really attend her dreaded little tea party?¡±


    ¡°Her Highness is already with her, sir. They¡¯re waiting for you in the garden,¡± he replied.


    My eyes widened. ¡°Elizabeth agreed to her request?¡±


    Gonzalo nodded. ¡°According to her handmaidens, the princess didn¡¯t want to be seen as rude or anything by the duchess.¡±


    I sighed as I stood up from my bed. I wanted to do something else to prepare myself for everything that can possibly happen today. As much as possible, I want this day to begin with a cheerful tone. But it looks like I am to be irritated at the very first hour of my day.


    ¡°Tell them that I will be down in a while,¡± I said, unenthusiastic.


    Gonzalo bowed and left.


    I¡¯m not quite sure what Bethilda wants with Elizabeth and me. I groaned another time and began my preparation for a tea party that I don¡¯t want to be in but for the sake of my sister, I have to.


    ???


    When I arrived, they were already sharing a laugh together. Without any form of announcement, I walked towards them, coming up behind my sister.


    ¡°Robert!¡± Bethilda squealed as she stood up, an elastic grin plastered across her face. ¡°It¡¯s very delightful to have you with us!¡± she continued, incredibly excited.


    ¡°Would you like some tea, brother?¡± Elizabeth offered as I sat down beside her.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I politely declined as Bethilda sat down as well. ¡°I would prefer to have something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Robert, you need to do something different to add more spice into your life,¡± Bethilda entered our conversation. ¡°And since your father went on an important trip, I thought that maybe we could have some time together. We could get to know each other more.¡±


    ¡°What does my presence have got to do with your morning tea?¡± I asked as I leaned back onto the chair. ¡°You can have your tea without us.¡±


    She giggled as she opened her fan. ¡°James mentioned that the two of you don¡¯t really have tea during the mornings so I thought maybe we can do that together,¡± she explained as she moved her fan back and forth. She added, ¡°It¡¯s better to drink tea before eating. It refreshes your whole body just like how it cleanses the soul.¡±


    ¡°I was told that James left the responsibility of Mother to me,¡± I answered, changing the subject. Not another word about tea. We¡¯re already in front of it. ¡°I would be very busy today so I would like to keep this little tea party a brief one.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stress yourself too much, Robert. We¡¯ll share the responsibility of taking care of your mother,¡± Bethilda said. ¡°We all care for her. We all worry for her condition. There¡¯s not one of us that wants Her Majesty to be suffering such a condition.¡±


    ¡°My mother isn¡¯t suffering. She¡¯s fighting,¡± I replied as I leaned forward, emphasizing my belief that Mother isn¡¯t at all weak and frail just because she¡¯s ill. ¡°I¡¯m quite offended you would think that my mother is suffering. The queen of King James never suffered. She only fought.¡±


    ¡°Robert, you have to step out of the reality that you¡¯re living in,¡± she answered. ¡°You can call it all you want but in real life, we call it suffering. You have to face the ugly truth sometimes. No matter what kind of flowery words you choose to call it, it won¡¯t make any difference.¡±


    Couldn¡¯t she be more disrespectful towards my beliefs? I stood up, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Mother,¡± I turned to Elizabeth.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had any tea yet, Robert,¡± Bethilda intervened.¡±


    ¡°You can clearly see that I have no interest with your precious tea,¡± I snapped, turning my head to her. ¡°It might taste like poison.¡± Without any more to say, I made my way to the master bedroom.


    ???


    ¡°How are you feeling, Mother?¡± I asked as I helped her sit up. I gently laid her back against the headboard of the bed, putting a few pillows to support her back.


    ¡°I feel weaker as the days continue to pass,¡± she said with a sigh, her eyes closed as she winced.


    ¡°Mother,¡± I sat down beside her, holding her hand. ¡°Please give me permission to find you the cure,¡± I begged as I looked straight into her eyes.


    ¡°Robert, your Aunt Bethilda has already been giving me some of her herbal treatments,¡± she replied, pausing every now and then to catch her breath. She was so weak, she couldn¡¯t say a single sentence without panting after. ¡°She would put it in her tea so I won¡¯t have to taste the bitterness of it.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen - Permission (b)

    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s trying her methods to cure you. It¡¯s clear that it¡¯s not of any help with your health,¡± I hissed. ¡°You have to trust me. Give me permission to find you the cure that the Medicine King told you. I¡¯ll even start looking for it today.¡±


    ¡°Your Aunt Bethilda said her herbal treatments have worked wonders with her. She¡¯s been administering it to me from the moment she arrived,¡± she explained. ¡°We just have to give it time to take effect.¡±


    ¡°Mother, as of this moment, we don¡¯t need more time,¡± I moved closer to her. ¡°You¡¯re growing weaker by the day. If her treatments are truly effective, you should¡¯ve been cured by now.¡±


    ¡°But Robert--¡±


    ¡°Mother, please,¡± I closed my eyes, trying to contain my frustration with her stubbornness. ¡°Let me help you. Let me find the cure.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, dear one?¡± she asked, cupping my face with her hand. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want for you to get into any trouble because of my illness.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I am ready to face any kind of trial, just to see you get better,¡± I cupped her hands within mine, bringing it closer to my heart. ¡°I will see to it that you will get better.¡±


    She giggled softly. To see a smile lit up her face eases my worries for a split second. ¡°Oh, my dear boy. You¡¯re so much like your father,¡± she remarked with a smirke. ¡°You won¡¯t take a ¡®no¡¯ for an answer. You¡¯re willing to do everything to see things fit and put everything in its rightful place.¡±


    ¡°If I did have that from James then I¡¯m very thankful for that kind of attitude in my veins,¡± I replied as I kissed her hands.


    With a soft smile, she then put a hand on top of my head. ¡°I give you my permission, then.¡±


    My head shot up, shocked. I was lost for words. Did she really mean it? This is a surprise for me because she never wanted me to do anything when she¡¯s sick. If there¡¯s such a thing as a miracle, this is certainly one.


    ¡°I can see that there¡¯s no way for you to stop this argument,¡± she teased.


    I kissed her forehead. ¡°Thank you, Mother. I shall return victorious.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She giggled once more. ¡°Take all the time you need, dear one.¡±


    ¡°Take you rest while I¡¯m away. I will have some of my guards to watch over you,¡± I smiled as I stood up. After I helped her lie down, she slowly closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Not wanting to waste more time, I walked out of the room and rushed to the stables.


    I need to find that cure and I will find that cure.


    ???


    I rode to the Mortal Realm in order to get to the Mountain of Heavenly Falls, where the ledoras plant is said to be found. Before I left, I visited the library in the hopes of finding some books that talked about the herb but to my dismay, I didn¡¯t find anything.


    As I passed by the town market, I caught a glimpse from the stalls inside. I couldn¡¯t forget the day when I first came here and a sleazy man tried to take gold from me and then turned the people against me. All because I pretended to be a mortal who received a reward from the immortal from the sacred mountain.


    Wait, that¡¯s it!


    People here know about the Mountain of Heavenly Falls! Perhaps Grandpa Ben and Laura are familiar with the ledoras plant. I turned around and headed to the bakery. I was close to the bakery when I suddenly came into a halt.


    Why would I even bother going to the bakery if Laura doesn¡¯t even want to see me? Does Grandpa Ben know what happened between us? Did she tell him about how I treated her on that dreadful day?


    I know that right now, it¡¯s an impossible feat to simply ask for forgiveness and expect for her forgiveness. I was disrespectful towards her and I don¡¯t deserve her kindness. I don¡¯t deserve her.


    But Mother needs the ledoras now before it¡¯s too late. I know she¡¯s trying to be strong but as the more days pass by, she grows weaker by the minute. I need to take this risk to save her from possible death.


    I took a deep breath and proceeded to the bakery, getting off of Lady as soon as I reached the entrance. When I entered, my eyes immediately scanned the whole area for Laura but as expected, she¡¯s not here. Then onto my right, I found Grandpa Ben, sorting bottles by the window.


    ¡°Grandpa Ben!¡± I called as I approached him.


    Grandpa Ben turned to my direction. ¡°Robert!¡± he greeted back, waving his hand high up in the air. ¡°How are you?¡± he asked as he walked towards me.


    Surprisingly, Grandpa Ben is happy to see me. Maybe Laura hasn¡¯t mentioned anything to him yet. But I mustn¡¯t let him notice that there¡¯s something wrong with Laura and me.


    ¡°All is well, Grandpa Ben. Is Laura here?¡± I replied as I continued to look around, hoping that Laura could still be here.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Laura hasn¡¯t been speaking to me for quite some time now,¡± he put his hands on his waist, thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the reason is but now that you¡¯re here, maybe you could tell me why she¡¯s being so strange.¡±


    Oh, no. I don¡¯t want to answer this question.


    ¡°Her silent treatment of everyone started on the day that she visited you,¡± he continued. ¡°Did she really visit you?¡±


    ¡°Um, she did,¡± I nodded, trying to keep my composure. Sweat began to form within my hands as Grandpa Ben asked more questions about why Laura isn¡¯t talking to anybody. I continued, ¡°She was able to come to our castle. But we had a little fight after. She just walked away after that.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen - Permission (c)

    ¡°Why did she leave?¡± he asked another.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a long story, Grandpa Ben,¡± I replied, scratching behind my neck. ¡°But anyway, I have something to ask you, Grandpa Ben.¡±


    ¡°Ask away, dear boy,¡± he smiled as he crossed his arms.


    ¡°You see, my mother has been sick for quite some time now. She claimed that my aunt has been putting medicinal herbs in her tea to speed up her recovery but nothing¡¯s changed. She¡¯s still ill,¡± I started. ¡°When I talked with the royal physician, he mentioned that there is an ancient plant that can definitely help Mother and he said it can only be found in the Mountain of Heavenly Falls. He said the name of the plant is ledoras.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the ledoras herb. That plant has saved millions of lives, according to legend,¡± Grandpa Ben answered as he nodded. ¡°It is said that its home is within the mountain that no one has ever successfully taken one. Those who attempted didn¡¯t return and those who did return died not long after.¡±


    I took a big gulp upon hearing about the people who attempted to get the mysterious herb. Could that also be applicable to an immortal such as me?


    ¡°Do you know specifically where it¡¯s located within the mountain?¡± I asked.


    ¡°After the ancient gods put a barrier on the mountain, its whereabouts have become uncertain,¡± he explained. ¡°And those who had the chance to get a piece of it never disclosed where it can be found.¡±


    Why would the ancient gods put a barrier around the mountain? Did the immortals do something in order for the gods to act that way? Did the humans abuse the power of the plant to the point where it¡¯s about to be extinct?


    ¡°And it¡¯s a perilous journey as well,¡± Grandpa Ben added. ¡°The forests that surround the mountain are said to play tricks on the minds of visitors, according to some. The people who tried taking a quick stroll in the first never returned home.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of the danger that I¡¯m trying to put myself into. But if I don¡¯t take this chance, my mother can die at any moment,¡± I explained, worry has risen up to my face. The hairs on my skin stood up out of fear. Just the thought of seeing my mother as a lifeless corpse sends chills down my spine.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I understand where you¡¯re coming from, Robert. I would do the same if I was in your position,¡± he put a hand on my shoulder, smiling with assurance. ¡°But on this journey for the ledoras, you have to be cautious and smart. Bravery and being impulsive will not help you on this one.¡±


    I nodded. Grandpa Ben may not know a lot regarding the plant but he¡¯s fully aware of what could happen once I step foot on that mountain. ¡°Thank you for your encouragement, Grandpa Ben. I will take my leave now. Kindly tell Laura that I came here to visit her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely certain that she¡¯s somewhere within the area. She can¡¯t go that far,¡± he encouraged, giving me a tap on the back.¡± She¡¯s still not that familiar with every road within the market wall. It would be easy to find her,¡± he continued as we walked outside. Lady was already waiting for me at the entrance.


    I nodded with a smile; hope renewed inside of me. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and start looking for the ledoras herb. I¡¯ll also keep an eye out for Laura,¡± I said as I hopped onto Lady.


    ¡°Have a safe journey, Robert,¡± he replied. ¡°And please, stay alert. Trust your intuition and let your senses lead the way when you¡¯re in the mountain,¡± he put his hands on my shoulder as he looked into my eyes, giving me another reminder before my journey.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Ben,¡± I answered with an assuring smile. As Grandpa Ben stepped back, I began my journey. Before heading to the mountain, I think I should see if Laura is at the hills. That¡¯s the only play that I could think of.


    ???


    I stood in front of the entrance of the forest as I arrived. My mind still wondered where Laura was. When I checked the hills, it was closed off. There was a blockade before it. The people guarding it said that bandits entered the city and they didn¡¯t want a quick escape for them. Certainly, Laura didn¡¯t head there.


    I wonder if she¡¯s safe.


    I shook my head, trying to get those thoughts out of me. Now is not the time to think about her. I have to focus on the mission at hand: getting the ledoras.


    I took a deep breath and began my slow trot into the forest.


    Birds were chirping from afar; the sun rays were giving light to our path as it pierced through the leaves of the tall trees of the forest. Rustling from the earth can be heard. Squirrels are scurrying from tree to tree.


    I got off Lady and began walking slowly as I examined all the plants on the ground. The Medicine King has provided a brief description of the plant when I went to him for a quick visit to know more of the herb and its physical description.


    I let Lady eat some of the grass as I knelt down to take a closer look at all the plants on the ground. I need to keep a sharp eye out for the ledoras.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a place where princes would go for amusement,¡± a woman¡¯s voice spoke from behind me, a sword drawn before my neck.

 Chapter Fifteen - Ledoras (a)

    I slowly stood with my hands up in the air. As I turned around slowly, she was wearing a cloak with the hood hiding the person¡¯s face, the head a bit down. The sword is still onto my neck. ¡°I mean no harm in this place. I¡¯m here out of desperation.¡±


    ¡°Those who are in despair head into this mountain to die. Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I did not come all the way here to die.¡±


    ¡°That, I believe. This isn¡¯t the place for a prince to lose his life,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a prince. I am but a lowly peasant,¡± I lied to protect my true identity. I don¡¯t know who this woman is and what¡¯s her purpose here but I can¡¯t just tell her who I really am.


    ¡°Young man, may I remind you that this mountain used to be where the ancient gods would hide. Us gatekeepers of this mountain can spot an immortal from far away,¡± she scoffed. ¡°What brings a prince to a place such as this?¡±


    ¡°And why should I tell someone who¡¯s hiding their face from me?¡± I answered with another question.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know but I may be able to help you with whatever it is that you need.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to trust a stranger who drew her sword before my neck?¡±


    Without saying anything, she slowly pulled her sword back. ¡°I know this mountain more than you do, young prince. I know it by heart,¡± she said as she put the sword back in its scabbard. ¡°I know what you seek. I can show you where you can find it. I can show you the way out. However, if you don¡¯t want my help, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t succeed with your quest.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do such a thing for me? You don¡¯t even know me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that by now, you have heard the stories of people who entered the mountain but never returned. This forest plays tricks on your mind,¡± she replied. ¡°It will do anything to outwit anyone who enters. This forest hates intruders and will do anything to protect itself from cold-hearted people. It only trusts the guardians that were placed by the ancient gods,¡± she continued. ¡°Now, how can I be of assistance to you?¡±


    Perhaps there¡¯s nothing in asking for her help. She may be a stranger but it seems the forest trusts her. If guardians are placed to ensure the safety and peace on this mountain, she¡¯s worthy of my trust.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a plant. A herbal plant, to be exact,¡± I answered. ¡°I heard that it has healed all kinds of illness, from the simplest wounds to the deadliest plagues. I need it for my mother.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the name of the herb that you¡¯re looking for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the ledoras plant,¡± I said. ¡°According to the Medicine Man, it¡¯s a shrub, almost too little to see. It has little white flowers and everything about it is soft, from the root to its leaves. Legend says that they are pleasant-smelling plants. It¡¯s very effective for the sick. However, if you took it for no reason, you will fall into a deep sleep.¡±


    ¡°You are well-prepared for your quest. The ledoras is a herb bestowed to the ancient gods by the elves and only a few people know about it,¡± she said. ¡°Medicinal families are the ones who usually carry knowledge about it. Now, come and follow my lead. In order to find what you¡¯re looking for, we need to get into the heart of the forest.¡± Without another word, she started to lead the way.


    I immediately grabbed Laura and followed closely behind her.


    ¡°I suggest that you stay close to me. The forest can play with your mind at any time,¡± she reminded. ¡°Trust your senses, always be on your guard. The forest can pretend to be a lot of things to deceive you.¡±


    ???


    After walking for a few miles, we approached a wooden bridge, hanging over a deep ravine. I took a quick look down and all I could see was darkness. ¡°Your horse can go no further here,¡± the lady informed, turning around.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just leave my horse here. She might run off,¡± I protested.


    She sighed before walking towards Lady. She held her face and slowly leaned her forehead towards her. She started to whisper something to Lady which caused for Lady to walk to a nearby tree. ¡°We must go,¡± she said, heading to the bridge.


    ¡°What about Lady?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She will wait for us,¡± she replied, not bothering to turn around. ¡°Now, come. We must find what you¡¯re looking for before dark.¡±


    I took another look down the ravine. ¡°Will I fall?¡±


    ¡°You will fall if you think you will,¡± she answered as she stepped down the bridge on the other side.


    I took a deep breath in and walked over the bridge. As I took one step after another on the bridge, my legs were shaking and I was holding my breath. Sweat has started to form on my forehead as I start to think of the fact that one misstep can cause for me to fall. I looked up to the lady, the other side felt so near and yet so far. A few more steps and I finally reached the other side. As soon as my feet felt the sturdy ground, I took a deep breath of relief.


    ¡°That took a long time for a prince,¡± she remarked, chuckling. Without wasting any more time, she began to walk and I quickly followed. My hand has never left my sword. I don¡¯t know who this woman is. For all I know, she could be leading me into a trap.


    ???


    We have been walking for quite some time now and all I¡¯ve been seeing are trees and everything that is green. But then, we arrived in a place where I thought only existed in myths and tales to make us sleep at night.

 Chapter Fifteen - Ledoras (b)

    ¡°We have arrived,¡± she started as she struck her staff onto the grass-covered ground. ¡°The heart of the forest.¡±


    I stepped forward, my mouth hung from my face as I couldn¡¯t believe what my eyes were saying. A faint light from the sun was shining through the leaves from the towering trees. All kinds of flowers are spread around us. And to our right, a small kind of waterfall with a narrow river cascading passed us. All kinds of birds can be heard singing up in the air. I was about to walk further when the lady immediately stopped me.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked as I was brought back from my sense of wonder.


    ¡°Have you ever been in this kind of environment?¡± she enquired. ¡°The kind of surrounding where everything is too beautiful, it¡¯s unbelievable?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, no. Why?¡±


    She stuck her staff deep into the ground and walked towards me. She grabbed my right hand, put her hand on it and said a strange incantation. ¡°Ledoras Flirante Lin. Ledoras Flirante Lin. Ledoras Flirante Lin.¡± As she kept her eyes closed and her hand on mine, the wind began to blow to my direction, almost sweeping me away. I could the enchantment within the wind as it twirled around me. After a few moments, the wind stopped and the lady let go of my hand.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I asked as I looked into my hand.


    ¡°A stranger like you is highly unprotected in this kind of environment. Like I mentioned before, this place can play a lot of different tricks on your mind,¡± she replied as she walked back to her staff. ¡°Everybody has their own wants, their own needs. This forest can put your wants, your desires right in front of you in order to trick you,¡± she continued as she turned around to my direction. ¡°This is the reason why not everyone who has entered here has returned to their families.¡±


    She added, ¡°The incantation that I put in your hands will help you find what you¡¯re looking for a lot faster. It will also protect you from any tricks that this forest can do to you.¡±


    I looked back onto my hand and saw nothing different with it. I don¡¯t know if I even should believe this woman with her words. She is, after all, the keeper of the forest. She could be doing this to get rid of me. She must¡¯ve done that to everyone who has been here in the forest.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    She suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled into a wide-open space where there are different kinds of plants, ranging from the smallest kinds of flowers to absolutely big ones. ¡°This is where the ledoras plant is usually found. However, the forest will create a way to deceive you so you have to keep your eyes peeled. Trust your instincts on what you think is the correct plant.¡±


    I knelt down and began to crawl on the ground, carefully scanning every plant that I came across. Then, a plant that resembles the description of a ledoras has appeared right in front of me. I was about to reach out for it but for some reason, I stopped. The more I thought about it, the more that I can see that it¡¯s all too convenient for a legendary plant to simply show itself to me.


    I looked up and started scanning the other areas. Then, my eyes landed on a small waterfall to my right. I squinted my eyes and there, I saw another plant that fits the description of the ledoras given to me by the Medicine King.


    I took another look at the ledoras plant right in front of me. But I proceeded to stand and head for the plant that I saw by the waterfall. I began making my way to the little waterfall, crossing a bridge made out of two trunks, covered with algae.


    The plant was right at the bottom pool of the waterfall. It has grown into a very simple shrub on a wall made of rocks. I reached out my hand to touch it, only to be stopped by the lady, grabbing me by the wrist. I turned to look at her.


    ¡°Allow me,¡± she said with a smile. As I put my arm down, she got a piece of the plant and walked over to the cascading water. She dipped the plant into the water for a few seconds and then gently wrapped it with a very odd-looking leaf.


    She stepped down from the waterfall and handed it over to me. ¡°You did great, young prince. Not even this forest can deceive you. Do be careful with handling the plant for it¡¯s very delicate,¡± she explained, impressed. ¡°One careless move, the plant will be of no use for you. When you arrive home, have your mother eat it.¡±


    ¡°Eat this?!¡± I asked, my eyes widened and my brows met in the middle of my forehead. ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡±


    ¡°If you wish your mother to be healed, you will do what I told you to do.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to trust you? I don¡¯t even know who you are,¡± I answered, expressing my doubt on her identity.


    ¡°I led you to the place where the plant can be found, am I right?¡± she reminded me. ¡°And I haven¡¯t led you nor your horse to any harm, correct?¡±


    I stayed silent as I started thinking about what she said. She does have a point. For the whole time that I¡¯ve been inside this forest, she hasn¡¯t done anything to harm me or Lady. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to give you my full trust.¡±


    She nodded and replied, ¡°I understand. Well, we must go. You have to leave this place before dark. I will lead the way for you.¡± She grabbed her staff and started walking in front of me.