Mara’s pov.
He pulled out of the hug and led me to the bed then sat me down, whilst taking the space beside me.
“Do you want to talk about it?”he asked me softly.
I sniffed and nodded.
“Will you be able to handle it tho?”I wiped my tears away.
“I’m.. ready. I will listen to it all so just tell me.”he clamped his hands together.
I looked up at him and sighed.
“I’m not the person you think I am. I am not even close to a princess, I am nothing but a child who had never felt the love of a mother.”I began.
I watched as his face got flipped over both in surprise and discombobulation.
I stared away and scoffed.
“The Queen wasn’t my mom. I only got to know that months back. She has always treated me like an outcast. She always instruct me not to call her mother. I was sad.”I breathed in.
I shut my eyes, allowing the tears to flow down.
“I.. when she told me she was not my mother, I felt the whole world crumbling down before me. That revelation was shocking and saddening. And, then, I wished we could just go back to when she seems to only hate me.”I sniveled.
“Then, during her birthday party, I met you. You seem to be a candle that came to light up my dark bedroom, the only ray of hope. And, I said to myself, I like him. Hahaha”I gave a melancholy laugh.
I gazed back at him and found him staring at me.
“I… I’m… sorry. I was selfish. I knew you had a fiance, but still wanted you to myself.. I literally killed your joy. I’m sorry.”I sobbed.
He sighs and wrapped his right hand around me and made me place my head on his shoulder.
“It’s… fine. Besides, you weren’t really the cause. She got married to another man too, remember?. I guess fate doesn’t want us together and we can never defy that.”he uttered, soothingly.
I sniffed.
“You.. you can just put all the blames on me. I’m sorry.”I bursted into fresh tears.
“Come on, don’t be such a crybaby.”he cooed in my ear.
“Then, the queen came minutes ago and suddenly called me a princess. She even gave me a hug. One that I have not had in my whole twenty six years of existence. She.. I was happy at first but then, I suddenly felt I was a pushover. That woman neglected me for twenty six years! She was so cold towards me. She didn’t like me and she didn’t allow the king to do that also. I… felt nothing like motherly love.”
He patted my back gently.
“You want us to listen to music?”
“No!”I choked on my tears.
“I just want to get lost in my pains. I shouldn’t have been born. I don’t even know my mother! I don’t know any family.. I’m.. I’m a bastard.”
He lifted up my head to look at him.
“I’m a joke to everyone.”I wheezed.
He placed his both hands on both side of my face.
“You are not. You’re not a bastard. Stop being so harsh on yourself. You’re unique, believe me.”he peered his eyes in mine.
“I’m here now. I won’t ever let you have such thoughts again.”he embraced me.
I hugged him tightly to myself and sobbed the more.
*
Writer’s narration.
A glass of water was placed in front of Ralph.
The guy released his hand.
Ralph carried the cup and gulped it down hurriedly.
His eyes cleared up and he heaved a deep sigh.
He smashed the glass on the floor and glared at the men.
The guy grabbed his hands, tying him back with the rope.
“I will make you regret this. I won’t let you off the hook. I will kill y’all.”he seethed.
“Is that what you have to say right after regaining your consciousness?”the man’s hard stare pored into his eyes.
Ralph snickers.
“We won’t ever disclose where the treasure is. You can’t kill us after all. Without us, you cannot get to that treasure.”he smirks.
“Suddenly becoming courageous?”the man stood up.
He burned his gaze right into him.
“I could kill him and him, and you?, I will leave you to see how their life ends up and you will eventually take us to where the treasure is and you will feel so frustrated that you would wish for death to come.”
“You can’t kill us. This trio before you possess a single password to open the safe where the treasure is being kept. I don’t know their one password and neither do they know mine. Kill them and kiss goodbye to the treasure.”
The man bursted into laughter, staring up the ceiling.
“I will torture you then. You leave me no choice. Just how nice would it be to have your darling Juliet here?, you fuckholes!”he spat.
Snow gaze darkened and he balled his fist.
“You fell for something so cheap. All of you fighting because of a girl?. Oh, well. Maybe it’s time to do the introduction. Juliet is our agent. She works for us. She was just there to toy with you.”
Ralph breathed out in rage.
“Oops! Don’t be so shocked. The big surprise is coming. Aysel.”
Ralph tried to stand up but the ropes he was tied with pulled him back, restraining him.
“Oh, lover boy. I see you’ve fallen head over ‘eels with another agent of ours, yet again.”
“Fuck you!!!!!!!!!”Ralph yelled.
“Hahaha. You don’t believe?. Why did you think she started working for the queen?, to bury the truth.”he claps his hands.
“The only sane person among you is Duvall. I still wonder how he managed to shake off Juliet’s charm. Man, that girl was fucking good with the acting. She could actually become a superstar actress.”
“You both have fallen insanely with Juliet. And guess, what?. Oh, I think our little Ralph already found her out. She is currently the queen’s long – lost daughter. You won’t live to say the truth.”
He went to press down Ralph’s left leg with his hard shoe.
“Arggggggggggggg”Ralph yelled out in excruciating pains.
“This is nothing, compared to the real torture.”he placed his second leg on Ralph’s right hand and pressed the both of them down to the floor, rusting his bones.
Ralph yelped out again.
“Stop! Stop! Fucking stop!”Duvall shouted.
The door swings open and a man step in.
The boys directed their look to the door and a ray of hope glinted in their eyes.
“Uncle Vincent?!”