Being unable to do nothing but just lay on the bed like a log of lifeless wood was the most painful to Beatrice.
She missed walking around and overseeing the affairs of the kingdom. Beatrice could easily accuse Mrs. Charlotte of putting garlic in her food, but she never let anyone know her allergy to garlic so they wouldn’t use it against her.
It seemed so impossible to believe Mrs. Charlotte did it because she has been cooking for her for months now and never for a day had she made such mistakes.
The only people who knew about her allergy to garlic was her twin sister Daisy and her former maid Agnes, but Daisy wasn’t in the kingdom and Agnes was in the prison so it wouldn’t be any of those two.
Did perhaps Mrs. Charlotte put the garlic in accidentally? It was very possible for her to forget because she was old in age and could easily mix up spices.
A knock was heard on the door and Beatrice ordered the person to come in. Mrs. Charlotte came in carrying a tray that contained variety of foods for Beatrice.
“Don’t worry, I trust you,” Beatrice stopped Mrs. Charlotte when she was about to taste the food. The expression of shock and confusion on Mrs. Charlotte face was so evident.
Why was the queen being so nice to her? Or has she found out she intentionally put the garlic inside her meal?
Deep inside of Mrs. Charlotte, she panicked, but she maintained her composure and looked so calm.
As though Mrs. Charlotte knew and maintained her composure, Beatrice only said those words so she could see the reaction and body language of her chef.
Beatrice watched keenly to see if there will be a strange reaction coming from her chef when she ordered her not to taste the meal, but her chef although surprised and confused remained calm and composed.
And that implied to Beatrice that she was innocent.
“You can go, I’ll eat when I am ready,” Beatrice uttered and Mrs. Charlotte bowed in respect and response before leaving.
Mrs. Charlotte held her chest and sighed in relief breathing heavily. It was a close catch.
She almost lost her composure when the queen asked her to taste the food. That gesture showed that the queen didn’t trust her and only said that to throw her off guard but thankfully, she immediately understood and remained calmed.
“Follow her and tell me where she headed to after she left here,” Beatrice ordered a soldier who was guarding the entrance of her room where she laid in.
The soldier bowed and left to carry out his order, unknown to Beatrice, the solder was the Ezekiel that was an ally to Mrs. Charlotte.
Ezekiel walked briskly, not because of the queen’s order, but because he needed to know how Mrs. Charlotte was. He overheard her conversation with the queen and knew she must have been afraid.
“Are you okay, mum?” Ezekiel barged in and startled Mrs. Charlotte.
“Mum?” Mrs. Charlotte thought inwardly. She didn’t understand why but hearing him call her mum warmed her heart, and it felt like he was her son who died some years back.
Years back, her husband and son were murdered in cold blood and since then, she never remarried. She has stayed alone for years.
“I am fine. It’s just that my heart wouldn’t stop beating fast,” Mrs. Charlotte explained with a smile, and Ezekiel hugged her like his life depended on that hug.
After disengaging from the hug, Ezekiel made Mrs. Charlotte sit on a chair that was in the kitchen and immediately fetched her slightly cold water to drink and calm her nerves.
“What’s wrong with you? Why did you call her mum?” Ezekiel scolded himself inwardly. He didn’t want his cover as her biological son to be blown.
Years ago he almost died, but the universe was on his side and sent good Samaritans that were a wealthy couple that couldn’t have children of their own. They saved and nurtured him until date, and few years after they took him, the wife conceived and gave birth to twins.
They called Ezekiel their breakthrough because it was after they took him in, the universe heard their prayer and treated him even more better. Not only that, but they were also aware of the risky mission Ezekiel was carrying out.
Ezekiel has been watching over his biological mother for years now, without getting her to know. Furthermore, he killed his wicked uncle who killed his father years ago and attempted to murder him.
Hearing that his mother was fine was all he needed to calm himself.
“Have you eaten anything today?” Ezekiel asked nicely and in response, Mrs. Charlotte shook her head negatively.
“Why? Don’t tell me you’ve been starving yourself!” Ezekiel asked in astonishment, how could an old woman like her starve herself?
Mrs. Charlotte smiled warmly at the reaction Ezekiel gave her. He was so caring and made her feel like a mother. She just couldn’t wave away the feelings of motherhood she felt when around Ezekiel.
“On the same day years ago, my husband and son were brutally murdered, so I am holding a memorial service in honor of them. I’ll eat at night after the memorial service,” Mrs. Charlotte explained her reason for not eating to Ezekiel.
Tears welled up in Ezekiel’s eyes, but as a man that he was, he kept his composure and gently held her hands.
“I’m deeply sorry for your losses Mrs. Charlotte, but I think it’s time you stop holding memorials for them, I’m so sure that both of them are proud of you wherever they are.”
“You can rest now Mrs. Charlotte. I’ll be your son that you lost years ago. See me as your son, I’ll do everything your son couldn’t get to do for you. I’ll be your support,” Ezekiel promised her and Mrs. Charlotte who couldn’t hold back embraced him in a hug.
This was the most beautiful word she has heard in a long time, and it moved her deeply.
“Can I call you son?” She asked amidst tears, he nodded and gave her a peck on the forehead.
“Oh, I need to go back to the Queen,” Ezekiel announced when he remembered the Queen sent him, and he needed to report back to her.
Ezekiel pecked her one last time and left.
****
Tracy smiled sadly at what her life has turned in, a part of her body has already become an ice sculpture, but she was grateful that she wasn’t dead because she deserved even more than what she was going through. She led to the death of her dear ones so it was right that she got punished.
It’s been two days since she last saw Ezekiel, and she strangely missed him so much, she didn’t even realize she was getting attached to him.
To her, he was the consolation the universe sent to her, he brought so much light and peace into her life. She wished she had accepted him the first time he showed interest in her.
But now, it was too late as she was already dying. It was so sad that it took the death of her father for her to realize that the world was a beautiful place with the right set of people beside you.
Although, Agnes started their friendship with deceit, she now saw her as a good friend that had her best interest at heart.
Tracy saw all the efforts Agnes made just to bring Beatrice down, and she couldn’t help but be convinced that she had changed.
She missed Ariella so much, she missed her disturbance, she missed Ariella’s voice, she missed being called sister by Ariella, she missed the way Ariella was clingy to her.
Tracy felt a cold hand wipe her tears, Agnes was right in front of her, and she was crying without even knowing.
“Don’t worry, you’ll find her,” Agnes consoled as though she knew who Tracy had in her thoughts.
The sound of the prison door opening interrupted their sad moment. Ezekiel entered, smiling brightly at the ladies but especially at Tracy.
He missed her so much.
Two days felt like countless years.
“Why are you crying?” His smile turned into a frown when he saw tears on her face.
Who hurt her?
“I just miss my sister so much,” Tracy explained. She couldn’t control how fast her heart beat just by hearing his voice.
“I promised I was going to find her, don’t you trust me?”
“I do, it’s just that I have limited time left, and I don’t want to die without seeing her,” Tracy sobbed.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” Ezekiel asked, throwing the two ladies unbalanced. He couldn’t imagine her dying without him getting married to her. She was his soul mate, and he was going to do everything in his power to save her life.
He was going to stick with her through thick and thin. He would rather not hear talks about death from her.
Tears welled up Tracy’s eyes, who didn’t hesitate to nod her head in approval of Ezekiel’s request. It didn’t seem as a bad idea for her to experience love before dying.
Agnes cheered happily like she was the one proposed to, she was happy for the princess.
Ezekiel hugged her tightly, to him, Tracy and his mother were his sole responsibilities, and he wasn’t going to fail them.
He was going to use his gift of seeing visions to find the lost princess and figure out a way to bring her back.
Yes! The late prophet was his mother’s brother and the gift of vision and prophecy was in him.