He saw something and picked it up. He was so shocked at what he saw. “This,” he mumbled.
******
Princess Avalon’s room
Princess Avalon was in her room arranging her hair when a knock came on the door.
“Who’s that?”She asked, but received no reply.
She went to the door to check and found Lee standing by the door, hiding something behind him.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Yes, you can, but why are you acting strange?” Princess Avalon asked, not sure if he was okay.
“I’m acting strange, you mean…”
“Well, at least let me in,” he said, and princess Avalon left the way for him.
“What is it that you are hiding behind?” Princess Avalon asked, trying to look at it, but he kept hiding it.
“Hmmmm”He scoffed.
“Why are you acting like this?”She asked but didn’t got s reply.
“Lee, I want to discuss something very important with you,” Princess Avalon said, walking towards her mirror.
“What’s that again?”He asked.
“I think we should call off the marriage between you and Helen; I don’t want to put you through difficulties.
You’ve really changed and can’t treat her well. I am sorry I have to break your heart again,” Princess Avalon announced.
He smirks.
“I am wondering if I should be smiling or crying. I think that’s a relief. Thanks for understanding me” He smiles
“So are you going to marry me now?” He asked.
There was silence for a moment.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Your silence is killing me,” he uttered, glaring at her.
“No, I am not going to get married to you. Let what we had in the past be gone with those memories.
Try and find another girl that will show you love and respect you, because I am not the type of girl you always wanted to seek happiness with. I have changed a lot,” Princess Avalon explained.
The rose flower he was hiding behind fell to the ground and broke.
Princess Avalon glanced at the flowers and bent to check them out.
“Is this for me?” She asked.
“Maybe it will have been yours, but why did I have the feeling that our love has scattered the way this flower just scattered?”
“Is it a mistake loving you?” He asked with teary eyes.
Princess Avalon tried to gather the flowers.
“Why are you trying to gather it when it can’t be fixed again? Aren’t they broken?” He asked.
“Why do you think so? It can be fixed, but it will take time, so time is needed to fix everything,” Princess Avalon said, rising to her feet.
“Which means we can still fix things right.” Why are you doing this to us? Tell me, what are you hiding from everyone? Lee asked.
Princess Avalon walked majestically to the sofa and sat down.
“I am not hiding anything. I told you already, so leave me alone and find a better girl than me,” she replied, pretending not to care.
“You are doing this all because of your mom,” Lee asked, and she looked shocked.
She decided to confuse him.
“Haaaaaaa!” She burst out laughing.
“Are you mad? I am asking you a question,” he said furiously.
“Maybe you are the one whose brain needed to be reset.
I am not mad, but I was wondering where you get that trash from?
Who gave you that invalid information? Or are you really listening to what the king is saying? “She asked and stood up.”
“I know you are doing this all because of her. The king was right-you aren’t innocent. You are seeing your mother,” Lee replied.
“What proof do you have? Show me your proof and stop beating around the bush,” Princess Avalon shouted furiously.
He brought out something from his pocket.
“This is the evidence I have; this is what I can use against you,” Lee said, showing off a knot.
Princess Avalon looks shocked.
“How could mom be so careless to have misplaced her knot?” Different thoughts keep rummaging in her mind.
She summoned courage.
“That, imagine. Anyone could own that. So why are you sounding like a great person who has just found the evidence of the world?
I don’t even know what you are talking about; it doesn’t belong to my mother.
So, whatever you are thinking, Is your own cup of tea?” Princess Avalon uttered, trying to pretend she cared less but deeply she was in distress.
“Really, you mean this isn’t your mom?” Why are you always lying just to make yourself look so innocent when we both know now that you aren’t innocent?
I was here many years ago, and even though we are still kids, I can remember clearly.
This knot was given to your mom by your dad on the festival day.
And he said no one has that because it was made specially by him” He moved closer to her.
“What do you have to say to me again?” Lee asked, glaring at her.
“Why are you overthinking yourself? This isn’t my mom. Let me take a look. Knot is something anyone could own.
Do you forget you also gave mine? So almost everyone got this from their loved ones, so anyone could have misplaced hers.
Why are you overreacting?” Princess Avalon asked, glaring intensely at the knot.
“What less could I have expected from you, like a mother, like a daughter? You took after her in everything; you’ve turned into a liar just like her.
I wondered who you might be planning on killing-maybe the King,” Lee uttered and folded the knot in his palm.
Princess Avalon gave him two very hard and resounding slaps.
“How dare you say such rubbish about me and mom?” She’s shouted and held his cloth, hitting his chest.
“Now I know what I want to know: if I could recall, you hate your mother more than you hate your biggest enemy.
I tried to get you to like her a little, but you didn’t, always getting angry each time I talked about her. But your reaction now shows you now like your mom, which means you both have been seeing each other of late,” Lee said with a tone of confirmation.
“Yes, I’m seeing her; how was that your business? She’s my mom, and I want her back in this palace, where she will get all the respect and love she deserves as the king’s mother and as the older queen in this kingdom.
And no one will stop me, even if I am going to do this with the last drop of blood left in me. I will make sure I regain her lost respect.” She wailed and sat on the floor.
******
Twinkle room
“My lord, I am truly in love with you. But what could I have done when your father would never agree to this? I am a mere soldier.” Soldier Aiden said with a bow.
“Why are you embarrassing me? We are both in love.
We are both in this; my father isn’t the one who will decide for me. I know how to deal with that.
All that matters is that we are in love and we are going to marry each other.
No one can stop us, and again, stop referring to yourself as a mere soldier.
You are the most powerful soldier I have met so far. I can imagine how you are piecing those enemy heads together without a single pity at war.
With you, our kingdom is safe; you are hailing my King,” Princess Twinkle said with a bow.
“Are you being serious, like, are you referring to me as a king? My princess, I should be the one bowing to you.
In fact, without your power and support, the war wouldn’t have been possible.
You are extremely powerful; I admit that. Thanks for letting us win,” Soldier Aiden said and bowed in front of her.
“Do you know you are extremely funny? Without you, I would not be who I am.
Fighting war with you has been the best thing in my life so far.
I am very serious. The King and Queen never allowed me to leave the palace, not until I was needed to fight the war.
And meeting you for the first time was extremely beautiful.
I fell in love at first sight. Then I keep falling in love when you are teaching me how to attack my opponent at war.
Learning sword and moves from you was really amazing, and I fell for you even more.
And spending two months with you on the battlefield is the most memorable day of my life so far.
So please don’t bow to me. You are my future husband and the future king. because the day you marry me makes you the crown prince.
So please don’t reject my love. Princess Twinkle makes him stand up.
“My princess, I don’t want to commit a crime. In fact, your father trusts you with me. I don’t wanna break your trust,” Soldier Aiden said, while Princess Twinkle was trying to kiss him.
“Then why don’t you tell me you hate me? Please, I will die if you refuse to be with me,” Princess Twinkle said, falling to her knees.
“I am very sorry, my princess. I love you but your father. He will never imagine a soldier getting married to his daughter”
“He always wanted you to get married to the prince of another kingdom,” Soldier Aiden said, pulling her into a hug.
The door let itself open.
“So it was truth; it was truth that you are having an affair with my daughter.” The hoarseness in the king’s voice made them disengage from the hug.
“My Lord,” Soldier Aiden said with a bow.
“Father, it’s a good thing you came. I was thinking of telling you this,” Princess Twinkle said, going closer to him.
“Over there, don’t move another step forward,” the king said in an authoritative manner.
“Father, why are you like this?” Princess Twinkle asked.
“Take him away and lock him up in the jail.” “And she makes sure she never gets out of her room,” the king ordered.
“No, father, you won’t do this to me, right?” She asked, but the King didn’t utter a word and left the room.
The soldiers get a hold of Soldier Aiden.
“Leave him alone; he’s your leader and your future king,” Princess Twinkle shouted.
But he was forcefully taken away by the soldiers, and Princess Twinkle was locked up in her room.
“Nooooo” Queen Twinkle shouted out of her dream, sweating profusely. King Aiden, who was sitting beside her bed, wondered why she shouted in that way.
She tried to hold her breath but couldn’t.
He offered her a glass cup of water, which she collected and gulped down. She took a deep breath after taking the water.
“How are you feeling now, my Queen?” King Aiden asked.
“My queen, queen, princess, soldier,” she muttered, but she was audible enough to be heard.
King Aiden looks confused, as Twinkle was glaring at him.
“Take some rest. If you need anything, your maids are around.” King Aiden said he dropped the cup and went outside.
******
King Aiden’s room
“What’s wrong again?” Why is she behaving so strangely? How am I going to make her regain her senses?”
“Can’t I just get a clue?” King Aiden shouted angrily and hit his hand on the table.
Just then a spirit appears.
“Who are you? What are you doing here in my room?” King Aiden asked furiously.
She vanished and appeared at the door.
“Who are you? Show off your face!” King Aiden shouted.
“Forget about who I am; just follow me.” The most beautiful voice ever spoke.
“So you are a woman; don’t think I will fall into your tricks. Who are you?” King Aiden asked.
She vanished. King Aiden used his power, and he also vanished after her.
He found himself in the garden. He looked around and saw the spirit.
“What do you want from me?”He asked.
“You will find your answer here, great king. I gotta go.” The spirit turned into flowers.
“How do I get the answers?” he shouted.
“My king, I have answers to your questions, someone said from behind. He turned to look.
“You, how?” he muttered.
TBC