Chapter 19: You Are Forgiven

Everyone was sleeping peacefully except Princess Alice. She tried to close her eyes but something pushes her not to sleep.

"Why I can't sleep?" She whispered into a cold and chill wind.

Alice stood up and do some basic stretching. If she can't sleep then she must do something else in the middle of the night.

"What should I do now?" Alice said while listening to Cartlon's loud and horrible snore.

She thought of cooking foods for them but she realized that it was too early for that thing.

Alice walked back and forth, thinking what to do; thinking about Shaotzie.

Princess Alice suddenly remembers her weapon. It was full of blood and spirit of the undead.

"I think, I need to tidy up my sword."  She said.

Alice heaves the sharp and polished sword and put it into the mini table made of wood. By then, she rips off some parts of her cloak and gets a small piece of it.

"How I wonder, if how many lives that were taken away by this rare phoenix sword?" Alice wipes its sharp,  and shiny blade.

The princess didn't stop until she finished cleaning it. Alice sheathed the weapon and put it on her side afterward.

Alice yawned and said, "Oh! I'm sleepy now." 

She was about to lie down when Billy called her. "Your majesty, why aren't you still sleeping?"

Alice embraces herself upon hearing Billy's voice. "Oh! It's... It is just that I can't sleep! And so, I decided to clean my sword."

"How about you? Why is it that you woke up too early, Billy?" Princess Alice added. 

The young boy gulped and cleared his throat. He can't still forget what happened between the princess and him.

Billy can't picture out the disrespect and rudeness that he was ascertained to Alice.

"Um... I... I'm used to waking up this early, your majesty. My mother has thought me that a man should be an early bird. That's why I kept it my head and kept it as my customary routine. 

Alice smiled and replied, "Your mother is right, Billy. If she's still alive, she would be proud of you as her son. Billy–"

The young boy lowered his head and doesn't have an idea of what to say. He's guilty and embarrassed when Billy tried to avenge the wrong person.

"I'm sorry/I'm sorry!"

Billy and Alice said in the chorus. Then, they look at each other and both smiled wavering and indecisive.

"My sincere apology, your majesty. And I... I am not expecting that you will forgive me because of my arrogance and showing lack of respect to you as my queen."

"I regret blaming the king; for planning for vengeance! For risking Princess Shaotzie's life–"

All of a sudden, Alice remembered the King. She gasped and tears springing into her eyes.

"Your majesty!" Billy observed her carefully, and he saw the princess's teary eyes.

He began to panic for the nth time. At the back of his head, he's raising a question if he said bad things to the princess for her to be this emotional.

"No. I'm fine Billy, it is just I remembered the king, my father."

"What about the King, your majesty?"

Without warning, Alice burst into tears and feel the pain for the second time. She shook her head and said, "King Sulliman was dead. Billy, I choose to hide it from my people, I hide it from everyone."

Billy steps back upon hearing the bad news. He can't believe that the king was dead; that a respected person he planned to kill was deceased and withered.

Billy can't be happy knowing the truth. Yes! He thought of revenge for the sake of his father's death but now that it was happened without doing anything, still, Billy is not glad not happy.

"I am sorry for digging up about your father, your majesty. I didn't mean to hu–"

"No! It's not your fault!" She told him as he wiped her tears away. "Forget everything I've told you, Billy."

He's confused about what Princess Alice told him. He wanted to confirm it from her and so Billy answered back, "What do you mean by it, your highness?"

The Princess turned her back at him and said in her usual, soft but crucial tone.

"You Are Forgiven."

Billy, swallowed his own saliva when Princess Alice finally forgave him. He felt like he was in cloud nine because of great happiness and prosperity.

"You are an extraordinary woman, Princess Alice." He whispered.

~

The next day, the sky was still cloudy and gloomy. Billy didn't go back to sleep after their conversation, except the Princess.

On the other hand, Cartlon, was busy cleaning and sharpening his sword at the corner. He's preparing for another fight and encounter with the undead.

"Swordsman, why does the princess is still sleeping?" Sahara asked him.

The young woman forgot to give the cup of tea as her eyes were stuck into the sleeping princess.

"She needs to earn enough sleep and strength, young woman. So, let her be." Cartlon replied.

Sahara nods her head and didn't ask another question to Cartlon.

If someone knows how much she faced those lonely and frightening nights, alone. Her worries would be lessened.

Moreover, Princess Alice forgot herself these past few days because of her mission, and so, she's savoring the moment while she can.

"Oh! I forgot to give you this, swordsman!" Sahara give the cup of tea she was carrying for a couple of minutes.

Cartlon smiled and replied, "Thank you, young lady!" He sips it and sighed upon tasting the hot tea.

Sahara bowed and start walking to the kitchen when Cartlon said, "Can I have one more cup of tea?"

"It's my pleasure to give you more, swordsman. I'll be right back with two cups of it!" Sahara replied with a smile on her perfect, flawless face.

Cartlon grinned as he saw his reflection by looking at his sword's blade. He's glad that he maintained and conserved his weapon for almost 3 decades of his life.

"No!" Out of nowhere, Princess Alice talks while sleeping.

"Nooo!"

Cartlon was alarmed when she raised her voice. It's dangerous to make any nuisance, because of the loitering and wandering zombies around.

So, he steps closer to Alice and realizes that she was sweating profusely and coldly.

"Alice, Wake up! Wake up!"

He touches her face but Alice continued speaking.

"Don't do it, please! I'm begging you!"

Cartlon shakes her body to wake the princess up but still, it didn't work out. "Alice! Wake up from your dream!"

"Noooooo!" By then, Alice abruptly opened her eyes and breath deeply. As if she was chased by a thousand horses and hungry tigers.

As if, she had a terrific and rare nightmare.