CHAPTER 13

KING HENRY'S P.O.V

Some loud voices and footsteps echo throughout the hall. The generals are quarreling about the war from the neighboring kingdom, Wales, against my kingdom, England. I am sitting on my throne thinking of a better way to stop the tension between Wales and my kingdom.

"This is horrendous! Do you think the Wales will just throw this away without a champion or a winner in the war?!" General Wilford exclaims, glaring at the others.

"There might be another way to stop the war." The Duke states, explaining to them what will happen if Wales were to fight our kingdom. Everybody will be affected, the royals, the palace, and the people. I look down and think of a way to stop the war, while everyone is screaming at each other. There is a loud knock by the entrance and my eldest daughter, Amara, comes in, bringing food for everyone.

"Perhaps a food might ease the tension gentlemen?" Amara smiling at everyone as she starts to prepare the food on the table while putting the maps and the books aside. From my line of view, I see the Duke looking at me and he smiles.

Then, an idea pops in my head, like a lightbulb going off. "What if.." I start, standing up and slowly walking towards them. Everyone looks at me, while Amara is busy placing the food on the table. "…marriage is the answer to the problem." Amara stops, trying to comprehend what has been said. Everyone is silent and confused.

"Who?" Captain Sigfread asked looking to the others. I make my way to where Amara is standing and tap on her shoulder.

"Princess Amara and Prince Sebastian," I answer.

Amara turns to me and smiles, "Sebas-"

Then the duke interrupts abruptly, "Prince Sebastian? Your highness, the Prince has still not come."

I looked at him confused. "Is he kidnapped?" I ask him. "He has not been in the palace for a year, your highness. Even the king doesn't know where he is. Nobody knows what he looks like but the queen." He answers, sadly.

"Oh, so he’s the faceless prince?" I ask, jokingly and they laugh.

"But… come to think that he is the most handsome man in the palace." He adds.

"Well, then look for him, whoever knows where he is and what he looks like will be gifted on fifteen golden bars."

Everyone claps, excited, and then, they start to eat the feast prepared by Amara. I go out and decide to go to my room. While I am walking down the hallway, I see a man wearing a hood in the distance. I stop in my tracks and look at the figure warily.

"Who are you?" I order, head bowed and ready to flee from this stranger. Then, he looks up at me and a familiar face shows up. I sigh a breath of relief; the tension fleeing from my shoulders and approach the young man who looks at me with a frown. "Gavin, why are you back this early?"

"It's about Princess Amari, your Highness." He states quickly with clarity. With the way his face etches into a glare, this might be serious.

"Where is she?" I ask him with fear as he leads me downstairs.

"She's in my chambers, your Highness,” Gavin side-eyes the perimeter before continuing, “nobody saw us coming." He says. It’s a good thing this man is very smart. He knows everything that may cause a scandal and everything about the royalties.

"Thank you," I said.

Once we reach his chambers, I gasp at the scene in front of me. I see a pale-looking Amari lying on the bed. I quickly approach her and sit on the bed, reaching towards her and caress my daughter’s cheek. She’s burning up.

"I-I'm sorry,” Gavin stutters. “I was at the village to buy food. When I came home, she was not there. S-she went into the forest and it started to rain and I-I swear I looked for her and I-I-" Gavin looks like he’s about to faint as he continues to ramble on so, I stop him from continuing by shushing him and forcing myself to speak.

"Son, it's okay,” I assure him. “It's not your fault. Calm down, I'm calling the physician." My efforts were in vain. He’s still shaking and he keeps pacing back and forth. "Gavin, stay here." I squeeze Amari's hand before standing up and facing the door.

I know how much she hates the rain because every time it does, she recalls her mother. I wasn't there to comfort my daughter and soon, I won't be with her anymore. I kiss her forehead and leave the room. While I am walking, I call for any available maids and butler Jones.

"Yes, your highness?" He asks, ready to take an order.

"Call the physician and get him inside Gavin's chambers. Prepare hot water for the Princess. I want this everything inside and Gavin should be beside her. This should be a secret, so keep this tight-lipped. Do you understand?" I tell him with a high tone.

He gestures to the maid, "I understand your highness." Then, he leaves and calls out the carriage. This is the only thing that I can do for you, my child.

QUEEN ELEANOR'S P.O.V

Everything around me was wonderful. It was just like yesterday that I was just a beggar at the street asking for alms. And now look at me, “I'm the queen now,” I said to myself enjoying what I've become. I stopped thinking when a knock interrupted me. I cleared my throat and softly answered, "Come in." Then I saw Amari come in, "Oh yes dear?" I asked. She went close to me and embraced me, "Father wants me to get married to Prince Sebastian." While she said that, I sensed a feeling, a feeling of excitement that put a smile on my face. I looked at her and stood up, "Do you know who that man is?" I asked her, she stood up and went to the mirror, "Hmm, nobody had seen his face before, but the queen alone," She said smiling. Nobody had seen his face? So it means he's- I giggled about my thoughts, "Then, he must be hideous because he had been hiding his self in his entire life, then you're happy about that?" I laughed telling her that. She stood up and turned around "Then, that’s for me to find out," after saying that she left. There’s nothing special about Wales, but there is something fishy about this Sebastian. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw myself wearing so many diamonds and golds, everything around me in this room’s mine. I was again rejoicing my reign but then Elizabeth's picture from my behind showed up clearly in the mirror. I turned my back and went to the picture and took it off the wall. "Ooh, hello, what? Do you want the throne? Oh, I'm sorry, but you're dead! You pig!" I said as I was screaming at her portrait. I let the picture frame slip off my hand and it fell on the ground and the glasses shattered. I grinned stepping hard on the portrait’s frame as the mud from my shoe scattered to the photo, making Elizabeth unrecognizable. “Stay down, the kingdom's mine”, I said with a malicious grin on my face. I thought of my plans, ‘When shall we begin?’

"Your highness?" A maid came into my room and called for me, "Yes?" I replied softly. She went close to me "The king wants to see you at the garden your highness." she said. I got enthusiastic and hurriedly went outside, but before I could reach the door, I saw Elizabeth's portrait. "Clean this mess, this piece of garbage," I said pointing to the portrait frame and went outside. I ran downstairs and saw the physician coming into the castle. I stopped and asked him, "Is there a problem?" I asked him looking at his bag, "Nothing Your Highness, I just came in to check a maid who said she had measles," he replied looking serious. Yuck, disgusting peasants, "I see, take your time, I want her out my sight." He bowed and continued to proceed to his ways, then Jones, the butler, followed up. I stopped him and he stopped then stood in front of me, "Yes, My Queen?" He asked calmly. I rolled my eyes and pointed to the physician, "Disregard that maid whoever had the measles," I said disgustingly. I didn't wait for him to reply and he immediately went into the garden.

As I reached the garden, there was a small gate with vines and flowers on it making it dirty. I find flowers dirty, very dirty. I pushed the gate slowly and went inside. A warm breeze welcomed me and that made the smell of the garden scatter everywhere. "Disgusting," I felt my stomach boiling which made me want to puke. As I was walking, I saw Henry standing by the fountain. What a handsome man standing by the fountain with his right hand inside his pocket and his left hand holding a small clock. I admired this man for so long, now that I have him, I won't ever let go of him. He looked in my direction and smiled at me. I went close to him and he offered his hand. I held his hand and he kissed it in return. "How have you been doing, My Queen?" he asked me looking into my eyes. I giggled and kissed his hand back, "I'm fine, I'm just busy checking out the garden here. Elizabeth really loved her flowers, we're the same" I lied, smelling the flowers that disgusted me. I saw him smile, took a rose, and gave it to me, "Sit down," he offered. We sat down still holding both our hands. "You know, this place was Elizabeth's favorite place to go whenever we fight or whenever she felt I hated her whole life," he said looking around the place with a sad expression. ‘He loved that woman? Such a cheap person, that woman was stupid’, I thought. "Dear, don't be sad, I'm here for you," I said, comforting him. I felt disgusted saying those words that made me imagine Elizabeth and Henry together, such an awful scene. I felt like vomiting again, "Are you okay, my love?" he asked with concern. I swallowed it back to my throat, and it tasted like old rotten raw meat that had been out for years. "Yes, yes I'm fine," I said looking away.

GAVIN'S P.O.V

"How is she?" I asked the physician as he checked the temperature of Amari. He looked at me and stood up, "Her fever is not going down, and it seems that she lost almost all of her energy. Perhaps, she wouldn't be able to move a lot and she needs a lot of rest " he said, and my heart started to ache. I gripped my hand close to my chest, "Is there something wrong?" he asked me and took my hand and checked my pulse. "Hey, take a deep breath. Calm down." He said I was panicking and I didn't know what to do. Everything's my fault, I should've waited for her to wake up. What am I going to do? This was making me crazy knowing that she won't be waking up and move later. The physician came close to me and patted my back helping me to relax, but the feeling is killing me. My heart hurts even more. "Gavin, get a grip of yourself. The princess is fine she just needs to relax and so should you,” he said, trying to calm me down and relax.