The Pain From The Past

"What's with that face, Karium?" King Edric Maselli put down the letter and stared at his younger brother, giving him a suspicious look. It's not every day that he got to see that face!

"It's nothing, Your Majesty," the Prince quickly said and shifted his attention back to the report he was reading. However, knowing that his brother's scrutinizing gaze was still on him made him felt more uneasy!

"You even lie to me now," the young King pointed out. Nevertheless, there was still an amusing smile on his face. "You meet the Avarian Princess. What is she like?"

"Dangerous."

"What do you mean?" the King asked, confused.

His brother's question made the Prince realized what he said. Finally, he let out a sigh and put the report down. "She has quite a temper. That's why," he explained. He didn't plan to tell his brother about how he met the Princess in Avaria.

It will bring no good.

Edric Maselli chuckled at his brother's response. "Why? Did you upset her? I never know that my younger brother is capable of doing that to none other than the famous Avarian Princess."

Once again, Karium Maselli sighed. "That's not the case, brother."

Should he say that he was the one who was continuously being threatened? He shook his head. It's better to keep quiet.

"I will send an invitation to the Princess. Let's see what she's like," King Edric said and sarcastically added, "I can't wait to see how this 'dangerous' lady looked like."

Karium Maselli tried to say something but when he noticed his brother's exciting smile, he turned away in defeat. Then he ended up reading the report again while his brother sat beside him with his gaze still fixated on him.

"Did I put you into too much work?" the King asked his brother after maintaining his silence for a while. "The Prince of Morham title came with many responsibilities and with the army on the other side, I know you're busier than ever."

"It's fine," the Prince muttered in a calm voice. "I'm glad that I can be of help to you."

Silence occupied the room for a while until...

"Do you want to meet your mother?"

All the movement of the Prince halted at his brother's words. His eyes rolled to the right and then to the left before he narrowed them and nervously pressed his fingers together.

"No," was his response after what seemed to be forever. "I'm forbidden to do that."

"I can make it happen, Karium. I can give you anything you want," King Edric said in an assuring tone.

The Prince fell silent again as if he was pondering on the offer. Then he looked at his brother and forced a smile. "Don't do that. If you try to revoke the order of the late Queen, nothing good will come from it. It will only tampered your relationship with the officials."

"But I know that -"

"I'm really fine," Karium promptly said, interrupting his older brother. "I have you and sister-in-law and that's enough for me. I don't need anyone else in my life."

Just when the King was about to speak up again, Karium rose from his seat. "Please have some rest. It's getting late."

While his brother stared at him with concern, Karium bowed his head and walked out of the room. He returned straight to his chamber and quickly lie down on his bed. Then he placed his right arm on his eyes.

"Karium, you should be good and survive even if it's hard."

Those were the last words he heard from his mother. He was 9 back then and it happened a year after he was brought to the palace.

Karium Maselli was born in the small province of Welahan and his mother raised him until he was 8. He grew up not even knowing that he was the son of the King. Or the fact that he was an illegitimate child, the fruit of adultery.

His mother might not be married when she had an affair with the King who came to the small province for a short visit. However, she was still at fault too. She did that, knowing how the King was a married man.

One day, her mother suddenly brought him to the palace and told him that he will be living there starting that day. The 8-year-old boy didn't understand anything. However, the constant insults and disdain that he suffered starting that day were a real eye-opener for him and as expected, the one who loathe his existence the most was the Queen who became his step-mother.

At one point, everything became too much for him to the point where he hated his birth mother. Why must she do that?

She shouldn't give birth to him in the very first place!

Of course, the furious Queen didn't plan to let his mother off the hook easily. She was determined to make her pay for trampling on her pride. As a powerful Queen she was, she made his mother served her as a servant. She wanted to see her suffer.

Karium didn't know why his mother never stood up for herself. Though committing adultery was a crime, why did she just endure all the Queen's humiliation and fake charges against her for a whole year? Sometimes, he used to think that he might be the reason. After all, he was also at the Queen's mercy at that time. He was the one who tied his mother's hands.

As a child, he used to watch his mother while she endured the humiliation of the Queen who was none other than the birth mother of his older half-brother. However, there was nothing he could do as the Queen already issued an order, forbidding them from meeting each other. He can only watch his mother from afar.

Though the Queen passed away when he turned 14, the order still stands. Not to mention that there were still many officials who were loyal to the late Queen. However, those officials also naturally support the King as he was the son of the late Queen. So, Karium was fine with it.

Karium recalled how his mother managed to leave the palace with his father's help when he was 9. Since then, he had never once seen his mother again. He didn't know if she was still alive or if she was in Welahan. He had no idea at all.

It was only after the passing of the Queen that Karium got to feel his father's love. However, his father also died just three years later when he was 17. Then his brother took over the throne at the age of 21.

No matter how much he recalled his childhood, the Prince was well aware of how his brother was the only one who accept him and stood by his side from the very beginning. Even when he was shunned by the whole kingdom due to his origin, his brother was the only one who holds his hand and comforted him.

It was the reason why he was willing to do anything for his brother. He already decided to live his life for him to repay his kindness.

With the pain from the past resurfacing in the young Prince's heart, he struggled to fell asleep for a while. Even when he did, those memories haunted him in the form of nightmares.....