It's Okay

Yoddal ran out of the room with the guard, General Livius and King Richard running behind her also. She kept running through the halls and not caring about the ones at her back.

General Livius wondered where it was that she was going. This was not the way out of the palace. King Richard thought the same.

She suddenly turned left and entered a room. The door was left ajar. The three men followed her inside. She saw Steve on the floor with his dark blood on the floor and some of it still dripping from his mouth to the floor. He now seemed to be unconscious.

They saw her kneeling beside Steve and were surprised. 'Why is this girl beside Soldier Steve?' Even the guard thought.

Steve seemed to have sensed someone beside him and he opened his eyes wearily.

He tried to talk but was only able to let out a sigh. "Wha-what did... you gi-give me?" He managed to say after taking heavy breaths in. He wanted to say more but he slipped completely into unconsciousness.

...

Steve opened his eyes. Slowly, his blurry vision became clear. He felt a pair of hand on his and he looked at whose hand it was. It was Yoddal. Again.

She was looking at him intently, her eyes filled with worry. She helped him up gently. Funny enough, he didn't feel any pain whatsoever from his injuries. The previous pain was no longer there. He felt... strong. How?

"Are you okay? I got so worried. I thought something bad had happened to you. The King almost had me..." She went on.

"What happened?" He could not help but ask. "After you passed out, the King thought I had something to do with it based off your last statement. I would have been arrested if not for the General. The Imperial physician came to check you again. He made us to know that it was the medicine I gave you that was already working. In a good way." She explained.

"Oh." He nodded but wondered where she got such potent medicine. Of all the years he has being a soldier, no drug had been able to treat any injury that quick and effectively.

"You not-nice somebody, you almost got me arrested for helping you. Why did you ask for what I gave to you in a way that people would think I tried to kill you by poison? Did you want to get rid of me after I helped you?" She yelled at him angrily.

Steve was surprised at her outburst. What had she expect him to think? He ate the food which an unknown drug was added to by her. Why was she now behaving as if he did something un-reasonable? Any sane person would think the same way he did.

"If I had been arrested, I would not be able to see my family any longer. My aunt, nephew, nephew's cousin. All because I wanted to help you." She continued. He blinked.

She looked lost for words and thought for a while before talking again."You can make it up to me. During the Prince's party, meet me outside the hall. Okay?"

He just stared at her, not giving her any response. "Okay." She replied herself when Steve refused to reply. "You should rest some more to completely regain your strength. I will leave now so as to not disturb you. I will bring your food later. Have a good rest." She smiled at him in a very sweet manner that left Steve in a daze.

She then walked elegantly to the door. She turned to him and waved at him with smiles before leaving.

...

Evening

At the Hall

The guests were all coming in. They walked up to the throne room and gifted the little prince. There was really nothing special in what they were doing to the previous ones. Well, it was the last party to the main birthday so that was the slightly different thing.

General Livius walked up to the throne room. "Evening, your Majesties." "A good evening to you too General Livius." Queen Rita replied his greetings with smiles on her face. "Evening, General Livius. How far with the investigation?" King Richard asked him.

"Our previous suspect can no longer be..." "No no no." Rita interrupted Livius.

"You two have been talking about that since the day. The little time towards the evening which you separated was the only time you stopped talking about the case. And now you want to start again? No way. You can do that after my son's party." She said with a tone of finality.

The two stopped talking. The Queen's handmaidens looked at each other in awkwardness.

Steve walked into the hall looking handsome and healthy and strong. Yoddal, who had been looking dead from boredom, on seeing him, her eyes brightened up in excitement and she smiled happily.

He bowed down to the King and Queen. And then to the General in respect. "How are you now, Steve?" King Richard asked him out of concern. "Very good now Your Majesty. Thank you."

The King looked at Queen Rita expectantly. The same goes for the handmaidens and General Livius. They all expect her to also ask after his health. She looked at them also and got what they were all expecting from her.

She cleared her throat and looked at Steve before asking with reluctance, "How is your health, Steve?"

"Fine, My Queen. Thanks for your concern." He said with respect.

They all know that the Queen does not care about others wellbeing. Only about herself, the King and the little prince. She sometimes does not even care about the King.

Yoddal took a deep breath in. She wrapped her hands round her stomach and groaned. "Ouch, my tummy."

"What's wrong?" Queen Rita asked. Oh wow! "My tummy aches so bad, My Queen. Ah!" Yoddal scrunched her face. "I must have ate something bad. I might need to excuse myself so as to not ruin the party."

"Okay. You can go, quickly." Queen Rita said with urgency. Any outsider hearing her would think that she is being considerate but the ones present knew at the throne room knew that it was only because she didn't want anything that can ruin the party to occur.

Yoddal immediately nodded and left. She bumped into Steve and almost fell down but Steve was quick enough to have caught her.

She held on to him and bowed down slightly to him. "I'm sorry Soldier. Please forgive me." She looked up at him and mouthed, "Meet me outside." before winking at him.

She then wearily walked out of the hall. Steve was left in a quick daze. Damn! She's a good actor.

"I will take my leave now. I need a little more rest. Thank you." Steve bowed down and left.

General Livius also bowed down and said, "I will leave the throne room to enjoy the party..."

The big drum of announcement was beaten and the announcer shouted, "KING NIXON OF THE KINGDOM OF NIRIAS."

Every body in the hall was shocked. King Nixon of Nirias was around?!

"Did you invite King Nixon?" Queen Rita asked King Richard in shock. "No at all. I myself am surprised." King Richard replied. How come the King Nixon was here. He is the most powerful King and his Kingdom the most powerful. How come he was here? Lots of Kings do invite him to their Kingdom but he rarely honours few of it. How come he came without being invited? Was the Kingdom of Yoniez now great to the extent of having King Nixon of Nirias as a guest?

King Nixon walked up to the throne room with his scary looking soldiers and a petite lady, who dressed as that of an high class maid, behind him. Both the King and Queen stood up. They even held the little prince up. General Livius bowed to the King Nixon with very much respect. The handmaidens had their head bowed down very low. King Richard extended his hand forward for an handshake but King Nixon looked at his hand with a cold face. He then looked at Queen Rita's way. She smile seductively and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and he replied her with a dark look on his face.

"I can see that your Queen has no respect. Instead of a proper greeting, she is busy trying to seduce me. Right in the presence of her King. Very and un-cultured." He scolded them.

Queen Rita's face went pale. She could not return Richard's look of disappointment.

"Well, I am here for a reason. Where is my sister?" He asked them in a low, dangerous voice.

---

A/N: Hi readers

I know I have being on a break but now, I am back. For good this time around.

Instagram account @esther.omisope