That night

Rita angrily left the room. She decided to get some fresh air after the heated argument she just had with Richard. Just last night they argued and tonight they had another one, this night was more fierce than last night.

She felt that it was normal for them to argue sometimes but it always turns heated whenever she mentions Adhley. She was getting frustrated with the way he gets agitated whenever her name gets mentioned.

It has been happening for like five years now. The first year they killed Adhley, he was not behaving in this manner. Except for the moments in which they both pretended to be sad about her death, he was happy. But everything changed in the year that followed it.

He started having some nightmares, then sometimes he sees Adhley's face overlapping hers. She was tired of it all.

She saw General Livius walking by, probably leaving the palace, and she called him. "General Livius!"

He looked back at the mention of his name and saw Rita. He immediately bowed in respect. He then continued walking his way before he was stopped by her again. He stopped again.

Rita got to where he was and he bowed to her again. She smiled brightly at him. He gave her a brief smile in return. "General Livius, what are you still doing here? The party ended a while ago." She asked him. "The King and I spoke a little and I also spoke with the guards." He answered her.

"Won't you ask why I'm outside here?" She asked while moving closer to him. He shifted away from her, not feeling too comfortable with the proximity. "Why are you outside, Queen?" He asked her.

She saw how he shifted back from her and she stayed right where she was. She sighed and took on a sad look. "Richard and I argued. A very heated one. He even tried to hit me." She said with a very sad face and tone.

Livius was surprised and got concerned with what she said. "He tried to hit you?! Why?" He asked her in worry.

"Well, we were talking about the whole situation with General Cyan and I was distressed towards Ashley. Then he got really angry and tried to hit me." She said.

She was getting angry as she was talking because she remembered what happened. She however tried to conceal the anger.

Livius sighed before saying, "It must be quite hard for him to forget her and I am sure that he is trying his possible best to. He loved her. I think you just need to give him much more time."

"Okay. I will try my best to." She said and paused and stared at him for a while. "You are a good man." She said and smiled. "Thank you, Queen Rita." He said while shifting back as she was already shifting towards him again.

This time she did not stop and he had to hold her shoulders to stop her. "Queen Rita, what are you doing?" He asked her quietly.

"I am just trying to remind you about what happened that night." She said and batted her eyelashes at him in an attempt to coax him. He shook his head vehemently. "I am sorry but I do not want to remember what happened that night nor do I want to repeat it. The King would be so angry if he finds out and I don't want any-"

"He won't find out. I promise you that." She cut him off.

"Thank you but I can't. I just can not do it. I'm sorry." He let go of her shoulders and moved farther away from her. "Good night, Queen." He said and quickly left.

Rita watched him as he left.

...

Richard knocked on the door to his mother's room. She answered from inside. He opened the door. He saw her sitting on the bed and he went to sit on the bed with her.

"You did not come to the party tonight." He said.

"The last thing I need is Rita throwing subtle insults at me. I am not in the mood to fake smile or to be fake smiled at." She stood up and motioned for Richard to also stand up which he did.

She started making her bed. "What are you doing, mother? Let the maids do it." He said in an attempt to stop her. He was surprised that his mother was making her bed when the maids could be doing it.

Brenda shook her head and smiled at him. "I prefer doing it myself." She told him.

"Really?" He asked to which Brenda nodded her head. He sighed. Before Adhley died, they always make the bed together. They do almost everything together, they were close. She also lived in the palace. One would think that she gave birth to Adhley. However, since she died, she withdrew from the palace. She went back to their old house and was living there. She only visits the palace once in a while.

"I heard your argument with Rita, again." She said as she fixes her bed.

"Rita is getting on my nerves, mother. She keeps talking about Adhley, even if the matter has nothing to do with her, Adhley I mean." He complained.

"Was that what ticked you off last night?" She asked him. Richard nodded his head. "See, I get that you miss her and all that but that does not mean that you should not want her to be talked about. Do you not think that Rita also misses Adhley? Of course, she does..."

'I can bet it with my life that she doesn't.' He thought in his mind but made sure to not say it out loud.

"I miss her too. Very much. But you do not see me getting angry at the mention of her name." She concluded. Richard nodded at her in response to all that she had said.

Brenda finally finished with the bed that she was making and she sat down on it. She looked at her son and motioned for him to sit beside her on the bed by tapping beside her on the bed.

He moved towards her and sat down. "Should I tell you a secret? I don't like Rita. If it were to be up to me, she would not be here in this palace talking less of being married to you. But, it is Adhley's last wish and I respect that. And I am very sure that she would not like you shouting and yelling at her friend." She said.

"Now, be good and be good to Rita. Do not take out your anger on her. Rita can truly be overbearing, but you have to be patient. Okay?" Richard looked at her for some time before nodding his head and replying "Yes, mother."

"I would like to sleep now." She said after some moment that he was still there. He stared at her for a while before saying, "Mother, can I tell you a secret?"