Chapter 12 - 48 years

The bath took longer than I thought. The old Mistress was there the whole time and decided to add more to that excruciating process. Whenever I complain, she'd say I have to scrub all impurities away because I am going to meet the Kingdom's King. I know meeting the King is a big deal. But doing all these unnecessary procedures is a bit too much. It gave us all nothing but coming late to the Prince's palace.

In the end, I still chose to come. I still regret giving him ideas of me wanting to come and be part of his plan. But I couldn't just forget about the fact that there are consequences on their side if I don't show up.

I took a long time to think about it plus the longest bath I have ever had in my entire life, I ended up being late. Anton greeted me when I went down. When I saw him running with small tears in the corner of his eyes, I knew it was the right thing to show up.

A few moments later, the Prince came down. I remember the dress he was wearing. He was wearing the same style of clothes he wore when he swept the curtain to the side that one night.

The moment we stepped into the carriage, I noticed how he swiftly takes off a ring from his smallest finger. With the ring now wrapped in his hand, he gently hands it to me.

I looked at it not knowing what to do. Only to realize that we need a ring to make this fake engagement look read.

I took my hand out to take the ring but instead of dropping it on my hand, he takes my hand and puts it in my ring finger himself. I was surprised with the sudden touch considering our relationship and his known dislike.

I noticed that the ring was a silver ring with an oval red embedded crystal. The red crystal was wrapped with what somewhat looked like vines along its sides. It was simple and yet extremely beautiful. 

With the ring in my hand, we set off on a long journey.

The ride was long and silent. It could have been better if Anton sat inside the carriage so he could talk to the Prince about some things. But instead, he sat beside the coachman leaving me inside the carriage and sitting face to face with the Prince.

He just sat there. His fingers were touching the top of his lips as he rested his elbow on the side of the carriage. He never even looked at me since I sat here because all he did was stare outside the carriage window.

I've never been to the main palace before. It is where the royal gatherings are held and where the King works. It is the home of the royals where Prince Kairus should be living in. But because of some circumstances, he left.

I am given no idea what the palace would look like. I wonder how big it was, and how it must feel to be in it. I am told that we are going there to eat lunch with the King just so he can see me. I guess he just wanted to make sure his son married a real person. Well he didn't, but this should rest his mind.

Pretending to be mute saves me from everything. Now I don't have to talk to anybody anymore. It saves me from all of the talking and all I have to do left is to show up.

The carriage grew even silent. None of us even bothered to move. It was then that I thought I should at least create a conversation. I knocked on the door of the carriage where he was leaning to catch his attention. He immediately looked in my direction.

'What does the palace look like?' I asked him. Upon reading my hands, he looked back outside the carriage.

"I don't know, I've never been there since 6 years ago," he mumbled.

'6 human calendar years?' I asked to make sure he hasn't gone back to the Palace ever since he left 6, 2nd moon calendar years ago.

"Six years in the second moon Calendar," he answered.

What? So he doesn't have any idea how much it could have changed in the past 48 years? I have only been in this place for 6 years in the Human Calendar, which means he hasn't gone to the Royal Place longer than I have gone outside the forest.

It seems that I have gotten used to the human calendar as I lived with a bunch of humans.

My village only recognizes the day and not the years or their age. But I have lived for a long time. The Prince uses the second moon calendar. That means he isn't a normal human being.

Well from what I have heard, the royal family is blessed with a strong magical power.

But I have never seen him use his magic before.

'Then how was it like when you last saw it?' the question came out without proper thinking. I realized I may have asked the wrong question when he looked up at me for a second and shifted his gaze back outside.

"Horrendous," his answer was nothing but a single word. But there can be a lot behind it. A lot more than the part where he was kicked out of his born position. The history of the palace and the palace that he has grown into is a mystery to me.

His mother died, he went sick, his father's infidelity was revealed, his withdrawal from the throne, and his departure from the palace.

There are details about these events unknown to most people that he has been able to witness. What more could have happened in his years in that palace that drove him away?

It was my cue to stop talking and to suppress my hands from moving. If I were in his place, I wouldn't want someone to ask any more about my dark past. I know because I feel the same.

Hours later, "We have arrived!" the coachman yelled from outside the carriage. I immediately looked out the window to see the place. It was a lot bigger than the Prince's palace. The place was so broad I am not able to see everything just by looking outside the window.

Upon entering the borders, the carriage took a long time to stop.

A few moments later, Anton opened the carriage door.

The Prince went outside first. I was just about to go out on my own when he stuck his hand in front of me. I had to look into his eyes and back to his extended hand for me to process that this is where the acting starts.

I have almost forgotten that we came here as a couple and not as random acquaintances.

"Welcome back, Your Royal Highness and Her Lady." I heard a group of people say as I stepped out of the carriage. I saw maids bowing to us when I looked around the entrance.

I looked up only to find out that he was trying to look unfazed but his eyebrows were meeting each other.

There was a woman standing in front of them. She wears the same clothes as Anton. She must also be a butler.

The maids did not retrieve from their stance as we walked past them into the huge entrance where stood more people with the same stance.

It must be good being able to live with such respect being thrown at you.

"This way, your Highness." I heard the woman earlier say as she walked past us to guide us to where we were going. I never even managed to notice her following us. We walked down huge hallways and staircases.

I saw the woman glance back at us. Her eyes immediately went down to our hands. Seems like the Prince has abandoned his dislike towards the female DNA that he forgot to let go of my hand since we started walking.

He wrapped his hands around mine with a good grip as if I was going to slip away from his fingers. I looked at how the size of his palms had completely covered my small hands. It was when I remembered that only a few days ago, he told Anton he didn't want their hands touching his furniture. But yet he held my hand unmistakenly tight.

But whatever the Prince is doing is all part of the act. He's enduring much more than I am enduring at the moment.

"We're here, your Highness." the woman spoke and stopped by a very huge door. She then knocked three times and said, "The Prince has arrived, Your Majesty."

The feeling kicked in slowly. My stomach started to hollow as the woman opened the door to the King's room. I saw her glance up at me as she opened the door. I have never switched my expression as fast as I did to avoid her finding out I was getting nervous.

"Please come in," she said.

When the Prince took a step, I followed him. His hands pull me with him as he walks in long strides into the dark study room. He didn't let go of my hand until he stopped walking.

It took a short period of time before my eyes got used to the darkness inside the room. I heard the woman close the door and the room went even darker.

"Kairus," a man called the Prince. The owner of the voice seems old. His words came out like a mumble. But he got no reply from the Prince. I looked slightly behind us to make sure Anton was there as the tension started rising. He was panicked. I can see it on his face.

"Are you not going to spare your old man a greeting?"