FLASHBACK (TWO MONTHS BEFORE SKY'S RETURN)

PRINCE WILLIAM'S POV

'Why does no one understand me. I'm just a prince with ambitions, everyone has ambitions, don't they? Why is everyone treating me like a criminal then? Is it because I'm responsible? Is that why they say I'm no fun?' I thought to myself several times. Everytime my father's eyes met mine, I could sense the suspicion and doubt in them. Like everyone else, I'm sure he too thought that maybe I had a hand in Sky's death too, after all, we all wanted the same things which only one could have. We had always had similar tastes but he always had everything I wanted, from our favorite mentor, down to the beautiful Desperalda. Up until the death of his mentor, we both competed fiercely for the place of crown prince, then he suddenly lost interest after Sir. Hansley died. I never showed him I loved him but I always did, deep down. It was just sad that we fought for the same things. When father began putting me in charge because of Sky's attitude, I began to get more intimidated, because even I knew that he was worthier of it than I was. As if all that wasn't enough, he treated me with so much love, but my pride wouldn't let me show him my love. I wish I just showed him once, just once, that I loved him despite everything going on. He was so secretive and it scared me, because sometimes, I couldn't tell what his smile meant, especially when he acted suspiciously and I thought the worst of him. Forgive me Sky'

I had been haunted by these thoughts day in and day out, filled with regret and guilt. It was on one such day, when I was about to be made crowned prince in a few days time. I went to Sky's room, to talk to the non-existent Sky, when I heard the gossip of the maids passing by on my way out. "She's so kind, a true princess" One said. "She just gave such beautiful fabric too all the maids as a gift for her first time in the palace" "And on top of that, she's so beautiful" Another said. "Looks like princess Desperalda has some competition from the minister of war's daughter, she's too beautiful" Another maid said as their voices faded away. My mind wondered for a bit as I thought, 'Beauty that could rival Desperalda? These maids get swayed so easily with the slightest bit of kindness anyone shows. How is it possible that no one has heard of her if she's all that?' All this is simply going to stir up drama in the palace. I already have enough on my plate. I just hope these people don't ruin my ceremony with whatever they're planning'

…..

William went to the court, where he was going to meet the guests coming to stay over for his coronation, mostly minsters of the kingdom. They all came with younger relatives, mostly female; their motive couldn't have been more evident. The ministers along with their daughters and nieces, took their seats in the court.

The king's court

MADOLIKA'S POV

Approaching the palace gates, I, bore the weight of history on my shoulders. This magnificent palace, once a symbol of my family's rule, now stood transformed by the human kings in the kingdom that was now led by an heir of the very ancestor who had overthrown my father. The palace's new design was a testament to the Bandaa's might, a stark contrast to the humble abode of my childhood. The outer walls, once unadorned, now featured intricate carvings and vibrant murals, telling stories of conquest and dominance. The gates, once welcoming, were adorned with golden filigree that creaked open ominously as I entered. In the courtyard, lush gardens and exotic flowers offered a fragrant contrast to memories of simpler, happier days.

It was a mix of emotions as the memory of that fateful day began to flood my mind once again, but no, that was the past, that was Prince Banda and not everyone was like him. I gathered my courage to love and walked into the palace, bringing with me fabrics I had someone buy from Casper's mother's shop. I walked in and greeted the maids, like we used to do back then, taking them by surprise. I wasn't shocked they were confused by my actions. Sir. Thaddeus had told me to maintain my manners, calling it the best he had ever come across, hence, although I knew the general etiquette here, I was still going to stick to mine most of the time. I walked in confidently, observing the palace that looked nothing like the one I knew.

….

The day had arrived when the kingdom's crown prince to be, would receive the courtly overtures of prospective brides. Ministers, donned in their resplendent robes of authority, accompanied by a retinue of servants, arrived with their young daughters and nieces. They were poised and graceful, as if carved from the very marble that adorned the palace. Each girl, like a radiant blossom, embodied beauty, charm, and innocence. The palace's court, aglow with countless candles, held an air of anticipation. As the young maidens were introduced, they stepped forth with demure smiles, their dresses shimmering in the flickering light. The scent of perfumed roses hung in the air, adding to the enchantment of the moment.

The crown prince to be, a figure of regal composure and handsome countenance, sat upon the ornate throne, his royal robe richly embroidered. His dark eyes, pools of deep wisdom, scanned the room as he sought something more profound than mere beauty. He greeted each maiden with polite courtesy, his words warm and his attention unwavering. For these young ladies, the moment was a blend of hope and nervousness. They curtsied and introduced themselves, their voices, gentle and airy. William laid eyes on Madolika, her beauty taking him by surprise. His eyes were glued to her. 'She's so full of herself' William thought as she bowed halfway, unlike the others, who bowed fully to him, but his eyes remained on her, drawn in by her beauty.  "I am Nyxerias, the daughter of the minister of war, your highness, my pleasure to meet you" Madolika said and raised her head, avoiding his eyes. William was relieved, as she was making his plan easier. His plan to prove his loyalty to Desperalda by embarrassing anyone who could be a threat to her, but here Nyxerias was, making his plan sail effortlessly. "Miss. Nyxerias, are you not trained on etiquette?" William asked. "I am sorry your highness, my daughter was trained in a foreign kingdom and returned a year ago, as such, she hasn't adjusted fully yet" Sir. Thaddeus said in Madolika's defense. "Sir. Thaddeus, why have you never introduced your daughter to us? Her beauty is just so unique" The first queen, William's mother said. The other ladies stared at Madolika with envy. It was obvious that she would be one of the selected ladies. William walked away from Madolika to the next lady, showing how displeased he was. Madolika noticed he was upset, even as their eyes hadn't met yet.

After a few hours, the first queen began to choose her favorite maidens from the list to advance to the next stage. William was in his room when one guard came and informed him about Desperalda waiting for him in his study. William went and saw an angry Desperalda. "Do I stand a chance against her?" An insecure Desperalda asked William. "Who?" William asked, although he knew they were talking about Madolika. "You know fully well who I'm talking about, William, Nyxerias" Desperalda said. "What about her? I don't understand why you are worried, don't you trust me? None of those maidens are better than you are. Nyxerias doesn't come close to you in terms of etiquette, you have nothing to worry about" William said to her. "But I do William!" Desperalda shouted. "Desperalda, don't you trust me? We've been together for years…" William was saying when Desperalda cut in "That is exactly why I'm upset. I could've chosen anyone, but I chose you and this is how you treat me? I bet Sky would never have done this. He knew how to treat someone as lowly as his maid. He wouldn't have treated me like this" Desperalda said, frustrated, and left the study.

William, infuriated, flung his table, causing his books and ink to fall all over the place. He sat on his chair, angry at the comparison Desperalda made with his brother. "Yes, he is better than me! He always was! But you shouldn't have said that. Why are you doing this to me Desperalda?" William said as he sank into his couch. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door and Ethan went to check on it. "Hello, I'm lady Nyxerias, and was wondering if I could have a word with your prince," Madolika said. Ethan went to report to William that Nyxerias was at the door. "Do you want to die?" William asked Ethan with his eyes closed. Ethan bowed and went back to the door. "The prince is quite busy. Please come back another time" Ethan said to Madolika but Madolika smiled at him. "I would prefer to wait" Madolika said as she continued to stand at the door. After a few hours of standing, exhaustion caught up to her so she began to pace around. While pacing, she bumped into William, who had just opened his door to come out. "Hello your highness" Madolika said but William rolled his eyes at her and walked away to his room. While he was there, Ethan came in to inform him that Madolika was still waiting for him outside his study. William ordered Ethan to tell her to leave several times but she wouldn't and kept waiting. "If she won't, then drag her away" William said to Ethan. "If I touch the lady, I'm afraid the king will have my head" Ethan said to the prince.

William went back to his study and called Madolika inside. "Why did you want to see me?" William asked, his brows furrowed, as he stared into his book. "I came to ask you to forgive me for embarrassing you earlier today" Madolika said, taking him by surprise. William lifted his head and saw her still standing, supporting one foot with another. He couldn't believe she had just apologized. "I wanted to let you know that I only did what I did because I cannot give the respect due my husband to you. I was trained not to, and I am sure that you understand me bowing to you would have been an insult to you too. Once again I apologize" Madolika said. William remained speechless. He had just laid eyes on perhaps the most humble woman ever. She had no fear in her eyes, she was bold but humble. William smiled to himself, unable to believe what he had just heard, unsure of how to react. He couldn't rage at her as he had initially wanted. "Don't your legs hurt?" William asked her and looked up, his eyes immediately meeting hers. A torrent of emotions surged within him and in that fleeting moment, as their gazes locked, the world seemed to fade away for William. The look in Madolika's eyes mirrored the twinkle of stars in the night sky. William felt his heart skip a beat as he gazed into those beautiful eyes, which he earlier dismissed, now captivating him. William looked away and cleared his throat, hoping that she didn't notice.

Madolika, noticing the awkwardness in the room, immediately took a seat. Madolika sat there for a while as silence filled the room. "Your highness, are you okay?" Madolika asked. "I am, why do you ask?" William asked, feeling embarrassed. "I heard you arguing with the lady, earlier today" Madolika said, as she lifted her eyes to meet his. William quickly looked away. "How much did you hear?" William asked. "I didn't really hear much. Only the part where she compared you to prince Sky" Madolika said. "And? Don't act like you don't think the same way. She didn't say anything wrong. It's what everyone says in my absence" William said. "Actually, I don't believe the rumors. What we see is not always the truth. I know what it's like to be the only one who knows the truth, and have no one who understands. I know what it's like to be misunderstood, even by your family and feel like ending your life is the only way out, but you're not even allowed to do that much. I don't know whether it can be compared to what you've been through, but I know how it feels to have no one to lean on" Madolika said, drowned in her thoughts. William stared at her, as her words resonated with him, a subtle smile creeping across his lips. "It's interesting. I can't tell if you're saying all this simply to impress me" William said. "See, even you don't believe me" Madolika said and laughed, easing up the mood. "And you? Do you believe me?" William asked. "Should I?" Madolika asked back. "You should" William said, finally smiling, and just like that, Madolika had won the trust of William, as he went on to tell her more.

The next day, Madolika went to greet William privately, like many of the other maidens had done. On that day too, Desperalda had thrown a tantrum since she had found out about Madolika's private visit. Desperalda met Madolika in the hallway on her way back and Madolika greeted her first. "You must be happy" Desperalda said to Madolika, taking her by surprise. "Yes I am please" Madolika said politely. "You're not even scared to admit it? I'll warn you now, Nyxerias, stay away from William. He is my man" Desperalda said, taking Madolika by surprise. "Oh, I understand it now, you're jealous. I'm sorry if I caused an argument between you and the prince. I never meant to and I hope you forgive me" Madolika said. "Forgive you? Do you think I'm stupid?" Desperalda asked. "I hope not. I do think however, that you comparing the prince to his brother was a little cruel and it hurt him. I just want to tell you that. I hope you would be more gentle with him because…" "How did you know that? What we had argued about? Did you listen to it? You were spying on us, right?" Desperalda shouted at Madolika. "No, I promise it's not like that. The prince had told me himself it hurt…" Madolika paused as a slap from Desperalda met her face. "How dare you slander the prince?" Desperalda shouted. Madolika was confused and angry. She lost her mind for a moment and was about to hurt Desperalda with a spell when William came to the scene. He pulled Madolika behind him. "Desperalda, how dare you? If you're jealous, that's fine, but who gave you the authority to slap another maiden? Or have you forgotten your place?" William said to Desperalda. "William…" "It's prince William, and you did not deserve the love I give you. You don't even care about it, and it's so evident now" William said, cutting Desperalda short and pulled Madolika along into his study, slamming the door behind him. Madolika sat on a chair opposite William's, at the desk. William had his head on his table. 'Is he sleeping?' Madolika thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard sulking, and realized he was crying, causing her to remember the day she tried to commit suicide. She knew the pain of hurting because of love and began to sing.

(Verse 1)

I've walked through the fire, I've tasted the rain,

A broken heart's cry, through the joy and the pain,

But I know deep inside, this won't be the end,

My heart's torn in pieces, but it will mend.

(Chorus)

I'm broken-hearted, lost in the storm,

But I'll find my way back, to a love that's warm,

With time and with hope, my heart will heal,

I'll find a love that's true, and I'll learn to feel.

(Verse 2)

I've counted the days, I've cried in the dark,

But these scars on my soul, they will leave their mark,

I'll pick up the pieces, and start to rebuild,

Though I'm broken today, I'll find strength to fulfill.

(Chorus)

I'm broken-hearted, lost in the storm,

But I'll find my way back, to a love that's warm,

With time and with hope, my heart will heal,

I'll find a love that's true, and I'll learn to feel.

(Bridge)

In the shattered fragments of my yesterday,

I'll uncover the strength to find my way,

With the sunrise of hope, and the promise of a new start,

I'll mend this wounded heart, piece by piece, part by part.

(Verse 3)

With each passing day, the pain will subside,

I'll find, with love as my guide,

For I know in my heart, it's broken and scarred,

I'm broken-hearted, but I'll mend what's marred.

(Chorus)

I'm broken-hearted, lost in the storm,

But I'll find my way back, to a love that's warm,

With time and with hope, my heart will heal,

I'll find a love that's true, and I'll learn to feel.

(Outro)

So, I'll embrace the healing, let the past be the past,

With a heart that's been wounded, I'll find love that'll last,

I'm a broken-hearted one, with a future to reveal,

In time, I'll be whole again, my heart will surely heal.

Madolika kept singing even as the prince cried silently, gradually beginning to feel comforted by the melodious voice of Madolika. "Thank you" William said after crying. "It's okay. I sang this to myself a lot too. It always gets the work done" Madolika said with a laugh. As time passed, William kept confiding in Madolika, confusing her kindness for mutual love. Madolika wasn't like Desperalda. She showed him what it felt like to be loved, and treated with love and kindness. Madolika, however, was unaware of what was going on, as she thought she was only getting close to the prince as Sir. Thaddeus had told her to, and was being kind, just as she had been taught to. It was on the night of his coronation, that Madolika realized what was happening around her. The prince came to her for the first dance, which meant she was his choice for a bride among the remaining ladies. Desperalda was shattered, and ran out of the ballroom.

Madolika pulled back her hand from William's grip. "I'm sorry, I can't" Madolika said, staring into the eyes of an expectant William. That's when she recognized his gaze and that smile. That was the same look Isauro had when their eyes met, the one that confessed his love for her. Madolika shook her head, "I can't" she said to him again. "Come on, don't be scared. I wanted to surprise you" William said to her and Sir. Thaddeus came close to them, noticing how Madolika was acting and pulled her away for a word. "Please go with him. We need to have his trust remember, the mission is at stake" Sir. Thaddeus said. Madolika was still hesitant, but made her way to the dancefloor, led by William. William took her left hand, and rested his left hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him. Madolika moved back a little, trying to make herself less uncomfortable. She kept her eyes on the floor, feeling uneasy about looking into his eyes, now that she knew how he felt towards her. As the dance progressed, they both rotated gracefully clockwise, as Madolika followed the lead of William. They seemed to float across the floor, with Madolika's gown swirling around her as their movements synchronized seamlessly. While dancing, William led Madolika into a gentle dip. Her body leaned backward, supported by William's firm hand on her back. They then smoothly rose back to their original position, as their eyes met once more, a touch of romance and drama to everyone but Madolika as the crowd erupted in applause. They kept dancing for a little while longer and finally ended with an elegant twirl and dip by Madolika, led by William. The entire audience was captivated, even the king and queen, who initially felt pity for Desperalda, but seeing William with Madolika, they had come to accept that Madolika was a better match.

Desperalda cried, being consoled by Keia. "Why didn't you do anything about her earlier? When I had a similar problem, you made a maid convince Isabelle to serve Iris dessert made with honey but you completely ignored your issue" Keia said to Desperalda who was crying. "I…I knew we had problems, but I never knew he'd choose her over me. We have been together for so long yet he betrayed me and my loyalty to him. I knew he was meeting her but I never knew he had fallen in love with her. He was never the type to chase after just beauty. I have the demeanor, composure, the manners, everything, better than her, so why did he choose her?" Desperalda cried. "What do you want to do? We can't let William marry that girl who just came out of some isolated land and is not even a true daughter of the minster. I heard she was born to lowly parents but was adopted. How can she be a queen? That would be so disgraceful. Desperalda, you cannot back down now. No, you cannot give up" Keia said and Desperalda wiped her tears. "Who said I will? I'm not stupid Keia. Just because I'm crying, you think I will give up? My dad is a businessman, and we don't give up. That Nyxerias will regret ever being born" Desperalda swore.

After the ball, Madolika and Sir. Thaddeus had a difficult conversation. "I can never get married to him. I am in love with someone else" Madolika said to defend herself. "Your highness, this is about the lives of your people. If you don't do this, we might not have another chance to solve this without bloodshed. It is only through this, that we will have an opportunity to search the palace for the sacred diamond. It might take sometime, perhaps a year or two if you are able to marry the prince, then we can finish all this, and find a way to get you out of here, without bloodshed" Sir. Thaddeus said. "No, I can't. What if Isauro returns? He'll think I betrayed him. He'll be hurt" Madolika said. "Your highness, I don't mean to be disrespectful but before your own desires, you have a people to serve. You need to put your people before everything else. This is what a princess ought to do. Now that you are here, you are our new leader, our new queen, and you must act like that. You have been asleep for long, but you are still too young to understand. This is a sacrifice you must make for your kingdom. Do what your father would've done" Sir. Thaddeus said to her.

The days that followed were quiet and peaceful. Madolika had attained a new status and was loved by everyone in the palace, especially because she was kind, however, she had no friends. There was no one she could trust, no one here would accept her for who she was. Desperalda was also laying low, acting as if she had moved on, so she would not be suspected when her plan would be put into action. She had paid many people to find information about Madolika, but it was futile, so she decided to do it the more cruel way. If she couldn't use her past against her, she would just have to find another way.