CHAPTER 5: THE WHOLE TRUTH

Jonathan the sorcerer invited her in, having expected her visit for so long.

**"My queen, have a seat. I'm sure you have many questions, and I will try my best to answer them all."**

**"I would be grateful if you could do that,"** she replied.

Jonathan asked, **"I assume the king or any of his mistresses are unaware of your visit?"**

The queen responded, **"No, they aren't. They barely even notice my presence in the palace."**

Jonathan exhaled softly. **"So it's this bad... I see."**

Queen Fiona continued, **"My status as queen has been greatly diminished in the eyes of the king, as well as my fellow queen, after my continuous rebellion against him. I might be respected in the kingdom, but not within my own family—not even among the young princes."**

Jonathan then asked, **"And are you still rebellious toward the king?"**

She responded in an uneasy tone, **"He refuses to tell me what happened to me some time ago. I keep having this unusual feeling, as if a part of me is missing. Some of my memories are filled with gaps—huge gaps that need to be filled."**

She then turned to Jonathan and said, **"That is why I have come to you. Because I am certain you are the only one who can answer these questions."**

Jonathan looked at her in surprise. **"You mean you don't remember anything that happened eleven years ago?"**

**"No, I don't. If I did, I wouldn't be here, would I?"**

Jonathan stretched forth his rod and asked her to touch the crystal at its tip. She did, and the crystal changed color from purple to a lighter shade of blue.

Jonathan's expression shifted to one of shock and disappointment. "What has he done? This is outrageous—this is dark sorcery."

Looking worried, the queen asked,

"What is the problem? What did you see? Is something wrong?"

Jonathan responded, "My queen, your memories have been tampered with. That is why you have gaps and unexplained episodes in certain parts of your life."

Fiona was stunned. She stood up, pacing the room as she fell into deep thought. Then she asked, "Who did this? Was it the other queens? I knew they envied me, but I never thought they would go this far. And now, the king and I are barely seeing eye to eye."

Jonathan interrupted her.

"The other queens have nothing to do with your lost memories."

"In fact, you're fortunate—it was only a fraction of your memories that were tampered with."

Her expression darkened, and in a somber tone, she said,

"Then the only person who would have reason to erase my memories is the king. But why would he do that?"

Jonathan stepped closer and said,

"You bore the only sword that could slay him... I cannot restore all of your memories at once, but I will tell you why the king did this."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "The king was the last son of his family. He was always seen as the weakling among his four brothers, and his father—King Nizar the third of the kingdom of Bellingham—never did anything to change that perception."

As Queen Fiona settled into her seat, he went on.

"Before he became king, Lucas and I were close friends. He would often escape the palace to come practice spells and magic with me while I was still an apprentice under my master, who served the previous king, just as I now serve the present one."

"Over time, I saw the pain he was going through. Being the youngest son, he was constantly overshadowed by his brothers. Unlike them, he didn't have the strength to become a warrior, and this made his father love him even less."

"As weak and spineless as he seemed compared to his brothers, he still wanted to become king—to prove everyone wrong."

"I warned him it wasn't worth it. His brothers would surely kill him if he challenged them, and no one would care… But little did I know that he had dangerous plans in mind. He tricked me into making a potion—one that could kill a person without leaving any trace or explanation for their death."

Jonathan looked down in regret.

"The weaker he felt, the more desperate he became. One by one, he eliminated his competition with that potion, leaving his father no choice but to name him the heir—otherwise, the throne would have passed to another family."

"He felt no remorse for killing his brothers. Meanwhile, I wanted to flee, overcome with guilt. My master had discovered my crime, and I feared what would happen next."

"One day, Lucas came to visit me, only to find me in the middle of a heated argument with my master. Without hesitation, he killed my master—smiling as he did it, with no regard for human life."

I was frozen on a spot after watching my master struggle for his life right before my eyes.

"How could you?, he has nothing to do with your reign as a king."

Lucas then replied.

"Now you have no one holding you back, always wanted to be the sorcerer of this kingdom, that's what you tell me right?".

Jonathan clenched his jaw.

"That was when I realized… I had helped create a monster."

After that, he declared me his loyal sorcerer, vowing that I would serve him when he became king, and we took at oath, that if I ever betray him and he falls, that I shall fall with him.

He sighed before continuing.

"Somehow, the old king died. His wives, including his own mother, suspected he had a hand in his brothers' deaths as well as the king's mysterious passing. But as ruthless as he was, he slaughtered them all—every one of his father's wives, including his mother—before claiming the throne."

"He claimed his mother never never loved him, just as his father and brothers never did."

Queen Fiona was horrified. She had never imagined that the man she married was such a monster.

Jonathan went on.

"Your king has always been hungry for power, but he has never understood the true responsibility of a ruler."

"Look at this kingdom—it suffers. The people live in fear of him, when he should be their protector. Many have tried to rebel, but all have fallen… until eleven years ago."

Queen Fiona, now curious, asked, "What happened eleven years ago? That was when my problems began."

Jonathan explained. "The king had a dream of his own downfall after you bore a child. The child you brought into the world was destined to be his downfall."

"Once I interpreted the dream for him, he ordered me to eliminate the child."

Fiona shot up from her seat in fury, tears streaming down her face. "What did you do to my child, Jonathan?!"

Jonathan remained calm. "He is safe, my queen. I could not destroy the only hope for this kingdom."

Still shaken, she asked, "But that is treason against the king. It will cost you your life!"

Jonathan exhaled softly. "I have lived with so much guilt. Death would be a mercy for me, after all I am the one who created this monster, it is only fair if I fall alongside this monster."

She then asked, "Where is my child?"

He replied,

"He is with a former apprentice of mine. Her name is Melina. She was sent to me by her parents because she was unable to bear children, and her husband eventually abandoned her."

"I gave her a lifelong task—to protect the future king. I sent them far from the kingdom, and even I do not know their exact whereabouts."

Jonathan smiled.

"Until recently, I wasn't sure if they had survived. But the king's restlessness has proven that they live."

Queen Fiona asked desperately, "Where can I see my son?"

Jonathan shook his head."I don't know, and it is not yet time. That is why I whispered to you during my last visit to the palace: *He shall return."

Tears filled Fiona's eyes. "I have had a son for eleven years… and I don't even remember him."

Jonathan lifted her hands to the crystal. "I will help you regain your memories. It will take time, but eventually, you will remember everything."

"I'm ready,"she whispered.

As she touched the crystal, it shifted through different colors while Jonathan chanted incantations. Soon, Fiona's eyes turned white, and she collapsed into his arms.

Jonathan exhaled softly. "It is done, my queen. Rest now."

He carried her to a room and laid her down to recover.

Meanwhile, at Melina's home, Alex lay asleep as Melina sat beside him, staring at the inscriptions on his wrist. She whispered to herself, "Master would understand what these symbols mean."

She exhaled. "I hope I am doing the right thing."