Pains and regret

The ride from the palace to the airport took about 30 minutes. With the smooth roads and less traffic, the journey went facilely with less stress on the people therein.

While some decided to use the short trip to discuss business and make sure things go well as planned, some seized the opportunity to slide through their tabs and others sat unbothered.

Though she had promised herself that she would drop her thoughts in the kingdom and focus on a life full of possibilities, somewhere within the line, she had picked them up again

.

The breeze from the surroundings blew past her face, set in a soothing feeling as she stared out from the window. The tall trees seemed to move past them and the sun lead the way out of the city. But none of the scenarios pulled a cord in her heart. Her mind was occupied but she felt empty.

Three years have passed since her mother's death but the pain felt like yesterday. Her thoughts drifted to the time in the past. The time when her mother passed away.

†

3 years ago.

Diva lay horizontally in her bed. Dressed in all black, she had dropped her glasses by the side and had escaped the consciousness of pulling her shoes. Hot tears trailed down her cheeks, wetting her nose tip, her lips, and then the bedsheets. Her heartfelt heavy, her mind clouded and her throat dried. The dam within her broke and she cried out.

She had lost a treasure. A gem, very dear to her. Her hope, her light, her everything, was now gone, never to be seen again. Her mother, the only woman in her life that had loved her wholeheartedly, cared for her limitlessly, had left her behind. She had witnessed her death. Had witnessed how the bullet pierced through her chest and left her dead. She had run her fingers on her cold cheeks and hugged her still body in the pool of her blood.

Suddenly she started gasping for breath. She got out of the bed, knelt on the ground, and tightened her hands on the sheets. Breathing became difficult and her heart rate skyrocketed.

Fortunately, the door opened and her dad ran to her. Helping her up, he placed her on the bed and removed her shoes while he rubbed her feet continuously. The room soon got filled with the maids and guards. A tension formed folds on their foreheads.

One of the maids handed him a glass of water and he held it to her lips, from which she took a few sips and her breathing stabled

The next second, Diva circled her hands around her father and hugged him. She was close to death and she knew it. Had her dad not come in time, she would have been dead. A minute she was crying and the next she was dying. Her eyes welled up again at the thought of that.

She cried into her dad's chest, not caring if there were people present in her room. Her father who would rather mind signaled at his PA, who instructed them all to leave. He would have not bothered because this was his baby but someday this baby would become a queen who will have to take responsibility for the kingdom. Though they will understand that she is going through a lot because of her mother's death, the sight of their future queen crying like a baby in her dad's arms was not nice especially when the kingdom wants their ruler to be strong.

Scanning the area, his eyes fell on nobody. Gently pulling her away from the hug, Diva got the hint and got up almost immediately. Her eyelids became heavy and she felt lightheaded. She have been crying since the day of her mom's death and until the very last minutes, the tears still got glued to her eyes.

Walking to the end of the bed, she caught hold of the bedsheet and folded the edge to delve in and sleep. Her stomach grumbled and she ignored it.

'You should eat something'. Her dad suggested after hearing her stomach's complaints.

'I am not interested'. Came her short reply and she went back to the folding.

'I spoke to your grandma and she requests that you come to your mother's hometown in the meantime. She says it will be best....'

'I am not going'. She noticed a rumple in the blanket and lasered her attention to it. Straightening and smoothing, the blanket became plain enough for her to fold.

It would have been nice and promising if it was just her words, but no, it wasn't. It was her words against his. He had agreed to her grandmom's request before anything else.

Her maternal grandmother had suggested that she be brought to her mother's hometown not just because she wanted to pick up the role of her mother and play a huge part in her life, well that was part of the reason. It was majorly because she wanted her granddaughter to be free from the shackles of pains and regrets early enough.

Losing her mother brought the pain, witnessing her death without being able to do anything to save her brought the regrets. Her grandmom had told him that the regrets may later turn to anger which will later level up to revenge. It was for the best she stays away from the kingdom. Away from the memories and building new fond ones while mentally and physically preparing herself for the future. For the day she will wear the crown.

'This matter has already been handled and decided upon, I just felt it right to let you know '. He spoke in a rather calm tone to the already infuriated Diva. The latter paused what she was doing to look at him.

'You shouldn't have. You are the king. Who can go against your decision?'. Fury played strings in her head, she lifted the blanket to plug herself underneath it. But then it happened.

Her stomach grumbled again and she was quick this time to place her hand on it and go red out of embarrassment. Her dad smiled at her flushed cheeks.

'You should go feed that baby of yours before it jumps out'. He said and left the room before she could refute. Diva went redder and redder. From embarrassment to anger. How dare he say that her stomach was a baby?. Just when she wanted to talk, her dad's words came rushing in.

She plumped on the bed while letting the tears roll down her cheeks for the umpteenth time. Her dad had acceded to her grandmom and there was little or nothing she could do about it.

Besides that fact, she had her grandma to feel for. She had lost her mother and it was painful but nothing compared to the one her grandma was passing through. The pain of losing a child is greater. Apart from it also, to her, her grandmother was the best that ever lived. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that her grandmother loved her and cared so much for her.

†

The present

A tap on her shoulder pulled her back to the present and her head turned to the person.

'We have arrived. Everyone is waiting outside'. Came the calm voice of Dawin to her.

They both came out of the limousine and walked to the other side to meet her father. He was immersed in a conversation and the black-suited guards that followed them ahead in two vehicles, surrounded them. Through the passes between them, she could see some men dressed in black carrying their luggage to the waiting private aircraft.

'My dad sent some of his bodyguards to help us'. Dawin spoke up when he saw the confused look on Diva's face. The brown-haired girl formed her mouth into an 'O' while she watched them push everything into the plane.

After some minutes, everyone boarded the plane and got seated. Diva sat on the left wing of the jet, adjacent to Dawin while her dad sat on the right-wing opposition to a man she did not know. A business associate, she guessed. Not to forget that the guards they came with had gone back to the castle leaving them with the ones that Dawin's dad sent to accompany them.

Getting attached to it and something she seemed to have turned into a habit, Diva moved closer to the window to look out through it. The engine of the plane had been turned on and the aircraft was now moving on the runway. She could feel the tension build up when the plane lifted off into the sky and when it became airborne. She leaned back to the chair and threw her head to the headrest of the chair she sat on.

They were leaving the home she cherished and loved. The kingdom that had lots of her favorite memories. Where she grew up and lived with her family. If not until four years ago, her family was complete and intact. The love that held the family together was stronger than any force in the world. And she had learned to appreciate everything that nature gave to her. A family, a kingdom, a friend, loyal and devoted servants, every single thing was worth being appreciated for. But then again, those things, have started falling apart. Her family was now left with just two of them.

Dawin could see the anger lines slowly building upon her face. He saw her tightening her fist and pushing her lips into a thin line. He could feel the anger emitting from where she was. He turned to look at her father who was now busy with his laptop.

He turned to look at her again and then outside the window. From now on things will be getting interesting. He picked up the glass of orange that was offered to him by the air hostess and sucked the drink up with the aid of the straw.