Memory Lane 7...

Remembering all these, the King couldn't help but shed tears...

And that was the first time, Andrew had seen his Father shed tears before...

He thought that a King should never, like, have to shed tears, right...?

Besides, that was how he was being trained, especially by his Father, he was strict about it...

Looking up at his Mother, he saw his Mother almost at the brink of shedding tears...

But when she saw her son turn to look at her, she quickly wiped them away and nodded at him, as if urging him on...

Taking the queue from his Mother, he walked up to his Father who was now shedding tears, shamelessly...

Raising his quivering arm from his side, Andrew moved it towards his Father...

But his hand stopped mid-way...

Turning back to look at his Mother with a scared expression in his face, he found his Mother smiling at him and then mouthed;

"I know you can do it...!"

"Go on!"

Then turning his head back to look at his Father, he closed his eyes and then placed his hands on his Father's shoulder, causing the man to jolt a bit...

Andrew, taking in a deep breath and then letting it out, still with his eyes closed, Andrew said;

"Father, I know you've been trying raise me up to be a good King and a good ruler in all aspects of my life and wherever I find myself to be in...!" Andrew paused for a while, before sighing and saying;

"And I really appreciate you for that...!"

What Andrew said had the King stop crying, as he raised his head up to look at his son, who gave him a little smile before pursing his lips and saying;

"Yes Father...I really don't hate you!"

"I really love you like you love me and I love Mother, and I know...!" Andrew said as he paused when he reached the last part of his statement as her looked down.

"And I know...!" He said again, his voice faint.

The King slowly lowered his head down.

"And I know...that you wouldn't do anything without having a good reason for it...!" Andrew finally said as he raised his head up to look at his Father.

"Besides as King, you always thought me that a good King, blessed by God, should have very good reason for doing things...!" Andrew said.

"And since I've known you...even though we don't talk or, relate that much...!" That last part hit the King.

Andrew averted the gaze of his Father as he looked away and said;

"I've known you to be a man that does things for a reason, and with a reason...!" Andrew said.

"You're not reasonless...you're reasonful...!" Andrew said as he opened his arms wide.

"This is how wide your reasons can be...!" Andrew said indicating how opened arms...

Causing his parents to laugh...

His Father suddenly raised his head up to look at his son who just looked at him plainly, expressionless.

His Father; the King, was filled with...

What's it called...?

Happiness...?

Tears again began to well up in is eyes as he looked at his son...

Then something popped up in his mind...

"I hope it's not your Mother that placed this idea into you, to make me emotional...?" The King suddenly asked in a stern tone.

Andrew suddenly froze...

'Oh no, I knew this wasn't a good idea...!'

Andrew thought to himself.

"Because if you were actually the one who placed this useless idea in the mind of this boy, I would definitely not take it likely with you...!"

The King said as he pointed at the Queen and warned her, in a playful manner, that had, both the Queen and little Andrew laugh, causing the King to smile.

Taking the little hands of Andrew into his and looking straight into his eyes, darting from one to another, the King said;

"Andrew, I don't know what you've through all these years...!" He began.

"But I know it's me...it's my fault!" The King said as he like into his son's eyes.

Shaking his head, Andrew said;

"Father...!" But before he could say something, the King interrupted him.

"Hush now, I'm the King...!" The King said as he placed his index finger on the lips of Andrew, so as to let him continue.

"And I know, that as the King, I've not been, I have never been, a good Father and role-model to you, just like your other friends have their Fathers...!" The King said.

"But I promise, that as from now hence forth, I would be the Father, you want me to be...in your life...!" The King said as he pointed at Andrew.

"Besides we have a lot of Father and Son things to catch up on...!" The King said.

Saying this, Andrew had a big grin on us face as he asked;

"R...R...Really?" Andrew asked as he smiled further.

The King nodded.

Then, something magical happened...

Looking down for a bit, the King suddenly drew Andrew in for a hug!

The Queen gasped as she covered her mouth with her hands...

It had never happened before...

The last time maybe it had happens was when Andrew was a newly-born...

The King had never hugged his son before, willingly...

Today was the first (1st) time, in a long time, so she was shocked...

When she saw this, she couldn't hold in the tears any longer as they began flowing down...

As the King hugged Andrew, Andrew didn't know whether to cry or hug back...

Or whether to stay stiff and realize that he as in trouble...

He didn't know what to do at all...

The King noticing this, released Andrew from the hug, looking at him, some drops of tears beafm to roll down Andrew's eyes unconciously and then the King used his own hands, to personally wipe of the tears...

Once he brought his hands to his cheek region, Andrew flinched...

Smiling, the King said;

"Don't worry Andrew, I'm your Father, and I know that I haven't been playing my role as a Father...!" He began.

"And as King, I also have the issues of the Kingdom to handle...!"

The King said in a as-a-matter-of-fact-voice, causing Andrew's shoulders that were held tightly in the hands of the King, to suddenly slump and become numb...

"And a lot of things to solve, handle, resolve and many more...!" The King said a very serious voice.

Andrew nodded as he lowered his head down, clearly understanding what his Father meant...

Not only was his Father talking about himself, he was also talking about Andrew...

And the issues he would also have to face as King.