1 To Love is War

"As gentle as a dove, as harmless as the moon, as beautiful as the setting sun. My pure Elyesa, my love for you is immeasurable, boundless." His voice was far more melodious and soothing than the singing of the birds in the distance.

The Prince pulled her closer and she timidly leaned into his embrace.

"Do you love me?" He asked, his voice a little playful. He looked down at her bowed face and snaked a finger underneath her chin so that she could look straight up at him.

Even underneath the shade of these trees, her beauty was glowing.

Shy as usual, she tried to look away but his hold on her was firm and she had no choice but to look.

He knew she loved him, he just always loved to hear it.

"My Prince..." She started to say with her small submissive voice.

"How many times have I told you to call me Guba?" Mischief glinted in his eyes and he moved closer to her, his lips hovering over hers.

Her hands tightened around his royal blue robe, her breath caught in her throat from how close he was.

"What did I say I will do to you the next time you formally address me?" He pulled her roughly to him, robes swishing noisily as he did, enjoying how flushed she was against him.

Elyesa stifled a gasp, her hands tightening even more on his robes, her heart racing as Guba's breath fanned her face lightly.

She could still remember the first time she had laid her eyes on him.

It was by this same river where she was grieving the death of her mother, the only family she had, who had also been a maid in the palace.

The palace guards had taken the young prince on a stroll that evening and he had come to the river to rest.

That was where he had seen her. He had comforted her and from that day on, they became inseparable - even the Queen and the King knew this.

Those golden eyes had always comforted but now, they did even much more.

"Say it, Elyesa."

He moved closer, his lips brushing lightly against hers.

"Say my name."

Elyesa gulped, her lips parted to speak, her heart racing.

"Your Highness!" A palace guard rushed towards them from within the trees, his boots making noise as they came in contact with the fallen dry brown leaves that littered the floor.

Elyesa quickly pulled away from Guba and stood up on her feet, her head bowed, her hands behind her.

Guba glared, not pleased with the interruption.

"What do you want?!" He sat up, resting an elbow on a raised knee. "I clearly ordered not to be disturbed."

The guard fell on one knee, his head bowed. "The King requested for your immediate presence, your Highness." Then he raised his head. "It is a matter of utmost urgency."

Guba stood up immediately, his forehead creased with worry. He turned to Elyesa, took her hand and started going in the direction of his carriage.

She gasped in surprise as she followed behind, having no choice to do otherwise.

She had always wanted them to keep their relationship as secretive as possible but Guba wasn't one for such.

He was in love with her and he didn't mind if the whole world knew about it.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Please, wait!" The guard shouted as he chased after them.

"What is it now, Rik?!"

"The King..." He started, his voice breathless. "He ordered for you to arrive in your carriage alone."

Guba narrowed his eyes then dropped Elyesa's hand. Before she could take a step back, he carried her in his arms, heading towards the carriage once again.

"But my Prince..."

"Not another word, Rik!"

"Guba..." Elyesa protested for the first time. He shook his head vehemently in response, only letting her go when they were safely in his carriage.

"The King will not be pleased with this. He will not be..." She started to ramble but Guba placed a long finger over her lips, silencing her.

"Whatever punishment it is," he said reassuringly, his hand holding hers in a gentle caress, "I will take it. You don't have to worry."

But all she did during the entire ride was worry.

Although the King and Queen knew that they were inseparable, the King had always shown how displeased he was with their relationship.

He used every opportunity to remind her that she was an orphan and a mere maid, that someone like her could never get married to his son.

There were times he had even punished her because of his son's love for her. Guba had found out about some and that had caused a huge fight between he and his father, but the Queen had always found a way to resolve it.

Unlike the King, the Queen didn't have any problem with her son's relationship with her. She had even acted ignorant during those times she had caught them together.

Elyesa peeked up from her bowed state to see Guba's determined face.

She was worried about so many things but most especially for Guba. She hoped that this disobedience wouldn't bring another heated fight between the two men once again.

***

"I ordered for you to return alone!" The King's voice thundered as he stood up from his throne. His hands curled up in fists, wrinkled lines at the corner of his eyes. He was a tall man, slightly built, with golden eyes and a face filled with wrinkles from how often he frowned.

"Spare the child, my Love." The Queen, a beautiful slim woman in an elaborate red dress with long, black, shinny hair, said. There was a light smile on her face as she hugged her son. "Welcome."

"Child? He is no longer a child. Soon the whole of Kisha will be his to rule. He needs to start thinking responsibly, making worthwhile decisions and taking meaningful actions."

"I agree." The Queen nodded. "I agree."

"Why have you requested for my presence, Father?"

The King took his seat, sighing heavily from frustration. "I want to hand over the Kingdom to you soon."

Guba's gaze flew up to his Father's golden crown, that which was made of gold and diamonds, and he smiled.

All his life he had been trained for this, so he was ready.

His mother moved towards the large window at one side of the throne room. The light made her cast a funny moving shadow on the floor and Guba stifled a chuckle.

"You need a Queen."

His mother's calm voice snapped him back to reality. His gaze moved to her face, just in time to see her raising a goblet of wine to her sharply painted red lips.

A big smile played on Guba's lips, "Elyesa..."

"Not your plaything." His Father snapped and his smile dropped immediately.

"Elyesa is not my play thing! She is the woman I love!"

"She cannot be Queen."

"Mother. Will you, please, speak to Father?"

His mother shrugged lightly, dropping her goblet on one of the stands guiding the pathway to the throne. "He is right."

"What?!"

"Elyesa is an orphan, she has no royalty. I mean..." She crackled. "She is a maid for crying out loud. Her mother was a maid and even if we try to search for royalty using her Father's bloodline, that would be impossible. Her mother doesn't even know who he is."

"Don't speak like that about the woman I love." He said through gritted teeth. "I thought you supported us."

"I understood that you fancied her. You were young, you needed a fling and she was there. Why would I stop my dare son from exploring?"

"She is not just a mere fling! My Elyesa is far more important."

The Queen flung her goblet aside, making it clank loudly against the floor.

"Well, not anymore!" Then she sucked in a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face once again. "Not anymore."

There was silence for a while as Guba stared at his mother in utter disbelief, hurt and disappointment.

She had fooled him. For more than ten years, it had all being just a facade.

How did this even happen?

"Rikajra is finally ready to sign a peace treaty with us and they will here tomorrow," his father broke the silence.

Despite his anger towards his parents, he nodded, pleased with the news.

Rikajra was a big neighbouring Kingdom and they hadn't been on good terms with each other for a very long time. They were mighty and unbeatable. There had even been rumours that they wanted to wage a war against them, a war Kisha knew they wouldn't win if it happened.

This Peace Treaty was definitely a good thing.

"We can only finalize everything with a marriage."

Guba hands curled into fists by his sides. Now he understood why they had summoned him.

"I won't marry the Princess of Rikajra."

"Then will you have us march to war?!" The King finally lost it, he flew up from his throne once again, banging his fists against the armrests of his throne. "Against the Kingdom of Rikajra?"

He started going down the short stairs, stepping closer to Guba, who looked right back at him, his eyes burning with equal rage.

"Will you have us lose thousands of lives, allow your people's bodies rot on the battlefield, our heads hung on burning sticks, while the crown is lost in the pool of blood, all because of your feelings?"

His Father was standing face to face with him now, his voice low and venomous.

Both their shoulders were tensed, neither was willing to back down... yet.

"Will you make Kisha cease to exist all because of a mere woman?!" His Father's hands held his shoulders and shook it roughly. "You are a Crown Prince, Guba, you have to understand that bearing this crown means putting the Kingdom first, above and beyond every other thing."

Guba's heart became heavy, tears welled up in his eyes. His Father stepped back then, ready to throw at him more poisonous words but instead, it was his mother's sickly calm voice he heard next.

"What do you pick, Crown Prince of Guba? Your feelings for a maid or the future of your Kingdom?"