CHAPTER 26

I was escorted by two guards which I immediately recognized where from our kingdom. I kept quiet and hung my head low as I did not have the energy to do so. My body felt really sore and my face, well I can't feel them.

I felt like I was a disgrace, I was not able to do something. When I felt that Alex was in danger, I immediately try to run to him, but I didn't know what happened except the fact that I was frozen and my mind was a blur.

All I could think about was why am I in a frozen state, but my mind was fuzzy, I felt like I could not think right. My fingertips felt cold and my throat was starting to clench.

I couldn't speak, and I was struggling to breathe as if someone really wanted to really stop or kill me. But something inside me was yelling that despite that, I should've been there.

I should've been there to help and save him. I know they are disappointed in me especially our king who entrusted Alex to me. But despite all of that, when I heard that his powers were starting to show, I felt really happy for him.

I tried my best not to cry and rush into where he was, but I had to restrain myself. I had to do something. When the headmaster asked me about why I wasn't able to move, I told him that someone was restricting me but during that time, I felt something else. I contemplated on whether to tell them all the details or not. I have sworn to not trust anyone but Alex and King Archemidius.

I decided not to tell them all of what really did happen and decided to tell Captain Elevi instead. At this point, Captain Elevi is the only one I can trust with the king not being able to come here and Alex being asleep. When I heard that he was bleeding his blood out, I felt like I failed and that I needed to be exiled but that is not the matter here.

I should not think of such irrelevant thing with everything in chaos especially in our kingdom. I was in deep thought when we stopped walking and I was in front of a room.

"The headmaster commands that you stay here for the mean time. Captain Elevi will tend to you later." They opened the door and what lies on the other side was a small and suffocating room.

There were no windows, the wall was white, and it had a single chair and a small vent for the air to pass. I sighed and walked inside. When I got inside the room, I felt really suffocated.

The walls seemed to close in on me and I felt like there was no air to breathe. Then it hit me that I was about to have a panic attack. I tried to calm myself down, but I was struggling to do so.

My palms were sweating, and my knees started to tremble. I usually don't have this as often but now, I was scared. I have trained myself to handle it when times like this comes but now, considering that I am alone, I slid down the wall and started to sob and cry.

Why was I crying. All I know is that it's not because of what happened. Something inside me hurt and I don't know the reason as to why I was hurting. Maybe because I failed and now I have the possibility to exiled from the kingdom or worse, killed.

I sobbed even harder as aggravation coiled deep inside me. I didn't know why I was aggravated. I closed my eyes and wiped the tears away. I sat on the chair that was rusted and was about to fall apart and started to think.

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"Nate, you must understand that you, as an aid will need to prioritize the life of the prince more than of yourself." The young aid looked up at his mother with confusion.

"But why mom? I am i-important t-too!" His mother smiled and cupped his face. Her features showed much love and care to his only son.

She was the aid of the late queen that died leaving her heir to the king but before all that, she was an aid. An aid to the most treasured woman in the kingdom. Athena Qutuna Archemidius.

She served her for a very long time thus when she passed, she was lost. She felt that her purpose was lost aside from her duty to her family. As she spent the last days with the queen, her heart was being torn apart seeing what once the most active and elegant queen on her death bed was.

"Lucia, come here." Athena said voice hoarse. The aid walked towards her queen who flashed a smile.

Her beauty was ever so prominent despite her frail state. But she knew that her queen was in pain. The smile she gave hid so many things. Lucia kneeled on the side of the bed while holding the hand of her queen while crying.

"Do not be sad Lucia. I'll be fine, and so will you be." Athena patted the hair of her aid that served her all throughout.

"Y-Your majesty, why won't you take the advice of the healer? The people of this kingdom would die for you. I would die for you. Yet you did not use us as your subjects." Lucia was now sobbing on the floor making the frail queen look more even wary.

"Lucia, I am a queen. I am supposed to be the mother of our kingdom. And a mother never puts her children in danger. A mother makes sacrifices Lucia and my greatest sacrifice to bid this kingdom goodbye is my life."

"Athena why don't you be selfish for once! H-Have you ever thought of Alex?! Your son! Your heir! Have you ever thought of him! What would he become? Don't you want to see him rise to his supremacy? Don't you see that your son also needs you!? Athena, Alex is still here. You need to fight for him too. The kingdom may be your children but Alexander, he is your fruit. Why won't you sacrifice for him instead!" Lucia stood up pleading her queen to fight but Athena closed her eyes and smiled.

"Call my son." Moments later a small boy with a very pretty face came inside the room. He was in his pajamas and was chewing on a candy stick.

"Mama?" The young Alexander waddled towards his mother and climbed on the bed. Another young boy entered the room and bowed his head down before standing beside his mother, Lucia.

"Mama, this candy is vewy goowd! Y-you should twy it, it will make your booboo go away!" The little prince exclaimed and gave the queen his candy. Athena laughed and ruffled the hair of his son. She smiled warmly at him and forced herself to not cry.

"Ah is it baby? We'll let mama try it then!" She said enthusiastically. The small boy handed her the candy with a smile and a sense of pure joy flickered in his eyes. Athena tasted the candy and smiled at his son.

"It is indeed very tasty Alex. I feel so much better now! You should be my healer now, you make me feel a lot better especially that special medicine of yours." The young boy giggled and went on to kiss his mom on the cheek and gave her a hug onwards.

His face was smeared in the candy he was eating while his hair was disheveled.

"There mama, do you feel better now?"

"Yes, mister healer! I do feel a lot better in fact! Oh, how could I repay you for fixing my booboo? Hmmm maybe with tickles!" Alexander tried to scurry away from his mother, but she grabbed him and started tickling the small prince.

The room was filled with the warmth of love, affection and happiness. Alexanders giggle was so loud that it filled the room. The sea started to glow in crystal blue and it was seen from the huge window pane that had its veil opened. Athena shushed her son while looking at her aid Lucia.

"Alexander, you must keep our secret alright? No one must know. Promise mama."

"I pwomise mama." Athena hugged Alexander knowing that it was her last time hugging her son. She was crying but the boy couldn't see it and the only person to witness the despair of a mother leaving her child was Lucia and his son Nate.

Athena wiped her tears away and caressed the face of Alex.

"Alex, mama has to go somewhere okay? I might not be back for a very long time, but I will be with you always. Remember that mama loves you and is always with you. No matter how far I am, I will be with you. When you feel that you are alone, just look up at the sky and seek the brightest star, that is where I'll be. I will be watching you darling and mama is already proud and will always be proud." She couldn't hold her tears and it started crashing down on her cheeks, but she put on a brave smile.

"Will we see each other again mama?" The young prince wiped the tears away from his mother's face while also crying.

"We will darling, we will. But for now, mama has to go. Remember your promise to mama. Be strong little one, the heart of the people and the kingdom will be with you. Be courageous and never give in. There are bad guys out there and you must fight them with everything you've got."

Athena removed her necklace and gave it to her son. It was a simple necklace made in pure silver encrusted with pearls, but its pendant was eye catching. It was a gem that glimmered like the colors of the sky and glows like the sea.

"Keep it, I will be with you through this necklace." The young prince smiled and kissed his mama once more.

"Now off to bed chop chop." The young prince saluted adorably and jumped off the bed before dragging Nate and went on waddling outside the room.

"Take care of my son Lucia." The aid didn't answer and kept on crying.

"As the queen, my last order for you is to take care of my son and let Nate be his aid." The aid cried harder but nodded nonetheless.

The queen motioned for a hug and Lucia collapsed on the arms of her queen once more. They stayed like that for a while before the queen spoke.

"Lucia, the candy that Alex was chewing." Lucia wiped her tears and looked at Athena questioningly.

"It was blood bitter."