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WORDS OF THE HEART

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* * FERNANDO * *

I am sitting in the waiting room but I still have no relief. Some time later, I got up and then I walk in circles in the room without even paying attention to my surroundings. And after a few minutes of walking around the waiting room, I went back to my seat and unintentionally bumped into a lady sitting next to me with my elbow. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Fernando Zounon. Usually my friends call me Nando, especially the young girls, and I love to hear them pronounce this nickname with their melodious voice, especially Belvida, the one for whom my heart is beating. Well, let's come back here for the moment because you will have time to know her. I measure one meter seventy-five with a clear complexion. I am thirty six years old. I am a businessman. Only son of a king. And with all the wealth my father has, I should not normally work, but since I was a child

I have refused to depend on anyone, least of all my parents who, in spite of themselves, have finally accepted my decision.

Mother: my son, I hope that you have thought well before wanting to leave us to settle in this native city.

Me : yes mother, I have thought about it and I will not change my mind, don't worry.

Her : humm tell me what you miss for you to take such a decision.

Me : Nothing mom. I want to fly on my own. On the contrary I can't stand this royalty. I would like to make my life alone.

She : but you have always been alone, right ?

Me : not really.

She : Oh well! Explain to me. I don't understand.

Me : okay don't you think you and dad are overreacting ?

Her : how ?

Me : to take a bath, I have to have guards with me. To eat it's the same. Even when I want to get laid with Belvida, I still have guards on my tail and you think I'm happy or alone as you say ?

Her : you are an astronaut now ?

Me : why do you ask ?

She : you just said you are having sex with Belvida. I didn't understand this expression.

Me : I'm not surprised that you didn't understand. To fuck means to make love.

She : but my son you are a prince.

Me : and then what ? Should I understand that a prince has no right to a minimum of intimacy ?

She: it is the custom that demands it. It is not me.

Me : I don't care about your custom.

Her : hmm

Me : and it's still the custom that requires your many maids to throw flower petals on the ground when I pass ?

Her : hmm And Luna ? What are you going to do with her ?

Me : Who is Luna anyway ?

Her : The princess of the nearby village. The one that the Oracle has given you as a bride.

Me : I don't know her and I don't intend to know her. The one I love is Belvida and that's all.

Her : I bet it's because you haven't seen her yet. You'll probably change your mind when you see her. Wait, I'll get you her picture and you'll see.

Me : No mother, don't waste your time. I won't be interested in her anyway.

Her : Oh well !

Me : Yes . And know that it is not the physical beauty that determines the feelings of a man towards a woman. If I had to rely only on beauty, I would marry all the girls I have dated. Belvida is going to be my wife and that's that, whether you like it or not.

She : Hmmm and also your father told you that you have to marry a princess, right ? Speaking of Belvida, she comes from a poor family.

Me : You think I don't know that ? So according to you I don't have the right to marry a woman I like ? You see why I don't want to live in this royal palace anymore ?

She : my son, think well.

Me : money, money, always money. Tell me what you do with so much money.

She : my son, so according to you money does not make the happiness ?

Me : may be, but the only thing I'm sure of is that money is not everything and I don't need it to love a woman or for her to love me.

Her : Belvida would have bewitched you ?

Me : I don't see why she would if we already love each other. But I don't care what you think.

I didn't even know that my father had quietly opened the door, to which my mother and I turned our backs and got carried away by this pointless discussion. It took my father clearing his throat to maybe let my mother and I know he was there and then we turned to look at him.

Father : Are you still here ?

Me : Yes, I came to say goodbye to my mother.

Mother : But your majesty, are you really letting him go ? ?

Father : yes, I don't even want to see him anymore and he is not my son anymore because a son is the one who listens to his father without contradicting him.

Me : even if the son is right ?

Father : do you hear yourself talking? So I'm going to hurt my own child ?

Me : I thought I was no longer your child.

Mother : be careful my son !

You are talking to your father.

Me : So what ?

Father : you are mistaken. But I will refresh your memory.

Me : Yes, I am listening.

Him : If you take the Bible you will see that Exodus 20:12 says "honor your father and your mother so that your days are prolonged in the land that the Lord your God gives you".

Me : That's all ? I mastered the Bible too! Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh" Did you forget that ?

Father : I don't want to see you again. Go away from here.

From all that my mother told me I left this house without regret to look for an apartment located a few kilometers from them where Belvina and I are staying to make our life.

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* * OSCAR * *

I am Oscar, the king of this village and the father of this unconscious Fernando. It seems that this child does not think. And sometimes I wonder if I am really his father or if he is an adulterer. In any case in my childhood I never questioned the orders of my late father. When I was a prince, my parents chose this woman named Tatiana as my wife. I must admit that at the beginning I had no feelings for her at all. But after the wedding I discovered that she is a marvel and you will not believe that I am the first and only man in her life. And it was after our sacrament of marriage that we had one boy. I want to talk about Fernando. You wonder why I only had one child, right ? Well, I found out that if there are several princes in a kingdom, it's not clear to whom the throne should be entrusted when the king succeeds. And the princes covet the royal throne by killing each other. It is just for this reason that I had to make only one child. But seeing the behavior of the latter, I feel very disappointed to have had only one and do not ask me to make another one because I am already old enough to make more children. There is no lack of means, but my head is not in it anymore and my son is already 36 years old. Look at the age gap. Now he's being unreasonable by hanging on to that bitch Belvida. I'm going to have to warn his parents to keep their daughter away from my son before it's too late, or I don't dare say what will happen. So I sent one of my guards to get the father of this bitch who wants to ruin my son's life.

Auntie : Majesty !

Me : Yes ?

She : why didn't you hold Fernando ?

Me : You could have done it too, no ? Are you not his mother ?

Auntie : Yes, but you have more authority than me.

Me : that's right. You women only see you where your interest is at stake.

Her : I don't understand.

Me : it is normal because the opposite would have surprised me. You never understand anything.

Her : hmmm

Me: and if our son has this bad character it's partly because of you Tati.

Her : How ?

Me : Because a dog that is too pampered doesn't catch game.

Her : What do you mean by that ?

Me : I mean that you have pampered Fernando too much.

Here the guard returns with George the father of Belvida that kneels to greet me.

Him : my respects your majesty

Me : do you know who I am ?

Him : yes majesty, you are the king.

Me : Very well. Tell your daughter Belvida to stop hanging around my son, otherwise my reaction will be terrible.

Him : your majesty it is understood

Me : Here you can leave.

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* * BELVIDA * *

My name is Belvida Fadi. I come from a modest family. I have an average height with an average chest too.

I met Nando when we were in high school. He is a very nice boy. But back then I didn't know he was a prince. I knew that girls chased him when we were in school, but I didn't know that his parents are very rich. I have to admit that men chase me every time I meet them, even my classmates but it's not my thing. We are very poor in my family but when it comes to cleanliness, my mother instilled it in me because she was very strict about it. A lot of people say I'm pretty but I think they're exaggerating, but I started to believe it when I realized that the girls were rejecting me. And almost all the men are courting me, except for Fernando, who is indifferent, but I know that he cares about me and it is mutual. One day, when I was going to the market to buy some groceries for my mother, I met three men who were certainly waiting for me because they were talking in low voices and looking at me as soon as I reached their level.

One of them : hey beauty!

I ignored them and continued my walk when they surrounded me.

Me : What do you want from me ?

Another one ( licking his lips ) : hahaha you are too pretty my beautiful

I first run around to shout for help but nobody is in sight.

The first one: nobody will hear you.

They pounced on me when I was screaming at the top of my voice. Then they tore my clothes and forced my legs apart as one of them knelt in front of me and then pulled down his pants and was about to reach inside me when a voice invites itself to the party.

The voice : leave her alone !

The one : where do you come from ?

To this question, he received a blow of point in the face when the others took out knives but the unknown did not spare any of them. He tortured them to the point where they finally broke. I turn around to see the face of my savior who is none other than Fernando.

Him : are you okay ?

Me : Yes, I'm fine. Thanks a lot.

Him : You are welcome.

He accompanied me to the market and brought me back home where I told my parents about my adventure.

My mother : Thank you young man. God will repay you.

Him : thank you madam.

My father : young man, who are your parents?

Him : My father is called Oscar Zounon.

My parents: how ? ? ? Are you the prince ?

Him : yes I am.

I was so surprised to hear that, but Nando and I became good friends and after several months we became more than friends. It was to him that I offered my virginity the day he took me to see his parents.

Him : father, mother, this is Belvida.

His mother: young girl, what are you to my son ?

Me : well, I am . . .

Him : she is my girlfriend and I intend to marry her.

His mother was stunned by this statement, but his father immediately got up from the throne.

His father : my son, follow me, we have to talk.

Hm, from the look on the king's face as he got up and called Nando to follow him, there was no need to guess. He doesn't like me.

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* * FERNANDO * *

I followed my father as he asked me. The maids of the palace rush to distribute flower petals in front of us and then the guards follow us. This irritates me so much that I stopped them on the spot. We are now in the room of my father.

Him : son I can know what you play ?

Me : But father I don't know what you are talking about.

Him : Who is this girl ? And what do you do together ?

Me : as I told you before, I love her.

Him : spare me from all this no sense.

Me : hummm

Him : your fiancée is already ready and she is only waiting for the wedding date to be fixed to come here.

Me : what bride ?

Him : I speak about Luna the daughter of the neighboring king.

Me : I don't want her.

Him : how ? ? ? ?

Me : I inform you that I want to leave this palace.

Him : to go where ?

Me : I would like to live alone with my wife and to found a family with her.

He looks at me for a long time and then lowers his head.

Him : I promised Luna's father that you will marry his daughter. Then you will do my will and not yours. Don't forget that I am your father.

Me : I haven't forgotten but that doesn't give you the right to control my love life.

Him : if you refuse, I disown you.

Then a servant knocked at the door and I went to open it.

Me : yes ? ? ?

She ( bowing ) : your highness

Me : what is it ?

She : Princess Luna is here and she wants to talk to you.

Me : to speak to me ? ? ?

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To be continued . . . . .