A New Day

The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, you could hear a pin drop. Hayden sat in a chair opposite the King and smiled. He was dressed in plain clothes, similar to that of commoners. He was only able to prove his identity to the royal guards by showing his royal seal. The King, however, could tell who he was the moment he saw him. His raven black hair now had many streaks of grey and was much longer. He seemed to have aged well but was more slender.The King wasn't sure how to react around him. For the King, it was like looking at a ghost. During the time he was gone he never sent word or any letters on how he was doing so many assumed he had died. Hayden was 8 years older than the King and was originally supposed to inherit the throne, however, after the death of his children he vacated his position as the Crown Prince and left. His wife also passed around the same time. Her death was ruled a suicide but there were many questions surrounding her passing. He didn't even attend their funerals. The King had many questions but couldn't seem to get a word out. On top of it all, the King was also wary of Hayden. He never did things without a reason so the timing of his arrival was suspect.

A maid entered and broke the silence. She served tea and biscuits for them both. After she was done the King had her leave. Hayden was the first to move. He traced his finger around the rim of the teacup before picking it up and taking a sip. He then reached for a tea biscuit. The King watched him carefully. He dipped the biscuit in his tea then had a bite. He seemed to enjoy it.

"It's good, you should have some," said Hayden as he pointed to the biscuits.

"Oh yes, I will, thank you," said the King as he took a biscuit. He hastily drank his tea and ended up burning his tongue. He hissed in pain.

Hayden hid his smug smile behind his cup. After finishing his tea he got up and approached a portrait in the room. The painting had aged but was still in good condition. It was a portrait of the previous King.Their father, Heneil Froth, was a great king in his prime but gradually became inadequate. Hayden was very close to his father. His debilitating mental state and inevitable death was a huge blow to him. It seemed as though death surrounded him. Hayden looked at the portrait with a heavy heart. He could still remember the look on his father's face as he took his last breath.

"That was his favourite portrait," said the King.

Hayden was so wrapped up in the past that he didn't realize he was right beside him. Hayden turned to the King and smiled. It seemed that some people wouldn't leave no matter how much he wanted them to. The King had no idea of the venom behind his smile.

"I heard about what happened at the Crown Prince's banquet on my way here. How are you handling it?"

"I've already launched an investigation into what happened. I'll definitely get to the truth and you don't have to worry… both myself and the Crown Prince are just fine."

"That's good… Who knows what would've happened if that Blossom wasn't there. As always, Blessings to the Crown."

"Why have you come back? What have you been doing all this time?"

"Loss"

"What?"

"Loss, can change someone, change them to the point where they can't recognize themselves. I lost myself and I had to leave so I that I could find myself again… Why am I back? I'm back to set some things in order."

There seemed to have been a deeper meaning to Hayden's words but the King didn't get a chance to dig further. Hayden left afterwards.

The Queen went to William's room to check on him but was disappointed to find that he wasn't there. She had already assigned tasks to her ladies in waiting so she had no one to keep her company as her personal guard wasn't much of a talker. At first she spent some time reading in the castle's library, then she practiced archery. Afterwards she ventured into the garden. It was peaceful and serene. She would often go to the garden when she needed to get away and clear her head. As she strolled through the garden, she was reminded of the night lilies. She rushed to her room and retrieved the storage container with the flowers. She chose a plot of land especially for them and with some help from the royal gardener she had the lilies replanted. Initially she had planned to preserve them but she felt it would be better to have them shown proudly. She carefully planted each lily and then the royal gardener would check to ensure they were planted securely. Once done she had the gardener leave. She also had her personal guard give her some space so she could be alone.

Looking at the lilies would remind her of all she had and wanted to protect. She sat in front of them with her legs folded. She gently touched one of the petals. She thought of the night she first saw the night lily. That night was cold and so was the King. When she thought she was all alone she saw his bright smiling eyes. He reminded her so much of Stefan. He was always there for her, supporting her in whatever she did. She could've spent the entire day staring at the flowers but unfortunately her guard reminded her that she needed to get back. She reluctantly got up and brushed the dirt from her pants. She took a deep breath then left. She moved as slowly as she could when going back into the castle. Once she got back to her room she had a bath and changed into something more appropriate. As soon as she was done, one after another someone came knocking at the door. She was back to her busy schedule with many things to be done. Despite how tiresome her work could be, she was now happy that there was something she could look forward to once she looked out the window.