Old Memories

The events taking place behind the door were occupying Ezekiel's thoughts. Before anybody else, King Alaric awoke early and summoned the healer to his chamber. The fact that the state healer remained at the castle astonished Ezekiel the most, as if he had anticipated it. Alaric and the healer both wore solemn expressions. That made Ezekiel even more anxious. He didn't know what his brother meant when he stated, "I have to take care of things," having never seen him in this condition before. What did he mean when he said that? The questions lingered in Ezekiel's mind.

Ezekiel also awoke early when he noticed an empty space beside him. He was used to waking up like way. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, surveying the strange objects in his room that needed to be properly positioned. Savannah had shown him her favorite box, which her mother had given her, and he recognized it among the jumble of belongings. Ezekiel looked down at his hand and noticed a golden band on his ring finger, and suddenly it hit him: he is married. "How can he forget?" he mumbled. Despite the unfavorable circumstances in which everything occurred, he stood up after gently slapping his hand over his face.

"Where did she go at such an early hour?" When he couldn't find Savannah in the room or the yard, which was her favorite hangout, Ezekiel murmured to himself. Ezekiel showered and dressed for the day. He continued to travel from corridor to corridor in search of his wife.

"Hmm, look at you all suited up for today." Ezekiel's steps came to a standstill as he heard Savannah's voice. He glanced back, but she was nowhere to be seen. He mumbled and touched his garments involuntarily. "Yeah." Savannah, he imagined, was playing a joke on him and was hiding somewhere. "So, what do you want to do today?" asked the voice again. Ezekiel's eyes widened, and he stumbled over his own words.

"I'm not sure. I haven't decided yet." He mumbled again, anxiousness coursing through his veins as he searched for the source of the voice, but he couldn't find it. "Don't play, princess." He stated emphatically.

"Oh, you don't want to play?" When a voice came from one of the rooms, Ezekiel placed his ear to the door and listened once more. He knew the voice was coming from that room, so he checked the door for any cracks. "You'd want to sleep." Ezekiel's eyes widened even further, as if they were about to burst with dread. He had no idea Savannah would be so bold. That was enough for him, and he screamed as he shoved the door open. "You stop right now."

His cheeks started to blush as he saw his beloved wife standing there, all dressed up and looking stunning but with a shocked expression on her face. After looking around the room, Ezekiel discovered she wasn't by herself. Savannah's reaction was shared by the head maiden and the other maids. Each person bowed in front of the prince. Ezekiel's vision guided him to Savannah's hand. She was cradling the baby, who was fully awake now, and crying.

"You frightened her, prince." Savannah retorted bitterly, as a sweetly sleeping baby was suddenly weeping due to the loud noise. Ezekiel facepalmed in humiliation and approached Savannah with caution.

"I'm sorry, I thought..." His words became stuck in his throat, and he nervously massaged the back of his head. He smiled warmly at Savannah, who was lovingly cradling the infant in an attempt to put her to sleep. The baby opened her soft, gleaming eyes and gazed at Savannah with genuine love as she cooed in front of her, and she relaxed in her arms once again. "Can I?" Ezekiel inquired, his gaze drawn to the baby, who was peering around with her little eyes. Savannah nodded and delicately placed the baby in his arms.

Ezekiel admired her face as every trace of worry and anxiety departed his. The infant fell asleep again with careful caressing. He asked, chuckling softly as the infant smiled in her sleep. "Where is Brother? He should see this." But no reaction came, and he looked around the room, hoping for someone to respond.

"His Majesty is with the state healer inside his chamber." The head maiden responded. As if someone had stolen away the lovely smile that adorned Ezekiel's face, uncertainty set in. He looked at Savannah, who was equally perplexed as the prince.

"The state healer?" The maidens nodded in agreement. "Since how long?"

"Since dawn, he had specifically requested not to interrupt them." "Ezekiel was astonished to hear that his brother rose up early to talk, God knows what," the head maid replied. It had been a week after the funeral. The healer was instructed to stay inside the castle for the time being, which he did. Ezekiel was ready to speak when King Alaric and the healer suddenly appeared. As the king entered, the maidens bowed before him. His demeanor was as gloomy as a raven and as emotionless as possible. Everyone was terrified by how different his entire manner appeared to be. Even now, the king never spoke loudly. Looking at his daughter, who was soundly dozing in Ezekiel's arms, he said softly.

"My pretty daughter."

In a split second, King Alaric's eyes softened, and he held the infant in his arms and gently rocked her. He cocked his head to look into Ezekiel's unfathomable eyes and said a quiet "thank you." Savannah bowed in homage as the prince nodded. Alaric looked into the state healers' eyes, and the state healer nodded as if they had exchanged an unnoticed telepathic message. Ezekiel made a valiant effort to analyze their facial expressions, but he came up empty-handed. The monarch and state healer turned around to leave the room with the baby as Ezekiel was becoming lost in his own thoughts. The king twisted his head sideways and peered over his shoulder before leaving the chamber completely. He didn't say anything, but the message was clear: no disruptions, and everyone nodded.

The maidens exchanged similar, bewildered looks but kept quiet. The maidens also departed the room to get to work. The space went silent. The uneasy stillness was all that could be heard.

"So, what were you thinking when you pushed your way through that big door?" Savannah shattered the silence by crossing her arms and furrowing her brows. Ezekiel gulped hard and side-eyed her, who was staring at him closely, as if she needed a response. Ezekiel turned to face Savannah, a hesitant chuckle leaving his mouth.

"I was a..... I was only looking for you." He responded hesitantly. Savannah fixed her gaze on him before burst out laughing.

The door stayed closed for hours. The state healer and the king were never seen outside even once. When they needed something, the only person who was with them inside was the royal advisor, who occasionally came out. Every time they were ordered to bring something, the guards standing outside the entrance started running for the nth time. Up until midday, it didn't stop.

After lunch, Ezekiel and Savannah were exploring the palace garden. To get their minds off of what had been happening, they needed this time to relax. Even though there were still plenty of markets and kids running about in the streets, everything has felt quiet since the day the queen passed away. The bustle of the daily tasks kept the castle busy, but it still seemed empty. It appeared as though the single living soul in the entire kingdom had been snatched. Savannah gave Ezekiel a curious glance. While he was smiling, it appeared that he was suppressing tears. She could tell he was in pain on the inside; she was, and so was the rest of the kingdom.

"How was Queen Diona?" Savannah enquired.

Savannah's steps came to a halt for a split second, and when she didn't feel him walk beside her, she turned. " I mean, I've only ever met her a couple of times." She added. There was an extended pause. Savannah believed she had upset the prince. Her face also plummeted.

"To me, she was like a little sister, ever so charming like Alaric." He only addressed the king by name. Savannah was aware that he was thinking back to good times. " She was like a lion tamer. avoided Alaric for the first several months of their marriage because she wanted to protect her small kingdom and he caught her off guard when he proposed to her. As he described the episode when Alaric traveled to the east to propose to a bride and how the king, Paulson, believed he had done something improper, a deep chuckle escaped his mouth.

Ezekiel always clenched and unclenched his hands when he spoke, something Savannah noted as she listened to him in silence. "Alaric was hardly ever interested in ladies, but Diona caught her eyes." Savannah reached for Ezekiel's hands, soothingly drawing circles with her thumb. "He was constantly on the edge because she was unique. They spent months sharing two separate chambers while she steadfastly refused to see him." Princess Savannah herself laughed at this remark.

"But as time went on, she came to understand that Alaric was anything but a cruel king. Before she opened herself to Alaric, she opened up to the entire kingdom. Although it stung him a little, he obeyed her decision and gradually gained her trust. Every time she and Alaric got into a fight over silly stuff, she would invariably rush up to the head maiden. They quarreled like two kids." Ezekiel's face started to show signs of a smile. "She treated everyone as if they were members of her own family, was always willing to leave the castle in casual attire and wander the town unattended."

Savannah's surprised eyes widened. Since the first time she met Queen Diona, she had always admired her. But after hearing about her, she was even more in awe of Diona, such a family oriented and selfless individual.

"The youngest queen, she was even younger than we are."

"Really?" Ezekiel responded by nodding.

"But she consistently acted like she was our mother."

The realization that Diona was already gone caused them to stop laughing. To save her kid, she had given the ultimate sacrifice. They regretted not being able to help her when she most needed them and being absent at that crucial time. A recognizable voice cut through the fog of their own thoughts that had been obscuring them. The king was there.

As they approached the garden's entrance, Ezekiel and Savannah noticed the king cradling the infant in his arms. The state healer put a reassuring hand on the king's shoulders and said goodbye. He spoke something that Savannah and Ezekiel were unable to hear, and then he departed in one of the carriages the king had arranged for his departure.

The king turned to face his brother and Savannah after scanning the area. He took a moment to gaze before nodding and returning inside the castle. They could sense he wanted to talk about something even if he didn't say anything. Without further delay, Ezekiel and Savannah entered the palace as well, following the king into the courtroom.