Trip to Randel

A normal day wouldn't be passed in a palace where even an important figure can't roam around her premises without feeling insecure. She's been used to not having the freedom that this new place could offer her. What it meant for her was more than just being able to run around a mere bright garden or walk around in a village filled with citizens. This was her freedom, her right. She wanted that right since she was old enough to realize what it all meant, its importance. And now she had the chance to get that from this king. Her betrothed.

"Your Majesty!" Princess Margaret said, surprised by the sight of Francis.

"Margaret!" King Francis followed with a smile.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know that it was - You." She backed up and curtsied to him. She tried to avoid eye contact with him, out of embarrassment. She had thought maybe it was over. It was her first day in the palace and she had already caused trouble by leaving without his permission.

"Can you give us a moment?" He said to the two guards, accompanying him. They bowed and immediately left them. Margaret took the opportunity to apologize to the king.

"I'm so sorry, your Majesty. I went out without your permission, I should've asked." He stopped smiling at her.

"My permission? Why would you need that to leave the palace?" His curiosity showed itself more than with a question, his expression changed as well. Margaret noticed how lost he was and answered.

"That's how things are back in Randel." She was confused as to why he was confused.

"Really? Interesting." He cleared out his throat and put back a smile on his face. "Anyway, you don't need my permission to go out. You're free to do whatever you want. - I don't know why you couldn't go out back in Randel, but things are different here. You have authority." Authority. A possession she had never thought nor dreamt of having but somehow now she does have it. She didn't know how to grasp that power being put in her hands by the king. She wasn't there yet, she wasn't yet a queen.

"Then why did a guard run when he spotted me and Rose outside." She asked.

"I don't know about that, but you don't have to worry about that, Princess." His voice sounded comforting. Margaret didn't hold onto that comfort but instead noticed the way he called her.

"Princess?"

Confused by where she was bringing this conversation, he gestured with his expression for her to explain further. "Yes! Something's wrong with that."

"I thought you said you'll be calling me by my name." He chuckled, looking down.

"Indeed. Escaped my mind for a second. Margaret." She began to laugh at him because of how shy he looked.

"It's funny, isn't it?" His deep voice alarmed her, making the princess stop laughing. She looked up at him and said with her soothing voice; "Kind of." Rose finally caught up but quickly turned around when she saw them talking. She noticed her princess' hands shyly behind her as she talked to the king.

"You're interesting." The atmosphere suddenly became serious and full of interest. The king glued his eyes on the princess as he spoke to her.

"Am I?" She slid her hair behind her right ear.

"Interesting." They stood there looking at each other. Margaret wanted to break the fast-pacing moment and returned his compliment. "You too are interesting, your Majesty."

"Can you please stop calling me 'Your Majesty'? Call me Francis or at least King Francis." Margaret showed a little smile on her lips before deciding to make things clear with the king.

"Your Majesty, the day you'll hear me calling you by your name, will be the day I fall deeply in love with you. And that day won't be coming anytime soon. I admire you, but I don't know you." She waited a few seconds in case of a reply from his majesty but didn't see one coming out from him. She turned around and left. He stood there, looking at her, as she walked away from him. He slightly brushed his chin with his right-hand fingers and smiled.

※

In Randel, Prince Louis had arrived. It doesn't take much longer than two hours to head from Tornille to Randel, at least from the main palace. He made himself at home and went to see King George in his throne room. He quickly walked down the hallway to the throne room, ready for confirmation.

"Your Majesty!" He said, bowing to the king. Shocked by his appearance in his kingdom, King George paid attention to his fellow friend's son.

"Prince Louis! Let me guess. - Are you here to see the princess?" Louis approached him and stopped a few steps away in front of the king. Before he spoke, he bowed out of respect.

"King George! I heard the princess was getting married to King Francis, so I came for confirmation. Is it true?" Even with all the confidence, Louis had when he entered that throne room, his thoughts were troubled by what would be said in the seconds to follow.

"There's nothing to explain Prince Louis, Princess Margaret is already in Greyland, preparing for her marriage. I'm remorseful for not personally informing you or your father about her departure since she was supposed to be in Tornille but yes, she's marrying the king."

"But -" His words were stuck at the edge of his lips. He couldn't dare to say more.

"Is something wrong?" King George noticed his nervousness. Prince Louis isn't the kind of man to hesitate in his actions. That was odd, even to the king.

"No, your Majesty. Everything is fine, I'm delighted for the princess."

"Did you come all this way for this?" He was sceptical about what was going on. Why did he seem so bothered by this engagement, the king thought to himself.

"Yes! Now that it's confirmed by you, I'll be heading back home. - Sorry for not staying longer." He bowed to the king, and in exchange, King George bent his head down to send him off. Louis walked fast to the door with his cloak floating behind him. The king looked back at him, tilting his head to the side. Louis got outside and back on his horse, heading straight back home.

"I can't believe this, how come she didn't tell me beforehand? Oh, Margaret!" He said to himself. "Yaa!" He screamed as he kicked the back of the horse.

The horse started moving fast. A few houses ahead, he passed in front of Charlotte's. She noticed him on his horse as he went by and looked as he was leaving. She inhaled deeply, thinking of Margaret, because she knew that she would have wished to see the prince one last time before she left. As she was heading back inside the house, her mother, who was looking at that whole scene from the window, stopped her right at the door.

Her mother, Lady Miranda is quite the harsh mother. She's her daughter's biggest fear. Charlotte isn't allowed to meet with boys, date one, or just look at one. Miranda thinks boys are just a distraction, one that can ruin her and make her suffer.

Charlotte walked past her and went to the living room. Angered, Miranda followed her. She then grabbed her shoulder, turned her around, and slapped her. Shocked, Charlotte put her hands on her left cheek. She gasped and asked what the problem was.

"Did you just set your eyes on Prince Louis?" Miranda said, blood boiling.

"The prince?" Charlotte was confused as to why that was a problem.

"Don't act stupid young lady, I saw you looking at him. - I've warned you about this before, but you still don't listen." Charlotte finally remembered the warning her mother was talking about.

"I wasn't looking at the prince the way you're thinking, Mother - Argh you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you, you never do." She took a step back from her and raised her voice. Her steps became further away from Miranda until she walked out on her, angry.

"Don't you dare walk out on me Charlotte, don't you dare -" It was too late, she still left her presence.

Charlotte went to the stables, their spot, anytime she and Margaret felt pressured, sad, or even happy, they went there. Mainly because Lili was near to cheer them up anytime. But this time, Charlotte had nobody to fire her up, Margaret and Lili were no more there for her.

She hid in the corner and burst out in tears; she laid her head on her knees with her arms wrapped around her legs. "I need you, Margaret." She whispered to herself with a breaking voice.

※

On the road, Louis was still riding his horse. He was only twenty minutes into the woods. He came across a few men also on their horses, startling his horse. The horse lifted his front legs, his crest laid back. Louis managed to control the horse and stopped him. The men were armed with swords and firearms, and they were ready to attack the prince. They all got down and surrounded him, they blocked his passage and pointed their threats at him.

Prince Louis got off of the horse's loin and pulled out his sword, he turned around and slashed the throat of one of the bandits, he then followed on, fighting the others by himself.

His sword was slitting the throats and bellies of a lot of these men, he also managed to dodge a lot of the attacks due to his skills. The situation finally seemed to be better and so he quickly got back on his horse and escaped. Mere seconds before more appeared.

"Shit!" One of the men yelled in frustration.

Louis moved in speed as the horse neighed strongly. Nonstop, he got back to Tornille. He got off of his horse and walked to the main gate. He seemed to be angrier about something other than the fact that he was almost killed by those bandits. What bothered him more was the person behind it and his first suspicion was his father.

"Where is the king? Where is my so-called father?" Louis was indeed angry. It was just a suspicion but all of that accumulated every piece of anger that he had for his father. It grew bigger and wider than it was supposed to. He widely opened the king's study and walked in. "What is wrong with you, Father?" His father, the king, was stunned by the harsh entrance of his son. He turned his attention towards him and acknowledged his presence.

"What is it, Louis?" King Raymond calmly said.

"Do you want me dead?" He couldn't calm himself down.

"Want you dead? What do you mean by that?" He put down the piece of paper in his hand and got up from the sofa after seeing the dripping blood of his son falling on his floor. Louis stood in front of the door, right where he was since the beginning.

"A bunch of bandits crossed my path as I was heading back to the palace, I'm guessing it was you - Father." The king walked towards Louis, looking concerned.

"Bandits? Are you alright?" The king laid his right hand on the prince's left shoulder but Louis quickly took his hand away from him.

"Calm down, son." He tried to brush off his attitude toward him.

"Calm down? Are you serious? Did you do it or not?" The king slowly walked back to his chair this time as he spoke. "Why will I send bandits to kill you? Tell me." He sat down.

"I don't know, maybe because you want to get rid of your unwanted child. Come on, it wouldn't be the first time." The atmosphere froze in time when he said those words.

"Believe me, if I wanted you dead, son, I would've done it myself, not through some bandits who can't even do their job. You're still alive, aren't you?" Rudely as it sounded, Louis knew that it was the truth.

"Then who wants me dead, excluding you?"

Louis sometimes may be delusional. He believed his father was the one threatening him all this while, he sensed the lack of fatherhood from his dear king, which is understandable since the king barely looked out for him, cared, or just talked to him.

"That's a good question, who wants the prince of Tornille dead?" He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll find out who." He continued.

The king tried to convince Louis that he cared, which was contradictory to the case, he barely cared about his son almost being killed. The only thing he nursed about was for his land to flourish, to be the ruling realm, typical of a king but unreasonable as a father.

"Fine, if you say so," Louis responded. He turned around to walk away when the king stopped him. He slightly turned back around, drained from everything, and released a heavy breath. "Son?" The king calmly left that word out of his mouth. Louis moved a little forward.

"I heard you went to Randel. Is the princess alright?" He said, with his arms placed on the desk. Louis brushed his problem aside and took part in the new conversation.

"She's getting married to the king of Greyland, I was informed. So I guess she wouldn't be visiting." He quietly replied.

"Wow! And I thought -"

"What?" Louis said, tilting his head.

"I thought you liked her."

"That's untrue, she's my friend and only a friend." He started moving around the king's study, trying to defend himself.

"Most people say, if you love someone, let them go but listen to me, son, if you genuinely love her, never let her go. She may be the only lady that will understand and cherish you, like no other." He suddenly recited his inspirational speech.

"You know, to love someone is nothing, to be loved by someone is something, but to be loved by the one you love is everything. And in my case, Father, my love is just invisible for even me to see. And if I can't, why would she? She's just a friend, Father, just wish her well." He backed up his father's words.

"If you say so, but just remember, Tornille will need a queen next to the future king." Louis smiled, looked at his father, then left. He closed the door behind him, leaned on it, and exhaled.

"If the future king will be me." He said right after the guard closed the door behind him.