PROPERTY OF THE KING

"What's in flames??. George, tell me what is in flames???" commanded Mr Luke loudly.

Mr Luke was not in any way concerned about the assembling crowd. All he wanted to know was what was in flames. He had a feeling it had to do with something precious of his. His son? he thought. No, it can't be, he rebuked. Could it be his house then?, he wondered. Oh, that would be so dreadful. Mr Luke decided to stop thinking because all he had were bad thoughts. He proceeded to wait for Mr George, his friend, to tell him the truth. He wanted to hear it right from the horse's mouth. He was beginning to feel impatient and terrified.

"Your store!!! Your store is all in flames!!!" Mr George screamed out.

Mr Luke could not believe what he had just heard. His store? In flames? Was it all a joke by Mr George? he thought hard. No! It can't be. Mr George was not the type to joke around especially on something as important as this. So, it had to be true but still Mr Luke could not believe it. He did not know when he loosened the grip he had on his friend, with his eyes full of terror and shock, Mr Luke who felt like he was not in control of his body did not also know when he began to run. It was more of a race, Mr Luke ran as fast as his legs could carry him with Mr George tailing behind.

"No! No! It can't be! It can't be!" he muttered to himself along the way.

Mr Luke arrived a few steps closer to his shop, precisely at Mr George's store when he was met with his store engulfed in a fiery flame. Mr Luke could not comprehend neither could he assimilate what was happening at the moment. It felt to him like it all was a dream. Mr Luke also noticed his son as well as other people who were busy trying to put out the fire that had engulfed his store. Mr Luke was still in his standing position of terror when his friend, Mr George arrived and proceeded to join the others to help put out the fire.

Timothy noticed his father and ran all the way to him, tapping him roughly.

"Get it together!" Timothy uttered as he went ahead to slap his face directly on his face.

The slap was all Mr Luke needed to come back to his senses and do the needful.

"Help me put out the fire!" Timothy beckoned on his father.

An affirmative nod was all he got before they both went ahead to the scene of the crime….where it all was happening. A collective effort was made by all to try and put out the fire but it seemed the fire had a mind of its own. No matter how much water they poured, it just wasn't enough and in the end Mr Luke lost his store.

It was the second time he was losing something precious to him and his poor heart just couldn't take it. Mr Luke found himself revisiting his old past which he had been able to walk away from. The tarvens…again it was. The little money he received as consolation from others was not used to pay back the King, instead Mr Luke spent it all on alcohol…the only way to soothe his broken heart.

Mr Luke's extension passed and the Royal guard proceeded to take Timothy as punishment for his father's inability to pay up. After the fire, Timothy had lost all hope in the good things of life like happiness and love. His heart had grown to become cold and uncaring. That fire was the last straw that broke him. When he was being taken away, Timothy's father was not present, probably at the tarvens again. It was then he knew that he was going to be stuck at the Royal building for a long time. His father was never going to pay back the debt he owed.

When Timothy first arrived at the Royal building, there was something the King saw in him that made him vouch for Timothy to be his right hand man. A position which demanded great knowledge and skills, one which Timothy was not fit to be in. When the Crown Queen heard about it, she immediately tried all means to stop it. God knows how much the Crown Queen was against it. She was totally not for the idea of having Timothy as her son's protector. Coupled with the fact that he was an incoming, it made her devastated but King Alexander fought for Timothy and made a promise to his mother that Timothy would undergo the necessary training he needed to become a right hand man.

Timothy did undergo the training and passed out successfully. A deed which the King was most proud of and bragged about before his mother. To Timothy, he knew it was the only chance he had at living a less miserable life even though he hated being close to the King. Timothy still blamed King Alexander for what happened to his mother. But it was not the king's fault, he hadn't even been crowned when the war happened. Timothy did not like the idea of being a Royal help or a Royal warrior because he was not strong enough for it. It was not that he was lazy or feebleminded, it was just that he did not quite like violence or heavy tasks.

The Royal building had become a place that Timothy had grown to love a little. Being the king's right-hand man had its pros and cons. He was entitled to a good room, adequate meal and the privilege to advise the King on some matters. Frankly speaking, the King and Timothy had both become quite close…somewhat close like friends. Although they were not friends, it was clearly a master and slave situation except the master liked this particular slave more than the others.

Due to the fact that Timothy was more of an hostage child…an 'Incoming' or a 'Holder', people had expected him to treat others who were like him nicely but Timothy never would. He seemed to have forgotten his background roots and had suddenly grown a profound hatred for all incoming children, using the little power that he had as the King's right-hand man to belittle them. Although Timothy was a hostage child, his position ranked among the top most important in the Royal walls and he was the only one of all incoming children who had been able to attain such a high position.

Perhaps, it was due to all of these reasons that made Timothy hate the sight in front of him…the sight of Elizabeth and her father. Perhaps it was due to his background, his life, the decisions he had to take and make, his lack of love and the people he lost, perhaps it was also due to the fact that he never received any fatherly or motherly love, never had a brother, sister or someone to call his own, had always been fighting to prove himself which was why he never truly understood how difficult the task the King was asking Mr Willow to do was.

And he would never understand because he never had it…a love bond, so he never knew how difficult it was to lose it. Throughout his entire life, it had always been filled with struggle especially after the death of his mother, always having to fight for his way and never did things ever come to him easy. Even with him being in his prime combined with being such a handsome and grooming man, Timothy still did not have it…a love bond.

Something, somewhere or someone that could be his home. His solace.

Everyone stared and was left in awe when seven years old Elizabeth placed her hand on her father's in compliance with him signing the papers. Mr Willow couldn't help but be proud of his daughter and ashamed of himself. His daughter had suddenly become the adult he should have been. Both father and daughter glared at each lovingly with smiles in between, it was such a beautiful sight of confirmation, affirmation and love for the both of them. A sight which King Alexander West had never seen or experienced himself.

That little act of his daughter was all he took for him to muster up the courage to sign the papers. There were so many hidden words within that little act that only him and his daughter could understand. Mr Willow finally signed the papers

"Finally" Timothy muttered under his breath.

"Took you long enough. I was beginning to grow impatient" The King said.

"I am sorry, My King" Mr Willow apologized.

"It is done then. Timothy…" King Alexander called while turning to face Timothy.

"Please read out what he just signed in the presence of everyone. Just in case" King Alexander said whilst shifting his glance from Timothy to Mr Willow.

Everyone suddenly paid close attention to what was about to be read, even young Elizabeth. Mr Willow, the King and Timothy were the only ones who actually knew what had been signed and just for clarity and for the sake of having witnesses, the King deemed it wise to read it out in the presence of everyone.

"It is written herein, that the daughter of Mr Willow, in the name of Elizabeth Willow shall become a property of the King and the Royal family once she comes of age and pending the time that happens she will reside with her father and be trained in the way of the Royal family" Timothy read out loud from the papers.

Elizabeth took note of the things she heard to ask her father later. All who heard were really not in shock as they had guessed from the beginning that this might be what was in the paper. What they were more scared of was if Mr Willow had refused to sign the papers. Such acts usually resulted in death or those refusing to sign became slaves to the palace as well as their children for whom they were initially fighting for.

"Thank you," the king told Timothy.

Mr Willow couldn't help but burst into tears. He could not believe that he just gave away his daughter to the King. He could also not believe that he was going to lose the most precious thing he had. Despite the confirmation from his daughter to go ahead with the signing, he still could not admit to the fact that he did it. He wished he had fought, but that would be seen as treason and he would have lost both himself and his daughter.

"Well I guess we are done here" the King said as he stood up to leave and everyone seated rised up in respect.

King Alexander stared into the eyes of young Elizabeth and said "See you soon, Elizabeth"

Elizabeth was the only one who did not bow her head when the others did. Everytime the King stood up or appeared in a place, it was mandatory for everyone to bow their heads in respect. It was not that she didn't know the rules, it was just her own way of disagreeing with the King.

At that moment, the King loved what he saw in her eyes. The burning flame of vengeance, hatred and loathe she had for him.The King…loved it, every bit of it. Which was why he let out a smile on his way out of the chambers with Timothy behind.

Elizabeth and her father left a little bit after the King. It was actually after her father had stopped crying and regained himself. Elizabeth was there consoling him all through the way while he sobbed. As they got out of the Royal walls and were outside of its building, Elizabeth and her father couldn't help but look intently at the Royal building.

There, his daughter's fate lies, Mr Willow thought.

There, her revenge lied. Young Elizabeth thought.

"Daddy, what did the King mean by me being a property of the Royal family?" Elizabeth asked her father on their way home.

Mr Willow had expected his daughter to ask questions sooner or later and she did ask…sooner.

"It means you now belong to the King and his family" Mr Willow answered nervously.