chapter 24

"is it morning?" Eleanor asked in a confused tone.

"Yes my princess. It is morning. Good morning my princess". Beatrice bowed.

"Does it means I have been talking to lord Zane through out the night". Eleanor thought.

"Morning". She responded and heaved, leaving the door open for Beatrice to enter.

Princess Eleanor went to the balcony. The morning sky was bright and colourful. She held her robe tight to prevent the chills. She yawned. Her yes were sore. She needed some sleep.

Beatrice was in her bathtub. She was preparing her bath. When she was done, she went to her closet to get what Eleanor shall wear for the day.

"My princess.. your bath is ready". Eleanor was coming in from the balcony.

"You may leave now. I didn't sleep well last night. So I want to continue from where I stopped before your knocked woke me".

Beatrice bowed before her. "pardon me for waking you. As you wished my princess but the king await you". Beatrice's hands was folded in front, below her abdomen and her head buried in them.

"tell him I shall be with him after my nap". Beatrice walked out. When she was at the door. Eleanor passed another instructions to her.

"I don't want any one disturbing me until I'm awake.

"yes my princess".

In the afternoon when she woke. Her father was there watching her.

"Father" she called surprised.

"Are you well my child". He said feeling her neck.

"Yes father I am". She was still feeling drowsy. The maids were there at her beck and call. She beckoned on one for water which she used to washed her sleepy face.

"father how long have you been here". She asked searching his eyes. Worried was in them. She felt sorry for stressing her father out with such sleep. She has never stay in bed. If not for lord Zane. She would have used the night for what it was meant for. Sleep.

"long enough to watch you sleep so peacefully". Both of them smile.

"Prepare her" The king ordered.

When she was done. She met up with her father. He took her to the museum.

"father what are we doing here?".

"I know that you must returned the king stone. To do that the bond between you and it need to be broken".

" it getting complicated father. How did you know?. What bond?. How is it going to be broken?".

She didn't discussed the vision she had when she touched the orb with anyone. Not even her father. So how did he know?".

" My child. It the ritual that has been taking place. Whenever the violated kingdom must returned the kings' stone. The bond must be broken. The only difference here is that, it is inside a person".

King Ephraim showed her so many things. Things about their past heroes who had departed into the underworld and about their history.

The art work of knights who were awarded after they won the war. Different painted portraits of their forefathers dinning with their nobles.

Different statutes too, scattered around. The statues of the past great women of Golden hill.

"My princess"

"Father!"

"You are the son I see".

Eleanor smiled affectionately.

"I went astray. I wouldn't want you to do same. While I'm still alive I shall direct you on the right path".

"my king" she bowed slightly. "As you have spoken father. I could not expect more".

She kept looking at her father. She imagined how he looked when he was young.

"He must have been really beautiful". She whisper to her self. She let her father walk in front while she trailed behind. All the things he said. She heard none, she was drowned in her thoughts.

"How could an old man be so smart". She kept thinking. His gait was light and easy. Walking briskly like the day he went to birthed her.

He commanded honour. His boots was up to his legs. His trousers fitted in the boots. The holster grasped tightly, leaving a room for his scabbard.

His tunic was fitted. He tucked it in like a tongue in the mouth. An embroidery coat to complement his outfit. His gold and silver beards gave light in the dim room.

"Eleanor"

"Father…. Father". she was too engrossed in her thought she didn't realized when her father stop. She walked into him.

"Forgive me father". The king was holding her to prevent her from falling.

"What is it that troubled you child?".

She was now fully aware of her environment. Seeing that her father was worry for her illusion. He might add this up to the sleep and think she was ill.

"Nothing father!" . She smiled brightly.

" I was in my own world. Imagining your looks when you were a prince. Seeing how strong you are even now that you are aged. You must have been very...."

She rolled her innocent blue eyes and tilted her head up to looked at the high ceilings

"Every woman's choice. Charming and regal" she smiled "and wise as intelligent and admirable".

The king gave her a warm smile. The were in a small hall. Nothing was there other than caskets and a small table at the other end where a pot was.

Rays from outside had it way through the small high windows. Everywhere was dusty and stale.

Eleanor looked around, nothing was pleasing to the eyes. She wondered why her father brought her here.

When her gazed went to where her father was. He was busy with a casket on the upper surface. He opened it and brought out a sword.

"Eleanor". He called her.

When she got near, he handed it over to her.

"King Wilson, my great grandfather used this when he fought against Violet viper"

Above where the casket was, was the sculpture of this Alexander Wilson the six. Their great and great great grandfather.

Eleanor was turning the sword in her hands. It was stainless steel. Old, yet it looks like it just left the blacksmith shop now.

Slim and thick. Long and glistening. The symbol of the kings' stone was on the blade close to the hilt. The hilt was blue and transparent.

"It is an ancient sword only handled by the royals" the king informed.

Eleanor was focusing on the blade while her father spoke. She saw a picture of her father when he was young. His feature was more beautiful than she had earlier imagined.

"Father you were beautiful and still is"

King Ephraim stared at her indifferent. Her gazed was buried on the blade.

"Your favorite sport was hunting. I see you in the woods. Telling your guards to stepped aside that you got this.

Father you stride through the woods and hid behind a tree. Then you rested on the ground and set your bow and arrow.

An eye closed so firm. It neck was targeted. Ready to shoot. Oh yes"

she folded her hands in a fist within seconds she made an angle with her hand. Lifted it up in the air and drop.

"You nailed it to a tree"

"up you". She jumped and leaped. This got her father smiling. She looked up to her father.

"On that day that I killed that buffalo was the day my grandfather passed on. I used the buffalo skin to made different things in his memory. One of which was this holster and this scabbard".

"wow father it looks so awesome!"

"yea it is"

"but father does the sword show things about the past".

" No!.

"How is it that I can see through it".

King Ephraim closed the casket and walked to the inscription on the wall near the sculpture.

" My father once told me that the sword can reflect our sincere thought. Our earnest yearning for something pure. Only humans with supernatural powers can see their desires on the sword"

"ok father... Supernatural being that's me" she said more to her self.

princess Eleanor moved to the rear end of the room where the table was. A large ceramic pot stole her gaze.

It was filled with water. Blue and crystal. The body of the pot condensed yet the spot it sat on was as dry as dust itself.

Meanwhile King Ephraim at the other end placed both hands on the inscription on the wall. It was copied out unto his palms. He began to recite the inscriptions on his hands.

Eleanor turned to looked at her father. She wasn't sure what was going on. She rotated back to looked into the pot.

The water in it started boiling with bubbles. Princess Eleanor stepped back spreading her hands to stirred her balance.

"Father what are you doing?"

King Ephraim was reciting loudly and wholeheartedly.

Eleanor remembered pestering her father. She insisted that she wanted to see what the kings' stone looks like. "Is this supposed the be a way of seeing the kings' stone my king or is it breaking the bond. I'm lost".

The king was already occupied. The was none to answer.

The water became violent and shook vigorously until everywhere started shaking.

"Stop! father stop...". She was struggling to hold the wall. Dust started shading from off the walls.

The sword fell from her hands to the floor. Her skirt sprang up. She held it with both hands. Her hair floats.

"Used the sword Eleanor... Used the sword and deep inside the pot"

King Ephraim yelled in a shaky voice. Each letters of the words he recited was seen flying out of his hands immediately after he read them.

His feet's was buried in the ground which was cracking on every inch.

"Eleanor!". He screamed again

"You can do it. I have trained you well. To be brave and not weakling. Stand and act like the fighter that you are. A ruler and an intercessor.

The sword is strong and fierce. No sword can break it or magic could bend it. Kingdoms and beasts has been defeated with it. Arise warrior of warriors and deep the sword in the pot".

Her father had earlier told her that what she asked for is a matter of life and death. Which was why he held back all those period.

When he confirmed that she was actually the kings' stone. The desire to do the right thing clothe him.

It was the only way to break the bond to be able to return the stone. He couldn't have done otherwise.

Eleanor heard her father's voice was fading. She turned to see that the inscription was now flying in the air. Her father was sinking into the ground. The floor had held him captive up to his waist.

"Father!" she shouted.

She then tried to shift the sword with her legs, so she could picked it up with her hands. The ground she was, was cracking too.

The sword was some metres away from her. If she delay, the ground might buried the sword.

She tried to get to it but something kept pulling her back. She tried harder but failed.

She was teetering. When she looked at her father again. He was perishing. His neck was buried only his head was out.

She sprang up with force and fell on the sword.

Princess Eleanor picked it up. She used it as her third leg to walked closer to the pot.

The dust prevented her viewed but she pressed on until she stood face to face with the pot. She was bleeding through her eyes, nose and ears.

"I am the bearer of the stone. Innocently I came to break this bond between the kings' stone and I. That I shall be able to get it back to it rightful abode" she said and put the sword into the pot.

Everything seized all of a sudden and returned to normal. Her father sat on the floor leaning on the wall where the inscriptions was and is still written above.

He was laughing knowingly. "I knew you would do it. I knew you would make me proud".

She found her way to him and helped him to his feet. After they spent few moments to gathered their breath and to recover from the incident. Eleanor question her father.

" What was that father?"

"You have been able to break the bond. Now you are like every other human. No super strength or whatsoever. When you take it to it abode it shall come out of you".

"How?".

"when you get there you shall see" .

"I saw something in the pot. Like an egg in an iron grating". She paused and looked him. He was staring back at her eagerly.

"the golden grating was fitted to this egg. The entire egg was bright and pure white.

" That was the kings' stone".

" So it means the kings' stone is in the pot father"

" No! It reflected from your heart".

" My heart!" She took her hands there but what she held was ample succulent twin melons. The kings' stone wasn't there then. She thought

"My princess only you can returned the king's stone to the heart of the sea.

She went and returned the sword in the casket. She felt so weak to lift her legs and walked. She didn't understand why her father wished to killed her by insisting she returned this stone.

" I failed I couldn't returned. Promise me you shall return it no matter what"

But how can I return it when I'm the kings' stone". She said angrily.

General Frederick stomped in. They looked surprised.

"My king I greet you".

Minister Mammon and Duke Williams came next.

They bowed. "We never knew we would find you here. My king... Our king." General Frederick said.

Duke William and minister Mammon stood behind general Frederick nodding their heads to confirm his sayings.

"My king" minister Mammon bowed again giving much pleasantries.

"I was about leaving before I saw them and now you, My king. Permit me to take my leave. I mean to check on my business. What my workers are doing".

The king gave him the go ahead. He departed.

"Greetings my king once more" Duke William bowed. He turned to the boy beside him. His grandson, who now stepped forward.

" This is my grandson, Francis... my king" . The boy courtesy to the king

"He is a smart boy who is still undergoing the training to become a knight". He coughed. " The princess smile. Her eyes and Francis met. They looked away.

"Forgive me, he has been confirmed a knight. Eighteen this year". He paused and admired his handsomeness.

Francis wore a white knight coat on a black trouser and black boots. He dropped his cap on his shoulder when he greeted the king.

"He has been disturbing me to take him here". The Duke continue.

" Today I decided to bring him. I know he is an adult but since there is restrictions only certain person are allowed here that is why my king. But little did I know that I shall find my king here. I would have remained at the door". He bowed.

" Never mind" the king said. "I shall made the restrictions to include my Duke and ministers". The king spoke without expression.

"Not so my king". Duke Williams bowed.

General Frederick was already conversing with the princess, his captain. Well! that is the new name he calls her

Duke William greeted the princess. Who was leaning on the casket beside the general.

"Greetings my warrior princess. How are you today?"

"Very well your grace". She rose from the casket and walked towards him.

Francis arched a brow. The Duke stepped back.

"I see you brought your grandson that you may forced us to be friends".

Everyone was surprised at her words. She moved closer to Francis and encircled him.

She turned to the king. "Be careful my king. Your nobles are not who you think they are. One of the reasons your kingdom was attacked days ago".

She didn't know what she was saying.

"Father what is going on?. Is everything alright?". She asked him when he said nothing. It didn't seems like she was the one that spoke just now.

" Yes" the king clear his throat. "Everything is alright"

King Ephraim knew that it was not her speaking but Tyson whom he consulted days ago that spoke through her.

Duke William felt so uncomfortable. He begged to leave.

"Greetings " , the princess greeted him as he was about leaving. She stood legs apart with hands behind her back.

Gre... Yes... Greetings my warrior princess". The Duke stammered but then gave her a keen look. Francis refused to go with him. So he left hurriedly.

"My princess" Francis courtesy "will it please you to come fishing with me"

Princess Eleanor looked at her father. She had never gone to any adventure without her father, the king. The king nodded.

"Yes" she said with a voice so small and innocent.

"Tomorrow!" Francis said happily.

"Tomorrow" the princess repeated.

He left.

After sometime, The king, princess and general Frederick left too.