Lady Saira stood up wiping her tears and feeling helpless in front of the King who had ordered her something she didn’t want to do. She cursed herself for coming here instead of just staying by Prince’s side and waiting for the Great Lady to return. If she had not come here to beg the King, he would not have ordered her something like this but…she just couldn’t stay idle doing nothing to free the prince she vowed to take care of.

She reached the grand palace where Lady Tyra was waiting for her for so long.

“What took you so long? Did you manage to meet the king?” Lady Tyra asked.

With her head lowered and eyes still watery, she nodded.

“What did His Majesty say?”

Lady Saira raised her head up to look at Lady Tyra but even before a single word could come out, the tears made their way out nonstop, making her unable to say a word.

It worried Lady Tyra, “What happened, Saira?”

“I am sorry, Lady Tyra,” she said in her sobbing voice.

“You are scaring me. Say something. What did His Majesty say to you?”

While crying and sobbing, Lady Saira narrated the entire incident which only shocked the older lady. “What? What are you talking about?”

Lady Saira cried out, “It’s true, Lady Tyra, Now I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to avoid it.”

Lady Tyra was utterly shocked. King Theron loved his wife and there was no way he would accept another concubine at such a moment. What was he trying to do this way?

Lady Saira looked at the other Lady with a hopeful gaze, “Lady Tyra, can you do something? Please ask the king to change this decision. Or..Or just prolong it till the Great Lady arrives. Only she can stop the king. I…I don’t want to be King’s concubine. I want to look after the prince and fulfil the promise I made to Her Majesty. Please find a way. His Majesty was angry and he made this decision only because I angered him. Once I am concubine, I know the King won’t allow me to be the second prince’s nanny.

“I-I will try to talk to His Majesty,” Lady Tyra assured.

“How is His Highness?” Lady Saira asked.

“I went to see him and took food and water but he touched nothing. He stopped crying but he is just sitting quietly in one corner. I insisted on eating something but he wouldn’t listen. Seems like he had heard His Majesty ordering to not give him anything. He is hurt and won’t give in.”

“If both are like this, what shall we do?”

“Both father and son are stubborn. We have to wait for her Ladyship to arrive. Till then, I will go and talk to His Majesty about your matter,” Lady Tyra replied.

Lady Saira wiped her teary eyes and prayed that the King would change his decision.

Lady Tyra reached the King’s residence where she asked to see the King and this time she was allowed to see him.

The King was waiting for her in his study as if he had already expected that Lady Tyra would come to see him.

She bowed to the king, “Greeting, Your Majesty.”

Even before she could say more, the King ordered, “Tomorrow morning, schedule for Lady Saira and my wedding. No need to make any special arrangements and call for anyone’s presence. Just your presence is enough as you are a royal family member.”

“Your Majesty, I wish you to think about ….”

“Do you dare challenge my decision, Lady Tyra?” he asked coldly as his gaze looked determined.

“No, Your Majesty. I…”

“Lady Tyra, prepare her and if she is still not ready, you know the consequences of going against King’s order.”

“Your Majesty, I just wished you to wait till your mother returns to the palace. It will be better if the wedding happens in her presence.”

“This is an insignificant wedding. No need to trouble mother for this,” he countered. “You can leave.”

There was nothing for Lady Tyra to say more and she left.

When she returned to Lady Saira, she had nothing but disappointment on her face. They had no other choice left but to follow the King’s order.

——

In the late night, Theron was still in his study sitting in his chair in a daze. Sir Galien entered the study, “Your Majesty, it’s late. You should return to your chamber.”

Theron simply stood up from his chair and walked out of his study, his blank gaze stared ahead and he continued walking like a soulless body.

He reached his chamber where Galien opened the door for him. Entering the chamber he looked around that dimly lit empty chamber. The previous night this same chamber was like heaven to him but now it felt worse than hell. Those memories that he was supposed to cherish, would give him nothing but the pain now.

With slow steps, like a lost one, he continued to walk and went to stand in front of the window. His eyes which didn’t shed any tears even when he was feeling the worst kind of pain, blankly stared at the sky.

Galien, who could only look at the king helplessly as he could do nothing to ease his pain, finally asked, “Your Majesty, the entire day you didn’t touch food or water, do you want me to instruct the servant…..?”

“Did he eat anything?” Theron asked, interrupting his Knight.

“As per your order, one guard brought food and water for His Highness but he refused to touch anything. He is simply sitting idle in one corner.”

Theron said nothing over it and instructed, “Tomorrow when the mother will arrive, let her meet him and take him with her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sir Galien said and then asked hesitantly, “Your Majesty, why don’t you see him. He might….”

“You are dismissed,” said the king and the knight left.

Sir Galien knew the king didn’t mean those words when he called his son a monster and it was simply his momentary action in anger. The way he himself did not eat or had water that showed it was because his son had nothing of it. His son was suffering so how could he even think of eating? Sir Galien knew the king still loved his son as much as he did even before this incident.

After the knight left, the King continued to look at the sky and finally, his chaotic thoughts found their way out.

‘Esther, today I have become a bad father. I have called our son a monster…,’ Painful smile appeared on his lips, ‘Our son? I seem to have lost the right to call him my son the moment I called him a monster. I hurt him, Esther. His innocent eyes were shocked and hurt when he heard me calling him like that. His tears won’t stop. I didn’t allow him to have food and water and locked him. Instead, I have become a father who is worse than a monster to his son.’

‘Esther, won’t you still return? See I hurt our…no, your son. I called him a monster. He needs you now. Won’t you return to him at least? He lost his father today so you have to return to be his good mother.’

‘You value promises, don’t you Esther? I am making your servant break her promise with you and she won’t be allowed to be Drayce’s nanny. Won’t you return for the sake of the promise she had made with you? If you won’t return, I will marry her tomorrow and won’t allow her to go to him. Will you let me have another concubine when you love me?’

‘Please return to me, Esther. Not for me but for Drayce’s sake who is hurt because of me. Come back, Esther. I know you can see everything. You know what I am doing with your son and servant. You have to come back to me. Scold me, hate me, do whatever you want. I won’t mind as long as I can see you in front of me.”

‘I can feel your presence, Esther. I don’t know how but I know you are somewhere close to me but you are just hiding,’ he placed his hand on his heart, ‘Here I can feel you. You are not gone, Esther. Please show yourself. Whatever the consequences you have to face due to the so-called sins you say, I will pay for it. I will pay for it with my life and I am ready to get my life damned for eternity only if…only if I can see you even for a day more. Instead of going through the pain when you are not with me, I am ready to face anything after you return to me.’

Finally, the tears he was holding back, rolled down and he closed his eyes, his face covered in painful expressions.

‘Come back to me, Esther. I promise I will make everything right and we will live like a happy family. Just come back to me.’

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