The journey to the palace was a silent one, a car was purchased to help them get there, with a guard sitting close to Clara, trying to ease her worries.
"How old are you? Are you really twenty-two?" the guard asks Clara.
"Yes, I am, and your king to be? MICHY LEVY, how old is he?" Clara fires back
This made the guards chuckle "well our king to be is young and handsome, that is all I can tell you about him" he says as he adjusted his legs.
"Are you almost at the palace?" A sleepy Clara ask..
"Yes we are, just like an hour away" Fred answers
"Please wake me up when we get there"
"Have a nice rest, my queen" Fred says.
"I am not your queen, because if I do not like your king, I cannot be get bethroded to him" Clara fires at him
The guards laughed as they try to explain to her that, she is destined to be with the king, and she should count her self lucky that someone who would be a king is going to marry her, as this is what many maidens pray and hope for.
"Well good for those ladies" Clara says.
They finally arrived at the palace at 6am in the morning, the whole palace was quiet, they walked into the palace gate and Clara marveled at how beautiful the palace is, the gates were huge and high, with more than ten guards protecting the gate, the palace was very huge with a beautiful compound filled with flowers and trees, by her left there are beautiful nice trees, she could even see a mango tree and also trees she could not even recognize their fruit. By her right hand there are beautiful flowers, which include even petals, she could see a butterfly perching on them. It was as early as 6am, yet the palace was so bright and quiet. As she looked down into the flowers, as she walks in the compound she heard dogs barking, she was scared and she screams. Her screams woke up the Queen who was trying to catch her sleep after crying through out the night. She got up and put on her robe, and came out to where there were.
"Who screamed? And what is wrong?" She says knowing fully well it cannot be an invader as the city gate was safely guarded and they had made peace with all other kingdoms that are close to them.
A shy Clara knew too well that her scream had woken the old lady up and came forward to apologise.
"I am so sorry ma, I heard the dog barking and I screamed because I have phobia for dogs, I am so sorry ma" she says trying her best to sound apologetic.
"Who are you?" The queen ask as if she hasn't even heard her apologies as she doesn't acknowledge that and wishes instead to know who she was.
Clara looked at the guards and felt as though no one was expecting her at the palace, because they wouldn't have asked who she was if they were expecting her. "My name is Clara Anderson" she says as her voice breaks.
The queen who for a moment had forgotten that she could be Clara, quickly went over to her and held her by the arm "follow me" without minding if she heard her command or not she pulls her arm as she leads the way for them to go into the ill king to be chamber. When they got there, she pulls out a light and ask her to raise her arm, at first Clara was reluctant as she felt that even if she tries to explain that the name had mysteriously vanished, the queen who seem desperate would not listen to her and might throw her out of the palace.
"Please ma" Clara begged trying to explain.
"Lift your arms I say" the queen commanded.
Feeling so powerless, Clara lifts her arm and a light was place under her arm, she looks away and for a moment she felt as though the whole world is crumbling on her, the queen was stiff and quiet, Clara begins to sob, she thought of the worst that could happen to her, then for the first time she felt trembling hands roped around her, the queen hugged unto Clara so tightly, at that moment, Clara notice a man on the bed, he was asleep and did not bother to be awake by the noise in the room, she admired his face as they were long and sharp, he had dark ebony hair and a really straight nose. His lips were what she admired more and more, they were gummed together and he was fast asleep. In her head she wished he was the king to be.
"Clara, you are welcome , thank you for coming," the queen says as she sobs.
Clara wondered why the queen who have been cold towards her has suddenly started showing her kindness.
As Clara ponder on why the queen is nice to her, she felt a hand on her as it pulls her out of the room to the another room.
"This is the room we prepared for you, you are welcome here, I Shall send a maid to come help you clean up" the queen says feeling happier than ever.
In all this Clara was confused as she expected by now she would have been thrown out of the palace. She went over the table and saw a light there, she lift her arms up and placed the light under her arms, to her uttermost surprise she saw the name KING MICHY LEVY.
She was surprised and shocked, she repeats the process again and saw the name again, she felt cold shiver running down her spine, she tries to balance well as she stands.
Immediatly a call came in, it was her Father.
"Hello Papa" Clara says sounding weak
"My darling, I tried calling you , I guess there wasn't a network coverage" just as Clara was about to answer, she heard her mother voice over the phone "Clara are you fine? Is all okay? Do you need us?"
"Mom I am fine, I am well" she says trying to sound strong
"So Clara have they found out?" Mr Anderson ask
"Dad, my suitor name is back to my arm" she says with all the whole strength she could muster together.