•ALORA POV•
ALORA HEIST a descendants of OLIVIA VON HEIST,this is my story of how I found true love in a painful way.
My father sir Roderigo was a knight to the royal family before death took him away from us.
It was our tradition that the first male child of a knight will represent his father after his departure to the after life.
I was the only child and I was a female,I would seat at my corridor and watch the men in horses,I call them men in horses because I had no idea who they are,they would come everyday making life miserable for my mom.
{Stomping of horses}
I could watch them ride on their horse into our big compound,my mom who was 78 years old was already weak,she would attend to them.
"Welcome guards of the royal family may the king live long",my mother said as she prostrated.
"Save your greetings old woman,you know why we are here don't waste our time",the guard on the horses upfront said with a fierce voice.
"Why don't we go in and talk about this",my mom said pointing at our entrance.
"Old woman!!",the man yelled.
"I prepared your favorite, please my legs are weak pardon a old widow like me",my mom said.
The man who I assume to be the chief commander jump down from his horse and walk close to my mom staring at her straight in the eye I was scared that he was going to kill her.
"You have 25 minutes",he said as he followed the path my mother had showed him.
"Thank you my son,I'll tie your horses",my mom said as she watched the guards unmount their horses
I ran to my room when I saw them coming,I was afraid of them to the core
"Old woman",the Chief commander said as he took a seat opposite her
"You can call me Mrs heist",my mom said with a warm smile,I wonder how she manage to maintain her smile in terrifying situation
"Mrs heist,it has been three months since the late knight to the royal family died,which is your husband and the position of the knight still remains empty the king is mad with your family",the guard said as he sipped a cup of their traditional coffee
"I know my son,I know the situation that my husband left me in",my mom said as she wiped the warm tears off her cheek
"You know our tradition Mrs heist within the space of a year if you don't give us another knight your family would be stripped of everything they own",the chief commander said with a fierce and pitied voice
"I know my son that would be a burden to me if it's happen",my mom said as stream of tears flow down her cheeks from her eyes
"You only have six months left,if I were you I would act fact",the chief commander said as he dropped the cup of coffee he was holding on the Kiko{a traditional table} in front of him
"I know my son I will act fast,at least there is still time",my mom said as she wiped her tears with her garment
"That's what It looks like Mrs heist,but there is no time,after a new knight is recruited he will be trained for five months before allowed to carry on his duty as a royal knight",the chief commander said
"That means I have approximately a month?"my mom said in surprise
"Well we will have to take our leave Mrs heist, the royal family awaits us",the chief commander said as he signaled his coups and they left the house
I watched them from my window as they rode on their horses,I was fascinated on how they remain balance on the horses that ran as fast as a train
I walked to the living room and saw my mom wearing a sad look,she quickly lighten up her face when she saw me enter the living room
"My daughter come sit with me",my mom said as she tapped the space close to her I sat by her side staring at her,"have you eaten breakfast?",my mom asked staring at me still maintaining her smile
"Yes mom...are you okay",I asked my mom who seems to be pressing the pain down her chest
"Am.....am..m...am fine", my mom stuttered still trying to catch her breathe
"Mom am 17,am old enough to know what's going on,dad is not here anymore that you share your inner pains with I am all you got and you need to open up to me mom",I said with a sad look,all she did was stare at me and started talking
"It is our tradition that the first son of a late knight must take over after his father death within a period of 7months or everything they had ever worked for will be taken away from them",my mom said staring at me with a more serious face
"So they are going to take everything away from us",I asked my mom eagerly
"Yes my daughter,yes",my mom said looking sad
"Don't worry mom it will be okay",I said as I gave my mom a warm hug
"I hope so",my mom said and hug me in return
|NIGHT|
I watched my mom as she fell asleep I felt pity for her if they seize everything we have as she said am not sure she will survive it because her family hold possession of this house and everything in it for more than fifty decades,I was once told that this house is five hundred and six years old and the people that live here before us could not be remembered because the generation that knew them was my great grand parents generations and they are probably all Dead.
I really don't know much about my ancestors or who I am.
While in the middle of my thoughts and idea struck me in my head.
I went to my room staring at the mirror,I had a blonde hair that was very dark and match with my unique eyes
I picked up a knife and cut my blonde hair leaving it in a shoulder length,I tied my hair like a boy and wore my dad hair knot
I looked like a boy after this hair cut I gave my self but something wasn't right,one glance at me and it's obvious that am a girl,I mean am seventeen what's supposed to happen,I had low rate of maturity,so I took a leather Brest plate{flat} and a curtain,I tied the breast plate to my chest giving me a masculine appearance,I wore my dad clothes and wash off my make up
I was shocked when I looked at the mirror,I couldn't believe what I was seeing I was totally a different person
That was when I sealed my mind,am carrying out my plan and that's final,my mom is up for a big surprise tommorow,I slept well that night knowing that I can possibly put a smile on my mother's face
|MORNING|
I was the first to wake up,I quickly take my bath and wore my disguise I went to the flower yard behind our house it was a very beautiful yard it had different species of ornamental plants {trees,shrub and flower} I sat under a almond tree
I knew my mom usually comes here early in the morning to re live the moment she had with dad
I sat there hopefully for my mom to come see me,well it came to pass I saw my mom coming with a bowl of petals from a red rose she kept on pouring some on any path she took
She approached me and I quickly put up the act
"Good morning ma'am",I said trying to make my voice sound masculine as ever
"Good morning young man,who are you?",my mom asked in surprise
"So you can't recognize me",I asked again
"Am sorry my son I don't recognize you,maybe is because am ageing",my mom said as she sat and stare at the stream upfront,I sat with her and watch the stream too
"So why are you here my son",my mom asked,it felt really great been referred to as "my son" for the first time in seventeen years someone address me as my son and it felt good
"I just saw this beautiful yard so I could not help but walk in,I did not know this was a private yard,am sorry if I have intruded your home",I said while bowing my head
"No problem my son,you can come here whenever you want my son",my mom said as she smiled at me
"So what are those petals for?",I asked my mother who was still staring at the stream
"Oh!,these?",she asked staring at me
"Yes ma'am ",I said giving her a warm smile
"I come here every morning to offer flowers to my late husband he was a knight to the royal family",my mom said as she stare down at her bowl of flowers I could see tears roll down her cheek I felt bad for making her talk about her past
"Oh am sorry ma'am,it's okay if you don't want to talk about it anymore",I said patting her
"It's okay my son, healing starts by feeling,right now I can feel his presence so close I can even perceive his scent right now and it's really strong",my mom said as she wore a smile a real smile this time around
"Healing starts by feeling",I said to myself
"Yes my son,if I may ask what's your name?",my mom asked staring at me
"Am...my name is Alexander McQueen",I said wearing a bright smile
"What a beautiful name fit for a very handsome young man",my mom said as she caressed my cheeks,"am Mrs heist but you can call me mother",she said staring at me
"Okay mother",I said smiling at her
"I just feel emotionally attached to you my son like we have know each other for a very long time,you're like a son I never had",my mom said as she smiled at me hearing those words melt my heart
"I have a beautiful daughter,her new is ALORA do you want to meet her I can call on her",my mom asked staring at me
"Oh!,mother I can't stay much longer or I'll be late,but I can't Wait to see your beautiful daughter am sure she took it from you",I said to my mom who was glowing all over she was happy, really happy
"No problem my son,we all have family to attend to,good bye my son",my mom said as she bade me good bye
"Thanks mother",I said as I turned my back and walk away
I was going to tell her that am alora but it would break her heart,when she finally thought she has someone who she calls my son and In return he calls her mother it would break her heart
Seeing her this happy this morning has brought joy to my heart
I quickly ran through the hidden entrance behind our house,I undressed and dressed up my self in my attire,I put on a wide scarf to hide my hair cut
I went to my yard and and pretended to be sitting by a duck which I get to keep as a pet
My mom walked in all glowing with a smile I know won't last forever
"Good morning mom,why are you so happy today?",I asked her smiling at her in return,am a good actress,lol
"I met a stranger",my mom said wearing a very bright smile,she then sat close to me
"Then?",I asked more eager to hear what she has to say about the stranger she is talking about
"His name is Alexander McQueen,a very fine young man we were bonding and it felt like we were family",my mom said staring at blank space as if she was trying to relive the moment
"Mom are you falling in love again?",I asked sarcastically
"No my daughter,we have a mother-son relationship,he even calls me mother,"for a moment we felt connected like we have knew for a very long period of time",my mom said still maintaining her smile
"That's good,did you tell him about me",I asked in delight
"I did so my daughter and he looks forward to seeing you when he visits next",my mom said as she caressed my cheeks
"That's good I also want to meet him someday",I said smiling at myself
"That's good,who knows he might be the one for you",my mom said sarcastically
"Mom!",I exclaimed,"you just met him today",I said while trying to hide my smile
{Mom laughs} nobody knows",my mom said as she laughed
"Mom I want to tell you something",I said to my mom not knowing how she will react
"Go on my daughter",my mom said tapping my shoulder
"I think I might know what will solve our problem",I said with fear in my voice,what if she says no to my plan
"What do you mean?",my mom asked this time wearing a weak smile and a eager look
"I can end the situation,the royal guards will leave you alone",I said staring at her
"What are you going to do alora?",my mom ask with no smile at all,this is the first time she has ever called me by my name
"I..I...I...want to be a knight",I said under my breathe
"You're female,even if I agree to your plan the authority won't permit you because they see women as weaklings",my mom said showing sign of no interest in our discussion
"That's not the problem mother,I can disguise my self as a boy and help save our home mother",I said holding her hands
"Who do you think you can fool,you're a girl for Christ sake you can't disguise yourself like a boy",my mom said as she stared at me
"Mom you just have to trust me",I said trying my best to convince her
"Even if I trust you,what will we tell the guards,that my son is coming from a faraway land,it sounds absurd daughter",my mom said with disinterest
"Yes you're right mom,you'll tell them that your son from another country is coming to replace his father and that he did not come earlier because of the delay the post man caused while delivery the message",I said staring at her,at least I was plotting out some points
"What will the people say,they all know that I birthed only one child",my mom said again
"But they don't know the gender,ever since I was born I have never left this compound,I mean this compound is big enough for 100 residents,I spent seventeen years of my life behind this walls",I said plotting out more point,I hope I am able to convince her
"Even if they don't know your gender,how will I explain you?",my mom asked
"Mom you'll tell them that,my uncle overseas took me with him for educational purpose when I was seven,that way they would think that the only child which you birthed is the one returning,in that way we would be able to convince them that you had only one child",I said still holding her hands
"My daughter I am not sure about this",my mom said rolling her eyes
"Mom,do you want to lose the only thing that reminds us of where we're from?",I asked my mom without any fear in my eyes
"No way I don't want to lose it so as I don't want to lose you,if the authorities find out that you are a female they might kill you,such has never happened since when I was birthed by my mother",my mom said staring at the thick cloud,it's like it's going to rain
"But mom......",my mom interupted before I could even finish
"Enough! Enough! Enough! Alora, you're a woman for crying out loud no one will believe that you're male",my mom yelled at me
"Am sorry mom",I said bowing my head
"We shall never talk about this again",my mom said wearing a serious face
"Okay mother,but I want you to sleep on it,think about it and give me your answers tommorow",I said as I walk away
I left my mother who just sat at the porch
|NOON|
The palace guards were already arriving on their horses
I could hear the neighing of horses in our compound,my mom quickly rush out and attended to them
"Welcome my son's",my mother said
"Mrs heist we are hear to pass a warning from the king he gives you three days to provide a knight or the tradition will prevail",the chief commander said as he rode out of our compound
My mom looked really sad she was already weak in the heart and has no idea what to do to save her home
I walked up to her and help her up,we both sat on a bench under a tree
"Mom what was that all about?",I asked her looking at her
"We have three days left",my mom said with sadness in her voice