Prince Edward was having a good time with Phoebe. They were not saying anything but the silence between them was comfortable."So... " they both said. Phoebe could hear him chuckle.
"Ladies first," he told her.
Phoebe cleared her throat before saying what she wanted to say. "Who are you, really?" her question made the prince to stop pushing her while she turned to face him. "I wish that you'd be honest with me right now."
The Prince bent low to her level and push the swing closer to him. "Who do you think I am?" he asked her.
The Prince? The son of the man that killed... She shook her head as she tried to get those thoughts out of her head. The Prince's eyes went to the amulet and he touched it but before he could bring the pendant in it out, Phoebe grabbed his hand.
"Why don't we start on a fresh page?" he pulled his hand away form the amulet and waited for her response.
Phoebe knew what he was talking about but she wasn't sure she was ready to be honest with him. What if he isn't completely honest with her? She thought.
"Are you scared that I might not be honest with you?" he asked. Her silence made him to speak further, "Will you trust me?" he stretched forth his hands to her. If she took his hands, it means she is willing to trust him. She was taking a long time and when he tried to pull his hand away, she grabbed it.
"Just this once." She told him and he pulled her up.
"Shall we go for a stroll?"
"What if they come back with the ice cream?"
"The ice cream or me?" The prince asked and she followed after him.
"So, tell me everything about you." she told him. "Where you are from and..."
"You know that already, if not, you wouldn't have hidden the amulet from me." he glanced at her to see if she would deny it but she didn't.
"I heard your father killed my mother and my kinds."
The Prince stood in front of her and said, "Yes, he did."
Phoebe looked at him and she could tell that he was sorry for what his father did. "Why?"
Prince Edward turned to continue the walk with her, "He was vexed." The Prince explained. "He felt that your kinds were a threat to his kingdom."
"How? Did they do anything?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know much of the story because I was out with my mom and I was very young but this is what my mother told me."
Phoebe held back her tears. "Your father just got rid of innocent lives..."
"And that is why we need you," He said to her.
"I don't think I can..."
"I know my father did wrong to kill your kinds, why do you think I am here?" he asked her. "I came here to work it out. I know I can't bring back those that are gone but I can save those that are still left."
"I need time to think about this."
"How long should I wait?"
"I will be the one to get back to you." she told him. "Let's get back before they start looking for us."
The prince nodded and they left.
Gwen and the rest were already waiting for them with the ice creams. She was surprised that they were all okay and no one was bruised.
"I guess I win this round." Lucas told her. Gwen was astonished.
She walked up to them. "You mean you guys didn't pull each other's hair out?" she asked them.
Phoebe looked at the Prince and they both smiled. Phoebe didn't reply her, she took her ice cream from her and walk away and so did the prince. Gwen was left dumbfounded.
🗝🗝🗝
Kim followed the prince and when he was about to go in with Xenia, he blocked the way of the prince.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"I believe you have done so much hurt already."
The Prince took a while to study Kim. "Get out of my way!"
"I am sorry but I won't allow if. If you want to go in to meet her, you have to get past me first."
"And me" a maiden walked in with a broom in her hand.
"And me." Mrs Golan had a frying pan on her head. More maidens and guards came to protect Xenia.
The Prince backed away a little as he stared at the people in front of him. "Xenia didn't tell me she had a little army." he scoffed.
"You should go back to wherever you come from... You are not needed here." One of the maidens told him.
"One... Two... Three... Four..." he counted them. They were ten in numbers. "I can see you no longer need your jobs. I will grant you all quick access to leave." he told them and walked away.
"What does he mean by that?" one of the guards asked.
"Whatever this will result to, I am ready to accept it." Kim said and left and others went back to their posts.
Chloe met the Prince on the way but before he could go and further, she pulled him to the garden. "What was all that about?" she asked him.
"What was what?"
"You asking Xenia to marry you." she reminded him just in case he had forgotten. "What about me? This wasn't the initial plan we had in mind. "
"Didn't you say you wanted Xenia gone?" he asked her.
"Yes... But..."
"No buts," he cuts in. "See it as a favor I am doing for you for always warming up my bed." he told her before walking away.
Chloe was speechless. Was that all she was to him? "This is all your fault, Xenia. I wish you never existed." she cussed at her. "It's a good thing to see you gone. You can have the prince but I will have the one person you have always loved." she said. "Too bad you won't be around to see it." She looks up at Xenia's window. Even though she knew Xenia couldn't hear all she had said, she was waiting for the day she'd tell all of these to her face.
Xenia was in her room trying to clear her head when she heard noises. She looked down from her window and she saw Mrs. Golan being dragged by some guards. She saw some maidens and some guards being dragged as well. She was surprised to see Alianna and Kim.
What's going on? She wondered. She opened the door and left to see what was happening when she overheard some maidens say they were going to be banished by crossing the Prince's path.
Xenia didn't understand what they meant by that but she didn't bother asking them because they wouldn't answer her so she did the only thing she could think of, she went in to the palace without being summoned. Xenia saw the Prince sitting in Prince Edward's throne as usual and she couldn't hide the disgust in her eyes.
"Is it true that you all tried to beat up the prince?" The Queen asked.
"It's a good thing we were trying to beat him up but didn't beat him up yet." Mrs Golan answered the Queen.
Xenia was surprised to see the cook speak this way.
"You know what this means, don't you?" The queen asked.
"If you are going to banish me for trying to protect a young girl from being molested by a monster then so be it."
"Mrs Golan," Xenia called. She has no idea what they were talking about. She walked in front of her majesty, bowed her head and wished to know what was happening.
Kim explained what happened and how they ended up bundled up in the palace. "I do not regret my action, your majesty."
"I see you have all accepted your fates therefore I decree that you... "
"No, your majesty." Xenia pleaded with her knees on the ground. She knew how important these people are to the kingdom. It would be disheartening if the prince comes back and finds his favorites gone all because of her. She wasn't sure how they would take this. She didn't want them to think she was a burden. If she leaves, will there be peace? She asked herself.