"What do you think of the princess of State of Neo?"
Sessa stared at his father. "Are you really considering on forcing me to get married?"
"My son, I think what your mother is suggesting is reasonable."
"But father, I am not your first son nor second. And neither of them is married, why don't you put your intentions of marriage upon them?"
"Go and think about it...and you should go and see your mother."
"Yes father."
Moonfall Hall
"Your Highess, the Crown Prince requests to see you." Concubine Keiwan's maid announced beaming from ear to ear for her mistress was always joyful whenever her only son came to visit her.
"Sessa is here?" Concubine Keiwan asked elated. "Send him in at once!" She ordered adjusting her dress. Her son rarely came to see her so she felt favoured whenever he came by. King Sessa had seven wives: one queen and six concubines. Concubine Keiwan was the second concubine in the palace and the most loved one sending some hatred her way.
Sessa was ushered in, the concubine smiled as she saw her son's handsome face.
"Mother." Sessa adressed and bowed. His mother rose to her feet and touched his face affectionately.
"Sessa, come. Seat with me." He did as his mother told him, right from childhood his mother had always pampered him. Partly because he was frail and mainly because he was her only son.
"I heard you had an accident. Let me look at you, are you hurt?" Her eyes roamed over his body looking for any slight injury.
Sessa took her hands. "Mother, I'm fine. Don't worry, okay?"
"I will stop worrying when you get married and give me my grandchildren." Concubine Keiwan pouted.
Sessa gave out a sigh. "Can we not talk about this again?"
"Why?" She squeezed his hand. "Sessa, my only son, you are not getting any younger."
"But you have many grandchildren already, Eriu is married with four kids, Aloyi has two children and is expecting another." Sessa had six sister two of which were married, two engaged and the other two were still coming up.
His mother glared at him and dropped his hand.
"You are my only son, do you want me to die without carrying your children?"
"Mother! Do not speak like that."
She smiled. "Alright, your father is going to hold a birthday banquet for himself in a few days and he is going to invite the princess of Neo. What do you think?"
"A birthday banquet?"
Concubine Keiwan held a hand to her mouth. "Oh, he hasn't told you yet. It just slipped out of my mouth. So what do you think of the princess?" His mother watched his face vigilantly, yet his face remained as blank as a paper.
"I have never even met the woman."
"You can meet each other at the banquet, I specially asked His Majesty to invite her."
"Why must it even be her? There are many dignified ladies here in panirut."
"Sessa...you know I am not the queen, I am just a concubine and you are not the first prince, neither are you the second. And because of this, you have a lot of opposition coupled with your health condition. But when you get married to the princess of Neo, you'll not only fortify our alliance. You will also have the support of that nation and no one will be able to say no to your kingship."
Sessa massaged the sides of his head feeling a headache coming up, his mother noticed this gesture and decided to let him go.
"All right! You can go an have some rest."
"Then I'll take my leave."
That night, Sessa couldn't sleep because his mind kept wondering afar. He tossed and turned in his bed like a chicken being roasted alive, unable to bear with his insomnia he rose up and sat on his bed. Before he knew it he found himself going out of his room, and for some unknown reason his legs carried him towards Nimo's room hoping that she was awake. Immediately he stepped into her courtyard he found her figure sitted on the pavement with a jar of wine in her hand.
He came closer and sat beside her. Nimo turned in surprise, she blinked when he sat with her. She couldn't sleep for some reason and decided to come out for some fresh air, never did she expect the Crown Prince to seek her out at this time.
"Your Highness."
"Sessa." He corrected.
She conceded. "Sessa."
Her voice washed over him and he was pleased. He took the wine from her and gulped from it, his throat frowned at the unfamiliar taste and Sessa began to cough. Nimo took the jar from him.
"You shouldn't drink."
"Are you too going to stop me from following my impulse for once in my life?"
She looked at him, he looked pitiful. She stretched the jar towards him and he took it and drank from it, this time he didn't cough.
"This is the first wine of my life...and I'm happy I had it with you." Nimo knew he was a little tipsy but that didn't stop her from glowing at his words.
"As a child, I never did what I wanted to do. I didn't play around with other children, I had to watch them everyday from my window because I couldn't go outside. My parents were worried that I would fall sick. I couldn't learn martial arts, I had to take medications everyday. I couldn't eat every food. And now...I can't even marry whom I like."
She felt a sharp pain like the prick of a needle in her heart.
"Marry?" She looked at him as he watched the sky, the soft wind blowing at his side fringes.
"Yes. My father wants me to marry the princess of Neo to form a treaty between both countries."
Nimo took the wine from him. "Sometimes learn to follow your heart."
"Follow your heart." Sessa whispered back like he wasn't familiar with such words.
"Yes, I followed my heart and joined the army. Today I am very grateful that I did that or I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."
He smiled sweetly. "I will follow my heart and..." His head dropped on her shoulders before he could complete his sentence.
"Eh! Your Highness, Sessa."
She shifted his head and found his eyes closed and his breath shallow. Behold, he was fast asleep. Nimo chortled, His Highness really has zero tolerance for alcohol.
She drank all the wine and kept the jar on the floor, Nimo tried to lift him up but his weight was equivalent to a sack of rice. She once again giggled at her funny thought for she was slightly intoxicated by alcohol herself.
Eventually, she staggered to the door of the Crown Prince with Sessa's arm around her shoulders.
She put him on the bed and laid beside him, he looked like a little boy without that usual unreadable mask on his face.
Let me look at him a tiny bit she told herself.
Soon, her eyelids began to droop.
And off she went to slumberland.