"Are you Gressilia?" said King Carlin who more accurately asked the name of the young man in front of him.
"That's right Your Majesty the King, Servant of Gressylia."
At this moment, King Carlin seemed to have a crooked smile clearly on his face, making Princess Cerllynda many times afraid of her father's expression.
"What's your occupation?" he asked again, as if wanting to interrogate all about Gressylia.
"I only work as a firewood collector and sell it to the nobles and the market," Gressylia answered honestly without giving a little more than that.
"What have you done to my poor young daughter? How can she love a poor boy like you!"
Deg. It was as if a dagger had been stabbed into Princess Cerllynda's heart, her father was now reproaching Gressylia because she was a poor young man. He did not accept all this, Gressylia may be poor, have no position, degree or honor, but Gressylia is a great and kind person, that's what made Princess Cerllynda fall in love.
"Father!" Princess Cerllynda screamed to defend Gressylia, but her father immediately raised his hand to order him to be quiet and not to open his mouth.
"I didn't do anything, Your Majesty the King. I'm sorry for being presumptuous for loving the princess," Gressylia said with a downcast face.
He knew very well, loving a prettiest princess and a Crown Princess of the Carvandalle Kingdom was a disgrace to him who was only a firewood collector.
"What are you going to give my daughter when you marry her? Are you going to feed her with love?! With your rice and cheap food?! Can you buy her fancy and nice clothes? Make her happy? Can you?"
Really, Princess Cerllynda couldn't stand all the things her father said to Gressylia, after all she loved Gressylia and she was the one who forced Gressylia to do this. This was entirely his fault for continuing to force Gressylia which ended up with her pride being mercilessly trampled on.
"Father! Don't say that! I beg you, I know him better than you do, I love him sincerely. Father, he-"
"Shut up! What did he do to you to be blinded by him! Did he incite you to become rich, even to become King of Carvandalle?!"
Princess Cerllynda shook her head vigorously hearing her father's words, her tears slowly came back out, she couldn't stand to see her father demeaning other people, moreover he was the one she loved.
"I have not done anything to Princess Cerllynda, Your Majesty the King. I am indeed poor and without wealth, even very lowly in the eyes of Your Majesty the King. However, I will try to make the Princess happy, be there for her at all times, and protect her from any harm. If the princess is injured, I am prepared to behead you, Your Majesty the King."
This time Gressylia no longer lowered her face. He must continue the struggle of Princess Cerllynda, so he must also have the courage to do all of this. He looked quite brave as he looked at King Carlin's face. His mind wandered back to one year ago, a heartbreaking past that drastically changed his life. With great difficulty he forgot the past, but now it has come back.
"You are an extraordinary man! But, as long as you know a poor young man, I will never marry off my daughter to a young man like you.
I don't want your feet here!" said King Carlin, who blatantly refused Gressylia for his daughter.
"Father," whispered Princess Cerllynda who was already in tears at all of her father's words, while the four of them grinned triumphantly, although she could still see the ordinary Dario, he was a little different from the others.
"Listen to me my daughter! I would never want to accept him as your future husband, of course you know that's not it. Your eyes have been blinded by him, your ears have been deaf to no longer obey me as your father."
King Carlin spoke in a firm tone, but managed to pierce Princess Cerllynda's heart. Her tears just flowed freely.
"Maybe your father is right if I am blinded and deaf because of love, but I did not choose wrong, Father. By criticizing and humiliating him makes me sick Father, you are a king who should protect the people below! How cruel, Father? Why? Why is honor and degree seen from his property? Why Father? Why can't poor people have even a little honor? Why Father? Just so you know! I have not liked this attitude of yours for a long time, you always look down on people who lower than you. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you were in that person's position!"
plakkkk
Princess Cerllynda looked away, her father's big hand now slapping her hard enough for the first time, it hurt, but not worth the pain she felt, neither did Gressylia.
"How dare you lecture your father, Cerllynda!!!" rebuked King Carlin with a bright red face, he looked very angry at his daughter who now dared to speak harshly to him.
Gressylia who saw that didn't want to be silent like a statue, she secretly clenched her arms, let alone saw Princess Cerllynda's right cheek which was red from King Carlin's slap. But what must he do to save Princess Cerllynda and make this dream come true. He was more aware of himself as a poor young man who had no honor, even though he had only lived in Carvandalle for a year.
"Your Majesty the King, Servant please do not hurt the Princess if you do not approve of our relationship." King Carlin immediately raised his hand towards Gressylia, ordering her to be quiet.
"Don't say anything stupid young man!"
King Carlin growled, he was very upset, disappointed, angry, but he could still endure all of this, especially seeing his beloved only daughter crying so hard, her face that looked so much like his late wife was what made him feel sorry for his daughter.
"Alright, this is the last chance for the five of you. Fight! The winner will marry my daughter!"
Everyone lifted their heads, it looked like they were both smiling happily at the same time smiling lopsidedly at what King Carlin had just said.
"Cerllynda! Go to your room!" King Carlin's command which was now undeniable, the girl immediately ran when her father rebuked in a sharp and loud voice.
"Now you can all go home," said King Carlin, who then left the five young men with different faces.
"Hey Gress! Looks like you have to prepare to lose!" said Cardwell with a crooked smile, patted Gressylia's shoulder lightly and left.
"You really don't know yourself, do you, when you come back from here, look in the mirror! Who are you? How dare you love the princess!"
Gressylia was silent hearing those words, she immediately left the kingdom with her heart broken, as well as half of her heart that was left in the kingdom. He is worried about Princess Cerllynda, is the girl still crying? His heart really hurts, it hurts this much to love someone he shouldn't love.
"Why are you doing this Princess Cerllynda?" he whispered as he closed his eyes, breathing in the hot air outside. Again and again past memories came to his mind, he smiled sadly as he recalled all of them.