Ceaser was looking at his mother's back as she led him up the flights of stairs. He inwardly hoped that she was joking but she looked far too serious.
I can't marry Princess Eve, he thought to himself, never.
They reached the room and Terra locked the door. She made him sit on the luxurious bed and sat at the edge with him. He kept looking at her intensely. He looked lost with dry tears on his cheeks. Terra smiled and got up to get a basin of water and a soft cotton fabric to clean his face. When she re-entered the room from the bathroom, Ceaser was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling. The designs there never ceases to amaze him. There was a woman holding a child by a river then the next image was of her tossing the baby into the river. The next images were of a small family; a mother, son and daughter. They grew up and the mother died. Her daughter seemed to grow old quickly while the son remained the same.
His mother had told him the story but she never really knew what it meant or whose story it was.
"Maybe we should exchange rooms, mhh?"
Ceaser didn't answer or look at her. She lay down next to him and hugged him tightly
"I'm sorry." she apologized," There is nothing I can do. The marriage has to take place. For the people, my son."
"They won't be there to marry her with me." he said sullenly.
Terra giggled and said," Political marriages involve both parties dear."
" What will they do for me?" he asked sitting up and breaking free from her embrace.
Terra smoothed out his hair and started cleaning his face. His cheeks turned pink at the slightest pressure; he was so fragile. She pressed the cloth lightly so that he wouldn't be hurt.
" They will respect you and support you. They will seek your wisdom when they don't know what to do and..."
Terra stopped speaking when she heard a knock at the door. The person didn't wait for her to answer as he walked in. Ceaser frowned when he saw his father. He hated him so much. There were no words to describe how he felt towards his father; he wanted to kill him so badly for reasons unknown to him.
"Have you told him?" Solemn asked without moving from the door.
Solemn eyed Ceaser with disgust and loathe. He sometimes wondered if Ceaser was his son because the boy had no special features to attribute him as his son. He looked more like his mother. Those eyes that always looked at him with judgement and scrutinity; they had never looked at him with love nor like a son to a father.
" What will you do if I refuse to go?" Ceaser said bitterly.
"I will make you." Solemn replied.
Terra nestled Ceaser closer to her and looked at Solemn seriously. He looked at her and whispered a curse at her. He was certain that she was the reason for his misfortunes because everything started going wrong when she entered his life. He had fight a dual for her hand and won against the current king of Zeth, Napoleon. If he could go back in time, he would never marry her. He would marry her cousin Rakka. She seemed to attract better lack than Terra.
He looked at Ceaser for a second more before he walked out of the room and slammed the door.
"Remember who you're doing this for. I'm sure you wouldn't want us to be enslaved by another kingdom, would you?"
Ceaser shook his head and buried his face in his mother's bossom. He started to cry for reasons he could not fathom. Maybe he just wanted to be with his mother? Couldn't he marry when he was like his uncle, Prince Julius?
"Ceaser....." he heard a multitude of voices whisper.
He jolted up and looked around. Terra looked at him and saw the worry and fear plastered in his gaze. His features looked like those of a father worrying about what his family will feed on if he can't provide enough.
"Ceaser, come back to me." Terra called out cupping his face in her hands.