Queen Grizeel was a strong woman but things were not going well for her it was now two years.
Two solid years with no results!
The Calvary men were stationed in the borders of all kingdoms except for Atexia Kingdom .
Kingdom Atexia was a kingdom well known for its Great Love.
It was a kingdom of love and only lovers, honeymooners and tourists visited the place.
Great zeal, effort and passion were put in place by the loyal and humble Calvary men to no avail.
Each and every month, the Soldiers would send word and it would be,"We can't find her,Your Highness."
Queen Grizeel felt pain;a pain unworthy of storytelling,She felt her stomach cut into some unknown pieces as though a woman in labour.
Who feels the pains and melancholy of a child if not a mother?
Mothers carry children in their wombs for nine solid months and later experiences labor pains and tough times in child birth!
Was she expecting a dead to return?Was she seeking someone who had been swallowed by the grave?
Tears streamed on her face, so emotional was she that day!
"Oh, I'm dying inside.....I'm losing my mind! Charles is Orphelia dead?"She asked and then continued."Orphelia my child why doest thou this to me?Haven't thou sorrowed my heart enough?How came you meanly disappeared and never returned?"
q
"Relax Grizzy.. She..She is not dead and will return."said he heavy -hearted..
Grizeel had been sad for a year and half now, their daughters search having proven futile .
She would always look expectantly, longingly and depressingly at the Gates from sunrise to sunset.If she saw not Orphelia,she would run back to her room crying.
Her ladies had sent him message about it thereby, he returned home from the uneventful Search.
He was also sad but if they both cried who could help the other?
He was trying to be strong- strong for his Kingdom, strong for his captive daughter, strong for his wife!
He'd strained enough and dark circles were evident on his eyebrows.
He was so tired of the wakefulness!
"I bid you go and sleep my dearest father .You are tired and Oh don't worry,I will keep watch."Said Amelia.
"Oh my dearest daughter,you should sleep instead as you are young and need sleep more."said he.
"Forgetest thou that you fell from the throne only but yesterday?Nay you shalt have some siesta today."said she.
Amelia was in much panick when her father fell from the throne!How heartbroken she was, her father.
Had he died things would have been more worse!
What could they have done?
kk
She had to chair the discussion-she was experienced in such matters but she didn't like it one bit .
And when one had asked her to take the throne so she could help her father, she'd answered,
"Princes, Barons and barronnesses,Counts and countesses I promise to take this duty as mine today in lieu of my father and the ruler- my sister.However, the throne can not and will never be mine.I'm not fated to be a monarch!And I shall not force things as I'm very content with my position.Inaddition, let's all work harder to remove all the inorderliness and confusion that has seized our land .I thank you all."Said Amelia.
Everyone was stunned with her exceptionally excellent speech!And she was not going to take the throne?!
"What if the ruler never returns?" one of the personages had asked .
It had shredded her heart but she still answered..
"There is no such thing has "never return." Be strong and faithful in waiting.
She will return. Keep faith with me she will."she'd said.
Presently,she'd coerced her father to sleep and she was consoling her mother.
Now she was serenely sleeping! Beautiful but stressed.
💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮💮
The Royal physicians and his paramedical team ran their pace exerggarated perhaps afraid of being questioned.
Apparently, the Queen Grizeel Amorah Charles was so sick; She could not eat or drink,she could not talk or walk .This had persisted for the past three days without change.
The Civilians came from all over the kingdom,out of the Kingdom.
Queen Agny Monica Johns of Agnes Kingdom paid homage to her friend Grizeel having heard about her ailments.
Surprisingly, she came too late as she could not talk to her.
She wept bitterly lamenting about the eerie happenstance.
Why would her friend face those many adversities?She didn't even enjoy her marriage life well..
Remembering how they got acquainted, her late husband King Amazon Hopkins Johns had asked her hand in marriage but promised a duo- wedding.
He introduced her to his King- friend Charles the Great and his maiden.
When the D-day come, Some jealous personages had plotted to kill her but Amorah had helped and exposed them.
Tear-striken, she'd hugged her and cried making promises,
"What donest thou to me?When I was about to be killed,like a goddess you came!I shall be your friend and sister.In case I bear a male I'll make him marry your daughter and the reverse is possible."declared she emotionally.
Then sun was hot!And her heart ablaze!
And there was more,Amorah was dying!
Turning, she caught sight of Charles ,stress- beaten he was, like a lion heavily rained on, he was deeply sorrowed for he loved his wife very much!He was holding his hands as though warning death not get any closer!
Seeing this, there came a feeling of déjà vu!
How she held her dying husband!How she loved him!
She had pieta on him!
"I know she shall come back but I can't wait any longer!I'm tired."said Amorah coming back to conciousness.
"Grizeel my love don't leave,be strong....Be strong for me !I love you? Let us wait together...She will come."said the king his voice cracking.
"Ammu don't die ....Not yet we still have much to do...Much to talk about ....Much to enjoy ....Much to gossip and laugh about! Remember our youthful promise? Jibran is in love with your daughter"Said Agny sobbing.
Tears and complicated smile coloured the face of the Queen.
"I.....I.....I....do.....Yesssss.... Remember our photo album?I know you came with it?Bring it."she said breathing heavily.
"I will ...I will..."said Agny runing out to get her purse.
Looking at the face of her beloved husband and king , she tried to sit up and with alot of effort she surprisingly hugged him and said,"I love you so much and will never cease to love thee! Remember our first time? Now go bring me some food ...I need strength....To ....To help fight!.....Make haste!"said she.
When all was gone and she was alone she said," Adieu my love....Farewell."
With that, she breathed her last!
How some people hide their last times too well!
****** ****** *****" ******** ******* ****** ******** *****
The royal celesta was rung twenty and two times as befitting of a queen's burial.
All were in black except for the king and the Calvary men who were dressed in grey uniforms.
Agny of Agnes Kingdom had cried and her eyes were swollen from alot of crying.
Amelia was so shocked and sad!
A mother and sister gone?
"Adieu my love .... Farewell." echoed in her ears as bells.
She did not even have a last time with her mother!
She went to see her only to watch her die.
It pained her so much!
When the burial time reached , the king carried the queen's cassette on his shoulder as the royal soldiers matched, him taking the lead.
Many were shocked and touched by his work of loyalty and honour.
He had accepted his fate , accepted that he had to reckon with the reality.But the pain was just too much to evade!
He matched as though in reverie.He felt forlorn-felt all alone and empty!
And when the gold coffin was disappearing on the red earth, it disappeared with is heart.
Beside him was his lone daughter planting roses on the grave.
Her face was unreadable; a facade he knew too well!
Agny stood behind them looking lost in thought.
Evidently all had felt the impact of the blow of death!
Death;A big thief that stealeth men and women from the face of earth.Death a big parasite that sucks breath.And the grave - a greedy and foodus belly that eats everything.Including the rotten.
They all stood there perchance reminiscing the good times.