"Okay my lord. I will begin the journey tomorrow". Mel bowed before walking out of Dasya's room.
~~~~~~
"My lady, please stop coming to me". Mel, who walked to the corner where Taliyah was, echoed.
She felt heartbroken at Mel's words. How won't she? When she expects 'I miss you, I will never run away from you again' as an answer?
"Are you always a jerk?" With tears clustered in her dark golden eyes, she asked as she hit his chest.
"No I'm not. But I don't mind becoming that for your sake". He uttered with his gaze on the ground. His words are just lies. He wishes to hold her hand, stroke her wavy hair, play with her, but can he do that now? Can he turn back at the edge of time?
He wished to go back to those days when they were together. 'Those days are his most cherished memories '.
"If you were to go back to those old days, what would you do?" Holding back the heavy tears that clustered in her eyes with her hand firmly on her gown, she asked.
"If I were to go back to those old times, I would never miss the opportunity to kiss you, hug you, play with you, stroke your hair, and make you mine. I will make sure you do not return to the palace, and I never met your brother". He replied with tears streaming down from his eyes as he stared at her.
"What about now? Can't you make it happen? Why can't we just elope? Why?" She asked as she allowed those tears to pour down.
Should he give her a reply? "I want you to forget me. I wished those memories were gone. I wished I never met you, and I wished you were never a cold princess in a cruel palace". He echoed.
Taliyah's hand stopped him as he was about to walk out on him.
"Let's keep running away from each other but promise me. Promise me not to ever love any lady apart from me, and never to hate me. It's an order!" She cleaned her eyes as she stared at his back.
"How can I hate the woman I have tried to forget and hate for more than ten years? How can I not love the woman I have always wished to spend the rest of my life with?" After uttering those words, he pulled his hand from hers and walked out on her.
"I will wait for you". She echoed loudly before walking into her room.
~~~~~
"Why did you call for me, Dryan!?" Zale asked with his voice raised.
Dryan closed his book, and placed it back on the shelf before taking a few steps towards his brother, whose eyes were filled with hatred, and contempt. "Why do you always choose him over me?" He asked Zale, who burst into sudden laughter.
"I have always hated you! You are just like your mother!" He uttered with his voice raised.
"What makes me, and my mother, similar?" He asked as he took a few steps forward, while Zale took a step backward.
After suppressing his sudden laughter, he replied with his gaze on his brother. "because what you want is not yours, just as she took what isn't her!" "Have I answered your question?". Zale asked with a smirk on the corner of his lip.
"I'm the crown prince! Why can't the crown prince become the king? Will you support him in killing your brother, and making him the king? Do you think he won't kill you when you become useless?" He asked with determination, and obsession in his sparkling eyes.
"So much like you. Just as your mother killed Princess Anthia, you will kill Taliyah when she is no more useful, destroy Chila, and her people after you become the king? Do you still have the quality of the king when you sit on blood in place of a throne?" Every word of Zale tore him apart.
How can it not? Can he escape from the truth? Is he really going to sit on blood in place of the throne?
"Yes! Even our father killed his seven brothers to become king, why can't I do the same?" His question made Zale chuckle, but faintly this time.
"Your mother is the one who killed them! That is why I have always seen you both as the same. My comprehension is never bad". With that, he walked out on Dryan whose body burns in anger.
"Did you just see for yourself? Yet, you say I shouldn't destroy this little devil?" Aro asked as she came out from where she was peeing. She is still adamant about killing her son, but can Dryan watch his mother kill Zale? Even if he hates him, he will never do such a thing to his brother!
"Instead of killing him, why not choose another option?" His words made Aro slap him hard. How can he still be adamant about keeping the obstruction to her plan? Does it look like she cares?
"Even if he is an obstruction, he is your son! If you kill him now, do you think Taliyah won't have the same thought? Do you think the princesses won't doubt you? 'If you can kill your son, what makes the difference?' that will be their question". He said with his palm on his reddened cheeks.
"What should we do then?" This is the first time she is asking for his option.
In excitement, he echoed. "What about distracting him from paying attention or thinking about us?" He asked his mother, who deemed his opinion 'sensible'.
"Let's send him to another kingdom? Give him a position in Heira?" She asked Dryan, who nodded his head in disapproval. "Then what can we do to distract him from looking at our side?"
"If you send him to another kingdom, he won't go until the king approves, and he won't accept the position. What if he gets married to a handicap? Will he still have our time?" His words made his mother hugged him. She is indeed amazed by the intelligence of her son, 'she did not see it coming'.
"Who do you think is suitable for it?" The queen asked, as she couldn't guess about any handicapped nobles.
"I will make the King of Ganji pay ten years of his tribute with his blind daughter".