I heard bustling outside my room. What was happening? Usually this palace was quiet. I flinched when someone bursted into my room and the door banged. Jenifer was here. Her face was pale. She was afraid. She walked towards me and said,
" Princess, His majesty has summoned you in assembly hall."
" What..." I got up immediately from couch.
" Every noble is present there. You must hurry. Two knights have came to escort you. They are outside your room."
I was just speechless. What was happening?
" Where is Amy?" I asked.
" I have sent her outside."
My heart was palpitating fastly. I was scared. Did I broke a rule or something?
" Princess, you look decent. You should hurry." She reminded me.
I nodded and rushed to downstairs. Two knights were there to escort me to palace.
" Please come this way." One of them said.
They were following me from behind. It felt uncomfortable. Every maid in our way was eyeing me with resentment. What had I done?
We reached the central palace. When I entered the assembly hall. Everyone's head turned towards me. Their attention was overwhelming. Every higher ranking noble was present there. Crown prince Balder was also there. They were eyeing me with hate. It was pin drop silence. The room felt stuffy. I bowed a bit and greeted to His majesty. He was frowning. No one spoke. I was getting more worried. The atmosphere was filled with tense air. I could smell the leather of expensive seats everyone was sitting on.
" Princess, What did you do last night?" An old noble asked me.
I gulped and said,
" I...I went to ball and then slept."
" Princess Maldeliene, you do know about the fire last night." His majesty said, snapping my attention to him.
I nodded. I broke into cold sweat. So, this was about fire. But, I didn't caused it intentionally. It was an accident.
" Why are you nodding? Doesn't your kingdom teach you basic manners?" Another noble spoke. His voice was authoritative and strict.
" Cat got her tongue...." Another noble mocked.
" Y...Yes, I know." I said in a meek voice.
" I don't like to speak in riddles.So, I will get it straight.You are accused of causing that fire. Some people saw you running from there." His voice reflected disappointment.
My eyes widened. My heart was going to burst out my chest. My limbs went cold. I felt like my soul just left my body.
" Y...Your majesty, it isn't like that..I.." I tried to convince but that noble who mocked me interfered and said,
" Princess, Are you telling us that His majesty is wrong?"
I shaked in my head no.
" We have discussed it already and I have decided to sent you back to your kingdom. I have already sent King William a letter regarding this." He announced.
I was thunderstruck and I felt like the ground slided underneath me. A Storm came and destroyed everything in a second.
" The meeting has finished." He announced.
He got up and walked away. Other nobles followed him. Some of them were eyeing me and most of them were laughing.
I was just standing there. They didn't even ask me anything just announced their decision.
I walked towards my room in a haze. When I entered the palace Jenifer and Amy was there waiting for me. They had the look of pity on them. The news must have reached them. Amy came towards me and said,
" I trust you princess." She said and hugged me.
" Amy, it was an accident. I didn't mean to...." I said.
" It's okay princess." She grabbed my face " You should be happy. We are going back."
" You didn't understand. I also want to go back but not like a culprit, not after feeling like I did something wrong.....Everyone must be believing that I did all of this intentionally."
" Princess, we are leaving tomorrow." She said in a sad voice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was returning to our kingdom. Alaric didn't come to meet me last night. Did he also think I was the one to blame? I didn't want him to think so. We just became friends and I was already going back. Why didn't he come? A tear slide down my eye. I would miss him. I wanted to clear everything but would anyone beleive me?
" Princess, it's time to go..." Amy informed me.
I looked around this room and remembered that I met him for the first time in here. He was hiding from some people. I had made so much memories here. It was now painfull to go back just like that.
I wiped my tear and walked downstairs. Jenifer and every maid was standing there. Jenifer came towards me and grabbed my hand gently,
" Princess, I have seen you and I know enough about you to tell everyone that it was a misunderstanding." She told me in her gentle voice. She was trying not to cry.
I hugged her and said," Thankyou, thankyou so much..."
I stepped back a bit and said to everyone,
" I apologise if I caused any of you problems during my stay. I will always be thankful to you. Thankyou so much...."
" No, princess don't make us feel bad. It was our pleasure..." A maid said.
Another maid came forward and gave me a packet," Princess, we prepared a small gift for you...If you don't like...."
I immediately took the packet from her and said, "How could I not like it? I will always keep it with me. Thankyou very much."
I said and walked out with tears in my eyes. I felt so emotional. The time I spent with everyone was so precious. My friends didn't came to meet me. They must not want to see me after all of this.
I sat in the carriage and we continued our journey with only one thought.Was this really the end?
Alaric
" She is going." Rick shouted.
" What...." I asked while getting up.
I was working all night on her case. I was searching for clues. Something wasn't right about this one. I knew many nobles didn't like her here and that was the perfect moment. But, I wanted to know the truth. I knew it wasn't her fault.
I jumped from the window and Rick was following me.
I took Penelope and rode on her towards her. I wouldn't let her go without meeting me. My heart beat was matching the speed of Penelope. I was going with the speed of air. On seeing me, the guards opened the main gates in a hurry. Rick was behind me. My mind was just focussing on her. I didn't know anything that was going around me.
We went out of nobles town and reached the forest. I saw her carriage. Rick went in front of me to stop the carriage.
He stopped the carriage successfully. I also stopped beside the carriage. I got down from Penelope.
Madeline looked out to see what was happening and was surprised to see me. But, her expression quickly changed to a happy one. She climbed down the carriage in a hurry and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her too. She belonged here right in my arms.
" I thought you wouldn't come. I..thought you..y...you also think that....." She said but I shushed her. Her voice was shaking. She was afraid that I would also think bad of her. She couldn't harm anyone even in her dreams. She was Madeleine afterall.
" I believe you. I trust you more than anyone." I convinced her.
She smiled and looked at me through her teary eyes. I wiped her tears with my thumb. I wanted to see her smile. I wanted to remember her smily face. She grabbed my hand roughly and said,
" I am leaving....."
I just realised it was too late. She was leaving already. I felt a sudden pain in my chest like someone was ripping my heart. My heart was clenching painfully. I didn't want her to go not like this.
I wrapped my hands around her tightly and said,"I don't want you to go. I am sorry I could do nothing."
" It's not your fault. Time is just not with us right now...We just became friends and I am leaving already."
I was dumbfounded when she called us friends. Yeah, right she was my friend. I limited my relationship. I forgot...
" Alaric, it's time..." Rick said making me remember it was the time to say goodbye.