"Trust is like a vase, once it's broken, though you can fix it, the vase will never be the same again." – Shakira Nandini
___
We didn't talk about what happened in the bedroom, we acted normally, he read a book and I was reading some paper work. After some time of quietness he closes his book and sighs. I look up to him and he stares right back.
"Are you planning to let us sleep there?" He closes his eye.
"At the Caleigh castle?" I ask confused, he nods, "Well yes, I have no residences there and the inn is obviously not an option. Everyone knows we are here." My focused gets back on the papers on my knees.
"Why don't we stop by Gahajil house, my cousin. It's near Ethwa we could stay for the night, it's better than staying here you would maybe feel safer. " He proposes. We step out of the carriage and we see the king accompanied by his servants in front of y e castle stairs.
"No, maybe later. I'll need a few days with the king, for the negotiations. If you want to go there before us, you can we will rejoin you after." I respond to him as I approach the king.
"Welcome to my castle, dear crown prince."
The king greets me with opened arms. There is a beautiful woman, in one of the finest robes I've ever seen and a magnificent man, quite robust to his other side who is also smiling.
"Let me introduce you to my wife, the queen Sabastina and my husband, the Duke of Gretling." They both slightly bowed as I did the same.
"Good morning I h open you had a good trip, your higness." Says the queen.
"Yes, I did thank you."
"And this tall man behind you must be the famous sir Hassan, right?" After the king question, they all bowed at once behind me.
"Yes, thus is sir Hassan, the best knight of the entire empire, here is his sister, Dr. Morlon. My dear friend M. Allcar and our minister of economics, M. Clairemont." I present them.
"Amazing, shall we go? We prepared your rooms, you can stay the week if you wish to." The king says as we walk up the stairs to get inside the gigantic castle.
Inside was the most amazing part, the walls were almost all decorated in gold with small diamonds. Right across the entrance, a huge painting of the Duke, the king, the queen and their children could be seen, the king was sitting proudly in the middle, while his spouses were at his sides smiling and his children were on his laps or on sitting beside him.
My father had done the same thing, after my birth. But it could no longer be seen in our palace, as the recent king made sure every trace of my father should dissappear from it.
"A beautiful painting indeed, he commanded this masterpiece after the birth of the third princess." Whispers the Duke beside me, when he saw me staring at the painting.
-
"Do you want me to go?"
I was sitting on the chair behind the desk, he sat on the bed. I could tell he was upset, but I didn't want to deal with it now.
"No, I do not. I just want to get this agreement done peacefully without further pressure from your side, It shall be done when I say so." I respond, with a calm tone.
"OK, do you want some help perhaps?" I raised my eyes to look at his direction.
"No, thank you. You should explore the castle and the garden while we are here, I doubt we will have the time to come here during the next five years that await us." He sighs and leaves.
I stand there, not knowing where to go.
-
"You are the partner of the prince, am I right?" I see the Duke approach me.
I had found a small lake not too far from the castle as I wondered around the area.
"Yes, his husband to be exact. But nobody should know, and I just realized I shouldn't have told you." I say and he smiles.
"Don't worry yourself too much, your secret is safe with me. And I understand you, we went through the same thing I guess."he comes to sit next to me.
" Oh, really. What's your story then? "I turn to look at him with a raised eyebrow." You know what, nevermind I'm not interested. So you may leave me alone now. "
" Now, calm down dear knight. There's no need for to be so hostile, sir Hassan. "My jaw and fists tightens.
" You and your family seem to have forgot what the war let us through, so I'm sorry if I'm 'hostile' but I'm not playing into this all masquerade if you another clown go ask one of his highnesses friends, now if you may excuse me your grace I have to find the prince. "
_
" Fatima, do you know where Alexander is? " I ask my sister as I enter her room.
" Nope, but isn't he supposed to be in a meeting right now? " She says, she is read some papers, with a frown on her face.
" What it is? "I ask and get closer to her.
" This is the first check up I did of his highness, and this one is right before we went on to Caujan. There is something wrong with his body but I can't pit my finger on it. And, now I'm curious what happened during your wedding night?"
I scratch the back of head.
" I don't know, he went crazy all of a sudden, he kept screaming and crying, I never saw him like. It's completely out of character. He kept begging me to leave him alone and he hit me the lamp. " I sigh and cross my arms.
"Humm, that's weird like you said."
_
To be continued...