CHAPTER TWO
Devin smiled triumphantly as he heard his father's words, it was a win-win for him. He would never get to see Zayn ever again and he wouldn't be the most handsome prince amongst them anymore since the wound was sure to ruin his looks.
"Father please, don't do this to me. Whatever have I done to you to deserve this?"
Despite his wound, tears flowed out of his eyes and it stinged his wound, causing him to feel a sharp pain but he couldn't care less.
"And you're leaving the palace this second!" King Arsenio stood up from his throne and left the throne room with his arrogant sons.
"Please! Why do you have to maltreat me like this? I have done nothing wrong!" Zayn pleaded and begged continuously but Arsenio paid deaf ears to him and only ordered a guard to make sure he left the kingdom without any belongings.
The guard slowly nodded to the King's order and even though he felt sorry for Zayn, he couldn't defy the King's commands. With his fellow guard, they both dragged the devastated prince out of the throne room.
Joselu saw when they were dragging Zayn and he immediately went to meet them.
"What is going on here?" He was surprised by the state of the prince and with a voice full of pity, one of the guards answered Joselu.
"His father just disowned him and ordered us to throw him out of the palace without any property."
Shocked to hear what the guard just said, Joselu looked at Zayn who was in tears, Zayn threw himself at him, grabbing his shirt.
"Joselu what did I do? What have I done to deserve this? Why am I the one being treated like this? Just because of my appearance? I can change it, I can change my hair color if they want. Where do they want me to go now? How do they want me to survive? Why me…" Zayn kept on lamenting and crying on Joselu's shoulder.
The guards couldn't disobey the King so before long, Zayn was out of the palace. Joselu went with Zayn even after Zayn pleaded to him that he should stay but Joselu reminded him of the blood oath he took to be by his side and protect him by all means.
Since the man was persistent, Zayn dropped the matter and the two left the palace gates.
Joselu carried a bag with him filled with food, clothes. He also carried a lamp, and with that the two set off.
Joselu knew a small village in the middle east where they could be able to stay so they headed towards that direction. It took a lot of hours, but Zayn and Joselu never stopped walking until they reached the outskirts of Jadovia.
Night time soon fell and Joselu lit the lamp he carried, but he knew they both needed rest so they stopped at a spot that seemed safe. He took down several fig leaves from nearby trees for both him and Zayn to sleep on and covered them with the clothes he carried.
While they both lay quietly, Zayn began to sob and Joselu began to feel sorry for him. He didn't get why the royal family would be so cruel to him, was it really just because he looked so much like his mother? Joselu had always noticed that Zayn's elder brothers had been jealous of him from the start because he was more handsome than them so their hatred towards him was no surprise.
Erika obviously followed her older brothers' footsteps and this father, Arsenio was a very unpredictable kind of man from the start, and he was indeed selfish.
Arsenio held no compassion or pity in his heart for whatever seemed as a fault to him, no matter how small, that was why it was so easy for him to kill his dear wife who was only suspected to be against the Kingdom, even after being married for 19 years.
Joselu could only sigh and he pulled Zayn to himself, silently comforting him. Zayn was only 17 years old, still a young boy,he didn't deserve all he was passing through. First losing his mother, then being neglected by his family, now disowned after almost losing an eye by one of his brothers.
After hours of sobbing painfully, Zayn dozed off and Joselu also closes his eyes, ready to submit himself to sleep.
Zayn and Joselu continued their journey the next day and arrived at the little Village in the middle east which wasn't part of any of the two Kingdoms. Jadovia was located in the South while Ragaounia was in the North. The place was called Homes Village because it was known for its hospitality. It always welcomed poor and homeless people, so lucky that Joselu knew such a place.
A woman with a small stature and brown hair packed up in a messy bun and dresses in a long silky gown walked up to them as soon as they walked through the huge wooden gates.
"Hello, you must be tired and hungry. Why don't you follow me so you can rest and have something to eat?" The cheery woman said and the two of them silently followed her, obviously too tired to say anything.
They were taken to a cottage where cloth was draped on their bodies to keep warm and they were led to sit near a fire. Soon after, food was served to them in a tray and they took off their boots, sat on chairs and began to eat. When they were done eating, they thanked the people the people that served them.
Soon after, they sat before the elders of the village who began to ask them questions.
The two men were silent as they started at each other before facing the people in front of them.
"I was…disowned by my father." The two elder men and woman he was talking to felt pity for him as one of them shook his head slowly.
"And your mother?" The woman asked.
"My mother is dead." Zayn said, looking down at his feet and trying hard to stop the tears from escaping his eyes.
"We're deeply sorry boy, what's your name?"
"Z…Zayn." Zayn was hoping they won't recognize him as a prince of Jadovia and luckily for him, the village knew nothing about the two Kingdoms.
"And what about your friend?" One of the men asked, referring to Joselu.
"He…he insisted on leaving with me when I was disowned by my father."
The three people sat speechless as they thought it was a big joke.
"Have you no family of your own?" The woman asked Joselu.
"No, I was an orphan wandering the streets when I was taken captive and forced to serve my kidnappers, that was where I met him and I took a blood oath to protect him with my life."
"And why is that?"
"I was made to serve as his bodyguard but we grew to become more than Master and servant, we have become very good friends and brothers. I was the only one he was able to share his problems with when his family began to neglect him, and without him, I could never stand living in such a place that forcefully took me against my will when I was only 18, so I went with him and here we are now." After narrating his story, the three people looked at him with pity.
"You boys have really gone through a lot, what's your name please?" The woman asked Joselu.
"Joselu."
"You both are welcome to stay in Homes Village for as long as you want, and if you need anything, be sure to let us know." One of the men said and the boys thanked the three of them.
Homes Village has been Zayn and Joselu's residence ever since then, and they lived there for 7 years and probably still counting.
PRESENT DAY…
Zayn shook his head to divert away from his thoughts. He was walking along a forest path when he heard a painful cry in the bushes, he immediately turned to the direction. Zayn's hand took out his dagger that was in his boot incase of any attack but as he got closer, he could only hear the cry of a boy. A boy was sitting on the ground while holding his leg crying.
Zayn got to him and squatted in front of the boy. With the look of the wound on his ankle, it was no doubt that the boy was just bitten by a snake.
Without wasting another second, Zayn tore the end of his shirt to make a rope and tied it a few inches above his ankle very tight to prevent the poison from going any further, he carried the boy on his back and took him back to town. Soon enough, they arrived at the boy's house with the help of the boy's direction and they got him treated before things got worse.
The mother of the boy was grateful to Zayn that she gifted him with a basket of fruits.
"Thank you so much, I don't know what would've happened to our son if you weren't there."
"It's fine ma'am."
There was no one in the village that didn't know Zayn, he was their tall and handsome sweetheart, and of course every girl's crush, and he was such a samaritan, helping whoever needed a helping hand. The whole village trusted him and even those that knew his story wondered why his family would disown such a person.
Zayn and Joselu were out on a stroll towards the village's spring water when four girls were walking together while holding baskets full of fruits and blankets.
One of the girls saw the two friends coming their way, she called her friends' attention so they could see them and as though on cue, their cheeks reddened at the same time. The men saw them and also smiled.
"Hello ladies." Zayn said to them in a gentleman like manner while Joselu gave a simple wave. All the ladies were speechless as they all waved back, only one of them managed to mutter a really small 'hello'.
"Where…where are you two going? Perhaps we might excort you." A girl gained the courage to speak even when she was bright pink. Zayn gave a small chuckle and put his hands into his trouser pockets, that sight caused more effect on the ladies.
"We wouldn't want to act selfish, because it looks like you girls also have where you're going to." Zayn said.
"Besides, we wouldn't want to stress beautiful damsels like you are." Joselu winked as he spoke and the girls flushed all over again.
They were about to continue their journey when one of the girls spoke up.
"At least accept these basket of fruits, you both need it to remain healthy."
She gave her basket to them which they hesitantly accepted.
"Thank you ladies."
Without wasting anymore time, the two young lads went their way with their basket of fresh fruits.
While they walked through the forest path, Joselu wanted to go back so Zayn continued on his own while Joselu left with the basket.
Zayn kept walking until he reached an open meadow quite far from the town, he hadn't been there before and he was amazed by the beauty of the place.
It had big and tall trees with fresh green leaves, bright and colourful flowers growing in abundance along the field, and a glistening clear pond in the middle of the meadow. The scenery was breathtaking, and peaceful.
Zayn sat on the soft grass at the edge of the pond and stared into the clear water at his reflection.
His jet black hair had really grown compared to the time he was chased out of his kingdom, and his silver eyes, still as captivating as they were. His features were striking , still as handsome as he had always been. Even the scar on his face couldn't deteriorate his good looks. Zayn's smile suddenly dropped as he continued to Starr at himself, the same features that caused him to lose his family. He didn't even know whether to hate himself for this.
What if he looked more like his siblings? Maybe he would've still been in the palace, he would've lived a life of luxury.
Even though he didn't look like them, he didn't expect his family to be so heartless. He remembered the time before his mother was found out to be a Ragaounian, everything was perfect. Arsenio was such a loving father to him, he even complimented how unique his features were back then.
Zayn couldn't help but feel frustrated, he didn't know why his family would suddenly turn against him like he was a dangerous person. He used his right index finger to trace the thin line of scar across his right eye, the same wound inflicted on him by his own brother. On purpose!
Just thinking about his family angered him and a single drop of tear fell from his right eye, falling into the water and causing small ripples.
Wiping his tear with his sleeve, he angrily began to throw stones into the lake as a means to vent out his frustration. At some point, he threw a stone a bit too far and it landed in the bushes nearby.
"Ouch." Zayn stopped short at the small sound and looked towards the bush. He slowly got on his feet, walking towards the bushes and trying to make sure his head wasn't playing games on him until he heard movement and he was certain someone was hiding there.
Preparing his bow and arrow, Zayn barked at the person to reveal himself but as soon as he layed eyes on who it was, he stopped short and stared.