Starlight

by Nikki Gaspar

  He gulped and then started explaining his story. “Queen Mother, this happened during Claire’s welcome home party…”

  Her frown deepened as she listened to Vincent. “But how are you sure that they meant to harm Claire from that conversation? They did not say clearly.”

  “Grandma, I know something too,” Ysabel said, and then she retold her parents’ argument that she heard when she was ten years old.

  “You changed so much ever since your mom died. I thought that losing her forced you to grow up quickly. I never imagined that you are carrying that kind of burden.”

  “I was scared…” I think what Ysabel really wanted to say was, she was scared that grandma would not believe her. Thankfully, she stopped herself because grandma looked heartbroken as it was.

  “I should have talked to you more. Maybe if I handled things differently, you would have felt comfortable enough to tell me about it.”

  Ysabel wiped grandma’s cheeks. “Don’t blame yourself, Grandma.”

  Grandma looked down at the letter once more. “Where is the food supplement Emma mentioned in this letter?”

  “She hid it in my baby bedroom, inside this.” I took the star-shaped pillow from the box, removed the pin, and extracted the bottle.

  “A food supplement.” Grandma read the label after I handed it to her.

  “Queen Isabella, I am a botanist,” Mr. Taz said. “Please let me tell you, that bottle contains dried Kloz-Assalire Flowers. If ingested in small amounts, like the portion contained in those capsules, the flowers will cause very high blood pressure that may lead to stroke.”

  “And if a whole flower is ingested, the person will die within an hour,” Ysabel said, clenching her jaw. “I think that’s how my mom died, Grandma.”

  “But how do you prove that Anthony knew about this plant? Where would he get them?”

  I explained to Grandma about how Major Krisham learned that Uncle Ant goes to a hill alone, how we went there secretly and found the greenhouse with Kloz-Assalire Flowers and Banafesti Plants. I tilted the box so she could peek at the plant cuttings inside.

  “Those Banafesti Plants, the fruit has seeds inside them, called the Banafesti Beans, which is also known as the fastest poison,” Sofia said.

  Grandma gasped. “A poison?”

  “The same poison found in my milk,” I said, handing her the test result from the hospital.

  She read it carefully and then shook her head in disbelief.

  “There’s more, Grandma. He has a secret laboratory in his bedroom.” Ysabel showed her the pictures of the laboratory. “He has some of those plants hidden in there too.”

  For a long time, she just stared at the pictures, then at mom’s letter. Whatever she’s thinking was not reflected on her face.

  “I can’t believe he is capable of this. He did this to his own brother, his wife, and you, Claire. All to get the crown,” Grandma said.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “Don’t do anything. I will talk to the elders, and we will tell you our decision.” She stood and was by the door when she glanced back with a sad smile on her face. “I’m proud of you, girls.”

  “Whatever happens, do not leave this cottage,” Major Krisham said and then followed grandma.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  One of the cottage’s windows has a view of the back of the palace, so we proceeded to watch from it. Grandma said something to Major Krisham just before they reached the palace’s door. Then, they separated—Grandma went inside, while Major Krisham continued towards the king’s guards quarters.

  “What’s taking them so long?” Ysabel asked when two hours have passed, and we were still watching from the window. Nothing exciting happened yet. Guards walked around a few times, but they didn’t look like they’re going to arrest anyone.

  Sofia and Vincent got tired of waiting and sat on the sofa, attacking the leftover sandwiches on the table. “Just wait, Ysabel,” Vincent said. “They’re probably planning the right move; remember that they’re arresting a king.”

  “You don’t have to wait that long,” I said, gesturing to the group of king’s guards walking towards the palace, led by Major Krisham.

  I couldn’t stand to not witness Uncle Ant being captured, so before anyone could stop me, I ran towards the door.

  “Claire! Where are you going?” I heard Vincent shout after me, but I didn’t stop.

  I walked through the back door and hid behind the stairs. I could see that the guards were just knocking on Uncle Ant’s office door.

  “What the hell, Claire? Why did you run?” I turned around and saw Ysabel, Vincent, and Sofia standing behind me, frowning.

  “Sorry, I just wanted to see.”

  “You could have informed us, you know, no need to run so fast,” Sofia said, panting.

  The guards knocked again, but no one answered.

  There’s a jingle of keys, and then Major Krisham pushed the door open. “He’s not here. Search the whole palace, including the grounds.” The guards proceeded to follow his orders and ran in different directions.

  “He escaped?” I asked Major Krisham.

  Exasperation showed on his face when he saw us come out from behind the stairs. “I should have known that you will not stay in the cottage.”

  “What is happening, Krisham?” The click-clacking of high-heeled shoes added tension to the atmosphere, as grandma and the rest of the royal court came out of her office.

  “Queen Mother, the king is missing.”

  “Call the police and ask for help. Search the whole country.”

  Major Krisham bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  He just turned to leave when the phone in his pocket rang. “Hello…What! Did someone check his office building?…Okay, call me as soon as you have news.”

  “What was that about?” Lord Romulo asked.

  “Your Highness, Mr. Adam Hunte is also missing. I will include him in the search.” He ran his hand through his usually well-kept hair.

  “Yes, Krisham. Make sure to find them as soon as possible. Those two caused so many problems.” Grandma shook her head.

  Major Krisham excused himself. His phone was back to his ear and speaking with urgency in his voice.

  ***

  Midnight came, but Uncle Ant and Adam Hunt were yet to be found. My cousins and I stayed together the whole night, while a guard stood outside the door. Vincent, on the other hand, went home to see if his dad would show up there.

  “Do you think they knew that it was us who told grandma about everything?” Sofia asked, her whole body trembling, and her face pale.

  “I’m afraid they do. Adam looked at us suspiciously when we met him in the passageway,” I said.

  “And there’s the possibility that prison guards have told them about our visit. If you add that with us lurking in the passageways—it was like a tattoo on our forehead saying Rat.”

  No matter how much I tried to clear my mind, the faces of Uncle Ant and Adam kept appearing, driving the sleep away. And based on their constant tossing and turning, my cousins were also having a sleepless night.

  ***

  When the sun finally rose, we found the whole palace in chaos. Several guards were walking in groups, and staff members were running around.

  “Jazaael, what’s happening?” He was on his phone, but excused himself to the other person and then addressed us.

  “Princesses, I can’t talk at the moment, but the queen mother asked me to send you to her office.”

  He returned to his phone call, and so we walked towards grandma’s office.

  “Girls, please sit. I have terrible news,” Grandma said the moment we stepped inside.

  Upon close up, I saw that her eyes were puffy and dark circles surround them.

  “Anthony was found this morning.”

  I gasped. “He’s in jail, then?”

  Grandma shook her head. “No girls, he’s not in jail.” Her voice cracked. “Anthony was found dead
.”

  “What…He can’t be dead!”

  “I’m sorry, Sofia, but the police found him near a hill. The doctors said that he was poisoned.”

  Ysabel and Sofia turned pale. Whatever faults Uncle Ant may have, he was still their dad.

  “Did he kill himself?” Ysabel asked.

  “We are not yet certain.”

  “What about Adam Hunte?” I asked.

  “He’s not yet found.”

  Grandma’s phone rang just then.

  “Krisham…Tell Vincent to make sure that he stays put…Okay, do it quickly.”

  Grandma sighed deeply. “Krisham and the guards are on their way to the Hunte’s residence. Vincent called to report that his father is at home.”

  ***

  Major Krisham did not give any news until the afternoon. By that time, Uncle Ant’s body was already brought to the palace, and various members of the royal family had arrived for the wake. Though the news that the king was found dead had spread all over the country, grandma decided to keep the crimes he did a secret in the meantime. The mother part of her probably wanted to give her son a peaceful funeral before his name was tarnished forever.

  “Queen Mother.” We were seated together in front of Uncle Ant’s casket when Major Krisham arrived. Vincent stood behind him.

  “Krisham, Vincent, let’s go to my office.” Grandma stood.

  “Grandma, can we go too?” I asked.

  She looked at the three of us intently before she answered. “Yes, you might as well come with us.”

  As the door clicked shut, grandma asked, “What happened?”

  “Queen Mother, Mr. Hunte had no idea that we were looking for him. That was why he went home. Good thing Vincent called me immediately and did not confront him; otherwise, he might think of escaping.”

  “He must be shocked when you arrived,” I said.

  Vincent nodded. “He was having breakfast and looked happy for some reason. But when I let Major Krisham and the guards in the house, his eyes went wide. He stood with his head high in front of them, but I know that he was panicking inside.”

  “He acted confused when I told him the reason why he was being arrested, said that we must be making a mistake. But he came with us without complaints in the end,” Major Krisham said.

  “That’s good. The sooner this is over, the sooner we can breathe easily again. Let’s just wait until Anthony was buried before we deal with him.” Grandma shifted her eyes to Vincent. “You’re a good man, Vincent. I’m happy that you grew up like your late mother.”

  Though he looked sad, Vincent gave grandma a smile. “Thank you, Queen Mother.”

  “Congratulations, Claire!” Ysabel said, startling everyone. Her hand poised for a high five.

  “For what?”

  “Your life is officially out of danger, duh!” She waved her still raised hand, waiting for me to reciprocate the high five.

  Ysabel was really crazy at times, but she’s right. I was saved.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  The palace did not sleep for three days. Royals and foreign dignitaries came in and out to offer their condolences and mourn the king’s death. It felt weird whenever someone comes up to me to give their comforting words. I was sad that I lost my uncle, but what they didn’t realize was that I lost him the night I was poisoned. Now, I only felt relief that my life was no longer in danger and that my mother and father were finally resting in peace.

  On the day of Uncle Ant’s funeral, his casket was brought outside the palace to give the Bellan People a chance to see him before he was buried. The queue was endless, but everyone waited patiently for their turn.

  “I wonder what those people would say when they find out the truth about the king they mourned for,” Ysabel said, her hair swaying with the breeze on the balcony as we gazed at the events happening below.

  “Don’t say that, Ysabel. I know he’s not a good man, but he’s still our dad.”

  Ysabel let out a bitter, mirthless laugh. “He stopped being my dad the day he killed our mom. Now, I just felt relieved that finally, the palace is free from his undeserving hands.”

  The crowd didn’t get thinner. In fact, by the time the program was over, there was a sea of people in the palace grounds. All heads turned, and despite the lamenting event, people oohed and aahed when a carriage pulled by three palomino horses showed up.

  “Princesses, it’s time for us to go. Queen Mother is waiting for you.” Jazaael appeared behind us.

  Our convoy consists of at least thirty vehicles, all lined up in the driveway. We were the last to arrive; royal family members were already seated in their own vehicles, watching as the king’s guards placed the casket inside the carriage.

  It was incredible how the crowd moved seamlessly and followed the carriage towards the cemetery as if they were being pulled by a magnet.

  ***

  Tears were shed as the casket was brought down the pit, flowers were thrown, and soil was placed to bury the body, but his eldest daughter’s eyes remained dry. If anyone noticed, they would surely assume that Ysabel was a cold-hearted and ungrateful daughter.

  When the ceremony was over, the headstone beside Uncle Ant’s caught my eyes. It seemed like my feet moved on its own because before I knew it, I was in front of my father’s grave.

  Alfred Grandis

  1971–1999

  “The prince who was adored and the father who was loved.”

  The headstone was cold to my touch. It’s sad that the man, who was the reason for his death and the reason why my mom and I were not given a chance to be with him before he was covered with earth, was now lying beside him. And my mom was buried in a foreign country surrounded by strangers instead of beside the man she loved.

  A handkerchief suddenly appeared in front of me.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you okay?” Vincent asked.

  “Yeah, I’m just sad that I never got the chance to meet him and have a complete family.”

  He placed his arm around my shoulders. “Everything will be okay now. I’m sure that your parents are together and looking after you. Now that I think about it, they probably annoyed the hell out of Sofia the night you were poisoned, that’s why she can’t sleep and managed to save you.”

  A giggle came out despite my tears. “Thank you for making me feel better.”

  He squeezed my shoulder in response.

  People still linger around Uncle Ant’s grave, but I noticed that two men were conversing a few meters away from everyone.

  “Who is that man Major Krisham is talking to?” I pointed to Vincent.

  “He’s not a palace staff,” Ysabel answered behind me. I didn’t notice that she and Sofia followed me in dad’s grave.

  “Let’s go to them. What do you think?” Sofia asked.

  I’m curious about the man, so I agreed.

  The man’s eyes went wide the moment he realized that we walked up to them.

  “Please relax, Mr. Bardy. They can be trusted.” Major Krisham assured the older man. “You will come with us when we go back to the palace. It’s important for the royal court to hear what you have to say.”

  Major Krisham refused to answer our questions about the man and just said that it was the royal court’s business. He escorted the man to grandma, talked to her for a few minutes, and then led him to one of the guards’ vehicles.

  “Vincent, please follow us to the palace. There is something that I think you have to hear.” She did not wait for an answer, and just let the guards escort her to the vehicle, looking distracted.

  I rode with Vincent in his car. We were both at a loss about what grandma could mean when she said that Vincent needed to hear something, and wondered if Mr. Bardy had something to do with it.

  ***

  “Grandma, can we come inside your office too?” Sofia asked when we arrived at the palace.

  The royal court was inside the office, together with Major Krisham and the older man he was talking to earlie
r.

  “Yes, you girls need to hear this too,” she said, holding her office door open.

  We beamed at each other and then followed her.

  “Krisham, please explain to us what this is all about,” grandma said.

  “This man is Mr. Bardy.” He gestured to the man who was sitting in front of grandma’s table, bouncing his leg nervously. “He approached me earlier in the cemetery and gave me important information that he was too frightened to reveal with the police officers.”

  Everyone’s faces showed curiosity about what kind of information could that be.

  “Mr. Bardy is the man who called the police to report the location of the king’s body. Because of him, the king’s body was recovered and brought back to the palace.”

  “What else does he need to say? The king was already buried,” Lord Thomas interrupted.

  Major Krisham glanced at the man. “Mr. Bardy, maybe you can explain better than me.”

  The man nodded. “Your Highness, that morning, the king was not just lying on the ground when I passed by like I told the police officers.” The bounce of his leg became faster as his whole body trembled. “I was walking home after gathering some firewood when I saw a car, and it stopped a few meters ahead of me. It was an expensive car, so it caught my attention. The driver went out, walked around towards the passenger seat, and pulled something that looked heavy. A few seconds later, the body of a man dropped on the ground. The driver went back to the driver’s seat, made a U-turn, and sped back to where it came from.”

  Lady Adeline’s face paled. “Do you mean to say that the man’s body which was dropped from the car is the king’s?”

  Mr. Bardy nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. I was scared to tell the policemen about what I really witnessed because the man who dropped the body is a powerful man.”

  “You recognized him?” Lord Andrei asked. “Who was he?”

  “He’s a rich businessman named Adam Hunte.”

  Vincent gasped beside me. So that was the reason why grandma said there was something he needed to hear.

  “We need you to speak at the trial, Mr. Bardy. Would you be willing to do that?” grandma asked.

  “I am willing, Your Highness. Please forgive me for not speaking earlier.”