by Zola Tau
As they decided to head back to the palace, before the prince could get onto the cart Ada pulled at him to come closer to herself in order to give him a kiss. But instead, he gave her a hug. To her, her action now became awkward and distressing. As they both got onto the cart and prepared to leave no words were shared expect for Ada's thoughts. "Did I smell?" " Was I an awful kisser last time that he rejects me now? " " This is why you don't take chances with men." she thought to herself.
She went through a list till they finally got back to the palace where she rushed out of the cart as the prince tied up the horse and walked after her quickly, after he set the basket of leftover food outside the palace so that the many farmers that came through the neighboring road would have something to use as a small source of energy.
He received the idea after hearing from Nari how Ada demanded the extra fruit that was in the cart from her trip into town be set outside for those on their way home to have as a quick meal to keep them till they got home. He raced after her to her room and closed the door behind them upon arriving.
" I didn't reject your kiss because I didn't want to but I thought maybe you were just doing that because you felt you had to, I didn't want you to think at all, that you've ever had to do anything that you never mentally wanted to do." The prince said as Ada looked at him.
"I wouldn't force myself to ever do something I didn't already want to." she replied bitterly as she stood facing away from the prince.
Meanwhile in the Palace There came a visitor, who circled about, after arriving with a passenger, who was instructed to stay hidden in the outer walls of the palace. “Inform the princess that I have arrived” The visitor said with a soft grin. Nari, nodded her head, uncertain of how it was she should react, she looked to her side, and with a slight scoff to herself she walked towards Ada’s room.
Ada laid her head resting on the prince's chest for some time before she adjusted herself to come face to face with him, with both hands Ada held onto the prince's face looking at him kindly glaring beyond his dark brown eyes. Her eyes looked deep into his as he returned the stare. "What?" Ada smiled as she grew shy at how the prince looked at her.
"You will slap me for the words I am about to say but, Ada... will you marry me?" The prince asked suddenly still looking down into her eyes. Ada nervously chuckled and shook her head.
"You don't have to do that since this just happened, Prince as long as you don't think of me as stained because I quickly fell for you..." Ada said wrapped in a white cloth, as she was looking at her fingertips avoiding the eyes of the man before her.
"Do you take my proposal as a joke?" The prince asked.
"No...It's just...before you mentioned you could never make me your queen, even all that aside I imagined we did things a little backwards, wasn't this supposed to happen after we married?" Ada replied softly. The prince looking down at her chuckled a little as he glided his fingertips across her lips.
" Your innocence, intrigues me, I don’t see you any less lovable than I already had" the prince replied.
Ada laid her hand on the prince's chest and in that moment started to feel the quick beating of his chest as he said those words. “ Marry me” The world was on a pause for a moment as the two took in the presence of one another.
"Ada." the prince called breaking the intensity in the air. "Yes?" Ada replied.
"You aren't allowed to look at any other man like you look at Me." he replied only for
Ada to look up at him and snickered out of shock at his sweet words.
"You're not allowed to look at any other woman the way you look at me or make any other your queen." Ada replied sternly.
"You're not allowed to ever leave my side." The Prince added pulling in Ada and hugging her with his arms around her waist.
"And neither are you" Ada replied taking it all in. She knew she was a fool, a fool of a princess falling and giving her all to the son of a land where many horrors had happened so soon, and so quickly but many great leaders weren't the perfect ones were they? She asked herself as she was tracing circles on the prince's chest.
"Father made us prepare for months studying your language so that we may be able to speak to you, I'm surprised you came here prepared and speaking ours." The Prince said.
"My father always saw it as a requirement to be the one that understood what others were saying,."Ada said with pride in her voice. Both the prince and Ada fell silent holding onto one another tightly thinking on the events of the day.
"Are you still going to go back home with whoever it is that's to come for you?" The prince asked. Ada stayed silent for a bit then finally replied. "I'm not sure what that outside world is going to have us do, but I can't get married where my fiancé isn't can I?" she said as she looked up at the prince. "Anyways while we are here together let's forget the troubles for a while and just be."
So they did; silent to responsibility and pain they locked out the world as they created their little town where trouble didn't find its way by.
The following morning Ada woke up alone on her bed unable to find the prince as the morning sunshine emerged itself on her face. Quickly getting up from the bed she rushed around, she was ready to go outside till she realized she needed to get dressed, so she did, rushing about. A note was found under the door that read. “ I am not one to intrude when there is a visitor, but you have another, that says he is here for you. “ The not read.
Ada wrinkled her brows and tried to understand the stop, but eventually she left it on the bed, and left to go get ready.
She bathed and headed out in the wake of the morning looking for the prince yet to her surprise as she was heading to the blossom tree where he usually sat, someone, called for her.
[제 12장]
“ The jealousy of one’s hurt
never makes a diamond
less of a diamond than
it was the day before ”
"My princess!"
She turned around to see the prince with a container in his hand. "Where are you going?" He asked her as he walked closer.
"I couldn't find you so I worried "Ada replied shyly pointing at the direction she was going to take.
"Ah...I see" the prince replied with a smile. " I was just getting something for us to eat, we didn't come out most of the day so I figured when you woke you would be hungry as well." The prince added. Ada smiled in gratitude, though she didn't say it with words the look of love her smile gave was enough for the prince, she may have kissed him as a confirmation if it was not for the sudden call of her name.
"Princess Ada" the voice called causing Ada to look up and the prince did as well, to see a dark man before her. Ada just stared and the prince looked to Ada confused "Do you know this man?" The prince asked pointing at the man.
"Are you the visitor that was sent?" Ada asked as she squinted at the familiar face.
The man nodded his head " I arrived at dawn but when I arrived it was said you were resting, so I assumed I'd wait till morning to greet you, but princess I'm a bit offended that you don't remember me, though Princess it hasn't been that long or is it the bread I have begun growing " the man said as he pet his beard.
Ada looked at the man closely then all at once she began to smile... "AYO! It couldn't be you! Ada added rushing towards the man and giving the man a hug. "Ayo, look how you've grown."
"It has been a long while princess, of course, some changes have been made. I've grown taller, and of course much more handsome." The man, Ayo replied as he played confidence to cause Ada to smile.
The prince looked at the two, confused, and trying to understand what was taking place.
"Ah, let me introduce someone special to you, crown prince." Ada said as she grabbed onto the prince's hand "This is Ayo, he spent his days training to be a knight at the palace..." Ada started but she was interrupted by Ayo who proceeded to say.
"At a time, her father engaged us to marr—" Ada stepped on Ayo's foot and stared at him. "No need to bring up the pa
st now, I assume your journey was worthwhile?" Ada asked Ayo in a rush to change the subject. He nodded confusedly at what Ada's actions yet still he took her warning.
" Well, I'll return with my presents soon, I had to leave them in the room they have prepared for me, but I will take my leave to let you finish what you're eating. " Ayo said and with that Ayo bowed then headed towards the palace.
The prince and Ada avoided eye contact with one another as a jealous Prince tried finding ways to learn more of the mysterious new visitor.
"How long have you known him? " the prince asked as he lifted Ada's head.
Looking over at the crown Prince Ada replied: "A majority of my life, out of my twenty years I've known him for about 10."
"So you've known him for half your life?" The prince asked disappointedly. "How am I to compete with that?" he mumbled childishly.
Ada went towards the prince and looking at him said. "My Prince how childish you sound, don't you know in less than a year I've grown with you more that I ever did with him in ten, I have no feelings for him, and if I did I wouldn't be here with you, look to him as my brother."
"Some brother... "The crown prince recited to himself. Ada softly hit him on the arm then said
"Let's go eat." as she was pulling the prince into her room gesturing him to sit down and eat.
Ayo looked back as he walked, observing the crown prince and Ada. When he finally reached his destination he spoke. "Princess Ki, I have to say I still don't understand as to why you won't let the others know you've arrived." Ayo started.
Princess Ki looked up at Ayo "If they knew I was back my father may send me back to my mother, in order to...let's just say one of the princesses and I aren't as close as we should be so my father rather I not be here for a while. "
"Surely you're not speaking about Princess Ada are you? " Ayo asked
Princess Ki shook her head as a no and looked away. "Anyways you'll be a great tool to bringing our country back to normal, and taking Princess Ada safely home where she belongs." The princess said. "Anything in the princess's best interest I will do. " Ayo said as he strolled with Princess Ki towards the rose garden.
"Now...Ayo, how much do you love your princess?" Princess Ki asked turning around to catch his reaction to the surprising question.
Ayo looked down, and with a hint of obsession in his eyes he looked to Princess Ki and replied "A great deal." He sighed.
Princess Ki smiled and took him by the arm. "As a friend of Ada's sometimes I help her, even when she doesn't know what's best for her. Now you told me on the way here that you would love to become king, I assume Princess Ada is your route to the throne?" She asked him
Ayo smiled and said, "A perfect life would be one with power and Ada, I must admit."
Princess Ki smiled at him and squeezed his arm in a friendly manner "That's always a great ambition, and it's not that I don't love Princess Ada, but by all means, I'm sure she'd be worth more back in her home than here." Princess Ki finished and so they walked about and spoke.
The prince's former fiancé was also taking a stroll about when she overheard some of the conversation going about between the strange woman and man, curious as to who the two speaking were. She quietly backed away back to the royal ground to find someone to speak to tell the news too. To her luck, Nari was sitting underneath the blossom tree in her own world.
Shyly she tried to get her attention walking in circles trying to go about how to great the close friend to the Princess.
"Ah... Nari is it?" She started to say Nari looked up and bowed her head "May I be of use to you?" She gently asked with her head bowed.
"Ah, you're the aid to Princess Ada, is it?" Nari nodded her head and looked at the shy woman with concern.
"Um, I have reason to believe she may be in danger soon... I heard a woman speaking with a strange man. I couldn't see their faces but they both seem to be familiar with the princess and I fear in place for her"
Unsure how to reply Nari stood up and tried to get the young woman to remember what it was she heard, but small amounts were all she recollected.
"The only person that held grudges towards the princess was Princess Ki but she's yet to return so it couldn't be her, as for the man do you by chance know what he looked like?" Nari asked.
"He wasn't a native, his skin resembled Ada's, and I assume he's the guard that was sent"
Nari froze and looked into the woman's eyes.
"Knight Ayo?" Nari asked quietly." He couldn't possibly wish evil on his own princess, could he? Perhaps did you hear wrong my lady?"
The young woman quivered in fear as she shook her head, she became uncomfortable and distance as she shrugged her shoulders. Nari nodded and looked at her. " I ask of you please don't tell anyone what you just told me in the chance that you were mistaken but thank you I will place the care of the Princess first."
The shy woman smiled, and Nari returned her smile.
"That reminds me, the eldest prince was going about looking for you a while ago " Nari added as she picked up her book from the ground.
"He was?" The woman asked startled and in surprise though in the same like she was satisfied to head such a thing.
" I shouldn't assume if he has finally begun to look with eyes for you but he's frantically looking about for you, in the majority of moments worry is the start that often ends in compassion. " Nari said with a snicker.
The face of the young woman grew red as she smiled at Nari's words.
"I'll take my leave, thank you once more." Nari said with a bow and she raced to Ada's room.
About 21 nights and days had passed and Nari hadn't yet told Ada about what she was told. Not in disrespect but for the sake of making sure it was true beforehand, taking chance in observing the knight and making effort to find out where it was that he disappeared off to so often.
In events partaking in those days, Ada and the crown prince have gotten a blessing from the king to marry, yet the issue remained on how they were going to handle if Ada was to stay or return back home if it was to be handled as a matter of alliance or simply marriage.
If she stayed her father's wishes for her to rise to power in her land remained empty words and left room for the throne to fall into false power. Ada thought to herself pacing about in her room. With her nerves worked up as she started to feel a familiar sensation she's felt for the past few nights or so, she opened the door and rushed to the back woods to once again vomit out her meal she ate only an hour before to compensate for throwing up of her food in the early morning.
"Agh, princess are you well?" Nari asked coming from behind Ada. Ada wiped her mouth and turned around. "Of course, I must have eaten something bad, my stomach is picky at moments" Ada replied rushing to pass by the worried servant.
Nari refused to give the situation rest as she went about and circled her way around Ada.
"Princess are you by chance ..." Nari asked.
Ada stared at Nari waiting for her question. After a while of just staring Nari raised her hand and shook her head, denying her suspicion "No, you can't be, you're smarter than that" Nari said. She bowed and excused herself.
Before Nari could get far Ada got a hold of her arm and pulled her back. "I'm too smart to be what?" Ada asked nervously.
"To be..." Nari looked around and leaned in closer to Ada cupping her lips and whispered "With child." she added and vividly backed away.
"Wh, wha, what's wrong with you now and days, you've always been one to speak more boldly than the other servants but really." Ada asked flustered at her servants reply.
Nari shrugged her shoulders at her assumption and bowed " I've heard from the wash maidens when one of the maidens was with child she wasn't able to keep anything down in her stomach, just like you...You say you're not sick, it's not cold so I don't know, I don't know what else it could be."
Ada stayed silent thinking to herself "Are you saying women that are with child aren't smart?" Ada snapped.
Nari analyzed the w
hining princess and her eyes slowly widened. "Princess, you're, you're not actually ...there can be no possible way that this can come to be...Right?" Nari asked shocked as her eyes widen to the princess's silence.
"You know your mother was a woman with a child when she had you, you know? You shouldn't be so quick to call names." Ada said in defense. Nari became silent. "With all due respect Princess, No one is speaking of my mother. But princess is the father... never mind." Nari said shaking her head having had already answered her own question.
"We need to go into town and make a visit somewhere," Nari said pulling the princess along.
Ada and Nari very quickly found themselves in the village. "Who are you to make a princess walk this long" Ada whined.
"You should thank me, your highness, maybe all this walking will help slow down the weight that will soon be building up around you stomach. Nevertheless, Princess, we need to go to a friend." Nari said pulling the princess further into the village.
"There you go again with no fear at how you speak, I wonder why they have yet to send you to the dungeon, they haven't, have they? Did you beat up the guards?" Ada asked as she glared at her servant.
They came to a stop after long minutes of nagging that came from Ada about her sore feet.
Upon arriving at an empty party of the village with only a handful of homes about a short elder woman with long gray hair walked out and watched as both Nari and the princess walked up to a humble looking home.
The old woman ran towards Nari as the two got closer and embraced, Nari. "Foolish child it takes forever to even get word from you and here you are out of nowhere, what brings you by? Have they finally kicked you out for your stubbornness?" The old woman asked as she softly hit Nari.
Nari began to speak as she returned the love she received" I'm sorry mother, I've —"
Ada looked at Nari and then hit her arm " How can you say we are visiting a friend when it's your mother, Nari " the princess asked.