by Zola Tau
Ada walked towards her, grabbed her hand and pulled her out the room. As the prince sat in the room confused to what was taking place he stared at the door. Ada looked about back at him and waved with a smile before turning back around to speak to Nari.
"Why are you acting as if you don't know anything on what he is speaking about, wouldn't it better you to tell him you are related, there is no way possible the story of your mother as well as his are so similar and there are no relations there." Ada scolded at Nari as she quickly took on the motherly role Nari often performed.
Nari looked at Ada unsure how to react whether to cry as she wanted, run away from the pressure or relax; all the feelings which she was becoming sensitive to enhanced, yet she still felt guilty to even think over as to why she was unaware how to react.
Nari shook off Ada gently with a plea, bowed and walked away shouting " I really must be on my way, Princess if there is anything at all other than the matter you have brought to my attention I would be more than happy to act according to it. "
With a sigh Ada watched as a mother would her child, Nari walk away with her head hung low as if a cloud of uncertainty rested on her shoulders causing her to be weighted down.
As she thought to herself unable to figure out why Nari didn't want to tell the prince that she was his sister she suddenly felt hands wrap around her waist, and a head rests on her shoulder.
"what's bothering her?" The prince asked without looking up from his position, Ada leaned onto the prince softly giving him a soft hug. "That's what I am trying to figure out." She responded as she stared towards the door.
Nari raced back to the servant's quarters and looked about her bed and found more letters like many days as well as consistently night after night. In anger, she raced to the King's throne room with her speed in fright the guards blocked her entrance and said." The king is in an important meeting you can't be allowed." one of the guards said looking down at Nari
"A meeting with whom?" Nari asked as she disregarded their words. The guards looked at one another and laughed as they asked: "what is it to a servant the king's personal affairs?" Annoyed Nari rolled her eyes and tried to look inside, once she did, she saw a young lady inside that resembled Princess Ki standing before the king with her head bowed low.
"Is that Princess Ki?" She asked. The guards scoffed and shoved Nari aside. "And if it is, what is it to you? What are you to the king but a servant, go about your day while we are still nice." the guard on the right growled.
"What's all that commotion about." the king called out, the female that was speaking to him turned around, and looked disgustingly towards Nari, confirming it truly was Princess Ki.
"It's just one of the servant women; Father should I have the guards take her out?"
"Which servant?" The king asked. Princess Ki looked towards her father " why would it matter which servant she is, a servant is still a servant " she said walking towards Nari.
The king sat silent and locked eyes with Nari. Nari scoffed and sucked her teeth at the King's lack of input.
"I was just here to ask you to stop sending your senseless letters to me, and —." Nari started to say without care, she knew very well the tone she used with the king would only cause her self-harm, but she didn't care, because she felt at the route in which she took, and the hard work she first placed into finding her father, they weren't worth his rejection of her in public, just much rather be exiled than to hear her father refer to her as a servant.
The king raised his hand and told the guards to let Nari in. Princess Ki looked at Nari up and down rolling her eyes. "What letters?" Princess Ki asked curiously.
Nari looked at Princess Ki and said "that wasn't for you to hear, Princess" Nari said angered as she looked at the king. Princess Ki walked towards Nari and looked at her, "Do you want to die? Why are you speaking to me as if I'm your equal?"
"Ki, SILENCE, DO YOU WANT TO RETURN TO YOUR MOTHER?" The king said pounding on his throne arm seat.
"Why are you yelling at your daughter because of the feelings of a simple servant." Princess Ki asked her father.
"Whether a servant, you still deserve to treat her with respect if you want her to look at you worthy of even serving or else you will keep losing servants as you already do." the king said rubbing his temple as if he was stressed.
[제 14장]
“ To sin in the name of good
Leaves no lighter of a mark on your heart
It just fills you with lies in your mind ”
Nari scoffed as her eyes started tearing up and stared at the king. "This servant is very sorry," she said speaking about herself. "Princess, I welcome you from your visit and apologize for being as rude as I was, I was in shock by your reaction that's all. It shall never happen again." Nari bowed into a kneeling position and excused herself.
"Servants are sure bold now and days." Princess Ki said with a chuckle, rolling her eyes.
Nari slowed down her steps to even, for a moment hear the king say something as simple as "She's my daughter, or she's your sister, or perhaps she's an extraordinary servant."
If that was too much to admit to simply say "she's more than just a servant." was all Nari wanted to hear from the king, but like always he disappointed her.
The prince and Ada lied down on Ada's bed staring into one another's eyes as they cuddled, after a short while; he wrapped his arms around her bringing her close to his chest. "You rarely step out now and days." The Prince chuckled. Ada snickered and hugged the prince close, then pondered on whether it would be best if she told the prince what Nari's adopted mother told her.
"Ah, love I have something to say." Ada said as she backed away from the prince's chest just slightly enough to look into his eyes again. " love? Is that what you called me? Then what you have to say must be serious." the prince said as a joke.
Ada playfully hit him on the chest and said: "I can't just call you love ?" The prince chuckled and with his fingers guided one of Ada's kinky baby curls behind her ear and looked at her.
"You know I am all ears, what's the bother?" He asked amiably. Ada smiled and started to speak
" When I visited Nari's adopted mother, she told me something I fought, and I tried to understand for a while I assumed and took what she said as a warning, and then I didn't, but I think it's best I say it now " Ada swallowed in fear preparing to share news of weight. The prince looked at her and nodded his head motioning for her to carry on.
" She warned me that the child would be a child of power, but because of that it's a curse onto him, because many will threaten his life, she said to be careful..." as Ada continued her voice cracked in a light sorrow, at that moment Ada became a mother, she felt for her child's life on a personal level that was only created once it fully hit her the situation she was in. " I don't want it to be true, but I'm worried, I don't want it to be true, I don't want to lose our child over a mistake of whether I eat something or I don't. I don't want to look around and start losing trust in everyone because I mark them guilty." Ada said as her voice began to get clogged up and her tears got heavier "I don't want to lose this child, and lose you along with it." she finally let out with a tearful sigh.
"Is that what's caused you to be worried? That if something happens to the child I'll blame you or leave you?" The prince asked wiping away his fiancé's tears.
Ada catching breathe nodded and sniffed " I don't want to lose our child, I don't want to lose my child to a mistake, but I don't want to become consumed by the obsession of protecting him either and hurting myself, even more, I don't know what to do or what to believe "
The prince wrapped his arms around Ada tightly and left a kiss on her forehead and then began to say "I would never leave you, or our child, and I know that we will both do an incredible job to keep him safe. I know you're a woman of free mind, you have wants, but you have trouble coming to terms with the fact that you aren't going to protect this child alone, we will protect this one, and the next and the next and —"
" hey!" Ada said sucking her teeth sarcastically. Playfully the prince ruffled her hair
"what?" The prince asked with a smirk on his face. "you don't want to have any more of my children?" He asked.
"Should I just give life to an army?" Ada asked sarcastically, the prince looked at her and responded "shall we? Is that what you want? Well, then I guess we shall." He nodded his head and ruffled Ada's hair again.
"As long as it's all ours I'll fight and protect for each one of them. Don't give yourself heartache over a problem that's yet to come and can be avoided." the prince said leaving another kiss on Ada's forehead, and wrapped her close once more.
" You know, I think it may be best we go out for the night, maybe scroll about the garden before it grows too dark staying close like this may get dangerous " the prince smirked.
Ada giggled and gave the prince a kiss and sat up to leave but the prince gently pulled her down again and cuddled her close. "I change my mind, I think flowers look better in the morning anyways." the prince whispered as he and Ada laid close facing one another.
Ada stared at him as her body temperature started to rise in nervousness; she chuckled and pulled him outside. "The baby and I need fresh air. " and so the prince reluctantly followed as he moaned and complained.
As they stepped outside Ada held onto the prince's hands and intertwined their fingers openly walking about as the moonlight followed them.
"Why is it you always say Nari's adopted mother?" The prince asked as he held onto Ada's hand.
" She calls the woman her mother, which she is truthfully in caring for her as a mother should but it wasn't by her that Nari was brought into the world" Ada replied.
The prince nodded his head, and they walked in silence for only a moment when he asked: "Why was it that her mother couldn't care for her?" He asked.
"She passed on, it's a tragedy really, but that's how things happened," Ada replied looking at the prince waiting for when he would ask more questions so that she didn't have a choice but to let him know that Nari was his sister.
"Isn't it amusing? " the prince scoffed with a pitiful smile." just because of the accessories us royals wear and display upon our body it's easy to assume that life is blissful, which at moments like this, it is." he said looking at Ada with a smile before he carried on " but here I grow jealous of a servant, who at least had a mother figure when I had none, at least not for long. " The prince let out a deep sigh and looked to Ada once more " Which is why nothing is going to happen to neither one of us, neither You, I or our baby. I as heir to the throne command this be written in the stars." The prince said with a smile as he gestured as if he was writing in the skies.
Ada smiled and curled up onto the prince's arm like a child as they walked about; in reason, she felt guilty for not letting him know the truth about Nari, but what can one do when it's not a secret attained personally to tell?
Princess Ki stared at the couple from afar and replayed words to herself that she had just heard "what baby?" She asked herself once more. She looked at Ada and then at the Prince.
"Surely they do not lack their mind enough to be with child." Princess Ki laughed, then she stopped and stared at the couple blankly. "If they truly with child, that just about secures her position on the throne does it not?" She questioned herself.
The princess stood up aggravated and threw a fist "Dear brother we can't let that happen." she ranted till she was interrupted by a whisper. "May I help you?" A shy woman asks, the princess turned around and was about to scream until she saw the eldest prince walking alongside the woman. "Brother, you know this woman?" Princess Ki asked.
The eldest prince nodded and looked down at the woman with a smile " She's a close friend of mine, her name is Ji-Hye" the eldest prince said. The eldest prince observed his younger sister and her location "Why are you strolling about Princess Ada's room?" The eldest prince asked as he looked around his younger sister looking for company.
" I was coming along to apologize, time with my mother has truly allowed me to see my wrong and I guess I felt it be needed I come about and say some words hoping I'd receive some forgiveness." Princess Ki spoke elegantly. The eldest prince looked at his sister analyzing what she said knowing it was a lie he chuckled and said: " You've never apologized a day in your life, and if you wish to come in the middle of sunset to do so, it doesn't seem respectful, what if she was busy ?"
Princess Ki rolled her eyes and looked at the eldest prince, "She's turned us siblings against one another." she pouted.
"It isn't a matter of favoritism as much as it is right and wrong, she is one of us whether you see it or not she is a royal and deserves the respect you should give to all of us." the prince corrected the entitled princess.
"I guess I'll just invite her to tea tomorrow morning." Princess Ki sighed as she walked away ignoring her brother's words.
Ji-Hye looked at Princess Ki and observed her, wondering to herself, she speculated if she was the one she saw the African knight speaking to previously a while back. As the eldest prince became physically closer to her close, she looked down shyly. "Were you upset at how I introduced you?" He interrupted her as she was in thought.
Ji-Hye shook her head like a child. " Not at all, it's all happened so suddenly I don't think it would be fair for me to ask you to introduce you as someone of romantic interest, but I'm not too worried, " she whispered.
"Why is that?" The eldest prince asked surprised by her bluntness.
"Well, the best of relationships are the ones that start as a friendship, therefore we have time to learn one another's weaknesses and strengths. I never truly favored the system of marrying then hoping to find a person's heart, all that has become so old in thought to me. " she said as they strolled about.
The eldest prince looked at the person beside him, as he felt himself smile at her words. "For a quiet woman you speak heavy words." he chuckled.
"Don't fall too fast for me, you'll start to see my words get bolder very easily." she laughed shyly.
The eldest prince who was one holding his hands behind his back reached out and placed his hands on her shoulder. Ji-kye looked at her shoulder then up at the eldest prince, they both smiled acting as if nothing took place and they carried on with their walk in the silence of the night.
Upon their return, Ada watched as the eldest prince, and the young woman walked and giggled amongst them. "We don't look like that do we?" The crown prince teased.
"They aren't at our height of attractiveness; they are merely children playing love, compared to us" Ada replied as she flipped her hair. The two lovers looked at one another and broke out in laughter.
Ada and the crown prince went back into Ada's room to lie down and rest, immediately it seemed as the crown prince touched the bed, he fell into sleep, as she laid a blanket across him and tucked him gently hoping not to wake him, a knock came at the door.
As Ada walked over and opened it, in front of her stood Ji-Hye. She bowed and looked down waiting for Ada to grant her permission to speak. "Please, don't feel it's necessary to do that, we are both beings aren't we, no need for you to bow," Ada said with a chuckle as she closed the door to sit on the steps and she gestured for Ji-Hye to do the same.
"You're far nicer than many of the royals I've met in my lifetime; it's going to take a chance to get used to your kindness" Ji-Hye answered to her kindness.
"That's a bit disappointing isn't it?" Ada asked as she looked over at the shy woman as she sat beside her.
"Being royal shouldn't mean you're above anyone as much as it should mean you can provide some form of shelter and guidance because of the abilities your lifestyle allows you," Ada said to the skies. She looked beside her and looked at the shy woman once more "don't you agree?"
Ji-Hye nodded her head, smiled and looked down at the ground once more "I, think I finally understand why the Princes values you so much." she said with a chuckle.
"Why is that?" Ada asked taken aback by her remark.
" Even when we were together you were on his mind, he compared about anything I did to you, at first I was conflicted by it all whether I should put up with it and go about it. Marrying him would bring status to my family and give us a position of nobility, as attractive as he is I knew there was no point in forcing love on him so I found shelter in developing heart for the eldest prince, but even he seemed for a while to look your way, but how could you not, you're kind as you are beautiful, you're confident and don't need to be told you have power for you to know you do. You are different from the many royals, which is what makes you so mesmerizing, and I hope to gain some of that from you." The young woman shyly smiled as she looked back at Ada.
Ada stuck out her hand and grabbed hold of her hands and held it gently. "Look to me as your sister, if you would prefer, if the eldest prince does anything let me know his brother and I will put him in his place, it's easy to see he's warming up to you." Ada finished.
The young girl grinned and even in the night her cheeks grew rose of embarrassment. She looked to Ada and quickly changed the topic to what caused her arrival. " I wanted to come and tell you that I believe you should be cautious of Princess Ki, she claims she wanted to invite you to tea, tomorrow morning, I don't feel as if she favors you much—"
"She's back?" Ada asked as her eyes widen and her voice grew quiet. "She was scrolling about around your room today, when the eldest prince asked her what was the matter she claimed she came to apologize, but instead she said to invite you to tea, I'm not one of many remarkable talents but I can easily read a person, and the feelings I receive from her aren't a good one. " Ji-Hye said in a whisper.
Ada nodded her head as she looked about as if searching for what to do.
From afar a figure came about and as it walked closer, unsure of who it was, Ada placed her hands in front of Ji-Hye gesturing for her to get behind her like a mother bear would protecting her cub.