Ada : ( The Untold Story )

by Zola Tau

  Ada leaned over to see as Princess Ki shivered out her words, she stretched out her hand to touch him, but then quickly moved back her hand once more.

  "Ever since you came you never questioned me, as spiritually unbalanced as I am you haven't questioned my intentions. You weren't help in dethroning you princess though at first I assumed obsession of her in your eyes, when you spoke of her. You never marked me as horror as I've marked myself. Did you know that when I asked you if you assumed me beautiful and you agreed, that was the first time I've heard such a thing. Being told I was perfection by my maidens never counted for me, they said what they should. All my other siblings were blessed to have been told by their mothers, every day when they were growing up, that they were perfect the way they were, and as they have been told by their mothers, among one another they tell themselves."

  Princess Ki sat crossing her legs thinking to herself as she used her hands to speak. She finally said " It seemed the only way out of my misery is to leave be, whether I be killed, at the hands of the king or my own, I can't stand it any longer to allow myself life, when I clearly have taken another, it's so easily assumed that I can control it and it's by choice that I am how I am. No one is raised in hate, Ayo. I want to love I want even more to be loved by someone, but I wasn't created in a manner to receive that blessing."

  While Ada was listening silently, a soft kick came to her stomach, she murmured a soft cry of surprise and she patted her stomach softly "Are you trying to say something little one?" She asked as she paced her breathing.

  "Who's there?!?" A voice asked Princess Ada. As Ada shyly peaked in, making her face visible, a frightened princess Ki stood up dramatically rushing towards the walls, she didn't avoid blatantly looking for an exit. Ada held out her hand towards the frightened young woman.

  In that moment Ada lacked the ability to see an Evildoer, as she once did. She held out her hand towards Princess Ki as an instructor of a wild beast would before tending to relax the animal.

  "Just pretend you didn't see me and let me go." Princess Ki cried out. She seemed to be howling refusing to allow Ada, way near her.

  "Do you not know who I am?" Princess Ki asked as she pushed herself away from Princess Ada. "Your highness calm down your anger only allows you lack of rationality, don't you see, your anger and self-loathing is what creates your illusions, calm down." Ada called out.

  Whether it was the child within her that saw pity for Princess Ki, or whether the pure realization that Princess Ki needed more help than punishment. Princess Ada just moved closer towards Princess Ki.

  "Do you not think, I am aware of why I am the way I am? Do you think I don't try so hard to smile and do as you do? When has guilt and hatred lingered within you as it has me, do you assume it's easy to be so joyous? I'm not even my own person! I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!" Princess Ki shouted and shouted.

  Without an answer from Princess Ada, Princess Ki suddenly felt the answer instead; a slap came across her face unexpectedly. Ada closer than she was before, Princess Ki realized due to her rant and childish cry, she was unaware for when it was Ada got so close to her.

  She blinked and just looked at Ada, unable to respond and unable to know how anything happened. Ada began to shout " How are you ever going to see who all loves you when all you do is cause trouble?! Are you a child?! Why do you take out your anger on me?!

  Princess Ki backed down at the bark of Princess Ada's words. Ada continued as she backed into Princess Ki " Do you know what I've gone through in the past year and a half here!? Never once have you looked to me for help, do you think you're qualified to receive sympathy from me?" Ada finally stopped yelling.

  Princess Ki, though she was about to respond back in anger just allowed herself rest in her words. She no longer upheld the ability to look into Ada's eyes to even simply argue against the words she said.

  After a long silence between the two, she just allowed herself to cry. Her tears were neither for the attention Princess Ada already displayed, or just the sympathy she freely gave. Rather it was exhaustion, and the overwhelming resentment for herself that sat within her.

  Princess Ki dropped to the ground. Sitting there she looked towards the ground. Ada sighed and headed towards the door to leave, seeing that Princess Ki was reluctant to share anything with her. Before she walked out the door, she paused in hope that Princess Ki would call on her for insight but the pitiful princess sat in the corner in tears shaking back and forth, just as Ada once did when she too felt lost and without hope.

  Ada walked out to meet the others that were still bickering amongst themselves. The crown prince raced towards her and held her shoulders "Honey, where were you?"

  "You don't care to know where your fiancé is when she's gone, but ask her when she returns, have you gotten too comfortable by my kindness that you no longer waver when I disappear ?" Ada teased wrinkling her nose.

  The crown prince kissing her on her forehead, and giving her a hug then let her go exclaiming

  "It's because I know you'll always return." he romantically replied.

  The sisters awed and the eldest prince called out "My younger brother has a gift for taking guilt off his shoulders, and a talent in works of romance. It must mean he learned from the best." he cried out with a chuckle referring to himself.

  "The eldest prince wishes it was he that the crown prince received his talents from "Ji-Hye mumbled.

  Embarrassed the eldest prince quickly changed the topic and asked Ada " while you were in there, princess did you happen to see Princess Ki? "

  Quickly thinking that it be necessary that Princess Ki took time to herself to calm down, Ada with a smile on her face looked to the crowd before her and answered "No, not at all, it may be she is off finding ways to make amends, why don't we go and do relax a bit ?" Princess Ada suggested.

  "Shouldn't we check on Ayo?" The crown prince asked. Princess Ada curled up her the crown prince's hand like a child. "He's fine, he just needs to be well-rested let's not bother him with our kindness."

  "How can you bother someone with kindness?" Areum mumbled childishly. The eldest princess glared attention to Areum, alerting her to stop questioning. With a smiling princess, Ada looked to everyone. "I'm just saying because I'm hungry." Ada responded placing guilt onto the rest.

  "Then we should go, my love is hungry, isn't she?" The crown prince responded looking to his fiancé.

  With a childlike frown, Ada nodded her head. "Then we should eat." the crown prince defended, and so they all started onto the route to find somewhere to settle for a picnic.

  They headed towards the blossom tree and sat, as the women placed down food. "Our eldest brothers are missing out." The eldest prince said.

  " Brothers? How many do you have? How come they don't live with you?" Ada asked curiously.

  Areum responded with a frown: "Because men carry on the family tree, that's why the king wishes for so many sons and as to why he had so many wives, the more sons the king has the more allegiances, and power he can have. All the king's successors wish for many children, and just as many sons.

  "As for his daughters I assumed it to only be three, the eldest princess, Princess Ki and myself, but it's now four. The king only marries his daughters off to powerful men in title, as for me he's failed to find one I don't scare away with my intelligence." Areum stated with a laugh. "I don't think it's your intelligence." The eldest Princess teased.

  Areum scoffed and rolled her eyes as she continued: "I don't know what's so great about men anyways; it's not like men do anything, their importance lacks my knowledge, what else are they good for then giving children, and yelling." She added. Everyone giggled at her commentary.

  "But to answer your other question, the King has a total of fourteen sons..."

  Ada coughed on air because she was so suddenly surprised, at the number that was mentioned.

  "So you have 11 brothers?" Ada asked trying to lessen the intensity of her cough. "Look what you've done, you've caused her frig
ht." the eldest prince teased.

  The crown prince looked to Ada with a smile, then whispered in her ear "Good thing we started early." with a chuckle of embarrassment Ada playfully hit his shoulder as everyone looked at the two. The eldest princess looking down a smile came upon her face. "How long have you been with child?" she asked calmly looked to Princess Ada.

  " um...um... about a few months now, I've begun to show but these hanboks hide it well." Ada responded unsure how it was that the eldest princess came to know of her pregnancy.

  "It makes sense why you're so sensitive to food." She recited as she looked about and soon sipped her tea. Ji-Hye and the eldest prince raised their hand in defense "We didn't tell her."

  "They're right, they didn't, it just happened that way that I suspected accurately." The eldest princess said in response. She looked to her husband with her eyes a bit saddened. "We've been unable to have a child, but I'm hoping in time we are as lucky as you two are." She added softly.

  Her husband held onto her closely, and as result receiving a smile. As for Areum she moved towards Ada and placed her hands on her stomach. "So I'm going to be an aunt." She responded.

  Ada nodded her head with a smile on her face. Areum quickly stopped and looked to the crown prince " You couldn't just wait till you were married could you?" She teased.

  The crown prince looked away ignoring his sister. "Well, now that everyone is made aware of our little secret, it makes it easier on us. "

  The two shared and kiss and if it wasn't from Areum who complained of being uncomfortable with the love being displayed they would've continued. "Sooo are we going to act like, you aren't all curious about how this child will look, I mean we aren't exactly the same color as..." Areum went on speaking but fell silent as she stopped speaking since no one was listening.

  As things died down, and everyone cleaned up what they should, once more everyone headed over towards their rooms. Ada excused herself and before she could be told otherwise she rushed towards the palace with some leftover food.

  Once more Ada found Princess Ki in the room crying over Ayo. Unaware of her arrival Princess Ki was startled by the sight of Ada. The two looked at one another in silence till Ada placed out the food before her and said: "starving yourself is no good to your health take this."

  Princess Ki examined Ada's hand and took what she handed to her. Ada quickly turned to walk away but this time before she could fully step out a muffled question was asked.

  "How does one start to deny, seeing something that so easily able to seen?" Princess Ki managed to say.

  " Are you asking for a solution, or asking out of curiosity?" Ada responded as she turned to face Princess Ki.

  Princess Ki played with her hands as she caught up with her breath that was once out of rhythm because of the consistent crying.

  "A solution, one that would last me till the day I perish." Princess Ki responded dramatically. Her hands trembled as she fought to make it hidden, she was losing the ability to display a princess of ignorance that everyone was too well used to seeing.

  "Princess Ki " Ada called as she walked closer to the fidgeting princess, thought Princess Ki backed away, Princess Ada continued to walk towards her. Soon by surprise Princess Ki was caught in an embrace, she tried to break away but her mental and her physical spirit didn't crave the same thing, one wanted knowledge of how to break from her captive state of mind and the other lacked love and energy to do so.

  Princess Ki submitted a little after and laid her head on Ada as they both fell softly to the ground.

  Princess Ada looked about as she allowed the princess to cry onto her chest, she played with her hair softly running her hands through it, as she hummed too her.

  "Since when was the last time you found a chance to sleep?" Ada asked Princess Ki.

  With sniffles, princess Ki replied, "About two day prior to today I was able to close my eyes for just a moment and..." Princess Ki started to sniffle again once more her tears growing thick with every word she shared.

  "I shouldn't, but I feel sorry for you, child." Ada said holding Princess Ki close. " Sleep as you wish, if you see the spirit of your brother hold onto me tightly or rather keep your eyes close I'll fight him off for you." Ada smiled.

  Princess Ki looked up, childlike at Ada and just softly nodded her head, she opened her mouth to say something but as sleep became more demanding she found rest on her enemies' chest.

  In time everyone also made way to the palace and pranced into the room where Ayo laid. Only to be astonished by the scene of Princess Ki resting on Ada. Before they could say anything princess Ada gestured for them to stay quiet.

  "What's going on?" The crown prince asked Ada as he and everyone else made way to sit.

  "She hadn't slept in a while, makes no better her illusions if she doesn't rest."

  Before anything else could be said Ada continued with a whisper "What fault is a person at when they have no choice but to submit to what they see?"

  "Well, it depends, whether they thought about what it was they were doing before they did it" Areum responded feeling annoyed with Princess Ki.

  "In a like manner, this young woman is still a child; she never had a chance to become a young woman past her physical appearance. She's guilty for her actions physically, but not mentally. She's cried out for help but never received it. I guess I just came to think that if my little one was ever in distraught as she is I would not be able to allow him to be placed into captive. I know, I too questioned my kindness towards her, but this little one just wants rest, love, and recognition. For now, let's just grant her the wish for rest, I'll stay in with her."

  Seeing that they were unable to talk Ada out of her choice of staying in with the princess, they decided it was best that they would also stay with her through the night.

  The crown prince sat looking at his fiancé unsure how to utter the words but rather just smiled in gratitude "Seems you have a lot of love to give." He said.

  "As a royal, we serve the people but at times we forget that we too are people with flaws, she'll get her share of punishment for what she did. Whether it's going about and serving those she's done wrong to, but she was a string used because of her inabilities in a plan of another, it's the other that needs to be found and taken in."

  "How are we to find out who it is? The eldest princess's husband asked. Everyone looked at him and chuckled."He speaks" Areum teased. "They are both so quiet that's why they are perfect together." she said sitting looking at them.

  The eldest princess and her husband just chuckled and looked to one another. "As I was saying, I've just come to realize the one that should be made a suspect, should be the one that's made choices against the princess since she's been here. For instance in those entire events, when her brother died, to when she was accused of poisoning the king, who has been there both times.

  Areum softly tapped her eldest sister's shoulder. "Wait, so you remember that man that Ki told us was going to help us retain power, did she ever give us a name?" She asked.

  The eldest princess shook her head as Areum sat thinking to herself. "Could it be one of the servants?" Nari asked.

  "As dim witted as our sister is, she retains too much pride to allow control of herself to be in the hands of a servant no matter who it maybe." Areum replied.

  Nari nodded her head and thought some more to herself. In the process, a knock came from the door. Suddenly silent everyone waited as the crown prince walked over to open it.

  On the other side of the door stood an old woman with a familiar face, stood; short with long gray head. When she came in rushing towards Nari the crown prince quickly stepped in front of her covering his sister as he was about to call the guards.

  "It's okay." Nari mumbled as she tapped the crown prince's shoulder.

  "Honey, that's the woman I was telling you gave me a warning, she's cared for Nari after—"

  The crown prince unsure of how to reply stood "Ah, you must be my mother's mother the one fro
m the letter." he said pointing at the old woman.

  " Wouldn't calling me your grandmother be less trouble child, but I'm pleased to see you've two have come to terms...you would've not known that information if you hadn't known that she's your sister. " the woman responded.

  The crown prince nodded his head. The woman turned to Nari again and said " Nari, the villagers gave grown mad, guards were sent out and just took hard earned food from the homes and they do so in the name of Princess Ada, they plan to rebel. This place would not see tomorrow and be so peaceful if an end isn't brought to it.

  Everyone quickly turned to Princess Ki, Areum rushed towards her as she was still in Ada 's arms asleep. "She did this!" Areum screamed. "Now she lays there cunning the princess as if she is innocent."

  "Mother" Ada said turning to the old woman. "I didn't do it, but I know she couldn't have either she's been here locked away to herself for the past day or so."

  "I know you all too well child, I know it's not you, and I can also believe it's not her, though I sense mischief from her." the old woman said tisking her teeth. " But I did feel a presence strongly about in this palace."

  The king and his advisor stood side by side as they thought on the words that were being said. A familiar woman that once accused princess Ada stood before them. She held her son in her hands as she kneeled. " your Highness you have to do something, the villagers have gone mad, how could it be that the honest princess set out such an order, it could not be her, there must be an explanation, I feel she's being blackmailed we have to do something "

  The king's advisor looked down at the woman "It may be so but our first priority is to question the princess just so we can come to an understanding." The king sharply looked away towards the advisor and lifted his voice. "You dare question the honor of the princess? On what merits?" The King barked. "Your highness you have to understand the people will want answers." the advisor replied.

  " Then we will give them answers in an effort of proving the princess's innocence, find Princess Ki, I sense she's once more behind this, I can no longer allow her to disgrace the name of the princess any longer. " the king said as he pounded his fist onto the throne.