Giving up
Silence.
We stare at each other for a strong minute. He couldn't digest the words that flew out of me.
"You can go home." He says after three minutes. He begins to walk again. By now, our family was outside and staring at us with concern. I hear mother gasping behind me.
"What?" I ask him again.
"You're not a princess of this land anymore. You're neither my daughter. You can leave." Says the male.
I couldn't help but scoff at the old man.
"So that's tour decision." I straight up. If this is what he thinks is final between us, then I give up too.
I walk towards him, and say the most venomous thing ever said to a King.
"You know, I used to care for the citizens of this land in the past. But you made me realize I am better off without the powers of a royal.
Thank you for liberating me from hell, father."
I grab my lover's hand and leave. Aaron doesn't say anything further, he's got nothing to say to a disappointing man too. He and I leave the palace with the dress we have on us, nothing else.
"Dear—" my mother sobs silently to the King. He raises his hand up, none to defy him.
"It is her decision to leave without arguing. She never valued the culture of the royals." Says my father to my mother while holding her back.
"Say another word... and I'll let you join them." He says as a final testament to my mother.
Poor she.
I pity her.
When all was going right, my father ignited a rift which shall never be rejoined now.
She's gained me and lost me in the same day.
But I, without looking back even once, hold his hand and begin to walk down the hill.
A few minutes of walking later, my legs were starting to give up. Aaron notices my struggle and selflessly carries me on his back.
After everything... we left with the assurance that no one will be against us now.
If this is how my story shall end, so be it.
[At the palace, VERSALIS' POV]
I see my daughter go. My wife clings to me, begging me to take her back.
By any logical means, Ravine was trained to be this kingdom's next queen. I should be allowing her to be my heir, as her father.
But when I see her, I am reminded of my own past.
On a rainy evening in 1997, my cart-puller father had crashed into a puddle near the cliff and fell to his death. I was right there, pushing his cart from behind.
My shocked self couldn't handle the pressure. I wanted to die and relieve myself from this cruel world too. I had no one to call as mine after him.
Deciding to end it all, I take a step forward after several minutes of pondering.
But the same night, a princess, young and beautiful held me back and convinced me to live my life.
I recognised her to be Princess Jane, Ravine's mother and the Princess of Eulandia.
I was a mere peasant, a cart puller who lost his father only moments ago.
But the princess's sweet words brought life to me.
When I asked her why she was here, she tells me she ran away from the palace because they were forcing her to be married with the King of Eastern Palatinate. She hated him.
I knew about them, in those times too.
I asked her if she would follow me to the shed I had in the countryside. We pulled the horses back and I told my villagers of the mishap.
We had the funeral, the princess grew closer to me. We talked all night in the shed. To the others, she was just a nomad, but I knew her true identity.
We slowly fell in love. One month passed.
The princess was pregnant with Ravine.
We had no choice other than going back to the Palace and beg to the King to keep our baby. At least behead for my sins, but keep the baby.
But magic unfolds.
The King, after we begged him to spare all of our lives accepted us. He thought I was a comrade from the enemy kingdom, arrived here to ruin the royals and take over. But I neatly gained his trust over time.
The last thing the King saw was my daughter's face on his death bed. She was a newborn, and he took his last breath in front of her.
Now, as a King with knowledge of how people deceive each other, I couldn't let my own daughter become a rogue, a black sheep in my family.
As a King, I bore many insults on my back until I began shaking them off slowly but surely.
I don't want to ruin the name of the Kingdom.
Even thinking about it gives me a shiver down my spine.
A pornstar becomes a queen to a state?
We aren't American enough for that.
When I had these two reasons, I had to strip her off of her powers and reputation.
At least she can life her life now in complete freedom. She never has to come back to the kingdom again.
The next best candidate to become a Queen to my kingdom was...
Miranda.
Although, I was to know something very bitter from her now.
I was at the throne, holding my head and pacing back and forth occasionally. Miranda comes as summoned, but beside her was Gerrard.
"You are here..." my eye falls on their intertwined hands.
"What's the meaning of this?" I ask in anger.
"Your majesty...we... we love each other. And Miranda has our seed growing in her belly. Please... allow us to leave the kingdom. We shall never show our face to you ever again." Says Gerrard.
"Not you too..." pinching the bridge of my nose, I sit myself on the throne. When everyone left, my tears spring out on their own.
Not until my wife shows up beside me.
"I know why you're doing this, dear." Says my beloved. She consoles me, she tells me what I did to our daughter was unforgivable.
"Jane... I'm such a bad father! Did I go through the same...?"
"Except... our daughter made the right choice of selecting him and not the kingdom. I can see how much they love each other, Hansel... I know why they left without saying anything.
Because they have each other."
That is very much true, my love.
And thank you for reminding me...
My name wasn't Versalis, nor 'your highness' or 'your majesty'.... it was Hansel Burmann.
