Amir's POV:
These sketches. The familiarity of these faces I saw on this drawing was the same as what the safeguard council had given to me. What are these? Are they playing mind games?
...
A day after.
"Your Highness,"
"Young Lady, what is this all about? I beg to enlighten this mess that you, Master Ki Bou, and your leader have created," I uttered looking at her with sincerity.
The Young Lady just smirked.
"Now, looks who's begging?"
"Am I? I don't want to play games right now, I'm serious," I responded.
"Okay. But here's the deal —"
"Oh, so there's a deal now?! looking clever, Young Lady!"
"Ayaw mo? Thought you want some truth though."
"I am!"
"Then let's have a deal, right now," She said and offered her hands to me.
I looked at her hand and gazed back at her.
"Deal," I said.
"Since I'm already jailed, this deal would gladly benefit my family out there at Elmada. First, offer me bags of gold bars..."
I was stunned uttering those deals in equalization of a truth.
"Seriously? Bags of gold bars?"
She nodded.
"I know you can. You're a Prince, right? Therefore you could have these... much more!"
"What do you think of us? Corrupts?" I said.
She just gradually covered her mouth with her hands.
"I didn't mean that, Your Highness," uttered in sarcasm.
I raised my eyebrow.
"Well, mayroon pa, aside from bags of gold bars, the family needs sacks of rice, a cart of goods such as bread, butter, corn, potatoes, meats, and anything that you could offer in exchange for the truth."
She said with a Duchenne smile on her face. You can see the enjoyment in her eyes and cheeks. Playful yet intriguing.
"Okay. Granted. Now the truth," I said, stood up leaned my arms on the table, and gazed at her.
"Oh! veiny arms, your highness." She said with a flirtatious smile looking at me while biting off the nails of her finger.
I took back my arms from leaning at the table, instead, I rested them at my back.
"Truth,"
"Okay, Master Ki Bou planned all of this. It's all staged. I somehow managed to execute the plan... — halfway. What happened last time...lumuhod sa harapan mo, umiyak at nagmakaawa, it was all an act. Master Ki Bou was the planner, I am the actor,"
I was fooled since the start, they played me. How come this was all staged when King assigned this task to me?
"Master Ki Bou told me that there's three of you; then who's the one who leads this?"
I said.
"I don't know, it's always me and Master Ki Bou who was doing all the stuff."
"Does the King know this?" I curiously asked.
She just shrugged off her shoulder.
"Why did you do this?"
"I don't know! Maybe you should ask Master Ki Bou about that, I'm just here to act."
I sat down. Tried to comprehend all the thoughts that keep coming in.
"Ask him, there's a reason for it."
"But what about these sketches of these men, who are these people?"
I grab the sketches and show them to her.
"They exist and they are part of the plan. The case was not real and it was all fraud. Probably, the plan was to test your intellect, I guess? In how far can you take this fraudulently case that we have caused,"
Now, I fairly understand the situation I am in right now, presumably, they planned this stuff to test the limit of my intellect and intuition, this was a mission assigned to me by the King. However, this woman revealed that these sketches of men do exist and were also part of the plan, but neither of them was an actor or organizer. So, a part of me says that there's a missing link of information.
"But what about those sketches? Who are those men?" I uttered.
She looked at me tapping her fingers at the table. Then, gradually, her pouted lips started to arch upwards. I darted at her hazelnut eyes down to her red arch lip, I gulped a bit. Shortly, unaware that I was staring at her momentarily, I turned back my gaze to sketches on the table, took them, and showed them right in her face.
"T-These sketches. Y-You know them, right?"
stuttering uttered.
"It's for you to know, Though the mission failed halfway dahil nahuli mo kaagad, you still have to continue it," she uttered.
Eyebrows crossed and gazed at her. This woman right here still not answering my query.
"You're still not answering me,"
"Kaya nga, Ikaw mismo sa sarili mo ang hahanap ng sagot na iyan. It's your mission, Your Highness!"
I gave him a smirk and she replied with an awkward smirk right ahead. She stood. I glanced at her and stood up also leveling her.
"Unfair naman sa iba who's doing their best for that mission, tapos ikaw dadalhin mo lang sa tanungan?" she added.
"If that is so. Then, I'll continue what I started," I replied.
She smiled.
"Good. So, I'll have to go back na sa kulungan, no need the guards or Ihatid pa ako doon. I can handle myself, you just do your thing. Bye!" she said then bowed to me. She then, waved goodbye with her fingers while walking away and left the room.
I followed him with my gaze while walking away. The moment she left the room, My knee weakened which made me lean back on the wall. That lady has some hidden charms. I tap over my head to not think of that and just focus on my mission.
"No, focus on your obligation, the mission, and the vision of this realm, I, Prince Amir Qill of the Realm of Haiyan, Realm of Pure-Bloods," I uttered reminding myself.
A month earlier.
As the crown was put above my head. The King stood up from his seat and uttered his words with conviction.
"Amirousz Ezial Qill, the Seventh Prince of the Realm, the Realm of Pure-bloods, and a member of the family of Royal Blood, the offspring of the late 6th King of the Realm; Amiros Elixandre Qill and the late Queen of the Realm; Fuentecia Narzieza Hollen-Qill. Two decades and a half had passed when an offspring was born to be one who would lead the future of this realm. You had the exquisite of your mother and the virile of your father, truly, the future blood was in promising hands. Your parents must feel pride above witnessing you coming to be the one who will sit on this golden throne. But for now, allow me to sense the power of this throne, leading the realms, by following the law and orders. We, the Haiyanus; the Pure-bloods, the elusive, the fortune of crops and golds. The one who gained Independence and fought back against the darkness in the past four decades. Haiyanus, I welcome you, the Seventh Prince of Haiyan — Prince Amirousz Ezial Qill! All hail to the Prince! Hail, to the Seventh Prince! Hail!"
This was exemplary, hearing my name chanting by the whole crowd right in front of us, I was standing in front of the balcony of the castle viewing the people below and the scenery of the land of the pure-bloods. The King and Queen were seated on their throne right behind me. The Princess and the other Prince were seated beside the Queen's throne. I was mesmerized, by these people who glorify the Royal Blood. Our bloods were the ones who saved the Kingdom, the People from the war that was held a long time ago.
The loud sound of trumpets stretches out of the Palace. Drums and Lyres complement each, and confetti's down. The people chant my name repetitively. It was a celebration. It was a moment to remember.
After the coronation ceremony.
I was walking ahead and going back to my room wearing the robe and a prince suit on this alley, a crown at the top of my head sticking around, when someone stepped in across this alleyway and blocked me from passing through.
"What a coronation day for the newly crowned Prince," he said while arms crossed over his chest.
I sarcastically smiled.
"So, how's the celebratory? Better?"
"Right, way better than yours, I guess," I said.
"Say that again?" utterly, eyebrows crossed.
"My brother, We have shared responsibility now as we're both Prince of this Realm, let's set aside that blood's quarrel. Quit with your jealousy..."
"... don't be such a kid."
I said, patting his shoulder before I left him in the hallway, standing.
Walking down this long aisle, humming like a free-spirited. It feels like the youth inside me shimmers and embodies the flesh out of me. I was seizing the moment of becoming the crown prince and didn't mind what happened earlier with my cousin; the King's oldest child, acting like would treat him like a brother. After a while, viewed someone who came across leaning at the door of my room. I briskly walked towards it.
She's staring into nothing.
"You're blocking my room, My Lady," I uttered.
Still no reaction.
"Excuse your way, I'm going inside. You're blocking the door," I deeply-toned uttered. Though it wasn't much of a need, maybe I could catch her attention.
Then stared at the ceiling, and it seemed like I wasn't right in front of her.
"Don't treat me like nothing but unseen, Princess. I'm a crown Prince now, just as equal as you." I uttered. I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
Still nothing. Such rude.
"Well, what would I do? You embodied what your father told you so, tsk! tsk! tsk! — "
I walk nearer and unhesitatingly push her away from the door. She gasped at what I did to her and yelled at me. I glanced at her who was on the floor because of the force I did. It was too much for me but she deserves it.
"See, you reacted. You know how impatience I am, so don't test me." I uttered.
She stood up from the floor and angrily yelled at me.
"How come you're crowned when you lacked gentleness and elegance?!" She angrily uttered with a clenched fist.
"Can't relate. Ask yourself!" I said.
"Argh!!! You don't deserve that crown!" She screamed out echoing her voice all over the hallway.
"I do deserve it. You're the one who doesn't deserve that tiara you're wearing right now, it was supposed to be for someone else. You know that."
I said. After that, It was all silenced. By the looks of her, I can see the guilt and shame.
"Now, If you don't mind, I have to go inside now and have my rest. This day was fine for me, I hope you and your brother, too. " I said with a playful smirk.
Then I opened the door.
But before I got inside the room, I glanced at her and had some afterwords.
"Oh, before I forgot. Just to remind you what your father said to you in case you forgot it. What's the word again? wait ... "
Snapped my finger and looked at her with a sarcastic smile. While she's still stoned to her position clenching her fist with her eyebrows crossed, almost teary-eyed.
"Ah! A disgrace!"
Then forcibly closed the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
I gradually opened the door slightly and peeked at who was outside. As soon as I saw him, I let him inside my room, as quietly as I could. It was already midnight but I called him earlier to get some information about it.
I offered him a stool to sit on.
"Now, speak! "
"I asked people outside the palace, the Central Village, and they knew some of this person in these sketches," he spoke confidently.
A glimpse of triumph I felt when my messenger uttered those words in his mouth.
"Good. Now, did you have their location?"
He nodded.
"Yes, all of them were outside the Palace and the vicinity. This one right here is named Li Yamada, from Osanyin Village..."
"Oh! The Village of Healers and Farmers. I've been there once." I added.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"... This one, Cleb Odin, and his from Lelantos Village which is miles far away from here..."
I nodded at him while listening attentively.
"and this one..."
He abruptly stopped. I glanced at him and saw in his eye, fear, while looking at me.
"Why?"
He gulped a bit.
"From Bhaltair Village..."
I was silenced. From what I heard. But then, I remained calm.
"Who is he?" I said while pointing to the sketch.
"My apology, No one knows him in this village, he's some sort of a mysterious guy. But he's from Bhaltair Village."
"So, you didn't get his name?" I said.
He nodded right away.
"It's okay,"
So, these men came outside the vicinity of the Qill's Palace and the Central Village. They seem unusual and intriguing. This one was my mission to accomplish and I have to do it.
Starting tomorrow.
END.