The Throne

By J.Jeleena

The Throne 

Ambivalence. Ambivalence was the perfect word to describe the feelings surging through the veins of the unkempt woman. Ambivalence between anger and amusement. Anger about the outcome of the situation. Amusement about the techniques they used to attack her. She was tired and battered. Her auburn locks, which was once put up in a beautiful bun, was now in an utter mess. Her once lovely outfit was now tattered, had blood splotches, wet due to the downpour. She scrutinized all the dead bodies on the deck around her and tried to find any clues. Her investigation was interrupted by one soldier.

“Your Highness, we interrogated the captives as per your order, and we are terribly sorry to say that we couldn’t get any information from them.”

On hearing the soldier’s report, she just sighed. “What about our current situation?” She questioned him, the soldier replied to her in a depressing tone.

“My Lady, because of the unforeseen attack, we lost about twelve soldiers; many of our crew members were killed brutally; and half of our warriors were injured and are currently being treated by our royal doctors. Not only that, Doctor Paul was furious and requested you not to stand in rain, as you would catch a cold quite easily, also told me to bring you inside the cabin with me to treat your injuries.”

 “That’s so like Paul” She muttered, later chuckled softly. “Tell him not to fret, or else he will have further wrinkles in his already ugly face.” She told him in a mischievous tone, further questioned him, “So, coming back to the serious matter, when will we reach the port?” 

“I asked the captain on my way here, he told me if we have this same weather, we can reach the port in two hours. If it gets worse, it will take some more hours to reach,” he informed her. “Alright, you can go now. I will come inside in a few minutes.” She instructed him. 

“Your Highness, I know it’s not my place to say this, but if I didn’t bring you inside along with me and go empty-handed... Doctor Paul told me to pass on some messages to you,” he said in an uncertain expression, looking at her with nervous expression “Enlighten me,” she said, amused about what that daring doctor had told him. ‘Princess, if only I was not busy right now, I would have come up there to drag you by the ear in Aunt Clara style. I know you don’t want that, so, if you don’t come along with Austin, as per my instruction, I swear I will tell Ella about you, you very well know how she is when she gets mad and I won’t be there to save you from her wrath.’ She could very well hear the threating in his voice from the soldier’s mobile recordings, his threat made the exhausted woman changes her plans. 

She groaned, “Alright! This time, he won. He literally threatened me with my weakness” she wanted to glance around the surroundings, one more time. “Then excuse me for a few minutes; I will look around one last time, for any more clues. Then we will go insi-" her sentence was cut short by the loud bang, she tried to steady herself but the world seemed to tilt around her. With a final, desperate gasp, she teetered on the brink and then fell, her body plummeting into the cold, unforgiving sea below. The water splashed violently upon her impact, swallowing her figure into its dark depths, leaving only ripples behind as the chilling sound of the shot lingered in the air. The sea pulled her under, the darkness and chill pressing in from all sides as she struggled to stay conscious, a desperate, sinking feeling of helplessness consuming her

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A girl who was in her twenties jolted upright with a gasp. The remnants of her nightmare clung to her consciousness. She was sweating profusely, tried to move. The sudden movement causes an excruciating pain to spread throughout her whole body like a wildfire. The pain made her to focus on the real world. She racked her memory to remember all the possible events that would have led her to this condition. The rattling headache slowed her thinking process. With a sigh, she examined the condition of her body. She noticed all the bandages that wrapped around her body, like an ivy, around the tree. Tubes and wires snaked around her, connecting her to the monitors. On looking into her side, she surveyed her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was the room; it was unfamiliar. Fear began to crawl into her. She further noticed the room for any familiar things. The room was simple and cozy. The walls were adorned with soft hues of blue. There was a beautiful vase with a bunch of lilacs, which was her favourite, this brought a sense of calm to her. The clock, it showed it was close to ten. The windows seemed to be closed and curtained, so she couldn’t tell whether it was daytime or night-time. Even though the room didn’t look menacing, she shouldn’t let her guard down.

The sound of the creek, at the door, made her to look towards the intruder. “Ah! Finally, you are awake, sweetie.” A woman who was in her early thirties entered the room with a smile, and she radiated a halo of happiness. As she walked further into the room, her white coat waved behind her like a coat of expertise. “I... uhm... where am... I?” The auburn croaked out. Her throat felt itchy and rough to talk, and it felt as if someone rubbed sandpaper from inside.

“Don’t strain yourself to talk. Here, drinks some water. It will soothe your throat.” As her shoulder was injured, the doctor assisted her in drinking the water. With tender hands, she began her check-up and inspected her vital signs and responsiveness.

“As for introduction, my name’s Jennifer Adams. You can call me Jeni for short, and about your whereabouts, you are in the western part of Elatior-” ‘So, I am still in my kingdom, the girl thought to herself and listened to her attentively. “-and you have been unconscious for nearly three days. When you were brought here, you had some minor wounds, scrapes here and there, and a few cuts and bruises. The bulletproof vest you wore saved your life, but the impact from the shot caused slight damage to your shoulder. I could say that you are one fortunate woman, my lady.”

On hearing such information from the doctor about her injuries, she heaved a long sigh and leaned towards the headrest of her bed. She processed all the information. Suddenly she jolted from her relaxed position and shouted, “What!! How do you know I am from a royal? Or you could identify me?”

“Relax, dear. That was the reason why I didn’t use any title, but I thought it could be an insult to you if I didn’t at least use for one time. Also, be careful. Your sudden movement could reopen your wounds, and coming to your question, I will explain everything to you tomorrow. We have a lot to discuss, and it’s not a matter to be talked in a few minutes. It’s nearly midnight. So, take a good rest, though you have been sleeping for many hours. All your doubts will be answered tomorrow.” Jennifer’s statement didn’t answer her question, but she was right; her body was weary and tired. If they had thought of killing her, they would not have helped her in the first place. A good night's sleep would help her kick off her fatigue.

“Alright. I will accept your opinion right now, but you have to explain everything to me tomorrow, ok? and please do call me by my name.” Jennifer nodded her head, and with a confirmation nod, Estella reluctantly agreed with her. With a goodnight wish to Estella, Jennnifer went to sleep. Once her head hit the pillow, she was knocked out like a feather.

The next day, like she promised, Jennifer came in the morning to talk with her. She brought a simple breakfast with her. But this time she was not alone; she came along with two more people. The two boys who tag along with the doctor sat on the couch, and she sat in the nearby chair beside her bed. Jennifer started the conversation, “Like I promised, I will tell you everything, but first you have to tell us what happened to you, then later, I will give you the information about how we found out about you, and-” she was interrupted by Estella's protest. “That’s not fair. First, you have to tell me about how you guys find me, and then later, I will give away about my information.” Before the doctor tried to express her opinion, a cold baritone voice intervened in the conversation.

“Listen here, princess; if it were not for us, you should have been really dead long ago. You don’t know what type of dread situation the Kingdom is in right now. So do us a favour by following us.” The girl looked at the source of the voice. Among the two guys, he did have the aura of ‘don’t mess with me or I will slit your throat.’ He weaved his hands occasionally through his brunette hairs, which were slightly damp. His eyes were a brilliant shade of blue, holding a depth that seemed to invite you to plunge in and lose track of yourself. His high cheekbones and strong jawline complemented his characteristics. His lips were so alluring and acted as a cheery on top completion to his features. She won’t say it aloud, but he did look strikingly handsome. She analysed him for a few minutes and harrumphed to get out of her dream land.

“I appreciate what you have done for me, and I am sorry; I didn’t realise I was in the presence of such heroes. Do you want a medal now or something?” She flippantly said, watched his face morph into fury, and before he could reiterate, she continued, “Watch your tone. If you think you saved me just to end your curiosity, then you are wrong. Don’t forget the fact that I am the only princess of this kingdom and the only heir to the throne, who escaped an attack that happened, just a few days ago. To make it worse, the people who have saved me are strangers and not the people I know. Now, you tell me, if you have been in my shoes, will you give away any information just because they saved you from your demise? Just stop patronising me and tell me what’s going on here.”

She took a deep breath to calm herself down, observed the people to see any signs of disapproval or betrayal from them. But to her surprise, she found nothing. She looked at the brunette; his fury seemed to drain from him, leaving a hollow, void of emotions in its wake. His eyes, which moments ago blazed with wrath, have now been extinguished. She looked at the person near him. He looked at her in adulation, as if she could speak ancient languages. She tilted her head to look at the doctor. Her face held amusement as if she tamed a dragon. Jennifer's chortle broke the silence in the room.

“Forgive me, Estella, if I seem to be rude by laughing at your comment. I am just amazed by how you quieten Lucas down. My intuition says we will be great partners in the future." She winked at Estella. At first, she was puzzled about who Jennifer was talking about, but after connecting a few dots, she came to know about the name of the baritone voice.

 Seeing the confused stare, the doctor realised something. “My bad! I am sorry, dear, for not introducing those guys earlier. The guy who reiterated with you was Lucas Anderson, who looks little scary on the outside, but a gentle boy at heart. Then we have Oliver Jones, who is near Lucas, such a sweet soul unlike him. Both of them are my friends. We do have few more friends in our circle. I will introduce them later to you when the time comes.” When Jennifer introduced them, Estella observed them, vice versa. Lucas gazed at her with astute observation, as if she were a criminal. Oliver waved his hands, said a meek hello to her, and she replied back with a smile.

Lucas cleared his throat to break the conversation between Oliver and Estella. “I know it’s hard to convince me, but I do understand your point. Yes, it’s not easy to put your trust in strangers. There is a reason we ask about your situation first. We don’t know how you will absorb the news we are going to tell. But you asked for it, Jennifer will explain to you about the situation, after we showed you some articles. Oliver will show it to you.” On Lucas’ cue, Oliver came near Estella while operating a laptop. She braced herself and stared at the titles of the various articles. 

“Estella Beulah Gracelyn, the Princess of Elatior, passes away at the tender age of 24. There was a rumour that she was murdered by some mysterious people while she was returning to her country.”

“The royal family announced that the funeral service will be held at St. Thomas Church. The royal people from various kingdoms will participate to show their deepest condolences.

“King Felix, who was known for his kindness and cheerfulness, now seemed to be so gloomy and tearful. His parting speech was so moving and brought tears to many people.”

“The nation mourns as Princess Elatior laid to rest.”

“The Royal family bids their farewell to Princess Estella, and thousands pay respect at her funeral.” 

While she read those articles, the people in the room observed her face, to see any type of emotion. They thought she would cry, show any sort of anger by thrashing everything, or be flabbergasted, but they found nothing. Nada. Naught. Nain. Her face was void of emotions. She stared at the laptop with a pensive stare. Occasionally, she would move her hands to type or to swipe the page and read the articles. After a few minutes, she closed the laptop with a gentle shut. She leaned against her pillows, closed her eyes, let out a sigh. They didn’t know what to do. They thought she needed some space to digest the facts and tried to go outside of the room.

“Where do you think are going, without explaining the situation to me?” Her question made all of them to look at her. Then they all return to their previous places. Jennifer scrutinised her to see the girl behind the mask she wore, but she couldn’t find anything. She took a deep breath to narrate her explanation.

“I really don’t know how to explain or where to start, dear. But I will try my best. It all happened three days ago. Lucas was the one who found you on the beach side and brought you here. Your condition was not good at first, when you came here. We didn’t know your identity or your whereabouts, whether you belonged to this country or not, but our first priority was to stabilise your temperature and breath. After stabilising, we thought of bringing you to the hospital for further treatment. Later, we came to know you are the princess of this kingdom, through the flash news. It was broadcasted on all platforms with your pictures. The news was not about your disappearance or searching, but about your death.” Jennifer took a break for Estella, so that, she could process all the information and not be overwhelmed by it.

A few seconds later, she continued, “All they announced was that you are dead to the world with your pictures. We thought of informing the royals about your location and well-being, but Lucas rejected the proposal and talked about the loopholes in the news. They didn’t mention how you die or what causes your death. Later, some articles speculated that you were murdered and put forth so many predictions and hypotheses. Not only that, but the wounds and bruises in your body seem to be from a fight with someone. So, we didn’t say this to anyone other than our friend’s circle. We thought of waiting till you wake up and letting you tell us about the cause of your injuries.”

Estella focused all her attention on the information shared by the doctor. She was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind the attack. “Did my father or any other royals talk about my journey or the people?” She asked her.

“There is no official statement nor a comment, on any social media, but the king did mention about it, during his speech. He didn’t talk about it directly or elaborately, but vaguely. He revealed that your death was caused by an unfortunate accident, and that was also the reason they couldn’t showcase your body to the people. They were able to rescue the members who were alive from the ship. He mentioned how sorry he was for not being by your side in your difficult times as your father. The King was so heartbroken and shed silent tears during the ceremony.” 

The princess's usual calm eyes are now churned with a tempest of emotions. She closed her eyes to hide her emotions. “Don’t show your emotions to people, even if it is your blood. Conceal all your emotions, or else they will use them as a weapon against you.” Her mother’s words echoed in her thoughts. She inhaled and exhaled for a few minutes to tame her feelings. She processed all the information, tried to analyse the situation. She tried to draft a plan. She could get help from some people, but that was not enough. Those people who saved her were her only hope right now. 

“I am ready to give you all the information I know. Though I said I didn’t believe you guys a few hours earlier, I need your help. You guys seem to know about these places more than I do. I may be the princess of this country, but I do lack knowledge about this area. I can’t do this alone. If you do decline me, I will understand you, and I just have to find another way, though it’s not easy. So, will you help me?” Estella gazed at them with hope. “We can help you. But we don’t know all the people and places in this country. Me and my friends came to his country just a few months ago, so if we do lack some information, you have to bear with us.” She reached out, her hands steady despite the adrenaline surging through her veins, and grasped Lucas’s calloused hands firmly.

“Do you want to share now or would you like to take some rest, Hun?” Jennifer asked her with a soft smile.

“I don’t want to procrastinate. I can manage. I want to find the perpetrator as soon as possible." 

“Alright, you can start to narrate, at your own pace." Jennifer encouraged her.

“It was around eleven’ o'clock. I didn’t get any sleep, so I thought about star gazing and enjoy the night breeze too. Whenever I don’t get any sleep, I would always do that. It will be around midnight, I guess... I'm not sure about that. I heard a lots of commotion form inside. I thought of checking about that, but before I could go inside, I was surrounded by a few masked people. I think... it would be about five to seven people. My mother had the tendency to follow ‘the self-help is the best help’ policy. So, from my childhood, she made lessons for me to learn, from all types of weaponry to self-defence. I was able to withhold for a few minutes and managed to kill a few guys, until my guards arrived. We sparred only two guys for interrogation and killed other members.”

“So, did you guys find anything from them? your highness” Oliver's question interrupted her monologue. One thing Estella found interesting after waking up in an unknown place was Oliver. He really intrigued her. He was the only one, who still call her by her title,s among them. While talking with him, she found out he was such a genius for a boy fourteen years old. He was a computer geek. Lucas told her that he and his friends were explorers; they always loved to visit different countries and settle there for a few months. Oliver was always curious and very interested to learn new things. If only she had a younger brother like him, she would spoil him rotten. That’s her first thought about him. 

“I told you to drop the titles and formalities. You never listen, huh?” She tutted at him. In response, he lumbers around the space to escape from her gaze. She chuckled at him and continued, “For your question, the answer will be no. They were of no use to us. They were as good as dead. Whoever planned this attack was a genius. If I get the chance to see them for real, I will really appreciate them for their mastermind.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Lucas intervened.

“The people who attacked us know that I was not in my room at that time. They used that opportunity to create the commotion as a diversion. They came in two divisions. One team came for my life, and another team came with the only goal, which was to kill whoever they see. They did a really good job by killing most of my friends and soldiers. Despite that, we were able to finish off that fight in few hours. The most tantalising fact we found was that, they have no tongue. That’s why I said, the people we captured were as good as dead. I also checked all people. Their tongue was cut off, so that, they couldn’t share any information if they failed in their mission.”

“This is so sickening!” Jennifer gagged at the fact. Estella turned towards her; she had goosebumps. Then she looked at Oliver, poor boy, he was so shaken up about this information. “Then how did you end up on the beach?” On the Lucas question, both of them looked at her and anticipated her answer.

“I was talking with one of my soldiers about the situation and all the losses. I was so tired. On top of that, the fatigue of two continuous sleepless nights started to overwhelm me. The urge to find any extra clues was the only driving force, pushing me forward to move my body. While talking with him, I momentarily forgot about my surroundings. It looked like there was one fellow who observed all those incidents being hidden. He used that opportunity to shoot me. His aim was to kill me on the spot, but the momentum from the shot made me fall into the sea. I tried to swim, but my body was not cooperating with me, I couldn’t breathe. I thought it was my fate to die at sea and accepted my fate with open arms. But God really have some other plans for me. He astonished me by saving this poor life with the help of you guys.”

After she finished, all of them looked at her with so many emotions. Admiration, sadness, amusement, pity, and anger—all sorts of emotions swivelled in their eyes. “Hey, you said something like extra clues. Does that mean you know about who attacked you?”

"Lucas, you are one keen observer, aren’t you?”

“Just answer my question, princess.”

“You are mocking me, right?” Lucas just shrugged at her question. She heaved a sigh and told him about the clue she had found. “Yaa, I did find one clue, only one clue. Where is my dress that I wore, on that day?”

“It’s in the bedside drawer. Wait, let me get it for you.” After Jennifer fetched it, she gave it to Estella. She searched for something in her pockets. “Behold!” After her dramatic statement, she took her clue from her pockets.

“What! a button!”

“A tiny button”

“Is this even a clue? You got to be kidding me, right?”

“I am not kidding, Lucas. Yes, it’s the clue I have been talking about." She scowled at him. 

“How can this be helpful for us in finding the culprit?”

“Don’t underestimate this evidence just because it’s a tiny one, Lucas. It’s a crucial one for me. I really appreciate myself for not being so dumb, as you are”. She patted herself in a gesture to mock him.

The other two giggled, except Lucas. He was sneering and huffing at her. “Who are calling dumb? I am not dumb, and I am the most charming guy in our clique.”

“Why are you so self-centered?”

“I am not being self-centered. I am just stating the facts to you.”

“Yes, you are being self-centered”

“No, I am not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No”

“Yes”

“No”

While they were bickering like an old couple, Jennifer and Oliver looked at the button, they tried to figure it out. Both of them scrutinised it for a few minutes. “Oh! I found it!” The sudden chirping voice of Oliver made the squabble to stop. All of them focused on him.

“I was also searching along with you, but I didn’t find anything,” Jennifer grumbled. 

“As expected from a smart guy, unlike someone.”

“Oh! Shut up, redhead! And Oliver, what did you find about it?”

The sudden attention on him made him fiddle with his ring, a gesture he would do unconsciously when he was overwhelmed with attention. Despite that, he started to put forth his findings. “This button... it’s not an ordinary one. It’s fully made of pure gold, and whoever made it, they did a good job by crafting it in a meticulous way. Only if we look carefully, we can see the pattern of flowers on both sides. I think it symbolises something. Am I correct?” He looked at Estella for any conformation, she responded with a nod and a quiet hum. “While I was researching about this kingdom, it was one of the facts, I learned, that some royals in this kingdom use only gold buttons in their clothing’s to showcase their kingdom's wealth.”

“I thought it was just a fancy button. I never thought this would be of gold. If only Jules saw this, he would be ready to give you anything in order to become the owner of this artefact and be careful of his puppy eyes, Estella. Don’t fall as a victim to his charms.” Jennifer warned her. “Who is he?” she asked the doctor.

“You mean Jules?”

“Yes”

“Actually, his name is Julian; we call him Jules. He is one of our friends and is living with us. He is known for his flirting and charm. He calls himself as ‘Ladies Gentleman’. But don’t judge him for his flirting. In truth, he is such a sweet soul. He loves to collect unique valuables; that’s why I said it like that. I will introduce him to you later, ok?”

“Oh! I am really anticipating for that.” Estella was a kind of extrovert, she loved to meet new faces and loved to socialise herself.

“So, coming back to the topic, If the information given by Oliver is true, then it means that the culprit is one of the royals. If our speculation becomes true...” Lucas didn’t have to finish his sentence to know about the grave situation they were in. 

“But who would have done this? Why would they do this? Do you have any idea who would be that person? If not, it will take so much time to narrow down to our suspect.” Oliver put forth his questions. The three of them looked at the princess for any answers.

“I really don’t know, why, they would do this. Besides, this is not my first-time facing situations like these.” She shrugged.

“What do you mean this is not the first time?” Lucas interrogated her. “Well, there were many incidents which put my life in danger situations. I could say this incident was a close call for me, and before you ask me about those incidents, I will share them with you all later. I am not comfortable to share it right now.”

“It’s ok, dear. We understand and don’t worry about it. There are so many important, mysterious matters we have, to solve, let’s focus on that.” As usual, Jennifer’s smile and her assuring words brought comfort to her. 

“So, the button is our only evidence right now. We have our first clue - the attack was done by one of the royals. But who would have done this? If we have to check all of them, it will take so much time. Do you have any idea who does it belong to?” Jennifer questioned her. “I don’t have any suspects, but we don’t have to investigate all the royals. Our suspect may be among the inner circle of the royal people, just some pompous people who like to call themselves as Elites.” Estella informed them.

“I have heard about them, but there was not enough information about them on the internet.” Oliver told the princess. “Yaa, there was not so much information about them on the internet. They are so secretive and mysterious, even to me sometimes. Elites are the group of people who are always so close to the king, they are the ministries of very important departments. Why do I suspect them, is that, they are the only ones. who are capable of having gold buttons in their clothes?” At first, Estella was so shocked to see the gold buttons on her assailants. She speculated about so many things, about, why they had to do this? or what would be their motives? That’s why she was so desperate to find some other clues to narrow down the suspect. But her findings were brought to an end by that unfortunate accident.

“How are you so sure that our suspect is one of the elites?” Lucas’s question pulled her from her thoughts, she peered at him. “If I am a commoner like you, my first suspense will also be the royals. Only some people in the castle know that, only elites have the ability to access real gems or gold. This evidence we have, right now, is real gold, and the design of the flower pattern is also a bonus point. Each Elite has their own flower symbol to represent their attributes towards the crown. For example, Aunt Lydia had a chrysanthemum pattern in her handkerchief to show friendship and loyalty towards my mother. So now I hope you all understand why this tiny button plays crucial evidence in our mystery solving. I have a distant memory of seeing them somewhere, but I am not sure right now; it’s been years. Unfortunately, every three years, the Elites would always change their symbol. Not to mention, after my mother’s death, it’s been years since I last talked to any elites or to the outside world.” The princess sighed heavily, weaved her hands through her tangled hair, messed with it to show her frustration.

Jennifer trotted towards her and gently grasped her hand to dismantle her fingers from her hair. She placed her delicate hands on her shoulders, moved them rhythmically for a few seconds. “What we know about the princess of Elatior is, she is known for aplomb and composure. But I am happy to know, you are now comfortable enough to show this side of yours to us.” Estella glanced at her, the elder woman’s face held a soft smile, which never failed to calm her nerves. “I know we are all strangers to you right now, but you don’t have to worry. I assure you that we will surely help you to find that perpetrator. Lucas may seem to be a heartless guy, but he is a big softie on the inside." “Hey!” Despite Lucas's protest, she cackled and continued, “And you have Oliver, me, our friends. Though you haven’t met them yet, you don’t have to bother about it. So, relax your body and take rest. First take care of your health, and then, we will proceed with our hunting.”

Estella would not say it aloud, but she was happy that she got saved by them. She also knew it would not be easy to find her perpetrator, but she was glad that, they agreed to help her in finding that suspect.

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The gleam of sunlight made the blue-coloured room glow and warm. The clock showed, it was past nine o'clock, but the girl didn’t make any attempt to escape from her dreamland. The constant knocks at the door drawled a muffled groan from the sleepy head. “Ah! I'm awake,” she said, her voice gravelly with sleep. “Don’t go back to sleep, Stella. I know you well. I would have let you sleep for some more minutes, but Nicholas wants to talk with you about something. If you don’t come out in a few minutes, you know what will happen, princess.” She could very well hear the teasing in his smooth cadence. “Alright! I’m up. I’m up!” Her words were slurred, sloppy and were swiftly followed by a large yawn. She heard his footsteps trickle down the hallway, until it was silent again. She plopped back in her bed and stretched her body. After a few pops here and there, few cracks in her bones, she got up from her bed to start the day.

Estella made a beeline to the attached bathroom in her room. With a sluggish movement, she started to do her morning routine. While she was getting ready, she thought about how her life had changed drastically. It’s been a few weeks since all that misfortune happened. After a few days of rest, she was back to her health, and Jennifer introduced the princess to all of her friends. At first, she was wary of them, now she won’t say it aloud, but she was kind of happy to know about them. Within a few days, they became more than friends, like a family to her.

Just like the doctor’s warning, when she was introduced to Julian, he introduced himself by kissing her hands like they were in the eighteenth century. He would occasionally flirt with her or annoy her with Lancelot. Lancelot was such a troublemaker. His pranks and mischievousness would always keep the house alive. He and Julian would be like two peas in a pod, always doing pranks together. When they pestered Lucas, there would be an addition to their duo combination, she would join them. When the three joined forces, only Nicholas would be able to tame them. If Jennifer was the mama bear of the group, he would be like the papa bear of the group, but they are not a couple. He had the ability to keep everyone in line. He was like a leader in the household. Sometimes he would be the one, who would stop the banter between her and Lucas. If Julian was like an annoying elder brother, Nicholas would be the kind elder brother to her, and would save her from the clutches of the pranksters of the group. Everyone would respect and obey him. Even Isabella, who was known for her cold demeanour. For Isabella, Nicholas was like a father figure. When Jennifer introduced her to the princess, she didn’t utter any words to her. But all that awkwardness did change after one fateful night. Sleep was not a good companion for Estella, so one night she went to the terrace to do her usual routine of stargazing, but when she reached there, she realised she was not alone. To not make the situation more awkward, she tried to talk with Isabella. She was one hard nut to crack, but the hot chocolate made by Estella had the magic to crack her. That night, they became like a personal diary to each other. shared their deepest sorrows and hidden sufferings with each other. The auburn came to know that it was Nicholas who saved both Isabella and Oliver from their demise. She didn’t mention it very detailly to her, only stated the facts, that both, she and her brother Oliver was very grateful to Nicholas. When the princess learned that, Oliver was Isabella’s brother, she was totally shocked to know about it. All those times, when she saw the cold girl Isabella pampering Oliver with a smile, she thought it was Oliver’s charm of being the younger one in the group. Now she knew the reason behind those gentle smiles on her face. The princess learned so many things in those few weeks.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ceaseless knocks. She thought it was Julian who came back to bring her down in his style, but the meek voice behind the door confirmed it was not him, but Oliver. “Stella, are you ready? Or you still need some more time. Nico sent me up to ask about it.” She made a mental note to thank Nicholas later for not sending Julian. She was also happy to know that, after a lot of persuasion, they were now comfortable enough to call her by her name. After a final check-up in her mirror, she went out. “I am ready. Shall we go now?” After a confirmation nod from him, they went down together to have their breakfast.

The dining room was so lively, unlike the dining room in the castle. In the castle, there would be no one to accompany her while she was eating. The workers were not allowed to be there, after they served the food to them. So, they weren’t able to accompany her during her food time. But that was not an issue here; she would not feel lonely here. She set out in the direction of her place at the table, which was between Jennifer and Oliver. “What do you prefer, dear, juice or milk?” Jennifer asked her, about her preferences. “I prefer milk today.” She replied to her.

“So, did you guys find anything about the clue? Or any lead." After a few bites of her pancakes, she asked Nicholas about the result of finding the culprit. When she re-accounted her situation to them, Nicholas thought it would be best that the princess stays hidden in their home and they would do the searching. But being confined in their home all day, really did fatigue her. So, she pleaded with Nicholas to let her go out and explore the town for one day, and her pleadings were answered. Today was the day she would go out and enjoy herself. 

“We have some bits of information, but we don’t know how authentic it would be.” When they started to search, they got so much information, some would lead them to goose-chasing and some to dead ends. “What is that info?” She asked about it.

“There was a person whose name was Vagabond who was known for all secrets and information. Just like the name implies, that person will not be in one place, but somehow, we have some locations that the person will visit frequently. We thought of going there today, to those places to see, if it was true or not.” He spoke to the princess in a quizzical tone.

“Oh! Mm... I know that finding the perpetrator comes first, but what about my plans of going outside today?” She trailed and fidgeted with the dollar in her chain. Out of all of them, she knew how important it was to catch the culprit as soon as possible and to reveal the truth to the world. But the plan of finding the silly named Vagabond interrupting her exploring the town dampens her mood. ‘Out of all the days, why would they have to go out today?’ she grumbled about that thought.

“About that... hmm...” Nicholas drawled and looked around the table and continued, “There is no change in your plan, so don’t worry about it. You are allowed to go outside today” before she could cheer, he dropped the bomb, “but I will not come with you. I promised that I would tag along with you, but instead of me, the guys will accompany you in your little exploration. I hope you are okay with this.” He looked at her with anticipation, not knowing what her answers would be.

“Though I am sad you are not coming with me, I am ok with your idea," she said as she looked around the table and questioned him. “But who is coming with me, instead of you?’

“Myself, Jeni, and Bella, we are going to find that informant. The rest of the guys will accompany you.” He informed her about his plan. “What! Why all of them?” She gave an incredulous look to the elder.

“At first, I thought of sending you with Oliver and Lance; both kids wanted to buy some books and games, so I thought they would be perfect to accompany you. But Lucas told me, if something unfortunate happens, little Oliver and Lance don’t have the ability to protect you, so he volunteered himself. Later, Jules said he wanted to be the town guide and joined the group. I also thought if something did happen, it would be perfect to have more people to help you.” Nicholas said this to her nonchalantly, while she looked at the so-called group with a disbelieving look.

“Mademoiselle, I will be your perfect guide and take you to a lot of fun places. In addition, if Lucas fails to do his job of protecting, I will be your loyal knight in shining armour.” Julian informed her in his suave voice.

“Hey! What do you mean by that? Out of all the people, you very well know, what this Lucas Anderson can do.” Lucas argued with him. “Did you refer to yourself in a third manner?” Julian teased him further. “Mm, no,” the brunette said in a quizzical tone. “Yes, you are,” Julian said in his singsong tone to rile him up further. Oliver and Jennifer tried to stop their fruitless fight. Lancelot stared at the boys in mirth, like mini devil. Isabella, as usual, didn’t bother about it and her was to dump her vegetables on Julian’s plate discreetly. 

Their squabble became a background noise for Nicholas and Estella. “It looks like you are going to have lots of fun. Good luck in your exploration.” On Nicholas comment, she just grumbled, scowled at her situation. “Though the situation is calm, it’s not over. We don’t know who targeted you. The culprit may be among us. Though you are going outside in disguise and no one will identify you, please be careful. Don’t go anywhere alone; be with them all the time, Stella.” He warned her, looked at her in concern. “Don’t worry, I will be alright. Like you said, the boys will be with me, and nothing will happen,” she assured him.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue across the landscape. As it slowly descended towards the horizon, the sky transformed into a canvas of vibrant colours—deep oranges, rich purples, and soft pinks - blending seamlessly. The clouds, once fluffy and white, now glowed with an ethereal light, their edges tinged with shades of crimson and gold. The trees in the park, silhouetted against the radiant backdrop, swayed gently in the evening breeze. A sense of calm settled over the group who were lounging in the park, the hustle and bustle of the day giving way to a peaceful quiet. Birds chirped, their melodies a soothing symphony that echoed through the air.

It’s been years since Estella had peace like this. A sense of warmth settled in her heart. She felt safe, protected, and alive in their company. She recalled all the moments and funs, she shared with them today. She was really astonished when she saw her face in the mirror in the morning, before they started their tour. Jules did a great job of giving her a new makeover. Her hair, usually a vibrant cascade of red, was hidden beneath a sleek, coal-black wig. Dark sunglasses obscured her piercing green eyes. A simple grey scarf was draped around her neck, further masking any familiar contours of her face. With her new identity, she travelled through the throngs of people and visited many shops. 

The town of Daisybrook was lined with stalls and shops, offering everything from vibrant fabrics to exotic spices. She purchased a few sets of bracelets in the same designs for the members as a memento of her visit. Then they paused at a small bakery. The scent of freshly baked pastries waffled throughout the room. She exchanged a few words with the baker, a stout, plum woman, whose name was Miranda, with flour-dusted hands and a kind smile, before purchasing a warm, flaky croissant. They continued their stroll and purchased all the books, games, and other things on their way. Estella’s attention was caught by a street performer, a young man juggling a variety of objects with effortless skill. A small crowd had gathered, their laughter and applause creating a joyful soundtrack to the morning. She tossed a coin into his hat, receiving a wink and a grin in return. On seeing his gesture, Lucas and Julian were ready to throw their fists, at him, for flirting with her.

On one side, the town was so lively and alive, but on the other side, it was so dull and gloomy. Narrow, winding streets with dilapidated buildings and crumbling infrastructure. The children and some people wore patched-up clothing. Her conversation with the street vendors was laced with tales of hardship and mutual support among neighbours. Children ran barefoot through the streets, their laughter echoing off the walls, while vendors shouted, trying to sell their meagre wares. In the market square, an old man coughed violently, his clothes hanging off his frail frame, yet his eyes held a spark of determination. She noticed the community spirit - the way people help each other, sharing what little they have, but also sensed the undercurrent of desperation. She helped them, by purchasing their goods and sharing some foods or things with the children. She was shocked to know that one part of their kingdom was suffering like this. They had so many schemes to help poor people like them, but when she inquired about them among the people, they complained to her about how their pleadings would fall on deaf ears. She made a mental note to ask about this, to her father, after she found the culprit.

As afternoon turned to evening, they went to Azalea Park, which was the central park of the town. They sprawled their tired bodies and their worn-out legs on the wooden benches around the park. The park was bustling with people, where children's laughter rang out - the sound of joy and carefree abandon. Parents chatted amiably on nearby benches, keeping a watchful eye on their little ones.

“Oli! Oli!” Her thoughts were broken out by a group of chirping children’s who ran towards them. A group of about five children who were around five to seven years old, hopped around Oliver, while tugging and pulling him by his clothes and hands.

“Oli! Play with us.”

“Let’s play, building a sand castle. You can be the prince, and I can be the princess.”

“Nah! It’s boring. Let’s play ball.”

“Nope! Oli, you promised me you would play only with me. Let’s play hide and seek.”

The gremlins started to quarrel among themselves. Oliver sends a ‘please help me’ look towards his amused friends. Lance and Jules were cackling on the ground like hyenas. Soon, Lucas also joined the party of hysterical hyenas. Estella's face contoured into an amused one. She steps forward to help him.

“Alright buttercups. Why are you guys fighting among yourselves and pulling him? Look at his face; your Oli is so sad that his favourite playmates are arguing and not playing together like good kids.” She pouted and talked to them in an animated voice. The kids looked at each other and then at Oliver’s face.

“We are sorry, Oli. We will be good kids.” After that one kid, everyone started to say sorry to him. “Ok! Guys. I accept your sweet apologies. Now give me a hug.” At his soft command, little hands wrapped around him. Oliver’s friends watched him with a warm smile on their faces. This side of Oliver was very new to them. They had always seen him with his nose buried deep in his book, his sky-blue eyes looking at the laptop with an intense stare, or playing games with Lancelot. This Oliver was so chirpy and laughed loudly with the kids, as if he was one among them.

“Looks like, now we got to know the reason, behind your town visit excuses on every Thursday, huh!” Lancelot said it with a smirk on his face. “Uh... Mm...” Oliver fiddled with his ring and tried to come up with any excuse. Suddenly, his eyes gleamed with mirth. He whispered something to the kids and started to run. The kids also started to run crazily behind him everywhere, except for one. A small girl with two cute pigtails looked around here and there. Her gaze fell on Lucas, who was still on the ground, looking at the dashing kids with a distant look. The small girl ran towards him and tapped his shoulder.

“Tag! Now, you only have to find us, after you counted ten.” She shouted and started to dash away. “What! Why do I have to be the one to find?” Lucas grumbled and got up from the ground.

“Because we all know how bad you are at this, pal.” Julian snickered and patted his back mockingly. Before Lucas could beat him, he ran away from him. “You all better hide properly! The first to lose will have to do the dishes for one week,” Lucas warned, and started to count the numbers loudly. Estella frantically looked around all the places in the park. Her eyes fell upon the cluster of bushes near the fountain. With a quick glance at Lucas, she dashed towards the bushes. She crouched down and made herself comfortable among the bushes. Peeking through the foliage, she saw Lucas walk away in the opposite direction from her. Her current situation reminded her of her childhood days. At that time, she would play with the workers; the castle workers were her playmates. In fact, they were all like, family to her, and she really did miss them. She would always play hide and seek with them, but after her mother’s death, the happy spirit of the castle died along with her. So, right now, playing this game after many years, she was reminded of her past.

The hallway was filled with the giggles of a young child. Two women who wore the castle’s maids’ uniform ran behind the sugar-rushed girl. “My lady, be careful.” “Your highness, the floors are slippery, so please be careful.” The warnings of those two women fell on deaf ears. The young princess of Elatior is known for her mischievousness and hyper-activity. She would not sit around in one place for few minutes. So, the queen appointed those two women as the personal maids for the princess to play with them. She was always a lover of playing hide and seek, and when she asked them to play with her, they refused. So, to gain their attention, she started to run around the castle. 

It's been nearly half an hour, and both women were tired, huffing for every few minutes. They would stop for few minutes to catch their breaths and then started to run behind the princess. "Come and catch me!” the small girl dared them and dashed into the first room she saw in that hallway to hide. Unlike the workers, she was allowed to go anywhere except some places, and this always became a bonus point for her. But they had a rule: if the seeker found the room she was hiding, she would have to answer them, when they knocked on the door three times. So now, when she heard those three knocks behind the door, she closed her mouth to keep herself silent. She was angry at them for not playing with her. The green orbs glazed with felicity when her gaze fell on another door. When she opened that door, she found out it was the closet. She went inside and hid behind the array of clothes. After a few minutes, she heard the rattle of the doorknob, followed by the sound of the door opening. She thought of hiding far behind the clothes. Her movements caused a rustling sound. 

“Whose there? Show your face, or I will have to call the guards.” When the gruff, unknown voice of a man commanded her, she got angry. All the workers and the people around the castle knew this rule: ‘Never order the princess of Elatior; only her mother has the right to do that.’ So, when she heard that command, she came out of the wardrobe like an angry kitten. On seeing the young princess, the man trembled and fell to his knees. “Your highness, please forgive me for my rude behaviour. I thought it was someone, who intruded into my room. Please, I beg of you to forgive me.” 

On seeing a glimpse of his face, recognition flashed across the princess's face. She had seen him, with her father, so many times. “It’s ok, uncle. Actually, it’s my fault in the first place. Mom would always scold me for barging into all the rooms without asking their permission.” She pouted and fiddled with her dollar. Though she was the princess, her mother always reminded her to be polite to the elders. 

“No! No! Don’t say sorry to me, Your Highness. If I had known it was you, I would not have shouted at you.” She looked up at him to see him carefully. While looking at him, she saw something peculiar in his clothes. 

“What’s that?”

“What do you mean? My lady”

“I mean your dollar. It’s so beautiful and sparkling.” On her comment, he looked at his dollar. “Ah! This one.” He mumbled and crouched down in front of her. 

“My lady, this dollar is my symbol of my representation towards the crown. Every elite would have some kind of unique pattern of flower to showcase their attributes. My flower pattern is Gladiolus. It represents loyalty, faithfulness, honour, and so many more.” He explained it to her. She was so fascinated by all the information and listened to him carefully. She also questioned him, “What is Elite, uncle?” 

“They are the people who are very close to your father and mother. Don’t worry about it right now. When you grow up, eventually you will learn all the politics.” He stated this and ruffled her hair. All the time he was talking with her, she was looking at the dollar with a curious stare. Suddenly, she saw that dollar morphed into a button with the same pattern. In shock, she looked up at him. Instead of him, she saw the face of the man, who attacked her. With a sinister smile, she called out her name, like a mantra.

“Estella”

“Estella”

“Estella”

“Estella, wake up.”

She jolted awake, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. She could feel calloused fingers brushing her damp hair away from her face. She looked up to see a pair of cerulean eyes filled with concern. “It’s ok. You are safe here. Try to calm your breath.” Lucas spoke in such a soft voice, as if she was a wounded animal. After a few minutes, she looked around herself. She was in her room, looked around her room with a befuddled look. Her gaze falls on the guys who were sitting on the couch beside her bed with worried expressions.

“For a princess, you are quite comfortable enough to fall asleep anywhere, huh!” Jules said in an amusing tone. “Don’t tease her. She was confused, you idiot.” Lance scoffed at him and hit the back of his head. “Are you ok right now?” Oliver asked her in a mellow voice. “Yaa, I am alright. But how did we come home? We were all playing, right? Or is it a dream too?” She asked them with a puzzled expression on her face.

“It’s not a dream, Es. You fell asleep, in the middle of playing. I found all the others, except you. As time passed, we got worried and started to search for you everywhere. It was Lance who found you between all the bushes, quite asleep. We tried to wake you up, but you seem to be nowhere near waking up. So, we booked a cab, came home. But after a few minutes, we heard mumbling and shouting from your room. It looked like you were trapped in some kind of memory. Somehow you woke up on your own, before we could pour the bucket of water.” Lucas explained to her that, all the while, he was soothing and circling her back in a rhythmical pattern to calm her down.

“If it is ok, can we ask about your nightmare?” Lucas asked her. “To be frank, it was sort of a memory from my childhood; later, it turned out to be a nightmare.” Her voice seems to be a whisper in the quiet room. Suddenly, she sat up abruptly and looked at all of them with a frantic look. “Now I remembered about that pattern in the button.” Then she started to narrate her dream or nightmare to them.

“So now we solved one mystery, still we have to find out about the other one.” Jules stated this to them. “Did anyone know about Nicholas and the others?” Estella questioned them and crossed her fingers in the hope, that, they should have found something useful. “Bell told me, they would come only tomorrow. When I tried to ask about the search, she didn’t tell me anything.” Oliver answered her. “Alright guys, let’s all go to bed; it’s quite late. I have my trust in Nicholas’s judgement. He never once failed on anything he started, so we don’t have to worry about it right now.” After Lucas assurance, small talks here and there, they all went to bed with prayers.

Due to some reasons, Nicholas and the girls arrived only in the afternoon. Everyone was anticipated to know, whether the trip was a success or a failure. They were all gathered in the dining room to discuss it. “So, any luck, guys?” Estella took the initiative to ask about their little mission. “Well, I don’t know where to start.” Nichoals sighed heavily and fumbled for words. At his words everyone’s face morphed into sadness. “Just cut it out, Nico! Don’t torment these poor souls. Just spit it out about what we have found.” Jennifer scolded him. “Damn you, Jeni! For always being so good,” Isabella groaned at her. “Nico, you moron. Yesterday I talked so highly about you to them. Now you are doing like this, tsk! Anyway, I don’t know about you guys, but we got a crucial lead. I thought of discussing that with you later, but you wanted to give us all a myocardial infarction, huh?” Lucas cursed at him and was ready to throw his fist at him, but Nicholas question stopped him. “What do you mean by a crucial lead?” Lucas gave them a nutshell about yesterday’s situation.

“It looks like we are on the right track,” Nicholas mumbled about it. “What do you mean by that?” Lancelot questioned him. “We also got some authentic information yesterday. If it weren’t for Bell’s idea, we would not have found that person,” Isabella started to continue after Nicholas statement. “All the time, we thought that the person named Vagabond was a male, so our search all leads to a dead end. Then I thought, what if that person was a female? We started to search that person from that perspective, and voila! We got our lead and found that person.” Isabella boasted about her wonderful thinking process.

“She was an old woman living alone on the outskirts of this town. At first, she refused to talk when we asked about the identity of the flower. But after lots of persuasion, she started to speak. The flower with a bulblike structure and funnel-shaped flower is called Gladiolus, the one you guys found, she too said the same meanings. Another flower with a star-like shape is called Clematis, also known as Queen of Climbers. This flower symbolises wisdom, aspiration, and achievement, as well as deception and the devil." As usual, Jennifer paused her narration for the people to process the information and to follow her. “She mentioned that the button was quite old. She also gave us some very crucial information. Only the followers of the elite have two flower symbols. One flower represents who they belong to, and the other is to show the hidden emotions of the elites through their people. Usually, this other one is patterned in discreet areas. That’s why the Clematis symbol was in the hidden part of the button.”

After Jennifer finished her narration, Estella was in a spell-bound state. Her mind tried to come up with so many theories about why her father’s right-hand man would do such a wicked thing. “Then now our target is to catch this so-called snake, Andrews Stevenson, who was like a right-hand to the king.”

“Yep! You got it right, Lance. Let’s hunt him down. When we do catch him, our mission will be completed.” Jules bumped hands with Lance. “You two dimwits, just calm down your asses. He is the main person of the inner circle; capturing and getting information from him is not an easy task.” Isabella scowled at them for their goofiness. “I know where we can trap him.” Estella drew their attention to her. “Every Friday he would go alone to the club called Poppies Haven, which is on the east side of the town of Blossomville. He would always go there to get wasted, have all the pleasures and funs without his wife’s acknowledgment. We can use that opportunity to seize him.”

“My lady, how did you know about all these things?” Julian asked her in curiosity. “Sometimes I would get bored, would snoop around the castle to get rid of it. Some tips of gold would do its wonder.” She said it nonchalantly to him. 

After two days’ time, the boys went out on their adventure to hunt him down. The girls were at home having their girls’ time. Three of them shared their deepest moments with each other. Isabella told how Nicholas saved her and Oliver from their alcoholic mother. Jennifer shared about her childhood days. Estella told them how she suffered after her mother’s death at the age of seven, and how the castle workers became her family. Their conversation was cut off by Jennifer’s ringtone. She went out to attend the call.

“Why did you conceal your identity?” Isabella questioned the princess curiously. “You could say it was because of trauma. It was during my mother’s funeral. As a small girl of seven, I don’t know much about death. They told me that hereafter, my mother won’t be the one to braid my hair; she won’t be there to accompany me during breakfast; she won’t be there to kiss me goodnight; and she won’t be there to see me marry my love in the future. All those thoughts made me so doleful. I was there crying, begging, and pleading my mother to wake up and dry my tears. As if it were not enough, the camera flashes, the media's questions, and pitiful stares made me feel claustrophobic. From that day onwards, whenever I see the camera, I am reminded of that dreadful day.” She spoke to her with a strained voice.

“Do you still feel claustrophobic?” Isabella asked after pondering for a moment. “No, I don’t feel like that. The people in the castle helped me to overcome that fear. If I went outside for a stroll or something, people wouldn’t recognise me. So, it kind of ended on a positive note,” she said, her voice dipped with fondness. She felt a familiar yet distant sensation as the ageing memories played behind her eyes. 

“Do you miss them?” Isabella asked her in a hushed tone.

“Who?”

“The people in the castle”

“Yaa, very much. They have become part of my life. In fact, they saw me grow, more than my father. I don’t have so many memories with him, but it got worse after my mother’s death. We practically became strangers to each other’s. As I love to explore, sometimes I went to travel around the world in order to forget my loneliness. So, when I saw the video of him crying there at my so-called funeral, it broke my heart. Jeez! Why did I have to cry? It’s so unlike me.” Estella desperately started to wipe out the salty tears. Isabella wrapped the crying girl in her arms and rocked them gently. “You know what, Stella? I am so much like you. I don’t trust the people very easily. I don’t like to show my emotions very much. But after I started to live with these guys. I started to accept the fact that it is ok to cry, sometimes it is ok to show our emotions, and sometimes it is ok to not be okay." 

A few minutes later, Jennifer came into the room and smiled affectionately at the scene. “Aw! I don’t want to break off this tranquilly, but we have some good news guys. It’s Lance; he was the one who called me right now. He told me to inform, that their mission was successful and told us to meet them in their spot.” Jennifer informed them, and all the girls went to the said place to meet up with boys.

When they reached their spot, they saw all the boys except Nicholas on the outside of the warehouse. The warehouse belonged to an old friend of Lucas, so they thought this would be the perfect place to investigate Andrews, as it was away from the eyes and ears of the people. When they went inside, Estella covered her face with a hood to conceal herself from him. They went inside to see Nicholas standing over a person who was tightly bound to the chair with thick ropes.

On seeing more unfamiliar people, Andrews started to shout for help. “Who the hell are you guys? Do you know who I am? One phone call from me, and you will become nothing. You all made a very great mistake by kidnapping me.” All his shouting fell on deaf ears. Estella stared pensively at him. The past Andrew she knew was always full of laughter and a kind smile on his face, a stark contrast to the current Andrew, who was sneering at them, boasting about his power and title in the name of consequences and being so vociferous.

“For God’s sake! Hold your tongue, or I will pull it out,” Isabella scowled at him. Her warning only riled him up. “Who the hell are you to threaten me? You are just a young girl and a mere peasant. I could-”

“Andrew Reynold Stevenson. 56 years old. Father of three children. It’s been six years, since you divorced your wife. The most notable person among the elites. The King’s lapdog. You never paid the taxes in the name of being a very prestigious Elite member. You have so many lands under the fake names. Involved in so many shitty and shady businesses using fake identities. Do I have to recite all the things?” For each sentence, Lucas made a dramatic pause to plant the seed of fear in him. His strategy was really working. Even Estella was astonished to see this side of him. This Lucas reminded her of their first interaction, but she knew that this Lucas was just a facade.

“We knew who you were, old man. In fact, we know more about you than the king. So, do us a favour by keeping your mouth shut and open them when answering our question. Do you understand?” Andrew just nodded his head at Julian's threat. In fact, all the members were the complete opposite of their goofy nature. Even Estella was feeling slightly intimidated by their auras.

“I don’t want to beat around the bush and answer me very honestly. So, tell me, Andrew, are you the one who was behind the princess’s death?” On the Nicholas question, they all could see the face of Andrew’s morphing into a kind of fear and panic. “No! Did you hit your head somewhere? What nonsense are you trying to pull? Is this some kind of joke?” Everyone could see that he was blabbering in fear. The translucent bead of sweat cascading from his forehead would be the perfect evidence of his terror.

“Ugh! There we go again. Don’t you understand my question? I told you to answer very honestly. We know you are lying, dude.” Nicholas sighed drastically. “I told you, Nico, don’t be so civil with him. Vermin like him should be crushed first and then talk later." Julian stated it malevolently, with a gleam in his eyes. “No Jules! Crushing him would be so easy. First, we should torment him for all the things he did.” Lucas protested. “Nah! Those are all boring and old methods. Let’s do something unique.” Isabella also joined in their conversation. “I have so many injections. Why don’t we put it to good use?” Even Jennifer, who was known for being affectionate, became an interlocutor. Estella was regaled by their attitudes. They were talking so loudly about various methods of torture as if the old man was deaf. If only she could make a book based on their ideas, she would name it ‘Techniques to Torment in 101 Ways’.

“Alright guys! I think we don’t have to use all those methods if our little friend answers honestly. What do you say? Can you be honest? If not, I can’t help you from my boys.” Nicholas looked at him with a pensive stare. "Yes,” Andrew mumbled.

“We know you are behind her death. But, how did you do this? What were your reasons to do all that?” Nicholas started to put forth his questions. “It looks like my wife’s prayers were all answered now.” He muttered under his breath. After a long sigh, he talked to them and said, “Like you guys told me, you are indeed correct. It was me who ordered the assassination. If only I knew that girl had the power to slaughter most of my best guys, I would have sent more people. But anyway, she finally got paid for that. Right now, she must be sneering at me from heaven.” Suddenly, he started to cackle like a madman, gone was the fear from his face, madness surrounded him in its awake. Estella balled up her fist to control her anger. Her nails formed a small crescent-shaped indentation in her hands. Before she could punch him, he continued, “I don’t know how you guys find me, I will appreciate you for that. But you got the wrong person.” He smirked at them; he knew what he was going to tell them would be like an atom bomb effect on them. “It was not my idea or my intention to kill her. I am just a puppet. Actually, it was the king who ordered me to do that dirty deed.” 

“W-What!” Estella croaked. Everyone looked at her with an unknown expression. They don’t know how to absorb this information. She lumbered towards him in small steps. The old man was flabbergasted; it was like his breath was knocked out of him, when seeing the so-called dead princess standing before him alive, unscathed and in one piece with fiery eyes. “H-How... are you here?” he flounders for words.

“Why?” she whimpered, looking at him directly. Her mossy eyes swivelled with so many emotions. She grabbed the man by his shoulders, shaking him with all the energy she had in her body. “Just, tell me why?! Why would my own father, my own blood, my own flesh would do such thing? If he wanted my death, why didn’t he kill me way before, but now?”

“He did,” Andrew deadpanned, and only silence ensued. “W-What?” A breathless, broken whisper came out of her. “I don’t know what tricks you pulled, but you are alive here, like every time. It looks like you are one lucky fella. If only your father sees you here being alive, standing well, he will go ballistic,” he chortled. “Goddam it! Just answer my question,” she shouted at his face. “Whatever misfortunes happened in your life or all the near-death experiences you faced in your life, it was the king, your father, your own blood and flesh who pulled the strings behind all those incidents. Somehow you got the ability to escape every single time from your demise, even now. Wow! You are indeed very fortunate.” Estella’s breath caught in her throat as the words sank in. She stood motionless, eyes wide with disbelief, a hand instinctively flying to her mouth. Her mind raced, struggling to process the gravity of what she had just heard.

“Look here, old man, we don’t know what tricks you are trying to pull. You-” “He’s telling the truth.” Lucas's rough, coarse voice cut off Julian’s tirade. “He is right, Jules,” Nicholas commented. He looked at Lucas, whose whole focus was on the trembling princess, his oceanic eyes filled with concern as well as anger. Lucas was always known for his astute observation; he could assess the body language of every person. So, if Lucas told them the words spewed by Andrew’s were true, then it was indeed true. Nicholas could blindly trust him on that. “But why, why would the king have to do such horrendous deeds? Didn’t he cry pathetically at her funeral? Without worrying about his face,” Oliver questioned, his voice directed towards the man who was still bound to his chair.

“Ah! That was all an act, kid. The smiley, kind, good-hearted king you guys see in the media was a good actor. In real life, he was cunning, heartless, evil, a greedy monster, a power-hungry mongrel, and a devil in disguise. He was ready to do anything to attain his goals, but he would never make his hands dirty. He only pulls the strings, and we can’t do anything but dance to his rhythm.” He said it, his voice strained with disgust. “Ok! Let’s go along with that fact, but what would he gain by killing his only child?” Jennifer asked him.

“The Throne” Andrew’s two syllables created lots of confusion. “What are you trying to imply? My father is on the throne; in fact, he is the king for God’s sake!” the princess shouted hysterically. All those talks made her head to rattle. Her legs were barely holding her trembling body. “Your highness, I think you have forgotten your birthday again, or you don't know the kingdom’s twenty-fifth rule.” The old man mocked her; his chapped lips turned upward into a lopsided grin. “Quit laughing! And tell us, moron!” Lancelot demanded it.

“Jeez! You guys are one impatient fool, you know. According to that rule, the kingdom’s heir shall be coronated as a new king or queen on his or her twenty-fifth birthday. If there is no heir, then the current king shall be coronated again to continue his ruling. From your confusion, I assume your father deliberately concealed the kingdom’s rule book from you. I told you guys how hungry he is for power; only death shall sedate his hunger." He said, his voice amused, a steady rumble. “If you want to stop him, you have only five days’ time guys. Time is tickling fast; tick-tock, tick-tock,” he snickered at them.

Estella blinked rapidly, fighting back tears, her heart pounding so loudly that it drowned out everything else. His words were spiralling in her head, and his mocking laughter was taunting her. She remembered all those memories she shared with her father. She stood motionless, eyes wide with disbelief, a hand instinctively flying to her mouth. The room seemed to close in around her, the once familiar surroundings now distant and surreal. She was on the cusp of a panic attack. "Breathe!" a single command she heard in her foggy mind. “That’s it, Estella. Breathe,” that dulcet voice commanded her again. In a few minutes, the fogginess disappeared. She found herself swaddled in Lucas protective arms, giving her warm and comforting feelings. She snuggled further in search of solace.

A few minutes later, she disentangled herself from him and sat beside him on the rock. When Lucas noticed she was on the verge of having an attack, he brought her outside to calm her down. “Thank you,” she said, her voice so meek and vulnerable. “It’s ok. Hm... To be frank, I am not really good at comforting someone. If I did anything wrong, please forgive me,” he frowned at the situation. “Nah! I am very grateful for what you did for me. You dragged me from that awful place,” she said, smiling at him. She flopped back on the grassy plains and admired the stars; soon later, he too followed her position. “Well... If you want to talk, you can talk now. I will be there for you,” he drawled. “Are you trying to comfort me, big guy?” she teased him. “Nope! There are so many buys irritating me. I thought it would all fly away if they heard your annoying voice,” he grumbled, muttering so many curses under his breath.

“To be honest, I didn’t have a good relationship with my father after my mother’s death. Untill her death, we were all, one happy family,” she said, gazing at the stars. The distant memories flashed to her. “To escape my mother’s nagging, he would join us sometimes. But after her death, he became so distant. He would give me excuses upon excuses for not playing with me, for not joining me during dinner time, and so on. I thought his detachment was a coping mechanism for his wife’s death.” She fiddled with the dollar in her chain, letting out an exhausted sigh. “Never in my wildest dream, did I think of his reserved self as having hatred for me. I don’t know what to do right now. The very idea of my father being the reason behind my attack brings a chill down my spine.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The cold, gentle breeze of the night cooled down her raging body.

Throughout the whole time, Lucas remained silent and observed her. Her cheeks were blushing due to the chilly atmosphere. There was clear evidence of the tracks of her salty tears on her rosy cheeks. Her once lacquered lips were now dried and chapped. Her fiery auburn hair was now tamed and lifeless. Her form was nothing like the princess of Elatior; right now, she was just a vulnerable girl who was betrayed by her only family, looking so small and fragile. “Why don’t we give your father a myocardial infarction?” She gave an incredulous look at his suggestion. “Are you suggesting me to kill my father and commit a regicide?”

“The hell! I am not implying that,” he harrumphed. “What I am trying to say is, why don’t you claim your right to the throne? Do you want to give up, what is rightfully yours? Don’t you want to make your mother be proud of her little princess? Or you could live in a distant place, watching your tyrannical father have his way by tormenting his people.” Each question of his created an unknown emotion within her. ‘Is this the only way?’ she thought. She didn’t like to fight, but she was also not a coward. Her mother didn’t raise her to be a coward. Each and every day, she would advise her on how to be the people’s queen. All her memories, lessons, and questions made her to choose her path. “Let’s do this, but I need your help.” Lucas smirked and shook her hands. This situation brought so many memories to both of them.

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The kingdom of Elatior was alive with electric energy as colourful banners fluttered in the breeze, lining the streets in a vibrant display of celebration. Every corner was adorned with ribbons and garlands, and the air was filled with the scent of freshly baked treats and floral arrangements. Every town in the kingdom was enveloped in a sense of anticipation and jubilation, with streets lined with flowers and adorned with ornate decorations fit for a royal celebration. Musicians serenade the crowds with lively tunes, adding to the festive ambiance as townsfolk clad in their finest attire eagerly anticipate the coronation festivities. 

The atmosphere in the castle was no different. The castle was a living monument to centuries of history, its towering spires reaching towards the heavens. Inside, the corridors echoed with the hushed whispers of courtiers and the occasional clank of armour as guards stood watch. The air was thick with the scent of incense, mingling with the aroma of freshly cut flowers adorning every available surface. The great hall was ablaze with the warm glow of a thousand candles, casting flickering shadows upon the rich tapestries that line the walls. Despite all the happiness, some people in the castle were not happy; their faces morphed into sadness, and their auras were so gloomy and downhearted.

“Today is her birthday,” a depressed voice of a female could be heard in the soundless room. “Hush! Lower your voice, Ella. What if someone hears you and reports you to the king?” Someone chastised that voice. “But Aunt Clara, if only she was alive, all this celebration would be for her, sh-achoo! Ugh, I feel terrible!” A hoarse voice complained. “Just take it easy, Paul; you are still unwell,” a dulcet voice scolded him, later hitting him square on the head. “My love, I am still a patient; go easy on me; I was only telling the truth, and I was still regretting my decision for not saving her,” he said in a bitter tone. “How can it be your fault, dude? It’s mine. I am her personal guardian. I should have been beside her, but what had I been doing at that time? I was whimpering like a baby in the corner for just two bullet wounds.” He whined softly, unable to hold back his distress. “Shh! Theo, how many times do we have to tell you that it’s not anyone’s fault? We know who would have done this. But our tongues are tied. We can’t do anything but pray. Maybe we are powerless, but not our Almighty. Our prayers will not go in vain. I have faith in that. Miracles do happen. Remember Job 4:8?” Aunt Clara, the head maid of the castle, asked them in a hushed voice. “Those who plough evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” Ella replied to her. “Yep, that’s right. There are consequences for our every action. No one can escape from fate.” 

When they heard the knock on the door, all their murmurs came to an end. But when a brunette head popped inside, they let out a sigh of relaxation. “U stupid woman, why the hell would you knock, Emma? We thought it was someone else, who came to announce us that the preparation was finished,” Ella whispered at her twin. Both were identical twins, but their characters were in stark contrast to each other. Emma was a sweet girl, always with a warm smile on her face. On the other hand, Ella was a total rugged; a scowl would always plaster on her face. The twins lived in this castle from their teenage days, looking after the princess. The Queen appointed them as personal attendants for the princess. Soon, they fell in love and married their sweethearts.

“Mm... Actually, I just came for that. The King will come down in a few hours. They asked all the workers to assemble in the hall for the last minute of instruction.” She informed them. “Here we go.” Everyone mumbled and muttered their protest. They all went to that place.

On the other side of the castle, a stout man in his mid-forties, his belly round and firm, strained against the buttons of his shirt, stride briskly in the hallway. He knocked at the door three times and went inside after his permission was given. “Your Majesty, please forgive my impudence. But I have an urgent message to pass it on to you. Please allow me to pass it on.” It was the king’s chamber. While that stout man was talking to him, he was very busy admiring himself in the mirror.

King Felix, even in his fifties, exuded a commanding presence. His once jet-black hair was now streaked with silver, and his beard, meticulously groomed, was similarly flecked with grey, framing a face etched with lines of many stories. His piercing eyes retained a sharpness that spoke of both cunning and vigilance. The king’s coronation attire was majestic, befitting the gravity of the occasion. He wore a richly embroidered velvet robe in deep royal purple, trimmed with white fur, symbolising purity and power. Under the robe, he donned a tunic made of fine silk, intricately adorned with gold and silver thread in an elaborate pattern that gleamed in the light. His trousers, also of silk, were tucked into high leather boots polished to a mirror shine.

“You may speak, Charles.” On his command, the man named Charles started to speak. “Your Majesty, it’s about our noble Elite member Andrew; a few minutes ago, he emailed us to inform us he couldn’t attend the ceremony, due to some complications.” The king’s obsidian eyes looked at his reflection with an intensive stare, his face contorted into anger. “That fool! I told him several times not to do any drugs during important occasions,” he clucked his tongue. “Don’t mention him anymore. I will take care of him, when he comes to his duties. Now, tell me, Charles, how are the preparations going on?” he rasped.  “The preparations are going well. It is almost done. They are doing the last-minute check-ups, my lord,” the stout man stated. “I want my coronation in a perfect way. Make sure to cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s. You know what will happen right if I see any faults, right?" The king made a hanging statement to show how serious he was. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Out of all the people the Elites knew, what was the king truly capable of? “I think it’s almost time; let’s go. I can’t wait to bask in the limelight again.” Both of them went outside, and Charles trailed behind the king.

The sound of trumpets heralds the arrival of the king, accompanied by a procession of knights in shining armour for tradition and sturdy men in black suits for modern. The throne room was resplendent with glittering chandeliers and luxurious decorations. It was a spectacle of opulence, with its high ceilings adorned with sparkling chandeliers that cast a warm, golden hue over the throng of masked faces. Royals, nobles and dignitaries, dressed in their finest regalia, lined the aisles; their expressions were hidden beneath their masks. At the far end of the hall, on a raised dais, stood the throne - an ornate masterpiece of gold and jewels, waiting for its new occupant. Only after the coronation, the king or queen would use the throne; until then, they would sit among the people to show that he or she too was a humble commoner. The king sat among the elites; he too wore his mask, which was purple. It was crusted with many gems and patterned with many intricate designs.

The archbishop came to the dais, draped in his ceremonial robes, to start the ceremony with the prayer. “Almighty God, source of all wisdom and strength, we gather here in Your holy presence to seek Your blessing upon this sacred ceremony. Today, as we are going to crown this noble leader, we ask for your divine guidance and protection. Grant to our new king the wisdom of Solomon, the courage of David, and the compassion of Christ. May their reign be marked by justice, mercy, and the unwavering pursuit of peace. Bless this kingdom and its inhabitants, that under this new leadership, we may flourish in unity and prosperity. In the past days, our country mourned for the loss of the kingdom’s only heir, but Your grace supported us and Your peace filled our hearts as we mourned for the passing of our kingdom’s princess.” At the mention of the princess, King Felix cried silently once again. He brushed away his tears that streaked down his cheeks beneath his mask. “But your presence brought solace amidst our pain. May we remain steadfast in our faith and ever mindful of Your love and grace. With the power anointed in me and in your holy name, we pray. Amen.”

With an amen, the prayer and coronation ceremony had begun. The ceremony would start with the speeches of all the elite people. There was a total of seven people, but right now they only have six members. One by one, each member came forward to talk about the qualities of the king, the memories they shared with him, the deeds he did for the welfare of the people, and so on. Following this speech was a video presentation about the country’s history, the kingdom’s growth, and, at last, the king’s growth from his childhood. After that video, the archbishop would anoint him as the ruler of the country, and he would be the owner of the throne.

A round of loud applause echoed through the throne room after the last Elite member gave his speech. All the chatter and the murmurs died down, when the presentation started. Some people used this opportunity to take a power nap. People started to get fatigued by all those histories playing in the large scene. Once again, a round of ovations resounded throughout the room. The screen showed the title ‘True History About Our Great Noble King, Felix Jameson Brown.’ The king was confused about the title. “What the hell is that, Charles? I ordered you and Andrew to report to me immediately, if the team made any changes, even if it was about a period.” The king sneered at Charles. “My Lord, please forgive me. The last time I checked, they didn’t mention any changes. I will ask them immediately and report it back to you right now.” The stout man replied, and his voice trembled with fear. He got up to exit the room to inquire about the changes to the IT team, but a loud gasp and murmurings from the crowd made him turn around. On the screen, the word murderer was written in a big, bold, red colour on the top of the king’s photo. Some of the Elite members faces morphed into unease; dread filled them. A shiver danced down King Felix’s spine. Despite his efforts to maintain composure, the seething turmoil within him was palpable, radiating off him in waves of palpable tension. Soon, the room filled with whispers of the people and rustlings of the guards trying to control the situation. 

All the commotion came to a halt, when the screen started to play a video. The rage within the king became uncontrollable, when recognition crossed across his face upon seeing that person. It was Andrew, with dishevelled hair and dirty attire, looking like a vagrant, nothing like an Elite member, as they all had seen.

“Uhm, I don’t know where to start.” His gaze followed behind the camera. “I know you guys have a confusion about the title and the photo; I am going to talk about it,” he drawled, his wide eyes looking around frantically. 

“Someone stops that video!!” The king was livid, desperately shaking and ordering the guards who stood near him to do something.

“Actually, it is true; the king you guys know is not the real king. He is like a chameleon, not showing his true colours. Only some people in the Elites and the castle workers know his real face. To tell the truth, the king was a wolf in sheep’s clothing in front of his people, a masked malefactor, having so many secrets and doing so many dirty deeds by ordering the people around.” At first, he seemed to be agitated to talk about all those things, but when he started to talk, he was like a broken dam, pouring out all his hidden emotions and feelings without any pause.

The King’s face was cold, dark, and ominous as he stood in the throne room, fists clenched at his sides. His eyes were hard, flashing with a dangerous intensity. Every muscle in his body was taut with barely restrained fury, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. The nobles and the elites who stood near their king backed away to safeguard themselves from his wrath.

“You want to know how venomous he is, how heartless he is, huh?” he paused, leaning towards the camera with his infamous smirk. “He is so heartless to kill his own daughter, his only family for the throne.” There, he let the cat out of the bag without a care in this world. 

Loud gasps echoed around the room. All the people were looking at the king for any kind of reaction or any kind of verbal objection, but nothing. He was staring intensely at the screen with blazing eyes, tuning out the background noises; all his focus was on the man named Andrew Reynold Stevenson.

“If I have to go down, I am not going alone. I am so sick and tired of your orders, my lord. Oopsie! You are not the king today, right; you are just a commoner right now.” He mocked him and started to laugh hysterically. “My bad. I thought of your face; you must be fuming right now, your majesty. Oh! Sorry, old habits die hard. If you thought I was blabbering nonsense, I am not; I have all the evidence. Let me sho-”

Before he could finish, the screen turned to black. The noisy chatter and murmurs increased gradually. The media has a full focus on their former king right now. But he was looking at the black screen with glowering eyes. The guards and the soldiers don’t know what to do. The nobles and the elites were frantically and animatedly talking among themselves about their fellow member daring attitude. “Silence!!” the booming voice of Felix thundering throughout the room, all came to a screeching halt.

“What! Why are you all looking at me like that? You want me to object to all his accusations?” he asked curtly. “How could I do that? How could I do such a thing like killing my own blood and flesh? Just because he pulled some tricks and spewed nonsense, you are going to believe him,” he scowled, as if daring them to say yes. “What are you going to do, if we say yes?” a hoarse voice, dripping with sarcasm, heard from the crowd.

The crowd parted like the red sea, making their way between the previous king and the mysterious voice. The people peered towards the way; they heard that daring voice; they were astonished to see a boy whose face was hidden behind the blue mask. Not only that, he was not alone, seven more people stood near him wearing the same blue-patterned mask. The previous king took slow, deliberate steps towards the group. “I don’t know who you are, young man. But it looks like you don’t know the rules of Elatior. Here, no one should defy the king’s order.” He sneered at them. “Ah! The king’s order, but as far as I know, you are not a king right now, old man,” another voice mocked at him. Their comments only served to fuel the fire within him. “Right now, I may not be the king, but I will be in a few hours. When that happens, even if you all beg me on your knees, I will not spare you,” he taunted, mocking them.

“That will only happen if you can become a king, father.” That dulcet voice, always haunted at him, brought so many paranoid situations for him, and he could recognise that voices very well. How can he not? It was his daughter’s voice, an exact replica of his wife’s voice. Each and every person in the hall looked at her spell bounded, when she removed her mask as well as her hood. Standing before them was the princess of Elatior. She stood with an aura of effortless grace, an embodiment of elegance, conveying a poised confidence that drew the eyes of everyone around her.

“H-How... I just... I mean... How are you?” he flounders for words, his voice barely audible. The disbelief was palpable, and the air was heavy with the weight of impossibility. “Are you not happy to see me, father?” she asked, titled her head innocently, and peered at him. “You are seeing me as if you are seeing a ghost, father. Here, touch my hands, father. I am really alive, father,” she taunted him, her words dripping with venom. “I heard some silly rumours; is it true, father? Hmm! Even now, I heard that same rumour.” For each sentence, she took a powerful stride towards him. “Is it true? Did you try to kill me, father?”

Estella’s eyes met her father’s, and a chill ran down his spine at the sight of the unnerving gleam within them. Gone was the warmth and familiarity; in its place was a cold, calculating gaze that sent shivers down his spine. Her voice, once filled with laughter and joy, now dripped with malice, sending a wave of dread coursing through his veins. He struggled to find his voice. Unable to find his voice, he stumbled backwards, eyes wide with an unknown fear, his mind reeling with confusion and dread. His consciousness was racing with a thousand unanswered questions. How could this be possible? Did Andrew really betray him? Had he been mistaken about her death? Then what about the testimony of the crew members? Did they all lie deliberately to him? Did he fall into their trap?

“Answer her!” a shout snapped him from his monologue. He surveyed the situation, all eyes observing him, taunting him, and looking at him, anticipating an answer. “Es, my sweetheart, do you really believe that scoundrel, instead of your own father? Believe me, dear, even you can ask your friends; they told me you were dead, fallen into the sea with a gunshot wound,” he croaked out. “When I heard the news, I sent the search team, and all they found were your tattered clothes. If only, if only I got a single clue of you being alive, I would have searched for you.” by now, pail of tears cascading from his eyes, but her eyes remained cold and still.

The king started to weep loudly right now, like a child. “Forgive me, dear. Please forgive your father for not searching thoroughly. Forgive me,” he muttered under his breath for a few seconds. Everyone looked at the princess, anticipating her next move. She traipsed towards him, wrapped her fragile arms around him, and patted his back. Both of them stayed like that without any care about the media, which flashed their lights to capture this moment for headlines. “I am really sorry, dear. Did you forgive me?” he muttered, barely heard in the noisy atmosphere. She leaned towards him and whispered, “I am, if it was my old self, but right now...” she drawled, and he incredulously looked at her.

“Seize him, Lucas," and before her father tried to process her words, he was captured by Lucas and Julian. “Mr. Felix Jameson Brown, you are under arrest for an attempted murder of Estella Beulah Gracelyn, the princess of Elatior, for fraud and embezzlement. You have the right to have an attorney or to remain silent. Please cooperate with us.” Lancelot gave the cuffs to Nicholas, after he read out his rights. Estella saw her father struggling to escape from being handcuffed. But he was playing a one-sided match; those guys were the trained people from K.L.E., Kingdom Law Enforcers. They had the right to arrest any nobles, high-class people, or even the ruling parties. When she found out their secret, she felt betrayed, being used and backstabbed by the people, who she thought of them as a second family. But when they explained their situation, she understood them. If she was that old girl who loved to be behind doors and who was afraid to reveal her identity, that girl would have thrown a tantrum at them for hiding their secrets. But she was not like that right now; she was going to be the queen of her kingdom. She had to be just and right with her decisions. 

“ES!!!” Before she could turn, two bodies collided with her, and with a startled yelp, somehow, she balanced herself. “Paul! Theodore! Get off from my baby,” Aunt Clara scolded at them. “NO!!” those two retaliated and tightened their arms like a python. “Guys, time out. I want to breathe." Estella tapped at their hands. They loosened their arms but didn’t take off their hands. On seeing her struggle, their partners came to her aid to help her. Ella and Emma pried their husbands’ arms from her after a lot of struggles.

“Come on, love, if you want to beat someone, beat her for making us all suffer,” Paul whined at Ella. Before she could beat him again, he went behind Aunt Clara. “Oh dear! Look at your skin; you lost all your glow. Don’t worry, you came back now, I will fatten you up again and return you to your health.” The elder woman teased; though tears pooled in her crescent eyes, her face held a warm smile, muttering ‘Thank you, Lord’ very occasionally. Not only Aunt Clara’s face, but in fact everyone’s eyes are brimming with tears. “You have so much to explain to us, Missy." Ella tutted, her eyes narrowed, yet her eyes held warmth. “Don’t mind my sister; she was so worried. Heaven! In fact, we were all so depressed these past few days. Paul and Theo would always blame themselves for your... mm... you know... that.” She animatedly moved her hands to describe that tragic day. “So anyway, Aunt Clara was the one who would always comfort us.” She took the princess's hand and caressed it gently. Her hands were once soft and fragile, but now they're calloused and sturdy. “When we saw you standing there, exchanging heated glances with your father, our bewildered gasps contorted into relieved sighs. We thanked the Lord for bringing our little princess back to us safely,” she said, her eyes moist and tears cascading freely down her cheeks. Estella’s olive eyes glimmered with tears. She hugged her so tight, clinging to Emma like her life depended on her. Finally, she burst out, crying so loudly and mumbling how she missed them all, even though she had new friends and family. During the whole time, Emma didn’t loosen her arms; she just tightened them every time she would start to cry again. Soon, everyone gathered around, patted her back, and surrounded her to protect her from the gossiping eyes.

“I know it’s a serious situation, but you told one thing wrong, darling.” Theodore chimed, looking at his wife, and tried to tell the mistake through his eyes. But the poor woman didn’t’ get his hint. “She isn’t our little princess anymore; she is all grown up now. She’s going to be the Queen of Elatior, the rightful owner of the throne,” he said, gazing at her with a proud look. She eyed them all; there was no revulsion; only pride lit up their eyes. She looked back to see her friends, who gradually became family to her, standing in the corner, looking back at her with endearing smiles on their faces. She examined the room, and the nobles, the commoners, and the elites were talking all animatedly among themselves, laughing loudly and hugging each other with happy tears on their faces.

As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, the beach transformed into a serene evening haven. Gentle waves lapped at the shore, their rhythmic whispers mingling with the soft rustle of palm fronds swaying in the cool breeze. She let out a long, muscle-soothing sigh of relaxation. “You look serene.” She very well knew whose that husky voice belonged to, even with her eyes closed. “Yaa, a calm before the storm," she said flippantly. All she heard was a chortle and a soft thud beside her. She assumed he too followed her position. “You look so tired,” his voice broke off her tranquilly state. “Aww! Are you worrying about me, Lu-Lu?” she teased him. “What will you do, if I say yes?” he whispered, his voice dripping with softness.

She felt déjà vu. If it was five months ago, she would have blushed, but now she had a cheeky smile plastered on her face. This situation reminded her of that significant day, when she learned about the painful truth from Andrew, somehow, he also agreed to help them, curtesy to Lucas threatening. He confessed about the plans for the ceremony and all the loopholes. They used that to their advances and entered the castle, without any attraction towards them, and with Oliver’s hacking skills, they played that video of Andrew’s confession. 

When her father was arrested, he refused to talk, nor did he accept any lawyer either. It was as if her father became mute and refused to speak or do anything. He was under the care of K.L.E. Sometimes she went there to visit him, but he would do nothing, stay still, and stare at her with his dull eyes. After three weeks, all the commotion subsided, and she was coronated as the Queen of Elatior. She gave a permanent residency ship for Nicholas’s team and begged them to visit her frequently when they were not on any mission. Then, after two months, Lucas freaking Anderson proposed her in the same beach where he found her, how romantic. Somehow, both of them managed to have time for each other, to go on their little dates, to spend their movie nights, to do her favourite stargazing, and so on. Right now, Lucas was on vacation after another successful mission.

“How did you escape from Theodore?” she asked. After she introduced him to their family as her boyfriend, Paul and Theodore were adamant about testing his skills. So, whenever he got time to visit her, they would drag him somewhere. “Don’t even mention that,” he groaned. She was in full-on laughter mode when she heard his grumble. After her laughing session, both of them sat there in a tranquil state, watching the sunset with a pleasant expression on their faces, a reminder that no matter what happened, there was beauty at the end of each day. As the sun set, casting its warm glow over the sea, Estella felt a sense of calm. The challenges of the past months had been tough, but they had brought her to this moment. They sat in contented silence, watching the stars appear in the sky, each one a symbol of hope. Under the stars, Estella knew that the hardships they'd faced had made the future look even brighter.

By J.Jeleena