Kingdom: Another World

Chapter 9: Meal

"And we went home directly." She ended.

I gulped the tea as sweat fell down my face. So that's what happened. I thought. "That's... sad." I said.

My mother smiled. "How petty of them to quarrel over something that'd happen after a few years." She smiled sadly, then stood up. "Ah!" she said, remembered something. "Yelena. You sure that fine woman isn't really your lo – "

I spit my drink. She laughed. She ships me with him?! I thought. This must be how homosexuality was created years ago. I grimaced.

"But, Yelena. You sure you won't marry the prince, Vincent?" she asked. I looked at her. She smiled. "You loved him, right?" she asked.

"Err – " how should I answer this?! I'm not that idiotic princess that fell in love at such a young age! I thought. "A – ahahaha... I must have forgotten." I answered. "That happened years ago, right? I forgot his face – " I said, then laughed awkwardly.

"Hmm?" she said, then thought. "Then – " she looked up the castle. "Why don't you visit your room?" she asked.

"Huh?" I said.

"It must still be there – " she said, then looked at me. She smiled. "You might remember her in your paintings." She said happily. "And might reconsider the marriage – " she added.

"Ah!" I said, then raised my hand. "Stop, mother! I'm not marrying anybody – " I said.

She chuckled. "You won't know what will happen – " she said, then left.

I sighed. "Why are moms always like this? Meddling in their children's lives – " I sighed, then followed her instruction.

---

I opened my room. "She told me it was here..." I said. I looked around. "So spacious, I wonder if I could find what she's talking about – "

"What should you find?" I heard a voice asked.

"Waah!" I screamed, then jumped away. "Wha... Vice!" I said, surprised. I frowned. "Are you a stalker?" I asked.

"Huh? What's that?" she asked.

I sighed. "How do you always get in here?" I asked.

"Hm? Easy." she said. "I climb the walls."

My jaw dropped. "It's 40 meters high." I said, referring the distance to my room. "Anyway, why are you here?" I asked. "More like, why are you always here?" I said.

"Huh?" she said. "Oh, that. I have nowhere to go to." She answered.

"Hah?!" I said, shocked. "What do you think I am?" I asked. "A tour guide - ?!"

"A con artist." she answered bluntly.

My jaw dropped. "I already told you I'm an actress!" I said. This is the first time somebody told me I'm a con artist. I thought, then frowned. I sighed. "Anyway... I have something to find." I said.

"You're going to steal something?" she asked.

"Of course not!" I said, then looked under the bed.

"Then why?" she asked.

I sighed. "My mother – err, the queen told me if I could reconsider the marriage." I said. She didn't answer. "The East King and the West King was actually, like, uh, best friends? Yeah. They were best buds a long time ago." I said.

"What happened, then?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Their friendship was over because of the prophecy." I said. "You heard that at the meeting yesterday." I added.

She nodded. "So that's it..." he said.

"You didn't know?" I asked. She shook his head. "That's surprising, considering you looked like you know everything about this place." I said.

She sighed. "Well, you already found out I don't." she said. "What are we looking for, anyway?" she asked.

"Hmm... she mentioned something about paintings." I said.

"'Paintings'?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She told me to look for them when I told her I might've forgotten the face of the prince." I said.

"Why would you say that?" she asked.

"She asked me if I could reconsider the marriage to prince Vincent, the West Kingdom's prince." I answered. "I told her I won't. Then she told me he was my – err, no. He was the princess's first love. The princess was 5, then. How stupid, right? To fall in love at such a young age – " I said.

"There's nothing wrong with that, as I could see." she said.

I frowned. "Whatever. So I told her I can't remember the prince – "

"What a lame excuse – "

"I'm not the princess, you know!" I said. She sighed and rolled her eyes. I frowned. "Anyway, help me look for the painting." I told her.

She sighed and started to help me.

---

I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "Can't find it." I said and laid down the bed.

She sighed and sat beside me. "You sure the queen said it was here?" she asked.

I nodded, then closed my eyes. "Yeah." I said, panting.

"What are you doing?" I heard her ask.

"Rest." I answered. "It's been 5 hours, you know?" I said. She didn't answer. "Anyway, wake me up if somebody arrives." I said, then went to sleep.

Vice's POV

"Vice! Vice!" I heard her call.

"Mmnh." I grunted and hugged my pillow.

I heard her chuckle. "Come on. I know you like me since you're stalking me, but we have to get up – "

My body froze. "Ye... lene?" I said.

"Yeah..." she said.

"Ah." I said, then immediately sat straight up. I heard her laugh. My face went red. "S... sorry." I said, then looked around. "This – "

She nodded. "It's already dark." She said, then looked at the table. "But they did a great job." She said, looking at the lamp above the table. She sighed. "We haven't done a good job though." she said.

I grimaced, remembered that we fell asleep. "Sorry. Didn't mean to sleep." I apologized.

"It's okay. There's still tomorrow to find the painting." she said. I sighed. She laughed. "Wanna have dinner – " our stomach growled. "Guess there's no need to ask – " she said, and we laughed.

Yelena's POV

"Oh? Yelena. You finally woke up." My father said.

"Yeah. Didn't notice we fell asleep – " I said. I saw them looking at Vice.

Vice bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty." She said.

"Err... I forgot to properly introduce her to you – " I said and grimaced.

"As your wife?" they asked.

Our face turned red. "Father! Mother! Drop it!" I said. "I thought I already explained it to you – " I said. They laughed. I sighed. "Anyways... She's Vice. She saved my life." I said.

"Oh! She's really a fine woman – " my mother said.

"I wouldn't mind accepting her as your wife – " my father said.

"Oh, god. I told you already to stop it – " I said, they just laughed.

We then started eating dinner.