It's Not Always a Happy Ever After

"It's not always a Happy Ever After"

Long time ago, in a faraway kingdom. There was once a very spoiled princess. At the age of 15, she already knows what is the meaning of love. Being the only child of the king and queen, she gave hope and happiness to the entire kingdom.

Her smiles brought light to the kingdom. That's why the king is very afraid to lose the brightness of her happiness; everything she ever wanted and needed was given to her without question.

The princess has never been greedy for anything but once she met this man who captured her heart, she felt something strange inside her.

Falling in love makes the princess even brighter and happier which makes the kingdom glow even more.

One day, when the princess came to age, she asked her father for a certain favor.

"Father, will you make him my husband?" She pleaded her father for the king to allow her to be wedded to the love of her life. Thinking that it will easy as that.

Her father granted her wish as she never asked for anything before. But unfortunately the man refused empathetically to the king's offer for him to marry the princess.

The princess succumbs into sadness when the king delivered the news that her prospective man refused to be her husband.

As the princess gotten more depressed, the kingdom yield for her saddened emotions. Her father can't accept the fact that her only princess is getting more and more depressed as the day goes by. That's why; he summoned the man that the princess is in love with. He forced the man to marry his daughter and if he ever declined, his family will suffer the consequences where the man has no other choice but to comply.

The princess was brought back to her old self.

They got married as planned though, the man treated the princess colder than Antarctic. He never talked to her but the princess is very determined to make him fall for her.

She did everything just to make him smile, to make him happy, or just to make him notice her. But he remains unfeeling and cold.

Because of thorough loneliness for the failure of her unrequited one sided love, the kingdom become gloomy without the smile of the princess.

Few years later, the king died a year right after the queen pass away. That makes the princess's situation even worst. She felt left alone.. and even her husband neglect her.

But not too long, the queen fall into sickness and there is no remedy to bring her back to her bright old self.

As the days goes by, her condition gets worse than ever.

The king remains by her side, with his never changing emotionless face. He just stared at his wife as her face gets paled. He stand by the side of his wife's bed as the queen called and reached for him. But he never made a move.

"T-This might b-be too la-late for t-this b-but.. I-I'm s-sor-ry." She said with a hoarse voice as her tears continued to pour down her beautiful pale face.

"I-If only I h-ha-haven't been se-selfish and f-forced what I-I wanted.. t-then, y-you will n-never be l-like this.." she said with a tender yet miserable eyes as she sincerely look straight into the kings eyes.

The king suddenly kneeled down near the queen's bed and took her hand as he holds it tightly.

And for the first time in forever which might be the last. She saw emotions in her husband's face.

There was pain.. regret.. and.. love.. ?

Through her free hand, she struggles to reached for the kings face but the king grab her hand on reflex and brought it to his face.

He closes his eyes as he felt the fading warmth on her hand.

"I-I s-said it often t-to you, a-although I k-know you n-never b-bothered to li-listen.. t-that.. I lo-love you. I-I love you v-very much a-and it's t-true. From t-the first d-day I saw y-you I-I a-already know t-that y-you're the one and I-I love you so-so much." She paused to take a deep breath. It's getting harder and harder for her to speak when she's chasing air to breathe and fight the tears that falls.

She keeps on looking at the king, afraid that if she ever takes off her gaze, he would disappear. "I hope that s-someday, if God w-will ever allow, that if we e-ever meet again. I h-hope you c-could a-at least try to lo-love me b-back.

For the first time since forever and probably might just be the beginning, the king let a tear fall down to his cheek followed by many. Not because he's guilty nor ashamed for what the queen said.

But whereas the queen let go off of his hand, she let her life go off of her body, leaving the king stunned.

Her precious life, that he should have taken care of.

"Why?.." the only thing he could ever muster.

When he's more than willing to amend with his mistakes and how he neglected her.

When he's finally prepared to admit that, he's in love with her too.

When he can never live without her anymore..

When it's too late..

Too much late for him..

Is this how fates get their revenge when you reject their gift?

This is where regret will come.. the if's in life..

If he never refrain himself from loving her just because things did not go his way.

If he allowed her to enter his life and try to have a bright future together.

He would see her ever so splendid smile.

But that would just be an if..

Now the kingdom that once shines with the brightest smile of a certain princess is now harboring for it's lost.

The End