TRAPPED

NOTHING IS HIDDEN UNDER THE SUN

FIVE YEARS LATER.

"Am glad you finally decided to visit this side of the kingdom" said Liam as he held Kiras hand and squeezed it gently.
The two kingdoms had been made one but Kira couldn't get herself to go to the other side
"yes, me too. Things seem different" she commented as the car drove by some new infrastructures
"well, since we're one now, I have been using the minerals from that side to develop this side" Liam informed her and put his hand on her stomach, she was now three months pregnant with their second child.
Kira put her hand on top of his and smiled up at him, she couldn't be any happier. The cars stopped at the market place and the royal family came out.

Arthur saw a little girl playing just next to her mother's stall and pointed
"mother!" he grabbed Kira's hand "she has such pretty hair" he commented
"do you like her?" Liam asked and Arthur nodded "we can talk to her family if you want, she is at a perfect age to start being groomed to be your bride"
"don't even think about it" Kira spoke out and looked at Arthur "listen to me son, you will not be marrying or engaging anyone until you're old enough to even understand what love and commitment is" she said to him  "do you understand me ?"

“Yes mother" Arthur responded and nodded
Liam chuckled and brought Kira closer, holding her waist and kissing her cheek.
"I see we haven't gotten over that yet" he teased and she frowned at him.
"I am over it, I just don't want history to repeat itself" she let out a sigh "Anyway, you go to the palace and I'll and visit my mother, I'll be at the palace before sunset" she told him.

she hadn't visited her mother in five years but the mother had been visiting her.
"Alright my dear, am taking Arthur, its never too early to learn about governance and leadership" said Liam
"Dont pressure him too much, if he gets bored and wants to play outside let him go, he's just a kid" she said to him
"Okay, I hear you" h kissed her cheek then went back into the car.

With the men gone, Kira wanted to go back into the remaining car and be taken to her mother's place but she saw a big shop selling beads, bracelets and materials. They looked so gorgeous she just had to go nearer and perhaps buy something for her mother.
She stepped into the shop and the sales lady bowed, Kira smiled at her and walked further in only to be met by a woman she never thought she would ever see again, the former queen mother, Hakeem's mother.
Suddenly Kira became nervous as she walked towards her and bowed
“Please don't" Kira tried to stop her from bowing
“Why shouldn't I bow before our majesty the queen?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm
“Please. Just…its not necessary" Kira insisted
“What...still feeling guilty?" the former queen spoke " you had my family slaughtered like animals, Amina, that poor thing had to run off pregnant and alone and here you are, queen of the empire" she spoke out angrily and Kira was stunned
“What are you talking about?.Hakeem went away with Amina, I let him have his happily ever after and be with Amina just like he always wanted"

“Happily ever after?" she questioned with laughter."is that what you call being beheaded?" the former queen tried to push Kira out but the guards intervened.

With a confused mind Kira walked out of the shop and proceeded to see her mother, she was too absent minded to even listen to what her mother was saying, before she knew it the sun had set and she had to go back to the palace.
The palace had been remodeled and it looked really beautiful but she couldn't even enjoy the view because she was still disturbed about her encounter at the market. The moment she arrived she requested to see Liam in private and he went with her to the bedroom.
“Is everything alright? he asked noticing her foul mood
"I bumped into the queen"
“Which queen? asked a confused Liam.
“The former queen, Hakeem's mother. And she told me that you slaughtered her family like animals, Hakeem included" she confronted him
"it had to be done, that was the only way to keep my family safe" he said to her and she gasped, she had really wished that he would deny the accusations
“How could you?!"she yelled at him, tears threatening to fall

"they were a threat. if I had let them live they would have mobilized themselves and attacked, do you think Hakeem would have hesitated to kill me? to kill Arthur? it was a necessary evil" said Liam defensively

"they were your family!" Kira yelled

"no they were not, just because we shared a father it doesn't make us family. I had to protect you, to protect my family and my kingdom"
.

Kira was enraged and frustrated, how could she have not known? Five years, she had been with him and she had fallen in love with him. He had made her happy, he had kept his promise and never took a second wife or mistress, how could she give her children such a father? All she could see now was a merciless killer. And she knew that it had nothing to do with loving and protecting anyone, it was about power and revenge.

Frustrated, Kira sat down on the bed.
"I have a headache, I need to rest" she said without even looking at him as he walked out of the room and she curled up into bed.
A few minutes later Arthur ran into the room.

“Dinner's ready mother" he said to her and Kira couldn't help smiling at him
“Am not hungry, you go and eat" she told him
"are you upset mummy?" he asked with a pout
"of course not, come here" she gestured for him to get on the bed
“Grandmother said I am a future king and should not be cuddling with my mother" he said
"you are just a boy , you have a lot of years ahead of you before you become king, now come on I know you want to" she said and Arthur quickly got on the bed
“Grandmother said you are going to have a baby and if its a boy I have to be careful and fight because he might steal my crown" he went on to report as he laid down in his mother's arms

“Thats not true, you should not fight with your siblings, you should protect them at all costs do you hear me?" Arthur nodded" and stop listening to your grandmother"

The thought of Arthur growing up power hungry and ready to kill anyone who challenged him scared her a lot, she had to make sure Liam's mother didn't shape Arthur the way she had shaped Liam.
She didn't even know who he was anymore.

A/N
Thank you everyone for the engaging comments. Remember to tap that star after reading, thank you.