Melancholy

20

We were shifted to new quarters that were solely made for us, the future king and the Queen. A week has passed, and we are living the best life. Everything is beautiful, Ares has been so good to me all this time. It feels like I am living a dream, which will end once I open my eyes.

In a few days, the coronation ceremony will be held. It usually occurs when the old king dies, but my father wants it to happen when he is alive so he can guide me and be there for me.

The thing is, Ares has refused to take the title of a king. He said he will stay as a commander, the place he earned himself. I am proud of him, yet I want him to have the title too. He is my husband, my equal, even if he doesn't take part in the Royal duties. I want him to have the title and stand beside me. He can still be a commander!

It was a long talk between him and me, but he is quite adamant. Yes, I told him to let me rule my way, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have to take the crown. I just wanted him to let me do things my way while staying beside me.

Right now, I am looking for Ares to talk to him once more before the ceremony, but he is nowhere to he found.

"Have you seen commander Ares?" I asked the nearby guard.

"He headed towards his mother's quarters!" He told me. I started walking towards Clara's room, which was close to where I was.

I was about to open the door when I heard yelling from inside. They were arguing over something. I decided to leave and come back later, not wanting to meddle, but stopped when I heard my name.

"Leonora is not going to know about all this, and that's final!" He growled, he was angry. I have never seen him yelling at his mother.

"But don't you think she has the right to know.." Clara said.

"Yes, she had the right to know. Both of us did, but it's too late now. She shouldn't know, she will break and I won't let that happen!" He said.

"I am sorry ... I am sorry for everything, my son..." she said.

"I am not your son... I never was! You stole me from my parents, " he hissed, and I froze. What is he saying? What is he hiding from me?

"Please don't say that, I was desperate. Your father wanted a son, and that night, I have birth to a girl, a dead girl, " Clara whimpered.

"So you decided to steal me from my parents and put your daughter in my place." He hissed at her. He was beyond angry.

"Do you know what you did could get you killed? The king will kill you if he gets to know what you did, " he said.

"I know, and that's why I want to come clean. I can't live with that." She said.

"No, you are not going to do such thing. In a few days, Leonora will be the Queen, I would not let you snatch that from her. It's her dream to be a Queen, I won't let you or anyone else come between her and her dream, " he growled at her.

"Believe me, I would never ever think to hurt her. She is my daughter... I could never do that. But it's your place. You are the heir of this kingdom. I did wrong by stealing you from your parents, the king and queen. I know I don't deserve forgiveness." She said and I stilled in my place. I thought I heard wrong, but ..

"She is not your daughter. You lost the right to call her your daughter when you gave her to the Queen." Ares hissed.

"How could I not, I was the culprit. I had to do something for king and Queen, they couldn't have a child after you. So the Queen asked me to give her Leonora, and I obliged. I knew it was the right thing to do, a child for a child!" She said.

"Does Queen know about.. me?" Ares asked.

"No.. she did not.." Clara said.

"I want you to keep this a secret as you have kept all these years. It's better stay hidden. I would never let this come out and hurt Leonora. Got it?" He ordered her, and then I heard footsteps coming in my direction, but I was too shocked to move.

The door opened, and I came face to face with Ares, who got shocked when he saw me.

"Leonora.." He palmed my cheek and wiped my tears that I didn't know were falling down. I stepped away from him, not wanting his touch on me right now.

"What are you doing here?" He tried to stay calm as if gauging how much I heard.

"I .. I heard everything..." I said and heard a gasp from behind him.

"No... that'd not truth... you don't have to believe that.." He tried to lie and stepped towards me, but I stopped him with my hand.

"Don't..!" I said, and he stopped. He looked helpless.

"Leonora, listen to me.. it's not what you think it is..." Clara, or should I say my mother said.

"Shut up," I yelled at her, which made her silent.

"I hate you," I said, looking in her eyes, and then I turned around and ran towards my room.

I locked myself in the room and cried. I could hear Ares pleas from outside asking me to open the door, but I was too afraid to open the door.

I am not a princess, I never was.. I was the daughter of a commonner. A simple girl... the thing I was always so proud of was never mine to begin with. I always belittled Ares ... no doubt he was always good in everything. He had royal blood in his veins. No doubt the king and Queen loved him. Even though they didn't know he was their son but they felt the pull.

After crying for an hour, I finally stood up. I took a small bag and put a few of my clothes in them and some coins. I found the locket box that I bought at Cheshire. It was for Ares, but I never gave him. May be now is the time. The saying fit him now more than ever. "Non Ducor Duco" "I am not led, I lead." He is the King. The rightful heir of this kingdom. I can be anything but not shameless. I would not snatch his title. It's rightfully his!

I left the box on the table with a letter telling him that.

To Ares,

I am leaving Ares... I can't stay here with what I now know. I could not bring myself to live here anymore. It feels like everything I know was a lie. I always took pride in being a princess, a future queen. Now look at me, I was not a princess, never was. I belittled you for the very thing I myself was. I apologize for everything but now I have to go. I don't want to stay here and see shame in everyone's eyes for me. I don't want them to belittle me. And I also don't want to snatch your title. You are the rightful heir to the Crown, and you will be the future king. Hopefully, you will find a deserving queen for yourself in the future. I wish you all the best.

Leonora...!

With that, I left through the hidden door in the room, which led straight to outside. I am leaving to never come back again. This place is not mine nor the People!