The Last Chapter

The Ball

Zephon didn't sleep that night. When he heard his parents shuffling around downstairs, his eyes went wide. Tonight is the ball. He stood up, stretching, and took a shower. Taking a deep breath, he found the most formal outfit he had and went downstairs. His parents were in their most formal outfits as well and we're talking quickly.

"Zephon!" The queen exclaimed, making him jump. She had a wide smile and grabbed him in a warm embrace. "I can not believe my son will be a king next week!"

The king nodded at him, smiling. "My boy." A pained expression crossed his usually smiling face. The look that followed gave him the worst feeling. Fear and pain twisted and knotted across the king's face. His father's eyes went wide and he opened his mouth but nothing followed, except a hurling noise.

The queen screamed with so much force that her voice broke. "Help!"

The king squeezed his side as Zephon rushed toward him and grabbed his hand just as he was about to fall, his eyes widened in pain.
~
The king's illness was confirmed worse and had to stay in bed for the next few days, until progress of healing showed. The queen was so upset, she had to lay down. He was so worried, he rushed into the bathroom and threw up. He still has to go to the ball and his father was not going to the ball. He ate lunch in silence with his mother.

After a while, he glanced up and slowly formed a question. "The answer to this question is obvious. But... What do you think will..." he swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "What will after after dad... Dies." He whispered the last part so quietly that he couldn't even hear it himself.

His mother was quiet for so long that he didn't on hearing a response. He winced and resumed to his eating. The sound of her voice made him jump after hearing nothing but silence for so long. "I don't know." She whispered.

The lump in his throat was now a lemon, lodged in his airway, cutting off the air from his lungs.

"We have a few more hours until the ball. You should probably scrub yourself clean and get into your clothes."

He nodded although he already washed himself that morning, he stood up and slowly walked to his room. He sat on his bed, his hands in tight balls. He lifted his clenched fists to his temples, closing his eyes. On the outside, he's thinking. On the inside, he's screaming at the top of his lungs.

He finally got up and took yet another shower. He sighs quietly and slips on his fancy dress shirt, pants, and the shoes that Kathy, the maid, shined the previous day. After combing his hair, he set it down on his table and walked over to his mirror, staring wide eyed at the visage.

He saw a teenage boy with neat chestnut curls and fancy clothing. He took a deeper look and saw a worried boy. It took everything for him to tear himself away from the mirror. The ball would be in two hours. He had to tell Adell.

He thought of telling her the words that his mouth hadn't been able to form. The youngest maid, fifteen, came into his room, looking at the floor in embarrassment. "Prince Zephon, please come down. Your mother is expecting you."

"Angelina, you don't have to call me prince. I'm just Zephon."

She nodded. "Okay Prince-" he raised his eyes brows. "-Er... Zephon." She smiled and they chuckled, lightly.

"That's better."

When he met the queen in the ballroom and his pulse quickened. The life of the ballroom was silenced by the pounding of his heart through his ears. He took a big gulp of air and approached his mother. "Mother."

She turned around. "Aren't you excited, Zephon?"

He forced a smile. "Yes," he lied through his teeth.