The Reincarnated Royalty

Chapter - 51

"Love?" Claire looked at her with a confused expression on her face. "Yes love...I love King Kevin." Lucy replied making her shocked. "You...what?!" She was shocked to hear that. "I did this because he told me to...I followed his orders because I love him...I blindly trust him." Lucy said and Claire just stood there in shock. "H-how?" She asked Lucy with a look of pure shock in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter, the thing that matters is my true affection for him." Lucy said to her and tried to stand back up but her foot was still hurting so she just sat back down. "You yourself know very well that a person like him can never love anyone! He did not care even for his own father! Why would he love someone else when all he cares about is money and wealth!?" Claire said to Lucy thinking that she was very naive to trust Kevin this easily. "I doubt that he loves you as well."

"If you love someone truly then you must give your best even if they don't love you back."

Lucy yelled which made Claire take a few steps back on her sudden outburst. Lucy had tears in her eyes and it was as if she wanted to say something but was not able to put it all together in words. "When did this happen?" Claire asked her. "On Queen Melanie's funeral."

"I was going to call back Ray as he was sitting outside at her grave for so long but suddenly I heard my name being called so I went to check that. When I reached there, I saw a man wearing a huge black robe, covering his face. He took of the hood of that robe and I saw that it was Kevin. That day he said to me those few things which I will never be able to forget." Lucy said while looking down.

"Whatever he told you, it is clear that he was manipulating you! And unfortunately, he succeeded!" Claire said making Lucy look at her with a small and sad smile. "I don't blame you...I myself did not want to believe him at first but then...I realized that he needed someone...someone who he can trust or even use...and I became that person for him." Lucy said to her and looked at the ring in her hand. "After all, a wife has to support her husband." She smiled.

"Do you even realize how much you have affected all of us?! Do you not care about even your own brother who just died because of you?!" Claire yelled at her with a trembling voice. "It's not like I wanted him to die! I loved him too! He was my brother! The only one whom I could trust and rely on for my whole childhood!" Lucy yelled back while crying. "But in order to get something...some sacrifices are necessary to make." She said in a low voice and Claire was taken aback by her behavior.

Claire stayed silent for a while but then asked her in a deep voice. "Who else have you killed...directly or indirectly because I don't trust you anymore." She looked at her directly in her eyes. "I knew that this will happen for sure. I knew that the people who once trusted me will be betrayed by me. I knew that my own loved ones will see me as an enemy." Lucy said to herself in a low voice but Claire heard it all. Somewhere in her heart she felt her pain but she was too blunt to notice that. 

"Answer my question!" "Princess Jasmine and the former king and queen of Philaria!" Lucy said to her which made Claire's eyes widen. "W-what?" She was shocked to hear that. "Yes, Kevin did not know that they were going out for some trade issues. I was the one who told him that it was his chance to kill them. The reason why they found a few Sinsila soldiers at the place where that ship sank was because Kevin did not want anyone of you to doubt me." Lucy replied to her with a small yet guilty smile.

Claire stayed silent but then motioned near the huge pillar in that hall. "Kylie, you can come out now." She said and Kylie who was hiding behind that pillar the whole time came out and she was crying as well. "K-Kylie?" Lucy was shocked as well as confused to see her.

Kylie came to Claire and got on one knee in front of her, giving her a full bow. "Thank you, your highness for letting me know the truth. I will always cherish your gratitude towards me." She said and knelt down. Claire did not say anything and just kept looking at her. Kylie got back up. Claire just took one last glance at Lucy and went out from there with a blank face, covered with tears.

Kylie turned to Lucy and looked at her with tears. "Queen..." She called her softly. "Call me princess because it sounds better in your voice." Lucy lightly smiled at her. "Why....why did you do that...why...you could have told me all of that and I would have tried to help you...I would have tried to make others believe that you are not wrong..." She said while sniffing her tears. "No, Kylie...this time I was actually wrong. I have finally realized that in this world people only believe what they see and no one ever tries to look at the actual truth." Lucy said to her.

"Artificial beauty is nothing but an illusion, the true beauty lies in one's heart."

"And you are beautiful inside out. But just as you said...in order to get something...some sacrifices are necessary to make." Kylie said in a stern voice and took out her arrow. She lit the tip of that arrow with flame by using a lantern hanging on that pillar. "But I remember that I once made a promise to you. A promise to protect you till my last breath." Kylie looked at her.

"You gave me a purpose to live, I was just roaming around when destiny made me meet you and made you my purpose to live. Thank you for that, Princess." She smiled widely at her with tears streaming down her face. "And this is why I am going to die with you, right here, right now because I want to fulfill that promise." She said and Lucy got worried for her. "You don't have to!" She yelled but it was late as Kylie already shot that arrow on a huge curtain which in seconds caught fire and within a few more minutes, the whole hall was on fire.

"It was a pleasure serving you." Kylie bowed at her one last time and wrapped herself with one of those curtains...burning herself alive. "Kylie!!" Lucy shouted and ran to her but it was too late. Kylie's burnt body fell on the ground. Lucy's breath got stuck and she began crying loudly. "Kylie!!" She hugged her body and begged her to wake up. "I am sorry...everyone."

"I am thankful for the alliance between our nations and our friendship. Because of this we were able to get out from that trauma and raise our siblings as mother figures."

"I am sorry for betraying that bond between us, Rose."

"Take care of yourself and your brother, my little princess."

"I am sorry, Mother...I couldn't fulfill my promise to you...I am sorry."

Lucy heard a loud noise and looked up. She saw that she was sitting just below a huge burning chandelier and it was about to fall. She smiled widely and closed her eyes. "Finally...it's over." Just as she said this, the chandelier fell and she died that very moment.

Both Lucy and Kylie found themselves in a very bright place. Kylie was looking around in confusion when she saw her parents' reflection. "Mother?! Father?!" She was shocked to see them. "You have grown into a very beautiful and powerful lady." Her mother said to her. "I am glad you liked that little wooden sword." Her father smiled at her. "We are proud of your loyalty towards your kingdom." They both said in unison and started to fade away. "Wait!!"

Lucy too was busy looking around but then she saw her mother's reflection as well. "Mother?" She was shocked as well as happy to see her. Her mother gently smiled at her. Lucy felt a pang in her heart which made her look down as she disappointed her mother. "Lucy, you did well. I know you tried your best. That's all that matters." Her mother said which made her look back up. "You gave your best...and I am proud of that." Her mother smiled one last time and started to fade away.

*****

Both Kylie and Lucy woke up at the same time and looked around. They both realized that were in that same room from that castle. "What is going on?" Did I sleep again? Was that all my dream? If it was...then it was very realistic." Kylie said while rubbing her eyes. "I doubt, it was a dream." Lucy got up and dusted her clothes. "Then what was it?" Kylie asked her. 

"I'll explain that later."

*****