THE STORYBOOK

H1: PART 8 (ENGLISH)

His Majesty could hardly believe what he had been told, although many things began to make sense. Especially after listening to the story of the hunter and how his wife, yes his wife, had ordered him to kill the young man simply because she coveted a title that, otherwise, would never be hers.

Leonel sighed. The monarch was sitting in his favourite chair while thinking about what to do with all this mess.

He was worried about the repercusions of his decision, especially after seeing the pleading expression of one of the girls who he already loves as his own and her own wife, that was denying the charges as the only proofs that they have were the words of two peasants and several rumors that may well be unfounded.

 Arabella, on the other hand, had begged for the life of the man who had been arrested trying to take down her  rival in the contest. The young woman had cried, begging for him to be spared, while she apologized on her own to the young man and even knelt in front of him ....

No doubt the monarch was facing a great dilemma that was already costing him his sleep.

Meanwhile a young man was watching him from the doorway of the office.

- "You are still thinking about this problem, right?" - Singto said while entering into the room - "on our part, and as you ordered, we have checked the bedroom and the private rooms of the Queen"

- " And?"- asked the monarch without taking his eyes off his son.

- "Well... nothing but several entries in fashion magazines" - replied the young man with a sigh. 

It was then that, noticing the bowl of fruits that were on the table, Singto approached it and sat down in one of the nearby chairs, beginning to rummage through the different pieces while frowning.

Leonel smiled knowing perfectly well what his son was looking for. A piece of fruit that, unfortunately, he was not going to find in the bowl as he had already eaten it a few minutes before he entered the room. However, before he could even tell him that, the young man stopped frowning and, smiling, began to rummage through his own pockets and, after a couple of minutes, he finally pulled out an apple that immediately took to his lips.

A few seconds later the young man fell to the ground. He was completely unconscious and unable to hear the screams of his father, who was calling a doctor while saying his name over and over again.

The days followed one another as many doctors tried to save the young man. However, none of them achieved anything because, as the Queen had revealed to her furious husband, the poison she had used was lethal and had no cure.

The king consulted numerous scholars, experts on poisons and even healers. Always with the hope of being able to find something that could save his child.

Finally, one month after that fateful day, when the king was beginning to lose hope, Krist went to the palace with his mother.

Both were walking slowly. 

The young man carried a basket covered with a cloth while his mother, with a determined expression, barely noticed the curious looks that the servants and guards began to give to them.

Kimmon, who had been waiting at the servant's door for them for quite some time, hurried to direct them to the room where the sick young man was.

- "Bas, Krist and his mother are already here..." - Kim said as soon as he crossed the threshold of the door.

- "At last!" - exclaimed the young man who, with tears in his eyes, got up from the chair in which he was sitting, next to the prince's bed - "Will you be able to do something for him?"

- "First I have to check him" - Ava answered as she walked away from her son and approached the bed - "I also need to be able to work in silence. Please, everyone wait outside. "

Krist left without hesitation and, a second later, he was followed closely by Bas and Kimmon. Only a maid, who was supposed to help Ava, stayed inside the room.