Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Peach

While Eric and Maria were inside the walls, Lady Clara and Hans were tending to the people outside the walls of the Orient, hidden from everyone else.

"Hans, may I please talk to you for a moment?" Clara asked Hans who was distributing toiletries to the people.

"Sure." Hans gave everything to the guards to distribute then the two of them went inside the tent. "What is it?"

"I met you before... Haven't I?" Clara went straight to the point.

"I believe you have not but I did visit once..." Hans replied.

"King Cedric's coronation. You are the son of the late knight, Howard Van Rensselaer."

"How do you know my father?" Hans asked, skeptical.

"Who would not know the best knight of Madara? Only those who don't have ties with the royalty, of course... Also, I saw you... You and Maria were close... Weren't you?" Clara smiled.

"For that limited time... Yes... We were. When I saw her with Andreia in our kingdom, I thought I'd be happy to see her again, but no... I could see the fear, pain and sadness in her eyes, so I knew not how to make her happy..." Hans frowned.

"Mind sharing everything?" Clara asked as she sat behind her desk.

"You see... She was not as jolly as she was during the coronation. It made me worried...

I saw her once more... She looked so dreary. Like the starless sky during the new moon. She was weary... It was the evening of January 1st." Hans started.

"That was during supper?"

"Yes... Though walking to the dinner table with her head high, I knew that her dignity and her pride were shattered. She sat between me and Eric while I continuously glanced at her since I did not want to look rude and stare at a lady.

Though looking so down, she still looked gorgeous. I just wanted to make her smile but it was something that I would not do in front of royalty, except Eric." Hans continued.

"Did you not feel jealous because if Eric develops feelings for the girl, you'll lose by a mile." Clara giggled. "He'll be more suitable since he's royalty."

"Ha! No... Eric is my brother... Besides... He likes someone else." Hans retorted as his face blushed. "Anyway, let me continue. Andreia made a statement that made both Eric and Maria look at me. I felt so embarrassed.

After dinner, Eric was so jolly and energetic, contrasting Maria's lifeless demeanor. Eric decided to become a gentleman by giving his room to Maria. I honestly admired his decision at that moment. I wanted to be with the princess though... Those times were tough for her so I thought, "Why not accompany her instead."

"What a splendid idea!" Eric exclaimed. "Are you okay with that, princess?"

Maria neither uttered a word nor nodded. Her silence though was accepted by Eric as approval. Eric's room was really wide so they had a mattress placed in front of the bed where we slept. As for Maria, she took the bed as per request of the prince.

As soon as we got comfortable, Eric fell alseep. Maria was near to sleeping unlike me who was still lying awake. Eric hugged me as he snored while I observe Maria on the bed.

"She's the girl I met in the party... She isn't as lively as before..." I thought to himself. After that, I fell asleep."

The morning came and I woke up with Eric smiling down on me. I sighed then he covered his nose. "I just woke up, what did you expect of me?"

"I noticed that your breath won't smell like either yesterday's dinner or the blocked canal at the plaza." Eric chuckled. "Now, don't wake the princess up, we'll make her breakfast."

"We'll cook for her?" I asked nervously. I honestly don't cook but there I was, learning.

We cooked soup for help with the help of my aunt and some of the maids. Of course, no one else in the castle knew of this. We stealthily went back into the room and right on time, the princess woke up.

She was shocked when we brought her food. That was the first human-like response we received from her since she arrived. She was beautiful, though her hair was messy. We introduced ourselves formally then we ate together.

After some playful banter and jokes, here and there, she finally smiled. Her gleeful smile that looked like the morning sun on a bright day illuminated my day. When my happiness was at its peak, there it happened... The tragedy..."

Hans was at the verge of tears as vivid images of Maria's death crossed his mind. It was a horrid sight that would cause trauma to anyone.

"You saw her die... There..." Clara frowned.

"Yes! I became mad to the point Eric told his parents that we should stay in the kingdom of the north where my lineage started. He explained to me that Maria did not really die but I was on the stage of denial and I accepted the 'fact' that Maria was already dead and Eric was only deceiving me. It took me years to get over it and look for another woman to love.

I found Marionwei in the north. She was the niece of the king. A great warrior was she. Benevolent, tactful and cunning. I proposed to her after some time of knowing her. We got the king's blessing and we were going to get married until another tragedy in my life struck. Madara pushed through the walls of the kingdom and when she was defending her village, she was killed. Once again, a woman that I loved, killed before my eyes.

I have not seen Maria yet... I have been living in this kingdom for years and not one time did I see her. I wonder how she looks like now? She must be a woman of 21 already... Since I am two years older." Hans faintly smiled as he looked down.

"I see... You know, Maria grew to be the woman everyone wished her to be. A benevolent soul gifted with an evil ability. A pacifist who would always choose to talk than to fight. Now, I doubt Maria is in control." Clara shook her head.

"What do you mean?" Hans looked at Clara.

"You see, without the queen in her head, she is pretty much born without abilities. She has red eyes when she feels extreme emotions because that is the time she loses control. When she fights, it isn't her who's fighting... It's her alter ego." Clara sighed. "You know, Maria should be the one who'll explain this in more detail."

Clara left the tent then she teleported into the court while Hans sat on a chest in the tent, reevaluating his thoughts about the fake death and the other things that are now carved in history.