The Prince and The Thief

Twenty One

"Hello sir, how are you now?" Bright asked Prem as they came in for a visit. Prem looked at Dae, wondering who these people were. "They helped me to find you and this one, you know him," Dae said pointing at Kongpop.  Prem  observed Kongpop for a while and turned to Dae shaking his bandaged head in denial. "He is the palace maid's grandson. The boy who went missing," Dae said to which Prem's eyes shot up in surprise. "You used to be neighbours. He often talked about you and your grandmother.  In fact your grandmother's death was the reason Prem started looking into the royals," Dae explained to Kongpop who looked surprised. Kongpop didn't really remember anything clearly about his life before that night his grandmother was killed and so Prem never existed in his memories. Soon a nurse came in, asking the visitors to leave the room.

"The king has called for a press conference in the palace grounds that might begin anytime soon. We are waiting here..oh yes, the king is here and he is accompanied by...," the reporter paused while looking around in confusion seeing the stranger walking next to the king. Kongpop looked at the TV screen, in the hospital reception, without blinking. Arthit, dressed in a white royal attire, now sat next to the king in front of many microphones. Unlike the adorable man who slept in his arms a night ago, Arthit was now really giving off princely vibes. "Oh my God, look at him. He is really the prince. Who would believe if we told anyone that he was with us yesterday, trying to save the reporter?" Kongpop heard Bright say. Kongpop felt his eyes tear up seeing Arthit who looked desolate no matter how good he looked in those clothes. The dimpled smile that made Kongpop's heartbeats race was no longer there.

"Good afternoon, today I have something important to say. I wish everyone of you have patience to completely listen before asking questions," the king began as the reporters listened in silence. "Like I had said in the last press conference, the queen's death will be investigated as we have enough proof behind the person behind it. It's with great regret I announce that it was my own younger brother and his son, the current crown prince, behind the death of the queen. They will be tried for the same and many other charges in the coming days. Prince Thanawut has been stripped off his crown prince title. The crown prince will be my real son, Arthit, from now on," the reporters gasped at what they heard and some of them put up their hands to ask questions. The king nodded his head in approval to which the reporter in the front stood up. "Your Highness, we were told that your son had passed away ten years ago," the reporter said. "Yes, given the circumstances then, we had to fake his death. We had to keep him away for sometime," the King explained as the reporters looked at each other in confusion. "Your highness, was it to hide him from Prince Thanawut and his father?" another reporter asked. "No, it's because I like men," Arthit interrupted shocking everyone. "My father believed that it was against the norms to not have a queen or a heir. I hope you all don't judge him because not everyone from that generation are open minded. But this age is all about breaking norms. So may be I can be the first crown prince, who is homosexual?" Arthit said, with a smile. Soon the sounds of applauds could be heard to which the king sighed in relief. " Why did you have to say that? It's good that nobody reacted in the wrong way. But the whole country won't take it positively," the king said to his son in a hushed voice. "Father, I think the first trait to be a good king is to be transparent with the citizens. If we try to hide one fact with a lie, we'll have to do it over and over again until we end up victimising others for us to escape," Arthit said before turning to the reporters. "Your highness, will the coronation happen soon?" one of the reporters asked. "Yes, it will happen soon. I think my son is ready to take care of the country," the king said, looking at his son proudly.

After the press meet, Arthit was about to go back to his room, when he saw someone familiar by the gate. Arthit tried his best to remember who he was until his eyes went wide in recognition. He called a servant and asked to bring that man in.

"Oak, what were you doing there?" Arthit asked as they stood in the garden, away from the group of reporters, who were talking to the palace staff. "Your highness, I came to see you," Oak said, looking everywhere else, except at Arthit. As he raised his head, Oak saw Arthit looking hopefully at the gate he came in from. "Kong didn't come. He asked me to give this to you," Oak said, taking a box out of his pocket and giving it to Arthit. He opened the box and felt his eyes tear up the next moment. It was the ring Kongpop had stolen from the palace. On the day they were leaving from the island, Arthit had kept it in the drawer and  had forgotten about it. "Thanks," Arthit told Oak, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I am leaving now. All the best being the future king," Oak said and turned to leave. Arthit didn't reply as he watched Oak's retreating figure before turning to go back to the palace.

Kongpop looked at the empty wall where Bright's favourite TV used to be mounted. "What are you looking at? Help me pack the bags," Bright said as he struggled to close a suitcase. "Aren't you mad at me, P'?" Kongpop asked Bright who now looked at his nong with his arms on either sides of his waist. "For what?"  he asked. "For giving back the ring," Kongpop replied. "I'll be lying if I say I am okay with it. But to think of it, we were useful for once to someone by helping the ring reach the right owner and that makes me feel proud. Atleast we have enough money to move to another country, though it's not where we dreamed to go," Bright said before going back to pack his things. "You sold your favourite TV and your mother's jewellery P', I am sorry I don't have anything to give you," Kongpop said as he got up from the chair to help Bright. "Don't feel too much about it. I don't have the money for shipping the TV and that's why I sold it. About mae's jewellery, that's all that shitty man, who cheated on her when she was pregnant with me, bought for her when they got married. I bet she's kicking his a** in heaven right now. I never saw her use it and the place she is in right now, she obviously doesn't need it. So I don't think she would mind if her sons would have a better life by selling it," Bright explained, causing Kongpop to laugh. They finished packing and sat down on the floor, letting out a huge sigh and the next moment, heard the door open. "I gave it to him," Oak told as he sat down between Bright and Kongpop. Bright saw Kongpop nodding his head and look away at what he heard. "He looks great in those clothes and he was looking for you when I...," Bright nudged Oak the next moment asking him to shut up. 

"Kong, are you crying?" Bright leaned forward in concern seeing Kongpop turn away from them. "It's okay, it's okay, you know that we can't do anything about it, son," Bright consoled Kongpop, as he and Oak, pulled him into a tight hug. Kongpop didn't resist like he usually does, when Oak or Bright hugged him, allowing himself to let go all the emotions he was feeling at the moment, hoping that the new life they were to start would make the pain vanish.