"Where is my son?!" the king angrily asked the guards and servants, who could only bow their heads and let the king scold them.
This was always how things went in the palace—everyone stayed silent, as if they were protecting the prince instead of the king.
"You!" The king pointed to a woman who was assigned to watch over the prince. All the servants and guards flinched when the king suddenly shouted and pointed at the servant.
"You are in charge of my son. Where is he now?" The king lowered his voice so the woman wouldn’t be so scared.
But there was still anger in the king’s question, so the woman stammered when she answered. "I-I don’t k-know, Y-Your Majesty," she whispered, trembling with fear.
They all knew the king, and if they made a mistake or talked back, they would be kicked out of the palace with no second thought.
"USELESS!" the king shouted again, making everyone flinch and bow lower. No one wanted to speak or tell the king the truth because even they were tricked by the prince.
"Your Majesty," the king was about to shout again when he heard a male voice call his name. He turned around, feeling someone’s presence behind him.
He saw Philip, who had a serious face but smiled at him. The king raised his eyebrow as if to say, "What do you need?"
Philip bowed before speaking, "Madam Dakota is in the garden," he informed the king, standing straight again. When the king heard this, his anger vanished, and he became calm.
"I’ll follow," the king said, and Philip nodded, bowing again before leaving. The king took a deep breath and looked back at the servants and guards.
He caught them not bowing, but when they saw him, they immediately bowed again. "Go back to your work," the king ordered, and the people quickly obeyed. They bowed, thanked him, and left to return to their duties.
The king walked to the garden, where he saw Philip and a servant by the door, carrying two cups and a thermos.
When they saw the king pass by, they bowed again and then followed him as he went to see his lover.
"My love," the king said, and Dakota turned around, smiling when she saw his face. She hugged him tightly.
"My love, how are you? I missed you so much," Dakota said sweetly, making the king smile as he kissed her red lips.
The king didn’t notice the two behind him because he missed his lover so much, who would soon be his wife.
"I missed you too, my love. Thank you for coming here safely. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming so I could prepare some food for you?" He sat Dakota down next to him, then sat beside her.
"Don’t do that, my love. I’m not special like others. I just wanted to surprise you because today is the day I said yes to you," Dakota said, looking deeply into the king’s eyes as she spoke.
The king smiled and laughed softly, which made Dakota frown a little. "What’s funny?" she asked. The king looked into Dakota’s eyes again before speaking.
"Sorry, my love, I almost forgot our anniversary. It’s good that you reminded me," the king said with a smile, which made Dakota smile even more.
"It’s okay, my love. What’s important is that we are together now. That’s all I want."
...
"We will search every corner of the town for that Nicholas!" the prince angrily ordered the guards, who bowed to him before leaving to search every house.
All the people inside their homes quickly came out, holding their crying families and begging not to be hurt.
The prince watched the people in front of him, trembling in fear as they sat on the ground. He clearly remembered the face of the man who took his body without permission.
He would make sure this man suffered, along with his family. The prince already knew that the man who took his body was someone full of hatred and jealousy toward him and his powerful life.
A guard fired his gun into the sky, and everyone fell silent. No one dared to stand or speak in front of the prince.
"Good afternoon, people of San Mariano. I am here to tell you... WHO AMONG YOU KNOWS NICHOLAS!" The prince pointed his gun at the crowd, making them cover their ears.
A few minutes later, a brave man’s voice broke the silence, and he stood up, facing the prince.
"It’s me."