"A-Are you okay?"
I turned to the Queen of Norland. Her earlier angry face was replaced by pity. Her voice has softened now. After the two of us were locked up, she stopped shouting at me. She was just quietly lying in the corner and looking at me. It even told me if I was okay. I could feel her concern for me.
"I'm fine." I approached her. My feet are free to walk because only my hand was bound by Queen Emily, the Mother I knew in this world. Somehow, I didn’t have a hard time moving. My only problem was my bound hand.
I felt bad for what my Queen Mother had done to me. She didn’t even think I could get hurt. She didn't even care about me. She did not hesitate to lock me up.
How did she manage to do this to her own child? Why is it so easy for her to imprison me? To see me hurt, her own daughter.
Is she so ruthless? What kind of Mother is she?
"How about you? Are you alright?" I asked again. I am more concerned with the Mother Queen of Princes than myself. It had absolutely no scars I got compared to its wounds.
Even though the answer was obvious because I could see her condition, I was still able to ask her. She was lying on the cold cement because his two hands were also bound, even her foot was mercilessly chained. Her lips were dry and her skin was pale. Even the eyes are blackened and sunken as well.
Pitiful.
I suddenly felt pain. There seems to be a connection with us as if I also feel the pain and hardship she is going through now or it could also be because of the excessive conscience I feel because of what is happening in connection with my lying. I blame myself for why the Queen is here. I just ignored what I noticed that night that someone was following us. If I had paid attention to my hunch that someone was following us, I would have prevented what happened today. Hopefully Prince Arsh was able to hide their Mother somewhere else again and as such, the opponents didn’t get it.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. What I can't bear is your Mother's treatment of you, her own child. Emily is really very ruthless. She can hurt you even if her blood is on you."
"I really don't know how my Mother managed to tie me up," I said.
Doesn't any Mother want to see her daughter hurt? Even if I said that I had sinned against her because I had betrayed them, she would still be able to forgive me because Mother would never tolerate her daughter. But in what she did to me, I proved that not every Mother could not tolerate her child. There are still others who are hard-hearted and no longer feel pity.
The Queen stared at me and there was sadness in her eyes. "How did you manage to resist your own parents? Maybe that's what your Mother was upset about so she rejects you now."
I still don’t regret that I did the right thing. I will have no regrets even if my own Mother rejects me in this world. What matters is that what I stand for is right.
“Because I know what my Mother is doing is wrong. Everything she is doing now is rooted in anger and hatred so the result will be bad. She was fed up with anger and the desire to increase her power. She is greedy for those things.”
"I'm sorry," she said. “I got to know you wrong. You are very different from your parents. I should not be angry with you for what your Father King did and another, I am glad because you are in a good mood. I’m thankful you grew up not like them. You don't inherit bad behavior from your parents.”
It’s not just because of my mission that I’m defending the Kingdom of Norland against our Kingdom. I witnessed how involved Queen Emily was and that she should just not have won the fall of the Kingdom of Norland. I will not allow evil to triumph over good.
Perhaps Princess Amity was just blind then so even if wrong, she still followed her Mother’s evil deeds. Queen Emily is good at deceiving so even her own child can deceive just to fulfill her wishes.
"Let me go!"
At once the Queen turned to us at the open door. My eyes widened as I recognized who the man with the soldiers was.
I got up immediately.
It threw Prince Arsh and the three other soldiers who were leading him. The two soldiers held on to both shoulders of the Prince while the other, pointed the arrow at Prince Arsh’s back to make sure it could not escape from the hands of their soldiers. With just one arrow, the Prince will get a deep wound.
I immediately approached Prince Arsh but was also immediately taken away by another soldier from outside.
"Prince Arsh!"
Why is he here? Why was he captured by the soldiers of Lacandia? It can't be! He is now a captive of Queen Emily. Who will be left in the Kingdom of Norland if Queen Emily continues to capture the Princes? It would be difficult to protect the Kingdom of Norland by chance.
One by one they reduced the would be enemy before they could carry out the war. Queen Emily is smart and it’s tricky to play. She is too deceptive in her actions. She really planned her attacks well.
"Mother," the Prince called to his Queen Mother then turned to me. "Z-Zariya?" There was a look of shock on his face. He could not get close because the soldiers were still holding him. "If you're here, who was with me earlier to come here?" it's an extra question that still doesn’t take away the stare at me.
What is he saying? I am not with him.
After I left him in his room I went straight here. Unexpectedly, I was caught and imprisoned. That's why it's impossible for me to come here with him earlier.
"I thought you were the smartest of the five Princes but you seem to have sent so much of your feelings to Amity that it got to the point that you didn't recognize your opposite, that it turned out to be an opponent." The person who appeared behind Prince Arsh was Queen Emily. Next was Prince Cozen.
Our full attention went to them. Prince Arsh has already seen his brother. His infidelity will be caught.
"C-Cozen?" Prince Arsh stammered in his brother's name.
For a few seconds, silence prevailed over us.
Gradually Prince Arsh came to understand everything that was going on. He already understands why the second Prince is here now with Queen Emily.
"You deceived me!" he scolded his brother Prince.
"You're right, Prince Arsh. You disguised your brother as Amity to include you here in our Kingdom. I didn't quite think he would have a hard time deceiving you. I guess you're too obsessed with my Son?" Queen Emily laughed softly. “Perhaps you are smart in something else but not in the name of love,” she added.
"You're a traitor! How did you do this to our family?" Full of anger prevailed in the voice of Prince Arsh. Prince Cozen still can't get rid of Prince Arsh's evil stare.
There is no equal pain he feels now to know that his brother is also a traitor to the palace. Their supposed ally in this battle was able to turn their backs and betray the enemy. Prince Cozen allowed himself to be hurt by the people he had been with since childhood. The very people who gave him life he was able to destroy.
I can’t accept that because of me, Prince Cozen has done ‘those things’.
We heard no response from Prince Cozen. He ignored the hurtful words Prince Arsh uttered. He did not even hesitate to close his eyes to Prince Arsh but turned to Queen Emily. "Now, you can fulfill our agreement."
"Don't worry, Prince Cozen. I know how to keep the conversation going. You can take Princess Amity so I can marry you two right today."
My mouth fell open. Is this what Prince Cozen told me in exchange for his betrayal of the Kingdom of Norland? He did all that just to get me to marry him?
What the F!
Does he think I will agree?
What does he think of me? I have no decision of my own?
My Mother will not decide. I will still be the one to follow, especially since my pleasure is at stake. I will not allow myself to marry someone I do not love.
"Soldiers, you know what to do with your Prince. I have more to do, I will overthrow the Kingdom of Norland while they are unaware that we have the two Princes and the Queen of Norland. We can defeat them more easily if our opponent is reduced." When she said that, she left us immediately.
Prince Arsh was mercilessly pushed into the cement. Prince Arsh was also immediately bound by three soldiers. Like his Mother, they even chained his legs to make sure he could not move and to make way for him to get out of bondage.
The soldiers left, leaving only four of us in the room.
Prince Cozen stepped closer to me. Prince Arsh's gaze followed, his eyes glaring at her.
The Prince is already in front of me. "Turn around so I can loosen the shackles on your hand," Prince Cozen commanded.
I did not obey because I did not want to go with him.
"I don't want to," I said.
"I need to get you out of here right away, Amity, after we get married so that you won't be involved in the big war that will take place," he convinced me.
I still haven’t listened to him. I sat on the side of the wall so he couldn’t reach my bound hand.
I would rather be hurt and perish than go with him. After what he did, does he think I will follow his wishes?
I can't talk to him. Even just looking at him ‘I can’t be dark.
"Are you really crazy, Cozen?" sown by Prince Arsh. "Marrying Zariya in exchange for betraying us?"
"You don't care! It's my decision so I'll be the one to follow," Prince Cozen also replied emphatically.
"How's Zariya? Didn't you ask her what her decision was? Did you know if she wanted to marry you?"
Prince Cozen fell silent and looked at me. I averted my eyes again.
"She'll be safe with me." That's all he answered.
"But he will never be happy with you," Prince Arsh continued.
Prince Cozen pointed his hand at Prince Arsh. Its hand dropped and suddenly transformed into a sword. I immediately stood up again because I was so worried when I saw that just a few inches away, Prince Arsh was about to scratch his neck because of the excessive blade of the sword pointed at him.
"Prince Arsh!" I couldn't help but call him.
The look that Prince Cozen threw at me was bad. "Is he, Princess Amity? Is Arsh the man you like?"
I did not answer it. Even I am already confused with how I feel for Prince Arsh. It’s not just simple liking, it’s even deeper there. When I saw him on the brink of death, my heart beat faster than a horse.
I don't want anything bad to happen to him.
I don't want to lose him to me.
"My children, please stop."
We looked at the languishing Queen of Norland. I immediately went to her and helped her sit up properly. I parted her hair covering her face.
I can't bear to see her like this. She seemed to be running out of energy and was having difficulty breathing.
She will be further weakened by the quarrel she witnessed between the two Princes.
"Mother, don't give up. I can save you here, I can keep you away from Lacandia. Just hold on, Mother." Prince Arsh's voice cracked.
Prince Cozen slowly returned his hand. No more swords pointed at Prince Arsh's neck.
He stared at his Queen Mother for a moment before he approached her. He knelt down to match his Mother.
"Mother, forgive me." His heart seemed to soften.
"What do you mean, Prince Cozen?" I asked him.
Recently I had a strong suspicion that he was involved in the arrest of his Mother. But I still want to be sure and know that my suspicion is wrong.
I heard the sobbing of their Queen Mother. Even with his hand tied, he forced himself to reach out to Prince Cozen so that he could stroke his hair.
"I'm the reason Mother is here. I followed you that night and I discovered our Queen Mother was still alive. Until Queen Emily confessed to me and I sued them about Arsh hiding in ours. Mother. I am the reason Mother was captured and ended up in the hands of Queen Emily."
"Your infidelity is so great! Even our own Mother you have managed to ruin!" furious rage of Prince Arsh.
"I only did it because I love Princess Amity so much."
I don't know but I felt guilty again. I am the head and tail of this wheel. I let Prince Cozen fall in love with me and I couldn't stop it. Tata Lucio is right, when at least one Prince falls in love with me, everything will be complicated.
Love does something different.
He can make you evil and stupid. He can control your actions and poison your mind.
"But don't worry, Mother, because when Princess Amity and I get married, I'll help you escape here. If you want I'll save you and Arsh two more."
Prince Arsh's delirious laughter echoed. "Will you help us after you ruin us? You're really crazy, Cozen!"
Prince Cozen simply ignored Prince Arsh.
Prince Cozen nodded to his feet. The Prince held out his palm to me. “Princess Amity, come on. Your Mother is waiting for us. ”
He still doesn’t really give up on me. He was determined to claim me.
I let out a deep breath. I stood up and bravely faced him.
I have to do this to stop him. Even in the way it would hurt, I would, just after the mania he was doing.
“Prince Cozen, I will not marry you. No matter what you do, no matter who you betray and no matter what other way to claim me, I will never be with you. You are not the man I want to be with in the future. So have mercy, Prince Cozen, stop this because I will never love you more than a friend.”
I don’t believe in learning to love. You cannot teach the heart for whom it will beat. You will feel it spontaneously.
It is better to love when not forced.